Panic prevails in Ukraine as US intelligence services warn that within the next 48 hours it is very likely that Russia will launch a massive air strike, possibly the largest in recent months.
Reports speak of a concentration of thousands of Geran unmanned aerial vehicles (drones) and a significant number of ballistic and hypersonic missiles in areas near the Ukrainian border, while there are already reports of powerful explosions in Kyiv.
At the same time, the Russian army continues its advance both in Donbass and on the northern front, specifically in Kharkiv, Sumy.
Raid of 4,000 drones
According to Ukrainian tracking sources citing intelligence data, US intelligence estimates that Russia may be preparing a large-scale air attack against Ukraine within the next 48 hours.
According to the same sources, Russia has reportedly concentrated approximately 4,000 "Geran" type unmanned aerial vehicles (drones) for a potential massive attack. It is also reported that about 400 of these are jet-powered versions, which have a higher speed and make their interception by air defense systems more difficult.
Concentrating dozens of missiles
Furthermore, the same sources claim that the concentration of missiles at potential launch sites continues. The estimates published by Ukrainian tracking channels report:
1) In the Bryansk region: up to 21 ballistic missiles.
2) In the Kursk region: 6 ballistic missiles and 7 Zircon missiles.
3) In the Rostov region: 18 ballistic missiles.
4) In Crimea: 5 ballistic missiles and 4 Zircon missiles.
It will be the largest in recent years
According to Ukrainian sources, the combination of a large number of drones and missiles may be an indication of preparation for one of the largest air attacks in recent months.
Recently, the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) have carried out attacks against civilian logistics infrastructure facilities in Russia. According to the same text, logistics centers of the Wildberries company were struck in the regions of Leningrad, Krasnodar, Nevinnomyssk (Stavropol Krai), Elektrostal (Moscow Region), and Kotovsk (Tambov Region).
Powerful explosions in Kyiv following reports of a massive missile attack
Meanwhile, reports speak of a series of powerful explosions in Kyiv.
According to initial information, the Ukrainian capital suffered a massive missile attack, with Ukrainian sources reporting that about ten missiles struck targets in the city.
According to the same reports, the launches were allegedly carried out from the Bryansk region of Russia.
It is claimed that only a few minutes elapsed between the launch of the missiles and the explosions in Kyiv, while, according to residents, the air raid was announced after the first strikes had already occurred.
Attack with hypersonic Zircons
According to various sources, ballistic missiles were initially used, followed by the launch of hypersonic Zircon missiles toward the Ukrainian capital.
Following the successive explosions, thick columns of smoke could be seen from various areas of Kyiv.
Zelenskyy says Ukraine struck a Russian defence plant in Kirov and an oil facility nearly 1,350 km away. Kyiv’s strategy is clear: attack the industrial and logistical backbone of Moscow’s war. Russia’s rear is now increasingly part of the battlefield. #UkraineWar pic.twitter.com/wVgO5gXHHa
— Bharat Pulse News (@BharatPulseNews) July 24, 2026
Concern over new attack tactics
Residents of Kyiv express concern that daytime missile attacks may represent a new tactic, as until now the majority of attacks against the Ukrainian capital took place mainly during nighttime hours.
At the same time, some social media users estimate that the morning or noon wave of missile strikes may only represent the first stage of a broader attack that could follow later in the day.
Struck an arms exhibition
The Russian Armed Forces carried out a strike on an arms exhibition that was being held in Ukraine, according to a publication by the Ukrainian outlet UNIAN on Telegram.
"Russia struck a test site where an arms exhibition was being held," stated the founder of the defense company First Contact, Valerii Borovyk.
The strike was also confirmed by the Ukrainian Council of Gunsmiths and the Military Administration of the Kyiv Region (OVA).
The Ukrainian newspaper Strana.ua reported that the serviceman Andrii Kobzar participated in the event.
At the same time, Ukrainian media reported that among the participants was also the advisor to the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Serhii "Flash" Beskrestnov, however he himself denied the information via his post on Telegram.
???? Russia's overnight attack on Ukraine caused utter devastation to civilian areas, with over 700 drones and 100 missiles targeting Kyiv alone
— Mario Nawfal (@MarioNawfal) May 24, 2026
Heartbreakingpic.twitter.com/0JftP1YOBQ https://t.co/oDhobXhvXD
Russian advance
Russian military sources claim that Russian forces continue their advance in parts of the northern and southern fronts, aiming to sever Ukrainian supply lines and create a large encirclement pocket.
According to the Russian military analyst Dmitry Degtyarev, the recent penetration in the area of Velykyi Burluk, combined with the advance at the bridgehead of Vovchansk, is part of a broader operational plan.
He claims that the objective is the merging of the two axes of advance, an event that could lead to the encirclement of an area of approximately 700 square kilometers, in which more than 50 villages and Ukrainian military forces are located.
According to him, Russian forces are operating from the west toward the settlement of Bilyi Kolodiaz and from the east toward Olkhovatka. If the two axes meet, he claims that the sole escape corridor for Ukrainian forces will be reduced to about 10 kilometers, making an organized withdrawal extremely difficult.
Degtyarev estimates that in such a case the Ukrainian command will be forced either to immediately withdraw two to three brigades or face the risk of their encirclement.
Operations in the northern sector
The Ukrainian Special Forces Colonel, Volodymyr Antoniuk, stated that Russian forces are gradually expanding the front, seeking to force the Ukrainian command to transfer reserves from critical areas to secondary sectors.
According to him, the Russian attack on the village of Artelne took place by surprise, while the Ukrainian command was expecting operations near Malyi Burluk. He claimed that the defense of the area had been undertaken by limited border forces with minimal support.
For his part, the Russian war correspondent Ruslan Tatarinov reported that more than 100 Ukrainian soldiers were in the area, while claiming that part of them were killed or captured and that a Ukrainian counterattack failed.
New advances
Degtyarev further claimed that in the Mezheva sector Russian forces advanced about 1.5 kilometers to the west on a 9-kilometer front, approaching Raipole.
In addition, he reported that in the area where the Dnipropetrovsk and Zaporizhzhia regions meet, Russian forces consolidated their control over the settlements of Vilne and Blahodatne, while claiming that they also recaptured Novoheorhiivka and Novohryhorivka.
At the same time, he noted that there are also negative developments for the Russian side, as, according to his claims, Ukrainian forces made progress in the area of Plavni and east of Stepnohirsk.
Claims of concealing losses
In statements by Serhii Sternenko, former advisor to the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense, who accused the Ukrainian General Staff of concealing actual personnel losses.
According to his claims, soldiers returning after deserting a unit were recorded in reserve battalions and subsequently transferred to the 425th Regiment ("Skala"). He claimed that even after their death or disappearance they continued to be listed as missing or deserters, a fact that, according to him, deprived their families of compensation and hindered even the identification of bodies.
Sternenko also claimed that a significant number of losses of units that had been integrated into the specific regiment were not officially recorded.
www.bankingnews.gr
Readers’ Comments