Russia drops record number of glide bombs on Ukraine as casualties pile up

What the report says

Al Jazeera reports that Russia intensified its war effort in Ukraine in July, using a record number of glide bombs and a record monthly tally of missiles while Kyiv said Russian losses also rose sharply. Ukraine’s General Staff claimed Moscow’s forces suffered 42,800 casualties in July, which, if correct, would be the highest monthly figure Kyiv has estimated this year. Al Jazeera said it could not independently verify either side’s casualty claims.

The article says Russia launched 8,300 glide bombs in July, the most in any month since the war began, and fired 376 missiles, including 120 ballistic missiles. Ukrainian officials say the attacks have strained Kyiv’s air defenses, especially its Patriot interceptors, which are among the few systems effective against ballistic missiles. The report also notes that Russian battlefield gains appear to have slowed, with the Institute for the Study of War estimating limited territorial control changes in July.

On the Ukrainian side, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy renewed a long-range air campaign on August 4 after describing its first 40 days as successful. According to Ukrainian officials cited by Al Jazeera, the strikes targeted refineries, depots, airfields and other military-linked sites inside Russia and in occupied areas. The campaign has also affected occupied Crimea, where officials reported outages and fuel shortages. The broader significance, as presented in the report, is that both sides are escalating attacks on each other’s military and energy infrastructure while the war enters its fifth year.