First Move  ·  Ukraine–Russia  · 
From the front — Thursday morning, 23 July

Massive Overnight Air Attacks Strike Ukraine and Russia; Top Diplomats Meet in Manila

Ukrainian and Russian forces launched extensive drone and missile attacks, while their foreign ministers discussed the war's end and Western aid in the Philippines.

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The day on the war

Both Ukraine and Russia reported significant overnight air attacks on July 22-23. Russian forces targeted Ukraine with one ballistic missile, five Kh-59/69 air-to-surface missiles, and 168 drones.

Ukrainian air defenses claimed to have intercepted 156 aerial assets, but missile and drone strikes were recorded at nine locations, including near Odesa, causing damage to infrastructure, an office building, cars, and houses, though no casualties were reported. Concurrently, Ukraine launched a wave of long-range drone strikes across Russian territory, with explosions reported over Voronezh.

These strikes primarily targeted multiple oil and energy facilities, indicating a continued focus on disrupting Russian infrastructure. The intensified air campaign on both sides underscores the ongoing nature of the conflict, even as diplomatic discussions took place.

Along the front

SectorDevelopmentSource
OverallRussia has lost approximately 1,460 personnel over the past day.UA General Staff

Strikes & the grid

Nine locations across Ukraine, including Odesa

What: Russian forces launched one ballistic missile, five Kh-59/69 air-to-surface missiles, and 168 drones.

Toll: Ukrainian air defenses downed 156 aerial assets; hits recorded at nine locations, damaging infrastructure, an office building, cars, and houses. No casualties reported.

Multiple Russian regions, including Voronezh

What: Ukraine launched a wave of long-range drone strikes targeting oil and energy facilities.

Toll: Explosions reported over Voronezh, with attacks targeting multiple oil facilities and pipeline infrastructure.

Diplomacy & talks

US-Russia Bilateral. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov met in Manila. Lavrov stated that continued Western arms supplies to Ukraine were 'unacceptable' to Moscow, while Rubio emphasized the need to end the war.

Aid & sanctions

United States (Senators)

Measure: Proposed legislation (SABER Act)

Detail: A bipartisan group of senators introduced the Seized Assets for Battlefield Equipment and Readiness (SABER) Act, which would allow frozen Russian assets under U.S. control to be used for purchasing military equipment for Ukraine.

What we'll be watching next 72h

Reporting + analyst voices: grounded via Google Search at publish time.