Ukraine carried out a significant overnight drone strike targeting two major Russian oil refineries located hundreds of miles from the front line, marking one of the largest such attacks in the conflict to date. The facilities hit were in Yaroslavl, near Moscow, and in Bashkortostan, further east. Both refineries were set ablaze, with footage from Yaroslavl showing thick plumes of black smoke rising above the city.
Mikhail Evraev, governor of Yaroslavl, described the assault as the “largest enemy drone attack” on the region, reporting that Russian air defenses downed 92 Ukrainian drones during the operation. Four individuals sustained injuries in the attack. The Yaroslavl refinery is the largest in Russia’s central region and among the country’s largest overall.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky framed the strikes as a measure aimed at “strengthening prospects for diplomacy,” urging Russia to “choose peace.” He also said Ukrainian forces targeted “two military patrol boats and shadow fleet vessels” in the Black Sea—referring to tankers Russia reportedly uses to export sanctioned oil illegally.
The escalating exchange of long-range strikes between Russia and Ukraine has intensified in recent months, with an uptick in civilian casualties. In Ukraine, two people were killed and at least eight others injured following a Russian missile attack on Lozova railway station in the Kharkiv region. Video footage showed a train carriage engulfed in flames, while the Kharkiv regional governor, Oleh Syniekyv, reported that some wounded individuals remained in serious condition.
Earlier in the week, an attack on a railway station in Brovary, near Kyiv, resulted in eight fatalities among civilians waiting for trains. Both Kyiv and Moscow deny deliberately targeting civilians, despite the rising death toll.
In a related development, the Black Sea—a critical maritime route for Ukrainian exports—remained a contested zone. An Odesa regional official reported that a commercial vessel carrying Ukrainian wheat was struck by Russian forces, causing a fire and hull damage that killed one crew member. The ship was sailing under the flag of Guinea-Bissau.
The Russian Ministry of Defense stated it had intercepted 605 Ukrainian drones and destroyed two vessels transporting military goods overnight. In the Tver region, north of Moscow, a drone reportedly hit a logistics center operated by Wildberries, a Russian e-commerce company that has faced repeated attacks recently. Vitaly Korolyov, the regional governor, said air defense systems intercepted the drones, and debris caused minor damage to the facility’s facade, with no injuries reported.
Meanwhile, Russian missile and drone strikes on Ukrainian cities continued unabated. In Balakliya, officials reported three fatalities, while in Sumy, 12 people were injured. Ukraine’s air defenses failed to intercept any of more than 140 Russian missiles and drones launched in a single wave of attacks on Kyiv, leaving at least 17 dead and 44 wounded. The assault included 28 hypersonic and ballistic missiles, making it one of the deadliest strikes on the capital this year.
Russian forces have significantly increased missile launches, with 376 fired in July—more than double June’s total—raising concerns about Ukraine’s dwindling supplies of Western Patriot interceptor missiles, the only system currently capable of countering ballistic threats. Civilian casualties in Ukraine reached 377 fatalities in July, the highest monthly toll since the conflict began in 2022.