Russia says hit Ukrainian railway and port facilities in new strikes

Russia claims to have struck a railway station at the Ukrainian Danube port of Izmail, used for military cargo and fuel, and two vessels near Mykolaiv carrying weapons. These actions follow previous Russian attacks on Izmail's port infrastructure. Concurrently, Ukraine launched drone attacks inside Russia, hitting a major Baltic Sea oil export port at Ust-Luga, causing a fire that was brought under control with no casualties. Another Ukrainian drone attack damaged a warehouse belonging to online retailer Wildberries northwest of Moscow. Ukraine has been targeting Russian energy infrastructure to increase the economic cost of the war.

Russian drones struck a home in northern Ukraine on Friday, killing a 29-year-old woman and her 9-year-old son, with four others injured. This incident occurred as the UN reported July as the deadliest month for Ukrainian civilians since the early weeks of the full-scale invasion, with 437 killed and 2,610 wounded. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that Russia is launching approximately 220 glide bombs daily, causing widespread destruction. Ukraine also conducted strikes on Russian infrastructure, including the Ust-Luga port and a Wildberries warehouse. Meanwhile, NATO fighter jets shot down a drone that entered Latvian airspace, which Latvian authorities attributed to Russian electromagnetic warfare.

Ukraine's deep-strike campaign has repeatedly targeted Wildberries, Russia's largest online retailer, with drone attacks on its facilities across Russia. These strikes, which began in July, have caused significant economic damage, with estimated losses for Wildberries and its sellers ranging from $6 billion to $8.5 billion. Ukraine's stated goal is to increase the cost and risk of sustaining Russia's war economy, viewing Wildberries' logistics network as potentially supporting dual-use goods and sanctions circumvention. Wildberries CEO Tatyana Kim has accused Ukraine of deliberately targeting a civilian company and described the attacks as "terrorist." The strikes have also had a psychological impact, exposing vulnerabilities in Russian air defenses and prompting Wildberries to implement stricter security measures, including restricting employee cellphone use.

Ukrainian drones struck a major Russian oil refinery in Bashkortostan, approximately 800 miles from Ukraine's border, causing a fire. This attack is part of Ukraine's ongoing campaign to disrupt Russia's oil sector. The targeted facility, Gazprom Neftekhim Salavat, is one of Russia's largest oil refining and petrochemical complexes. Russian officials reported two civilians were wounded and a fire broke out in an industrial zone. Separately, a Russian refinery in Orsk, previously hit by Ukrainian drones, has suspended operations with repairs potentially taking up to six months due to damaged foreign equipment. Meanwhile, Russia has continued its own attacks on Ukraine, with drone strikes killing civilians and damaging infrastructure. Ukraine is also seeking more U.S.-made Patriot interceptor missiles to counter Russian aerial attacks.