Residents take cover from Russian bombing of Sumy city in northeast Ukraine, July 12, 2026

Sunday’s Coverage: Kyiv Hits Key Russian Oil Refinery

UPDATE 1655 GMT:

European leaders have agreed on an anti-ballistic missile coalition with Ukraine.

The coalition for an integrated approach includes Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden, and the UK.

We believe that the protection of Europe requires a global solution of integrated missile defense architecture to deter and defeat future missile threats — developed through collective effort, technological openness, and trusted industrial cooperation.

It will complement existing ballistic missile defense systems, including sovereign European solutions already acquired, or to be acquired by participating countries.

UPDATE 1521 GMT:

Ukraine struck another 15 Russian vessels in the Sea of Azov overnight, bringing the total to 105 over the past eight days.

Unmanned Systems Forces Commander Robert Brovdi said seven tankers, five cargo ships, one ferry, and two tugboats were targeted.

The attacks are trying to cut off Crimea, occupied by Russia since 2014.

“The peninsula’s transshipment infrastructure is being stung every night, traffic through the [Kerch] Strait has stopped, and cargo unloading has been reduced to a minimum,” Brovdi posted.

The commander said Ukrainian forces struck 11 energy infrastructure facilities across Crimea and other Russian-occupied territories between Sunday and Monday.

UPDATE 1514 GMT:

Three crew members have been killed and five injured by a Russian strike on a Togolese-flagged cargo vessel in the port of Odesa in southern Ukraine.

The vessel was unloading mineral fertilizers when the Russian set afire its superstructure.

At least 57 people were injured by Russian attacks across Ukraine over the past day.

UPDATE 1506 GMT:

Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky is meeting European partners in Paris to discuss support for Kyiv’s anti-ballistic missile capabilities.

Zelensky will participate in the sesson of the Coalition of the Willing, a group of around 35 nations providing Ukraine with military support.

At least 25 leaders are expected to attend today’s summit. The coalition aims to deploy additional US-designed Patriot interceptors; to develop the French-Italian SAMP/T system; and the establishment of a cheaper European-Ukrainian alternative.

Zelensky commented on a meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron:

UPDATE 1458 GMT:

The European Union has sanctioned Russia’s largest social media company VKontakte; Max, the new social media app promoted by the Kremlin; and Communication Platform, which developed Max, and its head Elena Bagudina.

The EU said in a statement that it targeted “Russia’s continued use of new technologies to restrict freedom of expression, access to information, and freedom of association”.

The EU said Max’s development was supervised by Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB). Its release coincided with a crackdown on Russian citizens’ access to other social media apps, such as Telegram and WhatsApp.

UPDATE 0646 GMT:

Europe imported a record amount of liquefied natural gas from Russia’s leading project in the first half of 2026.

EU purchases from Yamal LNG, controlled by Russia’s privately-owned Novatek, was 9.89mn tonnes in the six months. That was an increase of 18% over the same period last year.

The purchase was almost all of the Siberian facility’s output. European countries may have paid as much as €6 billion for the shipments.

The main buyers were France, Belgium, and Spain, which imported 3.6 million, 2.9 million, and 2.7 million tons respectively.

An EU ban on long-term imports of Russian LNG is supposed to take effect on January 1, 2027. Pipeline gas will be prohibited later in the year.

UPDATE 0628 GMT:

Ukraine reportedly struck two oil depots in the Stavropol Krai in southwest Russia overnight.

The Mikhailovskaya oil depot in the village of Mikhailovsk was set ablaze, while the oil depot in the nearby village of Vyazniki was attacked.

Stavropol Krai Governor Vladimir Vladimirov confirmed that a fire broke out in an “industrial area” in Vyazniki.

ORIGINAL ENTRY: Five civilians were murdered, including a 13-year-old girl, and 43 injured by three Russian guided aerial bombs on Sumy city in northeast Ukraine on Sunday.

Two bombs struck a busy area of the city. Two hit near a road and and a public transport stop, where the teenager was killed. A third bomb struck an infrastructure facility.

Five of the wounded are in serious condition.

Authorities have launched a war crimes investigation.

Sumy is around 30 km (19 miles) from the border. It avoided being overrun in the first weeks of Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022; however, it has remained within range of Russia’s bombs and artillery, as Russian forces have tried to seize territory in the region along the border.