On Ukraine's Independence Day, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy visited the northeastern border area where Ukrainian forces launched a significant incursion into Russia's Kursk region earlier this month. Zelenskyy announced the capture of another Russian village and indicated that new prisoners of war (POWs) would contribute to an exchange fund for captured Ukrainians. Amidst this, a Ukrainian drone strike targeted an air base in southern Russia, marking a continuation of Kyiv's counterattacks as Russian forces advance in eastern Ukraine. Moscow, however, claimed to have captured a village in Donetsk and reported thwarting another Ukrainian infiltration attempt. Both sides continue to report battlefield successes, with Ukraine emphasizing its territorial gains from the offensive. This escalating conflict underscores the ongoing volatility and the strategic maneuvers each side is employing in the protracted war.