Daily Briefing

Key Takeaways

• Ukraine launched its largest-ever drone offensive overnight July 12–13, sending ~400 drones simultaneously against Russia and occupied Crimea — over 350 targeted the Moscow region alone — killing 3 civilians in Moscow Oblast (Istra) and injuring 5, with 81 drones intercepted over the region (11 sources corroborated).
• Ukrainian maritime drones struck 10 tankers and 4 ferries in the Azov Sea overnight July 12, with Commander 'Madyar' claiming 90 Russian shadow-fleet vessels hit in the past week (7 sources corroborated); a separate strike set the Kavkaz port oil terminal on fire and hit the Mikhailovskaya oil depot in Stavropol Krai for the second time in a week.
• Senator Lindsey Graham — one of Ukraine's most consistent advocates in the US Senate and co-sponsor of a bipartisan Russia sanctions bill — died July 12 at age 71, leaving the fate of that legislation uncertain.
• Zelensky is in Paris today for talks with Macron, participation in a new anti-ballistic missile coalition session, and a 'coalition of the willing' summit — a key diplomatic moment as Ukraine signals a broader cabinet reshuffle and foreign-policy reorganization.
• Ukrainian intelligence warns Russia is preparing a potential mass strike of ~1,000 Shaheds plus ballistic and cruise missiles targeting Kyiv, while a separate assessment flags Russia may open a new Chernihiv front from Belarus after Russian elections.