Overview
- Deputy Security Council chief Dmitry Medvedev observed tests at the Kapustin Yar range featuring air-defense guns, interceptor drones and efforts to extend the accuracy and range of high-precision strikes.
- The Defense Ministry said troops are dropping banknote-style leaflets from drones with surrender instructions, QR codes and radio frequencies aimed at Ukrainian soldiers.
- Drone incidents continued as OSCE media representative Jan Bratu offered condolences after RIA Novosti correspondent Ivan Zuev was killed in Zaporizhzhia, and Belgorod region official Sergey Kulakov was wounded in a car strike reported by the governor.
- Legal steps progressed with a six-month extension of pre-trial detention for Evgeny Serebryakov ahead of an Oct. 29 trial that may be closed, and the Moscow military court registering the case against Ignat Kuzin over the bombing that killed General Yaroslav Moskalyk.
- Russian security sources highlighted Ukrainian operational strains, citing criticism of Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi’s reforms and an alleged shortfall of trained UAV operators relative to drone output.