Nine people, including an 11-year-old girl, were injured last night in a Russian drone attack on Kyiv. Debris from a destroyed drone ignited a fire in a multi-story residential building in the western part of the city, Kyiv’s mayor, Vitaly Klitschko, announced on Telegram.

In response to the intensifying conflict, Ukraine plans to mobilize 160,000 people to bolster its armed forces. Oleksandr Lytvynenko, secretary of the National Security and Defense Council, shared these plans with members of the Verkhovna Rada, indicating that a new wave of mobilization will take place over the next three months.

Meanwhile, the United States raised concerns today about the presence of North Korean soldiers in Russia’s Kursk region, which borders Ukraine. Pentagon spokesperson Gen. Pat Ryder confirmed reports that a "small number" of North Korean fighters are already stationed in Kursk, with around 2,000 more expected to arrive. President Joe Biden expressed alarm over the matter, stressing that any movement of these forces into Ukraine could warrant a response.

Reports suggest that Kyiv and Moscow are in talks to halt airstrikes on each other’s energy infrastructure. A Ukrainian official, speaking on condition of anonymity, noted a recent decrease in such attacks, adding that both sides stand to benefit from a potential truce on energy sector targets. However, journalists indicated that Russian President Vladimir Putin may not agree to this if Ukrainian forces remain in Russia’s Kursk region. Despite these talks, Ukraine has shown no intention of ceasing attacks on oil processing facilities within Russian borders.

Separately, Russian forces claimed yesterday to have captured the Ukrainian towns of Selydove and Hirnyk. Reuters, however, stated it was unable to independently verify this information.