Overview

• Russian forces launched a major combined rocket and drone assault on July 25–26 targeting Dnipro, Sumy and Kharkiv, with Ukraine’s air defenses intercepting many threats but failing to prevent civilian casualties.
• Ukraine struck back with drone attacks on Russia’s Rostov and Kursk regions, killing at least three civilians and damaging vehicles and power infrastructure.
• Evidence of Russian “double-tap” attacks shows rescue workers were injured when follow-up strikes hit first responders in Ukrainian cities.
• President Zelenskyj has unveiled a plan to scale up interceptor drone production to between 500 and 1,000 units per day to reinforce stretched air defenses.
• The intensified back-and-forth drone and rocket exchanges highlight an escalating unmanned aerial arms race and growing risks for civilians on both sides.