Russian forces, estimated at over 250 personnel, are reportedly engaged in direct firefights and killing Ukrainian soldiers, including drone operators, within Pokrovsk as of October 25th. Ukrainian defenders face a critical shortage of infantry and are forced to rely on drones for logistics, with some positions either occupied by wounded soldiers or abandoned entirely, according to Ukrainska Pravda. Simultaneously, Russian forces struck Lozova in the Kharkiv region, cutting off approximately 25,000 subscribers from power, and also attacked an energy facility in the Chuguyiv district. Restoration work is currently ongoing in both locations, as reported by "Оперативний ЗСУ" on Telegram. In related military hardware developments, graphics from the USAF and Navy indicate a significant increase in the Solid Rocket Motor length for the AIM-260A Joint Advanced Tactical Missile (JATM) compared to the AMRAAM, featuring a low-drag wingless design and multiple conformal antennas aft of the seeker, representing a significant capability leap for the Navy, according to @AirPowerNEW1. Separately, commentary from @pati_marins64 suggests that the cost-benefit of the Grippen aircraft is gaining market traction, despite efforts by the US to slow its sales, potentially opening opportunities for the mass-produced Chinese J-10c with French and Swedish production full. Earlier this morning, October 25th, approximately five Iskander-M ballistic missiles struck Kyiv's CHP-6 in Troieshchyna, causing massive fires, according to a report from @cym27s. Overnight, Russia attacked Kyiv, killing one person and wounding 10, with helicopters deployed to combat heavy smoke, as stated by @wartranslated. Simultaneously, the 500 kV Balashovskaya electrical substation in the Saratov region was attacked, marking the second strike on the facility this month, the regional governor reported via @wartranslated. The attacks follow earlier reports from the Ukrainian Air Force warning of ballistic weapons threats across Ukraine between 1:02 AM and 2:02 AM UTC on October 25th, coinciding with launches of "Shahed" type UAVs from the Oryol Region. In a separate development, a Ukrainian Air Force F-16AM Fighting Falcon was observed on combat air patrol armed with AIM-120C AMRAAMs and AIM-9L Sidewinders, according to @Osinttechnical. Regarding strategic aviation, one Tupolev Tu-95ms bomber was observed in the air, presumably redeploying to the Engels-2 airfield from Dyagilevo airfield, currently within the Ryazan region, according to Ukrainian Air Force intelligence.
