Conflict & Security
Ukraine drone strikes hit Russia as Kazakh leader tells Putin war should end
Ukrainian drones struck an oil refinery in Siberia on July 25 during a new wave of attacks on Russia, while Kazakhstan's President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev told Russian President Vladimir Putin that the war in Ukraine should end during a forum in Omsk.
Russian-installed authorities in occupied Ukraine said a Ukrainian strike killed 12 people, including four children, at a seaside tourist camp in Kyrylivka, on the Azov Sea in the Russian-occupied part of the Zaporizhzhia region. Yevgeny Balitsky, the Kremlin-installed head of the occupied part of the region, said eight people were missing and rescue operations were continuing. Moscow also said one person was killed in the occupied part of the Kherson region and two others in Russian border villages. Kyiv had not commented on the Kyrylivka strike at the time of the report.
Ukrainian officials said Russian attacks killed five people in eastern and southern Ukraine. President Volodymyr Zelensky said a Russian strike on Sumy killed three people at a site belonging to the private courier company Nova Poshta. Kyiv's transport minister, Mykola Kalashnyk, said Russia twice struck a civilian ship carrying almost 2,800 tons of corn as it left Odesa. He said the ship caught fire, seven crew members and a Ukrainian pilot were rescued, and two crew members were missing.
Moscow said Ukraine launched more than 300 drones into Russia on July 25, including attacks on distant regions. The governor of Tyumen region in Siberia said a local oil refinery was set on fire. Zelensky claimed the Siberia strike and said Ukraine also hit a military factory in the Kirov region for a second day in a row. Local authorities had said an attack there the previous day killed five people.
Russia's athletics federation said an all-Russian competition in Yekaterinburg, in the Urals, was halted because of drone threats. Russian online retailer Wildberries said it evacuated staff in Yekaterinburg over a drone threat, but said its facility was not damaged. The source said Wildberries facilities had been targeted by Ukrainian drones for a week, with attacks killing some workers and causing large fires.
In Omsk, Tokayev told Putin in televised comments that it was a shame that young people were dying and that the war had to stop. Tokayev said the conflict should be frozen and suggested a return to Istanbul talks before moving toward what he called a long-awaited peace. Putin said he would inform Tokayev about the details of the war. The source said Putin has repeatedly said Moscow intends to take the rest of eastern Ukraine by force, and that US-led talks to end the conflict have stalled.
The United Nations has warned that civilian deaths have recently increased in the nearly four-and-a-half-year war. Ukraine has said its retaliatory strikes are meant to damage Russia's war effort and pressure the Kremlin to negotiate. Russia said it would extend a fuel export ban until the end of the year.
Update
Russian-installed authorities said a Ukrainian strike killed 12 people, including four children, at a seaside tourist camp in Kyrylivka in occupied Zaporizhzhia, with eight people missing.
Moscow said one more person was killed in occupied Kherson and two in Russian border villages.
Kyiv said Russian attacks killed five people in eastern and southern Ukraine.
Ukraine's transport minister said a Russian strike hit a civilian cargo ship carrying nearly 2,800 tons of corn from Odesa, leaving two crew members missing.
Russia said Ukraine launched more than 300 drones into Russia on July 25.
The governor of Tyumen region said a local oil refinery was set on fire.
Wildberries said it evacuated staff in Yekaterinburg because of a drone threat and that its facility was not damaged.
Source note: AFP news report published on 25 July 2026 at 19:50:58 UTC.
Update
Russian-installed authorities said a Ukrainian strike killed 12 people, including four children, in Kyrylivka in occupied Zaporizhzhia, and that eight people were missing.
Russian authorities also reported one death in occupied Kherson and two deaths in Russian border villages.
Ukraine said Russian attacks killed five people in eastern and southern Ukraine, including three at a Nova Poshta site in Sumy.
Volodymyr Zelensky claimed the Siberia strike and said Ukraine hit a military factory in the Kirov region for a second day in a row.
Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev said the conflict should be frozen and suggested returning to Istanbul talks before moving toward peace.
Source note: AFP news report published on 25 July 2026 at 15:37:57 UTC.
Update
Ukrainian drones struck an oil refinery in Siberia's Tyumen region and disrupted an all-Russian athletics competition in Yekaterinburg.
Moscow said Ukraine launched more than 300 drones into Russia on Saturday, including at distant regions.
Russian-installed authorities said a Ukrainian strike killed 11 people, including four children, at a seaside site in Kyrylivka in Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia, with eight people missing.
Russian-installed authorities also reported one death in occupied Kherson, and Russian authorities reported two deaths in Russian border villages.
Kyiv said Russian attacks killed five people in eastern and southern Ukraine, including three at a Nova Poshta site in Sumy.
Volodymyr Zelensky said Ukraine hit a military factory in the Kirov region for a second day in a row after a previous attack there killed five people, according to local authorities.
Russian online retailer Wildberries said it evacuated staff in Yekaterinburg because of a drone threat and that its facility was not damaged.
Russia said it would extend a fuel export ban until the end of the year.
Source note: AFP news report published on 25 July 2026 at 14:53:41 UTC.
Update
Tokayev made the comments face to face to Vladimir Putin at a Russian-Kazakh summit in Omsk, Siberia.
Tokayev said there may be a moment and possibility to freeze the conflict.
Tokayev said young people were dying and that the fighting had to be stopped.
Source note: AFP news report published on 25 July 2026 at 13:44:39 UTC.
Uncertainty notes
Kyiv had not commented on the reported Kyrylivka strike at the time of the report.
The whereabouts of eight people after the Kyrylivka strike were reported as unknown.
Two crew members from the cargo ship were reported missing.
Source
AFP news report published on .