Overview
- Russia’s Defense Ministry said assault troops led by Sgt. Valery Safin captured a Ukrainian strongpoint and killed eight defenders before consolidating the position.
- Military updates highlighted extensive FPV drone use, with units near Kupyansk reporting destroyed vehicles and a ground robotic system, and a separate strike killing two Ukrainian troops near Krasnoarmeysk.
- Russian forces reported heavy fires on several sectors, including an artillery strike that allegedly killed up to 30 Ukrainian servicemen in the DPR, an Uragan salvo that killed up to 20 near Malaya Tokmachka, and the destruction of an M113 on the Konstantinovka axis.
- Air defenses intercepted 65 Ukrainian UAVs overnight over the Black and Azov seas and several regions, while governors in Voronezh and Belgorod reported drone debris damage with no casualties.
- State outlets amplified claims of Ukrainian manpower strain, including women sent to assault units on the Sumy axis and a published radio intercept suggesting troops abandoned positions, and Ukrainian media reported explosions in Burshtyn during an air-raid alert.