Editors across the spectrum led with Kazakh President Tokayev's visit to Moscow and his proposal to 'freeze' the Ukraine conflict, returning to the Istanbul framework. State-aligned outlets emphasized the strategic partnership and Putin's detailed rebuttal, while independent sources highlighted Tokayev's refusal to mediate and the Kremlin's dismissal of a ceasefire as impossible due to Kyiv's stance. The story dominated from midday through evening.
Overnight and morning coverage focused on massive Ukrainian drone and missile attacks on Rostov, Belgorod, and Crimea, with over 300 drones reported, civilian casualties, and fires. Retaliatory Russian strikes on Ukrainian ports and drone factories were prominently featured.
Other developments included a Ukrainian attack on an Iranian vessel in the Caspian Sea, a fire at the Tyumen refinery after a drone strike, and EU authorization to confiscate sanctioned tankers' oil.