According to calculations by Russia's Kommersant, the geography of Ukrainian drone attacks has expanded significantly since the start of the year, while the Russian Defense Ministry reports a record number of downed unmanned aerial vehicles.
Ukrainian drones have reached the territory of as many as 52 Russian regions since the beginning of 2026, according to calculations published by the Russian newspaper Kommersant. The geography of attacks has expanded dramatically compared to January, when reports from the Russian Defense Ministry mentioned 36 regions.
Russia claims to have downed 54,500 Ukrainian drones during the first seven months of this year, according to Kommersant's calculations as reported by NOELREPORTS. This averages about 7,000 drones per month, or more than 260 per day. In the past 24 hours alone, Russian forces reportedly downed 651 Ukrainian UAVs, along with 7 guided aerial bombs and 5 HIMARS rockets, according to the Defense Ministry.
The Belgorod, Kursk, and Bryansk regions, as well as the temporarily occupied Crimea, appear most frequently in the reports. However, the frequency of mentions of the Moscow region has also increased significantly, suggesting that Ukrainian forces are penetrating deeper into Russian territory.
Meanwhile, a drone attack on Arkhipo-Osipovka near Gelendzhik claimed seven lives, according to the emergency center. The death toll gradually rose as rescuers continued to search the affected area.
As the conflict intensifies, the U.S. Permanent Representative to NATO, Matthew Whitaker, told Fox Business that Washington is making progress on joint production of Patriot air defense systems with Ukraine. Although direct U.S. arms deliveries to Kyiv have been formally reduced nearly fivefold, aid has not disappeared, according to the Rybar project. NATO countries continue to purchase weapons from the United States and forward them to Ukraine.
On the diplomatic front, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed the appointment of Rustem Umerov, the former Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council, as the new head of the Foreign Intelligence Service. At the same time, he dismissed Ukraine's ambassador to the U.S., Olha Stefanishyna.
NATO announced that Dutch F-35 fighter jets are participating in air policing missions on the eastern side of the Alliance, as part of the Eastern Sentry alert activities. Inspections, diagnostics, and rapid maintenance keep them ready for operations.
In Poland, military exercises are underway where NATO command is integrating lessons from the Ukrainian battlefield into preparations for a potential high-intensity conflict. According to an analysis by the Rybar project, on the Burliuk direction, Russian forces have liberated the settlements of Ustynivka and Bilyi Kolodets.
