Units of the Russian Armed Forces have taken control of the village of Petro-Ivanovka in the Kharkov Region, according to the Russian Defence Ministry’s July 7, 2026 update on the course of the special military operation in Ukraine.

The ministry said the settlement, located on the left bank of the Verkhnyaya Dvurechnaya River, was captured by servicemen of the 344th Motorized Rifle Regiment of the Northern Group of Forces.

The Defence Ministry also released video footage of the operation. The published materials include strikes by Russian drones on Ukrainian Armed Forces equipment.

According to the ministry’s press service, units of the Northern Group continue offensive operations along several sections of the front. The stated goal is to create a security zone in the Sumy and Kharkov Regions and push Ukrainian forces away from Russia’s state border.

The update also said Russian troops struck port and energy infrastructure facilities, logistics centers used by the Ukrainian Armed Forces, and temporary deployment points of Ukrainian formations and foreign mercenaries over the past 24 hours. According to the ministry, targets were hit in 144 areas.

Russian air defences, the report said, shot down 11 guided aerial bombs, two long-range Neptun guided missiles and 797 aircraft-type drones launched by Ukrainian forces during the reporting period.

The Russian Defence Ministry also reported that Ukrainian losses in the special military operation zone over the past day amounted to about 1,540 soldiers.