Russian strikes across Ukraine kill at least 10, injure dozens and spur body exchanges

Russian air, missile and drone attacks on July 17‑18 hit several Ukrainian cities, killing at least ten people and wounding around twenty‑six. In Odessa two civilians were killed and eight injured, including two children; in Mykolaiv drone strikes damaged port facilities and killed two; in Kherson a drone hit a civilian car injuring five, among them a 14‑year‑old boy; in Kharkiv artillery fire killed one and injured eight. Separate Russian attacks on the ports of Odesa and other Black Sea facilities were reported, with Moscow claiming over 10,000 Ukrainian casualties in a week, figures that cannot be independently verified.

In parallel, Russia handed over 501 bodies of Ukrainian servicemen and received only 31 Russian bodies, underscoring a stark disparity in the humanitarian exchanges that have taken place since the war began. The latest exchange, the 13th of 2026, brings the total of Ukrainian remains received to more than 1,000, while Russia has collected fewer than 70. These developments occur amid continued fighting and no progress toward a cease‑fire.