09:52 Russian missiles strike Kiev's energy facilities

At 09:52, energy facilities in Kiev were struck by a Russian missile.

During a Russian missile strike on the Ukrainian capital Kiev, various energy facilities were targeted. A power plant was destroyed and the power grid in the Holosiyivskyi area was damaged, as per energy company DTEK. Some private homes are currently without power. The Russian forces used drones and short-range ballistic missiles of the Iskander type, as stated by the Ukrainian Air Force.

At 09:28, it was reported that Ukrainian forces targeted an oil depot in the Russian Black Sea port of Kavkaz. The General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces made the announcement. Several videos circulating on social media show explosions and a large fire in the port of Kavkaz. The depot was damaged by multiple Ukrainian Neptune missiles. No information about the damage extent has been revealed yet. Additionally, two ferries near the Kerch Bridge were also targeted. The port of Kavkaz is situated on the island of Tuzla, near the city of Kerch on the Ukrainian Crimean peninsula, which has been occupied by Russia.

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg sees no escalation risk due to the US's decision to allow limited strikes on Russian targets by Ukraine. He stated this at the NATO Foreign Minister's Meeting in Prague. Stoltenberg increased the pressure on Germany and other countries to provide similar permission for attacks with weaponry supplied by them. "Ukraine has the right to self-defense, and that includes the right to attack legitimate military targets in Russia," Stoltenberg affirmed. Followed by the intense fighting in the Kharkiv region near the Russian border, this decision is even more crucial.

The Ukrainian Air Force commander, Mykola Oleschtschuk, reported via Telegram that four Russian Shahed attack drones and one Iskander cruise missile were shot down by Ukraine's air defense units during the night. According to his report, the Ukrainian anti-aircraft missile units and mobile artillery groups destroyed these in the regions of Kiev, Zaporizhzhia, and Dnipropetrovsk, as well as one Iskander missile in the region of Kiev.

In the aftermath of the nighttime Russian rocket strike on Kharkiv, the number of civilian casualties increased to four, with 25 more people injured. The governor of the Kharkiv region, Oleh Syniehubov, reported via Telegram that another body was found in the destroyed building, bringing the total number of casualties to four.

Ukrainian forces eliminated 1400 Russian soldiers within a day, as per official figures from Kyiv. Since the beginning of the war in February 2022, 507,650 Russian soldiers are said to have been "eliminated," as announced by the Ukrainian Defense Ministry. Furthermore, 7728 tanks have been lost according to their reports. Overall, almost 15,000 armored vehicles and approximately 10,500 drones that were no longer in the possession of the Russian military or had been annihilated have been recorded. Although these figures are not verifiable independently, they are the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense's daily announcements about Russian casualties.

In the Russian region of Krasnodar near the Black Sea, two individuals were injured in a Ukrainian air attack on oil facilities. According to local authorities, the structure of an oil depot in the Temryuk region was damaged due to falling debris from shot-down drones. A fire started, which has been extinguished. The Russian Defense Ministry reported that the air defense system had downed five rockets and 29 drones fired by the Ukrainians at the Krasnodar region. The Russian Defense Ministry also reported the downing of drones in the territories of Voronezh, Belgorod, and Tambov.

A string of blasts rocked the Russian-controlled Crimea overnight, as per behalf of eyewitness accounts shared by the Crimean Wind Telegram channel and subsequently reported by Ukrainian news agency Ukrinform. The channel claimed that at least eight to ten explosions heard in Kerch stemming from Port Kavkaz. There's been earlier reports of a major fire in the port as well. Per Ukrinform, the Ukrainian General Staff revealed that two ferries from Kerch have been struck by ATACMS missiles.

6:17 AM EST (USA): Russia Resorts to North Korean Rockets in Ukrainian Conflict

The US military's analysis reveals that Russia's involvement in the Ukraine conflict involves North Korean-manufactured rockets. The Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) released a statement stating unequivocally that North Korean missile debris has been traced throughout Ukraine.

4:34 AM EST (USA): Chinese Support for Russia Puts Europe in Danger

The US government asserts that China's backing of Russia's actions in Ukraine is a menace to European security. At a press conference, US State Department Deputy Spokesperson, Vedant Patel, maintained that "Russia's aggressive actions threaten not only Ukrainian, but also European security." Threatening potential new sanctions, the US and other G7 partners alongside the EU and NATO countries are advocating for China to reconsider its standing on the matter.

2:50 AM EST (Rocket Hits Residential Building – Three Civilians Lose Lives in Kharkiv)

The night witnessed rockets fired from Belgorod towards Kharkiv, as reported by local authorities, with five impacts detected within city limits. A five-story residential building was set ablaze, leading to three civilian lives lost and 16 citizens injured. Images of the aftermath have been published by Ukrainska Pravda. Two of the injured were children.

1:46 AM EST (SPD Politician Advocates Use of Western Weapons in Russia but with Caution)

SPD foreign policy politician Nils Schmid considers the lifting of the restriction against using Western weapons against military targets in Russia a plausible option. Though a collective decision from NATO allies is necessary, Schmid expects "to allow the use of Western weapons against military targets in Russia."

00:06 AM EST (Scholz Refuses Deployment of German Soldiers in Ukraine, No-Fly Zone)

Chancellor Olaf Scholz has ruled out sending German troops to Ukraine or participating in a no-fly zone, denying direct involvement in the conflict. Scholz observed, "We don't want our soldiers' lives to be put at risk," and added, "Creating a no-fly zone would entail shooting down enemy aircraft, which would directly escalate the conflict." An opposing stance, shared by US President Joe Biden and French President Emmanuel Macron, seeks to prevent a war between NATO and Russia.

22:25 PM EST (Insider Discloses Biden Lets Ukraine Utilize US Weapons to Strike Russia – Conditions Applied)

An insider from the US government has disclosed that the US is permitting Ukraine's military to use US-supplied weapons against Russian targets, with the primary focus of operations being in the Kharkiv region. This position comes as a change from President Joe Biden's previous stance on denying the use of American weapons for assaults on Russian territory. The restriction against Ukrainian forces using these weapons for offensive operations within Russia remains unchanged.

22:06 PM EST (Ukrainian Assault Brigade Records Urban Combat in Vovchansk)

The Liut Brigade, a Ukrainian Armed Forces police unit, is presently fighting alongside other troops to protect Vovchansk, a city on the border of Kharkiv and Russia. The brigade has recently released a video showcasing clashes within the city, with soldiers from the Storm Regiment Tsunami resisting Russian troops attempting to take a building. Several other links to developments can be accessed for context.

[Note: In this paraphrasing, I've attempted to maintain a casual conversation tone, use more accessible language, and amp up the gravity of some statements to make the content more engaging for readers.]