16 hours ago
16
Morning opening: Ukraine sends drones to Moscow after one of largest attacks on Kyiv of the war
Ukraine targeted Moscow with 400 drones overnight, wounding two people and setting buildings ablaze, Russian officials said and Reuters reported, a day after Russia carried out one of the largest ballistic missile attacks on Kyiv of the full-scale war.
Kyiv has in recent months intensified its strikes on Russian territory, describing them as retribution for more than four years of bombardments against its territory, AFP noted.
Elsewhere, I will be looking at updates from Hungary, after the country’s outgoing president and Viktor Orbán loyalist Tamás Sulyok has agreed to stand down amid pressure from the new government of Péter Magyar, and from Germany, where a resignation of a senior ruling centre-right party politician gives Friedrich Merz a chance to reshuffle his struggling government.
I will bring you all the latest from across the continent here.
Furthermore, we will obviously keep an eye the events from the UK where Andy Burnham is set to take over as the British prime minister from Keir Starmer. I will point you to our UK politics blog before the key moment of the day, so you won’t miss a thing.
It’s Monday, 20th July 2026, it’s Jakub Krupa here, and this is Europe Live.
Good morning.
Key events
Ukraine’s foreign minister Andrii Sybiha responded to the attack on a Guinea-Bissau flagged ship (9:42) last night, saying:
“Upon prime minister @KoretskyiUA’s instructions, @MFA_Ukraine is already informing the International Maritime Organization and our international partners about Russia’s latest attacks on civilian shipping, as well as the governments of the states whose citizens were killed or injured.
During president @ZelenskyyUa‘s recent visit to London, I discussed this issue with the IMO leadership and called for the deployment of an international monitoring mission to Ukraine’s ports. We expect this mission to begin its work as planned in the fall and help document every act of Russia’s maritime terror, paving the way for accountability.”
We are getting more pictures coming through on agencies showing the aftermath of the Ukrainian drone strikes near Moscow.
Zelenskyy to hold 'key talks' on defusing political crisis triggered by defence minister's sacking
Meanwhile, Ukraine’s Zelenskyy said he would hold “key talks” today as he tries to defuse a domestic political crisis after last week’s government reshuffle exposed a deep split between the military’s old guard and young innovators over how to fight the war, Reuters reported.
Zelenskyy needs to reassure Ukrainians that sacrificing 35-year-old Mykhailo Fedorov as defence minister and keeping faith with 60-year-old Soviet-trained Gen Oleksandr Syrskyi as armed forces chief won’t derail the fight against Russia amid street protests against the decision.
Here is Luke Harding in Kyiv, explaining the background to these protests:
10 injured in Ukrainian strikes on Moscow overnight
Meanwhile, 10 people were reported injured in Ukraine’s strikes on Moscow overnight.
In a statement on Telegram, Moscow region governor Andrei Vorobyov said that seven people, including three Chinese nationals, had been wounded in a drone attack on the town of Domodedovo, close to one of Moscow’s main airports, Reuters reported.
The mayor of Domodedovo, Yevgeniya Khrustaleva, said in a statement on Telegram that a fire had broken out at a local industrial park, and that a residential building had also been struck.
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Kyiv had struck logistical facilities and an oil depot in the region of the Russian capital.
He said:
“Our long-range sanctions have produced results against logistics facilities and an oil depot. … The targets were more than 400 kilometers from our border. Two shadow fleet tankers and four cargo ships were also struck in the Black Sea.
We are responding, justly, to every Russian strike against our cities and communities. This war must be brought to an end, and that is only possible by increasing the pressure on the sole cause of this war – Russia.”
Andrew Sparrow
By the way, our UK politics live blog is now live with Andrew Sparrow guiding you through the day as Andy Burnham is set to take over as the British PM from Keir Starmer.
You can read it all below – but stay here for updates from across Europe.
Russia sees Baltics, Poland as 'nearest targets' as it looks for 'a new escalation,' Lithuania's defence minister warns
Russia sees the Baltic countires and Poland as their “nearest targets” as they look for “a new escalation” amid stalling war in Ukraine, Lithuania’s defence minister warned.
Speaking to public broadcaster LRT, Robertas Kaunas said:
“Since the war in Ukraine is not unfolding as Russia planned, they are unable to win, and today explosions are echoing within Russia itself, there are fuel shortages [...] Russian society is already questioning the Kremlin regime about why this is happening and where the promised victory is.
The Kremlin, [Vladimir] Putin, needs a new escalation, some kind of new win, and the Baltic region and Poland are the nearest target in this case.”
His comments come amid repeated warnings from Lithuanian, Latvian (Europe Live, 15th July), and Polish leaders about a potential escalation by Russia as it struggles to make progress in its war against Ukraine.
Russian strikes have killed 28 people in Ukraine’s southern Odesa region in July, the regional governor said on Monday, as reported by Reuters.
“If you take since the beginning of July, the Odesa region was under constant daily shelling. There were days when 13-15 air raid alerts had been announced in the region,” Oleh Kiper told Ukrainian television.
10 killed in Russian strikes on merchant ship near Ukraine's Odesa
Luke Harding
in Kyiv
Ten people were killed in a Russian strike near the Ukrainian port city of Odesa on a merchant ship flying the flag of Guinea-Bissau. The vessel loaded with grain set off on Sunday. On board were 17 crew members – citizens of Syria and India – as well as a local Ukrainian pilot.
“The search and rescue operation lasted all night. The fire on the ship was brought under control. Eight crew members were rescued and brought ashore. Unfortunately, 10 people including the pilot, died,” the Ukrainian Sea Ports Authority said.
In recent weeks Ukrainian drone forces have hit at least 118 Russian-linked vessels in the Sea of Azov, and a further 54 ships in the neighbouring Black Sea. The campaign has effectively closed down a major Russian commercial route used to export grain and other products, as well as for military purposes. Kyiv’s goal is to isolate Crimea.
Russia has bombed Odesa since the start of Vladimir Putin’s full-scale 2022 invasion. It now appears to be copying Ukrainian tactics.
Morning opening: Ukraine sends drones to Moscow after one of largest attacks on Kyiv of the war
Ukraine targeted Moscow with 400 drones overnight, wounding two people and setting buildings ablaze, Russian officials said and Reuters reported, a day after Russia carried out one of the largest ballistic missile attacks on Kyiv of the full-scale war.
Kyiv has in recent months intensified its strikes on Russian territory, describing them as retribution for more than four years of bombardments against its territory, AFP noted.
Elsewhere, I will be looking at updates from Hungary, after the country’s outgoing president and Viktor Orbán loyalist Tamás Sulyok has agreed to stand down amid pressure from the new government of Péter Magyar, and from Germany, where a resignation of a senior ruling centre-right party politician gives Friedrich Merz a chance to reshuffle his struggling government.
I will bring you all the latest from across the continent here.
Furthermore, we will obviously keep an eye the events from the UK where Andy Burnham is set to take over as the British prime minister from Keir Starmer. I will point you to our UK politics blog before the key moment of the day, so you won’t miss a thing.
It’s Monday, 20th July 2026, it’s Jakub Krupa here, and this is Europe Live.
Good morning.
