In the last 24 hours, Ukraine has reported sinking a Russian submarine and conducting a strike on a Russian airfield as part of an increase in long-range attacks on Russian targets. Russia retaliated by accusing Ukrainian drones of hitting an apartment building, resulting in one fatality.
The recent escalation in attacks since July coincides with Ukraine’s efforts to gain approval from allies, notably the U.S., to use long-range missiles for strikes on Russia. However, Western nations have been cautious, fearing potential escalation from Moscow.
According to Ukraine’s General Staff, the country targeted a Russian Kilo-class submarine and an S-400 anti-aircraft missile complex in the Crimean peninsula under Russian control. Additionally, Ukrainian forces damaged four launchers of the Triumph air defense system and successfully sank the “Rostov-on-Don” submarine from Russia’s Black Sea fleet in the port of Sevastopol.
The General Staff also confirmed that Ukrainian forces carried out a drone strike on the Morozovsk airfield in the Rostov region, hitting warehouses storing guided aerial bombs. The operation was a collaborative effort involving the Security Service of Ukraine, the Main Directorate of Intelligence, and the Defense Ministry.
In response, Belgorod Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov reported a civilian fatality in Shebekino due to a Ukrainian drone strike on an apartment building. He stated that several other buildings were damaged, with eight civilians wounded in the region by Ukrainian shelling and drone strikes in recent times.
Over the past month, Russia has faced an increase in Ukrainian drone attacks and long-range strikes targeting military infrastructure, such as airfields and oil depots. Analysts believe such intensified efforts are necessary for Ukraine to degrade Russian capabilities.
Moreover, Ukraine’s human rights ombudsman, Dmytro Lubinets, has called for investigations by the International Committee of the Red Cross and the United Nations into a disturbing photo circulating on social media. The photo allegedly shows the body of a Ukrainian prisoner of war tortured and executed by Russian forces, exhibiting a severe violation of the Geneva Convention according to Lubinets.
