Ukraine war latest: Kyiv strikes Russian fighter jet, air defenses in Kursk Oblast, General staff says

Key developments on July 21:

• Ukraine strikes Russian fighter jet, air defense system in Kursk Oblast, General Staff says
• Fires break out in Russia's Lipetsk amid reported overnight attack
• Zelensky's office welcomes pro-Trump influencer Laura Loomer's visit to Ukraine
• Russian attacks kill at least 10, injure 87 over past day, heavily damaging residential areas across Ukraine

A Russian MiG-29 fighter jet and a Pantsir-S1 air defense system were struck at the Khalino airfield in Russia's Kursk Oblast, Ukraine's General Staff said on July 21. The operation was carried out by Ukraine's 15th Artillery Reconnaissance Brigade "Black Forest."

The strikes aim to weaken Russia's ability to protect military sites from Ukrainian attacks and is part of Ukraine's broader effort to undermine Moscow's capacity to continue its war, the General Staff said.

The Pantsir-S1 is one of Russia's key modern air defense systems. It is used to protect military sites and counter Ukrainian long-range drones. A single system is estimated to cost between $15 million and $20 million, according to the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU).

The MiG-29 is used for air defense and other combat missions.

In February, the SBU said its Alpha unit had destroyed half of Russia's stockpile of Pantsir systems.

Ukraine also struck several other Russian military targets overnight on July 21, the General Staff said.

A Bussol-S radar station was hit near Khorly in occupied Kherson Oblast. The radar is used to detect and track targets at sea and supports Russian coastal and naval forces.

Ukrainian forces also struck a Russian logistics warehouse near Davydovske in Donetsk Oblast, an ammunition depot in Kundriuche in Luhansk Oblast, and another logistics site near Popovo-Lezhachi in Russia's Kursk Oblast.

Russian drone command posts were also hit near Komar in Donetsk Oblast, Kamianske in Zaporizhzhia Oblast, and the village of Zaporizhzhia in Donetsk Oblast.

"Ukraine's Defense Forces will continue to systematically carry out measures aimed at ending Russia's armed aggression," the General Staff said.

Fires break out in Russia's Lipetsk amid reported overnight attack

Fires broke out at industrial facilities in the western Russian city of Lipetsk overnight on July 21 amid unconfirmed reports of an attack.

Independent monitoring channels Astra and Exilenova reported that residents heard explosions overnight and saw a large fire in the city. A missile alert had been in effect since the evening.

Lipetsk Regional Governor Igor Artamonov said a fire had broken out at industrial facilities in the city and that authorities were investigating its cause. He did not confirm that an attack had taken place.

Based on videos and photos shared by local residents, Astra said the fire appeared to have broken out near the Novolipetsk Steel (NLMK) plant and Lipetsk CHPP-2, a combined heat and power plant.

NLMK, located about 400 kilometers (250 miles) from the Russia-Ukraine border, is Russia's largest steel producer, accounting for roughly 20% of the country's steel output. According to Astra, the plant supplies steel to companies involved in missile manufacturing.

Lipetsk CHPP-2 is one of the largest thermal power plants in western Russia, supplying heat to the city and several nearby industrial facilities.

Russia claimed its forces shot down 209 Ukrainian drones overnight over Russia, occupied Crimea, the Black Sea, and the Sea of Azov.

No casualties or additional damage were immediately reported by Russian authorities.

Zelensky's office welcomes pro-Trump influencer Laura Loomer's visit to Ukraine

Ukraine's Presidential Office on July 21 welcomed U.S. social media influencer Laura Loomer's visit to the country, saying firsthand experience is the best antidote to Russian propaganda.

"It is really important that Laura Loomer is in Ukraine and sees things with her own eyes as they are," Zelensky's office said on X a day after Loomer confirmed her visit.

In her post on X, Loomer, an ally of U.S. President Donald Trump, acknowledged that her earlier views on Ukraine were influenced by Russian propaganda, explaining her visit as a chance to verify facts on the ground.

The visit underscores a growing rift in the MAGA movement regarding the war in Ukraine.

Trump has often been critical of President Volodymyr Zelensky, ending nearly all U.S. military aid while restarting diplomatic outreach to Moscow.

In recent weeks, however, he adopted a more pro-Ukraine posture, most notably by agreeing that Kyiv could produce Patriot missiles to defend itself against Russian attacks.

His shifting stance is mirrored by Loomer, who posted on July 20 that she "was living in a media echo chamber."

Previously, Loomer promoted a conspiracy theory that the CIA was trying to stage a coup to oust Russian President Vladimir Putin, compared Ukraine to Nazis, and railed against Republican politicians for taking positions more sympathetic to Ukraine.

Since then, her position on Ukraine has flipped, and she has been increasingly sparring online with U.S. far-right personalities who echo Kremlin talking points, such as Tucker Carlson and Candace Owens.

"I did say these things about Ukraine and Zelensky, and I am not deleting my posts because I've realized I was wrong," Loomer said.

Loomer said she is "going to try to find evidence for the propaganda I've been fed, and if I don't find it, I will let everyone know so they too can come to see the light."

She mentioned that she has seen evidence of several atrocities, including "dead priests in Bucha murdered by Russia" and a mass grave of murdered Christians "after Russia sent forces from Chechnya to massacre innocent people."

Russian attacks kill at least 10, injure 87 over past day, heavily damaging residential areas across Ukraine

Russian attacks across seven Ukrainian oblasts killed at least 10 people and injured 87 others over the past day, as Moscow continued to strike residential areas and other civilian sites.

Ukraine’s Air Force said Russia launched 58 drones overnight. Ukrainian air defenses shot down or suppressed 46 targets, while eight drones struck seven locations.

The city of Sumy came under repeated Russian strikes, reflecting Moscow's growing use of double-tap attacks, which cause further destruction and put both civilians and rescuers at risk.

A Russian drone first struck near a residential building, injuring four people, including an 8-year-old girl and a 16-year-old boy. Two more strikes then hit the same district. A large fire broke out at a shopping center, but rescuers were unable to extinguish it because of the ongoing aerial threat. The shopping center was ultimately destroyed.

"The scale of the destruction is significant. But human lives are the most valuable thing, and protecting them must remain our top priority," local authorities said.

Overall, ten people were injured in a Russian attacks on Sumy Oblast, local authorities said.

Four people were killed and 13 others were injured in Russian attacks on Donetsk Oblast, Governor Vadym Filashkin said.

Three people were killed and eight others were injured in a Russian attack on a civilian factory in Odesa Oblast, local authorities said.

Russian forces killed two people and injured 15 others, including a 13-year-old child, in their attacks on Kharkiv Oblast, Governor Oleh Syniehubov said.

One person was killed and 16 others were injured in Russian attacks on Zaporizhzhia Oblast, local authorities said.

Russian attacks on Kherson Oblast injured 23 people, including one child, local authorities said. One man was wounded later in the morning. He suffered shrapnel wounds to his arms and legs, a concussion, blast trauma, and a closed head injury.

Two people were injured in Russian attacks on Chernihiv Oblast, local authorities said. Russian forces struck a residential area, while debris from a downed drone also fell on a house.

"A house was hit. They miraculously survived — a mother and her 10-year-old child," Governor Viacheslav Chaus said.

Later in the morning, Russian forces attacked the center of Chernihiv. The strike hit an administrative building, causing significant damage. A nearby university building was also damaged.