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July witnessed the highest number of battles since President Vladimir Putin’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, according to analysis by ACLED (Armed Conflict Location & Event Data). In July alone, there were over 2,600 battles—the highest monthly tally in three and a half years of conflict.
ACLED also reported that Kyiv had shifted the targets of its airstrikes from military airfields to defense contractors in an attempt to disrupt Moscow’s drone production.
In July, ACLED noted, Russia intensified its offensive in eastern Ukraine, with Russian forces closing in on Pokrovsk, Kostiantynivka in the Donetsk region, and Kupiansk in the Kharkiv region. Ukraine launched counterattacks toward Sumy.
The number of monthly battles has been increasing steadily, reaching a peak in July 2025. Russia’s offensive “went into overdrive,” with over 458 remote attacks on Ukrainian civilians, resulting in 250 deaths—the highest toll since September 2022.
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Ukraine’s forces increased its drone, missile, and artillery strikes on Russian soil by 20% in July, from 1,167 to 1,400. This included a significant increase in strikes outside Russia’s border regions, up by 75%.
Between June and July, the Ukrainian army shifted priorities from military airfields to disrupting Russia’s drone production.
On August 18, Ukrainian drones struck a Yenisei radar station in Russian-occupied Crimea, part of Moscow’s advanced S-500 air defense system.
Despite this, Russian attacks against Ukraine continued, killing at least eight civilians between Friday and Saturday, including a strike on a bus in Kherson that killed two people.
On the same day, Russian forces launched 47 Shahed-type drones and decoys from Rostov, Kursk, and Smolensk regions, along with two Iskander-K missiles from the Zaporizhzhia region.
ACLED stated that as Russia’s remote attacks on civilians increase, Kyiv has shifted its airstrikes to target defense contractors, aiming to disrupt Moscow’s drone production further inside Russian territory.
**ACLED Senior Analyst Nichita Gurcov told Newsweek:** “Russia’s grinding offensive in eastern Ukraine went into overdrive in July—leading to the highest number of battles since the all-out war began in early 2022. Alongside the intense battles, Ukrainian civilians are suffering from remote attacks.”
The high number of battles and ongoing drone and missile attacks underscore the lack of progress toward a ceasefire ahead of a summit in Alaska between Presidents Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin on August 15.
In summary, the escalation in fighting and Russian drone attacks highlight the challenges facing efforts to end the war.
📚 Reading Comprehension Quiz
According to the ACLED analysis, which event occurred in July that was notable for the highest number of battles since President Vladimir Putin's full-scale invasion of Ukraine?
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