Saturday, 4 July 2026

In the 24 hours ending 4 July 07:30 UTC, Ukraine widened its long-range strike campaign inside Russia. Ukrainian drones hit the St. Petersburg oil terminal. Explosions continued, and smoke rose from the port area.

Ukraine also sent Flamingo cruise missiles deep into central Russia. Smoke rose near Votkinsk, more than 800 miles from Ukraine. The likely target was the Votkinsk Machine Building Plant, a Russian ballistic missile producer.

A Ukrainian missile attack also hit Belgorod again. The Luch power site burned after the strike. Power and water outages followed in the city.

Ukraine also launched a large drone attack on Moscow and Crimea. The attack involved more than 300 drones. That points to a wider overnight operation, not one isolated strike.

The United States warned Poland about possible Russian action against NATO’s eastern side. The warning said Russian or Belarusian troops could cross into Poland. It also said drones or missiles could hit key Polish infrastructure.

China sent coast guard ships east of Taiwan despite foreign pushback. The patrol adds pressure around Taiwan during a tense period.

The National Independence Day Parade in Washington, D.C. was canceled because of extreme heat. Heat index values were expected to pass 110°F.