Russia has declared a "federal-level" emergency in the Kursk region following a large-scale incursion from Ukraine and sent reinforcements there. The announcement came four days after hundreds of Ukrainian troops poured across the border in what appeared to be Kyiv's biggest attack on Russian soil since the war began. Authorities in eastern Ukraine meanwhile said a Russian plane-launched missile hit a shopping mall late in the morning on Friday. At least 14 people were killed and 44 others were wounded. The mall is located in a town's residential area. Thick black smoke rose above it after the strike. Donetsk regional chief said it was "another act of terror by the Russians."

Ukraine hopes to find a strategic edge against Russia in drones built in abandoned warehouses or factory basements. An ecosystem of versatile laboratories hidden in hundreds of secret workshops is leveraging technological innovation. Ukraine hopes to kill Russian troops or save wounded soldiers and civilians with a robot army. Some 250 defense startups across Ukraine are creating the killing machines from the bottom up. That's often at remote, hidden locations that typically look like rural car repair shops. Dozens of new unmanned air, ground and marine vehicles are awaiting assessment as Ukraine accelerates its no-frills startup sector. Production methods are far removed from those of giant Western defense companies.