German-supplied Ukrainian Biber armoured vehicle-launched bridge based on Leopard 1 tank somewhere in Bakhmut.

WSJ:

Will the allies fight with the U.S. for Taiwan? Japan wary.

Washington and Tokyo are developing plans to defend Taiwan against a possible Chinese attack, but Japan does not want to commit its military forces.

The American and Japanese military have been developing a plan for a conflict around Taiwan for more than a year, but during the negotiations they failed to resolve the main question: Will Japan join the war?

Washington is pushing Tokyo to consider Japanese military roles such as hunting down Chinese submarines in the Taiwan area, but is getting no commitment, according to people familiar with the talks.

Russia’s FSB claims it has prevented the preparation by the Ukrainian special services of the murder of the editor-in-chief of Rossiya Segodnya and RT Margarita Simonyan, as well as journalist Ksenia Sobchak.

Russian Major General Vladimir Seliverstov was removed from the post of commander of the 106th Guards Airborne Division.

Reason: Unknown.

Ukrainian Leopard 2A4 tank with Kontakt-1 ERA.

NYT:

Ukraine is forced to change tactics due to heavy losses.

Up to 20% of tanks and armored vehicles were lost by Ukraine at the beginning of the counteroffensive.

47th brigade, which received 99 American Bradley IFVs, has already lost 28 vehicles.

One of the soldiers who took part in the attempted breakthrough stated that all the equipment transferred to his unit was destroyed.

After the first strike, which led to significant losses, the Ukrainian troops slowed down their offensive operations in order to assess the situation and change their strategy.

This allowed to reduce losses to 10%, but also affected the intensity of hostilities.

Now, the Ukrainian command is trying to change tactics, relying on artillery and missile strikes, but the tactics will not allow the Armed Forces of Ukraine to break through the Russian defenses, which calls into question the prospects for the entire counteroffensive.

Destructive Ukrainian strike on Russian forces in Oleshki, left bank of the Kherson region.

Russian Su-24M with FAB-500 M-62 bomb with УМПК - unified planning and correction module; Russian version of JDAM aka JDAMski).

Ukrainian forces hit Russian target in Luhansk with Storm Shadow cruise missile.

Sevastopol was attacked by Ukrainian kamikaze unmanned vehicles earlier this morning.

Russia says the combined attack of 7 UAVs and 2 USVs was repelled by air defense forces and the fleet without material damage.

WP:

Ukraine received less than 15% of the equipment for demining territories from the amount it requested from partners.

Currently, the demining machines that are at the disposal of the Ukrainians have become a priority target for the Russian troops.

5-16 km of the territory in front of the positions of the Russian Federation is densely mined.

This significantly deters the offensive of the Armed Forces and causes the loss of manpower and equipment.

To clear minefields, sappers work at night in groups of four.

British Defence Minister Wallace:

In the coming years after the end of the war, Russia will remain a threat.

Wallace believes that if Putin fails in Ukraine, it will be a serious blow for him.

Despite this, Russia still maintains a significant air force and navy, and there has been a growing aggressiveness of the Russian navy.

Wallace argues that Putin has not yet given up on his intentions and may strike within the next three to four years.

The minister also does not rule out the possibility that Russia could attack allied submarine communications vital for transmitting data and energy resources, as well as use tactical nuclear weapons.

Elon Musk on cluster munitions supply to Ukraine by the U.S:

We send them cluster munitions in desperation, debasing ourselves with no change in the outcome.

Rare shot of a stuck 152mm artillery shell, which ended its career in a tree.

Putin:

Ukraine spends 5,000-6,000 155mm rounds per day, while the US produces only 15,000 per month.

Therefore, the Americans couldn’t find a better way out of the situation than to offer Kyiv cluster munitions.

This should be treated as a crime.

Russian brigade commander Colonel Maksym Kharlamov, who commanded the 96th Separate Reconnaissance Brigade of the Russian Armed Forces, was killed in Ukraine after Ukrainian strike.

Ukrainian forces reportedly entering Staromaiorske, Donetsk region.

GCS-200 unmanned EOD platform for mine clearance in Ukraine.

Putin says captured Western equipment will be the subject of study by Russian specialists:

There is such a term as “reverse engineering”.

Well, let's see, because modern technology, it is modern.

T-90M is the best tank in the world! Without any exaggeration!