It is time to say no to Russian resources. The G7 countries should completely stop purchasing energy from Russia, replacing it with Canadian alternatives, said John Kirton. He is the head of the G7 research group at the University of Toronto, UkrInform reports.

“It is necessary for the G7 to continue pressuring India to stop purchasing Russian oil,” the expert says.

But it is equally important for the G7 countries to completely abandon imports of Russian energy resources, such as oil, coal, gas, and uranium.

“Canada, which holds the fifth-largest oil reserves in the world and is among the top three uranium producers, can help,” Kirton continues.

He emphasizes that Canada “can supply the US with all necessary isotopes so they do not depend on Russia or even Kazakhstan.”

“Although Kazakhstan may ultimately be closer to us than to Russia,” the expert believes.

US President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy plan to meet during the G7 summit. This meeting will be their first encounter since April, when they had a 15-minute conversation before Pope Francis’ funeral.

After that meeting, Trump stated that Russia had no justification for recent attacks on Ukrainian civilian areas and suggested that the Russian leader might not want to end the war. Following the meeting, there were talks about imposing new sanctions on Russia, but the US did not enact them.

After their conversation, Moscow launched the largest attack on Ukraine’s city of Kremenchuk, targeting an oil refinery and the thermal power plant. Witnesses say the skies over the town turned red during 30 strikes. Ukraine extinguished the fire for at least eight hours.

Putin calls to congratulate Trump on his birthday — then launches hypersonic missiles on small Ukrainian city in one of largest attacks of war

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

Trucks that brought doom

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Black wings over Murmansk

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

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

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

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

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

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

The silence of the sensors

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

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

The saboteurs’ diversion

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

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

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

The billion-dollar burn

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

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

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

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

Cooperation between the United States and the European Union on preventing Russian sanctions evasion has broken down, Süddeutsche Zeitung reported on 27 May. According to a cited leaked internal report from Germany’s Foreign Ministry, the EU’s Special Representative for Sanctions, David O’Sullivan, told a closed-door meeting of the EU Foreign Affairs Council on 20 May in Brussels that there is “no joint outreach” with the US anymore. He also noted that G7 cooperation on the matter had “lost momentum.”

The leak suggests that European hopes for a united front against Russia’s sanctions circumvention are rapidly eroding. While a new 18th package of EU sanctions is being prepared in response to renewed Russian attacks on Ukrainian cities, the lack of US participation raises doubts about global enforcement capacity.

Trump’s presidency and Chinese role in sanctions evasion

Süddeutsche Zeitung notes that some experts suggest that US President Donald Trump “would rather resume doing business with Russia today than tomorrow.” Normalization with Russia “will mean an end to the global sanctions regime,” Green MEP Sergey Lagodinsky warned. German MP Johann Wadephul warned that the new EU sanctions “will be financially painful for Russia” but acknowledged doubts about future American involvement, despite stating that “there will be a clear reaction from the West” to Russia’s attacking Ukraine instead of negotiating peace.

China plays a key role in sanctions evasion, the leaked report finds. EU sanctions commissioner David O’Sullivan told the EU Foreign Affairs Council that “around 80%” of such cases are tied to China, which denies involvement. Ukraine’s Foreign Intelligence Chief of Ukraine Oleh Ivashchenko said Chinese firms are supplying essential materials to 20 Russian arms factories.

EU cracks down on third countries, Russia’s shadow fleet, and eyes Russia’s energy and banking sectors

Despite the breakdown in US-EU coordination, the EU has reportedly achieved some success in blocking war-related exports via third countries. Export channels through Armenia, Serbia, Uzbekistan, and India have seen disruptions. However, Kazakhstan, Türkiye, and the UAE remain problematic transit points, the document notes.

Efforts against Russia’s so-called “shadow fleet” — tankers and cargo ships used to bypass sanctions — have seen some progress. According to O’Sullivan, multiple nations have stripped Russian-linked ships of their flags following EU pressure. However, he urged further measures against ports used frequently by these vessels, including those in Türkiye, India, and Malaysia.

The next EU sanctions package is expected to hit Russia’s energy and financial sectors, though Russia’s ally Hungary opposes these measures and has shown “no willingness to compromise,” the document adds.