Ukraine renewed its strikes on Russian business on Wednesday, injuring several people, amid a widening drone campaign causing massive disruption deep behind enemy lines.
Tatyana Kim, the head of Russia’s largest online retailer, Wildberries, said on Wednesday that warehouses in Krasnodar and Nevinnomyssk had been attacked. Social media footage showed a huge plume of smoke rising into the air in Krasnodar.
Regional governor Veniamin Kondratiev also said that 10 people were wounded in an attack on a storage complex, while drone debris has damaged two high-rise apartments in Krasnodar, where no one was injured.
Blackouts were meanwhile reported across occupied Crimea after two electric substations in Masandra and Yalta were hit by Ukrainian drones, according to Telegram monitoring channel Supernova Plus.
Power outages were reported in occupied Alushta, to the south, after being hit by Ukrainian forces, the Kyiv Independent reported. Strikes on energy infrastructure in recent weeks have left much of the peninsula with limited access to food, running water and electricity.
Behind the scenes, Ukraine’s military leadership was still battling a fresh political crisis after Volodymyr Zelensky late on Tuesday sacked the head of the armed forces and named his successor.
Major protests have swept the country following last week’s decision to sack defence minister Mykhailo Federov, credited with modernising the army.
Key Points
- Ousted Ukraine military chief says his troops captured 700 sq km from Russian forces
- Zelensky names new commander-in-chief and vows ‘deep strikes’ on Moscow will continue
- Two killed in Zaporizhzhia and nine injured in latest Russian attack on residential building
- Russia's Wildberries says warehouses attacked again and several injured
- Military reshuffle in Ukraine celebrated in Russia
Two very different men are at the heart of Ukraine's political crisis
10:30 , James Reynolds
One is a tech-savvy drone innovator with no military experience who became Ukraine’s youngest defense minister six months ago and was credited with contributing to successes in defending against Russia's 4-year-old invasion.
The other is a seasoned, Soviet-trained general more at home with traditional top-down command culture who led Ukraine’s armed forces.
When their personalities and policies clashed, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy decided one of them had to go as part of a wider government reshuffle. He dismissed the popular young upstart, sparking protests across the country.
Read the full story:
Two very different men are at the heart of Ukraine's political crisis
In pictures: Smoke rises from a Wildberries warehouse on fire after an attack in Krasnodar
10:00 , James Reynolds
Who is Mykhailo Drapatyi, Ukraine's new army chief?
09:30 , Reuters
Major General Mykhailo Drapatyi was named the new commander-in-chief of the Ukrainian armed forces late on Tuesday as President Volodymyr Zelensky sought to reset his military strategy in the war with Russia.
Drapatyi, the commander of the joint forces responsible for the Ukrainian defences in the northeastern direction, is described by his colleagues as a general of a new generation whose career was shaped in combat against Russian troops.
During his 26 years in the army, he rose through the ranks from a tank lieutenant to one of Ukraine's most effective combat commanders. Last week, in a rare public post, he said the Ukrainian army needed changes and new rules.
Drapatyi has fought Russian troops in Ukraine for more than a decade. He became famous in 2014 during fighting in the Donbas when he shouted “Go!” at the driver of an armoured fighting vehicle in Mariupol and tore through a Russian barricade on a mission to rescue besieged police officers. That same year, he led an encircled force that fought its way through Russian territory to freedom.
After Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022, Drapatyi became the go-to commander for areas of the front where the situation was most dire and in need of a swift turnaround. In summer 2024, he stopped a Russian incursion near the city of Kharkiv, stabilised the front line, and soon after became the youngest-ever commander of the Ukrainian land forces, one of the most senior posts in the Ukrainian army.
Ukraine agrees to export drones to the US
09:19 , James Reynolds
Ukraine has agreed to export drones to the United States to participate in a drone dominance program, a source tells Reuters.
The agency is reporting that six Ukrainian firms have been given permission to export to the US.
Ukraine widens strikes on 'logistics hubs' in push to disrupt Russia's war effort
08:54 , James Reynolds
Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelensky said on Wednesday that Kyiv has struck what he described as logistics hubs in Russia's Krasnodar and Stavropol regions involved in supplying Russian military with drone components and other equipment.
An oil depot, a tanker and four cargo ships from Russia's "shadow fleet" were also hit in Black Sea and the Sea of Azov, Zelensky added.
Separately, the head of Russia’s largest online retailer, Wildberries, said another attack on its warehouses had injured serveal people.
Tatyana Kim said the warehouses in Krasnodar and Nevinnomyssk had been attacked. Social media footage showed a huge plume of smoke rising into the air in Krasnodar.
Krasnodar regional governor Veniamin Kondratiev also said that 10 people were wounded in an attack on a storage complex, while drone debris has damaged two high-rise apartments in Krasnodar, where no one was injured.
The attacks on a company so central to the consumer economy appear to mark a widening of Kyiv's strategy of using long-range drones to disrupt Russia's war effort and pressure the Kremlin to make peace.
Ukraine hit 13 Russian vessels in past 48 hours, drone force commander says
08:38 , James Reynolds
Ukrainian drones struck 13 Russian vessels in the Black Sea and Sea of Azov in the past 48 hours, the commander of Ukraine's Unmanned Systems Forces Robert Brovdi said on Wednesday.
Catch up: Ukraine's Zelenskyy fires military chief after protests and names a replacement
08:30 , James Reynolds
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Tuesday fired Gen. Oleksandr Syrskyi as commander-in-chief of Ukraine’s armed forces, following days of mass protests in Kyiv and other cities nationwide demanding his removal.
Zelenskyy appointed Mykhailo Drapatyi as the new army chief, according to a statement on social media.
“Our shared wish is one — victory over the enemy and conditions at the front and in pressure on Russia that would force Russia toward peace,” Zelenskyy said. He said “a significant path has been traveled, the defense of Ukraine continues, and every warrior deserves dignified treatment.”
Read the full story:
Ukraine's Zelenskyy fires military chief after protests and names a replacement
Italy aims to reach 5% Nato target in the next decade
08:00 , James Reynolds
Italy’s foreign minister Antonio Tajani has set out a timeline for Italy to reach its Nato target of spending 5 per cent of GDP on defence.
He says the country wants to reach the target within the next decade.
How Ukraine's new commander-in-chief forged his reputation fighting Russia in 2014
07:44 , Arpan Rai
The new commander-in-chief of the Ukrainian military forged his reputation as a daring and determined fighter in the early days of the country's battle against Russia, then spent a decade in combat assignments while steadily rising through the ranks.
His reputation was forged in 2014, early in Russia’s war in eastern Ukraine.
That May, as a major commanding a battalion of the 72nd Brigade, he led an armored column into central Mariupol to rescue police officers and territorial defence officials besieged by pro-Russian militants who had threatened to burn them alive.
When the column’s path was blocked by a barricade more than a metre high, Drapatyi, riding in the lead vehicle, ordered the driver to accelerate, and the vehicle bounced over the barrier as if off a ramp.
The moment, which was captured on video that circulated widely, is considered one of the most remarkable episodes in the early resistance.
It was a bold move for the Ukrainian army at the time, when decisive and independent moves by field officers were rare. The army was still poorly equipped, largely untested and wary of any action that might escalate tensions with Russia.
Mykhailo Drapatyi was the commander of the legendary BMP-2 that broke through Russian-backed barricades in Mariupol on May 9, 2014.
— Saint Javelin (@saintjavelin) July 21, 2026
At the time, Russian-backed militants were attempting to seize control of the city. Drapatyi led the armored breakthrough that helped Ukrainian… pic.twitter.com/Tg5mX3mgzJ
Military reshuffle in Ukraine celebrated in Russia
07:32 , Arpan Rai
Russian war bloggers responded to Ukrainian defence minister Mykhailo Fedorov’s dismissal with glee, noting his role in masterminding long-range drone strikes on oil facilities that have caused a fuel crisis and midrange attacks that disrupted military logistics.
President Volodymyr Zelensky dismissed the popular young upstart minister Fedorov last week, sparking protests across the country.
Bowing to the public pressure, Zelensky yesterday fired Ukraine’s commander-in-chief General Oleksandr Syrskyi and offered Fedorov a position in government that he said would unify the country’s technology sector.
It wasn’t clear if the offer was accepted and whether the latest moves would satisfy protesters.
Syrskyi, some noted with grudging respect, has built a string of defences that have stalled Russian advances.
Many Moscow commentators voiced hope that the controversy would fuel political infighting in Ukraine and weaken its military.
Zelensky names new military commander: Everything we know so far
07:04 , Arpan Rai
Volodymyr Zelensky has named Major General Mykhailo Drapatyi to lead Ukraine’s war efforts as commander-in-chief and fired General Oleksandr Syrskyi following days of protests in Kyiv and other cities demanding his removal.
Drapatyi forged his reputation as a daring and determined fighter in the early days of the country's battle against Russia, then spent a decade in combat assignments while steadily rising through the ranks.
Aged 43, he represents a new generation of Ukrainian generals forged in the crucible of the country’s fight against Russia.
He has spent nearly his entire career in combat postings, including leading Ukraine’s Joint Forces, which direct day-to-day combat operations across branches of the army.
He is known as intensely disciplined and highly effective in combat, and has previously been sent in to stabilise the most critical sectors of the front.
He has rarely appeared in public but has nonetheless gained respect and popularity within the military and beyond for his past victories.
Ukraine hit 13 Russian vessels in past 48 hours, drone force commander says
06:55 , Arpan Rai
Ukrainian drones struck 13 Russian vessels in the Black Sea and Sea of Azov in the past 48 hours, the commander of Ukraine's Unmanned Systems Forces Robert Brovdi said this morning.
Russia attacks Ukrainian ports and says two vessels hit
06:44 , Arpan Rai
The Russian defence ministry said this morning its forces attacked Ukrainian ports and military infrastructure in the Odesa region.
The ministry said two naval vessels had been hit as a result of the strikes, as well as port infrastructure facilities used for unloading and storing military cargo and fuel and lubricant storage tanks in the port of Odesa.
Ousted Ukraine military chief says his troops captured 700 sq km from Russian forces
06:29 , Arpan Rai
Ukraine has recaptured 700sq km (270.3 square miles) of its territory this year, outgoing commander in chief Oleksandr Syrskyi said this morning.
“I am handing over to my successor an army that is not only holding the defence but is also on the offensive,” Syrskyi said in a statement on Telegram, confirming he was leaving the top military job.
President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Tuesday that a young major general, Mykhailo Drapatyi, would replace Syrskyi after days of street protests.
Watch: Two killed in Zaporizhzhia and nine injured in latest Russian attack on residential building
06:20 , Arpan Rai
EU envoys meet to negotiate 21st Russia sanctions package
06:04 , Arpan Rai
Top EU officials are set to meet today in the hopes of reaching a compromise with Greece and passing a 21st package of sanctions against Russia over its invasion of Ukraine, EU diplomats said.
The package lists about 215 individuals and entities including 94 financial institutions. Close to 90 of these are banks, taking the total number of sanctioned banks to over 100, or more than half of Russia's 213 internationally connected lenders.
A European state intelligence service report, seen by Reuters, warned in June that Russia risked an "explosive" banking crisis and a new sanctions package targeting banks could trigger an economic shock.
Russian authorities have dismissed warnings of a looming crisis.
EU diplomatic sources said the aim of the listings was to discourage third countries from dealing with these Russian lenders, given any EU ties are now minimal or non-existent.
Russia's Wildberries says warehouses attacked again and several injured
05:45 , Arpan Rai
Another attack on warehouses of Russia's largest online retailer Wildberries has injured several people, said Tatyana Kim, the head and co-founder of the company, this morning.
Kim said warehouses in Krasnodar and Nevinnomyssk had been attacked.
A previous strike by Ukrainian drones on Saturday killed eight workers, sparked fires and disrupted operations at Wildberries.
New UK defence secretary calls Russia's military exercise off the UK coast 'irresponsible'
05:23 , Arpan Rai
Britain's new defence secretary Wes Streeting said it was "irresponsible" for Russia to have conducted a live-fire weapons exercise off the English coast.
“We should see yesterday's events as performative and irresponsible," Streeting told reporters when asked about the incident.
"It's not the first time that Russia has behaved like this, and frankly, it's the tip of the iceberg of the daily threats that this country faces and our allies face.”
Earlier, a government minster confirmed that a Russian naval vessel had conducted a "brief live-fire weapons exercise" in international waters approximately 40 nautical miles south of Plymouth in southwest England.
The defence secretary said standard maritime safety procedures were followed during the drill.
Kremlin says Russian online retailer Wildberries suffered losses in warehouse attacks
05:17 , Arpan Rai
Online retailer Wildberries, Russia's answer to Amazon, and the merchants who trade through it are grappling with losses in the wake of Ukrainian attacks on warehouses operated by the retailer, the Kremlin said yesterday.
Drones targeted two large logistics hubs in the cities of Kotovsk and Elektrostal on Saturday. The strikes killed eight workers, sparked fires and disrupted operations at Wildberries, Russia's largest online retailer, which can handle over 20 million orders per day.
Asked about the attacks, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told journalists: “The situation is indeed difficult because of the losses suffered both by the company itself and by representatives of small and medium-sized businesses.”
He denied accusations from Ukraine that Wildberries handles military supplies.
Watch: Zelensky names new commander-in-chief and vows ‘deep strikes’ on Moscow will continue
05:05 , Arpan Rai
Ukraine will continue its deep strikes on Russia under new general, says Zelensky
04:45 , Arpan Rai
Volodymyr Zelensky has vowed that Ukraine will continue to carry out strikes deep inside Russia under its new commander-in-chief Mykhailo Drapatyi.
"The operations of the Ukrainian Defence Forces are ongoing and must continue steadily. Ukraine's plan for long-range sanctions and our program of middle-range strikes will be carried out with absolute precision," Zelensky said as he introduced Drapatyi.
Drapatyi is a respected and experienced commander who led Ukraine's land forces from 2024 to 2025 and is described as a general of a new generation.
I have decided that Mykhailo Drapatyi will become the new Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Together with Mykhailo, Yevhenii Khmara, and Pavlo Palisa, we determined how the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine should be reconfigured. It is a fact that… pic.twitter.com/spK2B2ppHP
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) July 21, 2026
Zelensky names new military commander: Everything we know so far
04:12 , Arpan Rai
Volodymyr Zelensky has named Major General Mykhailo Drapatyi to lead Ukraine’s war efforts as commander-in-chief and fired General Oleksandr Syrskyi following days of protests in Kyiv and other cities demanding his removal.
Drapatyi forged his reputation as a daring and determined fighter in the early days of the country's battle against Russia, then spent a decade in combat assignments while steadily rising through the ranks.
Aged 43, he represents a new generation of Ukrainian generals forged in the crucible of the country’s fight against Russia.
He has spent nearly his entire career in combat postings, including leading Ukraine’s Joint Forces, which direct day-to-day combat operations across branches of the army.
He is known as intensely disciplined and highly effective in combat, and has previously been sent in to stabilise the most critical sectors of the front.
He has rarely appeared in public but has nonetheless gained respect and popularity within the military and beyond for his past victories.
Military reshuffle in Ukraine celebrated in Russia
04:01 , Arpan Rai
Russian war bloggers responded to Ukrainian defence minister Mykhailo Fedorov’s dismissal with glee, noting his role in masterminding long-range drone strikes on oil facilities that have caused a fuel crisis and midrange attacks that disrupted military logistics.
President Volodymyr Zelensky dismissed the popular young upstart minister Fedorov last week, sparking protests across the country.
Bowing to the public pressure, Zelensky yesterday fired Ukraine’s commander-in-chief General Oleksandr Syrskyi and offered Fedorov a position in government that he said would unify the country’s technology sector.
It wasn’t clear if the offer was accepted and whether the latest moves would satisfy protesters.
Syrskyi, some noted with grudging respect, has built a string of defences that have stalled Russian advances.
Many Moscow commentators voiced hope that the controversy would fuel political infighting in Ukraine and weaken its military.
In one of Kyiv's most frequently bombed neighborhoods, residents choose to stay
03:00 , Alex Croft
Residents of Kyiv’s historic Lukianivka neighborhood share a dark joke: Russian strikes hit the area so frequently, they ought to be issued military service documents as though they are living on the front line of the war.
Real estate agent Dmytro Zhekov acknowledges the danger up front when he tries to draw prospective renters to one of the Ukrainian capital's most frequently bombed areas. In his sales pitch on social media, he highlights the neighborhood’s many virtues: affordable rents, easy access to the city center, a well-connected metro line and historic landmarks.
“From the beginning I tell them, ‘This is a place in the danger zone. It gets hit regularly. If you are all right with that, then we can see it,’” he said.
The district includes a Soviet-era weapons plant that has become one of Russia’s most frequent targets in Kyiv, with its roof blackened by repeated strikes. Across the street, the Lukianivka metro station, which gives the neighborhood its name, has been hit at least eight times. During air raids, it also serves as a shelter for residents. Craters have become a permanent part of the urban landscape.
Read more here:
In one of Kyiv's most frequently bombed neighborhoods, residents choose to stay
Domestic fuel market in Russia partly stabilised, says Moscow's deputy PM
01:29 , Alex Croft
The domestic fuel market in Russia has partly stabilised, deputy prime minister Alexander Novak said on Tuesday.
He did, however, say the situation was still difficult in some regions.
Ukrainian drone attacks on Russian refineries in recent months have disrupted fuel supplies, leading to long queues at pump stations, excessive gasoline prices and rationing in several regions.
Watch: Kyiv shares footage of attack on Russian airbase
Wednesday 22 July 2026 00:01 , Alex Croft
Another costly day for Russian military aviation.
— Defense of Ukraine (@DefenceU) July 21, 2026
The 15th Artillery Reconnaissance Brigade successfully targeted the Khalino airbase in Russia’s Kursk region, striking a MiG-29 fighter jet and a Pantsir-S1 air defense system. pic.twitter.com/ZPwIYPUyyA
Russian forces seize village in Kharkiv region, says Moscow
Tuesday 21 July 2026 23:00 , Alex Croft
Russian forces have taken control of the village of Volokhivske in Ukraine's Kharkiv region, news agencies cited the Defence Ministry as saying.
The agencies also said Moscow had continued to hit infrastructure used by Kyiv's military in the Ukrainian port of Odesa.
The Independent could not independently confirm the battlefield reports.
Kremlin: Moscow in touch with New Delhi after four Indians killed in Black Sea
Tuesday 21 July 2026 22:01 , Alex Croft
We heard earlier from Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, who said Moscow was in touch with its partners in India after a missile strike killed four Indians on a Black Sea cargo ship as it was leaving the port of Odesa in Ukraine.
Kyiv said Russia hit the Golden Leo – a Guinea-Bissau-flagged ship manned by a crew from India and Syria – with three cruise missiles on Sunday, killing 10 people including four Indians.
New Delhi summoned the Russian chargé d’affaires over the incident.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Tuesday that Russia will continue to hit vessels involved in supplying the Ukrainian military.
Zelensky bows to pressure to sack military chief
Tuesday 21 July 2026 21:40 , Jane Dalton
President Volodymyr Zelensky has fired Gen Oleksandr Syrskyi as commander-in-chief of Ukraine's armed forces following days of mass protests in Kyiv and other cities nationwide demanding his removal.
Mr Zelensky appointed Mykhailo Drapatyi as the new army chief, according to a statement on social media.
"Our shared wish is one — victory over the enemy and conditions at the front and pressure on Russia that would force Russia toward peace," he said.
The Ukrainian leader said he made the decision after a series of meetings with military commanders. They began shortly after protests broke out demanding the reinstatement of former defence minister Mykhailo Fedorov, seen by demonstrators as a driver of military modernisation, and the removal of Syrskyi, who they said embodied the army's old, Soviet-style command culture.
Watch | 'I was Russia’s Michael McIntyre': Russian comedian Sasha Nezlobin on his new life in America
Tuesday 21 July 2026 21:02 , Alex Croft
Recap: Burnham speaks to Zelensky and Trump in first calls after taking office
Tuesday 21 July 2026 20:00 , Alex Croft
Andy Burnham has spoken with Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelensky and US president Donald Trump as part of his first set of phone calls with world leaders as prime minister.
Burnham promised that Britain's support for Ukraine would remain unchanged under his leadership, just hours after he replaced Sir Keir Starmer in No 10.
Zelensky confirmed the call on his Telegram channel and said the two sides reaffirmed their unwavering support for Ukraine and agreed to speak on bilateral cooperation in the near future, including within the Anti-Ballistic Coalition.
"I was happy to speak with Andy Burnham and congratulate him on taking office as prime minister of the United Kingdom. I truly appreciate that the support for Ukraine and our people will remain steadfast," he said.
Zelensky thanked Burnham for “warm words of respect for the Ukrainian people and for your condolences to the families and loved ones of those killed in Russia's recent attacks”.
I was happy to speak with Andy Burnham @andyburnham and congratulate him on taking office as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. I truly appreciate that the support for Ukraine and our people will remain steadfast. Thank you for your warm words of respect for the Ukrainian… pic.twitter.com/6sJ9ErbpPF
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) July 20, 2026
