In the early hours of today, July 22, the Russian military renewed its air pressure against Ukraine.
A series of attacks, which began just after 00:00, triggered air defense systems in several key regions. The attacks are aimed at civilian infrastructure and logistics hubs, using waves of drones and missiles.
Development of events and air alerts after 00:00
According to the operational reports of the Ukrainian Air Force (AVF) and regional administrations, the situation over the past few hours has developed as follows:
- Threat from UAVs over the northern and eastern regions: Shortly after midnight, the command of the Ukrainian Air Force announced a critical threat from strike drones, censor.net reported. The movement of enemy drones caused prolonged concerns in Sumy, Chernihiv and Poltava regions, where mobile fire groups were activated.
- Explosions in logistics and residential areas: Local sources reported detonations on the outskirts of industrial centers in Central Ukraine. The blast wave damaged civilian buildings, and firefighters were sent to control the fires just hours before sunrise.
- Increased missile threat in the south: Air defenses in the Odessa and Mykolaiv regions were put on full combat alert due to registered activity by Russian strategic aviation and the threat of missile launches from the Black Sea.
Tensions amid changes in command
This latest midnight wave coincides with a critical moment for Ukraine's defense. The attacks came just hours after President Volodymyr Zelensky replaced the commander-in-chief of the armed forces. The post was taken over by Major General Mykhailo Drapatiy.
The new military leadership faces the urgent task of reorganizing the defense against the backdrop of a persistent shortage of anti-ballistic defense systems. As of 06:30 Bulgarian time in parts of eastern Ukraine, the air threat remains active. Authorities are inspecting the hit civilian targets to determine the exact extent of the material damage and any civilian casualties.