Russian forces carried out massive combined air strikes with missiles and drones against Ukraine on the night of July 25-26, News.bg reports.
Moscow appears to be increasingly integrating missiles into night strike packages - a trend that marks a change from previous months, when the main emphasis fell on the use of drones in the spring and early summer of 2025.
According to a statement from the Ukrainian Air Force on July 26, Russia launched 12 ballistic missiles “Iskander-M/KN-23“ from Voronezh, Kursk and Rostov regions, as well as from Yeysk, Krasnodar Krai and Crimea. In addition, eight Iskander-K cruise missiles and seven Kh-59/69 guided missiles were used, launched from the airspace over Belgorod and Zaporozhye regions.
The Institute for the Study of War (ISW) notes that the Russian defense industry is increasing its capacity to produce missiles and drones. This expanded production is likely to allow Russia to conduct even more intensive air strikes in the fall of 2025. According to ISW, if the current pace continues, by November Russia could have the capacity to attack with up to 2,000 drones in a single night.
The Ukrainian Air Force reported that it managed to destroy 183 unspecified drones and 17 missiles, but 25 drones and 10 missiles reached nine targets in the country.
An investigation by journalist Hristo Grozev revealed that Russia is building a network of young drone operators under the guise of educational programs - a fact that highlights the long-term nature of this strategy.
Russia is increasingly attacking densely populated cities in order to undermine Ukraine's morale and defense capacity. On July 26, authorities in the Kharkiv region reported that the city had been hit by four guided missiles, two ballistic missiles, and 15 “Shahed” drones, resulting in civilian casualties and first aid teams.
The same night, the city of Dnipro was also the target of a massive airstrike using missiles and drones. According to local authorities, the attack killed three people, injured six, and caused serious damage to residential buildings and industrial infrastructure. The total number of weapons used amounted to 235 drones and 27 missiles.
In response to the escalation, Ukraine’s Western partners continue to provide critical military and technical assistance. On July 26, Lithuanian Defense Minister Dovilė Šakalienė announced that the country plans to allocate up to 30 million euros for the purchase of Patriot air defense systems for Ukraine.
A day earlier, Ukrainian Ambassador to Germany Oleksiy Makeev said that Berlin is preparing to provide additional IRIS-T systems and assist Ukrainian industry in the production of similar systems. The German company HENSOLDT also announced an order worth over 340 million euros for the supply of TRML-4D and SPEXER radar systems for the needs of the Ukrainian air defense.
On July 24, the US Agency for Defense and Security Cooperation reported that the US State Department had approved the sale of military aid worth $150 million. It is intended for the maintenance, repair and modernization of the 155-mm M109 self-propelled howitzers used by the Ukrainian army.