Overview
- Russia’s Defense Ministry said an Uragan multiple‑launch rocket system disrupted a Ukrainian rotation near Kupiansk and destroyed Western‑made armored vehicles.
- Moscow claimed control over the eastern part of Kupiansk and advances in Zaporizhzhia, including Novoe and Novouspenovskoye, while Ukraine’s southern command said its forces withdrew from the Ravnopolie area.
- Russian security sources reported Ukrainian units pulling back around Volchansk and said three soldiers from Ukraine’s 57th brigade surrendered there.
- Regional authorities in Kursk, Voronezh, Tula and Rostov announced drone‑attack alerts as air defenses reported intercepting UAVs over several locations without injuries.
- Russian officials highlighted institutional shifts and deterrence posture, announcing formal drone forces and asserting Belarus is covered by Russia’s nuclear umbrella, as U.S. and Russian officials exchanged assessments of battlefield momentum.