Russia launches drone, missile attack on Kyiv, killing at least 1
The assault was the first heavy targeting of Kyiv in a week, breaking a weeklong streak of Moscow easing up pressure on the capital while Special Presidential Envoy retired Gen. Keith Kellogg was in town for talks with Ukrainian leadership.
Ukrainian air defences deploy against Russian drones during a drone strike in Kyiv on July 18, 2025.
AFP via Getty Images
Ukraine's air defense systems were activated, repelling the attack – though explosions were still heard around the city.
Throughout last week, Ukrainians jokingly referred to the envoy as 'St. Kellogg' for apparently triggering Russia's pause in heavy strikes for fear of wounding the general and enraging President Trump.
Sunday night's attack caused multiple fires in Kyiv and damaged a subway station as well as a kindergarten, shops and houses, according to city officials.
Videos surfaced on social media of the underground station filling with smoke as people sheltered inside.
A handout photo made available by the State Emergency Service shows a fire at a residential building after it was hit in a drone strike in Odesa, South Ukraine, on July 19, 2025, amid the ongoing Russian invasion
STATE EMERGENCY SERVICE/HANDOUT/EPA/Shutterstock
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UPI
24 minutes ago
- UPI
NATO fighter jets scrambled as Russia attacks Ukraine
A local woman walks past the site of a drone strike on a residential building in Kyiv, Ukraine, on July 21, 2025. Photo by Sergey Dolzhenko/EPA July 28 (UPI) -- NATO aircraft were scrambled Sunday night to respond to a Russian attack on Ukraine, the Polish military said Monday. "Polish and allied quick reaction aircraft were scrambled, and ground-based air defense and radar reconnaissance systems reached the highest state of readiness," Poland's Operational Command of the Armed Forces said in a statement. "These actions are preventive in nature and are aimed at securing airspace and protecting citizens, especially in areas adjacent to the threatened region." A few hours later, it issued a statement that the aircraft had concluded their deployment, adding that "no violations of Polish airspace were observed." Swedish fighter jets stationed in Poland were among the aircraft scrambled, it said. The Ukrainian Air Force said in a statement on Telegram on Monday that Russia launched 324 drones and seven missiles overnight, resulting in 311 of the attacks being either shot down or suppressed by electronic warfare. "There were confirmed impacts of two missiles of various types and 15 strike UAVs at three locations," it said. Andriy Yermak, head of Ukraine's Office of the President, said in a statement on X that some of the Russian aerial strikes hit civilian infrastructure, including in the capital Kyiv. "He wants nothing but war and Ukraine's defeat," he said, referring to Russian President Vladimir Putin. "But defeat is not an option." "Russia and its satellites are also testing NATO's response," he added. "Drones entering the airspace of the Baltic states are signals that must not be ignored."
2 hours ago
NATO aircraft scrambled during major Russian drone, missile strike on Ukraine
LONDON -- Polish and allied NATO aircraft were scrambled in response to a large Russian drone and missile attack launched into Ukraine on Sunday night, the Polish military's Operational Command said in a statement. "Polish and allied duty aircraft have been scrambled and ground-based air defense and radar reconnaissance systems have reached the highest state of readiness," the command said in a statement posted to X in the early hours of Monday morning, as hundreds of drones and missiles targeted sites across Ukraine. The alert lasted for around three hours, after which the command posted another statement saying that "deployed forces and resources have returned to standard operational activities." NATO's Air Command and Swedish JAS 39 Gripen fighters stationed in Poland took part in the response, the Polish Operational Command said. An official at Lithuania's Defense Ministry confirmed to ABC News that a drone also crossed into Lithuania from Belarusian airspace. Russian forces regularly route drones through Belarusian airspace to attack Ukrainian targets from the north. A search for the drone was still underway as of Monday morning, the official said. Russia launched 324 drones and seven missiles into Ukraine overnight, the Ukrainian air force said in a statement published on Telegram. Of those, 309 drones and two missiles were shot down or suppressed, it said, with 15 strike drones and two missiles impacting across three locations. At least eight people were injured in Kyiv after a Russian drone hit a residential highrise, the head of the city's military administration said in a post to Telegram. Andriy Yermak, the head of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's office, wrote on Telegram that the most recent barrage was evidence of Russian President Vladimir Putin's lack of commitment to a proposed ceasefire, "This is how Putin responds to calls to end the war and sit at the negotiating table," he wrote. "Russian air attacks are still ongoing, with civilian infrastructure, homes and people, including in Kyiv, already affected." "There is no alternative to sanctions, strengthening Ukraine's long-range capabilities and tough actions against Putin's circle and Putin himself," Yermak wrote. "He wants nothing but war and Ukraine's defeat. And there will be no defeat." Referring to the scrambling of NATO aircraft and the drone crossing into Lithuania, Yermak added, "The Russians and their satellites are testing NATO's reaction. Drones entering the airspace of the Baltic countries are signals that cannot be ignored." Zelenskyy also posted to Telegram noting that Kyiv is "constantly strengthening the Ukrainian air shield and it is very important to maintain full understanding among partners about how exactly they can help. Step by step, we are closing the funding gap for drone production and this week I will have new talks with partners regarding this task." "Restoration and rescue work is currently underway everywhere it is needed," the president added of the overnight drone and missile impacts. "This particularly concerns electricity supply. Necessary assistance is being provided to the wounded."
Business Insider
3 hours ago
- Business Insider
Russia's economy is now so militarized, it may keep expanding its army even after the Ukraine war
Russia's war machine has become such an integral part of its economic engine that its military industry is likely to keep expanding even after the fighting in Ukraine ends, according to a report from the Center for Strategic and International Studies. "The end of hostilities will not lead to a radical cut-off of military investment," wrote CSIS analysts in a report published on Thursday. Now in its fourth year, Russia's war with Ukraine continues even as Russian President Vladimir Putin's administration weathers sweeping Western sanctions. And while cracks are starting to show, the Russian economy may still be able to sustain the war effort for several more years, the report said. Defense spending is set to hit a post-Soviet record of 6.3% of GDP in 2025 and could climb even higher despite mounting signs of economic slowdown or recession. "Russia's economy appears sustainable for the next few years," the CSIS analysts wrote. They forecast that the Kremlin could maintain its war of attrition through at least 2027. 'Russia could be preparing for some kind of future confrontation with NATO' The CSIS report comes amid renewed scrutiny of Russia's economy. Manufacturing activity contracted last month, and employment has suffered. GDP growth slowed to 1.4% in the first quarter, down sharply from 4.5% in the previous quarter. Still, Russia has defied expectations thanks to its growing military-industrial complex. "Having become the most sanctioned country in the world, it has managed to maneuver around many economic constraints, keeping revenues from energy sales high and its budget balanced, investing in the military and defense industry, ramping up domestic production of weapons and equipment, and boosting economic growth," wrote the think tank analysts. Crucially, the militarized economy has built a broad base of political and economic stakeholders — from elites to ordinary workers — who benefit from continued conflict. That makes any significant drawdown in military activity politically and economically unlikely. Even if a ceasefire is reached, Russia may still be able to rebuild and expand its armed forces over the next decade. "Russia's war-induced socioeconomic changes have been so significant that the process of societal militarization is unlikely to stop even if the war in Ukraine were to end," wrote the CSIS analysts. The Kremlin's strategic posture hasn't softened either. CSIS suggests Russia is preparing for a long-term confrontation with NATO, using the war to modernize its forces and test Western resolve. Beyond conventional arms, Russia has ramped up hybrid warfare, including cyberattacks, disinformation, sabotage, political meddling, and strikes on critical infrastructure. These tools allow Moscow to operate aggressively across multiple fronts. "Despite being inferior to NATO in terms of its conventional capabilities, today's Russia represents a bigger challenge to European security than it did at the start of 2022," the CSIS analysts wrote. The Kremlin is learning from past failures, adapting quickly, and growing more confident in what it sees as a West unwilling to stop it. "Moscow's ongoing large-scale military reforms signal that Russia could be preparing for some kind of future confrontation with NATO within roughly the next decade—including even a large-scale conventional war," they wrote.
