02/07/2026 15:48 - Internacionales
Published on July 2, 2026
Russian President Vladimir Putin warned that Ukraine will pay for its crimes in the Kursk region, amidst a new and dangerous escalation of the war. The statement comes in the context of heavy exchanges of fire between both nations, with strategic attacks affecting both civilian infrastructure and key energy resources. The Kursk region, located in western Russia and bordering Ukraine, has seen intense cross-border activity in recent months.
According to various sources, Russia launched a massive attack against Kyiv on July 2, 2026, leaving at least 10 dead and more than 30 injured. Damage was recorded in residential buildings and civilian infrastructure across five districts of the Ukrainian capital. Kyiv, the largest city in Ukraine, has been a primary target throughout the conflict.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had to return urgently from Dublin after warning about the intensification of the offensive. The bombings on July 1 also wreaked havoc: in Kharkiv, a major northeastern city near the Russian border, there were 6 dead and 50 injured (including a deceased 15-year-old teenager), while in Odesa, a crucial Black Sea port, ballistic missiles left 2 dead and 15 injured. In Kherson, a southern city on the Dnipro River, a drone attack on a minibus caused 2 deaths, and there was another fatality in an administrative building.
For its part, Ukraine has maintained pressure on Russian territory with attacks against refineries, generating a severe fuel crisis in Russia. It is estimated that gasoline production fell by 25%, standing at 85,000 tons daily compared to a consumption of 110,000 tons daily.
Putin himself acknowledged the shortage on June 28, 2026, and restrictions have already been implemented in between 40 and 78 Russian regions. In June, refineries in Moscow, Nizhnekamsk, Tyumen, and Volgograd were attacked. Crimea, a peninsula annexed by Russia in 2014 and currently a focal point of the conflict, has been in a state of emergency since June 26.
Prospects for peace: International experts are analyzing whether this growing pressure on Russian energy resources and Ukrainian counterattacks will finally force both sides to sit at the negotiating table to seek a peaceful resolution to the conflict.
Alfredo S. Quiroga
