Russia launches 6,400 drones, missiles into Ukraine in record-breaking month
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(LONDON) — More than three years into Russia’s full-scale invasion, Ukrainians across the country retreat each night to bomb shelters and metro stations in a nightly ritual necessitated by the long reach of Moscow’s drones and missiles. This summer, Ukrainians are spending more time in such shelters than ever before.
The first bombardments of Kyiv and other major cities began in the early morning of Feb. 24, 2022, as Russian troops surged across Ukraine’s borders on several axes. In the years since, the attacks have never stopped.
Through July, Russia launched a record 6,443 drones and missiles into the country, according to data published by the Ukrainian air force. The total is the highest of the war to date, and around 13% more than were recorded in June.
The scale and complexity of Russia’s drone and missile barrages have steadily increased through the war. The Iranian-designed Shahed strike drone — adopted enthusiastically by the Russian military and rebranded as the Geran — has become the workhorse of Moscow’s nightly harassment of Ukrainian cities and vital infrastructure.
For many Ukrainians, the “flying mopeds,” as the Shahed and Geran variants have become known due to their distinctive sound, are emblematic of the Russian threat.
The strikes are terrorizing and deadly. June saw the highest monthly level of Ukrainian civilian casualties in more than three years, according to data published by the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine — 232 people killed and 1,343 people injured.
Neither Russia nor Ukraine publish data detailing the scale of their own strike campaigns. Ukraine’s air force publishes a daily tally of Russian drone and missile strikes, while Russia’s Defense Ministry only publishes figures of Ukrainian drones shot down.
July marked a high-water mark for Russian drone attacks on Ukraine. Data published by the Ukrainian air force and analyzed by ABC News recorded a total of 6,245 attack and decoy drones launched into the country over the past month at an average rate of around 201 per day.
Russia also launched 198 missiles, with an average of more than six each day.
Though Ukraine’s interception rate is significant, plenty of projectiles arrive with devastating effect. July saw around 89% of drones and around 61% of missiles shot down or otherwise suppressed.
By comparison, June saw 5,438 drones and 239 missiles fired into Ukraine, with a daily average of 181 drones and nearly eight missiles. The air force downed or suppressed 87.2% of all drones and 73% of missiles during June.
And in May, Russia launched a total of 3,835 drones and 117 missiles, for an average of around 124 drones and nearly four missiles each day. Across the month, 85.7% of drones and 57% of missiles were shot down or suppressed.
“Right now, Ukraine sees around 300 to 400 drones attacking civilian targets every day — these types of numbers were unheard of in 2023 or 2024,” Yuriy Boyechko, the founder and CEO of the Hope for Ukraine charity, told ABC News.
Moscow shows no sign of letting up. Russian officials and media have made much of the country’s growing drone production capabilities. A recent report by the Zvezda television channel, for example, showed operations at a Geran factory in Alabuga in Russia’s Republic of Tatarstan, with workers constructing and piling up dozens of attack drones ready for delivery.
The design of the attack drones is ever-evolving. The first were light gray-colored craft flying low and relatively slow to their targets, carrying high-explosive and fragmentation payloads and powered by turbines.
More recently, Geran variants painted black with special material to hide from radar fly higher and with tortuous routes to evade Ukrainian defense teams. Some are armed with thermobaric warheads, are armored and some are powered by jet engines. Ukrainian defenders have also reported that recent Gerans are using AI targeting systems.
Russian forces may soon be able to launch 1,000 to 2,000 drones per day, according to recent warnings issued by the Institute for the Study of War think tank and German Maj. Gen. Christian Freuding.
Pasi Paroinen, an OSINT analyst at the Finland-based Black Bird Group, told ABC News he believes it feasible that Russia could soon launch 1,000 drones per night.
The drone barrages are effective and relatively affordable. Various estimates for the cost of domestically-produced Gerans range from around $10,000 to $50,000.
Though the Western sanctions campaign has complicated Russian military procurement efforts, components from Western companies are still found in their dozens in downed Gerans — a fact repeatedly highlighted by frustrated officials in Kyiv.
The mix of strike and decoy drones poses a “very nasty” problem for Ukraine’s thinly-stretched air defense, Paroinen said. “They have been doing pretty well intercepting them overall. But it’s also tying up Ukrainian manpower — they have to have those groups of mobile anti-aircraft groups rolling around the countryside, shooting these things down.”
“The general consensus among analysts is that this is going to be a major problem,” Paroinen said. “And this is a production capability that won’t be going away, even if the war ends it will still have implications for the rest of Europe as well, that Russia will be able to produce and stockpile these weapons in pretty intense numbers.”
President Donald Trump’s repeated interventions seem to also have failed to move the needle. The president has repeatedly expressed his frustration with Russian President Vladimir Putin’s continuation and expansion of drone and missile strikes on Ukraine.
Putin, Trump said earlier this month, “talks nice and then bombs everybody.”
Ukraine has used its own fast-evolving drone arsenal to target drone production facilities deep inside Russia, but to little apparent avail.
Kyiv is increasing the intensity of its drone attacks into Russia. Across July, the Defense Ministry in Moscow reported downing 3,008 Ukrainian drones at an average of around 97 per day.
In June, the ministry reported downing a total of 2,368 Ukrainian drones, with an average of almost 79 drones per day across the month. Those figures were down from May, during which the ministry said it shot down 3,611 drones with an average of 116 per day.
But, Paroinen said, there is little Ukraine can do about Russia’s growing drone production capability. “It’s far enough away from the front lines that there are not really that many weapons that can reach it. Maybe some very long-range drones, but overall, trying to destroy such a factory is beyond their means,” he said.
“To take down a big industrial complex really takes a lot more firepower and explosives than they can deliver, even if they launch hundreds of drones and have dozens of them hit the target,” he continued. “It’s not that easy — and usually the damage can be repaired pretty quickly.”
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Gunmen kill at least 6 in attack on court building in Iran
Gunmen kill at least 6 in attack on court building in Iran. Attack happened in the country’s restive southern province of Sistan and Baluchestan. Police and security forces immediately took control of the site. Relations between predominantly Sunni Muslim residents of the region and Iran’s Shiite theocracy have long been strained.
Gunmen kill at least 6 in attack on court building in Iran
By The Associated Press
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) —
Unknown attackers launched a gun and grenade attack on a court building in southeast Iran Saturday, killing six people including a child and wounding 20, state TV reported.
The report said security forces killed three of the gunmen in the armed clash in the country’s restive southern province of Sistan and Baluchestan. It did not identify any of the victims.
State TV said the attack happened in the province’s capital city of Zahedan. Police and security forces immediately took control of the site, 1,130 kilometers or 700 miles southeast of the capital, Tehran.
A report by the semiofficial Tasnim news agency, believed to be close to security forces, blamed the attack on the militant group Jaish al-Adl, which wants independence for Iran’s eastern Sistan and Pakistan’s southwestern Baluchistan provinces.
The province, bordering Afghanistan and Pakistan, has been the site of occasional deadly clashes involving militant groups, armed drug smugglers and Iranian security forces.
In October, an attack on an Iranian police convoy in the province killed at least 10 officers.
Sistan and Baluchistan province is one of the least developed parts of Iran. Relations between the predominantly Sunni Muslim residents of the region and Iran’s Shiite theocracy have long been strained.
Top-seeded Alexander Zverev advances in Toronto in the National Bank Open
Top-seeded Alexander Zverev of Germany beat Matteo Arnaldi of Italy 6-7 (5), 6-3, 6-2 on Thursday night in the third round of the National Bank Open in Toronto. The 28-year-old ZvereV is the first ATP Tour player born in 1990 or later to win 500 matches. He won on clay in Munich in April for his 24th tour title. Alex Michelsen of the United States upset third-seeding Lorenzo Musetti of Italy 3-6, 7-6 (4) 6-4. No. 5 Jack Draper and No. 6 Novak Djokovic also are absent from the tournament in Toronto, which runs through July 31, 2025. The U.S. Open is the only hard-court event in the tournament’s schedule.
Matteo Arnaldi, of Italy, hits a backhand return to Alexander Zverev, of Germany, during their men’s match at the National Bank Open tennis tournament in Toronto, Thursday, July 31, 2025. (Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press via AP)
Matteo Arnaldi, of Italy, hits a backhand return to Alexander Zverev, of Germany, during their men’s match at the National Bank Open tennis tournament in Toronto, Thursday, July 31, 2025. (Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press via AP)
Matteo Arnaldi, of Italy, hits a backhand return to Alexander Zverev, of Germany, during their men’s match at the National Bank Open tennis tournament in Toronto, Thursday, July 31, 2025. (Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press via AP)
Matteo Arnaldi, of Italy, hits a backhand return to Alexander Zverev, of Germany, during their men’s match at the National Bank Open tennis tournament in Toronto, Thursday, July 31, 2025. (Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press via AP)
TORONTO — Top-seeded Alexander Zverev of Germany beat Matteo Arnaldi of Italy 6-7 (5), 6-3, 6-2 on Thursday night in the third round of the National Bank Open to reach 500 match victories.
The 28-year-old Zverev — the 2017 champion — is the first ATP Tour player born in 1990 or later to win 500 matches. He won on clay in Munich in April for his 24th tour title.
“I think I started playing better from the baseline. The longer the match went on, I started to find my rhythm a bit,” Zverev said. “It was actually my backhand that was feeling a bit off in the beginning, which is strange. Doesn’t happen very often. But after I found that shot, I was comfortable and I was happy about the level.”
Zverev, ranked third in the world, ended up the top seed with top-ranked Jannik Sinner — the 2023 winner — and No. 2 Carlos Alcaraz skipping the hard-court event that still has a week left. No. 5 Jack Draper and No. 6 Novak Djokovic also are absent.
Zverev advanced to face No. 14 Francisco Cerundolo of Argentina, a 6-3, 6-4 winner over countryman Tomas Martin Etcheverry.
Earlier, Alex Michelsen of the United States upset third-seeded Lorenzo Musetti of Italy 3-6, 7-6 (4), 6-4. Michelsen will face fellow American Learner Tien, a 7-6 (3), 6-3 winner over American Reilly Opelka.
Fifth-seeded Holger Rune of Denmark advanced in a night match, beating Alexandre Muller of France 6-2, 6-4. Rune will play defending champion Alexei Popyrin of Australia. Popyrin outlasted 10th-seeded Daniil Medvedev of Russia 5-7, 6-4, 6-4 in a match that ended early Friday.
Eighth-seeded Casper Ruud of Norway topped Nuno Borges of Portugal 7-5, 6-4 to set up a match with 11th-seeded Karen Khachanov of Russia. Khachanov beat Emilio Nava of the United States 6-7 (6), 6-4, 6-1.
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AP tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis
Indonesia set to release hundreds of prisoners under president’s clemency plan
Indonesia is set to begin releasing hundreds of convicts from its notoriously overcrowded prisons. The first group of 1,116 will begin leaving prisons next week. They include prominent rivals of previous President Joko Widodo who were jailed during his term. The government is prioritizing prisoners with mental disorders, the elderly, critically ill and those convicted of blasphemy or insulting the country’s leader. The announcement was made late Thursday by the House of Representatives Deputy Speaker Sufmi Dasco Ahmad and Law Minister Supratman Andi Agtas.
JAKARTA, Indonesia — Indonesia is set to begin releasing hundreds of convicts from its notoriously overcrowded prisons after parliament approved the first stage of President Prabowo Subianto’s wide-ranging clemency plan.
The first group of 1,116 will begin leaving prisons next week, and include prominent rivals of previous President Joko Widodo who were jailed during his term, as well as Papuan independence activists.
The announcement was made late Thursday by the House of Representatives Deputy Speaker Sufmi Dasco Ahmad and Law Minister Supratman Andi Agtas after a consultation between the government and party factions in the legislature.
Subianto surprised the nation barely two months after he took office in October when he said he planned to grant clemency to 44,000 inmates nationwide. Past Indonesian leaders have rarely used their amnesty powers, which require the approval of parliament.
Agtas said the government is prioritizing prisoners with mental disorders, the elderly, critically ill and those convicted of blasphemy or insulting the country’s leader.
Among the convicts set to be released are several prominent opposition figures, including Hasto Kristiyanto, the Secretary General of the country’s only formal opposition party, the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle.
Kristiyanto, a former Widodo ally who turned to harshly criticize the former president and his family, was sentenced last week to 3.5 years in prison over bribery in a 2019 legislative seat appointment scheme.
Agtas said parliament also approved an end to criminal proceedings against former Trade Minister Tom Lembong, a onetime Widodo ally who broke with him during the 2024 presidential election to support political rival Anies Baswedan. Lembong received a 4.5 year sentence and had been preparing to appeal it before Subianto proposed him for clemency.
“Both have demonstrated service to the nation, and our priority now is to strengthen the unity of the nation,” Agtas said.
The group also includes six Papuan independence activists who are currently serving prison sentences for treason. Agtas said they were released the government considers their movement unarmed.
Authorities are expected to submit a second list of 1,668 inmates to parliament in the near future, he added.
Morning Headlines – Friday, Aug. 1, 2025
Prosecutors say they now expect music mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs could face a prison sentence “substantially higher” than the four-to-five years they once thought he was likely to face. Alaska House Speaker Bryce Edgmon says he plans to “start raising a little bit of Cain” when he returns to the Capitol in Juneau for the 2025 legislative session. Wisconsinites: Limit their time outdoors Thursday, July 31 and into Friday, Aug. 1 due to ongoing air quality advisories resulting from Canadian wildfire smoke. Chippa Falls, Wisconsin, man sentenced to 10 years in prison for possessing 500 grams or more of methamphetamine or more. The U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin announced that Jason Barnard sold methamphetamine and fentanyl to a confidential informant in May 9, 2025, and sold two times that amount in June 9, 25, and 30, 2025. The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is recommending Wisconsinites reduce their time Outside due to Canadian Wildfire Smoke.
U.S. and World Headlines
Trump Sets New Tariff Rates, Shifts Timeline In Latest Trade Twist
President Trump unveiled sweeping tariffs on dozens of countries late Thursday as he presses ahead with new levies on U.S. trading partners and shifts timelines to clinch agreements.
Trump announced a new deadline of Aug. 7 for steep tariffs on more than 60 countries. The move, delivered hours before a midnight deadline for rates to kick in, gives officials more time to prepare to implement the tariffs while extending the runway for the White House to land more deals.
Prosecutors Seeking Long Prison Term For Sean “Diddy” Combs And Opposing Bail
Prosecutors said they now expect music mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs could face a prison sentence “substantially higher” than the four-to-five years they once thought he was likely to face after his conviction on two prostitution-related charges.
They made the observation late Thursday in a Manhattan federal court written submission in which they also opposed Combs’ request this week to be released on $50 million bail while he awaits an Oct. 3 sentencing.
Russia Launches 6,400 Drones, Missiles Into Ukraine In Record-Breaking Month
More than three years into Russia’s full-scale invasion, Ukrainians across the country retreat each night to bomb shelters and metro stations in a nightly ritual necessitated by the long reach of Moscow’s drones and missiles. This summer, Ukrainians are spending more time in such shelters than ever before.
The first bombardments of Kyiv and other major cities began in the early morning of Feb. 24, 2022, as Russian troops surged across Ukraine’s borders on several axes. In the years since, the attacks have never stopped.
Alaska Ignored Budget Crisis Signs. Now, It Doesn’t Have Money To Fix Schools
When Alaska House Speaker Bryce Edgmon toured the public school in Sleetmute last fall, he called the building “the poster child” for what’s wrong with the way the state pays to build and maintain schools. The tiny community 240 miles west of Anchorage had begged Alaska’s education department for nearly two decades for money to repair a leaky roof that over time had left part of the school on the verge of collapse.
Seated at a cafeteria table after the tour, Edgmon, a veteran independent lawmaker, told a Yup’ik elder he planned to “start raising a little bit of Cain” when he returned to the Capitol in Juneau for the 2025 legislative session.
How Much Are Southwest’s New Assigned Seats? It Depends
The price depends on the route, when you’re traveling and where you sit. Selecting your ideal seats can add hundreds of dollars to the cost of a family vacation, similar to flying on other airlines.
For example, a roundtrip ticket in the “Choice” ticket class — the second cheapest type of ticket — between Denver International Airport and Orlando International Airport leaving Feb. 14 and returning Feb. 21, which coincides with Presidents Day, was going for $692 on Southwest’s website on Thursday. For seats the airline deems “preferred,” it would be $46 for a window or aisle seat in Rows 7 to 13, or $41 for a middle seat in those rows.
Wisconsin Headlines
Wisconsinites: Limit Time Outside Due To Canadian Wildfire Smoke
The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is recommending Wisconsinites reduce their time outdoors Thursday, July 31 and into Friday, Aug. 1 due to ongoing air quality advisories resulting from Canadian wildfire smoke.
Canadian wildfire smoke will continue to impact Wisconsin’s surface air quality over the next several days. Widespread Unhealthy levels of PM2.5 are expected across Wisconsin on Thursday, with values in the Very Unhealthy category possible. Conditions are expected to slowly improve beginning Friday; however, Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups to Unhealthy levels will remain possible through the weekend.
The current advisory in effect statewide until noon on Thursday, July 31 has been extended through noon on Friday, Aug. 1.
Chippewa Falls Man Sentenced To 10 Years For Methamphetamine Trafficking
Chadwick M. Elgersma, Acting United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Jason Barnard, 39, Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin, was sentenced today by Chief U.S. District Judge James D. Peterson to 10 years in prison for possessing 500 grams or more of methamphetamine intended for distribution. Barnard pleaded guilty to this charge on May 9, 2025.
Barnard sold methamphetamine and fentanyl to a confidential informant two times in October 2024. While traveling back from his source of supply in Minnesota, law enforcement stopped and arrested Barnard. They searched his car and found more than two kilograms of methamphetamine, 85 grams of fentanyl, and $3,696 cash.
LFB: ‘One Big Beautiful Bill’ Impact On Wisconsin Medicaid Program Unclear
It is unclear what the full impact of the “One Big Beautiful Bill” will have on Wisconsin’s Medicaid program, partly because the federal government has yet to detail some of the implementation requirements, according to the Legislative Fiscal Bureau.
The nonpartisan agency also noted in a memo this week that the reconciliation bill will likely over time reduce the amount of money Wisconsin sends to hospitals as part of a move in the state budget designed to boost those payments.
LFB this week wrote a memo outlining how the legislation impacts Wisconsin’s Medicaid program as well as FoodShare.
The agency noted it’s hard to gauge what some of the changes will mean until the federal government provides more guidance.
Why Sara Rodriguez’s Campaign Launch Video Controversy Matters
Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers shocked precisely no one when he announced that he would not seek a third term, but his retirement opens up next year’s gubernatorial race in a way that seems almost impossible to predict.
Lieutenant Governor Sara Rodriguez would have seemed to be Evers’ logical successor—a younger, ambitious go-getter with a relatable backstory—but her campaign launch has been disastrous, as she has been unable to explain something as simple as why her launch video was posted to YouTube a full week before Evers’ announcement.
US Rep. Bryan Steil Met By Hostile Audience During Raucous Town Hall
Republican U.S. Rep. Bryan Steil was met by a hostile crowd attempting to shout him down Thursday evening during his first town hall gathering since the passage of President Donald Trump’s “Big Beautiful Bill Act.”
Some supporters left early calling the spectacle “disgusting,” while one Democratic activist said the Janesville Republican “got what he deserved” for being a rubber stamp for Trump and the GOP.
The Elkhorn High School auditorium was filled with around 200 people, some of whom carried signs with slogans like “Resist,” “God is King no Others” and “Hands off SSI and Medicare.” When he entered the stage, Steil was met a by a roar of boos mixed with some cheers from a smaller group of his supporters.