Fighting
In the western region of Kursk, Russia’s Ministry of Defence announced the retaking of Lebedevka, and the capture of Novenke, a village situated in Ukraine’s Sumy region.
- Following a strategy to expel Ukrainian forces from Kursk, Russian special forces initiated a major attack on the town of Sudzha, leveraging a gas pipeline to surprise Ukrainian troops, as reported by pro-Russia war bloggers.
An influx of over 1,,300km (800 miles) inside Russia’s Chuvashia region, along the Volga River, was noted when a Ukrainian drone struck an industrial site. This marks one of the furthest reaching drone incursions into Russia to date, with no reported casualties.
- Units of air defence in Russia intercepted 88 Ukrainian drones throughout the night, with no injuries or damages reported. The Defence Ministry documented the destruction of 52 drones over Belgorod, 13 over Lipetsk, and nine over Rostov.
- Ukraine asserts their strikes aim to target infrastructures crucial for Moscow’s prosecuting of the war, in retaliation for ongoing bombardments within Ukraine.
During the night, Ukraine’s air defences managed to shoot down 73 out of 119 drones launched by Russia, according to the air force’s statement.
Politics and diplomacy
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has reaffirmed Ukraine’s commitment to engaging in productive dialogue with representatives from the United States during their meeting scheduled to take place in Saudi Arabia on Monday.
Steve Witcoff, Trump’s special envoy, is engaged in negotiations with Ukraine regarding a potential agreement to conclude the three-year conflict with Russia.
- Prime Minister Anthony Albanese expressed Australia’s willingness to participate in a peacekeeping mission in Ukraine, though emphasized it’s premature to discuss deployments.
In a telephonic conversation with Albanese, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer endorsed Australia’s willingness to contribute to a ‘coalition of the willing’ for Ukraine, according to a Downing Street spokesperson.
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk criticized policies of appeasement toward Russia, arguing they exacerbate the tragedy unfolding in Ukraine.
