Daily Briefing

Key Takeaways

• Russia struck a UAV/arms exhibition site in Bucha district, Kyiv Oblast on July 24 with Iskander-M/Tsirkon ballistic missiles, killing at least 10 and wounding ~100 — the deadliest single strike in the current reporting window; Kyiv Oblast declared July 25 a day of mourning.
• Ukraine's SBU conducted a major overnight long-range drone campaign hitting Wildberries logistics hubs across 6+ Russian cities (St. Petersburg, Krasnodar, Stavropol, Crimea, Yekaterinburg), the Aviatek defense factory in Kirov (6 dead), and oil/fuel infrastructure up to 1,350 km from the front.
• General-Major Mykhailo Drapatyi officially assumed command of Ukraine's Armed Forces from Syrskyy — a significant wartime leadership transition corroborated by 10 sources.
• Zelensky warned of a new Russian mass missile strike within 48 hours and announced Ukraine will field drones with 5,000–10,000 km range within a year; a Trump-Zelensky Washington meeting is set for July 28.
• The EU formally adopted its 21st sanctions package against Russia, targeting 94 banks and the Moscow Exchange; the Graham-bill US sanctions legislation remains stalled in the Senate over Republican-Democrat disagreements.