The beginning of July 2025 in Ukraine marked a new stage of escalation. On the night of July 3-4, Russia launched the most powerful combined strike since the start of its full-scale invasion. Kyiv and at least five other regions of the country were attacked by drones and missiles. Overall, the week from June 30 to July 4 was one of the most intense: more than 500 strikes, dozens of wounded, destroyed buildings, fires, and human casualties.
June 30 and July 1
The Armed Forces of Ukraine recorded an intensification of Russian attacks in the north and south of the country. The border areas of Sumy, Chernihiv, and Kharkiv regions, as well as the frontline territories of Zaporizhzhia and Donetsk regions, were particularly affected. According to the General Staff, over 350 cases of artillery, MLRS, air strikes, and unguided aerial bombs were recorded in just one day. Russian attack aircraft dropped explosives from planes along the front line, as well as in rear areas, studying the reaction of Ukrainian air defense forces.
July 2
The Russian army attacked Odesa, launching a missile strike on a residential area at night. Five people were injured in the shelling, including two children. Artillery and drone attacks were also recorded in the Kharkiv and Donetsk regions and in the border areas of the Sumy region.
July 3 — Attack on Odesa through the lens of Oleksandr Gimanov
On the night of July 3, Odesa again became the target of a Russian attack — this time, the enemy used strike drones. One of the drones hit a nine-story residential building in the Primorsky district. The strike caused a large fire that engulfed several upper floors. The flames destroyed six apartments and partially damaged 36 others.
Rescuers evacuated 50 residents. With the help of special equipment, 11 people were pulled from the rubble. Among those rescued were two children.
“Five people were trapped on the upper floors, and rescuers managed to free them. All of them are receiving the necessary assistance. A preliminary inspection showed that one of the stairwells was significantly damaged. It is dangerous to be there,” said Gennady Trukhanov.
A total of six people are reported to have been injured: a 7-year-old boy, a 9-year-old girl, and four adults. The children were hospitalized with smoke inhalation, while the adults received the necessary medical assistance and are continuing treatment on an outpatient basis.
The fire was extinguished, but the building suffered serious damage. After removing the damaged structures, specialists will conduct a technical assessment of the condition of the building. According to Odessa Mayor Gennady Trukhanov, the attack once again confirms that Russia deliberately targeted civilian infrastructure.
In the photos by photojournalist Alexander Gimanov, we see Odessa in smoke, black holes where windows once were, fire, rescuers on aerial ladders, and the evacuation of children. His photos document the destruction, as well as the shock, fear, and faces of the surviving residents of Odessa who endured another hellish night.
July 3-4 — Attack on Kyiv through the lens of Kostyantyn and Vlada Liberov and Ivan Antypenko
On the night of July 3-4, Russia launched its largest combined air attack on Ukraine since the start of the war. More than 500 Shahed strike drones and at least 11 missiles, including cruise and ballistic missiles, were fired at various regions of the country, mainly Kyiv.
The air raid alert lasted for several hours. In the capital, strikes were recorded in four districts, causing large-scale fires, destruction of residential buildings, and power outages. At least 23 people were injured, 14 of whom were hospitalized.
Russian attacks also hit Dnipro, Poltava, Sumy, Chernihiv, Pokrovsk, and Kharkiv, where air defense systems were operating. Some of the missiles and drones were destroyed, but a significant number of targets broke through due to the depletion of Ukrainian air defense resources. In many cities, infrastructure facilities were destroyed, public transport stopped, and utility services began to malfunction. The night of July 3-4 became a critical moment of the summer, demonstrating a dangerous level of escalation and a new tactic by the Russian Federation — massive waves of simultaneous drone and missile attacks across a large territory of Ukraine.
July 5
Russia carried out a massive attack with Shahed drones on several regions of Ukraine — Kyiv, Kyiv Oblast, Khmelnytskyi Oblast (Starokostiantyniv), Kharkiv Oblast (Chuhuiv, Kupiansk), and others were hit. At least one person was killed in Kyiv, more than 26 were wounded, and residential buildings, schools, and infrastructure were destroyed. In the Kharkiv region, one woman was killed, four more people were wounded, and two-story buildings, educational institutions, and shops were damaged. In the Khmelnytskyi region, air defense forces shot down more than 40 drones, but some of the debris caused fires and destruction.
Contributors:
Researcher, author: Vira Labych
Image editor: Olga Kovalova
Literary editor: Yulia Futey
Website manager: Vladislav Kukhar
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