The worsening weather conditions are making life challenging for the Ukrainian military, especially for their mobile fire teams. Yuri Ihnat, the Ukrainian Air Force spokesperson, cited this issue during an interview on Ukrainian television. The impediments to their work include poor visibility, fog, longer nights, and the fact that most attacks occur under the cover of dark. The units that rely on a visual reference to their targets, like the mobile fire teams, struggle the most due to these challenging conditions.
Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin made it clear during his television appearance that the war against Ukraine will persist until they achieve their objectives. A new regime in Kiev that is friendly towards Russia is expected to come to power, as Putin conveyed with confidence.
In another significant development, Russian drones violated NATO airspace over Romania, resulting in alarm launches by German Eurofighters. This episode marked the registration of up to 70 Russian drones of the type Shahed 136, with one drone exploding over Romanian airspace.
Ukraine's mobile phone provider, Kyivstar, experienced service disruptions due to a suspected Russian act of sabotage. Millions of customers have been left without mobile telephony and internet connections, including in the capital Kiev, where no connection is currently possible via Kyivstar.
Ukraine is reinforcing its defense lines to the north in response to possible threats from Belarus. The first and second lines of defense are being strengthened in the most vulnerable regions of the Chernihiv region. If the threat escalates, additional forces will be stationed on the prepared lines.
The EU leaders are seeking to exert influence on Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban before the EU summit due to blockade threats. Orban is threatening to block the start of accession negotiations with Ukraine, one of the key sticking points of the two-day summit.
Russian President Vladimir Putin placed the head of Ukraine's military intelligence, Kyrylo Budanov, on Russia's wanted list. The reasons for Budanov's accused violations are yet to be disclosed.
As per Ukrainian defense forces, they managed to injure or kill 1,300 Russian soldiers and destroy several military assets, like tanks, artillery systems, and armored vehicles, in the past 24 hours. This information cannot be independently verified.
Russia claimed to have successfully repelled nine Ukrainian drone attacks on Thursday night, intercepting them over the Moscow and Kaluga regions. This is consistent with Moscow's frequent claims of thwarting drone attacks, but intervals of verified damage keep appearing.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is urging proof of the EU's unwavering support and unity ahead of the EU summit to strengthen Ukraine's stability in the face of Russian aggression and on its path to EU membership. The EU has been called upon to provide stronger and more consistent aid to Ukraine as the United States remains locked in a funding impasse due to Republican opposition in Congress.
In the recent past, reports of Russian hacking attacks against Ukrainian infrastructure have become increasingly common. Ukrainian authorities have been vocal in their accusations against Russia, citing disruptions to crucial operations in critical sectors like energy and local government bodies. Russian intelligence agencies have also employed private hacker groups for targeting Ukrainian information systems, contributing to this escalating conflict.
