Strategic Overview

The war has entered a dangerous new phase of logistical strangulation. While the Kremlin continues its "City-Kill" strikes on Kharkiv and Odesa, a critical tactical evolution occurred today: Russian Shahed UAVs are now air-dropping PTM-3 anti-tank mines on railway lines in Western Ukraine (Rivne). This moves the threat from simple kinetic strikes to persistent area denial in the deep rear, aiming to sever the flow of Western aid.

Simultaneously, the technological arms race has pivoted. Ukrainian forces are successfully fielding fiber-optic FPV drones in the East, creating a "jamming-proof" kill chain that renders Russian Electronic Warfare (EW) useless. Meanwhile, occupied Donetsk ("DPR") is suffering a systemic collapse of power and heating grids, a self-inflicted crisis that may force Russia to divert military engineers to prevent domestic collapse.

Operational Updates

• Rear Echelons (Rivne): NEW THREAT. UAF Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) teams are working to neutralize PTM-3 mines dropped by Shahed drones on rail infrastructure. This is a direct attempt to paralyze the logistics backbone connecting Ukraine to Europe.
• Eastern Axis (Pokrovsk): STABILIZING. The 7th Corps DShV is holding the line, reporting 370 Russian KIA/WIA in the last 7 days. Crucially, the 36th Marine Brigade has confirmed the use of fiber-optic drones to destroy Russian infantry and vehicles, bypassing heavy EW jamming.
• Northern Axis (Kharkiv): CRITICAL. The city is under heavy bombardment (9+ wounded today, large fires confirmed). Russian "drone-hunter" units (245th MSP) are active, but UAF control of the Kupiansk city center remains firm (held by "Khartia" unit).
• Southern Axis (Maritime): CONTESTED. Precision strikes on Odesa's port infrastructure are actively discouraging commercial shipping, threatening the economic viability of the "Grain Corridor."

SAR Intelligence (Satellite Data)

Satellite Aperture Radar (SAR) is flagging massive activity anomalies, particularly in Russian strategic depth and western airbases.

• High Priority: AB Donskoye (Air Base) shows a massive spike to Score 17.80, and the 183rd Guards AA Regiment has surged to Score 16.77.
• Analysis: These rising scores indicate a major surge in air operations and air defense readiness in the Baltic region, likely a defensive posture against Ukraine's expanding deep-strike capabilities (which launched ~92 UAVs overnight).

Equipment & Losses

• Tech Shift: Confirmed field use of fiber-optic FPV drones by UAF (immune to radio frequency jamming).
• New Tactic: Russian aerial mining of railways using modified Shahed-136/131s carrying PTM-3 mines.
• Logistics Failures: Russian frontline units in Zaporizhzhia are relying on crowd-sourced civilian vehicles (UAZ "loaves") due to supply shortages.
• Attrition: 7th Corps reports 370 Russian personnel eliminated in the Pokrovsk sector over the last week.

Confidence Check

• Aerial Mining in Rivne: HIGH (Confirmed by EOD/Official sources).
• Fiber-Optic Drone Success: HIGH (Video evidence/Unit reports).
• DPR Utility Collapse: MEDIUM (Regional reports).
• German Drone "Failure" Rumors: LOW (Likely Russian information operation).

The Bottom Line

Russia is innovating to choke Ukraine's logistics, moving from missile strikes to aerial mining of rail lines. However, Ukraine's technical pivot to fiber-optic drones creates a tactical window of opportunity in the East that Russian EW cannot close. Watch the Rivne rail corridors closely—if aerial mining expands, it complicates the delivery of every shell and tank sent by the West.