Russo-Ukrainian war, day 1258: Ukraine destroys $50 million Russian fighter jet in Crimea

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Russia's 137× drone surge wasn't magic—it was Chinese engines labeled "fridges". Ukraine faced just 40 drone attacks monthly in 2022. Now it's over 5,000—using Cold War engines China ships as "refrigerators."

Digital defense for activists & journalists in conflict zones: A comprehensive security guide. Digital defense in conflict zones requires a comprehensive, layered approach combining technical security measures with operational discipline and legal awareness

OSCE at 50: Kick Russia out or shut it down. Fifty years on, the OSCE lets Russia bomb, kidnap, and veto. Time's up—kick Moscow out or close the doors.

Whatever you do, don't march with two landmines strapped to your back while Ukrainian drones patrol overhead. Russian engineers are literally telling their troops to walk 20km carrying two anti-tank mines each. Ukrainian drone footage shows what happens next.

Military

HUR: Explosion plunges Russian military repair base in Berdiansk into darkness. The blackout left Russian troops blind and stalled at a strategic site where vehicles were mended. Ukraine's Security Service obliterates Russian $50 million Su-30 jet in Crimea—and damages more. Ukraine delivers a brutal reminder: no corner of occupied land is safe. Russia converts Donetsk airport into drone launch base to target Ukraine faster. Satellite imagery from July 2025 shows Russian forces constructing drone storage areas, control points and fuel infrastructure at the occupied Donetsk City airport Major Russian rail hub hit: Drones strike Volgograd transport corridor, delay Moscow-St. Petersburg trains. Transport disruptions spread across southern Russia as drone strikes on railway infrastructure in Volgograd Oblast delayed five passenger trains Frontline report: Poland's fighter jets now scramble nightly while Russian drones test NATO's eastern border. The unmanned aircraft flew close enough to Vilnius for residents to capture video footage, initially sparking fears that a live munition had penetrated NATO airspace Frontline report: NATO's AWACS are mapping every radar pulse over Russia's Kaliningrad. Each flight builds a radar profile of Russian systems near the Suwalki Gap, preparing NATO for potential strikes.

Intelligence and technology

New Russian 9M729 missile threat just brought world back to Cold War era. The Kremlin has scrapped its moratorium on intermediate-range ballistic and cruise missiles, reviving a class of weapons once eliminated under a landmark Cold War treaty, and blaming the West for its return. Germany raids company which secretly sent 20 machines to Russia for munitions production, despite Ukraine's warnings. Law enforcement moves in after Ukrainian watchdogs expose how banned high-tech exports may be enabling Russia's battlefield slaughter. China cuts rare minerals, stalling US weapons — and threatening Ukraine's fight for survival. Ukraine relies on Western weapons, but China's export bans on key minerals risk cutting off the lifeline. US tech giants land in Kyiv to outsmart Russia's deadly drones. Dedrone and Ukrainian tech join forces to stop swarms, as the drone war is just beginning.

International

Ukrainian sappers to train at Middle East mine action school with funding from Paris. With nearly 40% of its territory potentially contaminated, Ukraine deepens cooperation with France and Lebanon to dismantle hidden killers of war. Delhi turns to American, Canadian, and Emirati oil suppliers amid Western pressure. However, Russia remains its top oil source, keeping Moscow's war machine alive and capable of killing more Ukrainian civilians. Kremlin signals openness to Putin-Zelenskyy talks — but conditions remain unchanged. Moscow has not ruled out a future meeting between Putin and Zelenskyy, but insists negotiations must follow "expert-level" groundwork, with Ukraine first accepting key Russian demands, including neutrality. Trump again confirms US nuclear submarines near Russia after Medvedev threats. Two US nuclear submarines are now positioned near Russian territory following a week of escalating threats between President Trump and former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev Trump's special envoy Witkoff to visit Moscow as 8 August ceasefire deadline looms. As Trump's 8 Aug. Ukraine ceasefire deadline approaches, the US Middle East envoy will meet with Russian officials who requested the talks amid threats of sanctions and 100% tariffs

Humanitarian and social impact

Ukraine reports infant in critical condition after multi-region Russian assault. Russian night attack killed a 45-year-old man in Kherson Oblast and injured three people in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, including an infant in serious condition

Political and legal developments

Russia punishes Ukrainian flag more harshly than Nazi symbols in occupied Crimea. While Kremlin courts overlook swastikas, they jail Ukrainians for singing patriotic songs or showing national colors. Ukraine's anti-corruption agencies uncover suspected UAV graft scheme. Drone procurement scandal highlights ongoing battle over anti-corruption efforts. TikTokers face $ 300 fine for filming burning Russian oil depot hit by Ukrainian drones. Russian police detained three young people who traveled 1,500km from Nizhny Tagil to film a burning Sochi oil depot hit by Ukrainian drones Read our earlier daily review here.