"Day 1,250: Key Events in the Russia-Ukraine War – A Global Perspective"

Key Developments on Day 1,250 of Russia’s Ongoing Conflict with Ukraine

Here’s the latest update as of Monday, July 28, 2025:

Military Engagements

• In the early hours of Monday, Russian military forces launched attacks on Ukraine’s capital, Kyiv, resulting in injuries to five civilians and damage to a residential building, as reported by the city’s military leader, Tymur Tkachenko.
• On Sunday, a drone strike from Russia targeted a bus in eastern Ukraine’s Sumy region, which was transporting 39 evacuees. This attack tragically resulted in three fatalities and left 19 others injured, according to the region’s governor.
• Earlier, two individuals lost their lives in a landmine explosion in the Esman community of Sumy, while additional casualties occurred in the aggressive front-line operations within the Donetsk area, bringing the total death toll in Ukraine from Saturday’s hostilities to at least six.
• Ukraine’s forces retaliated with drone strikes against Russian positions on Sunday, leading to the downing of at least 10 Ukrainian drones over areas near St. Petersburg, as confirmed by Governor Alexander Drozdenko. The debris from these interceptions injured a local woman.
• Amidst these tensions, Pulkovo Airport in St. Petersburg was temporarily shut down, causing 57 flight delays and redirecting 22 others to alternative airports.
• Due to security concerns, the Kremlin announced the cancellation of the grand Navy Day parade in St. Petersburg. However, President Vladimir Putin observed naval exercises involving 150 vessels and 15,000 troops from St. Petersburg’s naval headquarters in various waters, including the Pacific and Arctic Oceans and the Baltic and Caspian Seas.
• The Russian Ministry of Defence reported that air defense systems successfully intercepted 291 Ukrainian fixed-wing drones on Sunday, although this number falls short of the record 524 drones neutralized during attacks on May 7, preceding Russia’s Victory Day celebrations on May 9.

Political Developments

• European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen pressed Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to maintain the integrity of independent anticorruption institutions in light of recent criticisms following a parliamentary vote that diminished the independence of two such agencies.
• In a statement on social media platform X, von der Leyen praised Ukraine’s progress towards European integration and emphasized the importance of safeguarding these key anticorruption entities as essential to the nation’s rule of law.
• In response, Zelenskyy acknowledged the EU’s support and highlighted the urgency of passing his proposed legislation aimed at reinstating the autonomy of the two agencies.
• On another front, Russia has reestablished regular flights between Moscow and Pyongyang, North Korea, marking the first such air link in decades. The inaugural flight departed at 16:25 GMT on Sunday and will operate once each month, according to the Russian Ministry of Transport.
• In a significant shift, Austrian Foreign Minister Beate Meinl-Reisinger expressed the nation’s readiness to engage in discussions about potential NATO membership, breaking from years of neutrality in the face of changing geopolitical dynamics.