Russia, Ukraine trade fresh drone attacks as Kiev replaces top military commander

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Russia, Ukraine trade fresh drone attacks as Kiev replaces top military commander

2026-07-22 12:56 Last Updated At：15:37

Russia and Ukraine on Tuesday traded fresh drone attacks overnight, while Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced a new commander-in-chief of the country's armed forces amid a military leadership reshuffle.

Russia's Defense Ministry said in its latest report that its air defense systems intercepted and destroyed 209 Ukrainian fixed-wing drones over the Moscow region and other parts of the country, as well as over Crimea, the Sea of Azov and the Black Sea.

Acting Governor of Russia's Belgorod Region Alexander Shuvaev said Ukrainian attacks over the past 24 hours had killed nine people and injured 77 others in the border region.

Meanwhile, the Ukrainian Air Force said that Russia launched 58 attack drones from 18:00 local time Monday. According to preliminary data, Ukraine's air defense forces shot down or electronically suppressed 46 drones over the country's northern, southern and eastern regions.

Oleh Hryhorov, head of the Sumy Regional Military Administration, said a Russian drone strike injured six people.

Also on Tuesday,Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that repeated statements by the European Union and NATO members expressing willingness to deploy troops to Ukraine were "absolutely unacceptable" to Russia.

Peskov said one of the reasons for Russia's 'special military operation was to prevent foreign troops from entering Ukrainian territory.

He also said that the Russian forces would continue striking vessels transporting equipment, weapons and other military supplies to Ukraine.

Later on Tuesday, Zelensky announced in a video address the appointment of Mykhailo Drapatyi as commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine following days of protests in the country.

Drapatyi joined the Ukrainian military in 2004 and previously served as commander of the Ukrainian Ground Forces and commander of the Joint Forces Grouping.

The appointment came after Ukrainian media, citing lawmakers in the Verkhovna Rada, reported that Zelensky had dismissed Oleksandr Syrskyi from the post.

On July 15, then Ukrainian Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov announced his resignation. He later accused Syrskyi of obstructing military reforms and refusing to openly address problems within the armed forces.

Fedorov's resignation has triggered several days of protests in Ukraine.

Japanese yen falls to 39-year low amid Middle East tensions

The Japanese yen hit 163 against the U.S. dollar in New York on Tuesday, a level unseen since December 1986, as investors sought the greenback as a safe asset amid escalating tensions in the Middle East.

The yen's slide has driven up import costs from energy to food, hitting Japan's resource‑dependent economy and millions of households.

Analysts warn that renewed hostilities in the Middle East could disrupt vital energy shipping routes and send global oil prices surging. For Japan, which relies heavily on imported fossil fuels, higher crude costs would swell the trade deficit and prompt investors to sell yen for dollars in anticipation of a worsening current account balance. Meanwhile, domestic factors are adding to the yen's weakness. The wide interest rate gap between Japan and major Western economies remains a drag, while markets expect Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's administration to press ahead with its "proactive fiscal policy," easing budget discipline. Traders see that stance as a signal for further yen depreciation.

At its lowest in nearly four decades, the yen is fueling expectations of fresh intervention by Japan's government and central bank.