The war between Russia and Ukraine intensified over the past 24 hours, with a Russian ballistic missile strike on a Ukrainian defence industry event in the Kyiv region killing 10 people and injuring around 100 others.
"Rescue operations are currently under way in the Kyiv region following a Russian missile attack," Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Telegram, without specifying the exact target.
The region's deputy governor, Ruslan Oliinyk, said the strike hit a private training ground hosting a defence industry event. The founder of drone company First Contact, Valerii Borovyk, also confirmed that a missile struck the exhibition site.
Ukraine's Prosecutor General Ruslan Kravchenko launched a criminal investigation into possible negligence relating to the organisation and conduct of the event.
Trump-Zelensky meeting
Amid the escalation, the White House announced that Donald Trump will meet Zelensky in Washington on 28 July.
The Ukrainian president also reported successful strikes against Russian facilities supplying the military with drone components, navigation systems and other military equipment.
He further referred to a strike on a factory in Russia's Kirov region producing components for aircraft and missile systems, as well as an attack on an oil facility located around 1,350 kilometres from Ukraine's border.
US mediation efforts between Kyiv and Moscow remain largely stalled as Washington's attention has increasingly shifted towards developments in the Middle East and Iran.
Attacks on infrastructure
Russia said missiles and drones struck the Ukrainian ports of Odesa, Izmail and Mykolaiv overnight.
According to the Russian Defence Ministry:
- Fuel and lubricant storage facilities used by the Ukrainian military were hit in Odesa.
- Military equipment loading facilities and naval drones were targeted in Izmail.
- A commercial vessel unloading military cargo was struck in Mykolaiv.
Meanwhile, a Russian attack on an energy facility in Chernihiv reportedly left around 150,000 consumers without electricity.
Ukraine, for its part, launched a large-scale drone attack targeting St Petersburg, Tver and Russian-occupied Crimea.
Russian authorities said they intercepted nearly 60 drones, but the attack caused fires at two warehouses belonging to e-commerce company Wildberries, forcing the suspension of operations. Infrastructure along a major motorway in the same area was also reportedly damaged.
Commercial ships targeted
The escalation also spread to maritime traffic, with two commercial vessels reportedly attacked by drones within a 24-hour period.
The CENTAR tanker, sailing under the Panama flag, suffered a small fire that was quickly extinguished by its crew.
The CHRISTINA B bulk carrier, flying the Liberian flag, sustained damage to one of its cargo holds and to its hull.
No injuries or water ingress were reported in either incident, and both vessels continued their voyages.
