Russian Strikes Kill Four in Ukraine a Day After Kyiv Attack Leaves 30 Dead
Russian strikes killed at least four people in Ukraine on Friday, a day after a massive barrage on Kyiv left at least 30 dead in the capital's deadliest attack this year, while Ukrainian drone strikes killed two in Russian border regions and new AI-equipped Russian drones appeared in Zaporizhzhia.
Deadly Russian Strikes Hit Ukrainian Regions
In Ukraine's Sumy region, a Russian drone hit a residential apartment building, killing two women, an elderly man and a toddler while injuring three others, according to Oleh Hryhorov, head of the regional military administration. [1] A separate Russian missile attack on Kryvyi Rih injured seven people, damaged nine apartment blocks, a school, shops, garages and vehicles, and cut gas supplies to two buildings, according to Oleksandr Vilkul, head of the city’s defence council. [1] Two of the injured women in Kryvyi Rih remain in hospital. [1] Kryvyi Rih, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s hometown and a major industrial centre, has been repeatedly attacked during the war. [1] These strikes formed part of the latest Russian attacks that killed four and injured at least 10 across Sumy and Dnipropetrovsk regions. [1]
Kyiv Mourns After Deadliest Attack of the Year
Russian AI-equipped autonomous drones deployed in Zaporizhzhia region. — Source: ukrainskapravda The prior night's barrage on Kyiv killed at least 30, prompting a day of mourning. [1] Ukraine’s air force downed 476 of 496 drones and 48 of 74 missiles launched in that attack. [1] United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned Russia’s barrage and repeated a ceasefire call, with his spokesman Stephane Dujarric stating that attacks against civilians and civilian infrastructure are a clear violation of international humanitarian law and must stop immediately. [1] The European Union’s top diplomat Kaja Kallas said she would propose new sanctions on Moscow over the attack. [1] Zelenskyy said his forces would definitely retaliate for the Wednesday-to-Thursday overnight attack, adding that Russian President Vladimir Putin had been preparing this massive strike against Ukraine for some time now. [1] The Kremlin pledged to further ramp up pressure on Kyiv. [1]
Ukrainian Drones Strike Russian Border Areas
Ukrainian drone attacks killed a woman in Belgorod and a man in Bryansk, disrupted utilities in Belgorod, and started fires at industrial sites in Belgorod, Bryansk and Smolensk regions. [1] Valentin Demidov, mayor of Russia’s western city of Belgorod, said a woman had died in a car after being injured by shrapnel, with water and power supplies in the city disrupted. [1] An industrial facility caught fire after Ukraine attacked Belgorod and its surroundings with missiles. [1] Egor Kovalchuk, acting governor of Bryansk, said a man had died in a village following a drone attack. [1] A fire also broke out at an industrial site in the western Smolensk region following a drone attack there, though no injuries were reported, according to local governor Vasily Anokhin. [1] Ukraine has pounded Russia’s energy infrastructure for months in an effort to cripple Moscow’s military might, leading to fuel shortages across Russia. [1] Putin has said the attacks are meant to sow discord among the public. [1]
Russia Deploys AI-Equipped Autonomous Drones
Russian forces began mass deployment of autonomous AI-equipped Molniya strike drones in Zaporizhzhia, which no longer require control antennas and use onboard cameras and computers for navigation and targeting. [2] Serhii "Flash" Beskrestnov, an adviser to Ukraine's defence minister and a radio technology expert, posted an image of the autonomous AI modification of the Russian Molniya drone and stated that this is the AI-enabled autonomous version of the Molniya. [2] A UAV detector no longer saves you, he added. [2] Flash previously reported that a Russian Molniya UAV had attacked a Ukrainian facility without a control antenna, noting that the drone had only a camera and a computer, with navigation, target acquisition and attack potentially becoming fully autonomous in the near future. [2] Autonomous target selection systems are undergoing initial stages of combat testing in both Ukraine and Russia. [2]
Crimea Faces Emergency Over Ukrainian Strikes
A state of emergency was declared in Russian-occupied Crimea on June 26 amid power outages, food shortages and fuel rationing that includes banning the sale of petrol to civilians. [4] Vladimir Putin acknowledged on June 28 that Ukraine’s relentless drone attacks on Russia’s energy infrastructure are having an effect, confirming that his country is facing a certain shortage of fuel and that strikes on infrastructure sites are creating problems. [4] Crimea has played a vital role in Russia’s war effort as an important route for military equipment and supplies heading to the combat zone in Ukraine’s Donbas region, while control of the port of Sevastopol provides Russia with a foothold in the Black Sea. [4] Around 30% of the vessels in Russia’s Black Sea fleet have been damaged or destroyed by Ukraine since 2022, and large parts of the fleet were relocated further east in 2023 under pressure from Ukrainian strikes. [4] Even the remaining command and control units are now believed to be planning to pack up and move to Russia. [4] Ukraine has also focused its attention on Crimea because of its symbolic significance as the jewel in the crown of Russia’s campaign in Ukraine. [4]
Other Regional Clashes
Gunmen attacked internal security positions in Syria's Suwayda province, with armed groups opening fire with heavy machine guns and no immediate reports of casualties. [3] An Israeli soldier was injured in southern Lebanon clashes, with the military saying a reservist was wounded in a close-quarters encounter on Thursday. [5]
What to watch next: Russia has pledged to further ramp up pressure on Kyiv while the EU plans new sanctions, and Ukrainian forces have said they will retaliate after the recent barrage.
