Today, there are important updates from the Russian Federation. As the intensity of Russian drone attacks reaches levels never seen before, Ukraine has taken drastic measures to counter the threat. Repeatedly targeting Russian drone production facilities helps ensure that Ukrainian air defense systems can better manage the relentless enemy drone swarms.

In recent weeks, Ukraine has faced a dramatic increase in Russian drone strikes. Russian forces have adopted a new strategy: launching around 100 Shahed drones per night for one or two nights, while producing even more daily — allowing them to build up reserves. Once stockpiles are sufficient, they unleash massive waves of over 500 drones in a single night, combining Shaheds with decoy Gerber drones.

This tactic is designed to overwhelm air defenses, targeting multiple cities or inflicting heavy damage on a single strategic location. These drone assaults are often followed by ballistic missile strikes, exploiting depleted air defense resources.

Russia expands drone production with massive new facilities

This dangerous shift is fueled by Russia’s rapid expansion of domestic drone manufacturing. The country is now reportedly producing over 5,000 drones per month.

The largest facility is in Yelabuga, Tatarstan, which recently added a new production wing to increase output further. Strategically located near key logistics routes, the site is well within range of Ukrainian long-range assets and has been struck multiple times already.

Ukraine strikes Yelabuga factory, forces airport closures

To combat this threat, Ukrainian forces launched long-range strikes targeting Russian drone production infrastructure. A major attack hit the Shahed manufacturing plant in Yelabuga, igniting large fires and forcing the temporary shutdown of airports in Kazan and Nizhnekamsk due to the proximity of active threats.

The Ukrainian General Staff confirmed the strike caused severe disruption to drone output at this key facility. In a coordinated operation, Ukraine also hit the Progress plant in Cheboksary, which produces Kometa antennas — critical components that protect Russian drones from electronic warfare. This significantly weakened Russian drone resilience against Ukrainian countermeasures.

Repeat attacks cripple Russia’s electronic warfare capabilities

Following temporary repairs in Cheboksary, Ukraine launched a second strike, once again triggering large fires and further degrading the plant’s production capacity.

In a separate operation, Ukrainian drones struck the Research Institute of Applied Chemistry in Sergiev Posad, Moscow Oblast, which manufactures thermobaric warheads for Shahed drones. Disrupting this facility directly reduces the lethality of Russian drone attacks.

Precision strikes hit Russian missile and drone systems

Ukraine also successfully targeted the Kupol Electromechanical Plant in Izhevsk, part of the Almaz-Antey defense conglomerate. This site produces Shahed drone components and elements of Tor air defense systems. Satellite imagery confirmed major fires and damage to four key workshops, significantly hindering drone and missile production.

Another high-impact strike hit the Rezonit Technopark in Zubovo, Moscow Oblast, a major electronics assembly plant. This disruption affects critical microelectronics essential for drone guidance and control, intensifying production delays and bottlenecks.

Ukraine dismantles Russia’s drone command systems

Ukrainian drones also struck the Progress advanced control systems plant in Michurinsk, which builds guidance systems for missiles, aircraft, and drones. The damage here further destabilizes Russia’s drone production chain and precision weapon development.

Russia upgrades drone arsenal with deadlier payloads

While Ukraine targets production, Russia is upgrading its drones for greater devastation. New Shaheds now carry expanded payloads, including thermobaric and cluster munitions, and are equipped with delayed-fuse explosives designed to injure emergency responders.

Ukraine’s strikes protect civilians and Infrastructure

By preemptively targeting drone facilities, Ukraine is directly preventing hundreds of potential civilian casualties. These precision strikes are not only strategic but also humanitarian in nature.

As Russia escalates its drone campaign, Ukraine urgently needs continued international support — particularly in air defense systems and real-time intelligence sharing — to protect critical infrastructure and population centers.

Ukraine’s systematic campaign against drone manufacturing is proving effective. By striking every phase of production — from control systems to warheads — Ukraine is reducing the volume, accuracy, and lethality of incoming drone swarms. This allows air defenses to respond more efficiently, preserving both lives and 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 are a lot of updates from the Russian Federation. Here, Ukraine has not only expanded its efforts to directly target the Russian Shadow fleet on the sea, but has wreaked havoc on each point in the Russian production line, exporting millions of tons of oil every month. Burning ships, depots, oil wells, and striking refineries in the most technically critical parts, generating revenue for the Russian war economy has never become more difficult.

Explosions rock the Eco Wizard in Russian port waters

Recently, a Russian vessel named Eco Wizard sank in the Russian port of Ust-Luga near Saint Petersburg. Two subsequent explosions went off in the engine room, damaging the ship’s hull and causing water to enter rapidly, and tilting the ship to port side.

Notably, the ship docked in the Russian port after arriving from Belgium, and is reportedly part of Russia’s shadow fleet, transporting oil, chemicals, and other cargo while bypassing Western sanctions. While this ship in particular transports liquid Ammonia, the blast happened in port while loading was still being conducted, and Russian authorities report only a small spill of ammonia which was quickly cleaned up by port authorities. The ship itself however, will remain out of commission till it can be towed into a dry dock, pumped dry, and repaired.

Ukraine suspected in string of shadow fleet sabotage incidents

This has been the sixth instance of suspicious explosions rocking the Russian shadow fleet, with many analysts speculating Ukraine may be behind these targeted strikes. It has to be noted that none of the suspicious instances surrounding the Russian shadow oil fleet have resulted in any environmental damage; with the only such cases of ecological damage being a result of shadow fleet vessels running aground, crashing into each other at port, or sinking during a storm.

Deep strikes: Ukraine hits Russia’s refineries in Nizhny Novgorod and Saratov

However, Ukraine not only targets Russian shadow fleet exports at port and at sea, but also continues to destroy Russian oil refining, storage, and production facilities on the ground. Ukrainians recently targeted the fourth-largest Russian oil refinery in Nizhny Novgorod, producing over 5% of Russia’s total refined output. While official statements only note one hit on a bitumen tank, eyewitnesses claim a massive inferno engulfing the Lukoil refinery.

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Drones cross 1,500 km to penetrate Russian defenses

Next, Ukrainians targeted the Russian Lukoil refinery in Saratov, striking the facility’s technological workshops, housing the last stage in the refining process where crude oil is processed and converted into refined petrochemical products. Notably, the Ukrainian drones crossed over 1,500 kilometers of Russian territory while en route to the Russian plant.

This both underscores how extensive Ukraine’s range abilities have become as well as the depletion of Russian air defenses, unable to detect or intercept Ukrainian drones even during an estimated flight time of 10 hours.

Oil depots burn near Moscow, Engels, and Bryansk

Russian oil depots were next, with Ukrainian drones targeting a Russian fuel depot on the outskirts of the city of Moscow. As black smoke rose above the Russian capital, firefighters struggled to put out the flames, with the fire not stopping till all the oil was burned out.

However, the following strike on the Engels oil depot burned for far longer. Ukrainian drones hit the Engels fuel depot for the third time since 2025, igniting a fire that burned for three consecutive days. As a finishing blow on depots, Ukrainian Bober (Beaver) drones devastated the massive Russian oil depot in Bryansk, just across the border with Ukraine.

Ukraine hits oil wells near Grozny in final phase of energy disruption

Lastly, Ukraine hit Russian oil production at its source, striking Russian oil wells near Grozny in Chechnya, causing a large fire to break out and emergency services to rush toward the scene.

Russia’s war economy falters under pressure

Overall, Ukraine’s campaign targeting Russian oil revenue is disrupting Russian streams at every possible point in the production line. Often, these facilities have a dual use, producing fuel and oil for exports through the Russian shadow fleet, as well as providing fuel and lubricants to Russian military aviation and ground forces, without which the Russian army cannot function. With even these crucial Russian assets becoming increasingly unprotected by sufficient air defense systems, the number of Ukrainian strikes promises to only grow further as time progresses.

As the campaign has now even expanded to targeting the Russian shadow fleet itself, Ukraine is taking matters into its own hands, ensuring Russia continues to suffer both economically and militarily. As the economic cost of the war grows, this will only further widen the $50 billion Russian budget deficit, which is already projected to grow larger than $100 billion before the year ends.

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.

Technology is Ukraine’s chance to win the war. This is why we’re launching the David vs. Goliath defense blog to support Ukrainian engineers who are creating innovative battlefield solutions and are inviting you to join us on the journey.

Our platform will showcase the Ukrainian defense tech underdogs who are Ukraine’s hope to win in the war against Russia, giving them the much-needed visibility to connect them with crucial expertise, funding, and international support. Together, we can give David the best fighting chance he has.

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Today, there is big news from the Russian Federation. Ukrainian forces executed a series of precision strikes aimed at critically undermining Russia’s air strike capabilities, delivering powerful blows to several strategically significant Russian airfields and ammunition storages.

By limiting Russian air power, Ukraine aims to leave Russian ground forces without fire support, making their attacks much more vulnerable. One of the most impactful attacks occurred at the Borisoglebsk airfield in Russia’s Voronezh Oblast, home to advanced Russian jets including Su-34, Su-35S, and Su-30SM aircraft.

The attack resulted in massive fires, destroying a critical depot containing KAB guided aerial bombs and severely damaging at least one combat training jet—with likely several more jets destroyed. Damage assessments are ongoing, but preliminary reports suggest substantial impairment of Russian aerial offensive capabilities.

Ukrainian drones destroy bomb depots and air defense in Kursk and Bryansk

Another successful strike targeted the Khalino airbase in Kursk Oblast. Ukrainian munitions precisely hit a storage facility housing aerial bombs and missiles, destroying a Russian Pantsir-S1 air defense system guarding the site.

Ukrainian intelligence also coordinated a devastating strike on the 1060th Logistics Support Center in Bryansk Oblast, triggering extensive fires and secondary detonations. Multiple Russian munition depots full of rocket fuel, lubricants, and air-launched bombs and missiles were destroyed.

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Su-34 fighter-bombers destroyed in Marinovka airbase attack

The most painful strike for Russia occurred at the Marinovka airbase in Volgograd Oblast, where Ukrainian Special Operations Forces confirmed the destruction of four advanced Su-34 fighter-bombers—Russia’s key tactical aircraft for strikes on Ukraine.

Satellite imagery shows extensive damage, including multiple craters, indicating the destruction of several ordnance storage sites. A former Russian military pilot and aviation analyst called this strike a multibillion-ruble loss that could have been prevented, citing serious operational security failures.

Tires on jets? Russian bases use ineffective defenses

Despite mounting losses, Russian airbase personnel continue placing tires over jet aircraft as a defense against drone strikes—a tactic repeatedly proven ineffective. This futile measure adds strain to Russian maintenance crews, further reducing operational readiness.

Ukrainian drones and missiles, unaffected by these rudimentary barriers, continue to destroy Russian aircraft on the ground with alarming precision.

Ukraine targets Russian air-ground strategy at its core

Ukraine’s strikes follow a clear strategic logic. Russian ground tactics depend heavily on air and artillery support, typically locating Ukrainian positions by using waves of low-skilled infantry to draw fire.

By destroying aircraft, ammo depots, and air-defense systems in rear areas, Ukraine disrupts Russia’s ability to coordinate ground assaults, easing pressure on frontline troops and forcing Russia into riskier air operations with fewer assets.

Accidents rise as Russia pushes overworked aircrews

With fewer aircraft and an increasingly strained maintenance workforce, Russian aviation is suffering from higher accident rates. A recent crash of a Su-34 due to a landing gear malfunction killed an experienced pilot.

These self-inflicted losses, combined with the depletion of skilled personnel, are worsening Russia’s battlefield attrition.

Russian airbases left vulnerable as protective measures stall

To reduce turnaround time, Russia has moved many aircraft dangerously close to the front line. While earlier efforts were made to build concrete protective shelters, satellite evidence suggests this work has stalled or been abandoned.

Without public or military pressure to resume fortification, Russia risks further devastating losses in future Ukrainian strikes.

Ukraine’s sustained campaign is strategically critical—weakening Russian air power, protecting civilians, and degrading offensive potential during the decisive summer months. Neutralizing Russian air superiority remains key to Ukraine’s battlefield success.

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.

Technology is Ukraine’s chance to win the war. This is why we’re launching the David vs. Goliath defense blog to support Ukrainian engineers who are creating innovative battlefield solutions and are inviting you to join us on the journey.

Our platform will showcase the Ukrainian defense tech underdogs who are Ukraine’s hope to win in the war against Russia, giving them the much-needed visibility to connect them with crucial expertise, funding, and international support. Together, we can give David the best fighting chance he has.

Join us in building this platform—become a Euromaidan Press Patron. As little as $5 monthly will boost strategic innovations that could succeed where traditional approaches have failed.

Today, the biggest news comes from the Russian Federation. Russian oil revenue is collapsing faster than expected, with over a third evaporating as global energy prices drop and sanctions tighten. In response, the Kremlin has turned to offshore crypto schemes in a last-ditch effort to stay financially afloat—an unusual and revealing sign of just how unstable its financial position has become.

Russia’s oil revenues just dropped nearly 30% in June compared to the same month last year, bringing in just under $5.4 billion, with total oil and gas revenue falling by a third. This sharp decline stems from falling oil prices, Russia’s shrinking market share, and decreasing exports as shadow fleet routes face growing interference.

Budget deficit soars to $45 billion

These figures are not just technical; they expose the collapse of a revenue stream that once funded nearly half the Russian national budget. As a resource-exporting economy, or petrostate, Russia has long relied on oil and gas exports to support everything from social payments to military procurement. In wartime conditions, with sanctions increasing and operating costs surging, the Russian federal budget cannot absorb these losses for long. The annual deficit is now estimated to be over 2.5% of Russian GDP, roughly translating to $45 billion.

To close the gap, Moscow is burning through reserves and raising domestic borrowing, but cannot sustain these efforts for long. Unless replacement income is found, Russia’s ability to sustain high-intensity operations in Ukraine while also running the country will start to break down.

Kremlin pushes crypto to raise funds

To compensate, Russian authorities have launched a cryptocurrency project aimed at generating income and skirting sanctions. The A7A5 cryptocurrency, created in Kyrgyzstan, is reportedly backed by Promsvyazbank, Russia’s main defense-linked bank, and Ilan Shor, a fugitive oligarch known for Moldova’s billion-dollar fraud. The system generates income by selling tokens, charging transaction fees, and incentivizing activity to attract users. It mimics a functioning payment network, allowing the Kremlin to extract value from users or controlled intermediaries.

Russia uses crypto to dodge sanctions

Separately, it helps circumvent sanctions by hiding who is sending and receiving money. Crypto wallets don’t require verified identities, and payments can be routed through anonymous channels outside the SWIFT international banking system. This provides Russian entities with a way to acquire restricted goods or pay foreign actors while avoiding Western surveillance.

Although over $9 billion in transactions has been reported already, most of this volume is likely artificially inflated by moving funds between accounts run by the same person to simulate real usage, creating the illusion of popularity and large-scale adoption. Even if the platform works, it falls far short of what Russia needs. A single cryptocurrency cannot replace tens of billions of dollars in lost oil and gas revenue this year, nor can it match the reliability of formal trade routes.

Digital currency can’t plug oil gap

To make a real dent in its deficit, Russia would need significantly higher usage and trade partners willing to accept this currency at scale, all while avoiding legal consequences from Western regulators now scrutinizing suspicious crypto transactions. With no clear entrance into stable markets and nothing backing the currency, the project remains marginal in economic returns and politically radioactive due to the threat of secondary Western sanctions.

Moscow risks pariah status with crypto move

Unless Russia either expands this cryptocurrency drastically or builds multiple parallel networks to launder and move money—catering to underworld organizations—it will remain a fringe tool, not a lifeline. This would essentially make Russia act as a banker for arms traffickers, criminal syndicates, and terrorist networks already accustomed to moving money through untraceable systems.

That may keep the flow alive in the short term, but it also places Russia deeper into pariah status with its allies on the geopolitical stage.

Overall, Russia’s turn to cryptocurrency reflects improvisation and desperation, not strategy. The budget hole left by collapsing oil revenue is too large for a crypto scheme to fill, and while creative, it is built more for evasion than resilience. Unless Moscow finds a real alternative to its former energy income, the strain will spread—not just on the battlefield in Ukraine, but across the entire Russian war economy. What we are witnessing is not a new financial model, but a state trying to keep the lights on with tools made for evasion and black market trade, not endurance.

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, the biggest news comes from Estonia, where Russia has accused the country of posing a nuclear threat after Estonia expressed willingness to host NATO stealth aircraft on its territory.

With Donald Trump finally admitting that Russia harbors ambitions beyond Ukraine, Estonia’s defense ministry is bracing for what comes next, as military confrontation with Russia appears increasingly inevitable. At the recent NATO meeting in The Hague, after speaking with Zelenskyy, Trump openly stated that Putin’s territorial goals stretch far beyond Ukraine.

Baltic states in the crosshairs of Moscow’s strategy

These revelations expose Moscow’s intent to destabilize its neighbors, with Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania emerging as primary targets due to their geographical vulnerability. Estonia’s 183-mile border with Russia, especially near Narva, is well within reach of Russian artillery.

NATO’s Article 5, which mandates collective defense, faces a critical test as Russia escalates its rhetoric. Still, Moscow appears keen to avoid triggering it directly, instead opting for provocative actions masked as defensive responses.

Estonia ready to host NATO F-35s amid rising tensions

Estonia’s defense minister, Hanno Pevkur, confirmed that Estonia is prepared to host F-35 multirole stealth fighters as part of NATO’s Baltic Air Policing mission. These aircraft serve both as a deterrent and as protection for NATO airspace.

Despite the F-35 not being assigned nuclear missions in Estonia, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov called it an “immediate threat,” framing the deployment as reckless escalation. This narrative is being amplified by Russian media, which paints NATO as the aggressor, despite having its own nuclear forces already stationed within rapid striking distance of NATO’s border, 15 to 20 minutes.

Estonia fortifies border as regional tensions rise

No nuclear warheads are stored in Estonia, unlike some NATO sites in Germany or Türkiye, underscoring that the deployment is strategic rather than escalatory. Nonetheless, Russia’s messaging hints at pretext-building for future military action.

Estonia, along with Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, and Finland, is fortifying the 3,450 km border with Russia and Belarus, creating a modern Iron Curtain. This new Iron Curtain, supplemented by anti-personnel mines after these nations left the Ottawa Treaty banning them, aims to deter Russia by making any confrontation on the ground lengthy enough for NATO’s larger militaries to arrive and help.

Estonia alone has invested €5.2 million into defenses near Narva, including 32 bunkers, anti-tank barriers, and 12 ammunition depots. The dense forests and Lake Peipus add natural obstacles along the rest of the border.

A determined eastern flank faces an uncertain future

In June 2025, Estonia’s Storm 25 exercises involved 6,000 Estonian troops and over 10,000 NATO allies, simulating defensive operations against Russian advances. Lithuania’s defense budget is set to reach 5.5% of GDP, signaling regional urgency.

While Estonia’s actions are defensive, Moscow’s portrayal of them as provocations raises risks of escalation. The Baltic frontier is increasingly fortified, and the stakes are high. Estonia’s defense is on the line—and Moscow is watching.

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 big news from eastern Ukraine.   

Here, as Russians are on the brink of kicking off their multi-front summer offensive, Ukrainians are launching a summer campaign of their own, targeting key Russian military and logistical assets. By using missiles and long-range drones, Ukraine aims to deal as much damage as possible at the most important moment, right before the Russians accumulate enough forces and equipment to overwhelm the Ukrainian army.

Colonel confirmed killed in devastating headquarters strike

In one of the most significant recent operations, Ukrainian forces successfully targeted the headquarters of Russia’s 8th Combined Arms Army in Russian controlled Donetsk city. Using Storm Shadow missiles combined with drones, Ukrainians drained Russian air defenses before wreaking utter destruction on the massive Russian headquarters. 

According to reports by local media and residents, the headquarters building was razed down to the basement, whole groups of killed Russian personnel being carried out continuously. Among those confirmed killed was one of the main targets, Colonel Ruslan Goryachkin, commander of the 8th Guards Combined Arms Army, who has absolute control of all Russian forces operating from Velyka Novosilka to Pokrovsk, and is credited with the only significant gains Russians have made since the start of 2024.

His elimination will have a massive effect on Russian preparations and later offensive operations, as the Russians stand before the largest operation they have launched since the start of the invasion over 3 years ago. 

Simultaneously, Ukraine conducted an extensive drone operation in occupied Luhansk, highlighting their multi-layered strike approach. More than 20 drones struck Russian logistics facilities overnight, causing extensive fires throughout the city. Although Russian officials claimed 35 out of 40 drones were intercepted, footage contradicts this, showing massive fires at a critical oil depot and far more than 5 drones striking Russian targets. 

Head of Ukraine’s Center for Countering Disinformation, Andrii Kovalenko, emphasized that Russian logistics in temporarily occupied Luhansk are burning, underscoring Ukraine’s intent to systematically dismantle the infrastructure supporting Russian frontline operations.

Ukraine aims to delay Russian offensive launch

These operations come as Russia gears up for an extensive offensive spanning multiple fronts, from Sumy to Kherson, Donetsk, and Zaporizhzhia. Recognizing its numerical disadvantage in frontline personnel, Ukraine must rely on precisely dismantling Russian combat capabilities before its offensive can gain momentum. 

By targeting logistics hubs, command centers, and ammunition depots, Ukraine aims to introduce critical delays and attritional losses to Russian preparations. Each delay significantly benefits Ukraine, allowing additional time to fortify defenses and shortening Russia’s viable window for success due to the limited timeframe with favorable weather conditions. 

Moreover, forcing Russia into launching premature assaults with insufficient preparation substantially weakens its operational effectiveness, making those sent on the attack vulnerable to Ukraine’s experienced drone operators and artillery units and unable to breach the defense lines.

Railway sabotages cripple Russian resupply efforts 

Ukraine’s strike campaign also continues to disrupt Russian rail logistics, vital to sustaining offensive operations. As you remember, Ukrainian drone operators have repeatedly hit critical railway supply points in Zaporizhzhia Oblast, significantly hampering Russian resupply efforts. 

Additionally, Ukraine’s cyber specialists temporarily disabled key Russian Railways services in Voronezh, crippling logistics management in the north. Complementing this, Ukrainian security services have coordinated several direct sabotage operations, igniting a freight locomotive in Saratov and blowing up a railway in Voronezh, demonstrating Ukrainian sabotage operations within Russian territory.

Ukrainians have also targeted a key Russian military ammunition depot in Zabaykalsky Krai, near Velikaya Tura, causing large explosions to go off for hours. While Russian officials attempted to downplay the event, eyewitness accounts report dozens of secondary detonations, pointing toward another successful Ukrainian sabotage operation. 

In Rostov oblast, Ukrainian drones targeted the strategically important Atlas depot facility, part of Russia’s state reserve system, responsible for stockpiling and distributing fuel, lubricants, food, and technological equipment essential for sustained combat operations, with satellite data further confirming large-scale fires that raged at the site. 

Overall, Ukraine’s approach lies in offsetting Russia’s numerical advantage by identifying, tracking, and targeting critical Russian military logistical assets. These precise operations maximize damage to enemy capabilities while effectively committing Ukraine’s limited high precision weaponry.

Meanwhile, Ukraine continues to advance its drone technologies, enhancing long-range capabilities and increasing monthly production rates. This systematic approach allows Ukraine to sustain and amplify pressure, effectively undermine Russian preparations, and critically weaken their ability to launch a coordinated large-scale summer offensive. This means that Ukrainian soldiers can more effectively counter Russian assaults, shifting the battlefield dynamics in Ukraine’s favor.

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 news from the Zaporizhzhia direction. Here, as Russian forces quietly amass troops for a renewed offensive in Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine has already begun dismantling the operation before it can even begin.

Through a relentless campaign of targeted airstrikes, Ukrainian forces are systematically striking the backbone of Russia’s preparations, crippling their logistics, command centers, and drone operations.

Russian forces are actively redeploying substantial numbers of troops toward Zaporizhzhia, signaling preparations for renewed assaults in this previously calm sector. One visually confirmed instance, documented by Ukrainian analysts, captured a convoy of about 15 trucks, indicating approximately 250 to 300 soldiers being relocated. However, this recorded event likely represents only a fraction of the overall troop movements.

Given that not all convoys are detected, it’s reasonable to assume Russia has shifted several thousand troops in total, aiming to reignite significant offensive operations. Their objectives are clear: to capture the settlements of Orikhiv and Huliaipole.

Strategic goals: Orikhiv and Huliaipole

Securing Orikhiv would push the frontline close enough to Zaporizhzhia city to threaten it with artillery and long-range FPV drones with fiber-optic guidance. This could potentially expose the major urban center of 700,000 residents to constant bombardment, severely disrupting logistics and civilian life.

Capturing Huliaipole, on the other hand, would provide Russia with a stable operational base, facilitating a northern push toward Dnipropetrovsk Oblast and creating another axis of pressure.

Nevertheless, despite these tactical ambitions, any larger Russian aspiration of taking Zaporizhzhia city remains extremely unrealistic. Capturing such a densely populated and fortified city would require hundreds of thousands of troops, as they would face multiple entrenched Ukrainian defense lines just to reach it.

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Ukraine’s preemptive air campaign

Aware of Russia’s intent, Ukraine is proactively launching comprehensive air operations aimed at dismantling Russian preparations. Ukrainian forces are systematically targeting critical Russian command posts, ammunition storages, drone control centers, and troop concentrations, aiming to cripple logistical and operational capabilities ahead of a potential offensive.

First in these efforts is Ukraine’s strategic targeting of Russian railway logistics, the backbone of Russia’s military operations. Near Tokmak, Ukrainian FPV drones disrupted Russian rail logistics in two significant incidents.

Initially, a drone strike disabled a train in Tokmak’s industrial zone, temporarily crippling vital enemy transport links. Another precision attack between Tokmak and Molochansk began by halting a Russian train with an FPV drone; additional drones then struck fuel tanks, causing a massive fire that eliminated essential fuel reserves destined for frontline units.

Strikes on command, drone, and supply hubs

Ukrainian airstrikes also target Russian command infrastructure. MiG-29 fighter jets conducted pinpoint attacks using GBU 62 JDAM ER guided bombs against multiple battalion-level Russian command posts, even striking two separate ones in a single day. Another strike in Nesteryanka village obliterated a command building, disrupting local coordination.

Further air operations neutralized enemy drone hubs. Ukrainian aircraft used French-supplied AASM-250 HAMMER bombs to destroy drone control centers and eliminate operators sheltering in dugouts.

Ukraine also targets ammunition and fuel depots. Near Novozlatopil village, a strike involving two bombs destroyed an entire hangar filled with ammo, fuel, and drone operators. Similarly, near Shyroke village, another HAMMER-guided munition annihilated a depot, reportedly killing several Russian personnel.

Ukrainian air power is especially active because Zaporizhzhia is far from Russian mainland airspace. Strikes on Russian air defenses locally and in Crimea have degraded enemy coverage, creating a safer environment for Ukrainian aircraft to operate effectively.

Conclusion: Disrupting the offensive before it starts

Overall, Ukraine’s strategy is clear and proactive. Ukrainian intelligence monitors Russian movements, understanding the importance of weakening enemy capabilities early, before they grow strong enough for a major assault.

By taking advantage of favorable operational conditions, Ukraine launches methodical air strikes to impair Russia’s preparations. These actions aim not only to blunt immediate offensives, but also to impose lasting attrition—denying Russia the critical mass needed to seize the initiative in the Zaporizhzhia sector.

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.

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Today, there is a lot of interesting news from Russian-backed Transnistria, a breakaway state of Moldova.

With gas reserves depleted, energy production cut in half, and Moscow planning a 10,000 strong troop deployment, the enclave is quickly becoming both a liability and a flashpoint. However, behind this local collapse lies a larger risk: if Russia loses its grip on Transnistria, it will also lose the strategic payoff of any future advance through Odesa.

For months, signs of strain were building. In January, Ukraine cut off Russian gas transit across its territory, no longer willing to tolerate the role of middleman in a trade that indirectly financed the Kremlin’s war effort. That decision plunged Transnistria into an energy crunch. Moscow responded with short-term shipments rerouted via Hungary, but volumes remained small, inconsistent, and subject to immediate political pressure from both Moldova and Russia.

However, this was by design; Russia reportedly blocked Transnistria from receiving energy imports from the West, preferring to let the region suffer rather than risk losing influence. If Western countries stepped in and improved conditions, the local population might begin to question their dependence on Moscow. If they did not, Russia ensured that Transnistrians remained dependent through gas.

Meanwhile, Moldova has refused to act as a fallback supplier. The government in Chisinau halted liquefied gas shipments and phased out centralized deliveries to Transnistria, arguing that it cannot be expected to support a breakaway territory still in a formal frozen conflict with the state of Moldova.

 In parallel, Russia reportedly pressured the Transnistrian leadership to reject any Western assistance, further isolating the region. With no official transit routes, no contracts, and no backup reserves, the region’s economy has tanked. Industrial output is down 43%, trade has fallen by 31.5%, energy production has halved, and metallurgy and chemical industry output have dropped by over 60%. This is having terrible effects on the Transnistrian economy, with GDP expected to decline by 12% and inflation to rise by 16%, casting doubts among Transnistrians if continued cooperation with Russia is in their best interests.

However, to maintain control, Moscow is now preparing to deploy up to 10,000 troops to Transnistria, a dramatic increase from the current 1,500 strong contingent, according to Western and Moldovan intelligence reports. This is not defensive positioning, but rather a preemptive move to secure Russia’s last position west of Ukraine before it becomes irretrievable. The buildup would deepen the risks of confrontation with Moldova and its European backers, but for Moscow, losing Transnistria would mean forfeiting a key staging area for future operations.

This planned deployment runs parallel to Russia’s growing interference in Moldova’s internal politics, where it is backing a pro-Kremlin candidate, against a rival who supports initiating formal European Union accession talks, raising the stakes for both Russia and the West. 

The military buildup, the election meddling, and the economic pressure are all part of maintaining the same strategic goal: Russia still wants to create a land bridge from the mainland to Transnistria. If Moscow allows Transnistria to fall, it forfeits both its last foothold west of Ukraine and its only chance to link that outpost to future territorial gains.

A successful land bridge from Kherson to Odesa only makes sense if it links up with a viable Transnistrian base. Without that, Russia would face two bad options: abandon its ambitions or prepare for a full-scale invasion of Moldova. The former would be humiliating, the latter, highly risky. 

Unlike Donetsk or Crimea, Moldova offers no Russian population large enough to legitimize annexation through referendum, and no fallback if things go wrong. With Transnistria collapsing and Moldova shutting the door, Russia risks losing the very reason to attempt a southern advance at all.

Overall, the crisis in Transnistria is more than just a local energy crisis; it marks the potential collapse of Russia’s westernmost outpost and exposes a critical vulnerability in Moscow’s regional strategy. The deployment of 10,000 troops signals desperation, not a show of strength, but a last-ditch attempt to hold ground in a region where Russia once had all the leverage.

If the West stays focused and Moldova continues to deny legitimacy to the breakaway enclave, Transnistria’s collapse could mark the beginning of the end for Russia’s land bridge ambitions. And with it, a major blow to the idea that military might alone can reshape Europe.

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 Black Sea region. Here, after degrading Russian air defense and surveillance capabilities in and around Crimea, the Ukrainians started using the Bayraktar drones again.

The deadly Turkish-supplied drone, which gained reputation in the first months of the war, is now back in action, destroying Russian vessels and undermining Russian Black Sea operations. Ukraine’s Turkish-made Bayraktar drones have returned to prominence, now in use for anti-naval operations in the Black Sea.

Initially, these drones played a key role early in the war, when Russian air defense was sparse and unprepared. As Russia expanded its defensive measures to counter threats in the air, the Bayraktar’s relatively large radar signature made it vulnerable, prompting Ukraine to significantly reduce its use.

Domestic production enables renewed deployment

Now, however, conditions have shifted. Ukraine, in cooperation with Türkiye, now produces over 120 Bayraktars domestically a year, enhancing the possibilities of their deployment.

Recent footage illustrates this comeback vividly, with Bayraktar drones destroying multiple Russian vessels near the Tendrivska Gulf Spit, as enemy forces attempted to disembark soldiers onto strategically important islands.

Capturing platforms for recon and offense

The renewed Bayraktar offensive complements broader Ukrainian efforts in the Black Sea, an area growing more strategically vital. Recent Ukrainian naval drone strikes targeted Russian-held oil rig platforms, with subsequent moves using high-speed boats aiming to capture these crucial offshore platforms after they are cleared of Russian presence.

Control over them has profound tactical significance, enabling reconnaissance and radar surveillance deep into Russian-held Crimea, and potentially serving as launching points for future naval drone operations.

The fierce battles over these platforms reflect their dual value: ideal monitoring stations and drone signal relay stations, as demonstrated recently. That is why both Russia and Ukraine fiercely contest these platforms, as control over them often changes hands.

Real-time intel and Western support strengthen strikes

Western allies maintain surveillance flights to support Ukraine’s naval strategy: notably, a British RC-135W electronic reconnaissance aircraft patrolled western Crimea, foreboding increased Ukrainian operations. Ukraine’s deployment of Bayraktars, providing live battlefield intelligence during platform strikes, additionally complements Ukraine’s naval drone operations.

In response, Russia increasingly relies on Lancet drones guided by ZALA reconnaissance drones to intercept Ukrainian naval drones. Russian analysts acknowledge this approach has significant limitations given the agility of Ukrainian drone boats and the diverse payloads Ukrainians now employ, including electronic warfare countermeasures and air defense missiles to shoot down incoming Russian strike drones and fighter jets.

Targeted strikes on Crimea’s air defenses open the skies

At the same time, the Ukrainian military Intelligence service has undertaken precision operations aimed at crippling Russian air defenses in Crimea. Recent strikes targeted essential components of the sophisticated Russian S-400 missile system. Specifically, Ukrainians successfully destroyed two multi-functional 92N2E fire-control radars, two 91N6E long-range surveillance radars, and one S-400 missile launcher. This operation effectively reopened the skies above western Crimea and the Black Sea, enabling renewed Bayraktar drone activity and other aerial operations.

Ukraine swiftly capitalized, following these air-defense eliminations by striking a high-value Russian naval special forces base in Chornomorske with two Neptune missiles, causing extensive damage, as confirmed by available footage.

Russian navy retreats as Ukraine expands reach

Facing sustained Ukrainian attacks, Russia’s Black Sea Fleet now struggles to maintain its presence. Fearing further drone strikes, Russian naval commanders had already repositioned remaining warships far from contested waters, placing their naval assets out of play in the naval war. Even Russian military leaders understand this, as recent footage shows dismantled naval autocannons being installed as fixed, turret-like defensive positions on land.

This absurd strategy underscores Russia’s dire naval situation. Additionally, these stationary naval guns, though powerful, lack mobility and concealment, rendering them vulnerable to Ukrainian drone and bomb strikes, making them militarily virtually useless on the ground as well.

Strategic momentum builds toward Crimea

Overall, Ukraine continues to systematically degrade Russian military capabilities in the Black Sea, focusing on crucial dual-use oil platforms that have formed a core role in both sides’ naval strategy. This mirrors previous Ukrainian tactics of degrading Russian air defenses first, which then enables deeper and more disruptive strikes into Crimea and beyond.

By securing these offshore installations, Ukraine plans to support more ambitious special operations against Russian-controlled Crimea—possibly even variations of previously successful commando infiltrations.

Thus, Ukraine’s renewed use of Bayraktar drones symbolizes not only a regained tactical advantage, but also a more comprehensive strategy of gradually reasserting naval dominance and preparing the stage for significant future operations in the air and on land.

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 news from the Kursk direction. Here, Colombian volunteers in the Ukrainian army launched a well-planned and decisive attack across the border to put an important position under their control. By doing so, they are not only establishing control in the area but also sabotaging Russian offensive efforts into Sumy Oblast.

Recently, Ukrainian units have initiated precise offensive operations in the border region near the Russian village of Novyi Put, strategically situated between Tyotkino and the areas where Russia has infiltrated Sumy Oblast. The purpose of these targeted raids is clear: to prevent Russia from launching additional offensives, which would not only alleviate the Ukrainian pressure on Tyotkino but also threaten Sumy’s defenses from the north.

Ukraine rolls out three-phase plan

Ukraine’s tactical approach in this critical area consists of a threefold strategy. Firstly, their goal is to systematically reduce Russian manpower, weakening the enemy’s frontline strength. Secondly, they aim to neutralize Russian artillery, depriving ground troops of crucial fire support. Lastly, Ukraine is conducting surgical operations that, though seemingly small in scale, yield strategic results far exceeding their immediate battlefield significance.

Drones take out Russian airborne unit

In line with this strategy, Ukrainian drones recently identified and coordinated a precision air strike against a Russian troop deployment area deep in Kursk Oblast. Released footage and prior intelligence confirmed the destruction of a Russian airborne company-sized formation.

By specifically targeting such elite units, Ukraine seeks to disrupt Russian capabilities that provide coordination and rapid-response support, severely diminishing Russia’s ability to launch cohesive offensive or defensive operations.

Ukrainian strikes hit artillery systems

Complementing this, Ukrainian forces have intensified efforts to dismantle Russian artillery. Notably, Ukrainian drones successfully targeted a Russian 152-mm self-propelled artillery system, the 2S43 Malva, with a precision-guided Darts kamikaze drone.

Eliminating such artillery pieces weakens the enemy’s firepower, leaving Russian ground troops exposed and vulnerable to Ukrainian raids, and accelerates Russia’s attrition.

Colombians clear forest stronghold

Most remarkable, however, was the recent direct-action assault involving Colombian volunteers serving within Ukrainian units. These volunteers, with extensive combat experience and training in the Colombian armed forces, were instrumental in clearing Russian forces entrenched within a small, forested area near the border. Despite its modest size, this wooded patch, surrounded by open fields, offers significant tactical advantages, granting control over the surrounding territory to whoever holds it.

The assault unfolded with meticulous coordination. Ukrainian drone operators provided real-time aerial surveillance, directing the Colombian unit to Russian defensive trenches and bunkers concealed within the forest. Leveraging their expertise in stealth infiltration, the Colombian soldiers approached unnoticed, initiating close-quarters combat.

Suppressing Russian defenders within their bunkers, the Colombians methodically cleared each position using grenades and explosives, finally securing the main trenches after an intense battle. Following this decisive victory, the Colombian-Ukrainian force proudly displayed captured Russian equipment, underscoring their success.

Ukraine fortifies terrain, sets trap

This position’s tactical value is significant. Its defensive potential is enhanced by interconnected tree lines and nearby settlements offering concealed ground lines of communication for Ukrainian troops. Furthermore, the location is strategically beneficial due to its clear lines of fire, forcing any counterattacking Russian units into predictable and lethal kill zones, or right out into open fields.

Raids force Russia into futile attacks

All this means that, should Russian commanders decide to retake this forest patch, guarding the far eastern flank of Tyotkino, they would have to expend considerable resources, troops, time, and armor to retake it—only to find Ukrainian forces will have likely withdrawn before succumbing to bombardments, effectively forcing Russia to destroy a potential staging ground.

Overall, this operation conducted by Colombian volunteers exemplifies Ukraine’s broader strategic intent along the Sumy–Kursk border region. Ukrainian forces carry out numerous such raids, continuously forcing Russia to allocate resources over a larger area, which in cumulative effect significantly delays enemy operations and drains their offensive capabilities.

Collectively, these actions ensure that Russian forces remain bogged down, unable to effectively support or expand their ambitions against Sumy, thereby safeguarding critical Ukrainian positions and significantly undermining Russia’s objectives.

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 Baltic and North Seas. Here, the United Kingdom ramped up its role in the campaign against Russia’s shadow fleet, a vast network of aging, uninsured oil tankers used to dodge sanctions and bankroll the war in Ukraine. But this is not just about oil — the fleet’s growing presence near critical infrastructure and its open defiance of maritime rules have turned it into a front line in a broader hybrid conflict.

Russian warship escort sparks UK sanctions

The United Kingdom has now joined the Nordic and Baltic states in a joint declaration, pledging coordinated enforcement, tracking, and interdiction operations against the Russian shadow fleet — essentially bringing Britain into the heart of NATO’s Baltic blockade.

The trigger came on 16 June, when a Russian corvette openly escorted two shadow fleet tankers through the English Channel — a move designed to challenge Western enforcement and demonstrate that Moscow was willing to use military force to protect illegal shipments. Two days later, London struck back, sanctioning 20 more ships linked to the fleet and targeting support networks used to finance and operate them, before officially joining the blockade.

Spy sensors and hybrid threats exposed

This escalation did not come out of nowhere. In January, under the Joint Expeditionary Force framework, the UK helped launch Nordic Warden, a multinational operation to monitor shadow fleet activity and protect undersea infrastructure. This allowed the Royal Navy to recover several Russian spy sensors in UK waters — devices believed to be used for tracking and scanning the Royal Navy’s stealth submarines’ sonar signatures, as well as mapping undersea cables for future sabotage.

This incident added to the larger picture in light of other sabotages: Russia was not just skirting sanctions — it was probing Europe’s defenses, using its shipping fleet as both a revenue stream and a tool for sabotage.

Sanctions and naval containment tighten

In response, the UK has shifted from passive monitoring to active disruption. On 9 May, it rolled out its largest sanctions package to date, blacklisting 100 tankers linked to more than $24 billion in oil trade. That number has since grown, with a total of 140 vessels and dozens of companies now cut off from the United Kingdom’s markets.

These measures are not symbolic; shadow fleet tankers run without insurance, often disable transponders, and sail through crowded maritime routes. The risk of environmental damage is high — but so is the threat to energy infrastructure. For the UK, this is as much about national security as it is about enforcing sanctions.

Britain secures Baltic chokepoints

Britain’s operational role in the blockade leans heavily on geography. Russian oil exports from Ust-Luga and Primorsk must cross the Danish Straits, a natural chokepoint between the North Sea and the Baltic. UK naval patrols now pass through Skagerrak and Kattegat, linking up with Danish and Swedish forces around Bornholm and Gotland. Surveillance aircraft track tankers that switch off their tracking systems or take suspicious detours.

This is not about boarding every ship — it is about cutting the options down until the fleet has nowhere left to run. The UK brings technical tools others do not. Its P-8 Poseidon aircraft, sonar-equipped frigates, and seabed monitoring teams, originally designed for submarine warfare, are now repurposed to detect sabotage risks.

Additionally, undersea patrols sweep for devices like the Russian spy sensors found in April. If Russia uses the shadow fleet to mask grey zone operations, spying, jamming, and cable interference — as they already did in the Baltics — then Britain’s tools become the early warning system.

UK combines ships, sanctions, and surveillance

That system matters — these ships are not just carrying oil; they are carrying leverage. A major spill could wreck the Baltic coastline. A minor cable cut could knock out power or internet in parts of Europe. The shadow fleet is a military liability, an environmental risk, and an economic pressure point all in one. That is why the UK’s response is layered, with ships, sensors, and sanctions working together.

Overall, Britain’s entry into the blockade turned a regional enforcement effort into a full-spectrum containment campaign. Moscow’s provocations — from escorting tankers to prevent boarding, to underwater espionage — have forced this shift.

Now, with the UK closing off exits from the West and Nordic States tightening control from the North and East, the window for shadow operations is narrowing. Russia still has ships — but fewer safe routes. Each time one slips through, it faces more eyes, more pressure, and fewer chances to vanish again.

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.

Russian forces launched a new offensive into Sumy Oblast, charging across open fields with the expectation of minimal resistance. But what they encountered was a carefully planned Ukrainian trap.

Drawn far from their defensive lines and exposed in the open, Russian units were hit hard by a sudden Ukrainian counterstrike. Artillery, drones, and precision infantry movements devastated the attackers. Ukrainian forces quickly overran Russian command posts, shattered frontline cohesion, and forced dozens of Russian soldiers to surrender.

Despite Russian President Vladimir Putin’s claim that capturing Sumy is not a primary goal, his assertion that “wherever Russian soldiers step becomes Russian territory” stands in stark contrast to current battlefield losses. Russian diplomats had even issued direct threats during Istanbul negotiations, warning Ukraine it could lose both Sumy and Kharkiv if it didn’t comply with Kremlin demands. But so far, Ukraine has turned the tide.

Ukrainian veterans regroup and launch counterattack

In the opening days of the Russian offensive, Ukrainian forces appeared to retreat, offering limited resistance. In reality, this was a strategic maneuver. Veteran Ukrainian units, including those with experience deep inside Kursk Oblast, conducted a tactical withdrawal and repositioned into defensible areas within Sumy.

Taking shelter in the forests, these battle-hardened troops waited for the right moment. Ukrainian command anticipated that once Russian troops crossed into exposed terrain, they’d become highly vulnerable—and they were right.

Geolocated footage now confirms fields littered with Russian casualties, following intense drone strikes and artillery fire. Ukraine’s ability to conserve its strength and then strike with precision turned a risky situation into a battlefield advantage.

Elite Ukrainian unit retakes Andriivka

With Russian forces depleted, Ukraine seized the opportunity. The 225th Separate Assault Battalion, one of Ukraine’s elite strike forces, led a fierce counteroffensive. In a matter of hours, Ukrainian troops retook the village of Andriivka, dismantling fortified Russian positions.

One of the most significant blows came during the assault on a Russian frontline command post. Ukrainian soldiers not only overran the site but also killed Andrey Vyacheslavovich Yartsev, a battalion commander from Russia’s 30th Motorized Rifle Regiment. His death caused a sudden breakdown in Russian command coordination, leaving forward units scattered and exposed.

Retaking Andriivka gave Ukraine two major advantages:

• It disrupted Russian offensives aimed at Khotin and Pysarivka.
• It allowed Ukrainian drone teams to hunt down dispersed Russian units during follow-up clearing operations.

Russia stalls as Ukraine secures Sumy frontline

Ukraine’s counteroffensive didn’t just reclaim territory—it shattered Russian morale. In one viral video, 13 Russian soldiers surrender to a Ukrainian reconnaissance drone, raising their hands and following remote instructions to safety. These moments underscore a broader collapse in Russian battlefield cohesion.

Ukrainian forces have since re-entered multiple contested villages and continue to dig in. Meanwhile, Russian commanders are still determined to push toward Khotin, hoping to create a drone strike corridor capable of reaching Sumy city, the regional capital.

But so far, their offensive is losing momentum. By forcing Russian troops into open ground, hitting hard with drones and artillery, and eliminating key officers, Ukraine has regained tactical control over the Sumy front—at least for now.

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 Kostiantynivka direction, Donetsk Oblast.

Here, after facing repeated humiliating setbacks at Pokrovsk, the Russian command redirected their offensive toward Kostiantynivka, as they collided with the Ukrainian defense line. The Russians sent a massive assault group with dozens armored vehicles to break through, but were funneled into a devastating kill zone. 

The goal of Russian forces west of Kostiantynivka is to achieve a decisive penetration through Ukrainian defensive lines, creating opportunities to outflank and encircle both Pokrovsk and Kostiantynivka simultaneously. This would disrupt Ukrainian defenses across two crucial sectors, potentially destabilizing a massive portion of the frontline. 

Following a relatively rapid Russian advance in this area last month, Ukrainian forces swiftly redeployed elite units to stall further gains, successfully buying time for reserves to reinforce secondary defense lines. Despite incremental Russian progress since the initial breakthrough, Ukrainian defenders succeeded in slowing down enemy momentum, preventing the frontline collapse that Russia urgently sought. Now, Russian forces find themselves confronting fortified Ukrainian positions to the southwest of Kostiantynivka, where they’ve been unable to advance further over the past two weeks.

The Russians currently hold one significant advantage, the establishment of a bridgehead across the important Bychok River. This allows them to transfer larger numbers of troops and equipment across the water barrier, increasing their offensive potential and the intensity of their attacks.

The geographic position of the bridgehead offers flexibility for attacks against Kostiantynivka or Pokrovsk, but given limited resources, Russian commanders seem focused primarily on pushing toward Kostiantynivka. This tactical choice also threatens the nearby Ukrainian defense lines near Toretsk, increasing the reward of any successful maneuver for the Russians.

However, Ukrainian defenses around Kostiantynivka are robust and carefully designed, significantly shaping Ukrainian tactics and granting a decisive defensive advantage. Elaborate anti-tank ditches and natural terrain features effectively funnel Russian forces along the heavily fortified Pokrovsk-Kostiantynivka highway. 

Ukrainian engineers have constructed a sophisticated network of layered fortifications along this critical road, establishing a formidable defense in depth. Additionally, rows of dragon teeth along the highway serve as concrete barriers to halt Russian armored assaults, while hidden Ukrainian positions in the fortifications deliver devastating fire. Ukrainian artillery and drone operators wait in concealed positions, ready to unleash intense fire on enemy formations entering these well-prepared kill zones.

Faced with mounting difficulties and aware of the increasingly reinforced Ukrainian positions, the Russian command opted for a desperate gamble. They planned to launch one large-scale mechanized assault rather than their more typical smaller infiltration tactics they had been relying on recently. Hoping to surprise and overwhelm Ukrainian defenders, the Russians dispatched one of the largest mechanized columns seen in this sector for months, consisting of at least 23 armored vehicles and over a dozen motorcycles. 

However, the column drove directly into a carefully prepared Ukrainian kill zone along the fortified highway. To avoid running into mines on the road itself, the Russians drove beside it, but the Ukrainian minefields extended into the fields, destroying several of their vehicles. The battle was brutal and chaotic, lasting over 3 hours as Ukrainians obliterated this massive Russian assault part by part. Ukrainian FPV drone operators and artillery systematically dismantled the Russian formation as it struggled to advance due to the obstacles. 

The engineer vehicle destined to clear a path through the dragon’s teeth was destroyed, as were the soldiers on motorcycles that could have blown a path through them with explosives, causing the Russian armor to bunch up and be devastated by artillery. Of the approximately twenty-five armored vehicles engaged, eighteen were decisively destroyed. 

Some of them detonated on carefully placed anti-tank mines; others, attempting to escape Ukrainian fire, panicked and drove directly into anti-tank ditches, becoming stationary targets swiftly finished off by Ukrainian drones. Nearly two hundred Russian troops were killed in the failed assault, underscoring the catastrophic nature of failing an attempted breakthrough.

Overall, while Russian forces initially achieved limited success southwest of Kostiantynivka, the newly improved and manned Ukrainian defensive setup decisively halted the recent ambitious mechanized assault. The scale of losses incurred in this latest attack represents another severe setback for Russian commanders, reflecting both poor operational planning and underestimation of Ukrainian preparations.

Nevertheless, previous patterns suggest that Russians will regroup and return, refusing to abandon their objective. Ukrainian commanders expect that Russia is already mobilizing additional units and equipment, preparing another offensive effort against the long coveted Kostiantynivka sector.

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.

Amid growing Russian provocations in the Baltic Sea and chilling calls for the “denazification” of the Baltic states, tension is rising in Northern Europe. Along the Suwalki Gap—a critical strip linking Poland and Lithuania—civilians are making evacuation plans.

Residents in Lithuanian towns like Kalvarija, Lazdijai, and Veisiejai are stockpiling food and water. Though small, these towns fear becoming frontline battlegrounds if conflict erupts. Analysts warn that a new Russian military exercise along Belarus’s western border could be a precursor to something more dangerous: a limited operation to secure a land route to Kaliningrad.

Russia eyes Suwalki Gap to link Kaliningrad

The Suwalki Gap, a 65-kilometer corridor nestled between NATO allies Poland and Lithuania, is becoming one of Europe’s most dangerous pressure points. Known as NATO’s Achilles’ heel, it’s the only land route connecting the Baltic States to the rest of the alliance.

To the west lies Kaliningrad, Russia’s heavily armed exclave. To the east, its ally Belarus. If war breaks out, Moscow may move quickly to link these regions, seizing the Suwalki Gap before NATO can respond. Kaliningrad’s isolation—surrounded by NATO states and cut off from supply routes—gives Russia a potential excuse for action.

Kremlin repeats Ukraine playbook in the Baltics

Moscow claims Kaliningrad faces starvation, blockade, and genocide—echoing the same justification it used before invading Ukraine. These accusations of persecution and “Russophobia” could be used to rally domestic support for a “special operation” through the corridor.

Military planners believe any Russian strike would be swift and well-coordinated. Forces from Kaliningrad would push south. Simultaneously, Belarus-based troops could strike northwest. Their first move: isolate the Polish town of Suwalki and seize control of nearby forests, creating a defensible position that delays NATO intervention.

Russian forces could launch two-front assault

Once the Suwalki region is under control, small Lithuanian towns like Kalvarija and Veisiejai become early targets. Capturing them gives Russia a vital foothold, cutting off Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia from land-based NATO support.

The terrain—dense forests, lakes, and natural barriers—favors the defenders. A 65-kilometer-long, 45-kilometer-wide corridor between Belarus and Kaliningrad would allow for Russian troop movement and make NATO counteroffensives far more difficult and time-consuming.

NATO’s vulnerable corridor faces growing threat

This scenario explains the fear gripping Baltic communities. Russia continues to build its narrative around Kaliningrad’s “persecution,” while moving troops into Belarus—mirroring the prelude to its 2022 Ukraine invasion.

The Suwalki Gap’s strategic importance cannot be overstated. If Russia seizes it, NATO loses its only direct land access to the Baltics. Residents are watching, preparing, and waiting—fearful that the next move has already begun.

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, Kharkiv Oblast. 

Here, the strategic Battle for Kupiansk is unfolding as Russian forces intensify efforts to cross the Oskil River and encircle the city, hoping to shift momentum in their favor. Yet, despite repeated assaults and tactical shifts, their advance remains stalled – trapped in a deadly fire pocket, crippled by logistics, and methodically dismantled by a patient and lethal Ukrainian defense.

The Battle for Kupiansk is characterized by persistent Russian pressure along two key axes. Primarily via the Pischane funnel, a narrow corridor extending westward toward the Oskil River. Here, Russian units attempt to widen their area of control, aiming to solidify positions near the riverbanks and save themselves from the deadly Ukrainian fire from 3 sides. 

However, because of the fire pocket, Russian forces in this sector are severely undermanned, undersupplied, and critically lack armored support. Their presence largely consists of scattered infantry groups operating without meaningful logistical backing, rendering them particularly vulnerable to precise, small-scale raids by Ukrainian special forces. 

Ukrainian forces, employing a robust active defense, maintain continuous pressure in an active defense, conducting raids with special forces teams to take prisoners, obtain mission-critical intelligence, and disrupt Russian force gathering efforts. Thus, Russian elements within the funnel remain strategically insignificant. 

Given ongoing, high-stakes battles elsewhere, particularly around Toretsk, Pokrovsk, Kostiantynivka, and Sumy, allocating substantial Ukrainian resources to decisively eliminate this minor Russian penetration would be impractical. Additionally, pushing Russian forces back here would inadvertently shorten their overextended supply lines, unintentionally improving their logistical conditions. Therefore, Ukraine’s current strategy of containment and attrition effectively drains Russian manpower without compromising Ukrainian resources.

Meanwhile, Russian command persistently attempts to close the pocket around the Pischane funnel, striving to transform it into a platform for a more substantial advance directly toward Kupiansk and the strategically important Oskil River. Despite frequent offensive attempts, Russian progress remains negligible. Various tactics have been employed, including infantry-only assaults, motorcycle-mounted rushes, and even limited armor-supported pushes. Each of these efforts has consistently failed due to relentless and highly effective Ukrainian resistance.

Over several months, Russian forces have sought to widen the funnel’s eastern flank to alleviate the concentrated Ukrainian fire pocket. Despite their efforts, Russians have managed to widen only half the funnel, achieving little practical advantage. Consequently, this maintains the position that the Russian funnel itself presents no immediate strategic threat, as Russian forces continue to scatter valuable combat resources without achieving any real operational breakthrough toward Kupiansk.

Another critical element of Russian operations in the Kupiansk direction is their presence around the Dvorichna bridgehead. Here, Russian forces have managed to establish a precarious foothold across the Oskil River. However, their logistical situation is dire, relying exclusively on rubber boats traversing the river’s narrower stretches, which is an inherently unreliable method susceptible to Ukrainian interdiction. Despite being advertised as possessing amphibious capabilities, geolocated footage shows that Russian armored vehicles have repeatedly proven inadequate for effective river crossings. 

Consequently, Russian offensive potential from this bridgehead is severely handicapped, relying almost entirely on infantry groups that gradually cross the river, and then mass together for concentrated assaults. This predictable approach frequently backfires: Ukrainian forces tactically permit certain Russian units to penetrate slightly, quickly sealing the breach afterward. Thus, isolated and encircled, these Russian groups are systematically neutralized, amplifying enemy losses.

Additionally, the recent Ukrainian air assault conducted deep behind Russian lines around the Dvorichna sector has substantially disrupted Russian rear-area logistics and command structures. This also deepened the operational difficulties Russian forces faced at the bridgehead, creating significant confusion and limiting their offensive effectiveness. Consequently, Russian advances in the Dvorichna area remain stalled, their positions static, and their capability for meaningful offensive action severely degraded.

Overall, the Ukrainian defensive strategy in the battle for Kupiansk remains highly effective, with Ukrainian commanders demonstrating exceptional operational patience by intelligently managing limited resources to contain and systematically treat Russian forces without excessive commitments. Ukrainian troops consistently exploit Russian weaknesses such as poor logistics, insufficient manpower, and ineffective tactics to inflict disproportionately high casualties, and instead of attempting costly counterattacks to eliminate strategically insignificant Russian penetrations, Ukrainian forces strategically capitalize on enemy mistakes while gradually eroding enemy combat potential.

This approach is methodically draining Russian powers along the Kupiansk front, ensuring that despite repeated efforts, the Russians have failed to secure any meaningful operational advantage or threaten key Ukrainian-held territory.

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 important updates from Ukraine.

Here, as Ukraine ramps up its long-range strike capabilities, a breakthrough is taking shape, with German funding powering Ukraine’s first hypersonic missile launch. Backed by a five-billion-euro defense package, Ukraine’s Hrim-2 [thunder in Ukrainian] hypersonic missile is now entering serial production, marking a bold new chapter in Ukraine’s ability to hit deep behind Russian lines.

Ukraine has officially announced the development of its own domestically produced ballistic missile, the HRIM-2. After over a decade of delayed progress due to funding issues, the missile system is now entering serial production, accelerated by international military and financial support since the start of the full-scale war.

Notably, Germany has provided a new five-billion-euro defense package, which includes significant investments in the domestic production of Ukrainian long-range weapon systems, including the development and production of the new ballistic missile. This aid enabled the Ukrainians not only to develop the missile but also to initiate serial production of the Hrim-2 immediately after its development.

Notably, the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense also announced that they had already conducted a successful field test of the missile. Ukrainians shared footage of this strike, adding that it was used to destroy a Russian command post on the east bank of the Dnipro River delta. This means that the Hrim-2 system is combat-tested and fully operational, opening the possibility of an increased number of similar precision strikes against Russian military targets deep behind the frontline. 

The Hrim-2 is launched from a specialized ground vehicle that fires it into the air using a solid propellant rocket engine, before following a set ballistic trajectory towards a stationary target. The Hrim-2 has an operational range of 300 kilometers and can reach speeds of up to Mach 5.2, or nearly 1.8 kilometers per second, making it a hypersonic missile. 

The 400-kilogram warhead allows for the destruction of hardened bunkers, logistics hubs, airbases, and ammunition depots, especially because these are stationary targets that are easy to trace. The capability of Hrim-2 to carry a heavy warhead for strikes within a 300-kilometer range marks a major leap forward for the Ukrainian precision strike capabilities, as the warhead is twice as big as that of Atacms, which Ukrainians were previously dependent on for similar precision strikes. 

Interestingly, these capabilities bring it comparably close to the Russian Iskander ballistic missiles, which have a similar payload of around 400 kilograms, while the Ukrainian Hrim-2 might soon catch up with or even exceed the Russians’ range of 400 kilometers as development continues.

The fact that it is launched from a mobile transport vehicle gives Ukrainians the ability to quickly move to a firing position, fire the missile hundreds of kilometers away from the frontline, and pull back before the Russians can strike back. Its immense speed of 1.8  kilometers per second is nearly twice as fast as the Atacms, and allows it to strike at its maximum range in under 3 minutes.

Furthermore, while Russian air defenses like the S-300 and S-400 are able to intercept targets at this speed on paper, as a missile enters the hypersonic range, a successful interception becomes increasingly unlikely. 

The fact that the Hrim-2 ballistic missile is a completely domestic product of the Ukrainian military industry, without a reliance on foreign components, makes it possible to quickly produce and fire in large numbers, costing 3 million US dollars, or 2.6 million euros, a piece.

The 5 billion euro defense package also secured this funding for Ukraine’s long-range strike drones, FPV drones, and drone interceptors. Notably this will also allow Ukraine to massively increase the production of the Liyuti long-range strike drones with a range of 2 thousand kilometers, Bars missile-drones with a range of 800 kilometers, and Flamingo high-speed drone-interceptors, which are an extremely cost-effective way to intercept the hundreds of Shaheds that Russia launches toward Ukraine each day.

Overall, the Ukrainians are rapidly developing their precision deep-strike capabilities, enabled by massive German funding. Additional funding into the Ukrainian military industry will likely continue, as Germany and the rest of NATO witness the potential and effectiveness of Ukrainian long-range precision strikes. All the while, Ukraine has a massive new weapon ready, with the first missiles already rolling of the production line.

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.

Recently, drones have overtaken artillery as the leading cause of Russian casualties in Ukraine. However, the king of the battlefield has not been replaced, as Ukrainians have completely innovated how drones function in modern war. 

In May, drones were responsible for over 75% of Russian battlefield casualties, compared to an estimated 20% by artillery and 5% from small arms. Ukraine struck more than 89,000 targets with drones in May, which includes manpower, equipment, and vehicles, a 7.2% increase from 83,000 in April. 

Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi confirmed that drones have now caught up with artillery in terms of hit percentage. Much of this is driven by the widespread adoption of fiber-optic drones with a twenty-kilometer range, which are immune to jamming and increasingly available across the front. These figures underline a new reality: drones are no longer a secondary force but the main source of pain for Russian troops.

By contrast, artillery, once the dominant killer, now causes just a fifth of Russian injuries. Artillery still fires vast volumes, but its effectiveness is declining. The wear and tear on barrels, many of which have fired well beyond their service life, is making precision increasingly difficult. 

At the same time, Russia has hardened many of its positions, reducing the lethality of inaccurate or delayed strikes. While artillery crews are well-trained, they rely on stable spotting networks and undisturbed logistics, both of which have come under pressure. Recent numbers show that artillery still hits targets, but in terms of lethal effect, its effectiveness is declining. 

The explanation lies in the trajectories of these systems. Artillery is degrading while drones are improving. Drone operators are becoming better trained, coordination with unit-level tactics is improving, and technology is always evolving. Many modern drones are not just flying grenades; they can operate in contested environments, evade electronic warfare, and hunt in swarms, with some even featuring integrated autonomous targeting software. 

Some drones are equipped with thermobaric charges for higher lethality, while others use fiber-optic guidance systems that render electronic warfare useless. Direct strike FPV’s are often paired with reconnaissance drones, turning the process almost into a continuous production line of kamikaze strikes. This increase in usage and tactics is matched by coordination, with notably Ukrainian drone units now operating with leaderboards tracking confirmed kills, pushing crews to innovate faster.

Still, artillery remains an essential part of the Ukrainian system. Its function on the modern battlefield has shifted but not disappeared. Mortars and howitzers are unmatched when it comes to area denial and suppressive fire. These are tasks drones do poorly, especially in bad weather conditions or when continuous fire is necessary. 

A drone may kill a soldier in a trench, but a battery of Mortars can prevent a platoon from moving through that trench in the first place, or allow a Ukrainian assault group to advance to the position uncontested. In high-intensity combined arms warfare, the need to suppress, disrupt, or channel enemy movement is still best handled by traditional artillery. Mortars, in particular, remain indispensable in close-range engagements where portability and fast reaction matter more than pinpoint accuracy or larger explosions.

That is why drones have not replaced anything; they have supplemented and, in some contexts, outperformed conventional systems. The most effective Ukrainian units, like Magyar’s Birds, are those that combine the two. Drones scout enemy positions, drop munitions, and then feed coordinates to mortar and artillery crews. Or, drones disable vehicles, which are then finished off by artillery once stationary.

Even low-cost FPV drones now serve as spotters, finishers, or gap fillers for artillery teams, targeting vehicles that artillery damaged but did not destroy, or chasing down retreating troops. In some sectors, Ukrainian teams are now using drones and mortars together, creating a kill chain that is fast, inexpensive, and difficult to counter. The combination of both systems is where the real advantage lies for the Ukrainians.

Overall, the drone surge is reshaping how Ukraine fights. It is not about one system replacing another but about new layers being added to the battlefield. Drones now inflict the most pain, but artillery still shapes the battlefield. The Ukrainian military has managed to merge both systems into a flexible and deadly toolkit. As long as drone production continues to scale and artillery remains operational, Ukraine will retain the edge in tactical innovation, and Russia will keep paying the price.

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 Middle East. Here, in a war Tehran once promised would reshape the region, the only thing reshaped is Iran’s own military, flattened, blinded, and humiliated in a matter of days.

Israeli F-35s own the skies above Tehran

In the opening hours of the Israeli operation against Iran, it became immediately clear that Iran’s air defense network was utterly insufficient to repel an attack from a modern and well-prepared adversary.

Iran’s regime claimed to have downed four such jets, yet the evidence provided was quickly debunked as embarrassingly obvious Photoshop manipulations. In reality, Israeli aircraft rapidly dominated western Iranian airspace, freely operating even over Tehran itself, an unprecedented humiliation.

The Iranian Air Force was also quickly neutralized with Israeli planes striking Iranian jets directly on their runways and systematically targeting radar installations, leaving Iran’s air force unable to respond or put up resistance against Israeli airpower.

Scorched before fired

Following this crippling operation, Iran attempted to retaliate with ballistic missiles.

However, even this modest success was short-lived. On the second day of the operation, Israeli aircraft rapidly identified and destroyed approximately one-third of Iran’s missile launchers, dramatically reducing the volume of subsequent missile attacks.

Iran’s missile arsenal is buried in two days

Further worsening Iran’s trouble, Israel took swift and decisive action to neutralize Iran’s vaunted underground missile stockpiles.

Consequently, despite the vast stores of missiles presumably remaining intact underground, Iran now lacks timely access to these weapons, rendering them irrelevant to the current conflict.

Iran’s drones meet the Iron Dome wall

Iran’s widely touted Shahed drones, famous for their use by Russia against Ukraine, proved astonishingly ineffective against Israeli defenses.

Israel’s dense and layered air defense network, featuring the Iron Dome supplemented by advanced missile defenses, fighter cover, and helicopter support, intercepted these drones with ease.

Moreover, American and Jordanian support further bolstered Israeli defenses. Israeli electronic warfare experts had previously studied Shahed drones extensively, even deploying to Ukraine for hands-on experience in 2023. As a result, Iranian drone assaults were swiftly neutralized long before even reaching Israel.

20 Iranian generals gone before sunrise

The Israeli operation also delivered a devastating blow to Iranian military leadership: over 20 high-ranking commanders, including senior officers of the Iranian armed forces and the elite Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps, were killed within the first hours.

Israel then meticulously targeted and eliminated their replacements as soon as they were appointed, paralyzing Iran’s ability to respond effectively.

Iran’s regime teeters between collapse and surrender

Facing catastrophic losses and a rapidly deteriorating strategic position, Iran’s regime quickly spiraled into panic mode.

Tehran’s statements that they are ready to stop the attacks after Israel stops indicate not just willingness but a call to resume negotiations, proposing a mutual ceasefire.

Tehran’s leaders recognize that while escalating further might inflict limited additional damage upon Israel, it would also prompt devastating counterstrikes capable of collapsing their regime.

Tehran fights to avoid its fall

Yet, the regime must also demonstrate some military resolve domestically, or risk losing its internal legitimacy entirely, a scenario equally threatening to its grip on power.

The US initially signaled openness to renewed diplomacy, but President Trump subsequently hardened his stance, explicitly rejecting any further negotiations with Iran.

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 NATO’s northern flank. Here, Russia has started rapidly escalating the tensions by building up forces and constructing new bases on the border with Finland. The Scandinavian country has been attacked by Russia before, so the Finns did not wait and immediately began preparing for the worst-case scenario.

Russia has begun a notable militarization of its extensive border with Finland, significantly escalating its military presence through the construction of new bases and the redeployment of forces. Recent satellite imagery, confirmed by NATO officials, reveals extensive activity, including rows of newly erected tents, warehouses for military vehicles, refurbished fighter jet shelters, and revitalization of a previously abandoned helicopter base.

These developments indicate the preliminary stages of a substantial, long-term military buildup, although NATO and Finnish officials emphasize this is still different from Russia’s pre-Ukraine attack deployments in 2022. The reason for this is that Russia remains predominantly occupied with its military operations in Ukraine, limiting immediate troop availability.

Border turns hot

The catalyst for Russia’s border militarization was Finland’s accession to NATO two years ago. Initially, Russian President Vladimir Putin publicly stated that Finland’s NATO membership was Finland’s sovereign right, and he had no problem with it. Yet, Russia quickly shifted its posture, rapidly militarizing the border area, which has now become NATO’s longest contiguous boundary with Russia, spanning approximately 1,330 kilometers.

Russia’s actions reveal underlying apprehensions; historically, new NATO membership, particularly involving former Soviet states such as the Baltic republics, has been perceived by Moscow as provocative, significantly heightening security concerns. Consequently, the addition of Finland to NATO is interpreted by Russia as an increased threat, necessitating enhanced defenses.

Military analyst Michael Kofman of the Carnegie Endowment predict that Russia will significantly expand its ground forces facing NATO, particularly in sensitive regions such as Finland’s northern frontier.

Arctic in play

Russia’s buildup is also strongly tied to strategic interests in the Arctic. Moscow regards control over Arctic regions as essential for securing its status as a great power. Satellite imagery recently confirmed Russian military helicopters returning to Murmansk, a strategic Arctic port city, after a two-decade absence.

This redeployment, partially driven by Ukrainian drone strikes targeting Russian airfields deeper within the country, places Russian forces considerably closer to NATO territory. According to Finnish defense analysts, Russia is also expanding brigades into divisions, implying an imminent surge in Russian troop strength along the border.

Bases reinforced

Russia has upgraded several military bases near Finland to enhance its defense capabilities. Key bases include Alakurtti Air Base, which supports cold-weather operations and Arctic defense, and Petrozavodsk, which offers armored vehicle storage and troop mobilization. Severomorsk-2 strengthens Arctic naval and air operations, while Olenya Air Base facilitates strategic bomber activity and large-scale operations, less than 150 kilometers from Finland, with significant infrastructure improvements indicating plans for an even larger military presence.

These upgrades provide Russia with rapid deployment capacity and enhanced surveillance, strengthening its position in a potential clash. These provocative developments follow a series of incidents underscoring rising tensions. From damaging undersea cables to satellite imagery exposing substantial Russian military expansion near Finland, this has prompted Helsinki’s military intelligence head, Brigadier General Pekka Turunen, to predict that Russian troop numbers near Finland could triple within five years.

Finland digs in

Consequently, Finland extended its indefinite border closure with Russia, citing the ongoing hybrid warfare tactics, including weaponized migration, similar to what Poland is experiencing on its border with Belarus.

Further intensifying tensions, in May and June 2025, Russia redeployed battle-hardened troops from Ukraine and intelligence specialists to the Finnish border, significantly bolstering strategic bases and violating Finnish airspace, prompting a diplomatic confrontation.

History drives Finland

Facing this steadily rising threat, Finland is actively enhancing its defensive posture by emphasizing a pragmatic approach and preparing for worst-case scenarios, by increasing defense spending and raising reservist eligibility to age 65. Finnish military planners forecast that once active hostilities in Ukraine diminish, Russia will substantially increase deployments along Finland’s border, prompting predictions of a possible armed confrontation soon after.

Overall, Finland’s defensive measures originate from a historical memory deeply shaped by past aggression from Russia, notably during the Winter War of 1939 to 1940, resulting in substantial territorial losses. The recent rapid militarization by Russia reaffirms Finland’s decision to swiftly join NATO following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

Now, Russia is stepping up the provocations by starting to build up forces along the border, which is enough to make the Finnish government suspicious.

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, 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. 

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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.

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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.