LONDON — Russia and Ukraine once more exchanged a collection of main in a single day drone strikes as the 2 sides maneuvered forward of a doable resumption of ceasefire talks later this week.
Renewed talks — in the event that they do occur — would happen as each Kyiv and Moscow close to new information for the dimensions and depth of cross-border strikes, and as each side decide to additional scaling up long-range strike drone capabilities.
In Russia, the Protection Ministry stated Monday posts to Telegram that its forces downed 88 Ukrainian drones over seven Russian areas — together with 23 craft over Moscow area.
That adopted waves of Ukrainian assaults stretching from Saturday night time via Sunday, throughout which the Protection Ministry stated its forces shot down 221 drones — the very best every day complete reported by the ministry since June 6.
Sunday night time’s assaults prompted extra disruption at main airports, in line with Telegram posts by Artem Korenyako — a spokesperson for Russia’s federal aviation company Rosaviatsiya.
Firefighters work on the web site of an house constructing hit by a Russian drone strike in Kyiv, Ukraine, on July 21, 2025.
Valenty’s Ogirenko/Reuters
Korenyako stated short-term restrictions on flights have been launched at Moscow’s Zhukovsky, Sheremetyevo and Domodedovo airports, in addition to the Strigino Worldwide Airport within the metropolis of Nizhny Novgorod, round 240 miles east of the capital.
Ukraine’s air power, in the meantime, stated Russia launched 426 strike and decoy drones into the nation in a single day, in addition to 24 missiles of varied varieties. In a put up to Telegram, the air power stated 404 drones and all missiles have been intercepted or in any other case suppressed.
The air power added that 23 drones impacted in three places, whereas falling drone particles was reported in 12 places.
Kyiv was once more rocked by explosions. There, at the least one particular person was killed and 9 folks injured, Kyiv Metropolis Navy Administration head Timur Tkachenko stated in a put up to Telegram.
Six metropolis districts have been affected, Tkachenko stated, with residential buildings, a grocery store, a kindergarten and warehouse services have been amongst these broken and set ablaze.
The doorway to the Lukianivska metro station was additionally broken, Tkachenko stated. Residents of Kyiv retreat to metro stations nightly to shelter from Russian strikes.
Ukrainian president volodymyr zelenskyy stated in a put up to Telegram that the Kharkiv, Ivano-Frankivsk, Sumy, Khmelnytskyi, Kirovohrad, Mykola, Polaiv, POLAIV Affected.
Throughout the nation, at the least two folks have been killed and 15 injured, Zelenskyy stated.
“Solely actual strain on Russia can cease this aggression,” he wrote.
In a collection of later posts, Zelenskyy stated he met with new Protection Minister Denys Shmyhal and ordered the navy to broaden Kyiv’s defensive and offensive drone capabilities.
All “wants of military aviation, the air power and all models that defend lives in our cities and villages have to be absolutely met,” Zelenskyy stated.
“You will need to additionally guarantee a big improve within the frequency and vary of our drone use towards Russian targets,” he wrote. “Each web site in Russia that Moscow makes use of for weapons manufacturing should develop into reachable for our protection forces.”
A customer at an exhibition takes a photograph of components of an Iranian-made Shahed drone in Kyiv, Ukraine, on June 27, 2025.
Alina Smökko/Reuters
Each side are rising the dimensions of their assaults. Thus far in July, Russia has launched a complete of 4,929 drones and 148 missiles into Ukraine, in line with Ukraine’s air power — at a median of round 234 drones and 7 missiles every day.
June noticed 5,438 drones and 239 missiles fired into Ukraine, with a every day common of 181 drones and almost eight missiles.
And in Could, Russia launched a complete of three,835 drones and 117 missiles, for a median of round 124 drones and almost 4 missiles every day.
Although smaller in scale, Ukraine additionally seems to be rising the depth of its drone assaults into Russia. Thus far this month, the Protection Ministry in Moscow has reported downing 2,284 Ukrainian drones at a median of 108 per day.
In June, the ministry reported downing a complete of two,368 Ukrainian drones, with a median of virtually 79 drones per day throughout the month. These figures have been down from Could, throughout which the ministry stated it shot down 3,611 drones with a median of 116 per day.
Zelenskyy on Sunday appealed for brand spanking new talks with Russia searching for a ceasefire to finish Moscow’s full-scale invasion, in progress since February 2022 and nonetheless raging regardless of six months of efforts from President Donald Trump’s administration to power an finish to the combating.
Rustem Umerov, who final week was moved from his function as protection minister to function secretary of the Nationwide Safety and Protection Council, “reported that he has proposed one other assembly with the Russian facet for subsequent week,” Zelenskyy wrote on Telegram.
“The tempo of negotiations have to be elevated,” the president stated. “All the pieces have to be completed to attain a ceasefire. And the Russian facet should cease hiding from selections.”
On Sunday, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov addressed Trump’s ultimatum — issued earlier this month — for Russia to conform to a ceasefire inside 50 days or face extra sanctions.
“Everyone seems to be already used to his reasonably robust and easy rhetoric,” Peskov advised journalists. “On the identical time, he confirms his intentions to do every part doable to contribute to peaceable settlement.”
“In actual fact, President (Vladimir) Putin has repeatedly spoken about his want to switch Ukrainian settlement to a peaceable route as quickly as doable,” Peskov added. “This can be a lengthy course of, it requires effort, and it’s not simple. And, more than likely, increasingly more folks in Washington perceive this.”
As to a doable assembly between Trump and Putin, Peskov replied, “It’s doable, and over time it is going to positively occur. It’s crucial.”
An explosion of a Russian drone is seen in Kyiv, Ukraine, on July 21, 2025.
Gleb Garanich/Reuters
“Maybe will probably be crucial for the fixation of some main agreements, which will likely be achieved over time, after an enormous quantity of labor has been completed,” he continued. “However this time has not but come. This work is but to be completed.”
“Russia is able to transfer quick,” Peskov stated. “The primary factor for us is to attain our targets. Our targets are clear, apparent, they don’t change. However the course of relies upon not solely on us.”
ABC Information’ Will Gretsky, Oleksiy Pshemyskiy and Tanya Stukalova and Joe Simonetti contributed to this report.
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