Ukraine gave its heavy-bomber drones the ability to hit within a meter. Kyiv has codified FireFly, a domestic terminal-guidance module for heavy-strike drones, and it is already in use with Perun and Vampire bombers, as well as other platforms, Defender Media reports.

FireFly attaches to a munition slung under a bomber drone and steers it after release. Once the operator locks the target and drops the bomb, the module corrects the munition's flight path on its own down to the point of impact.

The developers say it works from release altitudes of 200 to 500 meters and, depending on the platform, altitude, and weather, puts the munition 0.5 to 2 meters from the operator's chosen point.

Heavy bombers do killing FPVs cannot

The module fits munitions weighing 1 to 9 kilograms, the company can build up to 10,000 modules a month, and the system will soon be orderable through the DOT-Chain Defense marketplace.

The module solves the precision half of a problem that Ukraine's heavy bombers already half-solved.

Ukraine's reusable heavy bombers have become the weapon of choice against dug-in Russian positions. Where an FPV carries 1.5 to 5 kilograms and explodes once, a bomber carries tens of kilograms and flies back for more.

A drone battalion officer put the math bluntly: against strong cover, ten FPV strikes may achieve nothing, while one bomber sortie does the job. "Storm a treeline? Better to just take it apart with a Vampire," he said.

The Vampire, built by Skyfall, is Ukraine's best-known heavy bomber, credited with having flown millions of combat missions and used to level positions that Ukraine would once have stormed with infantry.

Precision is front Ukraine keeps pushing on

FireFly fits a wider Ukrainian drive to make cheap munitions land exactly where intended, rather than relying on scarce Western precision weapons.

Ukraine has built the same principle into other systems this year. Its first domestic precision glide bomb, the Vyrivniuvach ("Equalizer"), entered serial production with a 250-kg warhead at roughly a third of the cost of a US JDAM-ER kit.

Four months after Euromaidan Press first documented the drone siege of occupied Oleshky and neighboring communities, the United Nations, Human Rights Watch, and the Institute for the Study of War have independently confirmed the humanitarian crisis, major international outlets covered it, and the Pope has been informed. Yet interviews with residents, volunteers, and local officials indicate that conditions continue to deteriorate, with thousands of civilians trapped without food, medical care, or a safe way to leave.

International reports confirm the humanitarian catastrophe

Reports published by the United Nations, Human Rights Watch, and the Institute for the Study of War in late June and July 2026 point to a worsening humanitarian crisis in Russian-occupied Oleshky, where civilians face starvation as they remain trapped by drone attacks, landmines, and restrictions on movement.

On 25 June, the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine (HRMMU) called the situation in Oleshky and neighboring territories "desperate." Continuous first-person-view (FPV) drone attacks and extensive mine contamination have severely restricted the delivery of food, medical assistance and evacuations. Ukrainian authorities estimate that up to 6,000 civilians, including more than 180 children, remain in the occupied communities.

The mission documented at least 29 civilians killed and 54 injured in Oleshky and Hola Prystan in 2026 alone, most of them in attacks involving short-range drones.

"Frequent attacks by short-range drones and the presence of landmines are having devastating consequences for thousands of people in these communities," said Danielle Bell, Head of HRMMU. "People can't get out, food can't get in, and sick and injured are not getting the medical assistance they need."

HRMMU called for a local ceasefire to allow evacuations and the delivery of humanitarian aid.

Human Rights Watch reached similar conclusions. The organization documented severe shortages of food and medical care, the collapse of basic services, and constant danger from drones and landmines. Former residents said there was no organized evacuation route and that those leaving the occupied town had to pass through Russian military checkpoints before traveling through Russia and Belarus to reach Ukrainian-controlled territory.

Men who want to escape face a further trap: leaving in practice requires Russian travel documents, and applying for them, HRW found, funnels men straight to a military enlistment office. Compelling civilians in occupied territory to serve in the occupying power's forces is a war crime, the organization noted.

Human Rights Watch could not determine responsibility for individual drone strikes or the emplacement of specific mines in the area. The organization noted that Oleshky sits on the front line and has been subjected to sustained attacks by Ukrainian forces as well, and that it found credible indications Ukrainian forces may have used drones and mines on roads around the town. It said civilians wishing to leave are entitled to safe passage under international humanitarian law.

According to HRW, Russia, as the occupying power, is responsible for ensuring access to food, medical care, and humanitarian assistance.

The Institute for the Study of War (ISW) concluded that Russia is effectively blockading occupied Oleshky while failing to meet its obligations under international humanitarian law as an occupying power. The report mentioned that "the Russian military command deployed a detachment of penal recruits to Oleshky in early July, resulting in widespread abuses against the civilian population, including sexual assaults committed against women and minors."

On 15 July, the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) and its Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) reported that conditions "remain especially dire in the Russian-occupied frontline areas of Kherson region."

As of May 2026, around 6,000 residents, including approximately 200 children, remained in and around Oleshky and Hola Prystan, where witnesses described towns transformed into a combat zone. ODIHR also received accounts that Russian forces prevented residents from leaving Oleshky and used civilians to shield military positions.

The crisis in Oleshky and the surrounding areas has received growing attention in international media. The Washington Post described Oleshky as a town being slowly strangled under occupation, citing accounts from recently evacuated residents, and called the situation "unbelievably awful." Le Monde published a detailed report on the suffering of the civilians. The Times' dispatch is called Four years of horror in Ukraine's 'forgotten Bucha.'

Houses damaged by drones and artillery, Oleshky. July 2026. Photos provided by Ksenia Arkhipova.

Houses damaged by drones and artillery, Oleshky. July 2026. Photos provided by Ksenia Arkhipova.

Houses damaged by drones and artillery, Oleshky. July 2026. Photos provided by Ksenia Arkhipova.

On 16 July, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha raised the humanitarian situation in Oleshky and Hola Prystan during a meeting in Kyiv with the Vatican representative, Cardinal Matteo Zuppi, stressing the urgent need for a humanitarian corridor to evacuate thousands of civilians. The same day, at a Vatican meeting of Nobel laureates, Nobel Peace Prize laureate Oleksandra Matviichuk spoke about Russia's drone attacks on civilians in the Kherson region.

While the information blockade is broken, the siege continues.

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Reports from the ground

"Only one ambulance was able to leave Oleshky and come back since May 26," said Ksenia Arkhipova, the volunteer from Oleshky who helps to organize evacuation and speaks to the locals despite the problems with communication. "That's it. There is no food."

Arkhipova spoke to Euromaidan Press over the phone from her home in Ukrainian-controlled territory. According to her contacts in the occupied territories, the situation in the nearby villages has deteriorated dramatically. Civilians are reportedly killed while attempting to leave to buy food or bottled gas. Residents describe drones overhead that make leaving basements next to impossible.

These reports are confirmed by Oleshky Military Administration head Tetyana Hasanenko, also living in exile. She said that roads leading from villages farther from the Dnipro River, including Radensk, Chelburda, and Kostohryzove, have also become increasingly dangerous.

In Oleshky, the terror campaign is ongoing.

Three former residents speaking to their relatives have confirmed to Euromaidan Press that the newly arrived Russian military personnel are former convicts who loot and rob residents of the last food.

V., who recently escaped Oleshky and spoke to Euromaidan Press on the conditions of anonymity, said one man who lived alone was tortured to death in his basement; his neighbors found the body and managed to bury it. Others were beaten, and there are accounts of sexual violence, according to V.

The accounts were confirmed by Kherson's popular Telegram channel Kherson: Non Fake.

Posts appearing in the Oleshky community groups mentioned the robbery by former convicts. One post sought help for a dog "dying of hunger." The dog owner, who shared all the food with the pet, pleaded for evacuation.

"Now there is nothing left for people to eat," the post read.

According to Hasanenko, residents are on the brink of starvation. She described conditions in Oleshky as "hell on earth." She said the town's morgue had long been destroyed, around 100 bodies remained in the basement of the hospital for months because they could not be buried, and occupying authorities were preventing families from recovering the dead.

The reports point to the same conclusion: an urgent need for a humanitarian corridor to allow civilians to evacuate safely and humanitarian aid to reach those who remain.

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North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has publicly honored his country's soldiers killed while fighting in Russia's war against Ukraine, in a rare acknowledgment by Pyongyang of its battlefield losses, the Guardian reported on July 1.

South Korea estimates that North Korea has sent around 15,000 troops to support Russia, suffering approximately 4,700 casualties, including 600 deaths. More deployments are expected as early as July or August, South Korea's National Intelligence Service (NIS) said.

Photographs of Kim resting his hands on flag-draped coffins were displayed during a gala concert in Pyongyang on June 30 to commemorate the first anniversary of a military treaty signed between North Korea and Russia.

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Kim signed the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Agreement in Pyongyang in June 2024. Under the treaty, the two countries pledged to provide aid to one another if either is attacked.

The images of the concert showed at least six coffins and emotional scenes of Kim alongside top officials, including his sister Kim Yo Jong and Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui, all dressed in winter clothing, suggesting the repatriation may have taken place months ago.

The event at East Pyongyang Grand Theatre included performances by North Korean and visiting Russian artists and displayed images celebrating the alliance, including scenes of soldiers from both countries waving flags and purported pages from a blood-stained notebook said to belong to a North Korean soldier killed in Russia's Kursk Oblast.

The Guardian reported that the ceremony was the first time North Korean state media had shown footage and photos of fallen troops in a way accessible to the North Korean public.

Footage broadcast on state-run KRT showed Kim appearing emotional at times while seated next to Russian Culture Minister Olga Lyubimova and his daughter, Kim Ju Ae. Audience members were seen wiping away tears.

Kim met with Lyubimova in Pyongyang on June 29 to discuss expanding bilateral cooperation in culture and the arts.

North Korea initially denied sending combat troops to Ukraine, but Kim's tribute follows official confirmations of Pyongyang's direct military involvement in the Russia-Ukraine war. In April, both Kim and Putin described North Korean troops deployed to Ukraine as "heroes."

Kim also announced plans to build a monument in Pyongyang to honor the fallen and lay flowers at their tombstones.

Pyongyang has reportedly begun recruiting additional soldiers for future deployments. The move would add to what Seoul describes as significant military support from North Korea, including more than 10 million artillery shells and multiple ballistic missile transfers in exchange for economic and technical assistance from Moscow.

North Korea may also send up to 25,000 laborers to Russia to support drone production, including Shahed-type loitering munitions at the Alabuga Special Economic Zone in Tatarstan.

Russian Security Council Secretary Sergei Shoigu visited North Korea on June 17 under a special directive from Putin and announced a deal for Pyongyang to send 1,000 sappers and 5,000 military engineers to Russia's Kursk Oblast.

Thousands of North Korean troops reportedly participated in front-line operations there, helping Russia repel a Ukrainian cross-border offensive that began in August 2024. Ukrainian forces briefly held 1,300 square kilometers (500 square miles) in Kursk Oblast before losing most of the territory during a Russian counteroffensive in March 2025, reportedly supported by North Korean units.

U.K. defense intelligence places North Korean casualties from that operation at more than 6,000.

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North Korean leader Kim Jong-un met with Russian Culture Minister Olga Lyubimova in Pyongyang on June 29 to discuss expanding bilateral cooperation in culture and the arts, according to North Korea’s state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).

The meeting took place at the headquarters of the ruling Workers' Party of Korea's Central Committee and was also attended by Russian Ambassador to North Korea Alexandr Matsegora, KCNA reported.

Lyubimova led a Russian culture ministry delegation to Pyongyang, arriving on June 28 at the invitation of North Korea’s culture ministry to mark the first anniversary of the countries' comprehensive strategic partnership treaty.

During the meeting, Kim noted what he described as "broad and in-depth exchanges and cooperation" across various sectors since the treaty’s signing. He said these developments "have made tangible contributions to the mutual development and well-being of the two countries' peoples," according to KCNA.

Kim also emphasized the role of cultural and artistic exchange in reinforcing public sentiment and bilateral ties. "It is important for the cultural sector to guide the relations between the two countries," he said. Lyubimova, for her part, added that cultural cooperation between the countries had reached its highest level to date.

Kim’s daughter, known as Ju-ae, appeared beside him during the meeting with Lyubimova, marking her second known presence at a diplomatic event, following her attendance at a Russian Embassy function in Pyongyang in May.

The visits and meetings come amid growing North Korea-Russia engagement across multiple sectors, including military cooperation.

Since the two countries sinced a mutual defense treaty last June, North Korea has deployed around 11,000 elite troops to support Russia’s war against Ukraine, making up over 20% of Kim Jong-un’s "personal reserve" force, Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov said at a June 26 press briefing.

"These are soldiers specially selected based on physical, psychological, and other criteria," Umerov said. "These units have already suffered significant losses."

Umerov added that North Korea had considered sending more troops, but doing so could further weaken its strategic reserves and pose risks to regime stability. He noted there have been four known rotations of North Korean units in Ukraine.

According to U.K. defense intelligence, North Korea has likely suffered over 6,000 casualties since troops were first deployed to Russia’s Kursk Oblast in fall 2024.

Russia appears to have provided North Korea with extensive assistance in designing and rapidly constructing two advanced destroyers, the most modern in Pyongyang's fleet, the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported on June 25.

The destroyers, part of the new Choe Hyon class, were built in just over a year — an unusually fast timeline that analysts say would have been impossible without foreign support.

Satellite imagery and launch footage suggest a clear Russian design influence, including the distinctive bow and stern structure found on Russia's Admiral Grigorovich-class frigates.

One of the destroyers, launched in April, was followed in May by a failed launch during which the second vessel capsized in front of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

The incident prompted outrage from Kim, who condemned the failed launch as a "criminal act" and placed blame on several state institutions, accusing relevant officials of "irresponsibility" which "could not be tolerated,"North Korean state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported.

According to the agency, a malfunction in the launch mechanism caused the stern of the 5,000-ton destroyer to slide into the water too early, while the rest of the ship remained stuck.

Damage to the bottom of the ship threw it off balance, and the bow failed to move, resulting in "a serious accident."

The wreck was recovered in early June.

Mike Plunkett, a senior naval analyst at Janes, an open-source intelligence company, told the WSJ that the ships appeared to have signs of Russian involvement. He pointed to identical hull lines and profiles where the hull connects to the side, between the Korean and Russian vessels.

One of the destroyers appears to be equipped with the Russian Pantsir-M system, marking the first time this advanced air-defense system has been seen on a non-Russian warship.

Plunkett noted that the ventilation grilles for the engine room were sealed with metal plates, indicating the ships might not yet have engines.

The news comes amid deepening military ties between Russia and North Korea. According to a May 29 report by the Multilateral Sanctions Monitoring Team (MSMT), Pyongyang shipped up to 9 million artillery shells and at least 100 ballistic missiles to Russia in 2024 alone.

In fall 2024, North Korea's role in Russia's war grew as it sent thousands of troops to Russia's western border to assist in repelling a Ukrainian incursion.

The partnership has also expanded into drone cooperation. On June 9, Ukraine's military intelligence chief, Kyrylo Budanov, said the two nations had agreed to begin production of Iranian-designed Shahed-136 drones on North Korean territory.

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North Korea is considering sending up to 25,000 workers to Russia to assist in the mass production of Shahed-type attack drones, Japan's public broadcaster NHK reported on June 19, citing unnamed diplomatic sources in the West and Russia.

The workers would be sent to the Alabuga Special Economic Zone in Russia's Republic of Tatarstan, where Moscow operates a facility for assembling Iranian-designed Shahed drones. In return, Pyongyang is reportedly seeking drone operation training.

Shahed drones, known for their low cost and heavy explosive payloads, have been used extensively by Russia since late 2022 to attack Ukrainian cities. The Alabuga site has been repeatedly struck by Ukrainian forces in an attempt to disrupt production.

The media report follows a series of rapid developments in military cooperation between Moscow and Pyongyang. Russian Security Council Secretary Sergei Shoigu visited North Korea on June 17, reportedly on a "special assignment" from Russian President Vladimir Putin.

After meeting Kim, Shoigu said that Pyongyang had agreed to send 1,000 combat engineers and 5,000 military builders to Russia's Kursk Oblast to assist in reconstruction.

Ukraine controlled a part of Kursk Oblast following a cross-border offensive in August 2024. Russia regained much of the lost territory during a March 2025 counteroffensive that included backing from North Korean forces. According to estimates, North Korea has suffered over 6,000 casualties during the offensive operations.

Ukraine's military intelligence chief, Kyrylo Budanov, said on June 9 that Pyongyang and Moscow have agreed to start establishing domestic production of Shahed-136 drones on North Korean soil.

Kim remains a vocal ally of Putin, supplying not only soldiers but also artillery, drones, and ballistic missiles. During Russia's May 9 Victory Day Parade in Moscow, Putin personally greeted North Korean troops, though Kim did not attend.

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Editor's note: This item has been updated to include additional details.  

Russian Security Council Secretary Sergei Shoigu arrived in Pyongyang on June 17 on a "special assignment" from President Vladimir Putin, Russian state-controlled news agency TASS reported on June 17.

Shoigu met with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un during the visit, TASS reported, citing a correspondent on the ground. The purpose of the visit has not been officially disclosed, but it occurs amid intensifying military cooperation between the two nations.

After the meeting with Kim, Shoigu announced that North Korea had decided to send 1,000 sappers and 5,000 military builders to rebuild Russia's Kursk Oblast, according to TASS.

Ukraine initially captured 1,300 square kilometers (500 square miles) of Russian territory during a cross-border operation that began in August 2024. Since then, Ukraine has lost most of the territory after Moscow launched a counteroffensive in March, which was supported by Pyongyang's military.

According to a June 15 report from the United Kingdom's defense intelligence, over 6,000 North Korean soldiers have been killed or wounded during operations in Russia's Kursk Oblast.

According to TASS, Shoigu also discussed in Pyongyang the creation of memorials in Russia and North Korea in memory of Korean soldiers who died fighting in the Kursk Oblast.

North Korea has emerged as one of Russia's closest military partners during its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Since late 2023, Pyongyang has supplied Moscow with millions of artillery shells, at least 100 ballistic missiles, and reportedly deployed more than 11,000 troops to assist Russian operations in Ukraine’s border regions.

The U.K. said Pyongyang's losses account for more than half of the North Korean contingent deployed to the region in fall 2024. British officials attributed the high casualties to highly attritional ground assaults.

Earlier this year, South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff reported that North Korea sent an additional 3,000 soldiers to Russia in January and February to replenish losses.

In June 2024, Russia and North Korea signed a mutual defense pact obligating both countries to provide military assistance in the event of an external attack. Though North Korea only publicly acknowledged its participation in Russia's war against Ukraine in April 2025, open-source reports and intelligence assessments have indicated its involvement since at least the fall of 2024.

The Multilateral Sanctions Monitoring Team (MSMT), a United Nations-affiliated watchdog, reported in May that North Korea and Russia had engaged in "unlawful military cooperation" in violation of multiple UN Security Council resolutions. This included arms transfers, deployment of combat troops, petroleum exports to North Korea exceeding UN caps, and mutual military training.

According to MSMT findings, Russian-flagged vessels delivered up to 9 million rounds of artillery and multiple rocket launcher ammunition from North Korea to southwestern Russia in 2024 alone. These weapons were subsequently used in attacks against Ukrainian infrastructure and civilian targets in cities including Kyiv and Zaporizhzhia.

Russia has also reportedly provided advanced military technology to North Korea, including ballistic missile guidance systems, electronic warfare platforms, and short-range air defense systems. One MSMT participating state confirmed the transfer of at least one Pantsir-class vehicle to Pyongyang.

Kim Jong Un described his country's involvement in Russia's war against Ukraine as a "sacred mission" during a public address in May.

Shoigu's visit to North Korea comes amid intensified Russian aerial attacks across Ukraine, including the use of North Korean-made ballistic missiles containing components sourced from third-party suppliers.

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It was reported last year that around half fired at Ukraine by Russia malfunctioned and exploded in mid-air.

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