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🔴 Breaking ❓ Unknown

Continued Night Attacks by Russia; Ukrainian Army: We Shot Down Dozens of Russian Drones

Jul 20, 2026 July 20, 2026 3 min read 📰 VOA Persian
📋 Key Takeaway

Ukraine reported that it shot down 38 out of 42 Russian drones during a night attack that targeted multiple regions. The Kremlin rejected an arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court for two Russian commanders accused of war crimes. This situation highlights the ongoing conflict and international responses, particularly from the U.S. and its allies.

🔍 Quick Context Guide
💡 Bottom Line: The conflict continues to escalate with significant military actions from both sides.

👥 Key Players

Serhii Lysak QUOTED
Governor of Dnipropetrovsk region
"one of the power transmission lines was damaged, but said that no one was hurt in this attack."
Volodymyr Zelensky QUOTED
President of Ukraine
"Every Russian commander who orders attacks on Ukrainian civilians and critical infrastructure must know that justice will be served."
Karim Khan QUOTED
Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court
"All wars have rules. And compliance with them is mandatory for everyone without exception."
Roman Starovoyt QUOTED
Governor of Kursk region
"this attack on the Mikhailovsky GOK iron ore plant caused a fire, but no one was injured as a result."
Vladimir Putin ACCUSED
President of Russia
"the Kremlin on Wednesday rejected the arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court"
Joe Biden QUOTED
President of the United States
"American leadership, American allies, and American values make the world stable and keep the United States safe."

⚡ Actions

Russia ATTACK Ukraine
"Russia targeted eight regions of Ukraine in its latest round of night attacks with 42 drones and 5 missiles."
Confidence: 90%
Ukrainian army INTERCEPT Russian drones
"the country's air defense intercepted and shot down 38 of these 42 drones"
Confidence: 90%
Ukraine ATTACK Russia's fuel facilities
"two Ukrainian drones attacked the fuel facilities of one of Russia's largest iron ore plants."
Confidence: 90%

📰 What Happened

Ukraine shot down Russian drones while Russia reported Ukrainian drone attacks on its facilities.

  • Russia attack Ukraine
  • Ukrainian army intercept Russian drones
  • Ukraine attack Russia's fuel facilities

💡 Why It Matters

🇮🇷 For Iran: Because Iran may be monitoring the conflict for geopolitical leverage.
🌍 Regional: Because the conflict impacts regional stability and security dynamics.
🌐 International: Because the international community is involved in supporting Ukraine against Russian aggression.

📚 Background

The conflict continues to escalate with significant military actions from both sides.

📝 Key Evidence

"All wars have rules. And compliance with them is mandatory for everyone without exception."
→ This proves the importance of accountability in warfare.
📡 Source: INTERNATIONAL
📊 Confidence: 90%
VOA Persian is generally considered a reliable source for international news.

Ukraine announced on Wednesday that Russia targeted eight regions of Ukraine in its latest round of night attacks with 42 drones and 5 missiles. According to the Ukrainian army, the country's air defense intercepted and shot down 38 of these 42 drones over the regions of Dnipropetrovsk, Odesa, Kherson, Khmelnytskyi, Cherkasy, Kharkiv, Vinnytsia, and Sumy. The Attorney General of Ukraine also reported that seven people were injured in Sumy. Serhii Lysak, the governor of Dnipropetrovsk region, stated that one of the power transmission lines was damaged, but said that no one was hurt in this attack. Russian officials also reported that on Wednesday, two Ukrainian drones attacked the fuel facilities of one of Russia's largest iron ore plants. Roman Starovoyt, the governor of Kursk region, mentioned that this attack on the Mikhailovsky GOK iron ore plant caused a fire, but no one was injured as a result. The Russian Ministry of Defense announced on Wednesday that it had neutralized two Ukrainian drone attacks over the Voronezh and Belgorod regions in western Russia. On the other hand, the Kremlin on Wednesday rejected the arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court for two senior Russian commanders for committing war crimes in Ukraine, stating that it does not recognize this warrant. The warrants were issued for Sergei Ivanovich Kobylash, the commander of the Russian Aerospace Forces, and Viktor Kinolavich Sokolov, the commander of the Black Sea Fleet. Karim Khan, the prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, stated regarding these warrants: 'All wars have rules. And compliance with them is mandatory for everyone without exception.' Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky welcomed the issuance of this warrant in his evening speech, thanking 'all officials who are investigating Russian war crimes.' Zelensky wrote on social media platform X: 'Every Russian commander who orders attacks on Ukrainian civilians and critical infrastructure must know that justice will be served. Perpetrators of such crimes must know that they will be held accountable.' The United States and its Western partners have been among the largest military aid donors to Ukraine, providing billions of dollars in military assistance since the beginning of Russia's invasion of Ukraine in March 2022. Recently, U.S. President Joe Biden referred to support for Israel and Ukraine as a national security necessity and a critical moment for the future of American leadership and democracies worldwide, adding: 'American leadership, American allies, and American values make the world stable and keep the United States safe, and if America does not support Ukraine or Israel, it jeopardizes these values.'

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Translated from the original and edited for English readers. View original source →

Translation confidence: 85%

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