Russia-Ukraine War: A Timeline of Key Events from July 24–26, 2026

Saturday Strikes (July 25) — Exchanges Kill at Least 15

On Saturday, July 25, Russia and Ukraine exchanged deadly strikes that killed at least 15 people. Multiple outlets described this as a continuation of tit-for-tat long-range attacks following the Friday barrage .

Civilian Casualties in Zaporizhzhia Holiday Camp Attack

On the night of Friday, July 24, a suspected Ukrainian attack on holiday camps in a Russian-held part of Zaporizhzhia killed at least 8 people, including 2 children. A separate Russian drone strike on a holiday camp in the same area killed at least 3 more. The combined toll from these strikes was at least 11 dead, with Russian-installed officials later updating the figure to 12 dead, including 5 children . Both Russia and Ukraine deny targeting civilians.

Ukraine's Long-Range Operations Deep into Russia

Throughout July 2026, Ukraine dramatically escalated its long-range strike campaign, which represents a strategic shift in the war's character.

• 1,150% increase in deep strikes: Ukraine's Unmanned Systems Forces reported that successful deep strikes inside Russian-held territory increased by 1,150% since the start of 2026, targeting oil refineries, naval facilities, defense plants, and logistics hubs . In the first six months of 2026, Ukrainian deep strikes hit 697 targets inside Russia, with estimated economic losses to Russia of at least $6.1 billion .

• New command structure: On July 10, President Zelenskyy announced the creation of a dedicated "long-range impact" command within Ukraine's armed forces .

• Independent strike authority: On July 7, Ukraine's Foreign Ministry stated that Kyiv no longer needs permission from third countries to carry out long-range strikes against legitimate military targets inside Russia, citing Article 51 of the UN Charter on self-defense .

• Cascading effects on Russia: The Institute for the Study of War assessed that Ukraine's intensified long-range campaign is having cascading effects on Russian logistics, battlefield operations, and is causing gasoline shortages and economic frictions across Russia .

• 40-day campaign: On June 26, Zelenskyy announced a 40-day campaign against Russian targets. By mid-July, Ukraine had sharply escalated attacks, including high-profile long-range strikes on Moscow and St. Petersburg .

Romanian Air Force Intercepts and Shoots Down Three Drones (July 24–26)

Romania, a NATO member, dramatically escalated its response to airspace violations over three consecutive days, marking a significant shift in alliance posture on the eastern flank.

• Friday, July 24: A Romanian F-16 fighter jet shot down a suspected Russian drone that entered Romanian airspace, marking the first time Romania has intercepted and destroyed an unauthorized aircraft since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion. The drone was identified by Romanian officials as a Shahed-type model, the Iran-designed attack drone widely used by Russia against Ukraine . President Nicușor Dan announced the shootdown, noting the target fell over an uninhabited area in Buzău County, approximately 114 kilometers (70 miles) from Bucharest .

• Saturday, July 25: A second drone was detected near the border with Ukraine at 8:22 a.m. local time and shot down by a Romanian F-16 .

• Sunday, July 26: A third suspected Russian drone was shot down by a Romanian F-16 over the Black Sea, near the Sulina-Chilia area in the Danube Delta, five minutes after it entered Romanian airspace. Two Romanian F-16s scrambled from the Fetești airbase under NATO's operational command . President Nicușor Dan called the repeated breaches "intolerable" and announced that Romania was summoning Russia's ambassador .

These intercepts mark a major operational change for Romania, which had previously only escorted or tracked intruding drones without engaging them .

Summary of Civilian Casualties (July 24–26)

Reporting from these three days shows a sustained high toll. All figures are preliminary and may be updated as emergency services complete their work.

• July 24 (Friday): At least 15 killed (10 in Kyiv region, 5 in Sloviansk) .
• July 24–25 (Friday night): At least 11–12 killed in holiday camp strikes in Zaporizhzhia .
• July 25 (Saturday): At least 15 killed in fresh exchange of strikes .
• July 26 (Sunday): Fires and debris in Kyiv from ballistic missile strike; casualty figures still emerging .

Note: To distinguish from earlier attacks: a separate Russian strike on July 6 killed at least 22 people in Kyiv, but that event is distinct from the weekend's events described here .