Russia hits Ukraine with 948 drones in largest aerial attack

Russia fired 948 drones at Ukraine in a single 24-hour period, Ukrainian officials said, calling it the most extensive aerial assault since the full-scale invasion began in February 2022. The previous record, set in September 2025, stood at 810 drones. The latest barrage also included ballistic missiles: roughly 40 to 41 aimed at Kyiv around July 2026, according to Ukrainian air force reports. Interceptors stopped some of them.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy condemned the escalation and repeated his call for more Western air defense systems. The attack has renewed attention on whether digital assets could be used to circumvent financial restrictions tied to the war, a question that has followed the crypto market since the initial invasion. So far, the most visible market moves have been in traditional assets: crude oil prices and European defense stocks rose on the session. Crypto traders have not yet priced in a risk premium, several analysts said.

Sanctions enforcement remains a focus for regulators. The U.S. Treasury and European Union have both flagged crypto as a potential sanctions-evasion channel, though no major enforcement actions followed this latest escalation.