The Ukrainian Air Force reported that Russian forces launched 322 Shahed and decoy drones from the directions of Bryansk, Kursk, and Oryol cities; Millerovo, Rostov Oblast; Primorsko-Akhtarsk, Krasnodar Krai; and Shatalovo, Smolensk Oblast.[73] The Ukrainian Air Force reported that Ukrainian forces shot down 157 drones and that 135 were ”lost” or suppressed by Ukrainian electronic warfare (EW) systems. The Ukrainian Air Force reported that Russian drones primarily targeted Starokostyantyniv, Khmelnytskyi Oblast. Ukrainian officials reported that Russian drones struck residential, civilian, and energy infrastructure in Dnipropetrovsk, Kharkiv, and Khmelnytskyi oblasts.[74]
Ukraine's Security Service (SBU) reported on July 4 that Russia is using Chinese-made mounts in recently-launched Russian Shahed-type drones to support catapult launches.[75] Ukrainian military-focused outlet Militarnyi reported that Russian forces use catapults to deploy large numbers of drones more efficiently.[76] The People's Republic of China's (PRC) willingness to manufacture and sell drone components to the Russian military indicates deeper military cooperation amid the PRC's increasingly evident role in Russia's war in Ukraine.
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Ukrainian Air Force reported that Ukrainian forces shot down 157 drones and that 135 were ”lost” or suppressed by Ukrainian electronic warfare (EW) systems
**General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine**
*Operational information as of 22:00 05.07.2025 on the Russian invasion*
A total of 170 combat engagements have taken place since the beginning of this day. Ukrainian defenders are resolutely repelling the enemy's attempts to advance deep into our territory, inflicting fire on them.
Today, Russian troops conducted one missile and 51 air strikes, using two missiles and dropping 92 guided aerial bombs. In addition, they used 1376 kamikaze drones and fired 4805 times at Ukrainian troops' positions and localities.
- Since the beginning of the day, Ukrainian troops have repelled 21 occupants' assault attacks in the North Slobozhansky and Kursk sectors. In addition, the enemy carried out seven air strikes, dropping 18 guided bombs, and fired 256 times at the positions of our troops and localities, including six times from multiple launch rocket systems.
- In the South-Slobozhansky sector, the enemy stormed the positions of our units three times in the areas of Vovchansk and in the direction of Ambarne. Vovchanske Khutory, Okhrimivka, Zybine, Prykolotne and Khatne came under air strikes.
- In the Kupyansk sector, the aggressor conducted offensive actions in the areas of Holubivka, Kindrashivka, Kolodyazi, Zahryzove, Zelenyi Hai and in the direction of Kupyansk. Ukrainian defenders stopped eight enemy attacks.
- In the Lyman sector, Russian invaders attacked the positions of the Defense Forces 33 times near the settlements of Novoyehorivka, Hrekivka, Karpivka, Zelena Dolyna, Novyi Mir, Ridkodub, Myrne, Torske, and Hryhorivka.
- Four enemy attacks were repelled by Ukrainian defenders in the Siverskyi sector - the occupants tried to advance in the areas of Verkhnekamianske, Hryhorivka and Ivan-Daryivka, and another attack is ongoing.
In the Kramatorsk sector, our troops repelled five enemy attacks in the areas of Bila Hora, Chasovyi Yar and Stupochky.
- In the Toretsk sector, the Russians attacked the positions of Ukrainian troops six times in the areas of Toretsk, Diliyivka, Rusyn Yar and in the direction of Bila Hora. Ukrainian defense forces stopped all enemy attacks.
- In the Pokrovsk sector, since the beginning of the day, the occupants have tried to advance 51 times to the positions of Ukrainian troops. The enemy attacked in the areas of Poltavka, Malynivka, Novoekonomichne, Myroliubivka, Promin, Lysivka, Shevchenko, Razine, Horikhove, Dachne, Zvirove, Udachne, Novosergiivka, Muravka, Novopavlivka, Oleksiivka and in the directions of Volodymyrivka, Serhiivka, Filiya and Pokrovsk. The enemy launched air strikes on Pokrovsk and Sukhyi Yar.
According to preliminary data, 135 occupants were neutralized in this sector today, 85 of them were irretrievably wounded. Ukrainian troops also destroyed one armored combat vehicle, three cars, five motorcycles, seven UAVs, and damaged one car, two motorcycles and one enemy UAV antenna.
- In the Novopavlivka sector, the enemy tried to break through the defense of our troops 15 times in the areas of Zirka, Tolstoy, Voskresenka, Zaporizhzhia, Shevchenko and Novopil. Two firefights are still ongoing.
- In the Huliaipil sector, the enemy attacked our positions eight times in the vicinity of Malynivka. Four combat engagements are still ongoing. The enemy attacked Bilohirya with unguided aerial missiles.
- In the Orikhivsk sector, the aggressor attacked Ukrainian positions five times near Kamianske.
- In the Prydniprovsky sector, Ukrainian troops repelled one attack by the occupants. Olhivka came under an air strike.
- The situation in the other sectors remained unchanged.
**Today, it is worth mentioning the soldiers of the 2nd Regiment of the National Guard of Ukraine and the 39th Separate Coastal Defense Brigade, who are effectively destroying the enemy, causing significant losses in manpower and equipment.**
Glory to the Ukrainian defenders!
Glory to Ukraine!
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Further Russian advances toward Dobropillya would indicate that Russian forces are placing a tactical prioritization on advancing west of Ukraine's fortress belt — a series of fortified cities that form the backbone of Ukraine’s defensive positions — and forcing Ukrainian forces to withdraw from the fortress belt under pressure of envelopment rather than conduct a head-on assault against the fortress belt. Russian forces have thus far struggled to break out of Toretsk and make significant advances from Chasiv Yar or north of the Kleban Byk Reservoir (northwest of Toretsk), which has likely complicated the Russian military command's original plan for an operation against Kostyantynivka (northwest of Toretsk) and the wider fortress belt. The Russian military command may be adjusting its plan, and Russian forces may attempt to create a salient in the fields and small settlements between Dobropillya and Kostyantynivka in order to bypass the fortress belt from the west. Russian forces would likely have to cross the Kazenyi Torets River in several places and would have to be able to sufficiently supply troops on the west (right) bank in order to maintain such a salient. Russian forces would likely also have to seize the settlements along the Pokrovsk-Oleksandrivka (north of Dobropillya) line in order to fully interdict Ukrainian ground lines of communication (GLOCs) to the fortress belt. It is unclear whether the Russian Central Grouping of Forces, which is currently in charge of activity in the Pokrovsk direction, is capable of conducting such an operation with the degraded forces currently at its disposal. Russian forces are likely reaching higher levels of exhaustion and degradation after well over a year of intensified offensive operations in the Pokrovsk direction. Such an operation would likely be a multi-year effort with significant personnel losses and hard-fought gains, although Russian forces have proven willing to undertake such long-term operations.[11]
