Russian court jails American citizen after serving as Ukraine mercenary
A US citizen was sentenced to six years and 10 months in a Russian prison for serving as a mercenary in Ukraine. After signing a contract with the Ukrainian military, the man fought alongside forces until his capture. He had been paid $1,000 per month to serve in a Ukrainian territorial defense unit. The 72-year-old pleaded guilty and received a reduced sentence due to his age. This marks the first known case of an American being convicted for fighting as a mercenary in the conflict.
Russia opens criminal probes against foreign journalists for crossing Kursk border
The Federal Security Service (FSB) of Russia has launched criminal probes against 14 foreign journalists for illegally crossing the border from Ukraine into the Kursk region of Russia. Among the targeted journalists are individuals from news outlets like France 24 and Switzerland’s CH Media. According to Russian law, such crossings could lead to a five-year prison sentence.
Russia fires dozens of drones and two hypersonic missiles
The Ukrainian Air Force reported shooting down 32 Russian drones and two hypersonic Kinzhal missiles. One of the missiles hit an airfield in Ukraine’s Khmelnytskyi region without any major damage or casualties. This series of strikes occurred overnight in the ongoing conflict.
Crimea oil facility struck, says Ukraine
Ukraine conducted a successful strike on an oil facility in Crimea, targeting Russia’s energy sector. The strike aimed to disrupt revenues used by Moscow for its invasion efforts. No casualties were reported as a result of the strike. The Russian Defense Ministry claimed to have downed 12 Ukrainian attack drones over the peninsula.