Heavy Fighting in Donetsk as Russia Advances, Romania and Latvia Probe Drone Incursions

Fierce fighting continues between Ukraine and Russia in the Donetsk region, with both sides reporting heavy clashes near the city of Pokrovsk. Russia's defense ministry stated that its forces had secured control of Novohrodivka, a village located 12 kilometers from Pokrovsk. Meanwhile, Ukraine's General Staff reported that over 20 Russian attacks in the area were repelled in the past day. According to the New York Times, Russian forces appear to be attempting to encircle Ukrainian troops in a zone between Pokrovsk and Kurakhove.

Elsewhere, Russian drones prompted air alerts across several regions in Ukraine. In Kyiv, an air raid alert was declared due to a drone attack, as confirmed by Serhiy Popko, head of the city's military administration. Anti-aircraft defenses were activated, with air danger alerts also issued in Cherkasy, Chernihiv, Poltava, and Sumy regions. Meanwhile, the Ukrainian monitoring group Deep State reported that Russian forces captured the village of Vodyanoe, another settlement in the Donetsk region.

Romania and Latvia are investigating incidents involving Russian drones that allegedly violated their airspace. NATO Deputy Secretary General Mircea Geoană, who is stepping down soon, labeled these events "irresponsible and potentially dangerous" but noted no signs of deliberate attacks. Romania's Defense Ministry confirmed that a drone was tracked by radar entering and exiting its airspace, and two F-16 fighter jets were deployed to monitor the intrusion. In Latvia, President Edgars Rinkevics called for a unified NATO response, stressing the growing frequency of such incidents along NATO's eastern flank.