Ukraine reportedly used drones against Moscow and St. Petersburg

In the last 24 hours alone, 1,190 more Russian service members have died or been injured, according to data released this Wednesday by the General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces. The official made no mention of the number of soldiers lost by Ukraine.

According to the same source, since the beginning of the invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022, Russian forces have suffered around 1,038,650 casualties, including soldiers killed and wounded (unfit for combat).

On the other hand, according to the Ukrainian balance sheet, more than 11,000 tanks and around 23,000 armored combat vehicles have been destroyed since the beginning of the war. The number of artillery systems destroyed now exceeds 30,000, in addition to nearly 1,200 anti-aircraft defense systems and 1,440 rocket launchers.

The German government claims it has no knowledge of any Patriot missile systems currently en route to Ukraine – which contradicts what US President Donald Trump has said.

"I can't confirm whether anything is on the way. That's not to my knowledge," a German Defense Ministry spokesperson said, according to Swiss public broadcaster SRF, as cited by the Kyiv Independent.

The spokesperson added that a virtual meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group (UDCG) is scheduled for July 21 to resolve outstanding issues and work to implement the delivery of Patriot systems to Ukraine “as soon as possible.”

Trump had said on Wednesday that Patriot air defense missiles bound for Ukraine were already on their way. "They're already being shipped," Trump told reporters at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland, when asked about the Patriot missiles and other weapons. "They're coming from Germany and then being replaced by Germany. And in every case, the U.S. is getting a full refund."

Ukraine attacked Russia with a large number of drones early this morning, striking several regions of the country, including Moscow, St. Petersburg, and areas near the Ukrainian border. According to data from the Russian Ministry of Defense, cited by the Kyiv Independent newspaper, 122 drones were shot down overnight.

In Moscow, three drones were destroyed without causing casualties, according to the same source. In St. Petersburg, Pulkovo Airport temporarily suspended operations, causing flight delays.

The data also indicates that in the Smolensk region, 14 drones were shot down and one person was injured. In Belgorod, an attack left one dead and seven injured, as reported late last night.

According to Russian reports, in the city of Voronezh, a drone struck a residential building, injuring three children. And in Kaluga, a 14-year-old girl was injured after debris from a destroyed drone fell, one of several (the vast majority) intercepted by Russia.

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