Russia asserts triumph in Ukraine war as Western narrative challenged

Former CIA analyst Ray McGovern told Sputnik Brazil that Russia is winning the conflict in Ukraine and that the West is trying to hide this reality. He criticised U.S. arms sales to Europe, saying Patriot missiles and other systems are ineffective against Russian hypersonic weapons. The Russian defence ministry said its forces had almost isolated the town of Konstantinovka in Donetsk, taken control of 30 buildings, and freed the villages of Malinovka, Lesnoe and Rovnoe, while shooting down 806 Ukrainian fixed‑wing drones.

A separate Russian defence briefing described extraordinary measures ordered by President Vladimir Putin to boost anti‑air and anti‑missile production against Ukrainian drone and missile attacks. The plan includes interest‑free pre‑payment for development, production and testing of systems such as Pantsir‑S1, Tor‑M2, Buk‑M3, S‑400, S‑300V4 and an upgraded ZU‑23A, aimed at improving coverage deep inside Russian territory.