Austria relinquishes its obstruction of the twelfth EU sanctions package against Russia following Ukraine's decision to remove Raiffeisen Bank International from its blacklist. Russia retaliates by striking numerous locations in the Zaporizhia region with artillery, bombs, and drones. Meanwhile, the city of Nikopol continues to experience constant shelling, and several communities in the Sumy region are attacked with artillery, mines, mortar shells, and drones.
The Ukrainian border guard, Oleksandr Nazarenko, stands in a military position in the Sumy region, witnessing the ongoing conflict. Simultaneously, an air alarm is sounded in various parts of Ukraine after a series of drone attacks the previous night. Russia criticizes the EU's latest sanctions package, while British intelligence services deem the hack on Kyivstar, Ukraine's mobile phone provider, as the most significant attack on Ukrainian networks since the war began.
In the Donbass, heavy fighting continues in Avdiivka, with dozens of Russian attacks recorded. Numerous locations in the Zaporizhia region are again under fire by Russian forces, resulting in no reported casualties. Popular belief holds that at least 20,000 Ukrainian children have been abducted to Russia or its controlled territories, with three more reunited with their families through Qatar's mediation.
The G7 countries are discussing the possibility of supporting Ukraine with Russian state assets, as proposed by the US, which argues for the asset seizure in accordance with international law. Russia reports two casualties in the Kherson region due to a suspected Ukrainian HIMARS missile strike, causing tension between the two nations.
Hungary announces its intention to veto Bulgaria's entry into the Schengen zone if Bulgaria fails to abolish the transit tax on Russian gas. In response to this, Turkey, Romania, and Bulgaria agree to clear sea mines in the Black Sea to promote safety and cooperation in the region.
Concurrently, retired colonel Ralph Thiele suggests that Russian EloKa systems are impacting the precision of Western weapons, making Ukrainian defenses vulnerable. The G7 states are contemplating the likelihood of Ukraine facing defeat without US and NATO aid within just a few months.
Meanwhile, a Ukrainian resistance group operating underground in Mariupol manages to blow up a Russian officer's car from a Caucasian unit, causing slight injuries. The Ukrainian military successfully intercepts 30 out of 31 drones launched by Russia, and heavy fire is reported in Kherson. Russia has lost an estimated 930 soldiers in the past day, with 14 tanks and 12 drones destroyed during the same time frame.
