Ukraine and Russia trade long-range strikes as both sides report civilian deaths

Verified key facts

• President Volodymyr Zelensky said a Russian strike killed 10 people and wounded more than 100 at a defence-industry event in the Kyiv region, according to Al Jazeera.
• Russia's regional governor in Kirov said a Ukrainian strike on a factory killed six people and injured 26, Al Jazeera reported.
• Ukraine's air force said it downed one missile and 127 of 157 drones launched overnight on 24-25 July, per Ukrainska Pravda and RBC-Ukraine.
• Russia's defence ministry said its forces shot down 571 Ukrainian drones overnight, according to Al Jazeera citing Russian state media.

What happened

Ukraine and Russia exchanged a fresh wave of long-range strikes in late July, with each side reporting civilian deaths on its own territory. The attacks extended a pattern of deep strikes that has intensified in recent weeks, according to reports from Al Jazeera and US News.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said a Russian strike killed 10 people and wounded more than 100 at a defence-industry event in the Kyiv region on 24 July, Al Jazeera reported. Ukraine's prosecutor general, Ruslan Kravchenko, said an investigation would examine who authorised the gathering.

In the eastern town of Sloviansk, regional governor Vadym Filashkin said aerial bombs killed five people and injured nine, according to the same report. Ukrainian officials said further bombardments the following day killed additional civilians in other regions.

In the northeastern city of Kharkiv, local authorities said a daytime drone attack killed one person, according to reporting collated by Al Jazeera. About a dozen others needed medical care, and emergency crews worked at several damaged sites.

Ukrainian regional officials said residential buildings and civilian infrastructure were among the sites hit over the two days. The full toll from the wider bombardment was still being assessed, they said.

Russia's defence ministry said its forces had struck Ukrainian military-industrial facilities, while Moscow-appointed officials reported casualties from Ukrainian strikes inside Russia. The claims from each side could not be independently verified.

Ukraine's strikes inside Russia

Ukraine carried out one of its largest strikes on Russian territory this year, the independent outlet Meduza reported. Ukrainian drones targeted warehouses of the retailer Wildberries, a missile-component plant and other sites across more than a dozen Russian regions and Crimea.

Alexander Sokolov, governor of Russia's Kirov region, said a strike on a factory there killed six people and injured 26, Al Jazeera reported. Tatyana Kim, founder of Wildberries, said there were no casualties at the company's warehouses.

Zelensky described the strikes on Russian logistics and defence sites as successful operations, according to Al Jazeera. Ukrainian officials say such strikes aim to degrade Russia's ability to produce and move weapons used against Ukrainian cities.

The Wildberries warehouses that were hit lie in the Saint Petersburg area, the Leningrad region and Crimea, Al Jazeera reported. Ukraine has increasingly aimed drones at industrial and transport hubs far from the front line over the past year.

Russian officials described the Ukrainian attacks as strikes on civilian and commercial sites. The differing characterisations of the targets, common throughout the war, could not be reconciled from the available accounts.

Air-defence claims from both sides

Ukraine's air force said Russia launched 157 drones and two Kh-59/69 missiles overnight on 24-25 July, and that air defences destroyed one missile and 127 drones. The figures were reported by Ukrainska Pravda and RBC-Ukraine.

Russia's defence ministry said its forces shot down 571 Ukrainian drones overnight over 15 regions, Crimea and the Sea of Azov, Al Jazeera reported, citing the state news agency TASS. Russia also said it had struck 27 Ukrainian military vessels over the previous week.

Neither side's air-defence and casualty claims could be independently confirmed. Both governments routinely publish interception totals that are difficult for outside observers to verify in wartime conditions.

What each side says

Ukrainian officials say Russia continues to target defence production and civilian areas, and that Kyiv's own strikes are aimed at legitimate military and logistics targets inside Russia. They frame the deep strikes as necessary to reduce pressure on the front line.

Russia says it strikes only military-industrial sites and describes Ukrainian attacks on Russian regions as strikes on civilian infrastructure. Moscow has repeatedly said its operation continues until it achieves its stated aims, which Kyiv rejects.

• Ukraine: says Russian strikes hit defence and residential sites, causing civilian deaths.
• Russia: says it targets only military-industrial facilities and blames Kyiv for civilian harm.
• Both sides: publish interception and casualty figures that cannot be independently verified.

Wider context

The exchanges come during what UN officials have described as one of the deadliest phases of the war since 2022. Diplomatic contacts mediated earlier in the year have stalled, and neither side has signalled readiness for a ceasefire.

Deep strikes have become a central feature of the conflict, with both militaries expanding drone and missile production. Analysts cited by international outlets say the tempo of long-range attacks reflects an effort to weaken the other side's economy and defence base.

Ukraine has pressed allies for more air-defence systems, saying gaps in coverage have allowed larger Russian barrages to reach cities. Russia has said Western weapons deliveries prolong the fighting.

The strike on the defence-industry event drew particular attention in Ukraine. Prosecutor General Ruslan Kravchenko said investigators would establish who authorised holding the gathering, according to Al Jazeera, after questions over why so many people were assembled.

What next

Both governments have indicated they intend to continue long-range strikes. Ukrainian officials say further attacks on Russian military and logistics sites are planned, while Russia has vowed to respond to strikes on its territory.

International attention has turned to the UN Security Council, where members have called for de-escalation. Whether the fresh strikes prompt renewed diplomatic movement, or further escalation, remains unclear as the war approaches its fifth year.

Sources

• Al Jazeera - Ukraine and Russia trade attacks, casualties reported (24 July 2026)
• Ukrainska Pravda - Ukraine downs one missile and 127 drones (25 July 2026)
• RBC-Ukraine - Air defences battle massive overnight attack (July 2026)
• Meduza - Ukraine launches one of its biggest strikes on Russia this year (24 July 2026)