Ukraine war latest: SBU strikes Russia's Saky air base in occupied Crimea for second time in a week

Key developments on July 3:

• Ukraine strikes Russia's Saky air base in occupied Crimea for second time in a week, SBU says
• Poland should be cautious in promising further Ukraine aid at NATO summit, PM Tusk says
• Next months may be 'critical,' Tusk says amid reports of planned Russian provocation against Poland
• 'Terror is their only argument:' Russia's attacks on Ukraine continue, 2 children killed, 10 others injured

Ukraine's Security Service (SBU) said on July 3 it had struck two Russian military air bases in occupied Crimea overnight, damaging or destroying at least seven military aircraft in its second reported attack on the Saky air base within a week.

According to the SBU, Ukrainian drones struck seven hangars at the Saky air base where Russia stores Su-30SM, Su-30, and Su-24 fighter and bomber aircraft. The agency said the strike destroyed or damaged at least seven aircraft.

The SBU also reported hitting two hangars at the Hvardiiske air base, where Russia stored Shahed attack drones and aviation equipment.

The agency described Saky and Hvardiiske as two of Russia's key military air bases in occupied Crimea, from which tactical aircraft regularly launch strikes against Ukraine and support Russian military operations on the southern front.

"The SBU continues to carry out the tasks assigned by the president of Ukraine and systematically reduce Russia's military potential," SBU chief Vasyl Maliuk said.

The Kyiv Independent couldn't independently verify the SBU's claims, which Moscow had not reacted to by the time of publication.

Ukrainian long-range drone strikes overnight on July 3 also struck a railway bridge across the Kurmanskyi (previously Krasnohvardiiskyi) Canal, a branch of the North Crimean Canal in the central part of Crimea, the General Staff of Ukraine's Armed Forces reported. It said that Russia uses the bridge for military logistics, including the transport of troops, weapons, and ammunition, adding that the extent of the damage is being assessed.

The strikes come as Ukraine continues to expand its long-range drone campaign in Russia and the occupied territories.

Poland should be cautious in promising further Ukraine aid at NATO summit, PM Tusk says

Warsaw should be cautious in pledging additional financial assistance to Kyiv at next week's allied meeting, as Poland bears responsibility for defending the EU's eastern flank, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said on July 3.

The comments come as Poland, a NATO and EU member neighboring Ukraine, takes an increasingly tough line on Kyiv amid an escalating diplomatic row.

"Not because I believe Ukraine does not need financial assistance, but because I believe Poland has very significant responsibilities related to the entire eastern EU border, and everyone must take that into account," Tusk said at a press conference.

"Ukraine is fighting, but Poland carries the main burden of defending the border and needs special consideration."

The Polish government has relayed its position to Polish President Karol Nawrocki, who, alongside other senior officials, will represent the country at the NATO summit in Ankara on July 7-8, Tusk noted.

The allies are expected to pledge 70 billion euros ($80 billion) in aid for Ukraine in 2026 and 2027. The total includes no new commitments, instead combining NATO's existing annual pledge with funding provided through an EU loan, Bloomberg reported.

Next months may be 'critical,' Tusk says amid reports of planned Russian provocation against Poland

Poland is preparing "for various scenarios," Tusk said on July 3 when asked about reports that Moscow is preparing military provocations against the country.

"I don't mean to scare anyone, but the coming months... could truly be critical," Tusk said during a press conference, acknowledging the Russian threat. "These concerns are particularly palpable in the Baltic states."

The Polish media outlet Onet reported on June 30 that, according to five undisclosed sources, Moscow may be preparing a limited military provocation aimed at Poland to spark tensions and undermine support for Ukraine.

One of the sources told the outlet that the U.S. has been warning Warsaw about "new Russian plans for a conventional attack on NATO's eastern flank, from which Poland is absolutely not excluded."

Western officials and intelligence services have been raising alarm in recent months about the possibility of a Russian operation in Poland or the Baltic countries designed to test NATO's unity.

"We shouldn't be afraid. We're preparing for various situations, but we can't ignore this," Tusk said.

'Terror is their only argument:' Russia's attacks on Ukraine continue, 2 children killed, 10 others injured

After Russia's largest attack on Kyiv of the full-scale war, Moscow launched another wave of strikes overnight on July 3 across the country, again targeting homes and civilian infrastructure.

The attacks killed at least 17 people and injured 125 others over the past day, local authorities reported. A 2-year-old girl and a 7-year-old girl were among those killed, while at least 10 other children were injured in attacks across four oblasts.

"Terror is the only argument they have left to not stop the war," President Volodymyr Zelensky said after saying Russian strikes had killed four members of the same family, children, and a doctor in a direct strike on a hospital in Kherson Oblast.

"They knew exactly where they were striking and that there was no military purpose in it," he added.

Ukraine's Air Force said it shot down one of two Kh-59/69 guided missiles and 82 of 105 attack drones Russia launched overnight. Hits by one Kh-59/69 missile and 21 drones were recorded at 16 locations. Debris from intercepted aerial targets fell at five locations.

Five people were killed, and 34 others were injured in Russian attacks across Sumy Oblast, Governor Oleh Hryhorov said. Among the victims was a family of four — a 76-year-old man, two women aged 39 and 26, and a 2-year-old girl — who were killed when a Russian drone struck their home in the Romenskyi community. Elsewhere, a drone strike killed a 49-year-old woman.

In an intense wave of attacks on Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, Russian forces killed three people and injured 24 others, local authorities said. The victims included a 7-year-old girl and a 66-year-old man, while an 11-year-old girl and a 14-year-old boy were among the injured. The attacks continued into the morning, when, around 10 a.m., Russian strikes killed another person and wounded five more.

In Donetsk Oblast, Russian attacks killed four people and injured 12 others, Governor Vadym Filashkin said.

In Kherson Oblast, Russian attacks killed two people and injured 16 others, Governor Oleksandr Prokudin said.

Russian strikes killed one person and injured 16 others, including four children, in Kharkiv Oblast, Governor Oleh Syniehubov said. In Losova, a Russian Geran-2 drone struck a residential area, injuring a family of six. A 10-year-old girl suffered blast injuries and burns covering about 40% of her body and was hospitalized in critical condition.

In Mykolaiv Oblast, Russian attacks killed one person and injured seven others, Governor Vitalii Kim said. A 45-year-old man was killed in a Shahed drone strike on a gas station in Mykolaiv Oblast.

In Zaporizhzhia Oblast, four children were among the 11 people injured in Russian attacks, Governor Ivan Fedorov said.

Meanwhile, emergency crews continue search and rescue operations at three sites in Kyiv following Russia's July 2 attack. The death toll has risen by nine to 30, while 10 people remain missing, according to Zelensky.

"The search operation will continue for as long as necessary," Zelensky said, expressing his condolences to the families of those killed.

July 3 was declared a day of mourning in Kyiv for the victims of the attack.