Russia is escalating pressure on the Ukrainian supply network, launching a new wave of attacks on ports, fuel depots, energy facilities, and logistics centers throughout Ukraine.
The Russian army launched earlier today, Saturday 25/7, another fierce air strike on critical military infrastructure in the ports of Mykolaiv, Odesa, and Izmail, while drone attacks took place in many other regions of Ukraine.
The goal is obvious: to exhaust resources for the Ukrainian armed forces as much as possible, while fuel shortages and electricity restrictions are already being reported.
And while Ukraine tries to recover from yesterday's sweeping Russian strike on a military exhibition in Kyiv, President Zelensky states that it is very likely that another powerful air strike by Russia will occur within the coming hours.
Analysts already argue that the military conflict in Ukraine has entered another, much more dangerous stage, and that we are no longer talking about a special military operation but an all-out war.
Black Sea ports are burning
Russia's pounding of Ukraine's ports in the Black Sea continues mercilessly.
Reports indicate that the Ukrainian army has already been left without fuel and electricity.
On the morning of July 25, the Russian Ministry of Defense announced that the ports of Mykolaiv, Odesa, and Izmail were hit.
At the port of Mykolaiv, according to the Russian announcement, a ship carrying cargo to support the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) was destroyed.
At the port of Odesa, the attacks targeted unloading and storage points for military equipment, while in Izmail, a military equipment warehouse, port unloading facilities, and fuel and lubricant storage areas were hit.
Geran took action
Ukrainian logistics facilities were also targeted.
In the Sumy region, "Geran" type drones hit the parcel distribution center of the "Nova Poshta" company, which, according to the Russian side, was used for military logistics support.
In Zaporizhzhia, "Geran-2" drones carried out a series of attacks on warehouses and a commercial center, which were also allegedly used for military purposes. The attacks caused major fires.
In Kramatorsk, an ammunition warehouse was destroyed.
The attack caused a fire and hours of successive explosions, with shrapnel flying in the area for at least an hour.
Additionally, teams of "Geran" drones attacked targets in the Chernihiv, Kharkiv, Dnipropetrovsk regions, and in Donbas.
Ukrainian forces left without electricity and fuel
In the Sumy region, a gas station suffered damage.
Four more gas stations were hit in the Poltava region, while in the Chernihiv and Kharkiv regions (in the settlements of Mena and Petropavlivka), "Geran-4 Seeker" drones destroyed two gas stations used for refueling military vehicles.
At the same time, energy facilities in the Chernihiv region were hit.
During the night, a 110 kV substation in Mena was struck, and during the day, a 40 kV substation in Semenivka.
Severe damage is reported.
Three more drones attacked a 110 kV substation in Snovsk, cutting off power to facilities used by the Ukrainian armed forces.
Russian forces continue to strike the Ukrainian supply chain, affecting both the military supply and the operation of the economy.
Wall Street Journal: Trump warning to Ukraine due to Chevron discontent
Following attacks on tankers in the Black Sea, the administration of US President Donald Trump warned Ukraine that attacks on non-Russian ships are undesirable, reports the Wall Street Journal, citing sources.
According to the newspaper, the warning came after a protest by the head of Chevron, Mike Wirth, to the White House.
The cause was the recent attack by Ukrainian naval drones on four tankers near Novorossiysk, including a vessel chartered by Chevron.
After the incident, loadings through the Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC) were restricted, forcing Kazakhstan to reduce oil production.
Chevron holds 15% of CPC and 50% of Kazakhstan's largest oil field, Tengiz.
According to the company's assessment, prolonged disruptions in the pipeline's operation may force it to reduce production at the field and jeopardize multi-billion dollar revenues from the project.
"The US administration considers CPC a vital route for supplying Kazakh oil to European markets, as it represents an alternative to Russian energy resources," an American official told the newspaper.
Terrific losses at the exhibition in Kyiv
According to the latest information, the Ukrainian side suffered heavy losses from the Russian strike on a military equipment demonstration event near Kyiv, where drones were being presented.
According to the Russian Ministry of Defense, top UAV designers and manufacturers, representatives of the leadership of the Ukrainian unmanned systems forces, as well as members of the Ukrainian security services were at the venue at the time of the attack.
Ukrainian authorities confirmed that foreign delegations were present, without specifying which ones.
Pole dead
It was also confirmed by the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs that among the victims was an employee of a Polish defense company.
In the same attack, senior officer of the Ukrainian special forces Eduard Syrenko and Valentyna Savytska, who held a managerial position at the Center for International Cooperation and Strategic Communications of the State Protection Service of Ukraine, were also killed.
Budanov called the attack a "lesson"
The head of Zelenskyy's office, Kyrylo Budanov, called the attack on the military demonstration near Kyiv a "lesson."
As he stated, "in conditions of full-scale war, the organizers of such events and those who approve their conduct must bear personal responsibility for the safety of people."
So far it is known that the event was organized by the association of drone manufacturers "Armada."
The organization claims that it was a closed practical demonstration that had not been publicly announced, although after the attack, posts promoting similar events appeared on social media.
According to the statement by "Armada": "It was a practical demonstration and not an exhibition. Air target detection and interception systems, interceptor drones, counter-drone technologies, electronic warfare systems, electronic reconnaissance, radar, and other solutions were presented. Testing these systems requires an open space and the possibility of practical application."
Exhibition organizer arrested
According to the Office of the Prosecutor General of Ukraine, the organizer of the military exhibition held near Kyiv that was hit by a Russian missile strike, resulting in the death of 10 people, was arrested.
Based on the investigation, one of the weapons manufacturers' associations organized a large-scale event without any approval from the military command, regional and local military administrations, or other competent authorities.
Military personnel, representatives of state bodies, international partners, and businesses attended the event.
The program, among other things, included a demonstration of air defense systems.
More than 300 people were invited to the outdoor venue.
At the same time, the nearest shelter, with a total area of only 34 square meters, was located about 100 meters from the venue, placing participants in conditions of increased risk from the beginning.
As noted by the Office of the Prosecutor General, invitations were sent nine days before the exhibition, while the organizers informed participants of the exact location and time just one day before the start.
The investigation is examining whether these actions could have contributed to Russian armed forces acquiring information to prepare a targeted attack.
The main organizer of the event was arrested.
He was charged under Article 367, paragraph 3, of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (official negligence causing grave consequences).
In the near future, the court will decide on the detention measure to be imposed on him.
Due to minor injuries sustained, the suspect is under guard in a medical facility.
The name of the suspect has not been made public.
Earlier it was reported that the exhibition was organized by the drone manufacturers' association "Armada," led by member of the "National Corps," Vasyl Honcharuk.
Zelensky expects a new massive strike
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky commented on the attack, stating that this specific event should not have taken place at that location.
According to him, criminal proceedings have already been initiated to investigate the incident.
At the same time, he warned that a new massive Russian strike is expected over the weekend.
"We know from intelligence services and from our partners that the Russians have prepared missiles for a new massive strike against Ukraine. It is possible that it will take place even today," stated Volodymyr Zelensky.
The warning of the Americans
US intelligence services had already warned since yesterday, Friday 24/7, that within the next 48 hours it is very likely that Russia will launch a massive air strike, possibly the largest in recent months.
Reports speak of a concentration of thousands of "Geran" type unmanned aerial vehicles (drones) and a significant number of ballistic and hypersonic missiles in areas near the Ukrainian border, while there are already reports of powerful explosions in Kyiv.
At the same time, the Russian army continues its advance both in Donbas and on the northern front, specifically in Kharkiv and Sumy.
Raid of 4,000 drones
According to Ukrainian monitoring sources citing intelligence data, US intelligence estimates that Russia may be preparing a large-scale air attack against Ukraine within the next 48 hours.
According to the same sources, Russia has allegedly concentrated about 4,000 "Geran" type unmanned aerial vehicles (drones) for a possible massive attack. It is also reported that about 400 of these are jet-engine versions, which have higher speed and make interception by air defense systems more difficult.
Gathering dozens of missiles
In addition, the same sources claim that the concentration of missiles in potential launch areas continues. Estimates published by Ukrainian monitoring channels report:
1) In the Bryansk region: up to 21 ballistic missiles.
2) In the Kursk region: 6 ballistic missiles and 7 Zircon missiles.
3) In the Rostov region: 18 ballistic missiles.
4) In Crimea: 5 ballistic missiles and 4 Zircon missiles.
It will be the largest in recent years
According to Ukrainian sources, the combination of a large number of drones and missiles may be an indication of preparation for one of the largest air attacks in recent months.
Recently, the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) have carried out attacks against civilian logistics facilities in Russia. According to the same text, logistics centers of the Wildberries company were hit in the Leningrad, Krasnodar, Nevinnomyssk (Stavropol Region), Elektrostal (Moscow Region), and Kotovsk (Tambov Region) regions.
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