A supermarket destroyed by a Russian drone strike on Chernihiv, Ukraine, July 26, 2026

Sunday’s Coverage: Zelensky — Putin Preparing to Expand Russia’s Mobilization

UPDATE 1927 GMT:

At least nine civilians have been murdered, including a child, and 76 injured by Russian attacks across Ukraine over the past day.

Russian forces destroyed the last gasoline station on the European E40 highway between Kharkiv in the northeast and Poltava in central Ukraine. The road is one of the two main logistics routes from Kyiv to frontline areas.

In Chernhiv city in the north, two civilians were murdered, including a 10-year-old girl. Another 25 were wounded, including four children (see Original Entry).

In the Zaporizhzhia region in the south, two people were killed and 13 wounded in attacks on 45 settlements.

In the Kharkiv region, a 40-year-old woman was killed and 22 people injured.

In the Mykolaiv region in the south, two men were slain in attacks on ships and port infrastructure. Two civilians were injured elsewhere in the region.

Casualties were also reported from the Sumy, Donetsk, and Dnipropetrovsk regions.

UPDATE 1758 GMT:

Ukraine says its drones have struck 14 energy facilities over the past three days in Russian-occupied Crimea, compounding power outages across the peninsula.

The Russian-installed energy operator Krymenergo said on Monday that restrictions are in effect amid a “difficult” situation in the northwest, east, and south of Crimea. It is currently “not possible to supply electricity to some settlements on the peninsula”.

The commander of Ukraine’s Unmanned Systems, Robert Brovdi, said forces have now struck 154 energy facilities across Russian-occupied territories.

UPDATE 1058 GMT:

Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky has posted about the drone strikes on an export terminal on the Black Sea in Russia’s Rostov region (see 0706 GMT).

Zelensky also referred to an attack on the nearby city of Taganrog, just east of the Ukrainian border, and to strikes on oil facilities in Russia’s Udmurtia Republic and the Yaroslavl region. Both areas are northeast of Moscow and more than 1,300 km (808 miles) from Ukrainian territory.

UPDATE 0706 GMT:

Ukraine has struck the port of Rostov-on-Don in southwest Russia.

Russian authorities said a husband and wife were killed and five people, including a teenager, injured. Fires were set at a private enterprise, warehouses, and several homes. Video showed damaged apartments in a multi-story building.

UPDATE 0701 GMT:

Ukraine’s air defenVses downed 123 of 147 drones launched by Russia overnight, but 21 UAVs hit 10 locations.

ORIGINAL ENTRY: Two civilians were murdered, including a 9-year-old girl, and 25 injured by a Russian drone attack on a busy supermarket in northern Ukraine on Sunday afternoon.

The Russians hit and set afire the ATB supermarket in Chernihiv city as well as a service station and a warehouse.

Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky emphasized:

This is deliberate Russian terror with absolutely no military justification.

Stronger sanctions against Russia are needed, along with greater support for Ukraine, more means to protect our skies, and greater capabilities for our warriors.

ATB owns the largest network of retail shops in Ukraine, with more than 1,200 stores and more than one million shoppers each day.

Zelensky: Putin “Preparing for Mobilization”

Zelensky has repeated his assertation that Vladimir Putin, trying to save his 53-month full-scale invasion, is preparing for mass mobilization.

Zelensky told Sky News that Putin is planning for the call-up of 300,000 to 500,000 men after elections to the Duma on September 21, “if we don’t cause him problems with logistics, weapons, petrol, diesel, and if our partners don’t impose total sanctions for his aggression”.

He will have internal questions about it, because his society is – and I saw the polls – against mobilization. A significant percentage is also against the war, but still they support Putin.

He won’t be able to train these people quickly. It means, again, that he will throw poorly trained people on the battlefield. This, in turn, means a lot of losses.