Russia, Ukraine swap drone salvos in new escalation
Shafaq News – Moscow/Kyiv
Russia and Ukraine exchanged extensive drone attacks on Monday, disrupting air travel across Russia and causing casualties on both sides, as Kyiv moved to ramp up domestic drone production through new Western-backed agreements.
Hundreds of passengers were stranded at major Russian airports, including Moscow’s Sheremetyevo and St. Petersburg’s Pulkovo, following waves of Ukrainian drone strikes that grounded or delayed flights over the weekend. Russia’s Transport Ministry confirmed that multiple western and central airports were affected, with images circulating online showing crowded terminals.
Russian President Vladimir Putin dismissed Transport Minister Roman Starovoit early Monday, with no official explanation provided for the decision.
Additionally, Russia’s Belgorod region, which borders Ukraine, witnessed intense bombardment over a 24-hour period, with 120 drones and 73 rounds of ammunition targeting 11 districts, according to Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov.
Russia’s Defense Ministry claimed to have intercepted 91 Ukrainian drones overnight, including 20 over Belgorod, 14 over Kursk, and 8 near Moscow. According to Russian official Tass agency, two civilians were killed and multiple districts in Russia's Belgorod region suffered injuries, infrastructure damage, and power outages as Ukrainian drone strikes hit homes, vehicles, and agricultural sites.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy claimed in a post on X that Russia launched 101 drones overnight targeting multiple Ukrainian cities. A strike in Kharkiv injured 27 people, including three children, one of whom was three years old. In Odesa, one fatality was reported.
Throughout the night and into the morning, emergency rescue operations have been underway in the Donetsk and Dnipro regions. In Kharkiv, rubble is being cleared after a strike on apartment buildings. 27 people were injured, including three children. The youngest, a girl, is just… pic.twitter.com/5lhcjl75XX
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) July 7, 2025
Additional Russian strikes on Monday killed at least four people and wounded 36 across Ukraine, according to regional authorities. Two deaths and two injuries were reported in Sumy, one death and two injuries in Kherson, and one fatality in Odesa. Five people were injured in Dnipropetrovsk. In Kyiv, drone strikes caused property damage but no casualties, according to Mayor Vitali Klitschko.
Ukrainian officials said Friday’s earlier Russian assault—described as one of the largest since the war began in February 2022—killed at least two people and involved more than 30 drones and around 10 missiles, targeting Kyiv and other urban centers.
Amid escalating aerial warfare, Zelenskyy announced fresh defense agreements with Western partners aimed at increasing Ukraine’s domestic weapons manufacturing, including all categories of drones, with a focus on interceptors. “Air defense remains the top priority for protecting lives,” he said.
