Zelenskyy's three-hour Friedman interview dominated morning coverage, revealing plans for sequential negotiations: Trump first, Putin later. The strategic significance of Ukraine's Kursk operations emerged through Blinken's statements linking the buffer zone to future diplomatic leverage.
By midday, reports surfaced of 79 Shahed drones and two X-59 missiles intercepted overnight, while defense forces engaged in 17 battles in Kursk region with 45 ongoing engagements. SBU's drone strike on Ust-Luga port was confirmed through multiple sources.
Evening coverage focused on Zelenskyy's revelation of Russian losses in the Kursk buffer zone: 15,000 casualties over five months. The 155th Brigade's operational challenges became public, while Congress confirmed Trump's electoral victory. Combat intensified near Kurakhove, with conflicting claims about territorial control persisting into the night.