Europe Greenlights Strikes On Russia, Slaps Sanctions – Is Europe Dragging NATO Into Direct War?

Russia-Ukraine War: Europeans ramped up support this week for Ukraine’s battle against drone and ballistic missile attacks. A fresh delivery of anti-aircraft missiles came from the United Kingdom and Germany. The goal is to defend Ukraine’s skies.

The European Union (EU) announced an 18th round of sanctions on Russia. It is aimed at cutting off virtually Moscow’s energy imports. A fivefold increase in the EU defence budget has also been proposed.

The United States returned to the Ukraine Defence Contact Group today but only with a symbolic presence. U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth attended without adding new weapons deliveries.

Meanwhile, the battlefield rumble continued. Russian forces captured several towns in Ukraine’s Kharkiv, Donetsk and Zaporizhia regions mid-July. Ukraine has stepped up counterstrikes with long-range weapons.

Russian air defences brought down 13 drones near Moscow on Saturday. Ukrainian drones disrupted traffic in Moscow’s airport the next day. Then came news that Russia shot down another 74 drones.

Reports say Ukrainian drones hit Russia’s Lukhovitsky aviation plant and an anti-air missile design bureau near Moscow. A damaged gas pipeline in western Siberia also caused railway delays.

At the Ramstein meeting, UK Defence Secretary John Healy said, “Boris and I have agreed to jointly supply Ukraine with critically needed anti-aircraft missiles.”

Ukraine’s air defence systems, Germany-made IRIS-T and U.S.-made NASAMS and SHORAD, managed to engage 833 out of 968 drones over a recent five-day stretch.

That same night also marked a massive Russian strike: 426 drones, five Kh‑47 M2 Kinzhal ballistic missiles, four Kalibr cruise missiles, one Iskander‑K and 14 Kh‑101 cruise missiles.

The previous record for Ukraine was 728 drones downed overnight on July 9. Germany’s Major‑General Christian Freuding warned that Russia is building up to unleash 2,000 drones in a single wave.

Ukraine’s ground units used a mix of systems to neutralise drones. The German radar‑guided Gepard 35 mm anti‑aircraft gun stood out. Indigenous interceptor drones also delivered key results, according to analyst Olena Kryzhanivska.

President Zelenskyy confirmed that local arms production is central to Ukraine’s defence plan. He said, “About 40 percent of the weapons in the hands of our warriors are made in Ukraine. In six months, it should be no less than 50 percent.” He added a motive behind the push: “to push the war back onto Russia’s territory – back to where the war was brought from. So that they feel what they have done”.

Ukraine still lacks a domestic solution for ballistic missile defence. At present, only U.S.-built Patriot missile systems fill that role.

Germany has committed to send five Patriot systems. Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said he and Secretary Hegseth struck an agreement in Washington last week. Germany will fund the purchase and exchange the systems in the U.S. production queue.

Zelenskyy confirmed plans to purchase additional Patriots, offering drone production in return. “I told President Trump... The American people need this technology... This is a mega deal – a win‑win for both sides,” he said.

Brussels is backing Ukraine more visibly. President Ursula von der Leyen unveiled a 1.8 trillion‑euro EU budget that includes a 131‑billion‑euro fund for defence and space. The plan boosts spending fivefold from the previous cycle. It also proposes a European Competitiveness Fund for military research and doubles the Ukraine Assistance Fund to 100 billion euros.

The EU’s new sanctions on Russia bar remaining energy imports worth roughly 23 billion euros. Oil price caps and shipping limits target refined products and the Nordstream shadow fleet. Sanctions now block 444 vessels and 45 banks tied to Kremlin financial flows.

UK Foreign Office highlighted how coordinated action with the EU aims to pressure those “fueling the fires of destruction in Ukraine”. The new cap on oil stands at approximately $47.60 per barrel.

On diplomacy, direct talks between Ukraine and Russia are scheduled in Istanbul later this week. Meanwhile, Russian President Putin may attend China’s WWII victory celebrations, a possible prelude to a meeting with President Trump.

Amid these defence and sanctions moves, a U.S. Air Force general, Alexus Grynkewich, warned of the need to prepare for a potential conflict with China and Russia within 18 months. He cited possible coordination between Beijing and Moscow in any future conflict.

What lie ahead are Europe’s new funds, Ukraine’s military production targets and escalating drone warfare may define the next phase of this conflict.