Overview

• Russian officials said a downed Ukrainian drone damaged an auxiliary transformer at the Kursk nuclear plant, halving one reactor’s output before a fire was extinguished with radiation levels normal.
• Authorities in Leningrad region reported debris from intercepted drones ignited a fire at Novatek’s Ust-Luga fuel terminal on the Gulf of Finland, with no injuries.
• Ukraine’s earlier strike on the Unecha station of the Druzhba pipeline disrupted oil flows to Hungary and Slovakia, according to officials in the region and recipient states.
• Moscow stated no Putin–Zelensky meeting is planned as Sergei Lavrov accused Western countries of blocking negotiations, while Zelensky pressed for direct talks contingent on binding security guarantees.
• Despite the escalation, Russia and Ukraine announced a reciprocal exchange of 146 detainees each, and Norway and Germany said they would provide additional Patriot air-defense systems for Ukraine.