Russian forces launched a large-scale nighttime attack on Ukraine’s Dnipropetrovsk and Kharkiv regions, leaving multiple people dead and injured, and causing extensive damage.
In the Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, the assault struck the city of Dnipro and surrounding areas with missiles, drones, and guided bombs.
According to Serhiy Lysak, head of the regional military administration, the “massive” attack killed a man and injured a woman in Dnipro city. Residential high-rises, industrial enterprises, and parking lots suffered direct hits, igniting major fires.
In the Dnipro district, fires broke out at a shopping center, various enterprises, and areas of dry grass, resulting in one additional fatality and four more people injured.
Russian forces also bombed the Pokrovske community with guided aerial munitions, sparking further blazes.
Ukraine’s military said air defenses intercepted seven missiles and 26 drones during the assault.
Kharkiv also came under prolonged bombardment lasting nearly three hours, involving over 20 strikes, including four guided bombs, two ballistic missiles, and 15 Shahed kamikaze drones, according to Kharkiv Mayor Ihor Terekhov.
Seven major fires ignited in the city’s Kyiv district. Emergency services reported five people injured, including three rescuers wounded by a second strike while responding to the aftermath of the first. Fire crews managed to save six people, including two children, before three of their firefighting vehicles were destroyed.
Across the border, the acting governor of Russia’s Rostov region Yury Slyusar said two people died after a drone strike started a car fire.
Meanwhile, in the early hours of July 26, a drone strike hit the Russian city of Stavropol. Local residents reported hearing a series of loud explosions. The apparent target was the Signal defense plant, a facility involved in producing electronic warfare systems for aircraft and ground forces.
The attacks came a day after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced that his country had secured funding for three Patriot missile defense systems and is negotiating for seven more, following a new agreement that enables European allies to buy US weaponry for Kyiv.
The announcement came two weeks after US President Donald Trump gave Russia a 50-day deadline to reach a settlement on the war or face steep tariffs, and signaled intent to supply Ukraine with additional defensive weapons through European partners.
According to Zelenskyy, Germany and Norway have each pledged Patriot systems, and talks with the Netherlands are ongoing. In addition, Kyiv and Washington have agreed to a deal — estimated at between $10 billion and $30 billion — for Ukraine to export drones to the United States.
Since taking office six months ago, Trump has tried to broker an end to the conflict, but Russian President Vladimir Putin has rejected US calls for a cease-fire.
In response to this impasse, Trump has authorized the release of weapons to Ukraine that were previously withheld in efforts not to antagonize Russia.
