Monday, July 28. Russia's War On Ukraine: News And Information From Ukraine
Dispatches from Ukraine. Day 1,251.
Russian Attacks on Ukraine
324 drones and seven missiles swarmed the sky over western Ukraine overnight into July 28. Ukraine's Air Force reported intercepting or electronically jamming 309 drones and two cruise missiles. The primary target was the city of Starokostiantyniv, in Khmelnytskyi oblast, or region, home to one of Ukraine's most important airfields. All three Russian hypersonic Kinzhal missiles failed to reach intended sites; still, impacts were recorded at three locations.
Relative to the two biggest aerial assaults on Ukraine to date, where Russian forces launched 741 and 623 projectiles, Russia's latest overnight strike is considerably smaller. It followed an even smaller overnight strike on July 26, in which 208 drones and 27 missiles were deployed; of these, 183 drones and 17 missiles were downed.
In addition to nighttime barrages, Russian daytime strikes across Ukraine killed at least 11 civilians and injured more than 88 on July 25-28. In the northeastern province of Sumy, a Russian drone targeted a civilian bus, killing three non-combatants and wounding five others. In eastern Donetsk province, sustained shelling killed three people and injured 17 others. Further south in Kherson, drone attacks resulted in four civilian deaths and left 24 wounded; artillery fire in central Dnipropetrovsk region killed one individual and injured 13 residents.
Strikes in eastern Kharkiv oblast left 29 residents wounded, while a Russian nighttime attack on the southern port city of Odesa on July 24 caused extensive damage, setting fire to the historic Pryvoz bazaar, one of the oldest markets in Europe, as well as damaging UNESCO World Heritage sites and injuring three residents.
Ukraine has also been launching counter strikes. Its latest drone salvo targeted the iconic city of St. Petersburg, tsarist Russia's imperial capital, forcing its airport to close for five hours on July 27. The attack coincided with President Vladimir Putin's visit to the historic city for its annual Navy Day celebrations, though the traditional naval parade was already canceled due to security concerns. Russian air defenses intercepted more than ten Ukrainian drones over the region, underscoring Kyiv's continued capacity to wreak havoc deep inside Russian territory despite Moscow's intensified military pressure.
Trump Tightens Deadline for Russia to Negotiate Peace
U.S. President Donald Trump has moved up the deadline he previously gave Russia to make progress toward ending the war in Ukraine. During a July 28 joint press conference with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer in Scotland, President Trump announced he would give Moscow '10 or 12' days to show meaningful action, down from the 50-day timeline he initially announced on July 14, which would have expired in early September. Trump has threatened additional sanctions on Russia, as well as tariffs, along with secondary tariffs on buyers of Russian exports, if Moscow fails to end the war.
President Trump's tougher approach appears to be triggered by deepening dismay with Russian President Vladimir Putin's handling of the conflict. 'There's no reason for waiting…we just don't see any progress [in negotiations]
being made,' President Trump said. He also indicated his growing skepticism toward diplomatic engagement with Putin: 'I'm not so interested in talking anymore,' Trump told reporters. 'We have such nice conversations…and then people die the following night,' he continued.
But despite expressing disappointment with the Russian leader, Trump emphasized a distinction between President Putin and ordinary Russians, saying he 'loves the Russian people' and would prefer not to impose harsh economic penalties, if they can be avoided. He further highlighted Russia's vast natural resource wealth and its potential for a prosperous future. 'Russia could be so rich, it could be thriving like practically no other country…instead, they spend all their money on war,' Trump stated. However, his shifting tone has suggested he might be preparing to increase pressure on Moscow if necessary to jumpstart stalled peace negotiations.
In Ukraine, officials welcomed Trump's recent statements. President Zelenskyy's chief of staff, Andriy Yermak praised the president for delivering 'a clear message of peace through strength.' So far, there has been no official response from the Kremlin to Trump's tighter deadline. But Moscow has consistently criticized Western support for Ukraine for prolonging the conflict.
Russian markets seem to be taking Trump's updated ultimatum more seriously: unlike his July 14 warning, which saw the Moscow Stock Exchange gain 2.7%, the index closed down 1.49% on July 28.
Ukraine Positions Itself as a Global Drone Manufacturer
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced a potential $30 billion deal for the sale of Ukrainian drones to the U.S. Speaking on July 24, President Zelenskyy said the agreement had been reached with U.S. President Donald Trump as part of a 'win-win' framework, under which Ukraine would supply drones to Washington in exchange for U.S. weapons. The Trump administration has already approved two separate military sales to Kyiv totaling $330 million.
At the same time, Ukraine is expanding its defense manufacturing beyond its borders. President Zelenskyy announced plans for joint projects with Denmark, Norway, and Germany, aiming to decentralize arms production amid intensified, increasingly precise Russian aerial strikes. Denmark has already committed to co-financing long-range drone factories under a public-private partnership. The country expects to produce and supply drones to Ukraine during the war, and afterward, stockpile the drones for Danish defense.
By Danylo Nosov, Karina L. Tahiliani
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