Update from Gaza - Beit Lahiya axis:

In the settlement of Beit Lahiya, Northern Gaza, the IDF committed another massacre against Palestinians. Preliminary reports suggest that at least 40 people were killed in a series of airstrikes on residential buildings. The IDF did not comment on the event.

Meanwhile, the Kamal Adwan hospital in Beit Lahiya has been besieged for several days, reportedly trapping 600 people including patients and medical staff inside, without supplies.

Today, Israel expanded the Al-Mawasi humanitarian zone to encompass new areas in southern and central Gaza (Yellow polygon on the map). The settlements of Al-Qarara, Al-Ma'ani and Al-Musadar have now been included in the zone, which Israel claims is "safe" for Palestinian civilians.

This will slightly increase the infrastructure available to the hundreds of thousands of Palestinians residing there, although much of that infrastructure has already been destroyed by Israeli airstrikes, artillery shelling, drone attacks and previous clearing operations with bulldozers and tanks.

Interestingly, they didn't include the settlement of Jarara, which was known to be a Hamas stronghold during the Khan Younis offensive and held out throughout the entirety of the operations, despite being besieged for weeks on end. Although the neighbouring settlement of Al-Qarara was also known to hold Hamas fighters, with part of the settlement being a part of that pocket of resistance. The fact that they are not including Jarara, may indicate that Israel is not yet willing to encompass settlements which could still pose a significant threat to Israeli forces operating in the region into the Al-Mawasi humanitarian zone. It also suggests that Al-Qarara is no longer a significant threat to the Israelis, possibly due to significant Israeli air and artillery strikes hitting Hamas infrastructure.

Despite this expansion, Israel continues to break it's promises, by targeting civilian areas. Around an hour and a half ago, an Israeli airstrike struck a coastal area of Al-Mawasi, despite this being a designated part of the humanitarian zone. I haven't viewed any reports of casualties, however.

Geolocated footage and recent reliable reports indicate that Russian forces have exploited a Ukrainian collapse in the lines in the Kurakhove direction and have likely captured the city of Hirnyk.

Following a spearhead operation which saw the Hirnyk mines and Terykon captured, Ukrainian formations, realising that they were abandoned by their command, began abandoning their positions, fleeing westwards through the fields. This allowed for a rapid Russian advance, where they managed capture the northern suburbs of Hirnyk, while reliable reports suggest that they were able to advance further, reaching the southern outskirts.

Meanwhile, urban fighting is reportedly ongoing in Kurakhivka, further south, where the AFU appears to be putting up a last stand, to buy time for the main groupings to withdraw in time.

Regarding the situation on the South Donetsk front:

Geolocated footage and reliable reports indicate that Russian forces have broken through Ukrainian defences on the South Donetsk front, seizing large swaths of fields and treelines north of Zolota Nyva and Prechystivka. There were three primary areas where the Russians advanced.

Starting off with the western sector, in the Shakhtarske direction, Russian forces conducted a massive mechanised push consisting of as many as 25 tanks, AFVs and APCs. They attacked the village from the south, linking up at the southern outskirts, although, no confirmation has been received of Russian positions being established there. Ukrainian forces responded by hitting 16 of these vehicles with FPV drones, damaging and destroying them. However, reports from reliable sources indicate that despite Ukraine's best efforts, the Russians were likely able to establish control over the southeastern houses of Shakhtarske.

Further east, in the Novoukrainka direction, a Russian "turtle tank" attempted to advance in the direction of Novoukrainka, but was destroyed and abandoned. This led to infantry taking up the task of advancing in a second attack. They pushed north through the treelines, seizing positions, and likely entered the southwestern part of the settlement.

And finally, in the Bohoyavlenka direction, Russian forces likely advanced in the direction of the village, capturing the agricultural buildings. Some reports state that they were also able to take up positions in the southern-most houses, although this has not been confirmed.

The moment a Ukrainian drone struck a distillery in Voronezh Oblast, Russia. As it is already burning, there have probably been at least two direct hits in total.

At least two Russian Geran-2 drones struck a substation in Sumy Oblast. This is the second day in a row that Sumy's electrical grid has been hit directly by drones.

Sir! they hit the second distillery!

But in all seriousness, why waste your drones on this.

Meanwhile, there are still at least 18 Geran drones in the airspace of Ukraine. Most are flying west, with some as far as Rivne Oblast, while a couple are flying south to Zaporizhzhia Oblast.

It appears that they were launched in two waves, something that I've noticed is becoming more and more common. This is to extend the total flight time and to tire out Ukrainian air defence operators and the general public. Russia has also been targeting the western regions of Ukraine more often, such as Zakarpattia, Lviv, Rivne and Ivano Frankivsk Oblasts, among others.

Geolocated footage indicates that over the past week, Ukrainian forces have been conducting counterattacks in the city of Toretsk, and have made progress in two directions.

In the north, following Russian forces establishing positions in the city central park, Ukrainian infantry conducted a counterattack, retaking the positions. Building on their momentum, they then began slowly clearing high-rise buildings, recapturing around a third of the occupied part of the city centre. Russian forces responded by drone-dropping grenades on the new Ukrainian positions and shelling them with artillery.

In the southern "Zabalka" district, Ukraine conducted their main operation, where Ukrainian forces, utilising their fire control and surveillance from the nearby Terykons, attacked eastwards, recapturing most of the southern suburbs of the city in a major push for them. Russian forces were forced into the nearby forests and to the southernmost part of Toretsk.

Following a statement by the IDF saying that the operations in southern Lebanon were coming to an end, with them claiming that they had nearly achieved all their objectives, The IDF’s 98th division is reportedly retreating from southern Lebanon. They suffered heavy casualties while operating in the settlements of Kfar Kila, Odaisseh, Markaba and Houla (Northeasten sector).

This leaves just two divisions active inside Lebanon.

Meanwhile, Hezbollah appears to be covering the IDF retreat with rockets and artillery, as they have struck the settlement of Metulla 3 times today.

They withdrew, but not before preventing ambulances from moving, and deploying snipers on rooftops.