Overview

• President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said up to 100,000 Russian troops have massed near Pokrovsk and warned of offensive preparations, adding that Ukraine considers the situation under control.
• Russian forces launched another large overnight wave of Shahed drones and missiles against multiple cities, with blasts and fires reported in Zaporizhzhia and Dnipro a day after a deadly barrage in Kyiv.
• Pokrovsk remains a strategic rail and road hub under Ukrainian control despite months of attacks, and recent Ukrainian counteractions have checked advances around the sector, according to Ukrainian accounts.
• The U.S. approved potential sales of Starlink services and Patriot air‑defence equipment to Ukraine valued at about $150 million and $179 million, and a separate deal is sending more than 3,000 ERAM‑type munitions worth roughly €700 million.
• Ukraine’s stepped‑up drone strikes on Russian refineries, including Afipski and Kuibyshev, have contributed to fuel shortages and price pressures inside Russia, while analysts and Ukrainian officials say Chinese‑sourced components are sustaining Russia’s drone production.