Ukraine updates: Russia hits Odesa, Sumy in overnight attack – DW – 07/19/2025
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Russia launched some 300 drones and 30 missiles in overnight attacks on Ukraine.
One person was killed in the port city of Odesa and critical infrastructure was damaged in northeastern Sumy.
Russia said its air defenses were able to down more than a dozen drones headed for Moscow overnight as well as more than 80 others in different parts of the country.
Australia said it is delivering 49 US-made Abrams M1A1 tanks to Ukraine as it defends itself against Russia's "illegal and immoral invasion."Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Saturday said that Russian forces had fired some 300 drones and 30 missiles overnight.
The tirade killed one person in the port city of Odesa and damaged critical infrastructure in the northeastern city of Sumy.
Zelenskyy posted a video and pictures of flaming buildings and firefighters to his Telegram account , writing that the attacks in Sumy had knocked out power to thousands of homes in the region.
The mayor of Odesa, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, said a high-rise in the city had been engulfed in flames and that emergency services and firefighters were battling fires and searching for injured citizens.
"Odesa was attacked by enemy strike drones — more than 20 UAVs approached the city from different directions," wrote Odesa Mayor Gennadiy Trukhanov on Telegram.
"Civilian infrastructure was damaged as a result of the attack. A residential high-rise building is on fire," added the mayor.
Russia's Defense Ministry on Saturday said it had successfully downed 87 Ukrainian drones over central, western and southern parts of the country, with 48 downed near the Ukrainian border in Bryansk.
Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin also said that air defenses had down 13 drones headed for the capital had been downed after midnight.
Sobyanin said that specialists were examining fragments where they hit the ground.
Welcome to DW's coverage of the latest developments in Russia's war in Ukraine.
This Saturday, we start with another massive Russian air assault
In Russia, authorities say they downed more than 80 Ukrainian drones, a dozen of which were headed for the capital Moscow.
Russia has seemingly increased its barrage against Ukraine amid faltering attempts by US President Donald Trump to secure a ceasefire deal.
Stay tuned for more news and analysis
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
DW
2 hours ago
- DW
Israel: Hostage families voice mistrust in own government – DW – 07/20/2025
With 50 hostages still in Gaza 21 months after the Hamas attacks on Israel, their relatives continue to grow frustrated. Some are losing faith that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will strike a deal to bring them home. On a windy evening in Jerusalem, a few dozen protesters gathered in front of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office. According to reports, the protest took place at short notice because at the same time meetings between Israel's most highly-ranked politicians were happening in that same building, discussing the most recent developments in the indirect negotiations with Palestinian militant group Hamas on a ceasefire deal that would result in some of the Israeli hostages returning home. Some of the protesters held a big air balloon above their heads in the shape of the yellow ribbon, the symbol adopted by campaigners calling for the hostages' release. On the balloon were white stickers with various numbers written on them with a black marker pen: 155, 344, 356. These numbers represent the number of days since October 7, 2023, when the hostages were taken. This started when Rachel Goldberg-Polin, whose son Hersh was murdered in August 2024 by Hamas in Gaza, appeared in interviews with a sticker and a number on it to raise awareness for the hostages' plight. As of July 2025, this number has surpassed 650. "The era of selection is over," reads one of the signs, referring to the choice process which determines who will be released and who will have to stay in Gaza's tunnels until another deal is struck. The story of Carmel Gat shows just how significant the risk to a hostage's life in Gaza is. Gat was kidnapped from her home during the incursion in southern Israel that Hamas led on October 7, 2023. Israel, the United States, the European Union and others designate Hamas a terrorist group,. She was supposed to be among those released as part of the first hostage deal in November 2023 between Israel and Hamas that saw over 100 captives in Gaza freed and 240 Palestinian prisoners released. But when the truce collapsed, she remained in Hamas captivity. After Gat survived 328 days, Israeli soldiers found her and five other Israeli hostages dead in a tunnel in southern Gaza — the autopsy report revealed she and the other hostages were shot at close range. Gat was 40 years old. Her cousin, Gil Dickman, has become one of the most vocal supporters of a deal for the release of the remaining hostages. He told DW that the current state of the negotiations feels like "deja vu." "A year ago (in July 2024), many family members of hostages were with Netanyahu in Washington, DC, myself included. The only difference is that Carmel and five other hostages were alive back then," Dickman recalled. "Carmel could have returned had Netanyahu made the right call." Yehuda Cohen's son, Nimrod, is one of the some 20 hostages believed to be still alive — 30 others are thought to be dead. In a conversation with DW, Yehuda Cohen outlined how he lost his trust that the Israeli government would bring the hostages home. "I don't have any trust in my own government, I don't trust Netanyahu," he said. "I only have trust in the American administration that it will force Netanyahu into sealing a deal." This hope — that the US may yet force through a deal — is prevalent among campaigners in Israel. At the protest in Jerusalem, many signs called on US President Donald Trump, rather than Netanyahu, to do everything in his power to bring the hostages home. Cohen lists the reasons for the mistrust in the Netanyahu government, including the insistence on Israel staying in the Philadelphi Corridor, a narrow strip of land on the border between the Gaza Strip and Egypt, and Netanyahu's aides allegedly leaking classified documents to , a German tabloid, to influence public opinion in Israel in favor of the Netanyahu government's position. According to Cohen, the list of reasons for hostage families not to trust the Israeli government is "very long." While Netanyahu told the hostages' family members that an offer to bring all hostages home in one deal "was never an option," Hamas officials went on record on several occasions emphasizing their interest in a deal that would return the remaining hostages and bring about an end to the war in Gaza. "It is our government that insists on a selection process between the hostages," says Dickman, calling this reckoning "painful to apprehend." Still, both Cohen and Dickman agree that any deal bringing hostages back is a good thing. "Even a partial deal means my son's turn is getting closer," Cohen said. The Israeli public is no stranger to hostage situations, whether it is the Sabena Flight 171 hijacking in 1972 by the Black September Organization, Hamas's kidnapping and killing of Israeli soldier Nachshon Wachsman in 1994 or the group's abduction of Gilad Shalit in 2006. As a result, the principle that no one is left behind became deeply rooted in Israeli society over the years. Dickman believes that while the Israeli public supports this ethos, the same cannot be said of the country's government. "This is a government politically controlled by people whose ethos is, in my eyes, more jihadist than Israeli," he said, referring specifically to the far-right parts of Netanyahu's coalition, primarily National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who both want Palestinians to leave Gaza and Jewish settlements to return there. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video "Their goals involve land, not human life, and they consider their goals sacred," he says, adding that the demand for the return of the 50 hostages is also about Israel's future. "It's about whether this country will become such that is willing to sacrifice life — mine, yours — for so-called 'sacred' targets, or rather a country where life is sacred." Yehuda Cohen struck a similar tone: "We have a prime minister who's only committed to himself," he said. "You have people in this government who openly support those who abuse prisoners, which results in the risk of revenge against my son. There's no solidarity in this society; it's each one to their own." According to Yehuda Cohen, the only way to bring his son home is to keep fighting for the hostages' release and the end of the war, whether that means speaking to the media or protesting outside Netanyahu's office.
DW
4 hours ago
- DW
Middle East: Truce between warring factions in Sweida holds – DW – 07/20/2025
An agreement between Druze and Bedouin groups to stop fighting in Syria's southern province of Sweida appeared to be holding as of Sunday morning. Bedouin fighters also said they had left Sweida. DW has the resumed coverage with news that the ceasefire agreement between Druze groups and Bedouin tribes appeared to be holding (see below). The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a UK-based war monitor, said that "Sweida has been experiencing a cautious calm" since midnight. The report said that Syrian government security forces had blocked roads leading to the province in order to prevent tribal fighters from entering Sweida. After more than a week of clashes between Bedouin and Druze groups in Sweida, the Bedouin clans announced that they were withdrawing from the city. Druze-majority Sweida province has also been hit by Israeli strikes in recent days, with Israel attacking government forces who had tacitly supported the Bedouins. Although Interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa has been more closely allied with the Bedouins, he urged them to lay down their arms, saying that paramilitaries "cannot replaced the role of the state in handling the country's affairs and restoring security." "We thank the Bedouins for their heroic stances but demand they fully commit to the ceasefire and comply with the state's orders," he added. The truce between the two groups was partly brokered by the United States, which dropped several of its sanctions against Syria in June following the ouster of strongman Bashar Assad. Thank you for reading until now. We'll resume the blog shortly. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has called on the interim Syrian government to "prevent ISIS and any other violent jihadists from … carrying out massacres" in the conflict-stricken south of the country. "The rape and slaughter of innocent people which has and is still occurring must end," he wrote on his personal account on X. "If authorities in Damascus want to preserve any chance of achieving a unified, inclusive and peaceful Syria free of ISIS and of Iranian control, they must help end this calamity by using their security forces." Rubio also demanded that the new Islamist-led regime in Damascus hold to account "anyone guilty of atrocities including those in their own ranks" and called for fighting between Druze and Bedouin groups in Sweida to stop. Syrian government forces returned to the region on Saturday after withdrawing earlier in the week. After the new German government resumed deportations to Afghanistan this week, Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul has floated a similar approach for Syria – despite the current unrest in the war-torn country. "It's possible that, in future, Syrians who have committed criminal offenses [could be] deported," he told the newspaper. "I think that's possible in principle – provided the country develops in [the right] direction." Southern Syria has been rocked by violence again this week, with the new Islamist-led regime in Damascus struggling to prevent clashes between Druze and Bedouin factions in Sweida and powerless to stop Israeli intervention. Hundreds of people have reportedly been killed. "We are watching Syria with concern," said Wadephul, calling on the interim government under Ahmed al-Sharaa to ensure that all sections of the population and all religious groups can co-exist. "No-one should have to fear for life and limb," he said. "But as it stands, we are of the opinion that we have to give this interim government a chance." US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee on Saturday visited Taybeh, the Palestinian Christian village in the occupied West Bank whose residents accuse Israeli settlers of torching a church there on July 9. A staunch Israel supporter, Huckabee struck a rare critical tone, going as far as calling the desecration of a place of worship, in that case the Church of St. George in Taybeh, an "act of terror." Huckabee, who is an evangelical Christian, stressed that "desecrating a church, mosque or synagogue is a crime against humanity and God." He said that Taybeh was home to many American citizens. "I work for ALL American citizens who live in Israel-Jewish, Muslim or Christian," Huckabee said on X. "When they are terrorized or victims of crime I will demand those responsible be held accountable [with] real consequences." Syria's interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa has urged Sunni Muslim Bedouin tribes to "fully commit" to a ceasefire aimed at ending deadly clashes with Druze-aligned militias that have killed hundreds and threatened the country's fragile post-war transition. His call came Saturday as government forces, initially sent to restore order but seen siding with Bedouin fighters, were redeployed to contain renewed fighting that flared late Thursday. The violence also triggered Israeli airstrikes on Syrian government positions before a truce was reached. In his second televised address since the unrest began, al-Sharaa accused "armed groups from Sweida" of reigniting the conflict by "launching retaliatory attacks against the Bedouins and their families." He also warned that Israeli intervention had "pushed the country into a dangerous phase that threatened its stability." Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz accused Sharaa of siding with the perpetrators. "In al-Sharaa's Syria, it is very dangerous to be a member of a minority — Kurd, Druze, Alawite, or Christian," Katz posted on X. "This has been proven time and again over the past six months." The Vatican has voiced skepticism over Israeli claims that a deadly strike on a Catholic church in Gaza was accidental. Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican's secretary of state and second only to the pope, made the remarks in a televised interview on Italy's Rai network. Parolin demanded full clarification from Israel following Thursday's shelling of the Church of the Holy Family in Gaza City, which killed three people and injured nine others — including the local Italian priest. The church had been sheltering around 600 displaced people, according to Palestinian sources. Parolin said it was reasonable to doubt that the attack was merely a military mistake. His remarks came after a phone call between Pope Leo XIV and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who had earlier expressed "deep regret." Parolin stressed that the Vatican is not satisfied with Israel's explanation so far. "We should give them the time necessary to tell us what actually happened: Whether it was really a mistake, which can be rightfully doubted, or whether it was the intention to target a Christian church, knowing how much Christians are an element of moderation in the Middle East," he said. Roughly 1,000 Christians live in the Gaza Strip, which is home to more than 2 million people. The Church of the Holy Family is Gaza's only Catholic church. Syria's Islamist-led government has deployed security forces to the southern city of Sweida and called for an end to days of deadly factional fighting. The presidency announced a nationwide ceasefire on Saturday, urging all sides to halt hostilities. The move comes after nearly a week of violence in Sweida province, where clashes between Druze factions and Bedouin fighters have left hundreds dead, according to local sources. The Interior Ministry confirmed that internal security forces had begun operations in the area. In a separate address, interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa said mediation by "Arab and American" actors had helped calm tensions. He also condemned Israel for recent airstrikes targeting Syrian government positions in the south and in Damascus. Israel has said its strikes aimed to protect the Druze minority, which has a large presence in Israel and in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights. Sharaa warned that Syria would not become a "testing ground for partition, secession, or sectarian incitement." To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Israeli troops have opened fire on Palestinians gathering near food distribution sites in southern Gaza, killing at least 32 people, according to witnesses and hospital officials. The deadly shootings occurred Saturday near facilities run by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), a controversial aid group backed by the US and Israel. The DPA news agency reported that at least 37 people were killed. The deaths were reported to have been near two aid hubs. At one site in the Khan Younis area, about 100 were wounded by gunfire and shelling and brought to Nasser Hospital from the nearby al-Tina district. Hospital staff warned that the death toll could rise due to the severity of many injuries. The Israeli military said it was investigating the incident in response to media inquiries. The GHF began operations in late May after a prolonged Israeli blockade of aid. Supported by both Israel and the US, the foundation has drawn criticism from the United Nations for running too few centers and putting civilians at risk. According to the UN, hundreds of people have died near aid convoys and distribution hubs in Gaza since the end of May. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Unrest in Syria continued on Saturday following increased tensions based around the region of Sweida in the south where Druze and Bedouin factions have been fighting. The deployment of Syrian forces during the week resulted in Israel launching strikes on Syria, including in the capital Damascus. US, Arab and Turkish support brought about a ceasefire between Syria and Damascus. At the same time, the situation in Gaza remains dire with many desparate for aid, but with Israel only allowing aid centers to be operated by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), an aid group backed by Israel and the United States. There have been numerous reports of Palestinians being killed as they gather to receive aid since the GHF started operating in the enclave. Follow along as DW brings you the latest reports, explainers and analysis on developments across the Middle East.
DW
5 hours ago
- DW
Middle East: Tribal forces withdraw from Sweida – DW – 07/20/2025
Syrian leaders called for a ceasefire and deployed security forces to quell unrest between Druze and Bedouin factions. Later, Bedouin militias said they had left Sweida after a week of fighting. Follow DW for the more than a week of clashes between Bedouin and Druze groups in Sweida, the Bedouin clans announced that they were withdrawing from the city. Druze-majority Sweida province has also been hit by Israeli strikes in recent days, with Israel attacking government forces who had tacitly supported the Bedouins. Although Interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa has been more closely allied with the Bedouins, he urged them to lay down their arms, saying that paramilitaries "cannot replaced the role of the state in handling the country's affairs and restoring security." "We thank the Bedouins for their heroic stances but demand they fully commit to the ceasefire and comply with the state's orders," he added. The truce between the two groups was partly brokered by the United States, which dropped several of its sanctions against Syria in June following the ouster of strongman Bashar Assad. Thank you for reading until now. We'll resume the blog shortly. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has called on the interim Syrian government to "prevent ISIS and any other violent jihadists from … carrying out massacres" in the conflict-stricken south of the country. "The rape and slaughter of innocent people which has and is still occurring must end," he wrote on his personal account on X. "If authorities in Damascus want to preserve any chance of achieving a unified, inclusive and peaceful Syria free of ISIS and of Iranian control, they must help end this calamity by using their security forces." Rubio also demanded that the new Islamist-led regime in Damascus hold to account "anyone guilty of atrocities including those in their own ranks" and called for fighting between Druze and Bedouin groups in Sweida to stop. Syrian government forces returned to the region on Saturday after withdrawing earlier in the week. After the new German government resumed deportations to Afghanistan this week, Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul has floated a similar approach for Syria – despite the current unrest in the war-torn country. "It's possible that, in future, Syrians who have committed criminal offenses [could be] deported," he told the newspaper. "I think that's possible in principle – provided the country develops in [the right] direction." Southern Syria has been rocked by violence again this week, with the new Islamist-led regime in Damascus struggling to prevent clashes between Druze and Bedouin factions in Sweida and powerless to stop Israeli intervention. Hundreds of people have reportedly been killed. "We are watching Syria with concern," said Wadephul, calling on the interim government under Ahmed al-Sharaa to ensure that all sections of the population and all religious groups can co-exist. "No-one should have to fear for life and limb," he said. "But as it stands, we are of the opinion that we have to give this interim government a chance." US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee on Saturday visited Taybeh, the Palestinian Christian village in the occupied West Bank whose residents accuse Israeli settlers of torching a church there on July 9. A staunch Israel supporter, Huckabee struck a rare critical tone, going as far as calling the desecration of a place of worship, in that case the Church of St. George in Taybeh, an "act of terror." Huckabee, who is an evangelical Christian, stressed that "desecrating a church, mosque or synagogue is a crime against humanity and God." He said that Taybeh was home to many American citizens. "I work for ALL American citizens who live in Israel-Jewish, Muslim or Christian," Huckabee said on X. "When they are terrorized or victims of crime I will demand those responsible be held accountable [with] real consequences." Syria's interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa has urged Sunni Muslim Bedouin tribes to "fully commit" to a ceasefire aimed at ending deadly clashes with Druze-aligned militias that have killed hundreds and threatened the country's fragile post-war transition. His call came Saturday as government forces, initially sent to restore order but seen siding with Bedouin fighters, were redeployed to contain renewed fighting that flared late Thursday. The violence also triggered Israeli airstrikes on Syrian government positions before a truce was reached. In his second televised address since the unrest began, al-Sharaa accused "armed groups from Sweida" of reigniting the conflict by "launching retaliatory attacks against the Bedouins and their families." He also warned that Israeli intervention had "pushed the country into a dangerous phase that threatened its stability." Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz accused Sharaa of siding with the perpetrators. "In al-Sharaa's Syria, it is very dangerous to be a member of a minority — Kurd, Druze, Alawite, or Christian," Katz posted on X. "This has been proven time and again over the past six months." The Vatican has voiced skepticism over Israeli claims that a deadly strike on a Catholic church in Gaza was accidental. Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican's secretary of state and second only to the pope, made the remarks in a televised interview on Italy's Rai network. Parolin demanded full clarification from Israel following Thursday's shelling of the Church of the Holy Family in Gaza City, which killed three people and injured nine others — including the local Italian priest. The church had been sheltering around 600 displaced people, according to Palestinian sources. Parolin said it was reasonable to doubt that the attack was merely a military mistake. His remarks came after a phone call between Pope Leo XIV and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who had earlier expressed "deep regret." Parolin stressed that the Vatican is not satisfied with Israel's explanation so far. "We should give them the time necessary to tell us what actually happened: Whether it was really a mistake, which can be rightfully doubted, or whether it was the intention to target a Christian church, knowing how much Christians are an element of moderation in the Middle East," he said. Roughly 1,000 Christians live in the Gaza Strip, which is home to more than 2 million people. The Church of the Holy Family is Gaza's only Catholic church. Syria's Islamist-led government has deployed security forces to the southern city of Sweida and called for an end to days of deadly factional fighting. The presidency announced a nationwide ceasefire on Saturday, urging all sides to halt hostilities. The move comes after nearly a week of violence in Sweida province, where clashes between Druze factions and Bedouin fighters have left hundreds dead, according to local sources. The Interior Ministry confirmed that internal security forces had begun operations in the area. In a separate address, interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa said mediation by "Arab and American" actors had helped calm tensions. He also condemned Israel for recent airstrikes targeting Syrian government positions in the south and in Damascus. Israel has said its strikes aimed to protect the Druze minority, which has a large presence in Israel and in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights. Sharaa warned that Syria would not become a "testing ground for partition, secession, or sectarian incitement." To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Israeli troops have opened fire on Palestinians gathering near food distribution sites in southern Gaza, killing at least 32 people, according to witnesses and hospital officials. The deadly shootings occurred Saturday near facilities run by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), a controversial aid group backed by the US and Israel. The DPA news agency reported that at least 37 people were killed. The deaths were reported to have been near two aid hubs. At one site in the Khan Younis area, about 100 were wounded by gunfire and shelling and brought to Nasser Hospital from the nearby al-Tina district. Hospital staff warned that the death toll could rise due to the severity of many injuries. The Israeli military said it was investigating the incident in response to media inquiries. The GHF began operations in late May after a prolonged Israeli blockade of aid. Supported by both Israel and the US, the foundation has drawn criticism from the United Nations for running too few centers and putting civilians at risk. According to the UN, hundreds of people have died near aid convoys and distribution hubs in Gaza since the end of May. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Unrest in Syria continued on Saturday following increased tensions based around the region of Sweida in the south where Druze and Bedouin factions have been fighting. The deployment of Syrian forces during the week resulted in Israel launching strikes on Syria, including in the capital Damascus. US, Arab and Turkish support brought about a ceasefire between Syria and Damascus. At the same time, the situation in Gaza remains dire with many desparate for aid, but with Israel only allowing aid centers to be operated by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), an aid group backed by Israel and the United States. There have been numerous reports of Palestinians being killed as they gather to receive aid since the GHF started operating in the enclave. Follow along as DW brings you the latest reports, explainers and analysis on developments across the Middle East.
