Overview

• Russian officials said a drone strike damaged a transformer at the Kursk nuclear plant and sparked a fire that was extinguished, with radiation levels reported as normal, while the IAEA said it has no independent confirmation.
• Ukraine’s security service claimed a drone operation against Novatek’s Ust-Luga fuel terminal in the Gulf of Finland, and Russian authorities reported that debris from downed drones ignited a blaze with no casualties and about 10 drones near the port were intercepted.
• Russia’s Defense Ministry said roughly 95 Ukrainian drones were intercepted across multiple regions overnight, as Ukraine reported shooting down 48 of 72 Shahed drones and a cruise missile launched at its territory.
• Kyiv said its forces retook the villages of Mykhailivka, Zelenyi Hai and Volodymyrivka in Donetsk during successful counterattacks.
• Russia and Ukraine carried out a prisoner exchange returning 146 people on each side, and North Korea a day earlier publicly honored troops who fought for Russia, signaling tighter Moscow–Pyongyang links after recent DMZ warning shots.