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What the 26 July 2023 missile barrage showed
Summary
A retrospective on a cruise missile attack on three Ukrainian regions and the Western aid and Russian strikes that preceded it.
What did Russia's cruise missile attack of 26 July 2023 say about the air war over Ukraine? Russia launched cruise missiles at Kyiv Oblast, Khmelnytskyi Oblast and Kirovohrad Oblast. Air Force Commander Mykola Oleschuk said 36 targets were shot down: three Kalibr missiles and 33 Kh-101/Kh-55 cruise missiles.
A pattern of strikes
The barrage followed several days of Russian attacks on different targets. On 24 July 2023, Russian forces hit Odesa Oblast with drones, destroying grain warehouses at the Reni Commercial Seaport and injuring seven civilians. The same day, a Russian missile strike on Kostiantynivka killed a child and wounded six people. In Bakhmut, a Russian drone attack wounded Dylan Collins, a journalist for Agence France-Presse.
The attacks were not one-directional. Also on 24 July 2023, two drones damaged buildings in Moscow, including one near the Defence Ministry headquarters.
Western support in the background
On 25 July 2023, the day before the missile attack, the United States announced a $400 million military aid package for Ukraine. It included anti-tank and air defence missiles, 32 Stryker armoured fighting vehicles, Hydra 70 rockets and Black Hornet Nano surveillance drones, among other equipment. The inclusion of air defence missiles sits alongside the interception figures reported on 26 July 2023, which showed air defence as central to Ukraine's response to cruise missile attacks.
A wider Russian footprint
Russia's role was also in view beyond Ukraine. On 24 July 2023, the United States announced sanctions on three senior Malian officials, including Defence Minister Sadio Camara, for allegedly helping to facilitate the presence of the Russian paramilitary Wagner Group in the country.
What the day illustrated
The reported interception of all 36 targets on 26 July 2023 was a notable result for Ukraine's air defences, announced just after new American aid was unveiled. Meanwhile, the damage to Reni's grain warehouses and the casualties in Kostiantynivka showed the cost of strikes that were not stopped. Taken together, the days around 26 July 2023 combined continued Russian attacks on infrastructure and civilians, Western military support and Ukrainian drone activity reaching Moscow.
