Ukraine has mounted one other massive drone assault towards Russia in a single day, launching tons of of drones and as soon as once more concentrating on oil infrastructure and navy websites close to St. Petersburg.
Movies on-line seem to indicate massive smoke plumes rising from an oil facility in St. Petersburg’s port. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy mentioned Ukraine had efficiently hit oil infrastructure within the port in addition to navy targets across the Kronstadt naval base.
Russia’s protection ministry mentioned practically 500 long-range drones have been concerned within the assault. Moscow’s mayor mentioned 200 focused the capital.
On this display seize from a video launched by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, smoke rises after a Ukrainian drone strike close to St. Petersburg, Russia, on July 4, 2026.
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Ukraine is now efficiently hitting oil refineries and infrastructure, in addition to protection business services, deep inside Russia on an virtually every day foundation, as its long-range drone marketing campaign grows.
Many Russian areas are struggling gasoline shortages in consequence, with folks filming themselves ready in lengthy traces at gasoline stations.
The Ukrainian drone strikes are bringing the warfare house to Russians not beforehand seen.
On the identical time, Russia’s troubles of the battlefield have appeared to mount. An more and more efficient marketing campaign by Ukraine utilizing medium-range drones is concentrating on Russia’s logistics and in search of to chop off provide traces into occupied Crimea.
Authorities in Crimea have declared a state of emergency over gasoline shortages and imposed curfews amid energy outages brought on by Ukrainian strikes.
On this display seize from a video launched by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, smoke rises after a Ukrainian drone strike close to St. Petersburg, Russia, on July 4, 2026.
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Russian president Vladimir Putin in a single day made a uncommon look in a uniform and making a go to to a supposed navy place, in an effort to sign he has the warfare underneath shut management.
On this display seize from a video launched by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, smoke rises after a Ukrainian drone strike close to St. Petersburg, Russia, on July 4, 2026.
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In the meantime, Russia’s navy on Saturday claimed to have seized town of Kostiantynivka, a key defensive hub in Ukraine’s japanese Donbas area.
Whereas Russia has been advancing into town, there are causes to doubt it has really totally captured it but. Russia has repeatedly falsely claimed to be in command of cities when that’s removed from the case.
The autumn of Kostiantynivka could be Moscow’s first vital battlefield success this 12 months and Russian officers are already hailing it as proof the warfare continues to be going Russia’s approach regardless of indicators it’s delivering Kyiv’s favor. However for now it’s untimely to say town has fallen.
Whereas Kostiantynivka’s fall could be vital, it could be unlikely to permit Russia to quickly advance additional in direction of capturing all of Donbas, that Putin has set as his precedence.
Russia is barely advancing, and will have misplaced extra territory total than it gained in Might, in accordance with Konrad Muzyka, a Polish navy analyst and director of Rochan Consulting.
The Russian good points are additionally coming at monumental price. Russia’s forces are taking tens of hundreds of casualties, in accordance with unbiased analysts and Western intelligence evaluation.
A report by the Washington-based Middle for Strategic and Worldwide Research (CSIS) this week assessed Russia’s navy has now suffered round 1.4 million casualties, together with as many as 450,000 deaths.
Ukraine has suffered between 525,000 to 625,000 casualties, the CSIS report discovered.
