Overview
- The Institute for the Study of War reported no open-source evidence of a Ukrainian drone strike on Putin’s Valdai residence, noting conflicting Russian accounts and a lack of local reports, while Kyiv called the claim fabricated.
- China urged restraint and positioned itself as a constructive mediator, with Foreign Minister Wang Yi saying a window for talks has opened and the Foreign Ministry declining to validate Moscow’s allegation.
- Ukrenergo said fresh Russian attacks left many without power in Chernihiv and caused outages in parts of Kharkiv and Sumy, as officials also reported new damage to Odesa’s Pivdennyi and Chornomorsk ports, an injury, and harm to a Panama-flagged grain vessel and oil storage.
- Ukraine’s military leadership moved to expand UAV-interceptor units, radar coverage and crew training to counter low‑altitude strike drones, while authorities said critical energy and defense sites have begun installing electronic-warfare protection.
- Domestic security steps intensified as the SBU detained a Kyiv resident for posting air-defense footage and Dnipropetrovsk region ordered mandatory evacuations from 45 locations in the Synelnykove district due to rising threats.