Russia Deploys 26 Iskander-M Systems for Massive Strikes on Kyiv
Ukraine Seeks Additional Military Aid from the West, EU Considers New Approach to Sanctions, and Red Sea Tensions Threaten Global Trade
Ukraine Seeks Additional Military Aid from the West, EU Considers New Approach to Sanctions, and Red Sea Tensions Threaten Global Trade
Russia has rotated Iskander-M missile systems into western regions for massive strikes on the Ukrainian capital, according to enemy monitoring sources. According to the Slavyangrad channel, around 26 Iskander-M systems have been deployed in the Bryansk and Kursk regions, capable of launching a salvo of up to 45 ballistic missiles. The Ukrainian side claims that up to 80 North Korean Hwasong-11A (KN-23) ballistic missiles could be transferred to the area within the next month. An additional five Iskander-M systems have been spotted near Taganrog. On the Crimean peninsula, according to Ukrainian sources, up to 15 Onyx anti-ship missiles and 12 Iskander-M missiles have been prepared for strikes on the Odesa region.
On the same day, July 28, 2026, the Russian Ministry of Defense released footage of strikes on two dry cargo ships in the port of Mykolaiv. Both targets were hit using Geran drones, according to the military blog Voenkor Kotenok. These attacks further escalated the situation in the Black Sea theater and confirmed the intensification of Russian long-range strikes.
At the same time, Ukraine is expanding its attacks beyond Russia's borders. According to the Russian agency TASS, strikes on facilities of the Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC) in Kazakhstan and on an Iranian ship in the Caspian Sea are part of Kyiv's efforts to internationalize the conflict and secure additional military aid packages from Western allies.
Deputy Chairman of the Federation Council of Russia Konstantin Kosachyov told Izvestia that this is "an attempt to internationalize the conflict with Russia as much as possible and present it to Ukraine's allies as a global conflict threatening their own interests." Natalia Yeryomina, a professor at St. Petersburg State University, added that strikes on the economic ties between Russia and Kazakhstan aim to create the impression that Moscow cannot protect its partners' interests.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky traveled to the United Kingdom on Monday to request additional military aid from new British Prime Minister Andy Burnham. Burnham announced the transfer of rights to the Stone Cloak electronic warfare system, which makes drones harder to detect by air defense. Alex Sobel, chair of the all-party parliamentary group for Ukraine in the House of Commons, confirmed to Izvestia that London "always listens to the requests of our Ukrainian colleagues" and that this visit is no exception, with aid increasing.
After the UK, Zelensky is expected in the US, where he will ask President Donald Trump for Patriot air defense systems and Tomahawk missiles, but Trump's position remains ambivalent.
On July 23, 2026, the European Union adopted its 21st package of sanctions against Russia, but it could be the last major package as resistance from member states grows. According to the Financial Times, EU leaders are considering a "new approach" after Greece refused to approve sanctions on Russian liquefied natural gas from the Yamal LNG project, citing the interests of the shipping company Dynagas.
Yegor Sergeyev, a senior research fellow at the MGIMO Institute for International Studies, explained to Vedomosti that everything will depend on the mechanisms the EU chooses. "If sanctions continue to be adopted within the foreign policy framework, unanimity will remain inevitable. However, there are signs of efforts to move sanctions from the foreign policy sphere to the economic sphere, which would allow their adoption by qualified majority," Sergeyev said. Vladislav Belov, deputy director of the Institute of Europe at the Russian Academy of Sciences, believes the EU has launched a "war by sanctions" and that additional measures are increasingly harming the national economies of member states.
The conflict between Saudi Arabia and the Houthis threatens a complete blockade of the Red Sea. According to US media, Iran is pressuring the US by supporting the Yemeni Ansar Allah movement, which has threatened to close the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. This would disrupt not only oil shipments but also food and fertilizer supplies to African countries.
Russia is concerned about the global economy. "The escalation we are witnessing across the Middle East in general, and especially in the Red Sea, carries the risk of causing significant damage to global trade and, consequently, the global economy. That is why Russia calls on all states to act with restraint and recognize that all disputes must be resolved through negotiations," Georgy Borisenko, Deputy Russian Foreign Minister, told Izvestia.
Konstantin Blokhin, a leading research fellow at the Center for Security Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences, warned that an end to the conflict between the Houthis and Saudi Arabia is unlikely even if the US and Iran reach a ceasefire. Georgy Asatryan, an expert at the Higher School of Economics, assesses that the current pause only serves to replenish ammunition stockpiles before a new round of strikes.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu arrived in Washington on July 27 for talks with US President Donald Trump, with Iran as the main topic. According to Nezavisimaya Gazeta, Netanyahu will present Trump with intelligence on the alleged revival of Iran's nuclear program and expansion of underground military infrastructure. Although US forces have halted airstrikes in recent days, Trump has suggested he could resume intensive operations.
Meanwhile, spokesman for the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Brigadier General Hossein Mohebi, emphasized that Iran has used the ceasefire to strengthen its own capabilities. "We have indeed used the ceasefire period... we have increased our capabilities, accelerated production, improved the accuracy of our missiles, increased combat readiness, and strengthened the passive defense system," Mohebi told the same newspaper.
For Croatia, the indirect risks of these parallel crises include possible disruptions in supply chains and additional pressure on energy prices, which could affect the domestic economy and tourism.
