Russian drone strikes on Ukraine hit all-time record in July
The analysis, which used data published by Ukraine's air force, showed Russia fired 6,297 long-range drones into Ukraine last month -- up nearly 16 percent compared with June and the third straight monthly increase.
Russia also fired 198 missiles into Ukraine in July, more than in any month this year except in June, according to the data.
The attacks, which trigger air raid sirens and send civilians scrambling for shelter, took place on every night of the month.
The Kremlin has consistently rejected a ceasefire in Ukraine, saying in July it saw no immediate diplomatic way out of its nearly three-and-a-half year invasion.
Three rounds of direct negotiation between Moscow and Kyiv since May have failed to yield a peace deal.
Russia's escalation of drone and missile attacks on Ukraine led to a three-year high in the number of civilians killed or wounded in June, the United Nations said last month.
A combined drone and missile strike on the Ukrainian capital Kyiv early Thursday killed at least 31 people, 28 of whom were in a nine-story apartment block partially reduced to rubble by a missile, authorities said.
Five of the dead were children, rescue service spokesperson Pavlo Petrov said.
US President Donald Trump, who has become increasingly frustrated with the Kremlin's refusal to accept a ceasefire, has given Moscow until next Friday to reach a deal or face sweeping sanctions.
Russia has ramped up its drone production to an industrial scale since the war began.
Ukraine has sought to roll out new air defenses in response, tasking manufacturers with producing thousands of cheap interceptor drones to destroy their Russian counterparts.
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Al Arabiya
19 minutes ago
- Al Arabiya
Despite sanctions, Russian bomb factory bought Siemens tech via middleman
As Russia sought to ratchet up military production for the war in Ukraine, a state-owned explosives manufacturer circumvented Western sanctions by purchasing equipment made by Germany's Siemens from a middleman that imports technology from China. The acquisition of the Siemens equipment needed to automate machinery at the Biysk Oleum Factory (BOZ), in southern Siberia, was made via a Russian intermediary that sources industrial technology from Chinese wholesalers and re-sellers, according to customs data and state procurement records reviewed by Reuters. The acquisition of the equipment shows how Russian military firms have been able to easily avoid Western sanctions to boost their production. US President Donald Trump has given Moscow until Friday to agree a ceasefire in Ukraine or face additional sanctions. BOZ's parent company, Federal State Enterprise Ya. M. Sverdlov Plant, is already subject to US and EU sanctions for assisting Russia's war effort. BOZ signed a deal in October 2022 to acquire the Siemens equipment from a Russian intermediary, Techpribor, the procurement records show. Soon before the expiry of the 140-day deadline to deliver the equipment, Techpribor received a shipment from a Chinese supplier of industrial equipment called Huizhou Funn Tek, based in Guangdong province, customs data showed. By matching Siemens product codes with customs codes, and reviewing descriptions in the documents, Reuters established that two Siemens power regulator devices supplied by Huizhou Funn Tek were identical to the models BOZ ordered. Reuters found no evidence Siemens knew its equipment was sold to the Russian explosives maker. A spokesman for the German engineering multinational said the firm strictly complies with international sanctions and demands the same from its customers, but he added that some goods could reach Russia without it knowing. Techpribor did not respond to a Reuters request for comment. Questions sent to BOZ and its parent company also went unanswered. Though it's well documented that Russian defense manufacturers have sourced Western technology from China, Reuters' reporting traces the path of equipment to show how a Russian defense firm can obtain Western equipment with minimal difficulty. Since Russia began its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the BOZ factory, in the southern Siberian city of Biysk, has been expanding. It has been building a new facility to produce another type of high explosive, called RDX, a Reuters investigation found. Acquiring automated machine tools is crucial to the Russian defense sector's drive to produce more munitions. They allow higher productivity with fewer workers, a vital consideration given the sector is experiencing a labor shortage, according to an October 2024 report by British defense think tank RUSI and the Open Source Centre, an organization that uses open data to study conflict, corruption and crime. Russia has only a limited track record of producing its own automated machine tools and defense manufacturers must often import them. Konrad Muzyka, director of the Rochan military consultancy in Poland, said the continued delivery of Western-made machinery to Russia was prolonging the war by feeding Moscow's rearmament drive. 'These high-precision components are often irreplaceable within advanced manufacturing processes, including missile production, drone assembly, and tank refurbishment,' he said. 'Without them, Russia's capacity to sustain or scale its war effort would be more time consuming, expensive and place a bigger burden on the labor market.' Russian middleman Tender documents on the state procurement database showed that in 2022 and 2023, the parent company of BOZ purchased three sets of Siemens industrial automation equipment, and specified they were for the plant in Biysk. The electronic devices, which carry the Siemens Simatic sub-brand, can be patched into industrial machinery, allowing it to be automated and monitored remotely. The tender documents identified the firm that won the contract to supply some of the equipment: Techpribor Company LLC, registered in the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad, situated between Poland and Lithuania. Reuters reviewed confidential tax service data that confirms it did business with BOZ's parent company. By examining Russian customs data, Reuters established that Techpribor, between February and November 2023, imported consignments of Siemens equipment from companies in China. Techpribor bought several shipments on the same date from Huizhou Funn Tek, which describes itself as a trader in industrial automation gear. The shipments included the two Siemens power regulators that matched the order placed by BOZ. The data reviewed by Reuters does not contain enough information to establish that the power regulators in the customs documents were the ones delivered to BOZ. The data does show though that they are the same model of Siemens gear. On its website, Huizhou Funn Tek identifies Siemens as a 'partner' company. A representative of Huizhou Funn Tek, who gave her name as Ms. Chen, said the company was able to buy directly from Siemens. 'They don't ask who the end user is,' she said. Although Huizhou Funn Tek has many Russian clients, it wouldn't ship goods to entities that might use them for military purposes, Chen said. Loophole in sanctions Later in 2023, Techpribor imported more consignments of Siemens gear from a different Chinese supplier, called New Source Automation Co., Ltd., based in Xiamen, south-eastern China. The equipment in those consignments belonged to the same product category as devices that were supplied to BOZ, but there was not enough data to make a precise match. A manager at New Source Automation, who gave his name as Ryan Wu, confirmed when contacted by Reuters that his firm supplied equipment to Techpribor. He also said his firm can source as many products from Siemens as it needs, and that Siemens doesn't ask who the end-user is. Neither Huizhou Funn Tek nor New Source Automation responded to Reuters' written requests for comment. The Siemens spokesman said it asks all its clients to comply with Western sanctions but did not respond directly to a question about whether Huizhou is a partner company. Siemens would immediately investigate any indications of contravention of sanctions and involve the appropriate authorities, he said. The supply of Siemens equipment from China to Russia highlights what European policymakers say is a major loophole helping Russia sustain its war against Ukraine. European Union and US sanctions bar companies from inside those jurisdictions from supplying goods or services that could help Russia's war effort. Russian defense manufacturers have been able to avoid that by sourcing Western-made equipment from wholesalers and re-sellers in China. EU leaders have moved to close the loophole. In December 2024, the bloc for the first time imposed fully-fledged sanctions on Chinese entities for supplying components to Russian defense firms. A further 7 firms from China and Hong Kong were added to the sanctions list on July 18. The bloc's chief diplomat, Kaja Kallas, said in February that China's export of goods was fueling Russia's war against Ukraine, and called on Beijing to stop it. Russia's Ministry of Industry and Trade did not respond to a Reuters request for comment. The Russian defense ministry did not respond to questions about what work the BOZ plant is doing for the military. China's Ministry of Commerce also did not respond to a request for comment. Explosives for Russian bombs BOZ makes the explosives TNT and HMX, according to a marketing video the factory released. While those explosives do have civilian uses, BOZ's parent company is a defense manufacturer owned by the Russian state, and BOZ fulfills defense orders for the defense ministry, according to the website of the regional administration. The expansion at the BOZ plant was part of a wider drive by the Russian defense sector to increase its production of explosives. A shortage of the material is one of the bottlenecks holding back Russian production of artillery shells, mortar rounds and air-dropped bombs, forcing it instead to source munitions from its allies North Korea and Iran, Ukrainian intelligence officials and Western defense analysts have said.
Saudi Gazette
an hour ago
- Saudi Gazette
At least six killed and dozens injured in Russian strikes on Ukraine
KYIV — At least six people were killed and 35 injured in Russia's latest strikes across Ukraine overnight on Thursday, just one day before US President Donald Trump set a deadline for Moscow to agree to a ceasefire. Four civilians were killed and at least 13 injured in the Zaporizhzhia region, governor Ivan Fedorov said, where Moscow launched a total of 723 strikes on at least 12 populated areas. Residential houses, utility networks and vehicles were damaged in the attacks. In the Donetsk region, regional authorities said two civilians were killed in Kostiantynivka and Bilokuzmynivka. Another six were injured over the course of the day. Additional injuries were reported in the Kherson, Dnipropetrovsk, Kharkiv and Sumy regions. In total, Ukraine's air force said Russian forces launched 112 Shahed-type attack drones overnight between Wednesday and Thursday, with air defences shooting down 89 of has continued to strike Ukraine even as Trump imposed a Friday deadline for Russian President Vladimir Putin to agree to a ceasefire deal or face a set of sweeping additional Wednesday, Trump appeared to implement his threats by issuing an executive order hitting India with an additional 25% tariff over its purchases of Russian to a statement from the White House, the move establishes "a process for the potential imposition of similar tariffs on other countries that directly or indirectly import oil from the Russian has reiterated that Moscow would be hit by further measures if it continues its attacks against Ukraine. However, on Sunday, he told reporters, "There'll be sanctions, but they seem to be pretty good at avoiding sanctions."Ahead of possible three-way talks announced by Trump on Wednesday, when the US president told European leaders of his plans to meet with his Russian and Ukrainian counterparts, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that Kyiv's priorities "were absolutely clear"."Ukraine has never wanted war and will work toward peace as productively as possible. The main thing is for Russia, which started this war, to take real steps to end its aggression." — Euronews
Saudi Gazette
2 hours ago
- Saudi Gazette
Trump and Putin to meet in coming days, Kremlin aide says
MOSCOW — US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin have agreed to meet in the "coming days", a Kremlin aide has said. It follows Trump saying there was a "good chance" he could meet his Russian and Ukrainian counterparts together in person "very soon" to discuss ending the war in Ukraine. Trump's deadline for Russia to agree a ceasefire in Ukraine or face more sweeping sanctions is due to expire on Friday. A possible meeting between Trump and Putin would follow US envoy Steve Witkoff holding talks with the Russian president on Wednesday. Witkoff has travelled to Moscow four times previously, visits followed by optimism from Trump but ultimately no major breakthrough in peace talks. Trump was also asked at a White House briefing on Wednesday night whether Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Putin had agreed to a three-way summit, and he said there was a "very good prospect". Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov noted that the idea of a three-way summit was mentioned at talks in Moscow on Wednesday, but was quoted by Russian news agencies as saying the option was left by Russia "without comment". Zelensky indicated his support for a summit, acknowledging that various formats of meetings had been discussed - "two bilateral and one trilateral" - and added that Europe "must be a participant" in any talks. He wrote on X: "Ukraine is not afraid of meetings and expects the same brave approach from the Russian side." Ushakov said a location for a meeting between Trump and Putin had been agreed, with further details to be announced later. The official, who advises Putin on foreign affairs, said all parties have begun working on the details. Last month, Trump admitted to the BBC that after all four of Witkoff's previous visits, Putin had disappointed him after talks had initially led to optimism. The US President is now striking a more cautious tone, telling reporters on Wednesday: "I don't call it a have been working at this for a long time. There are thousands of young people dying... I'm here to get the thing over with." On Wednesday, the Kremlin released a vague statement about Witkoff's visit, calling the discussions "constructive" and noting that both sides had exchanged "signals". Zelensky meanwhile said he had spoken to Trump about Witkoff's visit, with European leaders also on the call. The Ukrainian president has been warning that Russia would only make serious moves towards peace if it began to run out of money. Expectations are muted for a settlement by Friday - when Trump's deadline expires - and Russia has continued its large-scale air attacks on Ukraine despite the US threat of sanctions. As pressure builds, Trump on Wednesday signed an executive order imposing a 25% tariff on Indian imports over its continued purchase of Russian oil. Before taking office in January, Trump said he would be able to end the war between Russia and Ukraine in a day. The conflict has raged on and his rhetoric towards Moscow has since hardened. Three rounds of talks between Ukraine and Russia in Istanbul have failed to bring the war closer to an end, three-and-a-half years after Moscow launched its full-invasion. Moscow's military and political preconditions for peace remain unacceptable to Kyiv and to its Western partners. Russian demands include Ukraine becoming a neutral state, dramatically reducing its military and abandoning its Nato aspirations. It also wants Ukrainian military withdrawal from its four partly occupied regions in the south-east, and the demobilisation of its soldiers. Russia also demands international recognition of Ukraine's Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions, as well as the annexed Crimea. Other conditions include a ban on Ukraine's membership in any military alliances, a limit on the size of the Ukrainian army, Russian as an official language, and the lifting of international sanctions on Russia The Kremlin has also repeatedly turned down Kyiv's requests for a meeting between Zelensky and Putin. Meanwhile, the US approved $200m (£150m) in additional military aid to Ukraine on Tuesday, including support for drone production. — BBC
