Russia kills eight and wounds dozens in overnight missile and drone strikes on Ukraine as Zelensky calls for faster arms deliveries

Summary

Russian forces killed eight people and wounded dozens in overnight missile and drone strikes on Ukraine on July 12, targeting regions including Sumy and Odessa, according to Ukrainian officials. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky used the attacks as the occasion to call on allies to accelerate weapons deliveries to Ukraine. Ukraine's military separately said it shot down 349 Russian drones overnight over Russian territory, the Azov Sea and the Black Sea, citing a Russian defence ministry statement.

Why it matters

The strikes come as the Russia-Ukraine war grinds into its fifth year with no ceasefire in sight. Zelensky's appeal for faster arms deliveries underlines the continuing gap between Ukrainian battlefield needs and the pace of Western supply, a gap now widened by Western attention shifting toward the Iran-Gulf crisis. Russia's continued mass drone and missile use against civilian-populated regions maintains relentless attrition pressure on Ukraine's air defences.

What to watch

• Whether allied governments accelerate weapons deliveries following Zelensky's appeal
• Russia's targeting pattern: whether further strikes concentrate on civilian infrastructure, energy systems or military positions
• Ukraine's overnight drone campaign against Russian territory and its strategic effect on Russian rear areas