Overview
- The Russian Defense Ministry said air defenses downed 220 fixed‑wing Ukrainian drones, six guided aviation bombs and nine HIMARS rockets in 24 hours.
- Russian forces reported destroying several Ukrainian UAV command-and-control points in the Kupiansk area of Kharkiv region, while a marine commander in the DNR said Ukrainian drone control crews are being pushed into rear areas.
- The ministry said a Supercam S350 team guided a TOS‑1A strike on a Ukrainian strongpoint on the Krasnoarmeysk axis, and a separate Uragan salvo disrupted Ukrainian rotations there.
- Operators from the "Vostok" grouping reported foiling a Ukrainian counterattack near Huliaipole with strike drones, claiming the destruction of multiple armored vehicles including an M1117 and Kozak and Novator models.
- Russian security sources alleged payroll fraud involving "dead souls" in Ukrainian assault units and cited Western analysts describing those troops as an "elite on paper" following recent setbacks.