Russian drone strikes kill civilians as EU unblocks military aid
Russian forces launched a coordinated wave of drone and artillery strikes across multiple Ukrainian regions on July 1. The bombardments targeted civilian infrastructure in Kherson, Kharkiv, Zaporizhzhia, Sumy, Donetsk, and Dnipropetrovsk, causing multiple civilian casualties and severe structural damage.
In Kherson, a Russian drone targeted a passenger minibus at approximately 7:00 a.m. as residents commuted to work. The strike killed two civilians and left seven others injured. Concurrently, guided aerial bombs struck Zaporizhzhia, killing two individuals and injuring 15 others.
In the Sumy region, heavy shelling ignited massive structural fires in the town of Hluhiv, resulting in widespread property damage though no casualties were reported.
Emergency services battle widespread industrial blazes
In the Mykolaiv region, an overnight drone strike completely destroyed a home improvement store in Snihurivka. Emergency teams operating under the continuous threat of secondary strikes successfully contained the 5,000-square-meter blaze.
In Kramatorsk, located in the Donetsk region, a Russian airstrike hit a residential neighborhood, wounding three civilians. The bombardment damaged five apartment complexes, multiple retail shops, and cafes. First responders were forced to seek shelter multiple times during the operation but ultimately extinguished fires covering 630 square meters.
In the Dnipro district, drone attacks struck five refueling stations, killing a 43-year-old woman and injuring three others, including a pregnant woman. The regional state emergency services liquidated all fuel station fires and stabilized localized blazes at an administrative facility.
Kyiv requests unblocked European peace funds for defense
Against the backdrop of sustained regional aggression, Ukraine formally requested the European Union to direct €6.6 billion from the European Peace Facility exclusively toward military aid.
The essential funding package had been frozen for months by Hungary's institutional veto. However, the funds were recently released following a change of government in Budapest.
The financial injection arrives at a critical operational juncture for Kyiv. Ukraine's total defense requirements for the current year stand at approximately €136 billion, with the national Ukrainian budget capable of covering only €53 billion of the necessary expenditures.
Translation by Iurie Tataru
