Key Points and Summary: Ukraine War Update – The war in Ukraine saw a major escalation over the weekend, with Russia launching one of its largest air assaults, killing at least 11 civilians and injuring over 80 across the country.
-According to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Russia has launched over 1,200 drones in the past week.
-The intensified Russian attacks, which included glide bombs and missiles, came as Ukrainian forces are reportedly targeting Russian military mobilization centers with their own drones.
-Following the barrage, Zelenskyy announced a “strategic” phone call with US President Donald Trump, who is now reportedly “looking at” sending more Patriot air defense missiles to Kyiv.
The Ukraine War Keeps Getting Worse
The war in Ukraine intensified this past weekend as both Ukrainian and Russian forces launched large-scale drone attacks targeting infrastructure and population centers. Ukrainian officials reported that at least 11 civilians were killed and more than 80 injured – including seven children – in a series of Russian strikes across the country. The attacks included the use of glide bombs, missiles, and over 1,200 drones launched in the past week alone, according to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
One person was killed in Odesa, another in Kharkiv, and two others died in the Sumy region from Russian short-range drone strikes. A further seven people were killed and nine injured in the eastern Donetsk region. Flying drone debris also reportedly caused damage in Kyiv.
The escalation coincided with reports of renewed Russian offensives along the 1,000-kilometer front line. Ukrainian forces, already outmanned and stretched thin, are increasingly relying on drone warfare to compensate for troop shortages at a time when Russia is ramping up deployment.
Reports reveal how Ukrainian commanders are targeting Russian military mobilization centers with drone strikes in what appears to be an effort to deliberately disrupt recruitment.
As the pressure grows, Ukraine is also looking to the United States and Europe to strengthen its long-term defense capabilities. Over the weekend, Zelenskyy announced new agreements with allies on the continent and a leading U.S. defense company to boost drone production.
Zelenskyy also confirmed a “strategic” phone call with U.S. President Donald Trump, during which the two leaders discussed the possibility of sending new Patriot missiles to Ukraine.
Zelenskyy reiterated his country’s need for more air defense systems and missiles, writing on Telegram that “air defense is the main thing for protecting life.”
The Ukrainian president added that drone manufacturing has proven essential for front-line defense as well as conducting deep strikes inside Russia.
Russia has ramped up its drone campaign against Ukraine, too. On Sunday, it launched a series of overnight drone and missile barrages that injured three civilians in Kyiv and two more in Kharkiv. Port infrastructure in Mykolaiv was also damaged, while a glide bomb and drone attack on the front-line town of Kostyantynivka killed four civilians, including a married couple traveling by car.
The news comes as U.S. President Donald Trump appears to warm to the idea of providing more military assistance to Ukraine, slamming Russian President Vladimir Putin as unserious and expressing his disappointment in the Russian leader following a phone call last week.
About the Author:
Jack Buckby is a British author, counter-extremism researcher, and journalist based in New York. Reporting on the U.K., Europe, and the U.S., he works to analyze and understand left-wing and right-wing radicalization, and reports on Western governments’ approaches to the pressing issues of today. His books and research papers explore these themes and propose pragmatic solutions to our increasingly polarized society. His latest book is The Truth Teller: RFK Jr. and the Case for a Post-Partisan Presidency.
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Jim
July 7, 2025 at 7:24 pm
Trump ran on ending the Ukraine war.
Now, he seems to be waffling.
But it won’t make any difference.
It only makes it harder to normalize relations with Russia as Trump has repeatedly said was a goal along with ending the war.
Obviously, there are others in Washington who want to double-down on the Biden policy and keep the weapons & money flowing to the bitter end…
… some want to escalate… to what, mind you?
Bone Crushing Sanctions? What if that doesn’t work? Like all the prior sanctions… the Ruble was already supposed to turn to rubble… per Joe Biden.
And, further, bitterly alienate Russia, the largest country in the World with potentially the greatest natural resource base in the World for possibly decades. How does that help the United States?
Trump has thought of that (that’s why he wants to normalize relations). Have the warhawks given any thought to such considerations? Not likely… they don’t think that way.
All they can think of is hurting Russia… since they can’t inflict the strategic defeat they were originally planning and hoping for.
When does it become throwing good money after bad down a sinkhole?
A quagmire.
Never to be seen again… wasted… like all the lives & money we’re already wasted in the 21st Century in a string of failed foreign wars and regime change operations.
Do the warhawks ever get tired of losing?
The majority of Americans are sick & tired of warhawk schemes… which only serve to drain our blood & treasure.