Ukraine war latest: Ukraine intercepted 29 of 195 Russian ballistic missiles in July as air defense shortages deepen, ministry says

Key developments on Aug. 7:

• Ukraine intercepted 29 out of 195 Russian ballistic missiles in July as air defense shortages worsen, Defense Ministry says
• 60% of Ukrainians oppose ceding Donbas to Russia, but same share back freezing war with security guarantees, poll shows
• Ukraine attacks Wildberries logistics center in Russia located nearly 2,000 km from front line
• One of Ukraine's largest football stadiums damaged in Russian strike on Odesa
• Skelia Assault Regiment troops to be transferred to other units following abuse allegations, media reports

Ukraine intercepted only 29 of the 195 ballistic missiles Russia launched at the country in July as air defenses faced a critical shortage of interceptor missiles, the Defense Ministry said on Aug. 7.

"Ukrainian air defense operated in July under conditions of a critical shortage of interceptor missiles to counter ballistic terror," the ministry said.

The list of ballistic missiles included in the Defense Ministry's report covered Russian Iskander-M and 48N6DM missiles, as well as North Korean KN-23 missiles. The report also covered Zircon missiles, which Russia has presented as hypersonic cruise missiles, though recent analysis suggests they may be capable of a quasi-ballistic flight path.

In addition to the ballistic missiles intercepted by Ukraine, another 40 failed to reach their targets, the ministry added.

Russia also launched 265 cruise missiles, including Kalibr, Iskander-K, and Kh-101 missiles, of which 187 were intercepted by Ukrainian forces.

60% of Ukrainians oppose ceding Donbas to Russia, but same share back freezing war with security guarantees, poll shows

Sixty percent of Ukrainians are opposed to territorial concessions in the Donbas region to Russia, while the same share would be willing to accept a freeze of the war along the current front line in exchange for security guarantees, according to a poll by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology (KIIS).

According to the poll results, 33% of respondents said they would be willing to give up territory in eastern Ukraine, including Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts, though most viewed such a decision as a difficult concession. Another 7% were undecided.

The poll also showed that a majority of Ukrainians do not expect Russia's war against Ukraine to end in the near future.

Forty-five percent of respondents said they believe the war could end no earlier than the second half of 2027, while 21% expect it to end by the end of this year. Another 15% said they expect the war to conclude in the first half of 2027. Another 19% of respondents were undecided on the issue.

The share of Ukrainians willing to endure the war for as long as necessary has also risen to 61%, after falling to 48% in April 2026.

The poll, conducted from July 20 to Aug. 3 and published on Aug. 7, surveyed 974 respondents aged 18 and older living in Ukrainian-controlled territory.

Ukraine attacks Wildberries logistics center in Russia located nearly 2,000 km from front line

Ukrainian forces struck a logistics center belonging to Russian e-commerce giant Wildberries in the city of Yekaterinburg, Russia, on Aug. 7, Russian independent outlet Astra reported.

The first photos and videos emerged on Russian social media around 5 a.m. local time, showing smoke rising from the Wildberries facility.

About an hour earlier, Sverdlovsk Oblast Governor Denis Pasler said the region was under attack by Ukrainian drones, while Russia's Federal Air Transport Agency, Rosaviatsiya, imposed temporary flight restrictions at Koltsovo Airport in Yekaterinburg.

The strike, located about 2,000 kilometers (1,240 miles) from the front line, sparked a large fire, according to the Ukrainian Telegram channel Exilenova+.

Artem Zhoga, the Russian presidential envoy to the Ural Federal District, said no one was injured in the attack and that about 800 people were evacuated from the facility.

Wildberries also confirmed the attack on its facility, saying the fire had been contained and that the processing of new deliveries was temporarily restricted and redirected to other sites.

Pasler said Russian forces had allegedly downed eight drones over the region during the attack, three of which crashed onto the roof of the logistics center. Meanwhile, Russia's Defense Ministry said its air defenses had shot down a total of 203 Ukrainian drones overnight on Aug. 7.

One of Ukraine's largest football stadiums damaged in Russian strike on Odesa

A Russian strike on Odesa on Aug. 7 damaged one of Ukraine's largest football stadiums, home to FC Chornomorets, and injured at least two people, Governor Oleh Kiper said.

The attack occurred at around 3:30 p.m. local time, shortly after Ukraine's Air Force warned that jet-powered drones were approaching Odesa Oblast.

A 29-year-old woman who was at the stadium during the attack was injured. She received medical treatment at the scene, Kiper said.

Around 8 p.m. local time, Kiper said the number of injured had risen to two after a 31-year-old man sought medical treatment. He was hospitalized.

The venue, located in central Odesa near the city's port, suffered significant damage. The roof was partially destroyed, while the glazing and spectator stands were also damaged.

Chornomorets Stadium is one of Ukraine's largest football venues, with a capacity of 34,164 spectators. Before Russia's full-scale invasion, it hosted UEFA competition matches, as well as international fixtures involving Ukraine's national team.

The stadium is now home to the men's FC Chornomorets and the women's SeaSters football club. The facility hosts top-flight matches in both Ukraine's men's and women's football leagues.

It was scheduled to host the next Ukrainian Premier League men's match on Aug. 8. Organizers said the match would be postponed, but did not specify when or where it would be played.

As of July 20, Russian forces had damaged or destroyed 915 sports infrastructure facilities across Ukraine, according to Youth and Sports Ministry.

Russian forces have intensified attacks on Odesa and the surrounding region this summer, coinciding with the peak tourist season, when thousands of visitors travel to the Black Sea coast.

Skelia Assault Regiment troops to be transferred to other units following abuse allegations, media reports

Soldiers from the 425th Separate Assault Regiment "Skelia" are being transferred to other formations following reports of alleged abuse within the unit, Ukrainska Pravda reported on Aug. 7, citing sources in the regiment and Ukraine's Defense Forces.

"Skelia" is one of Ukraine's largest assault formations, with more than 10,000 personnel. The unit expanded rapidly under former Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi, receiving a disproportionate share of newly mobilized recruits even as regular mechanized brigades struggled with severe personnel shortages.

The order to reassign "Skelia" personnel was issued roughly a week ago, with soldiers being transferred to around 10 other units, according to Ukrainska Pravda. The outlet did not specify  the exact number of personnel affected but reported that some "Skelia" soldiers were dissatisfied with the decision.

An undisclosed source in Ukraine's Defense Forces told Ukrainska Pravda that the regiment was being restructured because it had been "artificially inflated," while the quality of its command remained low despite its large number of personnel.