KRYVYI RIH THREAT: One or more Shahed-type UAVs detected approaching Kryvyi Rih from the East (0056Z, AF UAF, HIGH).
CHERKASY OVERFLIGHT: UAVs previously tracked in Poltava have entered Cherkasy Oblast airspace, passing Chornobay on a Southerly heading (0114Z, AF UAF, HIGH).
OCCUPIED TERRITORY PROPAGANDA: Russian state-aligned sources are disseminating "humanitarian" testimonials from Tokmak (Zaporizhzhia) to reinforce narratives of stability in occupied zones (0101Z, Colonelcassad, MEDIUM).
DOMESTIC DISTRACTION: Russian state media is prioritizing domestic industrial news (aviation equipment) and US political commentary over ongoing military operations (0107Z, 0126Z, TASS, MEDIUM).
Operational picture (by sector)
SITUATION OVERVIEW
Battlefield Geometry: The air domain remains the primary theater of active engagement. The UAV "ingress envelope" has expanded to include a new vector toward the Kryvyi Rih industrial hub from the East. Meanwhile, the swarm in Central Ukraine is tracking South through Cherkasy, potentially targeting the Kremenchuk power/logistics complex.
Weather: Persistent extreme cold (-27°C). No change in the assessment that the enemy is weaponizing the temperature by targeting energy infrastructure.
ENEMY ANALYSIS (Threat assessment)
Tactical Vectoring: The approach to Kryvyi Rih from the East suggests a launch point from the occupied Donbas or Southern axis, distinct from the Northern/Northeastern waves. This indicates a multi-directional saturation tactic to stress Air Defense (AD) coverage.
Shahed/UAV Deployment: High confidence that the UAVs in Cherkasy are the same groups previously transiting Poltava. Their southern heading (0114Z) suggests they may be vectoring toward Kropyvnytskyi or the Southern energy grid.
Belief Assessment: Analytic models suggest a higher probability (0.55) that current UAV activity in the Cherkasy region is focused on reconnaissance or identifying AD gaps rather than immediate kinetic strikes (0.01), though the threat to Kryvyi Rih remains a direct strike concern (0.20).
FRIENDLY FORCES (Blue force tracking)
Air Defense Posture: UAF Air Force is maintaining continuous tracking and EW (Electronic Warfare) engagement across the North, Center, and East.
Digital Interdiction: The "White List" Starlink implementation (Daily Report context) continues to disrupt Russian frontline tactical communications, likely forcing the enemy to rely more heavily on pre-programmed strategic UAV strikes rather than FPV/tactical drone coordination.
INFORMATION ENVIRONMENT (Cognitive domain)
Sentiment Manipulation: The use of humanitarian testimonials from Tokmak (0101Z, Colonelcassad) is a classic "stabilization" narrative intended to counter reports of UAF rear-area strikes.
Strategic Noise: TASS reporting on US domestic politics (Trump/CNN) and airport "tele-ramps" (0107Z, 0126Z) aims to project a "business as usual" image to the Russian domestic audience, obscuring the impact of the T-Bank failure and Ukrainian long-range strikes.
PREDICTIVE ANALYSIS (Future operations)
Most Likely COA (MLCOA): UAVs in Cherkasy will continue South to strike electrical substations or rail junctions in the Kropyvnytskyi/Dnipropetrovsk sectors within the next 1-2 hours.
Most Dangerous COA (MDCOA): The Kryvyi Rih vector serves as a diversion to draw AD away from the Kyiv Reservoir, followed by a massed missile strike from the recently active 260th Central Rocket Artillery Base (Daily Report context).
Timeline Estimate: Impact/Intercept window for Kryvyi Rih: 0145Z–0215Z.
Outlook (next 6-12h)
High threat levels persist for the Central and Southern energy grids. The movement of UAVs toward industrial hubs (Kryvyi Rih) during extreme cold suggests a coordinated attempt to cripple the industrial-military complex alongside the civilian heating grid.
Intelligence gaps & collection requirements
[HIGH] Visual or SIGINT confirmation of the number of UAVs in the Kryvyi Rih vector to determine if this is a swarm or a single-cell probe.
[HIGH] Update on the status of the Kyiv Reservoir UAV group (last reported at 0046Z); current absence of updates suggests either an intercept or radio silence during low-altitude transit.
[MEDIUM] Monitor for any "leaked" details regarding the Abu Dhabi negotiations to see if the Odesa "security guarantees" narrative gains traction in Western or neutral media.
