A 6,600 km strike to sever Russia's North Korean lifeline

Ukrainian military intelligence (HUR) released a video showing what it says was a sabotage operation that disrupted freight traffic on the Trans-Siberian Railway in Russia’s Khabarovsk Krai.

The Trans-Siberian line moves military cargo across Russia, including weapons from abroad. HUR has carried out similar operations against rail lines, depots, and supply routes in recent months, aiming to slow Russian logistics far from the front.

According to HUR, an explosion hit the line near the village of Sosnovka, about 6,600km from Ukraine, on 13 November, halting cargo movement along a route used for transporting weapons and ammunition, including supplies from North Korea.

Sabotage proofs followed by a direct threat

HUR said the blast derailed a freight train and damaged the track. The agency described the operation as part of broader efforts to target Russian logistics.

The published video shows the placement of an explosive charge along the rail line and the controlled detonation.

HUR added that Russian security services failed to protect one of the country’s critical transport corridors and said such actions would continue.

Russia's elite Rubicon (also spelled Rubikon) drone group is strangling the Ukrainian troops in Pokrovsk and neighboring Myrnohrad. So the Ukrainian Main Intelligence Directorate, the HUR, is trying to strangle Rubicon—by striking at its operators in one of their rear bases.

But the Ukrainian effort is too little, too late.

A recent HUR drone raid on an alleged Rubicon base near Avdiivka, 40 km southeast of Pokrovsk, is a desperate effort to delay the likely inevitable outcome of the yearlong Russian siege of Pokrovsk and Myrnohrad in eastern Ukraine's Donetsk Oblast.

Potentially thousands of Ukrainians are still fighting in and just south of the settlements, but they're nearly cut off by a Russian force that outnumbers them five to one. The Russian armed forces "have intensified efforts to encircle the Pokrovsk–Myrnohrad agglomeration," the Conflict Intelligence Team noted.

"Currently, only about 3 km remain between the converging segments of the contested area north of Pokrovsk and southwest of Krasnyi Lyman—a narrow corridor through which Ukrainian troops could potentially exit the operational encirclement," CIT warned.

Rubicon's stranglehold on Pokrovsk supply routes

Disrupting one Russian drone group might buy the Ukrainians more time to escape Pokrovsk and Myrnohrad. But it's unlikely to save the settlements.

The HUR launched its attack drones at the Rubicon base under the cover of darkness on or before Tuesday. Footage from the long-range, first-person-view drones shows at least one of them slamming into a two-story building the HUR claimed housed Rubicon operators.

Explore further

Ukraine’s window closes: Russian forces 3km from trapping Myrnohrad troops

It's unclear how much damage the raid inflicted. And it probably doesn't matter very much. The real damage along the Pokrovsk-Myrnohrad axis is being inflicted by Rubicon teams flying short-range first-person-view drones whose operators are on the front line ... not behind it near Avdiivka.

How Rubicon perfected supply-line warfare in Kursk

Rubicon is among the best Russian drone groups. It made its major combat debut in February when it deployed its FPV teams north of the Ukrainian-held salient around the town of Sudzha in western Russia's Kursk Oblast. The drones swiftly destroyed hundreds of Ukrainian trucks, cutting off the flow of supplies into Sudzha and compelling the Ukrainian troops to retreat.

The elite unit was created in mid-2024 under orders from Russian Defense Minister Andrei Belousov, combining drone development, operator training, and electronic warfare capabilities. It operates at least seven detachments of 130-150 personnel each, with projections to reach 5,000-6,000 specialists by fall 2025.

The Kremlin's attention then shifted south to Donetsk ... and Pokrovsk.

FPV drones make Ukrainian resupply nearly impossible

Sometime this summer or fall, the Russian Center Group of Forces—which had been steadily grinding toward Pokrovsk for more than a year—finally got close enough to the settlements for supporting FPV operators to fly their tiny drones directly over the two main supply routes threading into Pokrovsk and Myrnohrad.

Some controlled by radio, others guided by signals traveling along jam-proof fiber-optic cables, the FPV drones made it extremely dangerous for any Ukrainian vehicle to travel along the roads during daytime. The proliferation of FPVs with thermal cameras meant nighttime was only slightly safer.

"All that we are seeing today in Pokrovsk and Myrnohrad happened mostly due to the unmanned FPV forces of the Russians, who are blocking our logistics," Ukrainian service member Skhidnyi wrote. "The same crews that destroyed our logistics on the Kursk direction last winter and spring are still operating."

There may be scores of Russian FPV teams along the porous front line around Pokrovsk. Realistically, the HUR can't hit them all.

Ukrainian forces previously struck Rubicon's command post in August 2025, destroying a large ammunition depot in Donetsk Oblast. While that operation temporarily disrupted the unit's operations, military experts warned the unit remains a systemic threat that requires a comprehensive counter-strategy beyond individual strikes.

Explore further

Ukrainian troops nearly cut off as Pokrovsk defense strategy fails

Ukrainian airborne forces have cleared a path through hell in Donetsk Oblast. Ukraine’s Defense Intelligence fighters broke through a ground corridor and reinforced the “Tymur” special unit operating in the combat zone after a no-parachute landing in the Pokrovsk sector.

“Following a successful airborne operation, HUR special forces that had secured their designated positions were reinforced by additional units after a ground corridor was established,” HUR said.

According to the Defense Intelligence, the operation is taking place in one of the key districts of Pokrovsk, an area critical for frontline logistics. Ukrainian forces are conducting combat operations aimed at disrupting enemy attempts to expand fire control in this direction.

Special units operate in coordination

HUR noted that other intelligence special units are also active in the sector, though the specifics of their missions are not disclosed for security reasons.

“Coordinated work continues together with all components of Ukraine’s Security and Defense Forces,” the agency added.

Exclusive HUR footage showing precision assault in Pokrovsk

Additionally, HUR released an exclusive video of a special forces combat operation in Pokrovsk, showing for the first time the full cycle of actions, from a no-parachute insertion to a close-quarters assault.

Cockpit footage shows helicopter crews approaching at very low altitude to avoid Russian FPV drones and air-defence systems.

On the ground, fighters immediately occupy their assigned lines and begin assault operations.

The video shows the operation supported by:

• strike FPV drones and spotter/correction drones;
• artillery and rocket strikes on Russian positions;
• armoured vehicles operating in close coordination with assault groups.

Breaking the ring: Defense forces strengthen the Northeastern flank

At the same time, Serhii Okishev, spokesperson for the 7th Rapid Response Corps of the Ukrainian Air Assault Forces, stated that the main objective of the Defense Forces is to push the enemy back further along the northeastern outskirts, according to UkrInform. 

“This will allow us to break the ring so that the enemy loses its fire control over our logistics,” Okishev emphasized.

He added that in this scenario, Ukraine’s Defense Forces would begin to control the Russian supply lines.

Zelenskyy meets airborne troops holding Pokrovsk

Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with the soldiers of the 25th Separate Sicheslav Airborne Brigade, which defends the city of Pokrovsk and its surroundings. 

“Brigade commander Andrii Turchyn briefed the president on the operational situation in his unit’s area of responsibility, the supply of necessary equipment and provisions, logistics, and troop rotations,” the President's Office reported. 

Ukrainian military intelligence struck several Russian radar installations in occupied Crimea overnight on 2 November, targeting components of Russian air defense. The operation hit a radar from the S-400 system, its power generator, and two additional radar systems located at a Russian airfield, Ukraine’s Main Intelligence Directorate (HUR) says.

HUR strikes S-400 radar and airfield systems

HUR shared exclusive video footage showing the destruction of the Russian air defense assets, and reported that the strike was carried out by the Department of Active Operations during the night of 1 to 2 November.

The targeted site was a control point of a Russian S-400 Triumf anti-aircraft missile battalion, which was on active combat duty. According to HUR, the attack destroyed a Russian 92N6E multifunctional radar and the autonomous power supply equipment—a generator vehicle—of the S-400 command post. These components were identified as being in service at the combat position of the S-400 system in occupied Crimea.

Surveillance and airfield radars also destroyed

HUR added that the operation also successfully struck two additional radar systems used by the Russian occupation army. These were the AORL-1AC airfield surveillance radar and the P-18 Terek circular surveillance radar.

Ongoing campaign against Russian air defenses

Over the past month, Ukraine’s Defense Intelligence and armed forces have destroyed a series of high-value Russian radar and missile systems across occupied regions and inside Russia.

• Days ago, the Ukrainian Special Operations Forces reported the destruction of the Russian Buk‑M3 launcher and Nebo‑U radar in Rostov Oblast, Russia.
• In late October, HUR's unit Prymary destroyed two Russian Podlet radars, a SAM S-300V's launcher in Donetsk Oblast
• Earlier in October, the Ghosts hit three radar stations in occupied Crimea — a 96L6 from the S-400 Triumf system, a P-18 Terek, and a 55Zh6U Nebo-U.
• HUR drones destroyed two more radars — a Nebo-SVU and a Buk-M3 launcher — in southern Ukraine.
• In a separate strike, the Ukrainian Armed Forces targeted another Buk-M3 launcher at an undisclosed location in occupied territory.
• HUR also struck a Valdai radar site in Crimea
• The army also hit a Garmon radar with an Iskander transporter-loader vehicle in Russia’s Kursk Oblast.

Russian occupiers die by the hundreds in hellish meat grinder near Pokrovsk in Donetsk Oblast. According to the Hostri Kartuzi or "Peaky Blinders" unit of the Ukrainian Army, the occupation troops pay an enormous price for every square meter of Ukrainian land. 

Ukrainian troops use drones to take out the Russian military outside Pokrovsk

“Truly colossal losses of the Russian army near Rodynske,” the unit reported in a caption to photos published on its Telegram channel. (Warning! Graphic content) 

Russian occupying forces are suffering enormous manpower losses, trying to fulfill the military command’s orders to achieve success in the Pokrovsk–Myrnohrad agglomeration at any cost. 

Earlier, Mykola Malomuzh, a former head of Ukraine’s Foreign Intelligence Service and Army General, stated that Russian President Vladimir Putin had ordered his forces to seize Pokrovsk, Myrnohrad, and the entire Pokrovsk agglomeration by 15 November. 

According to the Ukrainian soldiers, almost all the occupiers shown in the images were eliminated by drones.

“Dozens of charred or torn bodies of Russian soldiers lie in the open on the approaches to the city,” the Hostri Kartuzi wrote. 

The Ukrainian defenders emphasized that Russian forces are assaulting positions by “throwing in meat,"  without tactics or strategy. They added that Russia is ready to sacrifice thousands of its troops for even minimal territorial gains.

“So when you see reports of Russian advances on maps, remember the price the occupier pays for every square meter of Ukrainian land,” they said. 

What does Ukraine's General Staff say? 

On the Pokrovsk front, since the start of the day, the Russians have launched 38 assaults in an attempt to dislodge Ukrainian defenders from their positions.

Ukrainian Defense Forces have repelled 36 attacks, are conducting active counter-operations, and have achieved advances of up to 0.4 kilometers in certain areas. 

The situation is on the brink

Russian occupying forces have not encircled Pokrovsk in the Donetsk Oblast, but intense fighting continues inside the city. Small assault groups of Russian troops are attempting to infiltrate urban areas, according to Artem Prybylnov, Head of Communications for the 155th Separate Mechanized Brigade. 

In his comments for the Kyiv24 channel, he said that Russian troops are actively utilizing attack and reconnaissance drones, as well as artillery, and maintain a superiority in manpower.

“The city is a commanding height, and its loss would be painful for the entire front. We must stabilize the situation and do everything possible to prevent its capture," Prybylnov said. 

He added that Russian assault units had been preparing for months for urban fighting aimed at taking Pokrovsk, but are now moving chaotically through the city.

Over the past day, Russian forces have made limited advances within Pokrovsk, where the situation remains on the verge of critical.

Analysts from DeepState reported that Russian troops are establishing observation posts and entrenching themselves in several districts of the city.

According to the 7th Corps of the Air Assault Forces, Ukrainian troops have improved their tactical positions in several neighborhoods while continuing to hold off numerically superior Russian forces.

Ukrainian law enforcement has identified and charged five Russian soldiers with the execution of 17 civilians during the occupation of Bucha, Kyiv Oblast, in 2022, according to the Main Directorate of Intelligence of the Ministry of Defense.

Working in coordination with the National Police, HUR published the names and personal data of the occupiers from the 234th Assault Regiment of the 76th Division of the Russian Armed Forces.

The identified suspects are:

Lieutenant Yurii Kim, born in 1997, platoon commander of the fourth assault company of the second battalion tactical group, native of the Moscow region. He lives in Moscow region.

Private Yevgenii Meshalkin, born in 2001, shooter-operator of the second BTG, native of Tyumen region. He live in Tyumen region.

Senior Sergeant Anatolii Pavlov, born in 1990, gun commander of the second self-propelled artillery battery of the second BTG, native of Chuvashia. He lives in Pskov.

Senior Sergeant Shamil Hasanhuliev, squad commander and combat vehicle commander of the fourth assault company of the second BTG, native of Pskov. He lives in Pskov.

Senior Soldier Pavlo Kretinin, born in 1985, deputy platoon commander and squad commander of the second BTG, native of Voronezh region. He lives in Pskov.

HUR reported that "the indicated persons are involved in murders, torture, attempts to conceal war crimes by burning the bodies of executed Bucha residents, as well as threats to the civilian population during the Russian occupation of the city."

On 23 October, intelligence and the resistance movement eliminated Russian paratroopers of the 247th Caucasian Cossack Regiment in Stavropol. The unit's soldiers "distinguished themselves" with numerous war crimes during the full-scale invasion.

On 27 October, HUR reported that reconnaissance forces struck Russian positions on the Zaporizhzhia front. The attack killed the son of Lieutenant General Arkadii Marzoev, who is implicated in war crimes in Kherson.

Ukrainian military intelligence drones destroyed two Russian Podlet radars, a SAM S-300V's launcher, and a truck carrying troops in occupied eastern Ukraine, the agency reported on 28 October. The HUR released a video showing its special unit, striking the targets. The intelligence did not disclose the exact dates or locations of the latest attacks, saying only that the attacks took place over the past two week in the Donbas—a historic region, including to easternmost oblasts of Luhansk and Donetsk.

Ghosts hit Russian air defenses in Donbas

The Main Intelligence Directorate (HUR) of the Defense Ministry of Ukraine said its special operations unit Prymary ("Ghosts") continued systematic work against Russian air defense systems in the Donbas over the past two weeks.

According to the HUR, the unit hit two 48Ya6-K1 Podlet radar stations and a 9A82 launcher from the S-300V surface-to-air missile system.

The HUR footage also shows a strike on a KamAZ truck carrying Russian troops. The HUR referred to the elimination of the vehicle and its occupants as a “bonus.”

Ongoing campaign against Russian air defenses

Over the past month, Ukraine’s Defense Intelligence and armed forces have destroyed a series of high-value Russian radar and missile systems across occupied regions and inside Russia.

• Earlier in October, the Ghosts hit three radar stations in occupied Crimea — a 96L6 from the S-400 Triumf system, a P-18 Terek, and a 55Zh6U Nebo-U.
• HUR drones destroyed two more radars — a Nebo-SVU and a Buk-M3 launcher — in southern Ukraine.
• In a separate strike, the Ukrainian Armed Forces targeted another Buk-M3 launcher at an undisclosed location in occupied territory.
• HUR also struck a Valdai radar site in Crimea
• The army also hit a Garmon radar with an Iskander transporter-loader vehicle in Russia’s Kursk Oblast.

Ukraine’s military intelligence drones struck key Russian radars and a landing craft in occupied Crimea on 26 October. The drones evaded both missile strikes and small arms fire, continuing a targeted campaign to degrade Moscow’s air defense network.

Ukrainian Ghosts hit radars and landing craft in occupied Crimea

According to the Main Directorate of Intelligence (HUR) of Ukraine’s Defense Ministry, drones from its Prymary (Ghosts) special unit of  carried out new attacks in Russian-occupied Crimea, targeting and damaging multiple pieces of high-value military equipment, including three radar systems, and a Russian Navy boat.

According to the 26 October update from HUR, the strike destroyed the following Russian assets:

• a 96L6 radar from the S-400 Triumf air defense system,
• a P-18 Terek radar,
• a 55Zh6U Nebo-U radar,
• and a BK-16 landing craft.

Video released by HUR shows one drone dodging a missile fired from a Pantsir S1 system moments before striking a radar installation. Another scene captures a Russian landing craft attempting to fend off a drone with small arms fire before being hit.

Ukraine’s HUR military intelligence agency destroyed two Russian radar stations and a Buk‑M3 surface‑to‑air missile launcher in occupied southern Ukraine. The operation, carried out on 23 and 24 October 2025, struck targets in Zaporizhzhia, Kherson, and Crimea. The drone footage shared by HUR shows that strikes were conducted using long-range drones equipped with FPV thermal cameras, allowing precise engagement of high-value systems at night.

Two Nebo-SVUs and a Buk destroyed

On 24 October, the HUR confirmed the elimination of three major Russian high-value air defense components. The operation was carried out by the HUR’s Department of Active Operations on 23 and 24 October, targeting two Nebo‑SVU radar stations and one Buk‑M3 launcher.

The destroyed systems were located in temporarily occupied areas of Zaporizhzhia Oblast, Kherson Oblast, and the Autonomous Republic of Crimea, according to the report.

Conflicting identifications

Ukrainian defense outlet Militarnyi reported different system types, stating that the radars destroyed were Nioby‑SV rather than Nebo‑SVU. The Nioby‑SV is a three-coordinate radar operating in the meter band with a vertical active antenna. Introduced to Russian air defense units in 2016, it detects both aerodynamic and ballistic objects, identifies them, and determines the origin of active jamming. The system is capable of operating at distances from 5 to 500 kilometers, and detecting threats at altitudes up to 65 kilometers, with an elevation range from −10 to 35 degrees.

Whether the radar was Nebo‑SVU or Nioby‑SV, both models provide early-warning functions critical to Russian air defense and are considered high-priority targets.

Long-range Ukrainian drones struck the Ilsky oil refinery in Russia's Krasnodar Krai on July 7, hitting one of the facility's technological workshops, a source in Ukraine's military intelligence (HUR) told the Kyiv Independent.

Located roughly 500 kilometers (311 miles) from Ukrainian-controlled territory, the refinery is among the largest in southern Russia, producing over 6 million tons of fuel annually.

It is involved in the reception, storage, and processing of hydrocarbons and distributes refined products via road and rail. The refinery is part of Russia's military-industrial complex and plays a direct role in supporting Moscow's war effort, the source said.

The Russian regional operational headquarters claimed that "drone debris" fell on the oil refinery.

The strike marks a renewed wave of Ukrainian attacks on Russian oil infrastructure, following a months-long pause since March. On July 1, Ukrainian drones struck the Saratovorgsintez oil refinery in Russia's Saratov Oblast.

Kyiv has targeted dozens of refineries, oil depots, and military-industrial sites since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022. Winter drone attacks forced at least four Russian refineries to temporarily shut down.

This is the second known strike on the Ilsky refinery. Ukrainian drones, operated by the Security Service (SBU) and Special Operations Forces (SSO), previously targeted the facility on Feb. 17, causing a fire.

Krasnodar Krai, a strategic region along Russia's Black Sea coast, has increasingly come under Ukrainian drone attacks as Kyiv extends the range of its strikes deep into Russian territory.

HUR publishes Russian military order, claims proof of Moscow increasing military footprint in Armenia

HUR first made the claim on July 5, saying Russia was increasing its forces at the Gyumri base to exert greater influence in the South Caucasus and “destabilize the global security situation.”

The Kyiv IndependentChris York

Ukraine's military intelligence (HUR) on July 7 published what it claimed was a Russian army order to increase its military presence at a base in Armenia, two days after HUR's warning of such a move was denied by Yerevan.

HUR first made the claim on July 5, saying Russia was increasing its forces at the Gyumri base to exert greater influence in the South Caucasus and "destabilize the global security situation."

Armenia's Foreign Ministry denied the claim on the same day.

In a post on social media on July 7, HUR published a document which it said was a "order from the commander of the troops of the Southern Military District of the Russian Armed Forces on the 'replenishment' of the Russian military base in Armenia."

"The telegram lists a list of measures for the urgent “replenishment” of the units of the Russian unit by selecting personnel from among the servicemen of the 8th, 18th, 49th and 58th combined arms armies of the Southern Military District of the Russian Armed Forces," HUR said.

The news comes amid a major deterioration in Russian-Azerbaijani relations after a deadly June 27 operation in Russia's Yekaterinburg, where Russian security forces killed two Azerbaijani nationals and injured several others in a raid linked to a 2001 murder case.

Armenia has had a historically close relationship with Russia but the relations between Yerevan and Moscow have recently deteriorated.

Russia's leverage over both Baku and Yerevan has diminished dramatically since Azerbaijani troops captured Nagorno-Karabakh, an Armenian-controlled region in Azerbaijan, in 2023.

Russian peacekeepers later withdraw from the region, and now Baku and Yerevan are negotiating a permanent peace deal.

Armenia, which has lambasted Moscow for failing to help it during the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, is drifting closer to the West.

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has suspended the country's membership in a Russian-led military alliance and announced plans to join the European Union. Recently there has also been a crackdown on the pro-Russian opposition in Armenia.

Arrests, raids, beaten and bloodied suspects — how Russia-Azerbaijan relations have unravelled

Deaths in custody, media offices raided, and beaten and bloodied suspects paraded in court — relations between Russia and Azerbaijan, once considered close, have sharply deteriorated in recent days amid a series of high-profile incidents. The latest tensions erupted over the weekend when Russian law enforcement officers detained over 50 Azerbaijani

The Kyiv IndependentTim Zadorozhnyy

Russia is seeking to involve Laos in its war against Ukraine under the pretense of humanitarian cooperation, Ukraine's military intelligence (HUR) claimed on July 5.

According to the agency, Moscow is organizing the deployment of a combined unit of military engineers from the Lao People's Armed Forces to Russia's Kursk Oblast, allegedly to help with demining operations.

Ukraine initially captured 1,300 square kilometers (500 square miles) of Russian territory during a cross-border offensive to Kursk Oblast but lost most of it during a Russian counteroffensive this year, which was supported by North Korean troops.

Laotian authorities have reportedly agreed to send up to 50 engineers to support Russian efforts. In addition, Laos is said to be offering free rehabilitation services to wounded Russian soldiers.

"Russia, under the guise of humanitarian rhetoric, is trying to legalize the presence of foreign military contingents on its territory, effectively using them to wage war against Ukraine," HUR said.

This comes amid broader efforts by the Kremlin to recruit foreign personnel. Russia has drawn heavily on fighters from Asia and Africa, as well as North Korea.

Ukraine has captured multiple foreigners fighting for Russian forces. an April investigation by Russian independent outlet Important Stories identified more than 1,500 foreign fighters from 48 countries who had joined Russia's war.

Laos, a landlocked Southeast Asian country bordering China, Vietnam, and Thailand, has not commented on HUR's claim. The country maintains close ties with both Moscow and its ally Beijing.

North Korea is already using Russia Pantsir S-1 air defense systems in Pyongyang, Kyrylo Budanov, head of Ukraine's military intelligence (HUR), said in an interview with Hromadske Radio on July 1.

The arrival of Pantsir missiles is another sign that North Korea is improving its weapons technology and military might through cooperation with Russia. The two nations signed a defense treaty in June 2024, and North Korea has supplied arms and troops to Moscow in exchange for training and advanced military technology.

"I can tell you that, for example, the first Pantsir S-1 installations have already appeared in Pyongyang," Budanov told Hromadske Radio.

"They are already on combat duty there, guarding their capital. And the Russians are retraining Korean personnel, and soon the Koreans will be working autonomously on this technology."

The Pansir S-1 is the same air defense system Russia uses to guard its military-industrial facilities. It carries an estimated price tag of around $15 million.

North Korea is "currently significantly increasing its military power" through direct cooperation with Russia, Budanov said. It benefits from Russia's ongoing technology transfers and the "real combat experience" personnel gained by fighting alongside Russian troops against Ukraine.  

Budanov also said Ukraine expects "a significant increase" in the number of North Korean citizens in Russia. Some of these citizens will sign up for the Russian military, making it seem less like an official transfer of North Korean personnel and more like voluntary registration from invidivual citizens.

The day before Budanov's comments, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un publicly honored his country's soldiers who were killed fighting in Russia's war against Ukraine. The ceremony coincided with a visit by Russian Culture Minister Olga Lyubimova, illustrating the deepening military alliance between Moscow and Pyongyang continues.

Russia has also reportedly provided North Korea with advanced electronic warfare systems, helped the country build modern warships, and improved its KN-23 ballistic missiles.

In June, Budanov said that Moscow has agreed to assist Pyongyang in mass-producing Shahed-type attack drones.

Russia-Iran alliance wavers as Tehran suffers major blows

Tehran, Russia’s main ally in the Middle East, has been dealt a heavy blow as Israel dismantled its network of proxies and then struck targets in Iran. The recent Iranian-Israeli war, which ended with a ceasefire on June 24, showed that the regional balance of power has shifted in Israel’s favor. This could have a major impact on Russian-Iranian relations as Moscow will have to recalibrate its approach to the region. Russian-Iranian cooperation is likely to continue but Iran’s ability to help

The Kyiv IndependentOleg Sukhov

Ukraine's military intelligence agency (HUR) released on July 1 video footage showing domestically produced drones striking multiple Russian air defense assets and a fighter jet in occupied Crimea in what it described as a successful special operation.

The undated footage shows the combat use of UJ-26 drones, commonly known as Bober (Beavers), targeting high-value Russian military systems.

"These reliable weapons in the hands of HUR special forces are turning critically important Russian targets into useless scrap," the agency said in a statement.

HUR added that the Bober drones are effectively "gnawing through" Russia's expensive air defense systems "like barberries."

The released footage shows that the strikes destroyed or severely damaged several Russian military assets, including a Pantsir-S1 air defense system and its crew, a Niobium-SV radar, a Pechora-3 coastal radar, a Protivnik-GE radar, and a Su-30 fighter jet stationed at the Saky airfield in occupied Crimea.

The Kyiv Independent could not verify HUR's claims.

The strikes are part of Ukraine's ongoing efforts to degrade Russian military capabilities in Crimea, which has been under Russian occupation since 2014. Moscow reported Ukrainian drone strikes against the peninsula earlier on July 1, with the Crimean Wind Telegram channel reporting attacks in the vicinity of S-300/S-400 air defense systems.

Ukraine has increasingly deployed new drone systems to target Russian military assets on the front line and deep inside the Russian rear.

Russia-Iran alliance wavers as Tehran suffers major blows

Tehran, Russia’s main ally in the Middle East, has been dealt a heavy blow as Israel dismantled its network of proxies and then struck targets in Iran. The recent Iranian-Israeli war, which ended with a ceasefire on June 24, showed that the regional balance of power has shifted in Israel’s favor. This could have a major impact on Russian-Iranian relations as Moscow will have to recalibrate its approach to the region. Russian-Iranian cooperation is likely to continue but Iran’s ability to help

The Kyiv IndependentOleg Sukhov

Ukrainian intelligence has proof that Russia is preparing new military operations in Europe, said President Volodymyr Zelensky on June 22 after a report from military intelligence (HUR) chief Kyrylo Budanov.

"We are observing a continued intellectual decline within the Russian leadership and have evidence that they are preparing new military operations on European territory," Zelensky said on X.

Zelensky added that Ukraine will inform foreign partners regarding the information obtained by intelligence. The statement follows earlier warnings by Kyiv that Russia may be preparing aggression beyond Ukraine's borders.

The president did not provide further details on the planned Russian operations, their dates, or countries that might be targeted.

"We are preparing joint decisions for defense, in particular with the United Kingdom and the European Union," Zelensky wrote.

Zelensky confirmed that Ukraine will continue its efforts to weaken Russia's army.

"We’re aware of... (Russia's) key vulnerabilities and will strike accordingly to defend our state and people, as well as to significantly reduce Russia’s capacity for aggression," the president said.

Since its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Russia has ramped up sabotage operations across Europe, aiming to destabilize the security situation in countries supporting Kyiv against Russian aggression.

Ukrainian foreign intelligence warned in May that Russia would be able to restore its combat capabilities and launch aggression against Europe between two and four years after hostilities in Ukraine ended.

Foreign officials and EU diplomats have increasingly called for the preparation for a potential full-scale conflict between NATO and Russia. On June 2, the United Kingdom announced its largest defense spending increase since the Cold War in the face of "the war in Europe," according to U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer.

Russia ‘afraid to admit’ scale of losses, trying to hide by dumping soldiers’ bodies on Ukraine, Zelensky says

Ukrainian authorities have confirmed that at least 20 of the bodies Russia returned as Ukrainian were actually Russian soldiers, President Volodymyr Zelensky said.

The Kyiv IndependentTim Zadorozhnyy

Russia is systematically recruiting migrant workers from Central Asia to fight in its war against Ukraine as "cannon fodder," Ukraine's military intelligence (HUR) reported on June 21.

Citizens of Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and other countries in the region are increasingly being drawn into Russia's war effort under duress or with misleading promises, HUR said.

Many of those recruited are reportedly killed on the front lines.

According to HUR, Russia's security services target migrant workers who arrive in the country seeking employment, offering short-term military contracts with promises of fast cash. These individuals often lack legal protections and face coercion, with few realistic alternatives.

Among the identified victims are Uzbek nationals Umarov Syroziddin Sabirjanovich and Kholbuvozoda Muhammad Faizullo, who served in motorized rifle units and died during combat operations in Ukraine.

"Mobilized migrants are formed into separate units, which are mainly used in the most dangerous areas of the front line," HUR said. Survivors may face criminal charges in their home countries for serving in a foreign military, carrying the risk of long prison sentences.

Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty previously reported that migrant workers are funneled into combat roles for financial reasons, with recruitment networks offering salaries unattainable in civilian life.

Russia has also intensified pressure on its naturalized migrant population.

On May 20, Investigative Committee head Alexander Bastrykin said that 20,000 naturalized migrants had been dispatched to Ukraine for failing to register for military service.

With public memory raw from the unpopular 2022 partial mobilization that prompted over 261,000 Russians to flee, the Kremlin has refrained from another mass draft.

Instead, it is relying on a combination of forced recruitment, enlistment bonuses, and targeted campaigns among vulnerable communities.

‘All of Ukraine is ours’ — Putin on Russia’s territorial ambitions in Ukraine

Editor’s Note: This story was updated with comments from Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha. Russian President Vladimir Putin said “all of Ukraine” belonged to Russia in a speech on June 20 at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, amid increasingly aggressive official statements about Moscow’s final territorial ambitions in Ukraine. Putin’s

The Kyiv IndependentKateryna Hodunova

A Russian soldier deployed in Ukraine may have been involved in an act of cannibalism, audio intercepted by Ukraine's military intelligence agency (HUR) and released on June 20 suggests.

In the recording posted by HUR on Telegram, a Russian commander is heard telling a subordinate that one soldier, referred to by the call sign "Brelok," killed and consumed his fellow service member "Foma" over a two-week period.

Ukraine's military intelligence described the alleged incident as further evidence of what it called the "moral and psychological collapse" of Russian forces.

"Nobody ran away. 'Brelok' took him out and then ate him for two f*cking weeks," a speaker identified by HUR as a commander of a reconnaissance unit from Russia's 68th Motorized Rifle Division can be heard saying in the intercept.

According to HUR, both soldiers served in the 52nd Separate Reconnaissance Battalion, which is reportedly operating near the villages of Zapadne and Lyman Pershyi in the Kupiansk direction of Kharkiv Oblast.

The intercepted speaker adds that "Brelok" was later found dead himself.

"They say he was a 200 (military slang for a killed soldier), f*ck. Well, he ate his comrade, so that's something to think about," the voice says.

The Kyiv Independent cannot independently verify the authenticity of the leaked recording or confirm the events described in it. No visual or documentary evidence has been presented to support the claims, which are based solely on the intercepted audio provided by HUR.

But Russia's recruitment system for the war in Ukraine has heavily relied on the country's prisons as a source of manpower, leading to its ranks being filled by all manner of criminals, even cannibals.

Moscow has been recruiting convicts for its war since the summer of 2022, first under the auspices of the Wagner Group and later under the Russian Defense Ministry.

Initially, prisoners, even those convicted of violent crimes, were promised a pardon after completing a six-month military contract. Since January 2024, Russian army recruits drawn from prisons no longer receive pardons but are released on parole, and are expected to fight until the war is over.

In May 2024, the Moscow Times reported that Russian cannibal Dmitry Malyshev, who was sentenced to 25 years in prison for murder and several other serious crimes, joined one of Russia’s Storm V penal military units.

Malyshev was reportedly recruited to the army together with serial killer Aleksandr Maslennikov, sentenced to 23 years in prison for the "double murder and dismemberment of women."

Previously, Ukraine said there were cases of mistreatment and breakdown of discipline within Russia's own ranks. A group of Russian soldiers fighting near Kursk Oblast surrendered to Ukrainian paratroopers in May, saying abuse within their own units was "worse than captivity," according to a video posted by Ukraine's Airborne Assault Forces.

The soldiers said they had been subjected to inhumane treatment, psychological pressure, and threats while still inside Russian territory.

Reporting by investigative outlets, the Insider and Foreign Policy, has documented systemic abuse of Russian troops throughout the full-scale invasion.

These include so-called "punishment squads," beatings, confinement pits, and hazing that borrows heavily from Soviet-era gulag practices.

‘Unwanted by their homeland’ — Ukraine confirms Russia returned bodies of its soldiers disguised as Ukrainian

“This is yet another proof of how Russia treats its people with contempt,” Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko said.

The Kyiv IndependentTim Zadorozhnyy

During a targeted operation, Ukraine's military intelligence (HUR) killed Mykhailo Hrytsai, a senior collaborator with Russian occupation authorities in Berdiansk, Zaporizhzhia Oblast, a HUR source told the Kyiv Independent on June 18.

According to the source, Hrytsai was directly involved in organizing repressions against the local Ukrainian population and establishing torture chambers for prisoners of war.

The collaborator was shot dead in the city using a silenced PM pistol, the source said.

Hrytsai served as the Russian-installed deputy mayor responsible for infrastructure, housing, utilities, and the energy sector. The source also said he facilitated the illegal seizure of municipal and state property in Berdiansk.

"There are still plenty of such targets — collaborators, accomplices of the enemy — in the occupied territories of Ukraine," the source said.

"We will definitely get to each and every one of them and put an end to their criminal activities by any means necessary: with or without a silencer, quietly or loudly, but always effectively."

A native of Poltava Oblast, Hrytsai had previously participated in Ukrainian political life. He was an assistant to a member of parliament and headed the Berdiansk branch of the Socialist Ukraine party before siding with Russian occupation forces.

Berdiansk, a port city on the Azov Sea, has been under Russian control since the early days of the full-scale invasion in 2022. It remains a critical logistics hub for Russian forces, facilitating the transport of looted Ukrainian grain and other resources.

On Feb. 20, another targeted strike in Berdiansk killed Yevgeny Bogdanov, the deputy head of the Russian-installed administration, according to Ukrainian military intelligence.

‘Beyond cynical’ – Russian doctor carved ‘Glory to Russia’ scar on POW during operation, Ukraine says

After more than three years of Russia’s full-scale invasion, each new revelation of cruel treatment of Ukrainians in Russian captivity hardly surprises anyone. But when a photo recently emerged online, showing a “Glory to Russia” scar on the body of a Ukrainian prisoner of war (POW), it sent shockwaves

The Kyiv IndependentDaria Shulzhenko

Ukraine’s military intelligence (HUR) ignited an electrical substation during a sabotage operation in the Russian city of Kaliningrad, causing $5 million in damage and cutting electricity to a military production site, a source in HUR told the Kyiv Independent.

In the early hours of June 14, Ukrainian agents drained the coolant from the substation’s power transformer before setting the facility on fire. The inferno inflicted major damage on the facility and caused a power cut, impacting nearby Russian military sites.

"We once again remind you that Russia no longer has a rear either in the east, in the west, or anywhere else on the planet. Everything Russian involved in the war against Ukraine will burn, sink, and be destroyed regardless of its level of protection or location," the source said.

Ukraine continues to carry out numerous secretive attacks within Russia and occupied Ukrainian territories, targeting military sites, like airfields, as well as key infrastructure like railways and oil refineries.

The attacks involve HUR, Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) as well as partisan and sabotage groups.

HUR was behind explosions near Desantnaya Bay in Russia's far eastern Vladivostok on May 30, which reportedly damaged military personnel and equipment. The operations took place approximately 6,800 kilometres from the Ukrainian border, making it Ukraine's furthest incursion into Russian territory, if confirmed.

On June 1, the SBU launched Operation Spiderweb, a game-changing drone attack on four key Russian military airfields, damaging 41 planes, including heavy bombers and rare A-50 spy planes.

Ukrainian drones destroy Russian air defense systems in occupied Zaporizhzhia Oblast, military intelligence says

Ukraine’s military intelligence (HUR) destroyed three Russian air defense systems using drones in the occupied Zaporizhzhia Oblast on June 14, HUR says.

The Kyiv IndependentVolodymyr Ivanyshyn

Ukraine's military intelligence (HUR) destroyed three Russian air defense systems using drones in the occupied Zaporizhzhia Oblast on June 14, HUR says.

"Strike drone masters of the Department of Active Operations of the HUR of the Ukrainian defense ministry discovered and destroyed expensive air defense systems of the Russian invaders in the temporarily occupied territory of the Zaporizhzhia region," HUR reported in a post to Telegram.

Ukraine's military regularly strikes military targets in Russian-occupied territories and deep within Russia in an attempt to diminish Moscow's fighting power as it continues its war against Ukraine.

A Russian Buk-M3, a Pantsyr S1, and a 9S19 Imbir radar from the S-300V air defense system were destroyed in the Ukrainian drone attack.

"The video shows a stunning maneuver of a Ukrainian drone dodging a Muscovite anti-aircraft missile, as well as episodes of successful fire strikes," HUR's statement said.

On June 1, Ukraine launched a game-changing drone attack on four key Russian military airfields, damaging 41 planes, including heavy bombers and rare A-50 spy planes.

Kyiv claimed it disabled 34% of Russia's strategic bomber fleet in what is seen as one of the most daring operations during Russia's full-scale war.

Ukraine's military intelligence agency was behind explosions near Desantnaya Bay in Russia's far eastern Vladivostok on May 30, which reportedly damaged military personnel and equipment, a source in HUR told the Kyiv Independent.

From buffer zone to new front: Russia pushes deeper into Sumy Oblast

In March 2025, as Ukrainian forces made their final retreat from Sudzha in Russia’s Kursk Oblast, new grey spots began to appear on open-source maps on the other side of the state border, in Ukraine’s Sumy Oblast. For the first time since 2022, when Moscow’s forces retreated

The Kyiv IndependentFrancis Farrell