Today there are a lot of interesting updates from the Russian Federation.

Here, Ukraine has officially unleashed its newly developed bomber drones, marking a major escalation in its ability to strike deep into Russian territory. With advanced precision, extended range, and overwhelming cost-efficiency, these drones are already devastating Russian military infrastructure—setting the stage for a transformative shift in the battlefield dynamic.

Over the weeks, the Ukrainians conducted a series of successful strikes against military and economic targets in Russia, which resulted in damage to over half a hundred military industrial factories, strategic airbases, microelectronics producers, chemical plants, fiber optic facilities, and key logistical routes, including the Kerch bridge. 

Recently, Ukrainians presented the new Batyar-S strike drone, which resembles the Russian Shahed and Geranium strike drones, but only on the outside. Designed from scratch, the new Ukrainian drone has an effective flight range of over 800 kilometers (497 miles) while carrying an 18-kilogram explosive warhead. 

Additionally, the drone is lighter than Shahed, weighing only 60 kilograms, which allows the Ukrainians to deploy it using trucks as launch platforms, making it easy to quickly and efficiently deploy it for any strikes. On top of that, it features superior optical systems that analyze landscapes and terrain in real-time, combining them with satellite footage to adjust its flight trajectory towards the target, and stay as low as possible to evade radar detection and air defenses.

However, one of its biggest advantages is that the Batyar-S drone costs approximately 4 times less than the Ukrainian strike drones currently in use, meaning that Ukrainians will be able to produce four times as many drones and strike 4 times the targets.

As the Ukrainians focus their development on drone technology for various purposes, they have also developed a new bomber drone, the B-1.  B-1 drones are ultralight bomber drones designed to destroy concentrations of manpower, trucks, armored vehicles, and military strongholds on the frontline and in the rear. 

Bomber drones are designed to carry repurposed drone-droppable hand grenades, artillery shells, or other explosives on Russian positions as they fly over their target. The light weight of the drone and its low-noise engine allow it to fly towards Russian lines almost unnoticed, while the drone itself can stay in the air for several hours.

Early frontline reports suggest the drone is extremely resilient against Russian electronic warfare, making it a deadly precision weapon that can hit targets far beyond the range of pre-existing Ukrainian bomber drones like the Vampire hexacopter, already nicknamed the Baba Yaga by both Russian and Ukrainian soldiers for its deadliness. 

The newly developed drone technologies will massively enhance Ukrainian strike capabilities against Russian targets on the frontline and in the deep rear. Ukrainian strikes have already damaged and destroyed production facilities, essential for rebuilding Russia’s strategic bomber fleet after they lost a third of them during Operation Spiderweb.

Ukrainians have also crippled direct Russian production of weapons and ammunition manufacturing, with strikes on long range drone and fiber optic facilities, ammunition factories, and chemical and technical facilities producing rockets and missiles. Now, with the new drones, Ukrainians will be able to strike four times more targets, and much more effectively, promising death and destruction for the Russian frontline and the rear. 

Overall, the Ukrainians effectively maximized the results of their precision strikes against targets in Russia, while developing new drones based on the experience gained from these strikes. These new variants will be able to hit Russia like never before and seriously undermine the Russian summer offensive; as the Russians go all-in for this summer, so are the Ukrainians, promising a decisive military campaign over the next few months, which might well decide the outcome of the war in Ukraine. 

In our regular frontline report, we pair up with the military blogger Reporting from Ukraine to keep you informed about what is happening on the battlefield in the Russo-Ukrainian war.

Today, there are a lot of interesting updates from the Kursk direction. Here, Russian soldiers were paralyzed by an intense Ukrainian bombing campaign, while Ukrainian ground forces closed in on their flanks.

With two companies already encircled and wiped out, Russian soldiers made a desperate plea for reinforcements; however, this relief force walked right into a Ukrainian trap. Ukrainian forces are closing in on Tyotkino with a pincer maneuver threatening full encirclement of the town.

The situation for Russian troops is critical, as up to two companies, around 250 soldiers, are trapped in a shrinking pocket after Ukrainians broke through the town center. Ukrainian drone fire control and constant surveillance make all roads in and out of Tyotkino highly dangerous, blocking Russian evacuation and reinforcements.

Airstrikes devastate Russian sefenses in Kursk oblast

Meanwhile, Ukrainian aircraft relentlessly strike Russian strongpoints, command centers, drone hubs, and troop concentrations with growing intensity. Ukrainian air strikes are proving devastating for the Russians in Kursk, destroying fortified positions and eliminating dozens of Russian troops at once.

Over the past two weeks, at least 15 documented bombings have been conducted against Russian force concentrations in and around Tyotkino alone, with estimated casualties reaching up to 300 soldiers. These targeted strikes have created critical gaps in Russian defenses, further enabling the Ukrainian push.

Despite the worsening conditions, the Russian command had largely neglected the defense of Tyotkino, focusing instead on sustaining their offensive in Sumy Oblast. As a result, only a limited force was left to hold the town, insufficient to stop the Ukrainian advance. Desperate for support, isolated Russian troops are now calling for reinforcements, fearing they may not survive unless help arrives soon.

Ukrainian HIMARS strike destroys Russian convoy in Rylsk

In response to the Ukrainian advance on Tyotkino, Russian forces urgently began deploying reinforcements to prevent a full encirclement. These reinforcements were drawn from reserve units originally amassed for the planned offensive in Sumy. Ukrainian officials had recently warned that Russia was preparing its largest military buildup in six months, including the redeployment of 10 self-propelled artillery units and over 40 trucks loaded with troops and ammunition from Kherson and Crimea toward the Kursk direction.

Unfortunately for Russians, Russian media once again exposed the movements of their column and allowed Ukrainians to increasingly track their movements. This allowed Ukrainians to track Russian force concentrations right to their main base of operations in Rylsk, which had already been struck several times before. They even identified Russians hiding equipment inside a local cultural center before they were combat-ready. Using this intelligence, Ukrainian forces launched a precise HIMARS strike that destroyed the troops and equipment, further delaying reinforcements to Tyotkino.

Failing to reinforce their crumbling defense on the ground, Russian forces deployed fighter jets, hoping to at least stop the Ukrainian air strikes. However, Ukraine was prepared, utilizing the Swedish S-100 Argus AWACS aircraft in conjunction with F-16 fighters. The AWACS has a 400 km detection range, allowing Ukrainians to spot Russian jets deep in Kursk while staying safe inside friendly airspace, beyond Russian air defense range.

Ukrainian F-16s shoot down Russian Su-35 over Kursk

In a one-on-one engagement with the F-16, Russians have the advantage, as their Su-35 jets have more powerful onboard radars with a range of 350 kilometers, compared to the F-16’s 110-kilometer range. However, with AWACS support, Ukrainian F-16s gained extended radar reach and early targeting info, enabling them to launch AIM-120 AMRAAM missiles from their maximum range, shooting down an unsuspecting Russian Su-35 fighter jet.

The Russian jet crashed near the border with Ukraine, while the pilot managed to eject and seek cover in the fields, as the plane itself was visually confirmed to be destroyed by Ukrainian drone surveillance. Subsequently, the shootdown was further verified by a Russian helicopter search and rescue team, which came to evacuate the pilot.

Overall, Ukraine achieved near-total aerial dominance over Tyotkino and surrounding areas in Kursk, leveraging Swedish S-100 Argus AWACS and F-16 jets to detect and shoot down any Russian aircraft attempting to respond.

Russian fighters are warning that Ukrainians are about to gain extremely advantageous defensive positions in Kursk if they capture Tyotkino. They warned that the failure of the Russian command to adequately respond would result in Russian soldiers being forced to once again resort to costly, grinding attritional attacks to take back the lost territories in Kursk.

In our regular frontline report, we pair up with the military blogger Reporting from Ukraine to keep you informed about what is happening on the battlefield in the Russo-Ukrainian war.

Today, there are interesting updates from the Russian Federation. Here, the increasing number of warnings, which have evolved into outright open threats from Russia, has pushed the Kazakhstan government to take decisive steps towards establishing an alliance with Western countries.

From changing key trade partners to seeking new military alliances, Kazakhstan seems determined to ensure its stability in the case of any Russian escalation. Kazakhstan, long considered a critical strategic partner by Russia, is increasingly distancing itself from Moscow’s orbit, underscoring a wider fracturing of Russian alliances in Central Asia.

Russia’s interests in Kazakhstan run deep, with military bases such as the famed Baikonur Cosmodrome, a crucial facility for space launches. Kazakhstan’s geographic proximity to vital Russian military installations and its abundant natural resources, including energy and minerals, have traditionally made it strategically significant to Moscow.

Additionally, the considerable ethnic Russian population of approximately 20%, mostly concentrated near the Kazakh-Russian border, has periodically been leveraged by Russia as justification for exerting more influence or issuing veiled threats to maintain Kazakhstan’s pro-Russian alignment.

Kazakhstan drops pro-Russian defense chief

Russia used the same rhetoric to justify its war in Ukraine, which is causing considerable concern for the Kazakh government. President Vladimir Putin made comments about Kazakhstan’s territorial integrity, suggesting that regional borders were a product of Soviet-era decisions and mentioning that Kazakhstan’s current territorial makeup was not as historically valid as it might seem.

The recent dismissal of Kazakhstan’s pro-Russian defense minister, Ruslan Zhaksylykov, exemplifies a transition. Known for his overtly pro-Russian stance, he faced domestic criticism due to various scandals, including alleged corruption linked to military procurement, and controversial remarks during meetings with Russian Defense Minister Andrei Belousov, when he declared the Russians a brother people, echoing Kremlin narratives used in Ukraine.

His replacement by Dauren Kosanov, former Commander of the Air Defense Forces, signals a significant policy shift. President Tokayev’s swift administrative moves underscore an accelerated shift toward adopting Western military standards, demonstrated further by the country’s increasingly frequent joint exercises with NATO nations such as Türkiye and recent agreements with the United Kingdom.

The signing of a defense cooperation agreement with the UK marks a significant step. It emphasizes peacekeeping training, English language education, and the enrollment of Kazakh officers in British military academies. Though framed as soft power, these steps mirror Britain’s long-term influence strategy in emerging defense partnerships.

Kazakhstan is also already participating in NATO-standard ammunition production projects, further cementing its defense pivot.

Kazakhstan cuts key war exports to Russia

Historically, Kazakhstan, alongside Uzbekistan, has supplied substantial quantities of cotton pulp used to produce nitrocellulose—critical in the manufacture of Russian explosives and gunpowder. These exports, though officially neutral, have supported Russia’s war industry.

Recent indicators, however, suggest Kazakhstan is cutting back these shipments and exploring Western-oriented military supply chains. If fully redirected toward NATO-aligned countries, the move would deal a serious blow to Russia’s ammunition production capability, especially as the Ukraine war drags on.

Russian analysts and political circles have expressed outrage, framing Kazakhstan’s realignment as a betrayal and warning of lost Russian dominance in Central Asian security affairs.

Kazakhstan deepens military ties with the West

Kazakhstan is not only turning militarily, but also economically and diplomatically toward Europe. Talks with the European Union about easing visa rules are ongoing, symbolizing Astana’s long-term intent to integrate more closely with Western institutions.

Meanwhile, Kazakhstan is working to free itself from energy dependence on Russia. The country is expanding use of the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline to export oil via Türkiye to Europe. This bypass of Russian territory undermines Moscow’s regional leverage and opens Kazakhstan to broader markets.

Taken together, these moves show Kazakhstan responding decisively to rising threats—choosing independence, diversification, and closer ties to NATO and the EU over continued reliance on an increasingly aggressive neighbor.

In our regular frontline report, we pair up with the military blogger Reporting from Ukraine to keep you informed about what is happening on the battlefield in the Russo-Ukrainian war.

Today, there are a lot of interesting updates from Ukraine.

Here, Ukrainian forces are unleashing a wave of precision strikes supplied for by the French arms industry—obliterating Russian positions, command posts, and troop concentrations with deadly accuracy. In response to their success, France is sending its entire production of these guided bombs this year straight to Ukraine, doubling Ukraine’s monthly supply and escalating the pressure on Russian forces.

French Army General Nicolas Richoux recently stated that sanctions alone are not enough to bring Russia to the negotiating table. According to him, the only realistic path to a ceasefire, or any negotiated peace, requires the West to deliver large-scale military assistance to Ukraine. Other officials agreed and reiterated that the only way to reach peace and deter Russia further is by arming Ukraine to the teeth by any means necessary. France has provided over €8 billion in military aid since the start of the war, including advanced systems like the AASM-guided bombs, which have proven highly effective on the battlefield.

Combat footage from the battlefield reveals how the Hammer-guided bombs rarely miss, which is why the Ukrainians used them to great effect to strike and demolish Russian command posts, force concentration, and control points for Russian drone operators. 

In Bakhmut, Ukrainians hit such an exact Russian command post of the Third Army Corps in a high-rise building, eliminating the high-level commanders, and delaying the already slow assaults in the Chasiv Yar area. 

In Kursk, Ukrainian first started bombing buildings in Tyotkino where Russian drone operators were stationed. 

They then expanded their operations by striking against Russian strongpoints and fortifications concealed in the tree lines in the border area, scoring direct impacts, and destroying the strongholds. 

The most significant Ukrainian strikes targeted and destroyed large Russian forces concentrations in Guyevo, using drones to detect them and then relay information to fighter jets, destroying Russian forces that were preparing for an assault in Sumy. 

In coordination with the reconnaissance teams, the Ukrainian Air Force also struck concealed positions of Russian drone operators deep in the rear, effectively eliminating a big part of the Russian drone threat. 

The Ukrainian precision bomb strikes in Kursk against Russian forces’ concentrations, command posts, and drone operators are aimed at thwarting the Russian summer offensive in this area, eliminating their forces in the rear before they organize for attacks, and undermining their drone support. 

Ukrainian Air Force has also been very active in Zaporizhzhia, launching a destructive series of strikes against the Russian units. 

Geolocated combat footage reveals how the Ukrainians identified and destroyed multiple buildings at once where Russian drone operators were hiding, outmatching the operators completely. 

Here, Ukrainians also did not miss Russian forces’ concentrations, destroying large numbers of the little reserves Russians have stationed here. 

Lastly, they hit a series of Russian command posts, cutting the head off the snake in Russian attempts to revitalize an offensive in Zaporizhzhia.

The effectiveness of AASM Hammer bombs only increased their demand among Ukrainian Air Force personnel, who praised them for their precision and effectiveness, and urged the French to deliver more of them. Given the excellent results, French officials stated that they will produce over 1,200 AASM Hammer guided bombs this year, and will send all of them to Ukraine. 

The AASM Hammer is a modular kit that turns standard 125 to 1,000 kilogram bombs into precision-guided weapons. It combines a nose-mounted guidance system with added wings on the tail and a solid-fuel booster to give it a range of up to 70 km from fighter jets while still being deadly accurate, allowing Ukraine to hit Russian targets precisely while staying out of the range of Russian air defenses. Using a combination of GPS, infrared, and inertial navigation, it maintains high accuracy even in bad weather or under jamming, meaning that once it’s launched, Russians can do nothing to stop it from connecting with its target. 

Overall, the Ukrainian forces intensified their air strikes against the Russians ever since the recent delivery of French AASM Hammer-guided bombs, with up to 30 visually confirmed bomb strikes against Russian forces confirmed in the last month alone. The recently announced increase in production and delivery is doubling the bomb supply to Ukrainians, which will simultaneously double the Russian losses inflicted by them.

The Ukrainians utilized Hammer bombs to strike Russian forces’ concentrations, all of which usually contain a full unit or company of at least ten to fifty soldiers, meaning that the newly announced delivery of 1200 French bombs could wipe out from 6- to 30,000 Russian soldiers, including key officers in the rear areas – capabilities that will play a crucial role in repelling the Russian summer offensive.

In our regular frontline report, we pair up with the military blogger Reporting from Ukraine to keep you informed about what is happening on the battlefield in the Russo-Ukrainian war.

Today, there are interesting updates from the Kupiansk direction. Here, as Russian losses have officially hit an unprecedented 1 million count, the breaking point finally came, and the soldiers began turning their rifles on their own commanders rather than face certain death in futile assaults.

Three bullets on road to Nyzhnia Duvanka

In one of the most brutal recent examples of growing disorder within Russian ranks, several Russian soldiers near the settlement of Nyzhnia Duvanka in the Luhansk region turned on their own.

By shooting and killing the military police platoon commander and two of his barrier troop subordinates and running away, they sparked a frantic search operation by Russian authorities.

The deserters left their comrades to lie dead on the road while fleeing to save their lives from both Ukrainian and Russian fire.

Pischane funnel: Where men disappear

This violent mutiny did not emerge in a vacuum; it is directly tied to the hopeless bloodbath unfolding near the Kupiansk front, specifically at the Pischane funnel. For months, Russian forces have tried and failed to break through Ukrainian defenses here.

The Ukrainians have created a deadly trap by controlling the flanks, exposing any Russian assault to relentless drone and artillery fire from both sides. Yet commanders continue to send wave after wave of infantry into the funnel, hoping to drive a wedge through Ukrainian lines.

Every new wave knows exactly how it will end, as almost no one from previous groups returns alive. The systematic nature of these assaults has been likened to mass execution, with soldiers pushed forward not for tactical gain but to serve as human battering rams.

Mad Max cars and vanishing men

To make matters worse, Russian troops are being sent into combat in improvised Mad Max-style vehicles, like the Gaz-69, which entered production in 1952, the year of Stalin’s death, and regular cars fitted with rudimentary armor or even none.

Such improvised motorcycle squads and barely armored vehicles now lead the charge, only to be annihilated by Ukrainian FPV drones well before reaching the contact line. These desperate measures highlight not only material shortages but a total disregard for the lives of Russian troops.

Ukrainian surveillance drones ensure that almost no movement goes undetected, meaning most assaults are decimated long before they engage the defenders.

When running is not option

Despite the carnage, desertions in the Russian army remain surprisingly rare. The reason lies in the sheer brutality of the punishments for refusing to fight.

Soldiers who resist are subjected to medieval-style torture. Some are thrown into pits without food before being forced to fight each other to the death to earn the right to live another day.

In one documented case, soldiers were tied behind vehicles and dragged through the dirt, while other deserters were forced to bury each other alive as punishment and to serve as an example. In the Lyman area, a surrendering Russian soldier was spotted by Russian drone operators and targeted by his own artillery.

This highlights the impossible choice facing many: surrender and be killed or desert and be hunted. For some, turning against their officers seems to be the only escape.

This toxic atmosphere has bred a surge in violent retaliation. Russian soldiers, driven to the brink by the realization that dying in a pointless assault is their fate if they continue, are increasingly likely to choose to kill their commanders instead, as it is safer than being spotted attempting to surrender to the Ukrainians.

Meanwhile, commanders themselves contribute to the decay by labeling active soldiers as deserters to avoid paying their wages, denying them medical care, and forcing under-equipped men into combat.

A recent appeal by the families of men from the Russian 54th Motorized Rifle Regiment revealed horrifying conditions: soldiers were beaten and handcuffed, robbed of personal belongings, and left to die without evacuation.

Wounded men are forced to crawl back to safety, and the dead are simply abandoned, confirmed by footage showing bodies of dead Russian soldiers that haven’t been moved for months since the snow covered the fields.

Million-man grave and rot within

The downward spiral is accelerating. Russian military losses have just surpassed one million casualties, including killed, wounded, and captured.

Equipment losses are equally staggering, with 10,000 destroyed and damaged tanks and over 20,000 armored vehicles of various types.

Lacking armor, modern vehicles, or meaningful support, commanders now rely on sheer manpower and suicidal frontal attacks to advance the line ever so slowly. But the more men are lost, the worse morale gets, and the more inclined troops are coming to view their superiors as the enemy instead of the Ukrainians they are forced to fight.

Overall, such events create a vicious cycle.

The collapse of discipline and the dehumanizing tactics employed by Russian commanders will inevitably lead to more incidents where soldiers turn their weapons on their leaders.

To prevent this, the officers are only doubling down on cruelty, inventing new, more barbaric punishments. This internal rot may not only undermine Russia’s ability to continue the war, but it could also ultimately sabotage its war effort from within.

In our regular frontline report, we pair up with the military blogger Reporting from Ukraine to keep you informed about what is happening on the battlefield in the Russo-Ukrainian war.

Today, there are a lot of interesting updates from the Russian Federation. Here, deep inside Russia, the Ukrainians are launching coordinated precision strikes to diminish the effectiveness of Russian drone strikes against Ukraine.

With strikes aimed at fiber optic and battery factories, the Ukrainians are targeting every element of the Russian production chain that enables them to produce drones.

Russia recently launched one of its most devastating drone strikes in Ukraine, deploying over 400 drones, 40 cruise missiles, and 6 ballistic missiles. This escalation reflects Russia’s surging drone production, over 2,000 Shahed drones and 2,000 Garpiya drones per month, plus thousands of Gerbera decoys to overwhelm Ukrainian air defenses.

While Ukraine holds an edge in drone quality, production, and adaptability, Russian drone strikes remain a major obstacle for the Ukrainians, bolstered by Russian mass production of lethal fiber-optic variants.

Drone factories burn as Ukraine hits key sites

As the Russian summer offensive is underway, the Ukrainians understand that they must cut down the production numbers of Russian drones as much as possible. To achieve this, they have launched another massive drone strike campaign targeting the Russian ability to even produce and field FPV drones in the first place.

Recently, the Ukrainians struck the Kronshtadt plant in the city of Dubna near Moscow, collapsing the roof of the factory. Kronshtadt has led Russian drone development for 15 years, producing and designing advanced drones for the Russian army.

On top of that, the Ukrainians struck the Elma technopark in Zelenograd to the north of Moscow, inflicting damage to the main building of it. The facility, located in the heart of Zelenograd, hosts the development of IT, microelectronics, robotics, and medical technology.

Right before that, the Ukrainians struck the Energia plant in the city of Yelets during a night strike, which caused a strong explosion visible in the distance. Satellite footage revealed that the factory suffered significant damage, with the partially collapsed roof of the production hall revealing that the fire engulfed everything inside. This factory is used to produce batteries for Russian drones, missiles, aircraft, and naval systems.

Repeat strikes wreck Russia’s drone supply chain

Ukrainians also targeted the fiber-optic factory in Saransk. A direct drone strike caused severe damage to the main building, setting it on fire. To ensure the factory remained out of commission, as it is the only fiber optic plant in Russia, the Ukrainians launched a follow-up strike just as the repairs were completed.

This was complemented by an even more devastating strike against a hidden Russian drone assembly factory in the city of Obukhovo in Kaluga Oblast. The Ukrainians managed to strike the plant and cause huge fires and several explosions, which forced the local officials to evacuate the area.

It is also important to note that, as previously reported, Ukrainians struck the massive Yelabuga drone factory with 6 fab bombs, the primary Russian facility producing most of Russia’s Shahed drones.

So, Ukrainians hit every segment of the Russian drone production chain; design, microelectronics, fiber optic wire production, battery, and final assembly lines. This will directly result in a lower number of Shahed and FPV drones that Russians can launch, meaning that Russian drone strikes will be more manageable to Ukrainian air defenses, exponentially reducing civilian casualties.

Fewer drones, stronger lines: Ukraine gains edge

Russian tactics have also grown to depend heavily on tactical and reconnaissance drones, most importantly to cut Ukrainian logistics lines and reinforcement routes. If Ukrainians can keep up their strike campaign, and further undermine Russian production, it results into Ukrainian soldiers on the ground have fewer drones to worry about.

This means that the Ukrainian defense lines can maintain and expect a steadier inflow of supplies, reinforcements, and rotations, crucial if Ukrainians are to repel the Russian summer offensive effectively.

Overall, the Ukrainians are conducting a strike campaign deep inside Russia to inflict tremendous blows to Russian drone production, which will reduce to a lower intensity of drone strikes against Ukrainian civilian and military infrastructure. The lowered number of drones launched in strikes against Ukraine, in combination with the work of Ukrainian air defense, will lead to a point where the impact of their strikes is reduced to a minimum.

The reduction of drone operations will also relieve Ukrainian logistics that have been suffering from fiber optic drone strikes, while the forces at critical frontline positions will be able to properly reinforce and dig in at their positions.

In our regular frontline report, we pair up with the military blogger Reporting from Ukraine to keep you informed about what is happening on the battlefield in the Russo-Ukrainian war.

Today, there are interesting updates from the Baltic Sea. Here, being one of the most targeted countries in the area by Russian sabotage acts, Sweden decided to act decisively.

As one of the newest NATO members and having the largest Baltic coastline, Sweden set out to tighten its grip on the Russian shadow fleet operations to eliminate any possibility of new hybrid attacks on its infrastructure.

Recently, Russian maritime activity in the Baltic Sea has become increasingly aggressive and suspicious, with a series of incidents pointing to a pattern of Russian sabotage targeting undersea infrastructure. The sabotage operations started in December 2024, when a shadow fleet oil tanker operating under questionable ownership damaged undersea data and communication cables off Finland, likely by dragging a loose anchor.

Just a month later, a Russian-linked vessel damaged a critical undersea cable between Latvia and Sweden, triggering a full-scale sabotage investigation. The pattern continued at the end of May when the shadow fleet tanker Sun was detected dangerously close to a key Poland-Sweden power cable and was forced to retreat after intervention by the Polish Navy.

Subsequent Russian provocations near Estonian waters and reports of Polish forces driving away Russian vessels operating near Swedish cables underscore the escalating threat.

New Swedish inspections aim to block Russian sabotage

In response to recent provocations, Sweden is joining NATO’s regional efforts by tightening inspections of Russian shadow fleet tankers. From 1 July, the Swedish Coast Guard will require insurance documentation from all vessels transiting its territorial waters or economic zone, not just those docking at ports. This enforces the EU’s April 2025 directive and reflects Sweden’s resolve to counter the risks posed by the Russian shadow fleet.

Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson stated that growing incidents in the Baltic demand preparedness, while Justice Minister Gunnar Strommer emphasized the need for increased inspections, calling the shadow fleet a threat to maritime safety.

Sweden has already been patrolling shipping lanes and monitoring these tankers, but the new rules significantly expand enforcement authority. The signal is clear, and Sweden is no longer willing to tolerate covert Russian activity in the Baltic.

This move also comes amid heightened Russian rhetoric. Moscow has declared its willingness to use all means to respond to inspections and has begun deploying naval escorts for shadow fleet tankers. Following recent airspace violations over Finland and Estonia, and confrontational language from Russia’s UN ambassador comparing inspections to piracy, NATO states are preparing for further escalation.

If Russia decides to again try to chase away NATO vessels inspecting a shadow fleet ship, Sweden has nearly 100 Gripen fighter jets on rapid response standby. These jets are equipped with advanced radar, electronic warfare systems, and extended range, making them a formidable asset for controlling Baltic airspace and intercepting Russian aircraft.

Sweden bolsters NATO defense amid Russian threats

Additionally, Sweden’s Navy is built and optimized for the Baltic Sea’s confined and shallow waters, and includes numerous patrol ships, corvettes, and submarines. Even before Sweden’s NATO membership, its forces did not shy away from acting against Russia for violating their territorial waters or airspace, making them well-prepared for any scenario.

The Russian shadow fleet remains a critical component of Moscow’s sanctions evasion strategy. Comprised of aging oil tankers operating under false flags and opaque ownership, the fleet moves Russian Urals crude oil around the world while avoiding Western scrutiny. Over 50% of this fleet transits the Baltic Sea, using the key and most developed Russian ports with the highest available capacity, such as Primorsk and Ust-Luga, before moving toward customers primarily in Asia.

The Baltic is ideal due to its hard-to-police maritime corridors and legal complexity, making enforcement difficult. This same factor also allows covert Russian operations, such as laying surveillance devices or damaging underwater infrastructure under the guise of commercial shipping. The sheer volume of this traffic poses both security and environmental risks to Sweden and its neighbors.

Overall, Sweden’s decision to take a firmer line marks a critical shift in regional security. As one of NATO’s newest and most strategically located members, Sweden’s participation significantly boosts the alliance’s capability to police the Baltic Sea.

By enforcing new inspection rules, Sweden joins a coordinated effort already supported by Poland, Estonia, and Finland to limit Russia’s operational freedom in the region. While it may not completely hold shadow fleet operations, Sweden’s involvement will force Russia to scale back its provocations and complicate any further attempts to sabotage undersea infrastructure.

In our regular frontline report, we pair up with the military blogger Reporting from Ukraine to keep you informed about what is happening on the battlefield in the Russo-Ukrainian war.

Today, there is a lot of interesting updates from the Russian Federation.

Here, Ukraine is launching a coordinated campaign across Russia’s military-industrial heartland, to cripple the Kremlin’s ability to wage high-tech war. With a devastating cyberattack on the Tupolev Design Bureau and precision strikes on microelectronics plants, Ukraine is not just targeting weapons, it is forcing Russia’s production capabilities back to the stone age.

The Ukrainian Operation Spiderweb inflicted significant losses on Russia, with 25 strategic aircraft confirmed damaged or destroyed. Notably, Russian authorities are already trying to hide the extent of the damage by swapping out destroyed bombers for intact ones taken from airfields not hit by the strikes.

To complement the severe blow against the Russian strategic bomber aviation, the Ukrainian Military Intelligence conducted an extensive cyberattack on the Tupolev Design Bureau, which designs and produces all Russian strategic bombers. Ukrainian intelligence gained access to more than 4 gigabytes of sensitive data. The leaked files include internal correspondence between company executives, personal data of employees, home addresses, biographies of engineers and designers, procurement documents, and classified disclosures from closed-door meetings. 

The breach provides Ukrainians with comprehensive insight into operations and personnel involved in maintaining Russia’s strategic aviation fleet. This information could be used for the sabotage of the plant through low-ranking aviation engineers who can be recruited into Ukrainian information networks, with humans always being the weakest link in such large-scale organizations. 

Additionally, to cement the inability of Russians to rebuild their strategic bomber fleet, the Ukrainians decided to strike factories that produced other high-tech components necessary for the Russian war effort. These factories produce various microchips and technology essential in the production of Russian bombers, tanks, missiles, guidance systems, vision sights, and radars.

The Ukrainians most recently struck the Avangard microchip and radio-electronics factory in Saint Petersburg. While Russian media initially claimed that all Ukrainian drones were intercepted, Russian emergency services confirmed a major fire in the section of the plant responsible for microchip production and assembly. Thick black smoke was seen rising from the facility, with the blaze covering around 100 square meters.

Before that, Ukrainian drones targeted the Bolkhov Semiconductor Device Plant, scoring multiple direct hits on the main building. The explosions triggered extensive fires that spread across the facility, causing significant damage and putting the factory out of commission.

Earlier, the Strela microelectronics plant in the town of Suzemka, Bryansk region, was struck. Located just 8 kilometers from the Ukrainian border, it was within range of HIMARS strikes, which caused the most extensive damage of all the targeted Russian military-industrial plants. Satellite imagery later confirmed that nearly the entire facility was destroyed, leaving no operational production capacity.

Finally, the Ukrainians hit the Kremniy El microelectronics plant in the city of Bryansk, delivering multiple strikes that ignited a large fire throughout the site. This was the fifth attack on the plant since the start of the war, but the latest damage appears to be the most devastating yet.

The Ukrainian strikes had a major impact, targeting key sites in Russia’s military-industrial complex. The Avangard plant, where a massive fire broke out, produces radio electronics, microchips, and communication systems used in ballistic and cruise missiles, with even Russian authorities listing it as one of the most strategically important facilities. 

The strike on the Bolkhov plant was even more severe, disrupting the production of critical components for Sukhoi fighter jets, Iskander ballistic missiles, and Kinzhal hypersonic missiles. The Strela plant in Suzemka, which produces microchips for systems like the Tor air defense platform, was entirely reduced to rubble and must be rebuilt from the ground up.

Meanwhile, the Kremniy El plant in Bryansk, one of Russia’s largest microelectronics producers, supplied parts for Pantsir systems and Iskander missiles. These strikes severely limit Russia’s ability to produce advanced weaponry, forcing a shift to lower-tech solutions that reduce combat effectiveness and increase frontline losses.

Overall, the Ukrainians conducted some of the most devastating strikes on the Russian military industry in recent months. With over thirty percent of Russia’s nuclear-capable strategic bombers destroyed, Ukrainians are now starting to dismantle their ability to build these weapons entirely. The breach of the Tupolev Design Bureau internal systems means now Ukraine possesses Russia’s most sensitive data on its strategic bombers designs and still active aircraft fuelling future precision strikes and combat operations that place the remaining Russian fleet at serious and growing risk. 

In our regular frontline report, we pair up with the military blogger Reporting from Ukraine to keep you informed about what is happening on the battlefield in the Russo-Ukrainian war.

Today, there is interesting news from the Middle East.

Here, OPEC has made a decisive move to punish member states violating production quotas by ramping up output and pushing oil prices to new lows. As the global markets react, the shockwaves hit Russia the hardest, with its economy, already strangled by sanctions and inflation, now gasping for air under the weight of collapsing revenues and shrinking influence within the oil cartel.

OPEC+ raises output, sending oil prices tumbling

Recently, OPEC+ announced plans for a significant increase in oil production for July, adding 411,000 barrels per day. This is the third consecutive monthly hike, and the move aims to regain market share, and discipline overproducing members like Russia, Iraq, and Kazakhstan. Despite the risk of oversupply, the group, led by Saudi Arabia, is prioritizing volume over price to reassert its influence in the global oil market, building on its previous decision not to increase prices.

The immediate effect of this decision has been a notable decline in oil prices. Brent Crude, sourced from the North Sea, has fallen to approximately 65 dollars per barrel, while the West Texas Intermediate produced in the United States is trading around 63 dollars, marking the lowest levels since early 2021. Analysts anticipate that this trend may continue, with forecasts suggesting that Brent Crude could hold the same reduced price for the entire year. Goldman Sachs projects that oil prices might average 60 dollars per barrel this year and potentially dip to 56 dollars in 2026. In more extreme scenarios, where global economic conditions worsen significantly, prices could even fall below 50 dollars per barrel.

Russian crude slides below budgeted threshold

For Russia, these developments pose significant challenges. As of early June 2025, the price of Russian Urals crude oil has fallen below 50 dollars per barrel, marking its lowest level since June 2023. Specifically, in April, Urals crude was priced at around 47.50 dollars. This is extremely below the 70-dollar benchmark used in the initial Russian budget planning for the year. It is estimated that each 10-dollar drop in oil prices costs Russia approximately 17 billion dollars annually. The resulting revenue gap of around 40 billion dollars is expected to widen the deficit to 10% of the projected Russian annual budget of approximately 415 billion dollars.

Gulf states challenge Russia in Asia

Moreover, Russia’s position in the Asian oil market is under threat. While Russia has been exporting discounted oil to countries like India and China, with the massive increase in production, other OPEC+ members are also targeting these markets, increasing competition and potentially driving prices even lower, while at the same time offering better quality oil compared to the Russians. This increased competition in Asia could erode Russia’s market share and further impact its oil revenues.

Russia’s influence within OPEC+ declines

Additionally, Russia’s influence within OPEC+ appears to be waning. The recent production increases have been driven primarily by Saudi Arabia, with Russia reportedly unhappy about these hikes. This shift suggests that Gulf states are increasingly dictating policy according to their own interests, potentially sidelining Russia in the decision-making process.

Sanctions, tariffs, and strikes cripple Moscow’s oil prospects

Russia is unlikely to benefit from increased production due to several factors. Tougher sanctions that get enforced more and more vigorously, price caps aimed to cripple the Russian oil revenue, and damaged refining capabilities, courtesy of Ukrainian precision strikes, limit Russia’s ability to capitalize on higher output. Furthermore, the production cost of Urals crude is higher compared to Brent Crude, as well as Brent having higher quality and being easier to refine into gasoline and diesel. There is also constant uncertainty about new sanctions coming soon, including a 500% secondary tariff being actively discussed in the US Senate, which would target countries buying oil and other natural resources from Russia. All this makes Russian oil less competitive in the global market and ruins all plans that have been made for the Russian budget, which is already under enough stress due to the ongoing war efforts in Ukraine.

In our regular frontline report, we pair up with the military blogger Reporting from Ukraine to keep you informed about what is happening on the battlefield in the Russo-Ukrainian war.

Today, there are a lot of interesting updates from the Sea of Japan. Here, after Ukraine’s audacious underwater drone strike on the Kerch Bridge, Russian analysts have begun sounding the alarm over the possibility of an even more devastating follow-up.

To them, the Kerch operation wasn’t just a spectacular success—it looked like a rehearsal for something far more dangerous, aimed at Russia’s most sensitive naval bases in the far east.

In light of the massively successful operation Spiderweb, showing Ukraine’s ability to strike deep in the heart of Russian territory by both conventional and unconventional means, the Ukrainian Security Service carried out another stunning strike. In their own, so-called, special operation, Ukrainians hit the underwater support structure of the Kerch bridge. The estimated 1,100 kilogram explosion detonated around 10 meters deep, making the damage more difficult to assess and repair.

Notably, Ukraine announced the strike by releasing footage taken from a Russian security camera, showing how deeply infiltrated Ukrainian intelligence services are in Russian networks.

New Toloka drones threaten Russian naval defenses

To conduct the strike, Ukrainians used a new variant of underwater naval drone, the Toloka 1,000 or the Toloka 400. These new underwater drones, upgrades of the Toloka 150, can deliver between half a ton and 5 tons of explosives at a range of 1,000 to 2,000 kilometers, respectively. The drones can operate at a depth of up to 40 meters. Their compact design and quiet propulsion systems make them ideal for covert sabotage missions against high-value Russian naval and logistics infrastructure.

However, Russian analysts note that Ukraine could have used multiple Toloka drones in sequence to breach defenses and collapse the bridge. They suggest that this was therefore not the main strike, but rather a field test of upgraded underwater drone capabilities.

Operation Spiderweb demonstrated that Ukraine can strike deep into Russia using unconventional platforms, hitting unexpected targets beyond traditional frontlines. Now, with new and upgraded underwater drones in play, Russian analysts started raising the alarm that the Pacific naval assets are under imminent threat.

Russia warns of possible drone strikes in Pacific

Russian analysts are worried that to hit Russia’s far east, Ukrainians could realistically use container ships laden with concealed naval drones. The Ukrainians operate a large fleet of merchant vessels, including container ships. These are more difficult to regulate and inspect, making it easier to smuggle the underwater drones in them.

Furthermore, careful coordination of shipping towards international ports of Ukrainian allies, such as Australia, the United States, Japan, and South Korea, could reduce the risk of such an operation being intercepted, especially with the cooperation of allied intelligence services.

Once the container ships enter the Sea of Japan, the Sea of Okhotsk, or even dock in Russian ports, they would already be within range of releasing underwater drones, with the Toloka 1,000 having a range of 2,000 kilometers at the least. Ukraine could launch these drones from the deck or through an underwater configuration comparable to a torpedo launch.

Ukraine eyes Russian nuclear submarine base in Kamchatka

The targets would be the Russian naval bases in Vladivostok and on the Kamchatka Peninsula. The Vladivostok base houses the Russian Pacific surface fleet, with several destroyers, corvettes, and the flagship of the Russian Pacific fleet, the Cruiser Varyag. The base in Kamchatka houses Russia’s nuclear submarines, which are carriers of both nuclear-capable ballistic and cruise missiles, and is known as one of Russia’s most secure facilities.

With the Toloka 1,000 having a maximum payload of up to 5 tons, 10 times higher than conventional torpedoes shown on screen now, Ukrainians could hit and sink several ships with only one drone. Such strikes would not have a direct military impact for Ukraine, but it would bring the war to the Russian home front in a way never seen before.

Ukraine expands war to Russian Pacific fleet

Additionally, it would undermine Russia’s ability to defend itself in a broader sense, eroding the Russian nuclear triad even further, after already having lost over a third of its strategic bomber fleet. Such an operation would exponentially magnify the pressure on Russia to seek a realistic negotiated peace settlement, as the Ukrainian Istanbul delegation already noted how, after the launch of Operation Spiderweb, their Russian counterparts were much less hostile than before.

Overall, Ukraine’s strike on the Kerch Bridge fits into a broader, coordinated campaign, seemingly without range limitations. It marks the start of a new phase in long-range underwater warfare. With upgraded Toloka drones now capable of reaching over 2,000 kilometers, Russian analysts openly worry this was only a trial run, and that Ukraine’s real targets lie in the Pacific, where Russian nuclear submarines and warships sit vulnerable in a false sense of security.

As the pressure mounts and the reach of Ukraine’s unconventional operations expands, Ukraine is actively undermining Russia’s domestic and international projection of strength and invincibility.

In our regular frontline report, we pair up with the military blogger Reporting from Ukraine to keep you informed about what is happening on the battlefield in the Russo-Ukrainian war.

Today, there are a lot of interesting updates from the Russian Federation. Here, Ukrainian forces have begun targeting not just the Russian military equipment, but the factories that produce them deep in the industrial core of the country.

By striking key munitions plants responsible for explosives, bomb kits, and artillery components, they’ve set off a chain reaction that could choke Russia’s ability to sustain its summer offensive.

The goal of the Ukrainians here is to prevent the Russians from rebuilding their ammunition stockpiles after the latest destruction of the large GRAU artillery arsenal in Vladimir Oblast. The success of this attack led to the destruction of up to 264 thousand tons of drone, artillery, and missile stockpiles, equating to at least half a year of Russian munitions production.

Russian arms factories burn after precision strikes

To prevent Russians from rebuilding these stockpiles, Ukrainians commenced a devastating series of precision drone strikes, starting with strikes on the Bazalt military-industrial complex in Moscow. Satellite images confirm the strike, a direct on the center of the main building, which was already targeted by Ukrainian drones in the past.

Bazalt is a key Russian defense enterprise, specializing in the design, development, and production of a wide range of munitions for the entire Russian army. Most notably, this plant produces high-explosive and thermobaric FAB glide bombs, which are equipped with guidance kits that are used for frontline and rear strikes by the Russian Air Force.

The disruption of the production of guided bombs at this plant will have a massive effect on the Russian summer offensive, as Russian assault tactics are heavily dependent on glide bomb strikes to destroy detected Ukrainian positions.

Additionally, Ukrainian drones attacked the Murom Instrumentation Plant in Vladimir Oblast, 670 kilometers away from the front. The attack resulted in devastating fire that engulfed the warehouse storing finished materials, while damaging the factory administration building, and a factory building where explosives are synthesized was severely damaged.

Notably, the electronic warfare systems in place at the factory were completely ineffective at repelling the drone strike, indicating that Ukraine is implementing AI targeting software more widely in its long-range strike drones as well.

The plant is known in Russia for producing explosive ignition systems, including caps and primers for various types of ammunition used by the Russian military.

Ammo shortages hit Russian frontlines

Subsequently, the Ukrainians struck the Sverdlov State Enterprise in Dzerzhinsk, nearly 800 kilometers from the frontline, one of the most critical Russian military industrial plants. The plant was already struck in the past year due to its immense strategic significance, as it is the sole producer of high explosives hexogen and octogen, which are essential to produce artillery shells, ballistic missiles, anti-tank guided missiles, glide bombs, and air defense missiles.

At last, the final target of Ukrainian strikes was the Azot chemical plant in Novomoskovsk in the Tula region, 350 kilometers from the front, causing a massive fire that left a significant part of the factory badly damaged. The chemicals produced at Azot, ammonium nitrate, methanol, and argon, are key components in explosives, the production of rocket fuel, and welding and heat treatment of metals used in Russian weapon systems.

The Murom Instrument-Making Plant, NPO Bazalt, Azot Tula Plant and the Sverdlov Plant form a critical link in Russia’s munitions supply chain, producing fuzes, warheads, hard materials, and explosive compounds. Together, they enable the mass production of artillery shells, guided bombs, and missiles heavily used in Russia’s war on Ukraine, and critical for the Russian summer offensive to succeed.

Ukraine targets Russia’s war industry with smart drones

Continued disruption of these facilities, all of which have already been targeted by Ukrainian drones and missiles in the past, will significantly impair Russia’s ability to sustain high-intensity combat operations.

Overall, the Ukrainians conducted precision strikes at most critical parts of the Russian military industrial complex, responsible for producing essential materials for nearly all Russian equipment, ranging from artillery to aerial bombs. Such major sabotages can create prolonged and devastating shortages of ammunition and supplies to frontline units, slowing down Russian offensive efforts as they take months to rebuild.

Ammunition shortages force the Russians to slow down their attacks and fire at lower rates, making breakthroughs more difficult and allowing the Ukrainians to better sustain the pressure. This is of immeasurable value, as the Russians are going all-in for their summer offensive.

In our regular frontline report, we pair up with the military blogger Reporting from Ukraine to keep you informed about what is happening on the battlefield in the Russo-Ukrainian war.

Today, there is important news from the Russian Federation.   

Here, Ukraine exploited the chaos after its devastating Operation Spiderweb and targeted more Russian airfields with long-range drones, while the Russians were too busy to check every truck on their road network because of the paranoia that more Ukrainian drones may pop out at any moment. 

As details continue to surface, it is clear that Ukraine executed Operation Spiderweb in spectacular fashion, destroying a third of Russia’s strategic bomber fleet in a single coordinated drone strike on multiple airbases deep inside enemy territory. Satellite imagery continues to surface, raising the number of confirmed losses and solidifying the operation as an unparalleled success in modern military history, with some analysts drawing comparison to how nuclear bombs changed the way wars can play out.

But despite this tremendous success, Ukrainian forces were far from finished. Capitalizing swiftly on the chaos and panic gripping the Russian defense systems, Ukraine quickly unleashed further drone assaults on key Russian airfields. 

Notably, overnight drone strikes targeted military airbases in Borisoglebsk and Tikhoretsk. In Tikhoretsk, newly constructed hangars were set ablaze, suggesting damage or destruction of aircraft concealed inside. Meanwhile, the Borisoglebsk airbase experienced a particularly heavy drone barrage, leading to confirmed fatalities among Russian Air Force personnel.

Though Russian officials hastily assured the public that no aircraft were harmed in the attack, the human casualties represent severe losses, as training pilots and air force personnel, particularly instructors, takes years and substantial resources, deepening Russia’s military setbacks.

The aftermath of Operation Spiderweb extended well beyond physical destruction, dramatically impacting Russian domestic logistics and economy due to unprecedented paranoia about possible further truck-based drone attacks. Russian authorities, gripped by panic and desperate to prevent further humiliating strikes, now view nearly every truck as a potential threat. Across Russia, widespread checkpoints and roadblocks have been hastily established, resulting in kilometers-long traffic jams of trucks awaiting rigorous inspections. 

Videos circulating online illustrate hundreds of immobilized trucks, indicating that Russia’s extensive and crucial domestic road transport network is grinding to a halt. While the economic repercussions are difficult to predict precisely, the sheer scale of Russia and its heavy reliance on road transport suggests a prolonged paralysis that will almost certainly disrupt critical supply chains, harming economic productivity for weeks to come. This will also lead to delays in military logistics, which will hurt Russia’s summer offensive in Ukraine.

Amid this growing logistical chaos, Russia’s internal response has devolved into a frenzied search for scapegoats. Prominent Russian media figures and military analysts were humiliated by the effectiveness of the Ukrainian operation. Additionally, the blame and anger fell on the role ordinary citizens and conscripts played in documenting and circulating results and evidence of the attacks online by posting footage of the strikes. These videos not only boosted Ukrainian morale but also provided vital intelligence, allowing Ukraine to assess the precision and success of their strikes and to plan even more devastating future operations.

This frenzied climate has triggered widespread arrests, as Russian security services desperately detain anyone remotely connected to the strikes. Notably, a couple accused of housing one of the warehouses used to stage the drone attacks has already been arrested. Another individual, a truck driver involved in transporting a Ukrainian drone container, claimed ignorance, asserting he was simply instructed to meet someone at a location.

Panic and hysteria during the operation spiraled so much out of control that another truck driver was brutally killed by an angry mob, highlighting the volatile and dangerous situation rapidly unfolding within Russian society with each Ukrainian success.

Overall, though Operation Spiderweb formally concluded, it continues to profoundly destabilize Russia, creating further tactical and strategic opportunities for Ukraine. The initial operation ignited panic across Russia, which Ukrainian forces promptly exploited through timely follow-up drone strikes, delivering additional damage to Russian airfields.

Meanwhile, Russia remains preoccupied, hunting feverishly for additional hidden threats in trucks spread across its vast territory. With Russian society descending into paranoia and uncertainty, it remains unclear when and where Ukraine’s next surprise attack will occur, ensuring that Russia’s strategic leadership remains in confusion and dread.

In our regular frontline report, we pair up with the military blogger Reporting from Ukraine to keep you informed about what is happening on the battlefield in the Russo-Ukrainian war.

Today, there are many important updates from the Sumy direction.

Here along the Sumy border, Ukrainian forces lured Russian units into counterattacks and then traced their movements back to hidden staging grounds across Kursk. With their positions exposed, HIMARS batteries struck hard, delivering devastating blows to troop concentrations, command posts, and infrastructure critical to Russia’s planned offensive.

Ukrainian commanders in the area have confirmed the buildup, noting that these forces are being readied for large-scale operations aimed at breaching the Sumy region’s defenses. The massive Russian force concentration here underscores their conviction that they can still achieve victory through overwhelming manpower and renewed offensives.

The offensive that hunted its own hunters

To neutralize this threat, Ukrainians needed to eliminate this large force concentration before they had the opportunity to move to the front line. To accomplish this, Ukrainians launched attacks on the eastern flank of Tyotkino to force a Russian redeployment and draw forces away from the town itself.

By threatening a potential outflank, they put pressure on Russian positions while conducting swift rotations to keep fresh troops and equipment on the front line. This way, Ukrainians also improve their defensive position against Russian pressure across this section of the front, while their main offensive units threaten a two-pronged assault on Tyotkino.

Combat footage from the area shows Ukrainian armored vehicles rotating efficiently — one withdrawing to resupply, while another engages Russian positions, ensuring constant pressure on enemy lines. This tactic prevents Russian forces from massing at strong points and forces them into improvised defensive positions in open terrain.

As Russian troops rushed forward to plug gaps and prevent a Ukrainian breakthrough, many were eliminated by FPV drone strikes. Even attempts to move in small groups of two or three failed to evade detection as drones continued targeting them with precision.

Russia moved, Ukraine mapped, HIMARS delivered

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However, most importantly, Ukrainians traced these movements, revealing the locations of Russian troop concentrations and command posts, opening the door for devastating Ukrainian strikes. This critical intelligence allowed HIMARS crews to lock in their targets and strike several Russian military bases simultaneously.

Footage confirms that Ukraine hit two Russian deployment points in Lgov and Rylsk, as local residents report large numbers of casualties among Russian soldiers being taken away in the aftermath. Russians were also spotted gathering their forces in an abandoned hospital building, as the strike completely devastated the building and any Russian soldiers inside.

Ukrainians also targeted Russian command posts to disrupt the Russian offensive preparations and inflict severe losses. Moreover, as reported previously, one of the victims of the recent strikes was the deputy commander of the 155th Marine Brigade, who was reportedly eliminated by a precision strike on his command post in Rylsk.

From Russia’s damned-if-you-do to Kyiv’s damned-if-you-don’t trap

These strikes show that Ukrainians are already draining Russian reserves even before they can launch their offensive. They are disrupting Russian preparations and inflicting losses, further limiting what they can achieve.

Overall, the Ukrainians managed to lure the Russians to expose their forces in the open, to discover their critical infrastructure, resulting in a series of devastating precision strikes. Intensification of Ukrainian assaults in the Tyotkyne incursion will inevitably leave Russians with no other option but to deploy more forces to this area, exposing further force concentration points to Ukrainian observation and strike teams. As Ukrainians continue to scout behind Russian lines, additional strikes seem inevitable.

Furthermore, as Russians suffer logistical strains by deploying and concentrating so many troops, any movement will be nearly impossible to hide.

In our daily frontline report, we pair up with the military blogger Reporting from Ukraine to keep you informed about what is happening on the battlefield in the Russo-Ukrainian war.

Today, there is an interesting update from the Russian Federation. Here, Ukraine conducted a sophisticated military operation, checkmating Russian security services and dealing a deadly blow to Russian strategic aviation.

Trucks that brought doom

The groundbreaking Operation, codenamed Spiderweb, is a meticulously planned drone assault deep within Russian territory, marking one of the most complex special operations in modern military history.

The goal was clear: to neutralize the Russian strategic bomber fleet responsible for daily missile and bomb strikes on Ukrainian cities and key infrastructure.

Operational logistics showcased exceptional ingenuity. Ukrainian operatives covertly smuggled FPV drones into Russia. Storing them in warehouses, the drones were assembled and placed in specially designed mobile wooden cabins mounted on rented trucks.

These vehicles were then parked by regular drivers near each targeted airbase, which enabled the swift deployment of the drones when their roofs were remotely opened.

Notably, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy personally oversaw the execution, underscoring the operation’s strategic importance.

Zelenskyy emphasized the audacity of the operation by revealing that one of Ukraine’s operational headquarters was located adjacent to a local Russian FSB department, highlighting an embarrassing intelligence failure for Russia.

Interestingly, one of the alleged warehouses is right along the border with Kazakhstan, indicating that Ukrainians routed their drone assembly at least partially through third countries like Kazakhstan.

This further implies that Ukrainian intelligence services have established bases not only inside Russia but also surrounding it.

Black wings over Murmansk

Among the targeted airbases was Olenya, located near Murmansk, 2,000 kilometers away from Ukraine. This facility hosted strategic nuclear-capable bombers, including Tu-95MS and Tu-160 aircraft.

At least ten explosions were reported here, with drones accurately targeting fuel storage and strategic aircraft.

The site, home to numerous Tu-22M3 bombers and various fighter aircraft, suffered substantial damage, with satellite images confirming at least seven aircraft destroyed or severely damaged.

Dyagilevo airbase near Ryazan experienced seven documented explosions affecting its Tu-95MS and Tu-22M3 aircraft. The Ivanovo Severny airbase was also targeted, with reports suggesting the destruction of an A-50 AWACS radar aircraft.

This is a critical blow to Russia’s surveillance capabilities, with half of the Russian AWACS fleet now being destroyed, as Ukrainians previously destroyed 2 of the six other aircraft.

A Russian airbase in the Amur region was also targeted, and even though the strike was reported as unsuccessful at first, satellite data showed later that a Tu-95 plane was destroyed.

The silence of the sensors

The magnitude and sophistication of Operation Spiderweb prompted vehement reactions from Russian military analysts, who described the strike as highly impactful and criticized attempts by Russian state channels to downplay the damage.

They condemned Russia’s inadequate air defenses, insufficient protective infrastructure, and counterintelligence failures that facilitated Ukraine’s devastating attack. As a rare exception to the usual immunity of criticism, prominent Russian military bloggers openly criticized Putin for the failures.

The saboteurs’ diversion

To ensure the safe extraction of its operatives and to divert Russian attention, Ukraine orchestrated multiple simultaneous sabotage operations.

Before the drone strikes, four railway bridges were blown up, two in Bryansk Oblast, one in Kursk Oblast, and another in Melitopol, creating widespread panic and diverting Russia’s security apparatus toward railway infrastructure.

With trains travelling over the tracks as the bridges exploded, this panic and chaos only spread further. Additionally, a strong explosion followed by secondary detonations rocked Severomorsk, the administrative base of Russia’s Northern Fleet, adding further confusion.

The billion-dollar burn

Overall, Operation Spiderweb inflicted immense and irreparable damage to Russian military aviation capabilities. Ukrainian officials stated that over 40 aircraft, representing approximately 34% of Russia’s strategic missile-carrying bombers, were hit, causing estimated losses exceeding $7 billion.

Widely available footage from eyewitnesses, drone recordings, and detailed satellite imagery affirms the official Ukrainian claims, visually confirming the destruction of at least 21 strategic aircraft, including the invaluable A-50 AWACS platform, while the full extent of the damage is still being assessed.

As Russia lost its ability to produce its strategic bombers, it also created panic within the country, successfully destroying the carefully nourished myth of Russian invincibility and devastatingly undermining the Russian nuclear shield.

In our daily frontline report, we pair up with the military blogger Reporting from Ukraine to keep you informed about what is happening on the battlefield in the Russo-Ukrainian war.

Today, there are interesting updates from Serbia. Here, an explosion rocked the biggest Serbian munitions factory just a day after the Russian Foreign Intelligence published a sharp report accusing Serbia of sending weapons to Ukraine.

What follows may be a decision that will shape Serbia’s future and could lead to a change in course or even greater isolation, leaving Russia wary of losing its foothold in the western Balkans. In what appears to be a rapidly escalating confrontation, Russia may be losing its long-standing ally in Europe.

Just recently, a powerful explosion rocked the Krusik munitions factory in Valjevo, Serbia. The blast occurred early in the morning, injuring seven employees who were rushed to a local hospital. Krusik is a state-owned defense manufacturer whose products, including 120-millimeter mortar shells and Grad G-2000 rockets, have been captured on video in use by Ukrainian forces on the battlefield.

Russia alleges arms shipments to Ukraine, cites Krusik

This event marked more than just an industrial accident; it signaled a turning point in the relationship between Moscow and Belgrade. The explosion came less than 24 hours after a blunt announcement by Russia’s Foreign Intelligence Service, accusing Serbian companies of secretly supplying Ukraine with vast amounts of artillery and small arms ammunition. According to Russian intelligence, Serbia has used falsified end-user certificates and routed the deliveries through intermediaries in Poland, the Czech Republic, and Bulgaria.

The Russian statement sharply criticized Belgrade for undermining traditionally close ties and accused it of profiting from the blood of brotherly peoples. The timing of the statement and the Krusik explosion, separated by mere hours, strongly suggests that this was not a coincidence, but a coordinated act of sabotage meant to punish and intimidate.

Vucic balances Russia ties with EU aspirations

Serbian-Russian relations have been deteriorating since the beginning of the full-scale war in Ukraine. While the Serbian public remains largely pro-Russian, and Belgrade maintains energy dependence on Moscow, President Aleksandar Vucic has attempted to walk a diplomatic tightrope.

Serbia formally claims neutrality and continues to express a desire to join the European Union. However, Vucic’s recent trip to Moscow for the 9 May Victory Day parade angered EU leaders, with officials, including EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas, voicing strong disapproval. At the same time, European diplomats have intensified visits to Belgrade, increasing the pressure on Serbia to choose a side. Serbia’s vague positions on regional flashpoints, including Republika Srpska and Kosovo, have only added to Russia’s frustration.

Serbian ammunition keeps surfacing in Ukraine

Against this tense backdrop, Russia’s release of the weapons shipment accusation appears calculated. For years, it has been an open secret that Serbian ammunition has found its way to Ukraine, with the first reports originating not even a month after the initial Russian invasion. Reports continue to emerge, as in February 3,500 M-21 rockets allegedly appeared in Ukraine, while recently uncovered 120mm mortar rounds bore markings from the same Krusik factory that experienced the explosion.

Serbian officials have consistently denied direct sales, insisting the weapons are sold to authorized third parties. President Vucic noted that everyone must understand that sooner or later, Serbian ammunition can end up on any battlefield.

EU path tempts Serbia as Russian patience runs thin

Yet the situation may now be changing. If Serbia were to formally sever its military ties with Russia and align fully with the EU, it could open new economic and political doors. Direct arms sales to Ukraine could boost Serbia’s economy and help advance its stalled EU accession process. But doing so would come at a cost. Serbia has been a key Russian foothold in the Balkans for decades. Russia has invested heavily, not just in energy and arms, but in narratives, influence operations, and regional destabilization potential.

Should Belgrade pivot decisively westward, Russia will almost certainly retaliate by ramping up nationalistic tensions in Serbia against Kosovo or Bosnia, threatening instability throughout the Western Balkans.

Sabotage signals warning as Serbia reaches a crossroads

Overall, what started as a denunciation from Russia has now escalated into a physical act of violence with clear strategic implications. The sabotage of the Krusik factory is not just a warning, it is a message written in fire and shrapnel.

Serbia is now at a crossroads. It must decide whether to yield to Russian pressure and bury its arms trade with Ukraine or to seek refuge in European unity, even at the risk of provoking Moscow’s wrath. What comes next may determine not only Serbia’s future but the security balance in the Balkans.

In our daily frontline report, we pair up with the military blogger Reporting from Ukraine to keep you informed about what is happening on the battlefield in the Russo-Ukrainian war.

Today, there are a lot of interesting updates from the Kupiansk direction. Here, along the Oskil River near Kupiansk, Ukrainian special forces just carried out one of the boldest operations of the war.

In a surprise helicopter raid deep behind Russian lines, they landed undetected and tore through dugouts, safe houses, and staging zones, shattering Russian preparations before their offensive could even begin.

Hidden danger of Kharkiv Oblast town

The Russian forces in this area maintain a very thin bridgehead on the west bank of the Oskil River, where the control of the town of Dvorichna allows them to accumulate and deploy forces across the river.

Russians plan to use this bridgehead to tactically outflank Ukrainian forces in Kupiansk from the north, as well as to use it as a launching pad to link up with their other offensive in Kharkiv.

The Ukrainians understand that the Dvorichna bridgehead will be a key staging ground for the Russian summer offensive in Kharkiv, and know that they must act quickly to undermine any future Russian effort here.

The flaw in the river

The primary Russian weakness here is that their forces must cross the Oskil River by boat to reach their bridgehead on the western bank, which significantly complicates their logistics. This prevents them from deploying large numbers of heavy weapons such as anti-tank guided missiles or MANPADS.

The lack of man-portable air defenses makes the Russian bridgehead highly vulnerable to any aerial operations that the Ukrainians could conduct.

Subsequently, the Ukrainian special operations forces command devised a daring and unconventional plan, to conduct the first air assault operation in the war in over three years.

They planned to fly over Russian lines and deploy several teams of special forces in the rear of the enemy, where they would conduct raids, gather intelligence, and direct fire onto concealed Russian deployment points.

Ghosts in the trees

The Ukrainian Special Forces involved in this operation were deployed using American UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters, flying low to avoid being detected by the Russians.

Penetrating deep behind Russian lines, the helicopters were able to land and dismount several dozen Ukrainian operators before returning safely to friendly territory.

Once on the ground, the Ukrainian troops moved quickly and with purpose. After reaching their targets, they launched a series of highly effective and deadly raids against Russian forces. They cleared forest belts and residential areas of enemy soldiers who had been preparing to cross the river.

Russian troops were caught completely off guard, never expecting an attack from their rear. Several dugouts were quickly encircled, and numerous Russian soldiers were captured in the confusion.

Taking full advantage of surprise and terrain, Ukrainian operators concealed themselves in forested areas, waiting for small Russian infantry groups that were either sent to find them, or were moving to new positions completely unaware.

These ambushes were swift and lethal, as the Ukrainians eliminated enemy soldiers at point-blank range using small arms, all while remaining undetected in the dense cover of the forest.

The escape corridor

The high level of coordination and preparation of the Ukrainian forces included several armored vehicles, meant to arrive near a designated exfil point to quickly evacuate the operators. This point was chosen carefully, as it had the least amount of frontline activity, and no Russian bridgehead, making it the safest route for the job.

The Ukrainians moved through the dense forests behind the Dvorichna bridgehead and avoided areas with larger concentrations of Russian soldiers.

The Ukrainian special operators, with intelligence gained from captured Russians, enabled the Ukrainian drone operators to identify large Russian strongholds standing in the way of the Ukrainian exfiltration.

Artillery crews and heavy drone bombers were deployed, leading to the decimation of these Russian troops.

This focused fire established a corridor for the Ukrainian special forces to safely traverse the forests and reach the western bank of the river, where MaxPro armored vehicles awaited to exfiltrate them back to safety.

Operators left behind: the shadow war begins

Overall, the Ukrainians achieved the impossible, carrying out the war’s first air assault operation in over three years, allowing them to strike deep into Russian-held territory, inflict serious losses, and gather critical intelligence.

Notably, it is highly likely that not all Ukrainian operators exfiltrated from behind Russian lines.

According to special forces doctrine, these operators will be able to gather intelligence, set up and train further resistance networks, and conduct a deadly guerrilla warfare with sabotage and liquidations of top Russian commanders.

Russia is going to go all-in this summer, and the Ukrainians are positioning themselves to take every advantage they can to repulse it.

In our daily frontline report, we pair up with the military blogger Reporting from Ukraine to keep you informed about what is happening on the battlefield in the Russo-Ukrainian war.

Today, we will discuss the increased Russian provocations and calls for the denazification of the Baltic countries. Not wanting to be caught off guard and taking these threats seriously, these countries are already taking measures to improve their security.

He accused these nations of showing high aggressiveness and claimed they were underestimating the devastating consequences of provoking Moscow.

This statement echoed a wave of similarly hostile rhetoric from Russian state officials and media figures over the past two years.

Questioning the sovereignty of nations

Russian officials, including former president of Russia, Dmitry Medvedev, now deputy chairman of Russia’s Security Council, have repeatedly questioned the sovereignty of the Baltic countries.

Medvedev declared that the Baltic states belong to Russia and accused NATO of harboring anti-Russian intentions. State television host Vladimir Solovyov has gone even further, stating that these countries don’t need independence and that their sovereignty is a joke.

Such statements are not isolated; they reflect a coordinated campaign to frame the Baltics as illegitimate states and NATO’s eastern flank as a battleground ripe for denazification, a chilling repeat of the Russian justification for its war on Ukraine.

The return of a dangerous word: “denazification”

The term denazification is particularly troubling, as it has historically been used by Russia as a pretext for aggression. Prior to its 2022 invasion of Ukraine, Moscow framed its war aims in identical terms, alleging that Kyiv needed to be cleansed of Nazis despite Ukraine being a functioning democracy with a Jewish president.

Now, with similar language being used against Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania, the fear is that these statements may not be mere propaganda but early signs of a more expansive regional strategy.

NATO’s Achilles heel

From a military standpoint, the Baltic states represent a significant weakness for Russia, making them a tempting target.

Kaliningrad, Russia’s exclave on the Baltic Sea, is completely isolated and surrounded by NATO territory, so prominent Russian media and political figures are constantly calling for the establishment of a direct land route to Kaliningrad.

Most important is the narrow Suwalki Gap between Poland and Lithuania, as control over it would either sever or restore Russian land access to Kaliningrad, depending on who holds it.

Russia’s Baltic fleet faces a NATO wall

At the same time, since Finland and Sweden joined NATO, the Baltic Sea has become almost entirely encircled by NATO members, severely limiting Russian maritime maneuverability.

Russia’s Baltic Fleet, already small and aging, is no match for the combined naval power of NATO states in the region. On land, the Baltic countries host forward-deployed NATO battle groups and conduct regular military exercises to prepare for rapid mobilization.

These factors make any quick land grab by Russia, a tactic used in Crimea and eastern Ukraine, far less likely to succeed here. This only seems to enrage the Russian government further, fueling its hostile campaign.

No longer just words

Russia’s scare tactics extend beyond mere threats. The Kremlin actively invokes the presence of Russian-speaking populations in the Baltics, around 24% in Estonia and Latvia, as a rationale for intervention, much like it did in Ukraine.

These demographics are a legacy of Soviet-era population transfers and remain a sensitive issue.

Russian state media routinely portrays these ethnic Russians as oppressed and in need of protection, laying the narrative groundwork for a potential future military action.

Russia repeats Ukraine’s playbook

The Baltics are not ignoring these signals. They have witnessed firsthand how Russia used similar rhetoric to justify its invasion of Ukraine.

What was once dismissed as empty words has become a forerunner of real war. As such, Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania are bolstering their defenses, strengthening their ties with NATO, and preparing for the possibility of battle.

The line between information warfare and justification for full-scale war is growing thinner, and with every new threat from Russia, the sense of urgency increases.

Overall, Russia’s repeated calls for the denazification of the Baltic states and its threats of direct retaliation are viewed with the utmost seriousness by their governments.

The parallels with the lead-up to the war in Ukraine are stark, and after a series of provocations in the last months, the stakes are higher than ever.

For Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania, preparing for the worst is not paranoia. It’s a necessity, and they are actively working to improve their security.

In our daily frontline report, we pair up with the military blogger Reporting from Ukraine to keep you informed about what is happening on the battlefield in the Russo-Ukrainian war.

Today, there are a lot of interesting updates from the Kharkiv direction. Here, Russians launched their long-anticipated summer offensive on Kharkiv, aiming to reverse the losses suffered in 2022 and collapse the Ukrainian front from Vovchansk.

Kharkiv offensive: High stakes

But as Russian Spetsnaz units led the charge, they were met head-on by French special forces volunteers fighting for Ukraine, triggering an unexpected brutal clash.

The goal of the Russian forces in this area is to retake the territories lost to the Ukrainians during the 2022 Kharkiv counteroffensive and achieve what they failed to do last year in 2024.

If Russians achieve a breakthrough at Vovchansk, they will continue their offensive along the Siversky Donets river and threaten to outflank the Ukrainian forces at Kupiansk, placing the Ukrainians at risk of frontline collapse, and taking much of the territory in the process.

Phase one: Reconnaissance assaults fail

As you remember from a previous report, the Russians had already initiated the first phase of their attacks with large reconnaissance-in-force operations, meant to test the Ukrainian defenses, but were destroyed even before they crossed the administrative border. These and other assaults indicate that Russians are already setting their plans in motion.

Zooming into Vovchansk, the entire town was left in ruins after the brutal fighting that took place during the initial Russian offensive of 2024 and subsequent positional battles within the town. The Russian forces are in control of the northern part of the town, holed up in basements, as there are no standing buildings left.

Meanwhile, the Ukrainian forces are positioned in the southern part of the town along the riverbank and in the local aggregate plant, allowing the Ukrainians to maintain a tactical presence in the town.

This enduring tactical presence and the severe damage to the town itself created a no-man’s land between the Russian and Ukrainian lines, where the collapsed buildings and ruins prevent either side from establishing long-term positions.

In Vovchansk, the scale of destruction has left Russian infantry units exposed, with no intact buildings or basements for cover.

Forced to operate in open rubble, they become easy targets for Ukrainian drones. Over a year of futile assaults has turned the town into a graveyard of Russian troops, each wave falling where the last one died, forced to walk over each other’s bodies.

Clash of elite forces east of Tykhe

Russians understood that making progress in Vovchansk is extremely unlikely, which is why they are now attempting to widen the front east of Tykhe, trying to overextend Ukrainian lines. The Russians initiated their assaults in this area by advancing through the forest, led by special forces operatives of Spetsnaz.

However, the Ukrainians did not leave this area undefended, as a contingent of Ukrainian foreign fighters was located there.

The Russian special operatives were caught off guard as they encountered their match in elite, ex-special forces, French volunteers serving with the Ukrainian Military Intelligence.

The French opened fire on the Russians, prompting the Russians to fire back and reveal their positions, whereafter the French moved quickly to gain complete fire superiority.

The distance between the French and the Russians was close to the point that fighters of both sides could hear each other’s yelling and commands amidst the intense battle.

Unfortunately for the Russians, they were no match for the French ex-special forces.

As the French advanced, moving past the bodies of the ones they killed, they directed artillery fire on the remaining Russian positions, decimating the Spetsnaz fighters and taking the day.

Strategic implications: Holding line in Kharkiv

Overall, in Russian strategic doctrine, there is no diversionary offensive, as their forces will persistently try to exploit a breakthrough anywhere and whenever possible.

This makes holding the line in the Kharkiv sector crucial, as maintaining a strong defense will make it unlikely that the Russians will continue their attacks and instead concentrate their forces elsewhere.

The first Russian soldiers to initiate the fighting and the foundation for these offensives are reconnaissance units, which in this case even included Spetsnaz fighters.

However, with elite French foreign volunteers serving to counter the Russian threat, Russians stand no chance of achieving anything close to meaningful gains here.

In our daily frontline report, we pair up with the military blogger Reporting from Ukraine to keep you informed about what is happening on the battlefield in the Russo-Ukrainian war.

Today, there are a lot of important updates from the Pokrovsk direction, Donetsk Oblast.

Here, between Pokrovsk and Kostyantynivka, Russian forces have punched through a vulnerable section of the front, threatening two of Ukraine’s most strategic cities in Donbas. As the breakthrough deepens, both sides are now rushing to tip the balance before the summer offensive reaches full scale.

Recently, Russian forces made relatively rapid gains in a breakthrough between Pokrovsk and Kostyantinivka. This breakthrough places key Ukrainian positions in Donbas at risk, including the logistics behind Kostyantynivka and the Myrnograd-Pokrovsk agglomeration, which would open up an axis of advance for the Russians on both Kostyantynivka and Pokrovsk. This vector of advance is the best chance of frontline progress for the Russians, which is why they are throwing the most forces for attacks here.

This creates a potential vulnerability for the Ukrainians in the defense of both Pokrovsk and Kostyantynivka. Ukrainians understand that this Russian breakthrough will play a pivotal role in the upcoming Russian summer offensive in their effort to take both cities. 

The Russian offensive effort on the other frontlines surrounding Pokrovsk and Kostyantynivka is relatively slow, characterized by brutal and grinding battles that lead to meager territorial gains. Meanwhile, in the area of the breakthrough, the Russians managed to advance over 10 kilometers from their initial positions at Vozdvizhenka in less than 2 months of fighting, placing them just 12 kilometers away from Kostyantinivka. Such a continued rate of advance could allow the Russian forces to reach the city during the summer, unless the Ukrainians successfully contain them and stabilize the situation.

Russians achieved these territorial gains through multi-phase assault tactics designed to systematically locate, bombard, and overrun Ukrainian positions. Russians start by probing Ukrainian defenses with small reconnaissance units made up of expendable “suicide squads”, hoping to reveal Ukrainian firing positions.

After several squads have been sent forward, the Russians are then able to accurately identify Ukrainian positions, before hitting them with intense artillery and glide bomb strikes. Following the bombardment, additional Russian infantry squads are sent forward to assess the damage and engage in close-quarters combat if any Ukrainian defenders remain. 

Meanwhile, Russian drones work to isolate the Ukrainians by monitoring and cutting off potential Ukrainian retreat or reinforcement routes, limiting their tactical flexibility. This leaves Ukrainian defenders with a difficult choice: either remain in position and risk being overrun after bombardment, or attempt a retreat under the threat of Russian drones. Regardless of the loss of positions, this Russian tactic usually results in a casualty ratio of at least three to one in favor of the Ukrainians. 

Ukrainians counter this Russian tactic by taking out the initial Russian suicide squads with mines, drone-dropped grenades, and kamikaze strikes. This ensures the Ukrainian defenders do not have to reveal their position by firing on the Russian assault groups. The implementation of these drone interceptions has reportedly increased the casualty ratio in some areas to as high as seven to one, with a number of cases going even higher. 

As a result, these Russian tactics typically succeed only when Ukrainian forces lack sufficient drone support to detect and eliminate the Russian recon squads before they reach the Ukrainian positions, and can commence their bombing strikes. 

This is why, in response to the Russian breakthrough, Ukrainians redeployed elite drone brigades to stabilize the front. The units deployed include the Phoenix drone regiment, whose elite drone operators have already started to successfully counter and destroy Russian heavy equipment and infantry on the move. 

They are further complemented by ground components of the Anne of Kiev Brigade, assigned to reinforce and defend key ground positions from the Russian onslaught while the drone units relieve the pressure. Their experience with past successful counterattacks on the western flank of Pokrovsk will enable them to conduct an active defense, and possibly even push the Russians back around their recent breakthrough. 

Overall, the Russians managed to exploit a critical breakthrough along the Pokrovsk-Kostyantynivka highway, where the Ukrainians responded promptly to counter the threat. By redeploying elite drone units, such as the Phoenix Regiment, to counter Russian assaults, as well as the Anne of Kiev assault brigade, Ukrainians are effectively closing a weakness in their defensive lines. If the newly redeployed units succeed in their respective missions, they will prevent Russians from consolidating their positions and halt the advance before Russians could translate this into a larger operationally significant gains.

In our regular frontline report, we pair up with the military blogger Reporting from Ukraine to keep you informed about what is happening on the battlefield in the Russo-Ukrainian war.

Day 1192

On 29 May, there are interesting updates from the Baltic Sea. 

Here, a Russian ship was caught almost red-handed near an underwater power cable between Poland and Sweden. The Polish government decided to act immediately and chased the suspicious ship away, but Russia took a step further and decided to provoke a direct confrontation with NATO.

Following the European Union’s recent tightening of sanctions against Russia’s shadow fleet, Poland has emerged as one of the most assertive NATO members in enforcing compliance.

These measures, aimed at disrupting Russia’s covert maritime oil exports, have coincided with a noticeable uptick in Russian sabotage attempts from the same fleet across the Baltic Sea.  

The most recent incident came when Polish intelligence detected a sanctioned Russian-linked vessel, identified as the Sun, sailing under the Antiguan flag, performing suspicious maneuvers near the critical Poland-Sweden power cable. This 600-megawatt undersea line is essential for energy exchange between the two nations, and Polish prime Minister Donald Tusk confirmed that the Polish military intervened. A patrol flight forced the vessel to alter course, and the Polish Navy’s reconnaissance ship, ORP Heweliusz, was dispatched to the site. Defense Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz emphasized the seriousness of the situation, stating that since Sweden and Finland joined NATO, the Baltic Sea has become a key marine area, where the largest number of incidents related to cable breaks and sabotage occur.

Poland has made it clear that any threat to Baltic infrastructure will be met with a firm response.

This latest episode follows a string of Russian sabotage efforts in the region. Russia has been linked to numerous incidents of undersea tampering with 11 known undersea cables taken out since 2023 as stated by a deputy commander of the Finnish coast guard. The most recent confirmed damage occurred end of 2024, involving the Estlink 2 power cable between Finland and Estonia. Investigations revealed a huge anchor drag mark on the seafloor, attributed to the Russian-linked oil tanker Eagle S. These acts are widely seen as components of Russia’s hybrid warfare strategy: destabilizing European states without overt military confrontation.

However, according to Finnish Defense Minister Antti Haekkaenen, Russia has begun militarily escorting its shadow fleet tankers through the narrow and sensitive waters of the Gulf of Finland. While Russian naval presence in the Baltic is not new, deploying warships to directly shield shadow oil tankers is a significant escalation.

Tankers, like the Jaguar, which Estonia unsuccessfully attempted to escort to one of its ports for identification, which has since changed name to Blint and was re-registered in Comoros, travel now with direct military protection. This reduces the risk of boarding or interception by European states, especially in areas like the Gulf of Finland.

This militarization raises the stakes significantly. By placing its armed forces directly alongside illicit shipping, Russia is attempting to deter NATO intervention, not by warning, but by baiting. If a European navy enforces sanctions or tries to halt undersea sabotage, it must now face Russian military escorts. Any interception could lead to confrontation.

The strategic intent is clear: provoke a reaction, ideally forcing NATO to fire the first shot. This would allow the Kremlin to portray the alliance as the aggressor, both to its domestic audience and to sympathetic foreign observers. It’s an asymmetric gambit, a military shield for a commercial operation, daring NATO to test the limits of escalation.

At the same time, with the Russian economy heavily reliant on oil revenues, the Kremlin views the shadow fleet as a vital artery. Russian analysts have acknowledged the importance of these military escorts but raised doubts about the Russian Baltic Fleet’s ability to sustain such missions. Given the aging condition of Russian naval vessels and ongoing shipbuilding issues, NATO’s Baltic Sea fleet outmatches the Russian both in modern capability and collective tonnage, with superior surveillance, submarine-hunting, and rapid-response assets from multiple member states on duty.

Overall, as tensions in the Baltic intensify week by week, Poland’s role as a front-line enforcer of EU sanctions becomes ever more crucial with its readiness to act. Meanwhile, Russia continues to use the shadow fleet to provoke, probe, and project strength—all while trying to control the narrative that it is under siege. What began as covert sabotage and evasive tanker operations is fast becoming a military flashpoint, and the next Baltic incident could determine whether the fragile balance holds or breaks.

In our daily frontline report, we pair up with the military blogger Reporting from Ukraine to keep you informed about what is happening on the battlefield in the Russo-Ukrainian war.

Today, there are a lot of interesting updates from the Russian Federation. Here, in the aftermath of Russia’s largest missile strike of the war, Ukraine launched a thunderous response that sent shockwaves through the Russian homeland.

As drones swarmed strategic targets and panic gripped the skies over Moscow, even Vladimir Putin found himself uncomfortably close to the line of fire.

Drone swarm sends Russian officials fleeing

Even while the 1,000 for 1,000 prisoner-of-war exchange process was taking place as agreed upon in Istanbul, the Russians launched a massive drone and missile strike campaign targeting Ukrainian civilians and critical infrastructure.

The Russian strike consisted of almost 300 drones and 69 guided missiles, making it the largest strike launched in a single day, with the campaign lasting over 3 days, using nearly 1,000 drones in total.

The Ukrainians responded with a massive drone strike of their own, targeting critical Russian military and economic infrastructure used for the launch of drones and missiles, as well as their production.

The intensity of the Ukrainian strike caused chaos to the point that a dozen Russian government planes, presumably with Russian government officials, flew from Moscow towards the eastern cities of Samara and Kazan, likely to evade being killed in precision strikes.

Putin’s close call in the sky

At the time of the strike, Russian President Putin was in a helicopter, likely to avoid becoming a victim of the massive Ukrainian strikes on the ground.

However, the commander of Russian air defense forces, Yuri Dashkin, confirmed that Putin was almost killed, as his helicopter ended up in the middle of the Russian effort to repulse Ukrainian drones.

Such close calls and sheer incompetence are a common occurrence, as they previously targeted and shot down not just their own fighter jets, but several civilian airliners in the past as well.

Moscow descends into panic

Another video from Moscow shows a Russian civilian jet being caught amidst the ground fire of Russian air defenses, narrowly avoiding being hit after being mistaken for a very large Ukrainian drone.

Such chaos, as well as Ukrainian strikes targeting military airfields in the area, forced the Russian government to close all airports in the Moscow area and other major cities in Russia during the day.

For the past week, the Ukrainians launched intense strikes that forced the Russian airports to keep all their civilian flights grounded.

If Ukrainians consistently force Russian civilian aviation to stay grounded, it will prevent the travel of the civilian population, on top of denying the flow and export of goods across the country.

This is why the Ukrainians were intensively conducting drone strikes to force the grounding of civilian aviation at major airports in the Moscow and Kaluga regions.

Strikes hit Russia’s military-industrial nerve

The Ukrainian drone strikes properly struck key economic and military infrastructure, including a battery factory in the city of Yelets, as confirmed by satellite footage.

The batteries produced at this plant are used for an application in the Russian military industry, including guided missiles, which could indirectly delay future Russian strikes. Furthermore, two chemical plants in the cities of Kineshma and Tula were struck by Ukrainian drones, with footage confirming the direct impact on the plants.

These chemical plants are directly tied to the Russian military industry, as they produce Nitric acid, ammonium nitrate, TNT, and RDX, which are used to produce missiles, artillery shells, and landmines. Strikes against these plants significantly disrupt Russian production of weapon systems and ammunition.

These strikes are no coincidence, as causing any disruption alleviates the pressure off of frontline Ukrainian infantrymen, as Russia prepares to go all in on the attack this summer.

On top of that, the Ukrainians struck the Skaut tractor factory in Tula, after Ukrainian Military Intelligence discovered that the factory was covertly being used to produce parts for artillery systems and logistics trucks for the Russian army.

Strategic pressure ahead of summer offensive

Overall, the largest Russian missile strike against Ukraine did not pass without an even more devastating Ukrainian retribution, which resulted in successful strikes against critical Russian military industries and the cancellation of air traffic.

Continuation of these strikes by the Ukrainians could lead to devastating blows to the Russian wartime industry, which could consequently weaken the Russian capability to conduct intense assaults during their planned summer offensive.

In our daily frontline report, we pair up with the military blogger Reporting from Ukraine to keep you informed about what is happening on the battlefield in the Russo-Ukrainian war.

Today, there are interesting updates from Poland. Here, the Polish government has taken serious actions against the growing threat from Russia. After Russian sabotages and orchestrated pressure on the border with Belarus, Poland has stepped up its defensive efforts, mobilizing thousands of soldiers, and launching a massive rearmament.

First of all, Poland has just closed the Russian consulate in Krakow after investigators uncovered evidence linking Moscow to a massive fire that destroyed a huge shopping center in Warsaw. The act, widely seen as sabotage, represents the most blatant escalation yet in Russia’s hybrid campaign against Poland and has become the tipping point for a full-spectrum Polish defense mobilization.

Belarus sends migrants to breach Polish border

This sabotage is the latest but not the only chapter in a broader pattern of hybrid warfare targeting Poland. One key front in this has been the Polish Belarusian border. Since spring 2024, illegal migrant crossings have surged, with 7,100 cases recorded in May 2024 compared to 1,900 in May the year before. Belarus continues to fly in migrants from third countries, equip them with tools like ladders and bolt cutters, and direct them toward the Polish border.

These incursions, clearly orchestrated by Belarusian security forces, often turn violent: migrants have thrown rocks, assaulted border guards, and in one tragic case, fatally stabbed a Polish soldier. Polish authorities emphasize that these migrants are not arriving unassisted or randomly; they are pawns in an ongoing campaign designed to destabilize Poland and retaliate against EU sanctions.

Russia and Belarus plan military drills near Poland

As border pressure intensifies, the nature of incidents has grown more aggressive, pushing Poland to escalate its response. The tension peaked several days ago with Russia’s announcement of joint military exercises with Belarus right near the Polish border in September 2025. These drills historically involve large troop movements, up to 200,000 in 2021, and in that case, preceded the full-scale war against Ukraine.

This year’s iteration will include rapid reaction and logistics training, raising serious concerns. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned that these exercises could be a pretext for new attacks, possibly targeting Ukraine, Lithuania, or even Poland.

Poland fortifies border and breaks ties with Moscow

Poland’s response has been swift and multifaceted. Diplomatic ties with Russia are being severed, starting with the closure of the Kraków consulate. The border is being reinforced with new layers of defense: high fences, anti-infiltration trenches, concrete bunkers, and surveillance networks including drones, thermal imaging, and AI-powered cameras. Zero-tolerance policies are now in place for any border incursion.

In parallel, quiet mass mobilization has begun; a discreet but systematic expansion of military readiness through increased recruitment, civilian training programs, and nationwide defense exercises without formally declaring a state of mobilization.

Tusk launches civilian army and expands military might

Poland is also undergoing a historic rearmament. Its military has grown rapidly, now NATO’s third largest and the largest in Europe. From over 160,000 soldiers today, Poland aims to reach 300,000 in the near term and potentially 500,000 in the long term. Prime Minister Donald Tusk has announced plans to train 100,000 civilian volunteers annually starting in 2027.

This mobilization effort is underpinned by a massive acquisition program of cutting-edge weaponry. Key purchases include 1,000 K2 Black Panther tanks, 672 K9 Thunder howitzers, and 48 FA-50 fighter jets from South Korea. Additionally, 250 M1A2 Abrams tanks and 500 HIMARS rocket launchers from the United States.

Poland buys tanks, jets, and drones in defense overhaul

Poland has also ordered 32 F-35A fifth-generation stealth fighters, 96 Apache AH-64E helicopters, and 24 Turkish Bayraktar TB2 drones. These platforms will not only modernize Poland’s force structure but also give it a powerful deterrent edge. The rapid procurement pace, combined with local production of key systems, signals Poland’s determination to prepare for any escalation scenario.

As part of its strategic posture, Poland is also investing in military infrastructure, particularly in critical areas like the Suwałki Gap. This vulnerable corridor between Poland and Lithuania, flanked by Belarus and Russia’s Kaliningrad exclave, is considered one of NATO’s softest points. Fortifying it with road upgrades, dual-use logistics networks, and anti-mobility barriers is now a top priority.

Overall, Poland, with its proximity to both Belarus and Russia and its historical experience with aggression from the east, is treating the current threat with the utmost seriousness. Over the past months, that threat has materialized in the form of violent border pressure, internal sabotage networks, and hostile military posturing. Poland’s only viable response is to fully mobilize, fortify its defenses, support Ukraine, and prepare.

In our daily frontline report, we pair up with the military blogger Reporting from Ukraine to keep you informed about what is happening on the battlefield in the Russo-Ukrainian war.

Today, interesting news comes from the Black Sea region. After numerous Russian provocations, Romania was forced to take drastic measures to counter Russian incursions into its airspace.

Coordinating with NATO allies and using Ukraine’s naval strike capabilities, the countries around the Black Sea are now working to nullify Russian threats. After repeated Russian drone incursions into its airspace, Romania has had enough. Acting decisively, the country’s interim president, Ilie Bolojan, signed into law a bill allowing the Romanian military to shoot down unauthorized drones that violate its national airspace.

Romania orders military to shoot down Russian drones

This landmark legislation, initially drafted in October following a series of Russian drone crashes in Romanian territory, represents Romania’s firm commitment to countering Russian provocations that have increasingly threatened civilian areas near the border.

Romania, which shares a 600-kilometer frontier with Ukraine, has seen multiple Russian drones enter and even crash inside its territory while targeting Ukrainian infrastructure in Odesa Oblast. Though there is no evidence that these were deliberate attacks on Romania, the danger and Russia’s willingness to risk Romanian casualties remain real.

The new law sets clear conditions under which unmanned aircraft may be neutralized, with any drone entering Romanian airspace without authorization now to be destroyed after identification.

Last time in March, another Russian drone crashed in Romania, near the Ukrainian settlement of Reni, proving that Russian operations are pushing dangerously close to NATO territory. These incursions are widely seen as attempts to test NATO’s resolve and gradually blur the red lines around the alliance’s boundaries.

US relaunches Black Sea drone flights to support NATO

Romania’s firm stance has international backing. The United States has resumed high-altitude surveillance flights over the Black Sea, with the powerful RQ-4B Global Hawk surveillance drone now flying again. These strategic intelligence-gathering flights, launched from NATO’s Sigonella Air Base in Sicily, can last over 30 hours and sweep vast swaths of land and sea.

These drones are equipped with advanced sensors capable of detecting ground and naval targets with precision, allowing real-time updates to both Romania and Ukraine. The resumption of such flights signals a broader US shift after a long pause following Donald Trump’s return to office. While British and French assets had filled the surveillance gap, American assets are now again visibly asserting their presence over NATO’s southeastern flank.

Ukraine destroys Russian radar with US intel help

This renewed support is not just for show. It directly contributes to real-world battlefield outcomes. Recently, Ukraine’s Security Service launched a successful naval drone strike against a Russian radar installation on an abandoned oil rig in the Black Sea. Likely aided by US reconnaissance data, the strike neutralized Russian early-warning capabilities used to monitor both Ukrainian and allied aerial activity, including American drones. These installations also helped Russia detect and intercept Ukrainian drone and missile strikes aimed at Crimea.

The destruction of this radar platform not only enhances Ukraine’s strike potential but also removes a tool Russia could use to track or provoke NATO aircraft, something Moscow has attempted before through dangerous interceptions.

Romania strengthens NATO’s eastern flank against Russia

Romania’s position is uniquely sensitive, and the measures reflect a wider pattern. Not only does it border Ukraine and share the Black Sea with Russia, but it also hosts vital NATO infrastructure. Its ports and airfields are increasingly being used for alliance logistics and surveillance. Russian provocations here risk both confrontation and accidental escalation. By taking firm control of its airspace and welcoming enhanced allied reconnaissance, Romania is becoming a central pillar of Black Sea security.

As Russia continues to provoke NATO’s eastern flank through airspace violations, electronic warfare, sabotage, and hybrid border destabilization, more member states are taking serious action. Romania joins a growing list of countries making significant defense decisions in response to Russian threats. The law to shoot down drones not only strengthens Romanian sovereignty but may also inspire similar legislation in other NATO countries bordering Russia or Belarus.

Overall, Russia’s continued provocations have triggered a domino effect across Eastern Europe. Romania, long on the defensive, is now actively strengthening its posture. With NATO surveillance efforts back in full swing and Ukraine intensifying its naval capabilities, Romania is not just protecting itself, it’s contributing to a regional security framework designed to deter Russian aggression.

Romania’s actions mark a new phase of firmness and preparedness on the alliance’s southeastern flank to enforce NATO interests more powerfully.

In our daily frontline report, we pair up with the military blogger Reporting from Ukraine to keep you informed about what is happening on the battlefield in the Russo-Ukrainian war.

Day 1189

On 27 May, there are a lot of interesting updates from Ukraine.

Here, as peace talks collapse and diplomacy fades, Russia is making its move. With fresh troops, heavy weapons, and political timing on their side, Moscow has begun what appears to be the opening phase of its long-anticipated summer offensive.

Recently, Trump’s proposal for peace negotiations between Russia and Ukraine in the Vatican by the end of May was rejected by Russian Foreign Affairs Minister Sergey Lavrov. Lavrov said that the Vatican is an unrealistic option for negotiating, under the excuse that it is inelegant for two Orthodox countries to discuss negotiations on a Catholic platform.

Trump told the European leaders that Putin does not plan to end the war, as the Russians believe they are winning. Meanwhile, Putin stated that Russia needs to expand its buffer zone along the Ukrainian border for security and wants this to be addressed in future negotiations. Furthermore, during the peace talks in Istanbul, Russian diplomats even threatened to seize two more regions of Ukraine, implying Kharkiv and Sumy. 

The Russian army is expected to conduct a new offensive in the Kharkiv and Sumy regions, where the summer offensive is underway. Andrii Pomahaibus, the chief of staff of the Ukrainian 13th National Guards Brigade, confirmed that Russians are preparing a large offensive beyond their initial buffer zone goal in Kharkiv and Sumy. Ukrainian commanders also confirmed that the Russians are preparing up to 50 thousand additional troops for this upcoming offensive, with 4 months of favorable weather left to conduct it.

As Russian offensive preparations became evident, Ukrainian forces began targeting concentrations of enemy troops along the Kharkiv–Sumy border. Geolocated footage from the Kharkiv direction confirmed the Russian deployment of TOS-1 thermobaric artillery systems, which are rarely used except in major operations, as the blast wave of these explosions can easily penetrate through walls and fortified bunkers. Ukrainians rapidly detected one of these powerful systems and immediately directed FPV drones to strike and destroy the target, preventing it from being used to target Ukrainian positions.

In a separate precision attack, Ukrainian forces struck a key Russian command post in the rear, located in the town of Rylsk, eliminating the deputy commander of the 40th Marine Brigade, Alexander Danilov. 

Such decapitation strikes undermine Russian planning by disrupting command structures and delaying the coordination of upcoming assaults. Additionally, Russians conducted a company-sized mechanized assault on the town of Lyptsi, to test for weak points in the Ukrainian defenses. This was the largest assault in Kharkiv direction seen in months, with Russians deploying tanks, BMPs, quad bikes, and motorbikes to assault Ukrainian positions. However, the attack, which relied heavily on surprise, was anticipated by the Ukrainians, who had already tracked Russian redeployments and prepared their forces.

Within minutes, Russian units were decimated by coordinated artillery fire and drone strikes, destroying nine BMPs, eight motorbikes and quads, and one tank, before the Russian assault could even cross the border. Along with the vehicles, Russians lost up to one hundred soldiers killed and wounded in the attack, of which only a few could escape alive.

Until now, Russian attacks in this area had involved small, pure-infantry assaults in harassing-style attacks only, making this sudden escalation a strong indicator that Russia may indeed be preparing for a broader offensive.

However, Ukrainians do not stand alone, as Europe is waking up and is massively increasing its defense production output. As you might remember from previous reports, the EU has already provided over two-thirds of their promised two million artillery shells to Ukraine, Germany is massively increasing its development and production of AI-guided HX-2 drones, and both France and the UK are sending hundreds of self-propelled artillery systems to Ukraine as well. These developments, among many others, are massively increasing Ukraine’s arsenal and capabilities, putting it in a much stronger position to repel the Russian summer offensive.

Overall, the Russians are escalating their probing attacks and increasing their military buildup in preparation for a summer offensive in Ukraine, following their rejection of any ceasefire offer. The rising military aid from the European Union to Ukraine will allow them to counter significant Russian assaults with a correspondingly greater density of fire from EU-supplied artillery, drones, ammunition, air defenses, and heavy equipment.

In our daily frontline report, we pair up with the military blogger Reporting from Ukraine to keep you informed about what is happening on the battlefield in the Russo-Ukrainian war.

Today’s biggest updates come from Ukraine, where Europe is ramping up military aid after Russia rejected any new ceasefire agreements.

After repeated warnings, the EU and its key members are now fully mobilizing support—arming Ukraine with air defenses, artillery, and fighter jets as it prepares for a Russian summer offensive.

Lavrov dismisses ceasefire, demands Ukrainian capitulation

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov stated Russia will no longer consider a ceasefire unless Ukraine capitulates. Since 2014, Russia and its proxies have violated all 25 ceasefire agreements, according to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and the OSCE.

EU sanctions Russia, sends frozen funds to Ukraine

The European Union responded swiftly. After Russia’s rejection, the EU unveiled its 17th sanctions package, targeting:

• 189 Russian shadow oil fleet vessels, bringing the total to 342 sanctioned ships

• 31 additional companies supporting Russia’s military tech and missile production

Beyond sanctions, the EU has released over €1 billion in profits from frozen Russian assets, directly funding Ukraine’s wartime economy. European nations are also expanding their own military production to support sustained aid.

UK and France ship artillery and ammo at unprecedented scale

The UK has transferred its entire AS-90 howitzer fleet, while France is sending all Caesar howitzers produced this year—over 200 units expected in 2025.

France also committed frozen Russian funds to produce spare parts and support systems. Meanwhile, the EU has gathered over two-thirds of its 2 million promised artillery shells, boosting Ukraine’s firepower.

Europe delivers F-16s, air defenses to counter Russian strikes

To counter Russia’s growing air assault capabilities:

• Norway will deliver 6 F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine by the end of 2025

• Belgium is contributing 2 F-16s for spare parts

• Germany is quietly sending Gepard air defense systems, with at least 10 spotted en route to Ukraine.

As Germany no longer discloses its shipments publicly, actual delivery numbers may be significantly higher. These systems are vital to stopping Russian missile and drone strikes, bolstering Ukraine’s air defense both from the ground and the skies.

Europe arms Ukraine for summer offensive as Russia doubles down

With Russia rejecting diplomacy and pressing ahead with its offensive, Europe is acting with unprecedented urgency and unity. Billions from frozen Russian assets are flowing into Ukraine’s defense sector, and military aid is reaching new levels—from artillery and shells to fighter jets and air defense systems.

The stakes are high, but the message is clear:
If Russia refuses to stop this war, Europe will ensure Ukraine can win it.

In our regular frontline report, we pair up with the military blogger Reporting from Ukraine to keep you informed about what is happening on the battlefield in the Russo-Ukrainian war.