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Ukraine Invasion Day 1,240: RU forces continue targeting UKR cities with large drone swarms [1]
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Date: 2025-07-16
Russian forces conducted a large series of missile and drone strikes against Ukraine overnight on July 15 to 16, heavily targeting Ukrainian energy infrastructure.
The Ukrainian Air Force reported that Russian forces launched one Iskander-M ballistic missile from occupied Crimea and 400 Shahed-type and decoy drones from the directions of Bryansk and Kursk cities; Shatalovo, Smolensk Oblast; Primorsko-Akhtarsk, Krasnodar Krai; Millerovo, Rostov Oblast; and occupied Cape Chauda, Crimea on the night of July 15 and 16. [10] The Ukrainian Air Force reported that Ukrainian forces downed 198 Shahed-type drones and that 145 decoy drones were "lost" or suppressed by Ukrainian electronic warfare (EW) systems. The Ukrainian Air Force reported that the Russian strike package largely targeted Kryvyi Rih, Dnipropetrovsk Oblast; Kharkiv Oblast; and Vinnytsia City, Vinnystia Oblast, and Ukrainian officials reported that the strikes also damaged civilian, industrial, and energy infrastructure in Mykolaiv and Odesa oblasts.[11] Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky reported that the Russian strikes mainly damaged energy infrastructure and that authorities were working to restore power to Kryvyi Rih.[12] Dnipropetrovsk Oblast officials and Ukraine's Southern Operational Command reported that Russian forces launched one Iskander-M ballistic missile each against both Kryvyi Rih and Odesa Oblast.[13] The Ukrainian Air Force reported that Russian forces only launched one Iskander-M ballistic missile overnight, and Odesa Oblast officials did not report a ballistic missile strike in the oblast, so it is unclear whether Russian forces launched two ballistic missiles overnight.[14] Ukrainian Center for Combatting Disinformation Head Lieutenant Andriy Kovalenko reported that Russian forces continue targeting Ukrainian cities with large drone swarms.[15]
Operational information as of 22:00 on 16.07.2025 regarding the Russian invasion A total of 112 combat engagements have taken place since the beginning of this day. Ukrainian defenders are resolutely repelling the enemy's attempts to advance deep into our territory, inflicting fire on them. Today, Russian troops launched one missile and 46 air strikes, using one missile and dropping 63 guided aerial bombs. In addition, they used 1,292 kamikaze drones and fired 4,140 times at Ukrainian troops' positions and localities. In the North Slobozhansky and Kursk sectors, Ukrainian troops repelled 11 occupants' assault attacks since the beginning of the day, three firefights are still ongoing.
In the South-Slobozhansky sector, the enemy stormed the positions of our units ten times in the areas of Vovchansk, Zelenyi, Stroyivka and towards Kudiyivka, three firefights are still ongoing.
In the Kupyansk sector, the aggressor conducted offensive actions in the vicinity of Sinkivka and Zahryzove. Ukrainian defenders stopped two enemy attacks.
In the Liman sector, Russian invaders attacked the positions of the Defense Forces 16 times near the settlements of Novyi Mir, Nadiia, Karpivka, Kolodyazi, Zelena Dolyna, Torske and towards Serebryanka, three firefights are ongoing.
Three enemy attacks were repelled by Ukrainian troops in the Siversky sector - the occupants tried to advance in the area of Hryhorivka and towards Vyymka.
In the Kramatorsk sector, the enemy stormed our positions three times in the areas of Orikhovo-Vasylivka and towards Bila Hora.
In the Toretsk sector, Russians attacked the positions of Ukrainian troops six times in the areas of Nelipivka, Toretsk, Rusyn Yar and Oleksandr-Kalynove. Defense forces stopped five enemy attacks, and the battle continues.
In the Pokrovsk sector, the occupants have tried to advance to the positions of Ukrainian troops 36 times since the beginning of the day. The enemy attacked in the areas of Poltavka, Novoekonomichne, Myroliubivka, Lysivka, Novoukrainka, Zvirove, Kotlyne, Udachne, Muravka and Oleksiivka. Four firefights are still ongoing. Enemy aircraft attacked Dobropillia.
According to preliminary data, 207 occupants were neutralized in this area today, 129 of them were eliminated irrevocably. Ukrainian troops also destroyed a tank, three cars, 11 motorcycles, 32 UAVs, a mortar and a UAV control antenna; a tank, a mortar, four guns, three shelters for personnel and an occupant's UAV control center were damaged.
In the Novopavlivka sector, the enemy tried to break through the defense of our defenders 12 times in the areas of Piddubne, Myrne, Vilne Pole and Zelene Pole. Two firefights are still ongoing.
There were no major changes in other areas. Today, it is worth noting the soldiers of the 105th separate territorial defense brigade and the 34th separate coastal defense brigade, who are effectively destroying the enemy.
Key takeaways:
Russia may use the deployment of 50 Laotian military engineers to Kursk Oblast to symbolize growing international support for its war in Ukraine.
The United States sanctioned 18 Hong Kong-based companies that facilitate the sale of Iranian oil to entities abroad, including private PRC-based refineries that are the largest buyers of Iranian oil.
Russia is encouraging Iran to concede its uranium enrichment in US-Iranian nuclear talks, likely because Russia recognizes that zero Iranian enrichment can serve Russian interests.
Russia is offering to mediate potential future North Korean–South Korean talks in order to repair its reputation with Indo-Pacific partners, but such talks are unlikely in the near-to-medium term.
Russia is discussing media cooperation with the PRC in a continuing effort to coordinate messaging on key interest areas and to increase the reach of Russia’s propaganda.
Defense and Military-Technical Cooperation
Russia may be coordinating the deployment of a Laotian military unit for demining operations in Kursk Oblast, which would make Laos the second foreign country after North Korea to directly send military personnel to aid Russia in a combat zone. Ukraine’s Main Military Intelligence Directorate (GUR) reported on July 5 that Russia has recruited a 50-person engineering unit of the Laotian People’s Army to conduct demining operations in Russia’s Kursk Oblast under the pretext of providing humanitarian aid. GUR reported that Laos agreed to support Russia due to its heavy dependence on foreign aid. [1] Laotian officials denied the GUR report on July 10 and claimed that Laos has no policy of sending military personnel to intervene in foreign conflicts. [2] Russia may be interested in using the alleged Laotian deployment to symbolize growing international support for its invasion of Ukraine, as 50 personnel are unlikely to make a significant difference to the war effort. Russia and North Korea previously denied North Korea’s military deployments to Kursk until April 2025, but now speak openly about North Korean troops’ role in the defense of Kursk Oblast. [3] Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov publicly thanked Laos on June 26 for its assistance in “resolving humanitarian issues,” including providing medical care to wounded Russian soldiers on Laotian territory. [4] This is a service that Russia also publicly acknowledged North Korea was providing in February 2025, two months before admitting North Korean participation in military operations in Kursk. [5] Russia and Laos have previously cooperated on military demining operations within Laos under the label of humanitarian aid. [6] Laos may be seeking greater economic cooperation with Russia to diversify its international partnerships away from the PRC, which owns half of Laos’s debt after financing a series of expensive infrastructure projects in the country. [7] Laotian president Thongloun Sisoulith said in 2022 that Laos was trying to diversify its partners because “relying on only one country’s [the PRC’s] resources is not enough.” [8]
understandingwar.org/...
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