Ukrainian authorities have opened a case against Vasyl Goncharuk, head of the Armada weapons industry association, following a Russian ballistic missile attack on a shooting range outside Kyiv. The strike killed at least 11 people during what was billed as a weapons demonstration. Prosecutors allege that Goncharuk organized the event without proper authorization, invited over 300 attendees including military personnel and business figures, and provided inadequate shelter. The exposition was promoted on social media, and Russia’s defense ministry confirmed it targeted the site during a demonstration of Ukrainian and foreign-made drones. Goncharuk appeared in court with light injuries sustained in the attack. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated the event “certainly should not have been taking place there.”
The incident reflects broader security concerns in the region. Ukrainian forces continued strikes against Russian infrastructure, hitting an export terminal in the Rostov region approximately 250 kilometers from the front and oil facilities in the Yaroslavl and Udmurtia regions. Russian forces responded with strikes on three Ukrainian ports and multiple attacks on frontline positions in eastern Ukraine, killing at least seven people and wounding more than 20. Romanian authorities expelled a Russian diplomat following repeated airspace violations by drones, with pilots downing three in three days.
Meanwhile, international support for Ukraine continued on diplomatic fronts. President Zelenskyy met with UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham, who announced new electronic warfare jamming technology called Stone Cloak. Zelenskyy is scheduled to meet with members of the US Senate and Donald Trump during a visit to Washington. However, the Pentagon has indicated it will not complete spending $400 million in previously approved aid to Ukraine until fiscal year 2029, drawing criticism from lawmakers of both parties amid reports of critically low weapons stocks in Kyiv.
On the drone front, a Pentagon official noted that Ukraine is producing significantly more unmanned systems than the United States. Travis Metz, chief operating officer of the Defense Innovation Unit, stated Ukraine would produce between 6 and 7 million small attack drones this year, roughly 500,000 monthly, compared to the Pentagon’s $1.1 billion program delivering just under 200,000 altogether by February. The US is requiring domestic production using American-made components for companies competing in an August test event called Gauntlet II.
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