Russia: Security

Domestic

A senior military intelligence official, Vladimir Alekseyev, was shot in an apparent assassination attempt in Moscow, an incident on which President Putin was being briefed. In a separate violent event, a police officer was killed in an explosion near a train station, described by investigators as a suicide bombing. The FSB security service reported detaining suspects in connection with these incidents. Separately, Russia announced it will no longer be bound by its obligations under the New START nuclear arms control treaty upon its expiration, with officials stating Russia would remain a responsible nuclear power but prepared to counter new threats. President Vladimir Putin stated the development of Russia's nuclear forces is an 'absolute priority.'

The defense ministry reported over 10,000 new weapons entered service, including Su-57 fighter jets and AI-equipped kamikaze drones. Russian forces established control over the settlement of Chugunovka in the Kharkov Region. A series of drone attacks targeted Russian territory, causing a major fire at a Volgograd oil refinery. The FSB announced a series of operations, including stopping weapons smuggling and detaining its own employees in St. Petersburg for alleged extortion.

International

Russia launched a new wave of missile and drone strikes across Ukraine, targeting cities including Kyiv and Odesa, damaging energy infrastructure and killing civilians. The New START treaty expired after President Trump rejected a Russian proposal to extend it, calling instead for a new pact to include China. Russian forces advanced in the Zaporizhzhia region, taking control of Zaliznichnoye, while intense fighting was reported around Pokrovsk.

Russian officials, including Dmitry Medvedev, accused the United Kingdom and France of planning to transfer nuclear weapons to Ukraine, warning such a move would be a direct path to world war. Ukraine denied these claims as absurd. NATO started a new military mission, 'Arctic Sentry,' in the Arctic region, prompting a Russian warning of a military response. The U.S. and Russia agreed to reestablish direct military dialogue following talks. Russia lost access to SpaceX's Starlink service in Ukraine, which experts said was a significant blow to its forces.