Overview
- Russia’s Defense Ministry released footage showing Ukrainian soldiers surrendering in Dimitrov, describing isolated units suffering losses as troops from the 5th Guards Motor Rifle Brigade took them into custody.
- Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov told Putin that Russian forces are operating in accordance with plan and reported taking Seversk, Kucherovka and Kurilovka, as well as control of Lyman in Kharkiv region, claims not independently confirmed.
- Putin accused Kyiv of preventing encircled Ukrainian units near the Oskil River and in Dimitrov from surrendering, and he later phoned frontline commanders after thanking troops during a situational briefing.
- Ukraine’s anti-corruption bodies SAP and NABU announced charges in a scheme to steal over 102 million hryvnias during procurement of dynamic tank protection, tracing the contracts back to April 2022.
- As Moscow amplifies its battlefield message, Russia’s envoy in Oslo criticized the Nobel Peace Prize decision, the Foreign Ministry decried a Russian archaeologist’s arrest in Poland, and officials in Washington and Europe discussed potential steps toward a U.S.-backed peace plan.