Why it matters:
The use of Kinzhal hypersonic missiles underscores Russia’s continued reliance on advanced weaponry to cripple Ukraine’s industrial backbone and energy grid, signaling an escalation in precision targeting as winter approaches.
The big picture:
The latest Russian strikes come amid intensified fighting along multiple frontlines — particularly in the Kharkiv and Donetsk regions — as Moscow seeks to expand territorial control and degrade Ukraine’s industrial and logistical capacity.
What it is saying:
The Russian Defense Ministry stated: "In response to Ukraine’s terrorist attacks on civilian targets in Russia, the Russian Armed Forces conducted a group strike using long-range, precision weapons — both land and air-based — including Kinzhal hypersonic missiles and unmanned aerial vehicles. All designated targets were successfully hit."
Zoom in:
Near Kupiansk in the Kharkiv region, Russian Sixth Army assault groups “continued targeting encircled Ukrainian forces,” expelling them from four fortified positions on the left bank of the Oskil River.
Two Ukrainian attempts to break the encirclement near Nychvolodivka and Blahodatove were repelled, with Ukraine reportedly losing “20 militanats and one combat vehicle,” according to the Ministry.
In Krasnoarmiisk (Pokrovsk) in the Donetsk People’s Republic, the Russian Second Army “entered and strengthened positions” in residential areas of the Pryhorodne district. Ten Ukrainian counterattacks were reportedly repelled north and northwest of the city.
The Ministry also reported the elimination of “foreign mercenaries from the so-called International Legion of Territorial Defense of Ukraine” near Hryshyne, claiming over 50 Ukrainian and foreign fighters were killed.
Key points:
- Russia claims to have hit 148 Ukrainian sites, including energy infrastructure, drone production workshops, and temporary troop deployment areas.
- Russian air defenses reportedly intercepted 365 Ukrainian drones, one HIMARS missile, and a guided aerial bomb.
- Moscow maintains that “the objectives of the strikes were achieved.”
Go deeper:
Lavrov Warns U.S. Over Plans to Supply Tomahawk Missiles to Ukraine
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