Intensified Drone Assaults by Russia on Ukraine - Putin Pinpoints 'Stable Peace' as Aim - Escalating Drone Assaults on Ukraine by Russia - Putin Articulates "Stable Peace" as Aim
In the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine, July 2025 marked a significant escalation in drone and missile attacks, according to UN figures. More civilians were killed in these attacks last month than in any other month since the start of the war.
The Russian army launched over 6,000 drones against Ukraine in July, a 37.8% increase compared to the previous year, surpassing 5,000 launches in June for the first time. These attacks occurred every night of the month, with a total of 198 missiles used. This was one of the deadliest attacks of its kind on the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, where 31 people, including five children, were killed in Russian air strikes overnight on Thursday.
The increase in Russian drone attacks on Ukraine accelerated notably in 2025. In January, Ukraine conducted drone strikes deep inside Russia, targeting strategic infrastructure such as the Kazan Orgsintez chemical plant, oil depots, refineries, and military airbases. By June, Ukrainian forces had destroyed multiple Russian strategic and nuclear-capable bombers at airfields far inside Russia.
The human toll of these intensified drone attacks has been heavy. According to the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, at least 139 civilians were killed and 791 injured in July 2025 alone. Infrastructure damage includes fires and explosions at energy facilities, refineries, rail infrastructure, agricultural enterprises, and military bases, severely affecting both civilian life and Ukraine’s defense capabilities.
Internationally, the surge in indiscriminate drone and missile attacks causing civilian casualties has been condemned. The UN, among others, has expressed concern over the escalation. Western countries, including the USA and Germany, have intensified military and intelligence support to Ukraine, supplying anti-drone defense systems and enhancing early warning capabilities.
In response to the escalating conflict, the USA has agreed to replace the systems for the Bundeswehr, a condition set by German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius. Germany will provide Ukraine with two more Patriot air defense systems for its defense. The launchers for these systems should be delivered in the coming days, with further parts of the air defense systems to be received by Ukraine within the next two to three months.
President Zelenskyy has thanked President Trump, European partners, and other allies for their support and for condemning Russia's actions. However, Trump has questioned whether sanctions would bother Putin. The EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas described the latest attacks on Kyiv as "heinous" and published a photo showing the EU flag flying at half-mast.
Putin's conditions for a peaceful solution in Ukraine remain unchanged, including the demand that Kyiv cede four partially occupied regions of Ukraine to Russia completely. Putin called for "stable peace" in Ukraine during a meeting with Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko on the island of Valamo in northwest Russia.
The increase in drone warfare has strategic concerns, with Belarus’s increasing military integration with Russia noted as a concern in the regional security context. Sanctions targeting drone supply chains and drone technology transfer are part of broader efforts to curb Russia’s drone capabilities.
In conclusion, 2025 saw an unprecedented increase in drone warfare in the Russia-Ukraine conflict, with Russia conducting tens of thousands of drone strikes targeting Ukraine’s civilian and military infrastructure, while Ukraine demonstrated growing drone strike capability against targets deep within Russia. The human toll and infrastructural damage have prompted strong international condemnation and increased military support to Ukraine.
- In response to the escalating drone attacks on Ukraine by Russia, President Zelenskyy has expressed gratitude to the US President, Donald Trump, for his support and condoning Russia's actions, but Trump has displayed concerns about whether sanctions would actually affect Vladimir Putin.
- According to sources such as AFP, War-and-Conflicts, General-News, and Politics, the surge in indiscriminate drone and missile attacks resulting in civilian causalities has been met with international condemnation, with Western countries like the US and Germany providing military and intelligence support to Ukraine to deal with the drone threat, including anti-drone defense systems and enhanced early warning capabilities.
