Russian forces are pressing their offensive toward Pokrovsk, a strategic railway hub in eastern Ukraine. Ukrainian units report continued fighting in northern areas of the city as infantry assault groups supported by drones attempt to advance. The battle is part of a broader effort to influence control across the Donetsk region.     

US–Iran tensions are entering a delicate phase: diplomacy and deterrence at the same time. While indirect nuclear talks resumed in Oman and were described as a “good start”, a dramatic incident unfolded in the Arabian Sea — a drone approached a US aircraft carrier and was shot down by a pilot aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln. American negotiators Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner later visited the carrier, reinforcing what Washington calls a “peace through strength” approach amid high-octane upcoming meeting with Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.