LONDON — Russia and Ukraine once more exchanged a collection of main in a single day drone strikes as the 2 sides maneuvered forward of a potential resumption of ceasefire talks later this week.
Renewed talks — in the event that they do occur — would happen as each Kyiv and Moscow close to new information for the size and depth of cross-border strikes, and as each side decide to additional scaling up long-range strike drone capabilities.
In Russia, the Protection Ministry stated Monday posts to Telegram that its forces downed 88 Ukrainian drones over seven Russian areas — together with 23 craft over Moscow area.
That adopted waves of Ukrainian assaults stretching from Saturday night time by Sunday, throughout which the Protection Ministry stated its forces shot down 221 drones — the very best every day whole reported by the ministry since June 6.
Sunday night time’s assaults prompted extra disruption at main airports, in keeping with Telegram posts by Artem Korenyako — a spokesperson for Russia’s federal aviation company Rosaviatsiya.
Firefighters work on the web site of an condo constructing hit by a Russian drone strike in Kyiv, Ukraine, on July 21, 2025.
Valentyn Ogirenko/Reuters
Korenyako stated short-term restrictions on flights have been launched at Moscow’s Zhukovsky, Sheremetyevo and Domodedovo airports, in addition to the Strigino Worldwide Airport within the metropolis of Nizhny Novgorod, round 240 miles east of the capital.
Ukraine’s air power, in the meantime, stated Russia launched 426 strike and decoy drones into the nation in a single day, in addition to 24 missiles of assorted varieties. In a submit to Telegram, the air power stated 404 drones and all missiles have been intercepted or in any other case suppressed.
The air power added that 23 drones impacted in three areas, whereas falling drone particles was reported in 12 areas.
Kyiv was once more rocked by explosions. There, a minimum of one particular person was killed and 9 folks injured, Kyiv Metropolis Navy Administration head Timur Tkachenko stated in a submit to Telegram.
Six metropolis districts have been affected, Tkachenko stated, with residential buildings, a grocery store, a kindergarten and warehouse amenities have been amongst these broken and set ablaze.
The doorway to the Lukianivska metro station was additionally broken, Tkachenko stated. Residents of Kyiv retreat to metro stations nightly to shelter from Russian strikes.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated in a submit to Telegram that the Kharkiv, Ivano-Frankivsk, Sumy, Khmelnytskyi, Kirovohrad, Mykolaiv, Poltava and Kherson areas have been all affected.
Throughout the nation, a minimum of two folks have been killed and 15 injured, Zelenskyy stated.
“Solely actual stress on Russia can cease this aggression,” he wrote.
In a collection of later posts, Zelenskyy stated he met with new Protection Minister Denys Shmyhal and ordered the army to develop Kyiv’s defensive and offensive drone capabilities.
All “wants of military aviation, the air power and all models that shield lives in our cities and villages should be absolutely met,” Zelenskyy stated.
“You could additionally guarantee a major enhance within the frequency and vary of our drone use towards Russian targets,” he wrote. “Each web site in Russia that Moscow makes use of for weapons manufacturing should change into reachable for our protection forces.”
A customer at an exhibition takes a photograph of elements of an Iranian-made Shahed drone in Kyiv, Ukraine, on June 27, 2025.
Alina Smutko/Reuters
Each side are growing the size of their assaults. To this point in July, Russia has launched a complete of 4,929 drones and 148 missiles into Ukraine, in keeping with Ukraine’s air power — at a mean of round 234 drones and 7 missiles every day.
June noticed 5,438 drones and 239 missiles fired into Ukraine, with a every day common of 181 drones and practically eight missiles.
And in Might, Russia launched a complete of three,835 drones and 117 missiles, for a mean of round 124 drones and practically 4 missiles every day.
Although smaller in scale, Ukraine additionally seems to be growing the depth of its drone assaults into Russia. To this point this month, the Protection Ministry in Moscow has reported downing 2,284 Ukrainian drones at a mean of 108 per day.
In June, the ministry reported downing a complete of two,368 Ukrainian drones, with a mean of just about 79 drones per day throughout the month. These figures have been down from Might, throughout which the ministry stated it shot down 3,611 drones with a mean of 116 per day.
Zelenskyy on Sunday appealed for brand spanking new talks with Russia searching for a ceasefire to finish Moscow’s full-scale invasion, in progress since February 2022 and nonetheless raging regardless of six months of efforts from President Donald Trump’s administration to power an finish to the combating.
Rustem Umerov, who final week was moved from his position as protection minister to function secretary of the Nationwide Safety and Protection Council, “reported that he has proposed one other assembly with the Russian aspect for subsequent week,” Zelenskyy wrote on Telegram.
“The tempo of negotiations should be elevated,” the president stated. “Every part should be performed to realize a ceasefire. And the Russian aspect should cease hiding from selections.”
On Sunday, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov addressed Trump’s ultimatum — issued earlier this month — for Russia to comply with a ceasefire inside 50 days or face extra sanctions.
“Everyone seems to be already used to his quite powerful and simple rhetoric,” Peskov informed journalists. “On the identical time, he confirms his intentions to do all the pieces potential to contribute to peaceable settlement.”
“In actual fact, President [Vladimir] Putin has repeatedly spoken about his want to switch Ukrainian settlement to a peaceable route as quickly as potential,” Peskov added. “It is a lengthy course of, it requires effort, and it isn’t straightforward. And, almost definitely, an increasing number of folks in Washington perceive this.”
As to a potential assembly between Trump and Putin, Peskov replied, “It’s potential, and over time it’ll undoubtedly occur. It’s essential.”
An explosion of a Russian drone is seen in Kyiv, Ukraine, on July 21, 2025.
Gleb Garanich/Reuters
“Maybe it is going to be essential for the fixation of some main agreements, which will likely be achieved over time, after an enormous quantity of labor has been performed,” he continued. “However this time has not but come. This work is but to be performed.”
“Russia is able to transfer quick,” Peskov stated. “The principle factor for us is to realize our objectives. Our objectives are clear, apparent, they don’t change. However the course of relies upon not solely on us.”
ABC Information’ Will Gretsky, Oleksiy Pshemyskiy and Tanya Stukalova and Joe Simonetti contributed to this report.
