Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky reported that Kyiv and multiple other Ukrainian regions were targeted by a new massive Russian attack involving drones and missiles, including Kinzhal hypersonic weapons, resulting in two deaths and 15 injuries. The Ukrainian Air Force stated that Russia launched 426 drones and 24 missiles, including five hypersonic Kinzhals, during the overnight period from Sunday to Monday.
Damage was recorded in the Ivano-Frankivsk (western Ukraine), Kharkiv (northeast), and Kyiv regions. Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko confirmed several fires erupted, including one at a kindergarten. Zelensky condemned the attacks as “against humanity” and reiterated the need to bolster air defenses. He again urged Western allies to exert “real pressure on Russia” to halt the aggression.
Meanwhile, the Russian Defense Ministry claimed the overnight strikes targeted “Ukrainian military-industrial complex enterprises and military airfield infrastructure.” It further asserted that Russian forces destroyed “three Patriot missile launchers and a US-made AN/MPQ-65 multifunctional radar station” within the last 24 hours. Russian military officials also reported that Ukrainian forces launched at least 107 drones against various Russian regions from Sunday evening to Monday afternoon, with 28 targeting the Moscow region, briefly disrupting traffic at Vnukovo International Airport. A railway station fire in Kamenolomni village, Rostov region, was also attributed to attacks.
On the diplomatic front, prospects for revived peace talks remain uncertain. While a source cited by Russia’s TASS agency suggested a third round of direct Russia-Ukraine talks could occur in Istanbul on July 24-25, the Kremlin did not confirm the date. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated, “There is still much diplomatic work to be done,” emphasizing that Russian and Ukrainian proposals remain “absolutely diametrically opposed.” Moscow’s conditions for a political settlement—including international recognition of the Russian annexation of four Ukrainian regions plus Crimea and Ukrainian neutrality precluding NATO membership—are seen as unacceptable to Kyiv.
Simultaneously, the Kremlin indicated it does not rule out a potential summit between Russian President Vladimir Putin and former US President Donald Trump in Beijing this September. Peskov stated the leaders could meet if Trump attends commemorations for the 80th anniversary of the WWII Allied victory, an event Putin will join.
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