Daily Briefing

Key Takeaways

• Russia struck Kyiv overnight with 6 Iskander-M/S-400 ballistic missiles — none intercepted — injuring at least 11 civilians including an 11-year-old; Ukrainian air defenses neutralized 111 of 121 drones and 2 of 4 cruise missiles in the same attack.
• Ukraine's maritime drone campaign against Russia's shadow fleet is accelerating sharply: Ukrainian sources claim ~79 tankers struck over 6 days, with 28–29 vessels hit in a single overnight operation; Russia has halted shipping on the Don–Azov canal and suspended Kerch Strait transit applications.
• Zelensky signed decrees creating a new Special Long-Range Strike Command (led by Brig. Gen. Dmytro Voloshyn) and Combined Rapid Reaction Forces, institutionalizing Ukraine's deep-strike and assault strategies.
• A joint investigation by The Insider, Der Spiegel, and Le Monde reveals China proposed supplying Russia with UAVs, loitering munitions, AI systems, and anti-Starlink technology for battlefield testing in Ukraine — the most detailed public account yet of Sino-Russian military-technical cooperation.
• Senator Graham announced a 'hellish sanctions' bill against Russia has been agreed with the White House and may become law, while EU ambassadors agreed to open the 6th and final cluster of Ukraine's accession negotiations.