Ukraine downs 127 drones in massive overnight barrage

Russian forces attacked Ukraine with 157 attack drones and two Kh-59/69 guided air-to-surface missiles on the night of July 24–25, killing at least two people in the northern city of Sumy and damaging civilian infrastructure across multiple regions, Ukraine's Air Force reported on Friday morning.ua+1

Ukrainian air defenses intercepted 127 drones and one missile, though 26 drones struck targets at nine locations and debris from intercepted weapons fell at four additional sites. The Air Force said the attack was still ongoing as of 7:30 a.m. local time, with enemy drones remaining in Ukrainian airspace.pravda+1

Casualties and Damage

In Sumy, a jet-powered drone struck a post office, killing two people — one identified as a 49-year-old man, with the identity of the second victim still being established, according to the head of the city's military administration, Sergiy Kryvosheenko. In the neighboring Kharkiv region, one civilian was killed and 14 were injured.bssnews+1

The overnight strikes are part of Russia's intensifying campaign against civilian infrastructure. Russian military commanders have issued direct orders to target commercial gas stations, civilian transit buses, and private vehicles across Ukraine's frontline and border regions, according to Ukrainian military intelligence disclosed on July 17. Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty reported that Russian forces have destroyed more than 150 gas stations using Geran-2 drones over the past three months, primarily within 30 to 50 kilometers of the border and front line.english.nv+1

Zelenskyy's Warning

The drone barrage came hours after President Volodymyr Zelenskyy issued a warning in his evening address on July 24 that Ukrainian intelligence indicated Russia had prepared missiles for a new massive attack.youtube+1

"We know from our intelligence and our partners that the Russians have readied missiles for a new massive attack on Ukraine. The strike may take place today — we have preliminary information that it could happen within the next 48 hours," Zelenskyy said, urging Ukrainians to heed air-raid warnings.pravda

Escalating Strikes

The overnight attack followed a devastating daytime Russian ballistic missile strike on a defense industry exhibition in the Kyiv region on Friday, which killed at least 10 people and wounded more than 100. July has been one of the deadliest months for Russian aerial attacks on Ukraine, with strikes killing at least 60 people in Kyiv alone since the start of the month. In April, Ukraine's Air Force recorded 6,804 long-range drones and missiles launched in a single month — the most intense period of the entire war.aljazeera+4