The Daily BriefEvening Briefing · Friday 31 July 2026 · 10:30 BST
Evening Briefing · Friday 31 July 2026

Russia and Ukraine Trade Deadly Strikes

Russia and Ukraine exchanged fresh strikes on Friday, with each side reporting casualties, as the war ground on with no sign of the diplomacy that briefly seemed possible this week. The renewed attacks came a day after a Russian missile strayed into NATO member Poland, an incident that had raised fears of the war spreading. Both sides reported civilian deaths and damage.

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The exchanges followed a week in which President Zelensky had pressed allies in Washington for more air defences, warning that Ukrainian cities remained exposed to Russia’s nightly barrages. Kyiv has kept up its own strikes on Russian refineries and military sites, seeking to raise the cost of the war for Moscow. Casualty figures from both sides could not be independently verified. With winter and its energy war on the horizon, neither side showed any appetite to relent. Watch whether the Poland incident hardens Western support.

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