Russia launched more drones at Ukraine in July than in any month since the beginning of the war in February 2022. Russia deployed 6,297 long-range drones, more than thirteen times as many as in July 2024.
This is according to analyses by, among others, the Ukrainian Air Force. Russia deployed long-range drones almost 16 percent more often than in June. The Russians have never launched so many drones in a month, writes analyst Kyle Glen of human rights organization Center for Information Resilience.
The number of long-range drones was even greater in July than in the first ten months of 2024 combined. That was despite periods of rest due to bad weather.
Moreover, the drones seem to be more effective. In the first quarter of this year, 5 percent of Russian drones reached their target. From April to June, this averaged 15 percent, reports the Ukrainian Air Force.
In addition to the drones, Russia also fired 198 rockets at Ukraine in July. That happened more often than in all previous months of 2025, except for June. The attacks took place almost daily, according to Ukrainian authorities.
More casualties and stalled peace negotiations
The continuous drone and missile attacks are causing a rising number of civilian casualties. According to the United Nations, the largest number of civilian deaths or injuries in three years occurred in June. At the end of July, at least fifteen people were killed in a major attack on Kyiv, including a six-year-old child.
Moscow is still rejecting a ceasefire and negotiations between Russia and Ukraine have not yielded an agreement since May. US President Donald Trump warned Moscow this week of extra sanctions if a peace deal is not reached soon.