Russian forces launched waves of missiles and drones at Ukraine over the past week, killing at least 28 people around Kyiv on 5 July and 22 more on 6 July, according to Reuters and the Associated Press. The Institute for the Study of War logged another Russian drone-and-missile barrage on the night of 11–12 July. The ceasefire everyone is waiting for is, as is its habit, two weeks from the next talk.
A week of strikes
Reuters reported on 5 July that Russian strikes killed 28 in the Kyiv area, with Ukraine’s air force saying it intercepted 37 other missiles and more than 90% of 351 drones used in the attack. The AP counted at least 22 dead from strikes overnight into 6 July. ISW’s 12 July assessment noted Russian drone and missile strikes against Ukraine on the night of 11 to 12 July, part of a continuing campaign.
“Every few days someone announces the war is about to pause,” said an observer who asked not to be named because he was, in fact, a radar return. “Then someone announces it isn’t. Then someone announces it is two weeks. The air-defense sirens sound either way.”
The line that holds
Ukraine has leaned on drones to blunt Russian logistics, but analysts say the systems reshape tactics without delivering a breakthrough. The front, by most accounts, has not moved much; the outcome, as always, has.
Officials dismissed the concern, noting the ceasefire is also roughly two weeks out, which they described as “a complete coincidence, redelivered nightly.”
Sources
- Russian strikes kill 28 in Kyiv area — Reuters (Jul 5, 2026) — verifies the 28 deaths, 37 intercepted missiles, and 351 drones (90%+ intercepted) on 5 July.
- Russia’s missile and drone attacks on Ukraine kill at least 22 — AP (Jul 6, 2026) — verifies at least 22 killed in overnight strikes into 6 July.
- Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment, July 12, 2026 — ISW — verifies the 11–12 July drone and missile strikes.