Ukraine targets Moscow with drones after huge Russian attack on Kyiv – Europe live
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
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.
