Russian cities face intensified drone strikes amid Ukraine's southern offensive

Ukrainian forces have escalated drone attacks launched from the Kharkiv and Sumy regions, striking targets deep inside Russia including Moscow, Omsk and Syzran. The strikes have also intensified the aerial blockade of Crimea and disrupted logistics along routes to the peninsula.

The Russian defence line known as the "Surovikin Line"—a fortified front stretching hundreds of kilometres—has been highlighted as a key obstacle for Ukrainian advances toward the Azov Sea coast. Russian military analysts have warned that only tactical nuclear weapons could halt what they describe as a relentless flow of western‑supplied arms to Ukrainian troops.

Separately, Ukraine and Germany have signed an agreement to co‑produce the "Bars" rocket‑drone, capable of a 1,000‑km range, marking the first phase of a joint weapons programme intended to counter Russian air defenses.