Speech
Ahmad al-Sharaa  ·  2026-07-24 00:00

Russia, Ukraine exchange strikes as fighting intensifies amid stalled peace talks

Moscow/Kyiv, July 24 (SANA)Russian and Ukrainian forces exchanged fresh attacks on Friday, with Moscow targeting infrastructure and residential areas in southern Ukraine while Kyiv said it struck military facilities deep inside Russia, as the war entered its fifth year with no sign of easing.

Ukrainian officials said a Russian missile and drone attack hit a residential area in the Odesa region before dawn, injuring a woman and a four-year-old child.

Head of the Odesa Regional Military Administration said the strike damaged private homes, vehicles, a residential building and land belonging to an industrial company.

The attack followed overnight Russian airstrikes that damaged infrastructure, office buildings and residential property in several parts of Ukraine without causing casualties.

In the southern Mykolaiv region, acting regional military administration head said Russian drones struck port infrastructure and fuel stations on Thursday and again on Friday morning.

He said a Molniya drone damaged a fuel station in the town of Snihurivka, while Russian forces launched three FPV drone attacks on the town of Ochakiv without causing casualties.

Meanwhile,Ukrainesaid it had carried out strikes on military targets insideRussia.

State news agency Ukrinform reported that FP-5 Flamingo cruise missiles struck the AVITEC military plant in the Russian city of Kirov, about 1,200 km (745 miles) from the Ukrainian border.

The report said videos circulating online showed a fire at the facility. AVITEC manufactures air defense systems, aviation components, ejection seats and other military equipment, including parts for Tor surface-to-air missile systems.

Separately, Ukraine’s State Border Guard Service said its Phoenix unit destroyed a Russian Buk-M3 surface-to-air missile system in the Donetsk region using a drone. The system is estimated to be worth about $50 million.

Russia’s Defense Ministry said its forces continued targeting Ukrainian ports used to supply Kyiv’s military, reporting precision strikes on fuel and lubricant storage facilities at the Port of Yuzhny.

The ministry also said Russian forces struck two cargo ships transporting supplies intended for Ukrainian forces to the ports of Odesa and Chornomorsk, describing the attacks as part of ongoing operations against Ukrainian logistics hubs.

TheRussia-Ukraine warentered its fifth year on July 21, with both sides continuing to suffer heavy military and civilian losses. U.S.-backed peace efforts have so far failed to produce a breakthrough, as fighting continues across multiple fronts.kA.ABD