Ukrainian Neptune cruise missiles are flying to Sevastopol, Crimea.

Explosions and air defence activity is reported.

It's reported that at least 6 Neptune cruise missiles were shot down.

Today I learned that the U.S. embassy in Kyiv uses my live coverage as one of their main sources for following Russian missile strikes while they are sheltering.

I'm not even kidding. Multiple separate people have told me this now.

And the Polish embassy in Kyiv too apparently.

Situational update on the Lyman direction:

The Ukrainian counterattacks north of Lyman are now entering their fourth month, as they come closer and closer to cutting off the Russian salient. Two pincers have been formed, which are both dangerously close to cutting the Russians off.

In the western part of the salient, Ukrainian assault groups have entrenched in the southern part of Shandryholove and are engaged in fierce battles for the main part of the village. Other forces have resumed assault operations from the north following earlier unsuccessful attacks, and are approaching the village from the north.

This has prompted the Russian command to initiate a partial withdrawal from their bridgehead west of the Nitrius River, with Ukrainian forces recapturing the now largely empty positions in and around Yarova, Oleksandrivka, Karpivka, and Korovii Yar. This new, much more limited bridgehead will still apply pressure to Lyman from the north, and will be easier to withdraw from if they are unable to repel the Ukrainians from Shandryholove. Shortening the line of contact will allow Russia to re-allocate troops to more important parts of the sector, and help maintain the bulk of this crucial northern flank to Lyman.

Further east, Ukrainian forces continued their gradual advance south of Nove, pushing south along the tactical heights and recapturing a series of important strongpoints situated along the high points, following several weeks of fierce and costly battles. Russia is now heavily bombing all of these lost positions with KABs to try prevent a further advance. From there, reinforcements are being sent in for deeper penetrations towards the northern outskirts of Kolodyazi, as well as further east towards Ivanivka and the western bank of the Zherebets River.

If any further consolidation in this area is achieved by Ukraine, Russia will likely be forced to withdraw not only from their bridgehead west of the Nitrius River, but also from a large portion of the fields and tactical heights between the Nitrius and Zherebets Rivers, which they captured during a multi-stage offensive in 2025.

Furthermore, Ukrainian forces continued their counterattacks from the south, which have so far yielded them less success due to stronger Russian positions and constant Russian counterattacks. As a result of recent fighting, they were able to clear the rest of Stavky and nearby fields from earlier Russian infiltrations, reinforcing their thrust to the north into the forested gullies west of Kolodyazi. These actions remain infiltrations for now, and a large grey-zone with intermingled and overlapping positions has formed in this area.

As of now, the closest point between Ukrainian pincers in the eastern part of this salient is around 6.2 km wide. The corridor between forward Ukrainian assault groups is just 2.6 km wide, however.

Ukrainian OPSEC remains tightly in place in this sector, with very little information being allowed for publication. The Russian side is also preventing the publication of most info, but for informational/propaganda purposes rather than for OPSEC. This is why we have seen hardly any geolocations for the last few months.

The fall of this salient would significantly delay the fall of Lyman, and would allow Ukraine to reinforce the northern flank to Slovyansk, preventing Russia from carrying out direct storming operations on the city from the east before taking Lyman. It would also relieve the Ukrainian bridgehead east of the Oskil River near Borova, allowing for reinforcements to be sent across the river to areas south of the Kupyansk agglomeration, and to the remaining strongholds in western Luhansk Oblast. The frontline would essentially be "straightened" all the way from Kostyantynivka to Borova.

+ ~61.89 km² in favour of Ukraine.

Interactive map: amkmapping.com

Maybe the visit of the CIA director to Moscow had something to do with why Russia did not carry out their anticipated ballistic missile attack on Kyiv tonight.

Although, it's always possible that the intelligence was wrong and Russia intends to carry out an attack tonight instead.

It's very sad to think that this summer might be the last for the cities of Slovyansk and Kramatorsk, before they are both reduced to rubble, just like almost every other city before them.

The last two Ukrainian Donbas cities with life still in them. Druzhkivka, Dobropillya, Bilozerske, Lyman, Kostyantynivka, Pokrovsk, Myrnohrad, Kurakhove, Vuhledar, Marinka, Kranohorivka, Avdiivka, Bakhmut, Toretsk... all gone.

My prayers go out to all civilians still remaining there, and I hope they can all escape the carnage safely.

Essentially, this entire area is dead. And it expands further and further, the more longer-range FPV drones are used.

I feel like this doesn't need to be said, but there are not 4,000 Russians in this salient. Maybe if it was 2023, but not in today's war.

My guess would be no more than 500.

Don't fall for the propaganda accounts.

Aftermath of a Russian FPV drone strike on a Ukrainian locomotive near the city of Marhanets, Dnipropetrovsk Oblast.

Aftermath of a Russian KAB glide-bomb strike on the city of Slovyansk, Donetsk Oblast, this morning.

A large fire is seen burning at a gas infrastructure facility near Kharkiv City following overnight Russian Geran-2/4 drone strikes.

Russian S-400 surface-to-air missiles near Horlivka are trying to shoot down a Ukrainian tactical aircraft launching glide-bombs at Russian positions west of Kostyantynivka right now.