How the Ukraine War Became a Fight for the Skies
New York Times
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New York Times
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As the front line in Ukraine ossifies into a bloody stalemate, Russia and Ukraine are locked in an escalating aerial war shaped by innovative weapons technology and artificial intelligence. Ukraine strikes Russian targets deep inside Russia including Siberia, while Moscow sets monthly records for ballistic missile and drone attacks that killed about 400 civilians in July alone.
How the Ukraine War Became a Fight for the Skies - The New York Times
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How the Ukraine War Became a Fight for the Skies
Russia and Ukraine are producing ever larger numbers of innovative aerial weapons, hoping for a breakthrough as ground combat is largely frozen.
Listen · 9:00 min
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By
Marc Santora
Graphics by
Josh Holder
Marc Santora reported from Kyiv and Odesa in Ukraine.
Aug. 5, 2026, 4:52 a.m. ET
See more of our coverage in your search results. Encuentra más de nuestra cobertura en los resultados de búsqueda. Add The New York Times on Google Agrega The New York Times en Google
As the front line in Ukraine calcifies into a bloody deadlock, the future trajectory of the war is being shaped in the skies.
This air war is an all-encompassing contest stretching from a few yards above scorched tree lines to satellites in low-earth orbit. Its physical toll is etched in fire across the landscape by missiles and drones, though much of the fight remains unseen, in the race to deploy artificial intelligence and control a spectrum of radio waves.
Ukraine is using exploding drones to hit Russian oil facilities from Siberia to St. Petersburg and Russian ports from the Baltic Sea to the Black Sea. Day after day, the warehouses of Russia’s largest online retailer are going up in flames, and Russia-occupied Crimea is being plunged into darkness. Ukrainian cruise missiles are striking Russian military targets hundreds of miles from the front.
Ukrainian strikes in Russia
May 2023
UKRAINE
RUSSIA
Moscow
Kyiv
St Petersburg
Voronezh
Rostov-on-Don
Volgograd
Saratov
Kazan
Samara
Ufa
Yekaterinburg
Strikes per location
5
10
25
Note: As of Aug. 3. Includes Ukrainian drone and missile attacks inside Russia. Strikes within 60 miles of the border are not shown.
Source: Armed Conflict Location & Event Data.
The New York Times
How the Ukraine War Became a Fight for the Skies - The New York Times
At the same time, Russia is setting monthly records for its own aerial onslaughts, exploiting gaps in depleted Ukrainian air defenses to deadly effect.
In July, Moscow fired at least 126 ballistic missiles — a wartime high, according to a New York Times analysis of Ukrainian Air Force data. About 400 civilians died last month in Russia’s barrages, which included cruise missiles and drones, making it the deadliest month since April 2022.
Russia’s ballistic missile strikes on Ukraine hit a record high in July
Source: Daily operational reports from the Ukrainian Air Force, compiled by The New York Times.
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Skip to contentSkip to site index
Europe
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Wednesday, August 5, 2026
Today’s Paper
* Home
* + U.S.
+ International
+ Canada
+ Español
+ 中文
Russia-Ukraine War
* Attack on Kyiv
* Ukraine’s Killer Robot Program
* Trump-Zelensky Relationship
* Crimea’s Power Grid
* Photos
Advertisement
SKIP ADVERTISEMENT
You have a preview view of this article while we are checking your access. When we have confirmed access, the full article content will load.
Supported by
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How the Ukraine War Became a Fight for the Skies
Russia and Ukraine are producing ever larger numbers of innovative aerial weapons, hoping for a breakthrough as ground combat is largely frozen.
Listen · 9:00 min
*
*
*
*
By
Marc Santora
Graphics by
Josh Holder
Marc Santora reported from Kyiv and Odesa in Ukraine.
Aug. 5, 2026, 4:52 a.m. ET
See more of our coverage in your search results. Encuentra más de nuestra cobertura en los resultados de búsqueda. Add The New York Times on Google Agrega The New York Times en Google
As the front line in Ukraine calcifies into a bloody deadlock, the future trajectory of the war is being shaped in the skies.
This air war is an all-encompassing contest stretching from a few yards above scorched tree lines to satellites in low-earth orbit. Its physical toll is etched in fire across the landscape by missiles and drones, though much of the fight remains unseen, in the race to deploy artificial intelligence and control a spectrum of radio waves.
Ukraine is using exploding drones to hit Russian oil facilities from Siberia to St. Petersburg and Russian ports from the Baltic Sea to the Black Sea. Day after day, the warehouses of Russia’s largest online retailer are going up in flames, and Russia-occupied Crimea is being plunged into darkness. Ukrainian cruise missiles are striking Russian military targets hundreds of miles from the front.
Ukrainian strikes in Russia
May 2023
UKRAINE
RUSSIA
Moscow
Kyiv
St Petersburg
Voronezh
Rostov-on-Don
Volgograd
Saratov
Kazan
Samara
Ufa
Yekaterinburg
Strikes per location
5
10
25
Note: As of Aug. 3. Includes Ukrainian drone and missile attacks inside Russia. Strikes within 60 miles of the border are not shown.
Source: Armed Conflict Location & Event Data.
The New York Times
How the Ukraine War Became a Fight for the Skies - The New York Times
At the same time, Russia is setting monthly records for its own aerial onslaughts, exploiting gaps in depleted Ukrainian air defenses to deadly effect.
In July, Moscow fired at least 126 ballistic missiles — a wartime high, according to a New York Times analysis of Ukrainian Air Force data. About 400 civilians died last month in Russia’s barrages, which included cruise missiles and drones, making it the deadliest month since April 2022.
Russia’s ballistic missile strikes on Ukraine hit a record high in July
Source: Daily operational reports from the Ukrainian Air Force, compiled by The New York Times.
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Source: New York Times
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