Russia downs 155 Ukrainian drones as Kyiv battles fresh missile barrage
Shafaq News – Moscow/Kyiv
An intense night of aerial warfare unfolded across both Russia and Ukraine, as Ukrainian drones were intercepted over several regions and Russian forces launched sustained missile and drone attacks across the border.
Russia’s Defense Ministry reported intercepting 155 Ukrainian drones between 11 p.m. Moscow time (2000 GMT) and 7 a.m., with targets spanning the Moscow region, Crimea, and several western provinces including Belgorod, Kursk, Bryansk, and Smolensk.
Despite the defenses, a drone crashed into an agricultural facility in Russia’s Khlevensky district, killing one person and injuring another after igniting a fire. Authorities have not confirmed whether the drone was downed or struck its target directly.
Meanwhile, Ukraine’s Air Force reported fresh Russian missile and drone attacks targeting Kharkiv, Donetsk, and Zaporizhzhia. Additional strikes were recorded in Lyubotyn near the Russian border, as well as in Mykolaiv and Sumy. Ukrainian officials also warned of a ballistic missile threat from the northeast.
According to Kyiv’s General Staff, 214 combat clashes took place over the past 24 hours. Russian forces reportedly launched 77 airstrikes, fired more than 5,500 shells, and deployed over 3,800 kamikaze drones. In response, Ukrainian units struck eight Russian positions, damaging tanks, missile systems, unmanned aircraft, and other military assets. Russian personnel losses were estimated at over 1,000 in a single day.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy addressed the growing threat during a meeting with two US senators on Thursday night, urging swift reinforcement of Ukraine’s air defense systems. “Russia is aiming to launch attacks involving up to a thousand drones at once,” he wrote on X, describing air defense as Ukraine’s top priority.
I had a good meeting with U.S. Senators @LindseyGrahamSC and @SenBlumenthal. I’m grateful for their participation in the Ukraine Recovery Conference, as well as in the meeting of the Coalition of the Willing. It is important that the United States joined this format – for the… pic.twitter.com/SmAdgSbznM
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) July 10, 2025
As military pressure mounts, US President Donald Trump revealed what he described as a new arrangement involving NATO arms transfers. “We’re sending weapons to NATO, and NATO is paying for those weapons, 100%. So what we’re doing is the weapons that are going out are going to NATO, and then NATO is going to be giving those weapons [to Ukraine],” he told NBC News. He also announced plans for a “major statement” on Russia next Monday.
On the diplomatic front, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov during the ASEAN summit on Thursday. Rubio described the conversation as “a new and different approach” to ongoing negotiations. “I wouldn’t characterize it as something that guarantees peace,” he said, “but it’s a concept that I’ll take back to the president.”
