Exclusives

Russia sent quad bikes to clear a minefield. Ukraine’s drones did the rest.. Mines blast Russian assault groups from below. To clear a path, one Russian field army modified an all-terrain vehicle.

World draughts readmits Belarus. Its president sees Russia next as soon as the war ends. Half the game’s best players are gone, and the level has collapsed, says Janek Mäggi—and a small federation cannot set its own foreign policy.

Russian forces depend on Crimea. Ukraine is turning it into an island.. “Crimea is the center of gravity of this war for the Russians”

What does Russia do when sanctions strand ten ice-class tankers? It offers to buy them. Novatek’s Singapore arm is negotiating for ten ice-class carriers it has struggled to build at home.

Military

Ukrainian commander: Russia can't buy the air defense to hold Crimea. The microchips don't exist. The bottleneck over Crimea isn't money, a drone-hunting commander says. It's chips.

Azov Corps: Kherson 2.0 is next, then Crimea. Russia has no way to resupply them. Not an analyst or a politician—the corps fighting the campaign said it.

Russia's strike drones now fly with escorts – as Ukraine's interceptors tear through stocks Ukraine's interceptor effectiveness is forcing Russian strike UAVs into escorted formations during missions, while pushing reconnaissance operations toward cheaper, lower-end drone systems.

Ukraine intensifies strikes on Crimea supply routes with renewed hit on Henichesk Strait bridge and rear logistics network Ukraine's military says it struck a key bridge used for Crimea-bound supply routes, alongside air defense systems and UAV command posts in multiple locations.

Watch Ukrainian drones hit gas storage site deep in Crimea. Same operation took out radars, tankers, and Russian command post The Hlibivske facility regulates seasonal and daily gas consumption on the Crimean peninsula and supports pressure in the peninsula's gas transport system.

Safe Moscow is gone: Ukrainian drones hit Russian capital's region for the third time in four days The attack represents the third major Ukrainian drone strike on Moscow within four days, following strikes on 16 and 18 June that damaged the Moscow Oil Refinery in Kapotnya — the capital's largest refinery.

Ukraine's special forces disabled the rail bridge feeding Russian-occupied Crimea The crossing in eastern Crimea carries freight and troops onto the peninsula via the Kerch Bridge.

"Safe Moscow" is no more – drone strikes are eroding the sense of security felt in Russia's capital, SBU unit says A Ukrainian SBU drone unit says repeated strikes on a key Moscow refinery are eroding the idea that Russia's capital remains insulated from the war.

Oil storage site burns in Russia's Rostov Oblast after Ukrainian strike on key fuel logistics hub behind occupied territory Ukraine's Special Operations Forces say they struck an oil depot and fuel storage base in Gukovo, confirming a strike that OSINT analysts linked to a major fire at a fuel facility in Rostov Oblast.

Intelligence and technology

Ukrainian firms court Asian militaries, pitching combat-proven drones as China–Taiwan tensions drive demand – Reuters Ukrainian manufacturers are targeting Japan and Taiwan for partnerships, positioning their war-tested drone systems as demand grows for unmanned capabilities in Asia.

Partisan sabotage forced an emergency shutdown of drone production at Russian defense plant, ATESH claims According to the resistance group, damage to an electrical substation interrupted production and testing lines at a facility manufacturing drone systems for the Russian military.

This Spanish kit turns Ukraine's Soviet 1960s Grad rockets into precision weapons An EW-resistant laser-guided variant developed at Ukraine's specific request achieves accuracy of under 3 meters even under electronic warfare conditions.

From battlefield trophy to allied blueprint: Ukraine opens its Russian arsenal Kyiv says sharing seized equipment and its weak points will cut the time partners need to build countermeasures.

A French factory that makes drones for Ukraine was firebombed with Molotov cocktails French intelligence now treats Russian interference as its leading theory.

Ukraine, Germany to jointly develop anti-ballistic air defense system amid increased attacks Deal expands Ukraine–Germany defense cooperation, opening path for joint air defense development and production of ground-based "TerMIT" robotic systems for Ukraine's forces amid ongoing Russian strikes.

Russian services collecting Moldovans' data for fraud operations, security agency warns SIS says coordinated data harvesting feeds transnational scam networks targeting citizens' banking and personal information.

International

"What happens in Ukraine matters in Indo-Pacific": Australia pledged Ukraine another $70 million The funding will be delivered in two $35 million tranches over the next 12 months through the PURL initiative.

"If he doesn't, Ukraine will": Zelenskyy just gave Lukashenka one week to strip Russian repeaters off Belarus's border towers Zelenskyy made the announcement during a joint press conference with Honduran President Nasry Asfura in Kyiv on 19 June 2026.

EU leaders agree to renew Russia sanctions for a full year for the first time as Bulgaria's pro-Russian leader vows to veto the next batch Rumen Radev wants the Russian oil company that runs his country's only refinery struck from the list, and he objects to sanctions on a Russian Orthodox bishop.

UK to fund 150,000 Ukrainian-made drones and 350 air defense missiles in £752 million package funded by Russian assets London says the aid will strengthen Ukraine's defenses against Russian missile and drone attacks.

Finland ends nuclear weapons ban as parliament approves major NATO-aligned defense shift Decision allows nuclear weapons to be transported or stationed in Finland if required for collective defense.

Humanitarian and social impact

Russian drones kill one sailor and wound five in attack on two civilian ships in the Black Sea The vessels, flying the flags of Panama and Saint Kitts and Nevis, were leaving Ukrainian ports when the drones struck on 19 June.

Political and legal developments

Ukraine rewrites rules for its frontline inventors At least 25% of licensing revenue will now go to the military personnel who created front line technologies.

Read our previous daily review here.

Exclusive 

A Russian quad bike got a mine plow. Then it drone into Ukraine's drone zone.. Mines blast Russian assault groups from below. To clear a path, one Russian field army modified an all-terrain vehicle.

World draughts readmits Belarus. Its president sees Russia next as soon as the war ends. Half the game's best players are gone, and the level has collapsed, says Janek Mäggi—and a small federation cannot set its own foreign policy.

Russian forces depend on Crimea. Ukraine is turning it into an island.. "Crimea is the center of gravity of this war for the Russians"

What does Russia do when sanctions strand ten ice-class tankers? It offers to buy them. Novatek's Singapore arm is negotiating for ten ice-class carriers it has struggled to build at home.

Military

Watch Ukrainian drones hit gas storage site deep in Crimea. Same operation took out radars, tankers, and Russian command post. The Hlibivske facility regulates seasonal and daily gas consumption on the Crimean peninsula and supports pressure in the peninsula's gas transport system.

Safe Moscow is gone: Ukrainian drones hit Russian capital's region for the third time in four days. The attack represents the third major Ukrainian drone strike on Moscow within four days, following strikes on 16 and 18 June that damaged the Moscow Oil Refinery in Kapotnya — the capital's largest refinery.

Ukraine's special forces disabled the rail bridge feeding Russian-occupied Crimea. The crossing in eastern Crimea carries freight and troops onto the peninsula via the Kerch Bridge.

Intelligence and technology

This Spanish kit turns Ukraine's Soviet 1960s Grad rockets into precision weapons. An EW-resistant laser-guided variant developed at Ukraine's specific request achieves accuracy of under 3 meters even under electronic warfare conditions.

Ukraine rewrites rules for its frontline inventors. At least 25% of licensing revenue will now go to the military personnel who created front line technologies.

From battlefield trophy to allied blueprint: Ukraine opens its Russian arsenal. Kyiv says sharing seized equipment and its weak points will cut the time partners need to build countermeasures.

International

"What happens in Ukraine matters in Indo-Pacific": Australia pledged Ukraine another $70 million. The funding will be delivered in two $35 million tranches over the next 12 months through the PURL initiative.

"If he doesn't, Ukraine will": Zelenskyy just gave Lukashenka one week to strip Russian repeaters off Belarus's border towers. Zelenskyy made the announcement during a joint press conference with Honduran President Nasry Asfura in Kyiv on 19 June 2026.

EU leaders agree to renew Russia sanctions for a full year for the first time as Bulgaria's pro-Russian leader vows to veto the next batch. Rumen Radev wants the Russian oil company that runs his country's only refinery struck from the list, and he objects to sanctions on a Russian Orthodox bishop.

Humanitarian and social impact

Russian drones kill one sailor and wound five in attack on two civilian ships in the Black Sea. The vessels, flying the flags of Panama and Saint Kitts and Nevis, were leaving Ukrainian ports when the drones struck on 19 June.

New developments

A French factory that makes drones for Ukraine was firebombed with Molotov cocktails. French intelligence now treats Russian interference as its leading theory.

Read our earlier daily review here.

Exclusives

What does Russia do when sanctions strand ten ice-class tankers? It offers to buy them. Novatek’s Singapore arm is negotiating for ten ice-class carriers it has struggled to build at home.

“Poland and Ukraine need each other more than their leaders admit”— a Polish advocate for Ukraine on why the memory feud helps Moscow. Polish journalist Jerzy Wójcik, Sestry.eu co-founder, on what the UPA row is costing Ukrainians in Poland

Ukraine’s newest drones don’t need Starlink. Russia spends $1.5 million to jam it anyway.. Onboard AI lets the newest drones find their own targets—nothing for a jammer to break.

Russia’s biggest oil company stopped selling gasoline in canisters nationwide after Ukraine’s strikes. It blames “seasonal demand”. Rosneft is capping drivers at 90 liters a fill.

Military

"Safe Moscow" is no more – drone strikes are eroding the sense of security felt in Russia's capital, SBU unit says. A Ukrainian SBU drone unit says repeated strikes on a key Moscow refinery are eroding the idea that Russia’s capital remains insulated from the war.

Oil storage site burns in Russia's Rostov Oblast after Ukrainian strike on key fuel logistics hub behind occupied territory. Ukraine's Special Operations Forces say they struck an oil depot and fuel storage base in Gukovo, confirming a strike that OSINT analysts linked to a major fire at a fuel facility in Rostov Oblast.

Russia set to import gasoline by sea as Ukrainian strikes cut refinery output. For one of the world's largest oil exporters, a seaborne gasoline cargo arriving in June marks a significant reversal.

Russian ballistic strike on Dnipro and drones on Nikopol kill two, injure 15. Daytime ballistic missile hits a Dnipro business; FPV drones pound Nikopol district.

"A matter of time": Kostiantynivka now faces slow Pokrovsk-style siege, DeepState says. Russian forces are advancing from several directions and seeking to cut key logistics routes, raising fears for one of Ukraine's last major strongholds in Donetsk Oblast.

Ukrainian drones strike rail bridge on Crimea's Kerch–Dzhankoi line. Overnight fire on the rail line from the Kerch Bridge; damage still unconfirmed.

Moscow refinery supplying 50% of region's diesel hit by drones – second strike in three days. The Kapotnya refinery sits about 15 kilometers from the Kremlin.

Ukrainian marines bring frontline experience to NATO's Sea Breeze 26.1. Approximately 450 military personnel from seven countries are participating in the exercise led by the US Sixth Fleet from 2 to 20 June 2026.

Ukraine found Russian artillery's weak spot and destroyed 250 systems in two nights. The barrel-destroying munition addresses a key tactical problem: standard drone or projectile hits often damage but don't permanently disable Russian artillery, allowing Russian forces to repair and return systems to combat.

Defense minister says Ukraine's drones are turning Crimea into an island. Mykhailo Fedorov ties the logistics blockade to a drop in Russian assaults — and warns of consequences he will not yet name.

Ukraine strikes sanctioned shadow fleet tanker FINA A in the Black Sea.

Intelligence and technology

Russian services collecting Moldovans' data for fraud operations, security agency warns. SIS says coordinated data harvesting feeds transnational scam networks targeting citizens' banking and personal information.

Russia plans to open eight new cultural centers in Africa to court a loyal generation, HUR says.

France is putting $22 million into Ukrainian defense tech. Deal comes with battlefield testing. The program will support joint Ukrainian-French development of drones, missile technologies, and air defense systems, with first competitions for companies scheduled for September 2026.

Storm Shadow maker MBDA to develop Neptune-2 cruise missile with Ukraine's Luch. Europe's largest missile company attaches itself to the bureau that built the Moskva-killer.

International

UK to fund 150,000 Ukrainian-made drones and 350 air defense missiles in £752 million package funded by Russian assets. London says the aid will strengthen Ukraine's defenses against Russian missile and drone attacks.

Ukraine, Germany to jointly develop anti-ballistic air defense system amid increased attacks. Deal expands Ukraine–Germany defense cooperation, opening path for joint air defense development and production of ground-based "TerMIT" robotic systems for Ukraine's forces amid ongoing Russian strikes.

Sweden adds $108 million to US-led arms initiative for Ukraine. The contribution is Stockholm's fourth to the program and lifts its total funding under it to $543 million.

Politico: photos of the burning Lavra helped turn Trump toward Ukraine at the G7. Zelenskyy showed the US president images of the fire-struck Dormition Cathedral. Three G7 officials called it the summit's decisive moment.

Bloomberg: Trump to ask US arms makers to license missile production in Ukraine and Europe. Allies confirm the talks, but name no deal, timeline, or manufacturer yet.

"It is we who must thank you," Dutch defense minister told Ukraine when announcing $590 million in aid for Kyiv. Dutch Defense Minister Dilan Yeşilgöz-Zegerius met with Ukrainian Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov.

Humanitarian and social impact

Russia returns another 522 bodies to Ukraine in latest repatriation. Forensic identification of the war dead now stretches past a year.

Occupied Crimea seizes 100 motorbikes in two days because they sound like drones. An occupation adviser accused locals of letting the enemy "recruit your children for nighttime rides."

Political and legal developments

Finland ends nuclear weapons ban as parliament approves major NATO-aligned defense shift. Decision allows nuclear weapons to be transported or stationed in Finland if required for collective defense.

Read our previous daily review here.

Exclusives

Ukrainian drones adopt focused antennas to slip by Russian detection. Reinforces connection and makes drones harder to clock

Russia's bombers hit harder with fewer planes. Their missiles now hide in drone swarms.. A Tu-22M3 crash in Irkutsk exposes a darker paradox: Russia's bomber fleet keeps shrinking, but Russia's bombing keeps getting smarter.

Russians deploy massive $1.5M Starlink jammers, Ukrainians are blowing them up. Bulky, powerful, flammable

Military

Ukraine found Russian artillery's weak spot and destroyed 250 systems in two nights. The barrel-destroying munition addresses a key tactical problem: standard drone or projectile hits often damage but don't permanently disable Russian artillery, allowing Russian forces to repair and return systems to combat.

Defense minister says Ukraine's drones are turning Crimea into an island. Mykhailo Fedorov ties the logistics blockade to a drop in Russian assaults — and warns of consequences he will not yet name.

Ukraine strikes sanctioned shadow fleet tanker FINA A in the Black Sea.

ISW: Zelenskyy keeps offering to meet Putin, the Kremlin keeps refusing. Zelenskyy wants talks with Putin before winter, possibly in the US. The Kremlin denies the latest offer was made.

Ukrainian marines bring frontline experience to NATO's Sea Breeze 26.1. Approximately 450 military personnel from seven countries are participating in the exercise led by the US Sixth Fleet from 2 to 20 June 2026.

Intelligence and technology

Storm Shadow maker MBDA to develop Neptune-2 cruise missile with Ukraine's Luch. Europe's largest missile company attaches itself to the bureau that built the Moskva-killer.

Russia likely has one Oreshnik missile and is struggling to build more. More hype than viable weapon.

Ukraine develops blackout missile that plunges onto Russian grids from high-altitude balloons. Missile likely designed to target Russia's electrical grids with graphite filaments.

Ukraine just showed world its first homegrown glide bomb in Paris. Ukraine's first domestic guided glide bomb Vyrivniuvach made its public debut at the Eurosatory-2026 defense exhibition in Paris.

France is putting $22 million into Ukrainian defense tech. Deal comes with battlefield testing. The program will support joint Ukrainian-French development of drones, missile technologies, and air defense systems, with first competitions for companies scheduled for September 2026.

International

"It is we who must thank you," Dutch defense minister told Ukraine when announcing $590 million in aid for Kyiv. Dutch Defense Minister Dilan Yeşilgöz-Zegerius met with Ukrainian Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov.

G7 leaders agree to boost Ukraine's air defense, weigh licensing missile production. Joint statement stops short of binding commitment on production licenses.

Russia plans to open eight new cultural centers in Africa to court a loyal generation, HUR says.

Ukraine and Albania sign road transport deal, opening freight "transport visa-free". Agreement makes Albania Ukraine's 37th direct-transport partner.

Latvia returns 19 sets of historical Ukrainian documents found in its archives. Latvia's National Archives has returned 19 sets of historical documents to Ukraine — records of German settler communities dating from 1860 to 1940.

Humanitarian and social impact

Russian strikes kill four across Ukraine, hit children's riding school in Sumy. Drone kills three horses at the stable as attacks span five oblasts.

Russia's assembly line for Azov sentences gives two Ukrainian POWs 17 and 20 years in jail for defending Mariupol. The charges stem from the POWs' service in Azov, which Russia's Supreme Court designated a terrorist organization on 2 August 2022.

Political and legal developments

Russia's biggest oil company stopped selling gasoline in canisters nationwide after Ukraine's strikes. It blames "seasonal demand". Rosneft is capping drivers at 90 liters a fill.

Ukraine loses two pilots in Su-24M crash in Khmelnytskyi Oblast. One of the dead had been mobilized on 24 February 2022 and retrained on the Su-24M from a career as a test pilot.

Read our earlier daily review here.

Exclusives

Ukrainian drones adopt focused antennas to slip by Russian detection. Reinforces connection and makes drones harder to clock

Russia's bombers hit harder with fewer planes. Their missiles now hide in drone swarms.. A Tu-22M3 crash in Irkutsk exposes a darker paradox: Russia's bomber fleet keeps shrinking, but Russia's bombing keeps getting smarter.

Russians deploy massive $1.5M Starlink jammers, Ukrainians are blowing them up. Bulky, powerful, flammable

Russia quietly lets refiners sell lower-grade Euro-3 fuel as drone strikes squeeze supply. A rule eased since last autumn now allows gasoline to contain 15 times the EU sulfur limit, as rationing spreads across Russia.

Fuel shortages reach Moscow and St. Petersburg as Ukraine's strikes squeeze Russian refining. Filling-station limits, jet-fuel curbs, and farmers short of diesel now span over 25 Russian regions.

Ukraine's newest Abrams brigade just built the "dumbest" tank cage of the war. In 2026, that barely matters.. The 160th Mechanized Brigade is an odd choice to operate some of Ukraine's approximately 50 surviving M-1 tanks.

Russia won't start a nuclear war. It might cause a nuclear disaster.. For the first time in history, a major war is being fought around 15 nuclear reactors. The West fears a Russian strike; the real danger is the disaster it has chosen not to see.

Military

Russia started war with 41 Tu-22M3 irreplaceable bombers. It may have nine left. Russia stopped producing the Tu-22 in all variants in 1993, with no replacement program planned, leaving surviving bombers irreplaceable as combat losses and accidents mount.

Ukraine struck Chonhar bridge to cut fuel to Russia's 37th brigade. Its battalion commander died by suicide days later. The Ukrainian unit claims Russian command pressured Munkuyev to execute combat tasks.

Ukraine strikes Krasnodar fuel depot as Russia's gasoline crisis widens. The depot fed filling stations in a region that ran dry weeks ago.

Ukraine strikes Moscow's largest oil refinery, 15 kilometers from the Kremlin. Putin pulled nearly all of Russia's key air defense to the capital. It was not enough.

Estonia's defense commander went to Ukrainian front line. Ukraine says partners need to see real situation themselves. Syrskyi separately met with brigade commanders to discuss Russian operations, current threats, and Ukrainian reinforcement options.

Intelligence and technology

At world's top defense exhibition in Paris, Ukraine and Sweden agree to mass-produce combat robot born on frontline. The partnership scales production of the MAUL casualty evacuation, logistics, and ammunition delivery platform.

Ukraine built 90% of its newly authorized weapons itself. Year ago, it was 70%. Of the 1,000 samples authorized, 892 are produced in Ukraine.

Missiles Ukraine uses to shoot down Russia's ballistic missiles are in short supply. Canada and Ukraine talked about fixing that. The ministers also discussed expanded Canadian investment in Ukrainian drone production and the procurement of long-range artillery ammunition through the Czech Initiative.

Britain to supply enriched uranium to Ukraine's reactors in $282 million deal. Fuel pledge aims to keep the grid running through winter.

International

Canada hits Russia with new sanctions at G7, a day after Lavra strike. Carney condemns the monastery attack and targets Russia's shadow fleet and energy revenues.

Zelenskyy at G7: Trump "positive" on missile licenses, but Europe needs a cheaper option. Washington's interceptor lines are stretched, and Zelenskyy wants Europe building its own.

Political and legal developments

Russian artist who mocked Putin warned about threats on Telegram. Hours later, gunman shot him three times in Poland. Russian opposition artist Semyon Skrepetsky (real name Robert Kuzovkov), 44, was shot dead on Monday 15 June in a residential parking lot in Biała Podlaska, eastern Poland, at around 10 a.m.

Read our earlier daily review here.

Exclusives

The 160th Mechanized Brigade's M-1 tanks might not shoot very well. Does it matter?. The 160th Mechanized Brigade is an odd choice to operate some of Ukraine's approximately 50 surviving M-1 tanks.

Russia won't start a nuclear war. It might cause a nuclear disaster.. For the first time in history, a major war is being fought around 15 nuclear reactors. The West fears a Russian strike; the real danger is the disaster it has chosen not to see.

Russia may soon have more tanks than pre-war. It just can't use them.. To do it, Russia revived "previously unrecoverable" Soviet engines. The drones that destroyed the originals haven't gone anywhere.

Russia poured 46% of its budget into the military in early 2026 even as revenue fell — ISW. Moscow promised to cut war spending in 2026. It raised it 30% instead, according to an expert's assessment.

Intelligence and technology

At Paris top defense exhibition, Ukraine unveiled 10-ton Sea Trident that can hunt underwater drones. Sea Trident has a 10,000-kg displacement and a 2,000 nautical mile range.

Netherlands transfers sixth mine countermeasures vessel to Ukraine—named Henichesk after ship sunk in 2022. Ukrainian Navy commander Oleksii Neizhpapa raised the fleet flag at the handover ceremony attended by five allied naval commanders on 15 June.

Latvia's defense minister brings 14 British-made combat vehicles to Ukraine's frontline "from box". Anti-FPV drone protection systems will be additionally installed on the vehicles. Latvia previously transferred 42 Patria armored personnel carriers to Ukraine.

Military

Ukraine hits two northeastern bridges to occupied Crimea overnight again to cut a main supply road. A Russia-installed official claimed the Dzhankoi crossing was shut, later announced its reopening, while a Ukrainian source said cars were routed over a temporary pontoon.

International

"Not a coincidence": Russia waited to launch its mass strike on Ukraine until Putin congratulated Trump on his birthday, says Zelenskyy. Zelenskyy promised that Ukraine will give its response to the assault.

Macron wants Washington to tell Ukraine "we are with you" as the G7 summit in Évian. Europeans now shoulder nearly the entire burden of Kyiv's war effort, while America still provides weapons and intelligence, France's president said on 15 June.

Kallas calls the Lavra attack a war crime and announces new EU sanctions. The Foreign Affairs Council listed 34 individuals and 47 entities, including Lukoil-Western Siberia, two Chinese drone-component suppliers, the Kremlin's Presidential Fund for Cultural Initiatives, and 15 people tied to Alexei Navalny's persecution and death.

France compares Lavra strike to bombing Notre-Dame, calls for tougher sanctions. France's foreign minister compared the monastery strike to bombing Notre-Dame, as EU officials convened in Luxembourg on 15 June.

Humanitarian and social impact

Russia hit Kyiv's 1,000-year-old monastery, then launched disinformation campaign with five different scenarios. Ukraine has seen this playbook in Mariupol. Russian sources are blaming Ukraine for the fire at the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra (a UNESCO World Heritage site), calling it "Ukrainian provocation" or "self-arson."

Russia has damaged or destroyed nearly 2,000 Ukrainian cultural heritage sites since 2022 — prosecutor general calls Lavra strike "deliberate erasure". Moscow's forces have looted over 7.8 million artifacts from museums in occupied territory since 2014, Ukraine's chief legal authority reported on 15 June 2026.

Russia set fire to the Kyiv monastery where Moscow's founder is buried. A Russian strike ignited the Dormition Cathedral; officials say it likely scored a direct hit.

Nearly 42,000 Kyiv residents sheltered in metro during overnight Russian attack, including 3,400 children. All 46 underground stations stayed open through the night as Russia launched 681 aerial weapons at Ukraine.

Russia kills 5 in Kyiv, injuries 35 in overnight strike with 681 weapons—including six Zircons. Emergency services worked across roughly 50 sites in the capital after fires broke out in nearly every district.

Russia kills four firefighters in Kharkiv hitting the same spot twice in one night. All four served in the city's 6th State Fire and Rescue Unit, and their service mourned men it called heroes who carried no weapons.

Russian drone strike on Dnipro damages organ music house, college, and injures one. A 64-year-old man was hospitalized in moderate condition after the overnight attack, which also sparked a fire at a local enterprise.

Read our earlier daily review here.

Exclusives

Lyman holds. But for how long?. Lyman blocks the northern route to Kramatorsk and Sloviansk. Ukrainian counterattacks are protecting the city.

Russia’s oil production falls for sixth straight month as Ukrainian drone strikes hit storage and transport. Companies redirected crude to restored Baltic and Black Sea ports, lifting exports from 3.17 to 3.64 million barrels a day, while the extraction tax base underneath kept contracting.

Europe can legally quit Russian LNG today. It keeps choosing not to.. Since October, every long-term buyer has had legal cover to walk away from Russian LNG. Only Germany has even asked.

ISW: Russia gains ground in Kostiantynivka but Fortress Belt stays out of reach. Russia's strategy of stacking armies on one Donetsk Oblast city is producing slow infiltration, not the operational breakthrough Moscow needs to crack the fortified chain, ISW says.

Military

Russia's youngest war dead include more than 200 18-year-old soldiers, new data shows New investigation identifies over 226,000 Russian war dead in Ukraine amid sustained high battlefield casualties.

Ukraine launches major army reform: fixed contracts, revamped pay structure, and broader access for foreigners The new framework sets defined service terms, restructures compensation around role and combat intensity, and introduces changes to transfers and post-service guarantees, while also opening additional recruitment channels for foreign volunteers.

No air show, no confidence: Russia quietly cancels MAKS for fourth year as Ukraine intensifies strikes on Moscow region The decision follows a pattern of scaled-back public events amid sustained Ukrainian UAV strikes on refineries, tech sites, and military facilities around Moscow.

Ukraine confirms strikes on two Tatarstan refineries and rocket-fuel rubber plant in Tolyatti Ukraine's GenStaff reported fires at all three plants, while monitoring channels reported a fourth hit—on one of Europe's largest petrochemical complexes in the same Tatarstan city.

Russia can't attack NATO right now—ISW explains what the new border bases are really for The think tank says Russia's new NATO-border bases prepare post-Ukraine-war force projection, not a near-term attack.

Ukraine's drone commander says his branch killed or wounded 102,000 Russians in 12 months. It started with a grenade taped to drone that filmed weddings Robert "Madiar" Brovdi, the art-collecting ex-grain trader who runs Ukraine's drone branch, said his units account for every third Russian falling on the battlefield.

All three Rosneft Samara refineries now offline or reduced as drones halt Kuibyshevsky operations yesterday All three plants in Rosneft's Samara refining hub are now affected by Ukrainian strikes, with Kuibyshev's two primary units damaged on 10 June.

Russia's fuel crisis jumps from 15 to 25 regions in five days—plus six occupied Ukrainian areas The Russian Energy Ministry created a task force on 8 June to handle the gasoline shortage amid "growing enemy air attacks," but the crisis continued spreading anyway.

Ukrainian drones knocking out the northwestern entrance to Crimea: four bridges targeted in one night The occupation authorities reported the attacks on four bridges in the area of Armiansk.

Intelligence and technology

Storm Shadow maker MBDA and Ukrainian Armor launch partnership to develop deep strike and anti-drone systems The agreement links Ukraine's defense industry with one of Europe's leading missile manufacturers in a bid to develop next-generation battlefield systems.

How Ukraine uses AI to guide long-range drone strikes through electronic warfare and deep into Russian-controlled rear areas Ukraine's Defense Ministry says artificial intelligence is now integrated into long-range "middle strike" systems, enabling drones to navigate without reliable GPS, avoid electronic warfare disruption, and identify targets during the final phase of flight.

Abrams tanks in Ukraine get modular drone protection to survive in today's drone-dominated warfare The Abrams tank "Lucifer" has been equipped with layered anti-drone protection, illustrating how Ukrainian crews are reshaping Western armor for modern frontline conditions.

Passwords, drone feeds, secret orders: a Russian unit shared its own operations in public Telegram chat ASTRA reports the chat contained operational leaks, from drone feed access to command meeting links, as well as documents noting losses and mounting pressure on frontline units.

Germany's Diehl in talks to produce Ukraine's Flamingo cruise missile on German soil CEO Helmut Rauch announced a series of meetings with Ukrainian maker Fire Point in the coming weeks and called the company "optimistic and positive" about cooperation, says FT.

Ukraine's drone output grew 12.7% month-on-month, but chief commander says don't relax Ukraine maintains a 1.5-to-1 FPV drone advantage over Russia, Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi confirmed at the monthly meeting.

German company that already supplies Ukraine with drones has unveiled Shahed-hunter aircraft with four weapons categories on single airframe The renders presented in Germany suggest the Pulse P19 has obvious application as Ukrainian air defense against Russian Shahed strikes.

International

EU opens first accession talks cluster for Ukraine and Moldova after years of delays and vetoes The European Union has opened the first cluster of accession talks with Ukraine and Moldova, marking the formal start of negotiations on core political and legal standards.

Poland reverses 17-month bus halt at Shehyni-Medyka after Ukrainian ministerial push Lviv Customs had announced a closure stretching to November 2027; bilateral talks preserved the summer corridor as Warsaw's posture toward Kyiv hardens elsewhere.

Humanitarian and social impact

Nawrocki vetoes one-year language reprieve as 441 mostly Ukrainian doctors lose right to practice Nearly 3,335 medics could face the same fate; the Supreme Medical Council had lobbied for the veto, Rzeczpospolita reported.

Polish foundation crowdfunds $39,500 for Vinnytsia after PiS opposition sank Kielce bus donation Fundacja Sikorki na Ukrainie set a 500,000-zloty target to buy 15 Solaris vehicles for a city whose electric tram network fails during Russian strikes.

Russia trained 900 more Ukrainian children at Volgograd — a camp Britain already sanctioned in 2024

Political and legal developments

15 tons of diesel, $22,500 in damages: Ukraine charges eight in Poltava military fuel-theft scheme The defendants face up to 15 years imprisonment.

"Heroes of UPA" unit will keep its name, Budanov's office says despite Polish pressure Polish media reported Kyiv was weighing a compromise to narrow the honor to UPA fighters who battled only the Soviet Union.

Read our previous daily review here.

Exclusives

Europe can legally quit Russian LNG today. It keeps choosing not to.. Since October, every long-term buyer has had legal cover to walk away from Russian LNG. Only Germany has even asked.

Ukraine's drone commander says his branch killed or wounded 102,000 Russians in 12 months. It started with a grenade taped to drone that filmed weddings. Robert "Madiar" Brovdi, the art-collecting ex-grain trader who runs Ukraine's drone branch, said his units account for every third Russian falling on the battlefield.

ISW: Russia gains ground in Kostiantynivka but Fortress Belt stays out of reach. Russia's strategy of stacking armies on one Donetsk Oblast city is producing slow infiltration, not the operational breakthrough Moscow needs to crack the fortified chain, ISW says.

Ukraine's drones now have Russian convoys riding out with four gun trucks and a prayer. Until last month the trucks rolled out unarmed—now 71% of them have vanished from the M-14 entirely.

As UGV adoption soars, Ukraine must write the playbook for saving soldiers' lives. Number of units using UGVs doubled from 117 to 230 in six months

Military

Ukrainian drones knocking out the northwestern entrance to Crimea: four bridges targeted in one night. The occupation authorities reported the attacks on four bridges in the area of Armiansk.

Afipsky oil refinery burns again as Ukrainian drones return to Krasnodar Krai. Ukrainian drones hit the Afipsky refinery for the third time in 2026, with the facility producing fuel supplied to the Russian armed forces.

All three Rosneft Samara refineries now offline or reduced as drones halt Kuibyshevsky operations yesterday. All three plants in Rosneft's Samara refining hub are now affected by Ukrainian strikes, with Kuibyshev's two primary units damaged on 10 June.

Russia is building up forces in Belarus right next to Ukraine's NATO supply corridor. Ukraine just started covering roads. Volyn Oblast will install anti-drone nets on sections of roads near the border with Belarus, acting head of the Volyn Oblast, Military Administration Roman Romaniuk announced.

Intelligence and technology

Ukraine's drone output grew 12.7% month-on-month, but chief commander says don't relax. Ukraine maintains a 1.5-to-1 FPV drone advantage over Russia, Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi confirmed at the monthly meeting.

German company that already supplies Ukraine with drones has unveiled Shahed-hunter aircraft with four weapons categories on single airframe. The renders presented in Germany suggest the Pulse P19 has obvious application as Ukrainian air defense against Russian Shahed strikes.

Strip out this one component and Russia's drones fly blind. Ukraine found factory where it is made. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed the strike.

Russia's fuel crisis jumps from 15 to 25 regions in five days—plus six occupied Ukrainian areas. The Russian Energy Ministry created a task force on 8 June to handle the gasoline shortage amid "growing enemy air attacks," but the crisis continued spreading anyway.

"Fourth house. Blue doors": Four years ago three Ukrainians changed global warfare forever (VIDEO). Four years later, Ukraine's Unmanned Systems Forces (SBS) has struck nearly $40 billion worth of Russian targets.

International

US sanctions 13 Iran-Belarus-China entities supplying Iran's IRGC. That's three of four "Axis of Upheaval" states. The same Iran-Belarus-China network is the operational ecosystem supplying Russia's drone war on Ukraine.

"Heroes of UPA" unit will keep its name, Budanov's office says despite Polish pressure. Polish media reported Kyiv was weighing a compromise to narrow the honor to UPA fighters who battled only the Soviet Union.

Humanitarian and social impact

Russia trained 900 more Ukrainian children at Volgograd — a camp that Britain already sanctioned in 2024.

Political and legal developments

Kremlin enacts law to grab homes and bank accounts of its exiled critics. A formal charge alone can now trigger seizure of property worth many times the underlying fine, with no judge required to approve it.

15 tons of diesel, $22,500 in damages: Ukraine charges eight in Poltava military fuel-theft scheme. The defendants face up to 15 years imprisonment.

Read our earlier daily review here.

Exclusives

Ukraine's drones now have Russian convoys riding out with four gun trucks and a prayer. Until last month the trucks rolled out unarmed—now 71% of them have vanished from the M-14 entirely.

As UGV adoption soars, Ukraine must write the playbook for saving soldiers' lives. Number of units using UGVs doubled from 117 to 230 in six months

Ukraine is droning Russian ships. The goal: to create supply bottlenecks on land.. Ukraine's drones aren't just attacking Russia's supply trucks. They're now hitting Russia's supply ships, too.

Military

Kostiantynivka is one of Ukraine's "Fortress Belt cities" Russia demands. It may fall by end of summer 2026, says observer. Russian forces may capture Kostiantynivka in Donetsk Oblast by the end of summer 2026, applying the same infiltration tactic they used to seize Pokrovsk.

Ukraine knew 37th Russian Brigade was waiting for fuel via Chonhar. It struck bridge and trucks still haven't arrived. Ukrainian cyber intelligence operates inside Russian military networks, providing real-time data on Russian troop deployments.

Chonhar bridge halted twice, now Arabat Spit crossing hit — Kherson's occupied south loses two routes. Vladimir Saldo said eight municipalities lost power overnight in a separate Ukrainian drone attack on the same oblast.

Fire reported at Kuibyshev oil refinery in Russia's Samara after drone strike. The Kuibyshev refinery, part of Rosneft, had already halted operations after a drone strike in August 2025 and was hit again in January 2026.

Ukraine reportedly strikes Russian defense plant 'Progress' in Cheboksary with Flamingo missiles. A fire broke out at the facility following the strike, the governor of Russia's Chuvash Republic confirmed, without specifying damage.

Russia's full-scale war against Ukraine has now lasted exactly as long as World War I — 1,568 days. Ukraine has expanded fire control over occupied territory and now strikes Russian infrastructure up to 1,800 kilometers deep.

Intelligence and technology

Ukraine created drone army one year ago. It already destroyed $40 billion worth in Russian targets. Zelenskyy signed a decree establishing the Day of Unmanned Systems Forces (SBS Day) on 10 June.

Ukraine has 460,000 hectares of mined land. Its newest sapper robot switches between demining and logistics on same chassis. Ukraine's Defense Ministry codified the domestic NEO-1 sapper robot. The vehicle is a 60-kg modular ground platform capable of remote demining.

Russia fitted Kalibr cruise missiles with cluster warheads and reverted to foreign electronics, Ukraine's MoD says. Cluster payloads first surfaced in spring 2026; the homing boards on 2025-built missiles are 80–90% foreign-made.

Germany adds €300 million to Czech ammunition drive, about 50,000 long-range rounds for Ukraine. Largest foreign backer doubles down as donor participation thins.

International

Ukraine will keep issuing Polish exhumation permits despite historical tensions. Dispute "causes joy in Moscow," Kyiv says. Ukraine called on allies to seek grounds for unity against the common enemy that "wants to destroy both Ukraine and Poland."

Bulgaria's defense minister banned weapons to Ukraine. It's not that simple. Ukraine does not currently receive free military aid from Bulgaria but maintains ongoing mutually beneficial commercial defense cooperation.

IAEA documents military activity near all Ukraine's nuclear sites. "This should not be happening," IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi said.

Germany was late to grasp Russian hybrid attacks, Bundeswehr colonel tells defence forum. The political shift on Russian hybrid attacks began only in the past 18 to 24 months.

Poland refuses to send 20-year-old buses to Ukrainian city under Russian strikes because of street name. Ukraine's Vinnytsia withdrew its request for 15 retired buses from its Polish sister city of Kielce after the initiative became politically toxic in Poland.

"We don't think all of this is just for demonstration": Russia is constructing infrastructure with potential capacity up to 115,000 personnel on NATO's doorstep. Russia is actively constructing new military infrastructure along its borders with Norway, Finland, the Baltic states, and Kaliningrad.

Political and legal developments

Russia recycles its Moldova script to brand Armenia's election illegitimate, ISW says. Hours after Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan's Civil Contract took 49.81%, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova alleged "unprecedented Western pressure"—and Rosrybolovstvo threatened fresh import bans.

Zelenskyy has 61% trust in Ukraine. Two officials above him in rankings run drone program and city under Russian attack. Volunteer Serhiy Prytula and former MP Oleh Lyashko rank lowest among the named figures, at +2% and +5%.

Car bomb kills Russian general who armed Russia's war on Ukraine—fourth top officer assassinated near Moscow since late 2024. Damir Davydov, who ran missile and shell deliveries for the Kremlin's Defense Ministry, died after a device under his BMW detonated Tuesday morning, The Insider reported.

Read our earlier daily review here.

Exclusives

Ukraine is droning Russian ships. The goal: to create supply bottlenecks on land.. Ukraine's drones aren't just attacking Russia's supply trucks. They're now hitting Russia's supply ships, too.

Newly-announced Litavr interceptor is a model microcosm of Ukraine’s drone innovation programs. Each feature is an example of where Ukraine's interceptor industry is headed.

Russia tells its regions to raise taxes on residents and businesses to plug a record budget hole. The combined regional gap grew fivefold from 2024 and almost eightfold from 2023, with the tax service now pressing governors to find more revenue.

Russians pulled 30-year record of cash from banks in May. Central Bank now tracks monthly cash limits, can freeze “suspicious” withdrawals. Analyst cites geopolitical and macroeconomic uncertainty, internet outages disrupting online banking, and central bank rate cuts as driving the cash flight.

Military

Ukraine sets 2030 roadmap to expand rocket and artillery forces – a constant despite evolving warfare. The plan outlines modernization through 2030, including expanded missile capability, improved reconnaissance systems, and a gradual shift toward domestic production while phasing out outdated Soviet-era systems.

"We have guidance at home"—Kalibrs back to foreign parts after import substitution failed, MOD says. Kalibrs also started carrying cluster munitions.

Russia plans to double Mi-8 helicopter production to offset war losses in 2 years. Mi-8s are versatile workhorses, able to transport troops and cargo, conduct reconnaissance, electronic warfare, and attack missions.

Russia starts hauling gasoline to the front in the trunks of civilian cars. A convoy of sedans packed with jerrycans set out from Kizilyurt in Dagestan to supply Russian troops in occupied Tokmak, shows a video the soldiers filmed themselves.

Chonhar bridge linking occupied Kherson Oblast to Crimea is closed again after the second attack in two days. It is one of only two land routes between Crimea and mainland Ukraine and carries the highway Russia uses to supply its forces on the peninsula.

Ukraine recaptured 100 square kilometers in May. Its deep strikes cost Russia $1 billion. Ukraine hit 111 Russian sites, said Commander Syrskyi.

Intelligence and technology

Russia's closest ally says its new AI military system can detect drones, jam signals, and adapt in real time. Belarus claims AI-driven 'Ross' counter-drone EW system nearing completion.

Ukraine codifies armored vehicle with dome of 10 electronic-warfare modules designed to kill FPV drones before they hit. Ukraine develops armored vehicle to protect against two major Russian battlefield threats.

Ukraine approves 80 km/h electric motorcycle that defeats thermal imaging and acoustic detection. It carries two soldiers in full gear. The 105-kg, 8 kW vehicle reaches 80 km/h and operates with near-silent movement.

One click from operator: Ukraine just shot down Russian Shahed with AI drone that automated 95% of kill. The Brave1 cluster participant manufacturer went from prototype to successful combat use in less than a year.

International

New "Drone Deal" signed – Latvia and Ukraine to expand joint production and defense cooperation. Kyiv said the agreement is aimed at turning Ukraine's battlefield drone experience into structured cooperation with international partners.

EU's 21st sanctions package would ban Russia's soldiers from European soil. Latest package targets banks, oil traders, shadow fleet, third-country evaders.

Bulgaria's new government plans to halt weapons supplies to Ukraine. A Bulgarian minister claimed that Kyiv "needs more people, not more armament," signaling a break with EU policy.

"The enemy counts on our disunity"—Ukrainian diaspora answers with Bern Declaration. More than 350 leaders from 50 countries adopted a seven-point wartime action plan at the first Global Ukrainian Summit held in Switzerland.

NATO shot down drone over Latvia. Russia's electronic warfare sent it there. NATO fighters from the Baltic Air Policing mission shot down a foreign unmanned aerial vehicle over Latvia's eastern Latgale region this morning.

Humanitarian and social impact

"Russia spits in our faces" and the UN pretends it's "just rain" – UN envoy reports May deadliest month for Ukrainian civilians since 2022. UN data presented to the Security Council shows May was the deadliest month for Ukrainian civilians in over two years, as Ukraine accused Russia of denying responsibility and the UN of failing to respond adequately.

Russian missiles kill three and wound six in Chuhuiv as drones injure 15 in Kharkiv, including a one-year-old. Beyond Kharkiv Oblast, Russian attacks killed civilians in Kherson, Sumy, and Donetsk oblasts and wounded dozens more over 8–9 June. Local authorities report at least 8 civilian deaths and 61 injuries.

Food shortage in occupied Rubizhne: Russia blocks civilian deliveries, blames drones. Officials say Moscow engineered the shortage to film propaganda—the same tactic that left 2,000 starving in Oleshky.

Political and legal developments

SBU names 10 Russians tied to "human safari" drone hunt on civilians in Kherson. Counterintelligence built a case against Russian military drone pilots from a single regiment and charged each in absentia with war crimes.

Lithuanian court: the roadside attack on a Ukraine-shirt cyclist was hate, not chance. Judges treated the motive, hostility toward people who support Ukraine, as an aggravating circumstance in sentencing the 1987-born man.

61% of Ukrainians reject ceasefire without security guarantees. Same 61% would accept one with European troops on frontline. The real question isn't whether Ukraine wants a ceasefire, but what guarantees would come with it.

Ukrainian defense official sent 300,000 pairs of useless gloves to front line. He's now going to trial. The manufacturer used ordinary rubber instead of the thermoplastic rubber required by technical specs.

Medic stole 16 FPV from firm that entered $1.1 billion Pentagon competition and hid them for four months. Ukraine arrested him when he tried to sell them for 19% of their value. Ukrainian sergeant arrested for selling 16 General Cherry FPV drones worth $12,600 for $2,370.

Freezing the war along today's lines is "the quickest way" to peace, Ukraine's leader told Sky News. Zelenskyy insisted it is no concession, but a way to save children and bring soldiers home, paired with monitoring missions and allied guarantees.

Read our previous daily review here.

Military

NATO shot down drone over Latvia. Russia's electronic warfare sent it there. NATO fighters from the Baltic Air Policing mission shot down a foreign unmanned aerial vehicle over Latvia's eastern Latgale region this morning.

French NATO jets shoot down drone over Latvia in country's first intercept. Second Baltic intercept in three weeks as spillover from Russia's war on Ukraine accelerates.

Ukraine recaptured 100 square kilometers in May. Its deep strikes cost Russia $1 billion. Ukraine hit 111 Russian sites, said Commander Syrskyi.

Russian crude reaches the sea through tunnels under a mountain ridge—and Ukraine hit the storage end near Novorossiysk. Pipelines link the Grushovaya depot to Novorossiysk's loading berths about 12 km away. Locals counted about 50 blasts before a huge fire lit the mountains above Russia's main Black Sea oil port.

ISW: The strikes will likely cascade into deeper disruption across Russia's rear supply network. Russia leans on two key highways to feed its war. Cut them, and fuel, shells, and troops stop reaching occupied Crimea, Luhansk, and Donetsk—and Ukraine's drones are working on cutting it.

Intelligence and technology

Russia's closest ally says its new AI military system can detect drones, jam signals, and adapt in real time. Belarus claims AI-driven 'Ross' counter-drone EW system nearing completion.

Ukraine codifies armored vehicle with dome of 10 electronic-warfare modules designed to kill FPV drones before they hit. Ukraine develops armored vehicle to protect against two major Russian battlefield threats.

Ukraine approves 80 km/h electric motorcycle that defeats thermal imaging and acoustic detection. It carries two soldiers in full gear. The 105-kg, 8 kW vehicle reaches 80 km/h and operates with near-silent movement.

One click from operator: Ukraine just shot down Russian Shahed with AI drone that automated 95% of kill. The Brave1 cluster participant manufacturer went from prototype to successful combat use in less than a year.

International

"The enemy counts on our disunity"—Ukrainian diaspora answers with Bern Declaration. More than 350 leaders from 50 countries adopted a seven-point wartime action plan at the first Global Ukrainian Summit held in Switzerland.

61% of Ukrainians reject ceasefire without security guarantees. Same 61% would accept one with European troops on frontline. The real question isn't whether Ukraine wants a ceasefire, but what guarantees would come with it.

Freezing the war along today's lines is "the quickest way" to peace, Ukraine's leader told Sky News. Zelenskyy insisted it is no concession, but a way to save children and bring soldiers home, paired with monitoring missions and allied guarantees.

Britain, France, and Germany back Ukraine's peace terms and press Putin for a ceasefire. After meeting Ukraine's president in London, the three leaders set out five conditions for a just and lasting peace and welcomed Kyiv's push for direct talks.

Putin warned former Soviet republic of "Ukrainian scenario" over EU ties. Its pro-EU party wins elections with 49.81% anyway.

Humanitarian and social impact

Premature births are climbing in Ukraine's front-line regions, and doctors blame the ongoing war. Doctors in Zaporizhzhia now deliver babies and treat miscarriages on the same afternoons that glide bombs hit the city, AP reports.

Food shortage in occupied Rubizhne: Russia blocks civilian deliveries, blames drones. Officials say Moscow engineered the shortage to film propaganda—the same tactic that left 2,000 starving in Oleshky.

Political and legal developments

Russians pulled 30-year record of cash from banks in May. Central Bank now tracks monthly cash limits, can freeze "suspicious" withdrawals. Analyst cites geopolitical and macroeconomic uncertainty, internet outages disrupting online banking, and central bank rate cuts as driving the cash flight.

Ukrainian defense official sent 300,000 pairs of useless gloves to front line. He's now going to trial. The manufacturer used ordinary rubber instead of the thermoplastic rubber required by technical specs.

Medic stole 16 FPV from firm that entered $1.1 billion Pentagon competition and hid them for four months. Ukraine arrested him when he tried to sell them for 19% of their value. Ukrainian sergeant arrested for selling 16 General Cherry FPV drones worth $12,600 for $2,370.

Hungary's anti-corruption watchdog says Orbán's former inner circle should be prosecuted over billions in missing EU funds. Péter Magyar is trying to convince Brussels that Hungary can be trusted with more than €10 billion in cash frozen over rule-of-law concerns.

WSJ: Putin's sanctioned inner circle keeps buying Western business jets through a web of middlemen. A WSJ investigation traces Bombardier and Gulfstream business jets from European dealers through Dubai and Bermuda into Kremlin hands.

Ukraine foils Russian plot to assassinate intelligence official with FPV drone. Russian spy recruited to kill GUR spokesman Andrii Yusov with FPV drone for $100,000 bounty.

Read our earlier daily review here.

Exclusives

Ukraine’s drones got bigger warheads. A Russian corvette in the Baltic just found out.. The Fire Point FP-1 that struck Boikiy at Kronstadt on 3 June crossed 1,100 km to get there — and arrived with a heavier warhead than the model that started Ukraine's deep-strike campaign.

“It was never formulated as Ukraine winning”—NATO’s ex-military chief on the missing strategy. It was also not formulated, "We're doing this so that Russia can lose this war." So the formulation became, "We're going to support Ukraine for as long as it takes," Admiral Bauer tells EP

EU urgency to dump Rosatom is growing but Russia will use every lever to prevent it. This is part three of a series of three articles exploring Rosatom, its role in the war in Ukraine, and Moscow’s international influence.

Russia more than doubles production of converted SAMs to make ballistic missile strikes even harder to defend. Missiles add few qualitative improvements but do add mass to Russia's terror attacks

Military

Over 2,000 Russian casualties in first six days of June, Madyar reports amid surge in drone strikes on occupied territories Madyar reported strikes on 26 targets across occupied Ukraine and Russia's Bryansk Oblast, including rail, energy, fuel, and telecom infrastructure.

Ukrainian Special Forces target Crimea fuel system, hitting depot and maritime terminal in "asymmetric" middle-strike operation on occupied territory Ukrainian officials say the operation is part of efforts to disrupt logistics networks supporting Russian forces in occupied territory.

"Extremely rare" 300-ton Russian rail recovery crane destroyed in partisan sabotage operation, ATESH claims ATESH claims the loss will slow down repair capacity at major junctions, where rapid recovery is critical for maintaining rail flow.

Russia reportedly restricts bus and private car movement on main arteries through occupied territories, capping two weeks of land-corridor breakdown The stated reason is protection against Ukrainian "attacks on civilian transport." The actual reason is visible in the two-week sequence of events that produced the closures.

Flat steppe: Ukraine is strangling Crimea's supply lines from air. Melitopol-Chonhar road is latest target The operation extends the squeeze on Russia's land corridor to the occupied Crimean peninsula.

Kronstadt, Russia's major naval base after Black Sea Fleet losses, gets hit by Ukrainian drones (VIDEO) Russia was in the middle of hosting foreign investors.

Ukraine doubles deep strikes beyond 50 km as "Logistics Lockdown" shifts priority deeper into Russia's transport nodes and rear logistics chains Kyiv says the shift is part of a wider effort to disrupt supply chains and degrade Russia's ability to sustain frontline operations.

Ukraine's drones hit 5 vessels in occupied Azov ports overnight — Azerbaijan says 5 of its nationals died as Russia blames Kyiv Unmanned Systems Forces commander Robert "Madyar" Brovdi called the boats smugglers carrying looted grain, fuel, and military supplies with names painted over and radars off.

The Crimean Bridge is heavily guarded. Ukraine struck its maritime security layer in the Kerch Strait. Ukrainian officials say the ship was deployed to patrol and monitor approaches to the Crimean Bridge as part of Russia's layered security network in occupied Crimea.

Intelligence and technology

Ukraine has built 822 kilometers of anti-drone road tunnels. Each kilometer means safer evacuations and faster supply In May alone, the State Special Transport Service rebuilt 115.5 km of conventional road, Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov said.

Ukraine's Bullet interceptor gets speed upgrade. It now has chemical accelerator to chase down Russian 500 km/h Geran-4 The accelerator burns chemical fuel rather than using jet propulsion.

Ukraine ranks its drone units on how deep they see. The 413th has been at top for three months The Unmanned Systems Forces unit held first place in March and April 2026, and second in May, in Ukraine's Delta battlefield-awareness system rankings.

International

Russia is already causing harm to UK. Britain may not be prepared for what comes next, says former top general Lord Peach, the former UK Chief of the Defence Staff said the hybrid war is already happening.

US warned Russia it would "be very, very sorry" over 2022 nuclear use, NATO ex-military chief confirms Russian forces in Ukraine would be "taken out conventionally" by the Americans, the Kremlin was warned amid Kherson retreat, Admiral Bauer says.

"Ukraine might have won" if NATO had acted in 2022, ex-top chief says Admiral Rob Bauer says the West armed Ukraine too slowly to win — and never had a strategy for victory at all.

German defense firm has made Ukraine its second-largest international base Germany's Quantum Systems is building drones, ground robots, and software.

Humanitarian and social impact

Russian drone strikes nuclear fuel storage site in Chornobyl zone A drone attack damaged a key building at Ukraine's centralized spent fuel storage facility, triggering a fire that emergency teams later extinguished.

"The worst environmental catastrophe since Chornobyl disaster": Three years after Russia destroyed Kakhovka Dam, real death toll is still unknown On 6 June 2023, Russian forces destroyed the Kakhovka Hydroelectric Power Plant while occupying the dam, flooding 80 settlements, forcing nearly 4,000 people to evacuate, and killing at least 34.

Russian pilot saw man in Ukraine's Kramatorsk and chose to kill him. FPV drones are operated in real time The UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine has formally classified these strikes as crimes against humanity.

"An unwavering priority": 186 Ukrainians return home in major prisoner swap with Russia Several of the freed Ukrainians were detained in 2022, with some taken during the battles for Mariupol and Azovstal.

Political and legal developments

What do Ukrainian drone makers have to accept to win Pentagon contracts? Experts document "draconian conditions" Below 50% foreign ownership triggers a Security Control Agreement under which the company must be led by a US citizen.

A ship linked to stolen grain from occupied Ukraine was seized in Sweden. A court says Kyiv can have it. The vessel was detained in March and is suspected of helping move grain from Russian-occupied Ukrainian territory.

Read our previous daily review here.

Exclusives

Ukraine's drones got bigger warheads. A Russian corvette in the Baltic just found out.. The Fire Point FP-1 that struck Boikiy at Kronstadt on 3 June crossed 1,100 km to get there — and arrived with a heavier warhead than the model that started Ukraine's deep-strike campaign.

"It was never formulated as Ukraine winning"—NATO's ex-military chief on the missing strategy. It was also not formulated, "We're doing this so that Russia can lose this war." So the formulation became, "We're going to support Ukraine for as long as it takes," Admiral Bauer tells EP

EU urgency to dump Rosatom is growing but Russia will use every lever to prevent it. This is part three of a series of three articles exploring Rosatom, its role in the war in Ukraine, and Moscow's international influence.

Russia more than doubles production of converted SAMs to make ballistic missile strikes even harder to defend. Missiles add few qualitative improvements but do add mass to Russia's terror attacks

Military

Russia reportedly restricts bus and private car movement on main arteries through occupied territories, capping two weeks of land-corridor breakdown. The stated reason is protection against Ukrainian "attacks on civilian transport." The actual reason is visible in the two-week sequence of events that produced the closures.

Flat steppe: Ukraine is strangling Crimea's supply lines from air. Melitopol-Chonhar road is latest target. The operation extends the squeeze on Russia's land corridor to the occupied Crimean peninsula.

Kronstadt, Russia's major naval base after Black Sea Fleet losses, gets hit by Ukrainian drones (VIDEO). Russia was in the middle of hosting foreign investors.

Intelligence and technology

What do Ukrainian drone makers have to accept to win Pentagon contracts? Experts document "draconian conditions". Below 50% foreign ownership triggers a Security Control Agreement under which the company must be led by a US citizen.

Ukraine has built 822 kilometers of anti-drone road tunnels. Each kilometer means safer evacuations and faster supply. In May alone, the State Special Transport Service rebuilt 115.5 km of conventional road, Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov said.

International

Russia is already causing harm to UK. Britain may not be prepared for what comes next, says former top general. Lord Peach, the former UK Chief of the Defence Staff said the hybrid war is already happening.

US warned Russia it would "be very, very sorry" over 2022 nuclear use, NATO ex-military chief confirms. Russian forces in Ukraine would be "taken out conventionally" by the Americans, the Kremlin was warned amid Kherson retreat, Admiral Bauer says

"Ukraine might have won" if NATO had acted in 2022, ex-top chief says. Admiral Rob Bauer says the West armed Ukraine too slowly to win—and never had a strategy for victory at all

Humanitarian and social impact

"The worst environmental catastrophe since Chornobyl disaster": Three years after Russia destroyed Kakhovka Dam, real death toll is still unknown. On 6 June 2023, Russian forces destroyed the Kakhovka Hydroelectric Power Plant while occupying the dam, flooding 80 settlements, forcing nearly 4,000 people to evacuate, and killing at least 34.

Russian pilot saw man in Ukraine's Kramatorsk and chose to kill him. FPV drones are operated in real time. The UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine has formally classified these strikes as crimes against humanity.

Read our earlier daily review here.

Exclusives

EU urgency to dump Rosatom is growing but Russia will use every lever to prevent it. This is part three of a series of three articles exploring Rosatom, its role in the war in Ukraine, and Moscow’s international influence.

Russia more than doubles production of converted SAMs to make ballistic missile strikes even harder to defend. Missiles add few qualitative improvements but do add mass to Russia's terror attacks

Russia keeps four field armies fed through three southern towns. Ukraine’s drones just arrived.. A 1 June drone strike near Chernihivka hit the layer the Russians used to assume was out of reach.

Military

Ukraine doubles deep strikes beyond 50 km as "Logistics Lockdown" shifts priority deeper into Russia's transport nodes and rear logistics chains. Kyiv says the shift is part of a wider effort to disrupt supply chains and degrade Russia's ability to sustain frontline operations.

Ukraine's drones hit 5 vessels in occupied Azov ports overnight — Azerbaijan says 5 of its nationals died as Russia blames Kyiv. Unmanned Systems Forces commander Robert "Madyar" Brovdi called the boats smugglers carrying looted grain, fuel, and military supplies with names painted over and radars off.

The Crimean Bridge is heavily guarded. Ukraine struck its maritime security layer in the Kerch Strait.. Ukrainian officials say the ship was deployed to patrol and monitor approaches to the Crimean Bridge as part of Russia's layered security network in occupied Crimea.

Russia bans military uniforms on fuel drivers after Ukrainian strikes burn tankers. They're delivering to front line in bread vans and ambulances. Civilian fuel rationing has been visible in Crimea and in Kursk and Belgorod oblasts since spring.

Drone strike ignites fire at oil depot in occupied Luhansk. Black smoke rising for kilometers marked the aftermath of a nighttime attack on what monitoring channels identified as a fuel depot supplying Russian forces.

Ukraine claims "fire control" over occupied Donetsk Airport deep behind frontline. Ukrainian forces say sustained strikes have made the occupied airport unusable for Russian military operations.

Intelligence and technology

German defense firm has made Ukraine its second-largest international base. Germany's Quantum Systems is building drones, ground robots, and software.

Ukraine's Bullet interceptor gets speed upgrade. It now has chemical accelerator to chase down Russian 500 km/h Geran-4. The accelerator burns chemical fuel rather than using jet propulsion.

Ukraine ranks its drone units on how deep they see. The 413th has been at top for three months. The Unmanned Systems Forces unit held first place in March and April 2026, and second in May, in Ukraine's Delta battlefield-awareness system rankings.

Russia unveils two counter-drone systems to stop Ukrainian UAVs. Defense analysts have questions about math. The Sokol-I's claimed 150 km/h top speed matches the Hornet's cruise speed.

Russia has reportedly engineered missile that waits for first responders. Submunitions detonate 20-30 minutes after impact. The submunitions scatter hundreds of meters from the strike point and explode in the time window when rescuers and evacuating civilians are most exposed.

Production dates on downed Russian weapons reveal country may be running on zero reserve — with one particularly dangerous exception. Russia stockpiles 180-250 Iskanders, fires other missiles "straight from the factory," Beskrestnov says.

International

Marine drone explodes at Romanian port, defense ministry suspects Ukrainian origin. The unmanned vessel detonated near the headquarters of Romania's maritime search-and-rescue agency at around 10:30 am.

NATO fighters intercept six Russian military aircraft over the Baltic in a single day. French and Swedish jets scrambled jointly from Šiauliai Air Base on 2 June, covering fighter, strike, transport, and reconnaissance mission types in one response.

US House passes Ukraine aid, including tough oil sanctions amid Russia's terror attacks on Kyiv, with Ukraine calling it "important step". The Ukraine Support Act authorizes more than $1 billion in direct aid, up to $8 billion in loans, and sanctions on Russian oil, banking, and mining sectors.

Humanitarian and social impact

“An unwavering priority”: 186 Ukrainians return home in major prisoner swap with Russia. Several of the freed Ukrainians were detained in 2022, with some taken during the battles for Mariupol and Azovstal.

Ukraine women's volleyball team wins first-ever Nations League match, beating Germany in tiebreak. The squad—in its debut Nations League season—trailed by six points in the second set before completing a comeback to take it 30–28.

On World Environment Day, Ukraine counted $156 billion in environmental damage from Russia's war. Ukraine's Parliamentary Commissioner for Human Rights, Dmytro Lubinets, marked World Environment Day on 5 June with a damage assessment: $156 billion total, of which $90 billion in destroyed nature protection areas and $45 billion in polluted soils.

Russian drone barrage kills four at Kyiv-Oblast food plant, wounds six civilians in Kharkiv oblast. Two families with children were among the casualties as Russia launched 216 drones and two guided missiles overnight.

Two Ukrainian para-armwrestlers fined 250 euros each for walking off a Budapest podium during Russia's anthem — one competed as his father served at the front. Dmytro Lutsyshyn of Zhytomyr and a teammate stepped down from the medal stand in protest, drawing penalties under the championship's awards regulations.

Parcel detonates during inspection at a Kyiv postal hub, killing 1 worker and injuring 2 – the capital's second mail-depot blast since October. The explosion struck an Obolonskyi-district facility on Friday morning as staff examined a shipment, with the operator and cause still unconfirmed.

Political and legal developments

A ship linked to stolen grain from occupied Ukraine was seized in Sweden. A court says Kyiv can have it.. The vessel was detained in March and is suspected of helping move grain from Russian-occupied Ukrainian territory.

Crimea's occupying authorities ban filming fuel tankers, calling it aid to sabotage. Russian-installed officials warned that prosecution can begin at age 14, even as residents kept circulating footage of burning convoys across the peninsula.

Ukrainian police gather evidence against hundreds of foreign fighters serving Russia—one was caught trying to slip into the US from Mexico. National investigators presented the findings to FBI counterparts on 4 June, building criminal cases over mercenary participation in Moscow's invasion.

Read our previous daily review here.

Exclusives

Ukraine showed the world its drone launcher. Russia found it four days later.. AI-targeted drones need training images to find their targets. Ukraine just gave Russia one.

Ukrainian strawberry prices drop 21%—but carrots and potatoes climb. Cheaper berries, costlier carrots—Ukraine’s wartime produce market moves in different directions in the same week.

Ukraine plays Russia today for a French Open final. The Russian stays mum on war; the Ukrainian doesn’t. "They have phones. They have Instagram." Five weeks after Madrid, Kostyuk and Andreeva meet again — with overnight casualty counts between them.

Russia wants €47 million from the company arming the country it invaded. The contract Moscow wants money over built the training center where Putin's troops rehearsed for Ukraine.

Military

"First operation of its kind": Ukraine claims "fire control" over occupied Donetsk Airport deep behind frontline. Ukrainian forces say sustained strikes have made the occupied airport unusable for Russian military operations.

Ukraine logs heaviest deep strike month of the year, hitting 18 oil and gas facilities in Russia. Ukraine hit a laundry list of targets including military factories, warships, shadow fleet tankers, aircraft, and other assets.

Russia-installed Sevastopol official claims more than 20 drones shot down in overnight attack. Russian occupation authorities temporarily closed the Kerch Bridge to traffic as air defenses engaged drones over Sevastopol and Simferopol early on 4 June.

Ukrainian drones blow up Russian ammunition depot deep behind front line. Late-evening explosions and secondary detonations rocked a base in eastern Donbas on 3 June, with Telegram accounts split between Donetsk and Luhansk oblast.

Ukraine hit Novoshakhtinsk oil refinery in Russia with same weapon that sank Moskva Black Sea Fleet flagship. The refinery supplies fuel and lubricants to the Russian military.

Crew fatigue, poor training, dead Russians: hidden cost of Russia's glide bomb campaign. Russia conducts more than 200 sorties a day with 180-250 glide bombs launched against Ukraine.

Russia lost $435 million worth of equipment over past 24 hours. Ground robots are among losses, too. The Ukrainian General Staff's daily tally for 3 June: 60 artillery systems, 1,853 drones, 437 vehicles, and 5 tanks.

Intelligence and technology

Russia paints military trucks with zebra stripes to confuse Ukrainian drone AI. Experts say the patterns are part of an ongoing adaptation cycle as AI-assisted targeting systems evolve on the battlefield.

Russia turns to 500-km/h Geran-4 jet drones to outrun Kyiv's cheap interceptors. Defense adviser Serhiy Beskrestnov said the kill rate has climbed fivefold since winter, undermining the economics of propeller-driven attack craft.

American defense company Red Cat announces serial production of copy of Ukraine's Magura V7 and says it's their own development. The US military now wants the same capability. Ukraine built it first.

Ukraine's defense industry has grown tenfold since 2022. Now, it's $50 billion machine. Zelenskyy disclosed the figure at a joint press conference with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte in Kyiv. The announcement comes ahead of the NATO Ankara summit on 7-8 July, where Ukraine plans to discuss long-term financial guarantees.

Ukraine's new frontline robot hauls cargo, evacuates soldiers, and clears mines. Meet Vepr, built from real combat experience. The Ministry of Defense codified the modernized Vepr logistics-and-evacuation UGV for service in the Armed Forces.

International

EU accuses Russia of 'economic coercion' against Armenia, announces €50 million support package. The announcement follows Kremlin warnings over Yerevan's growing cooperation with the West.

Latvia's military chief warns Russia could exploit drone edge to attack Baltics by 2028. Most European army modernization programs won't take effect until 2029, leaving a gap Russia's military chief says Moscow may be calculating to exploit.

Romania and NATO allies move to bolster eastern flank air defences after Russian drone breaches airspace. France, Britain, Italy, and Spain have all signalled readiness to contribute, with the US expected to provide radar and surveillance assets.

Sybiha hails new page in Ukraine-Hungary relations as Cyprus launches first EU cluster procedure. The foreign minister credited Budapest's constructive engagement after a minority-rights deal cleared a two-year veto on Kyiv's path to Brussels.

Germany, France, and UK sketch plan to bring Putin to the negotiating table. The final decision on whether to pursue talks rests with Zelenskyy — European allies will not push Kyiv to embrace a strategy it does not agree with.

Russia should want Ukraine in NATO, says Zelenskyy. Speaking at a joint press conference with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte in Kyiv on 3 June, Zelenskyy said Russia would benefit from Ukrainian NATO membership too.

Humanitarian and social impact

"Nuclear blackmail" – IAEA reports attack on power infrastructure tied to Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant. Ukraine says only demilitarization can restore safety at the occupied facility.

ISW: Russia uses Yenakiyeve bus strike claim to legitimize devastating campaign against Ukrainian cities. Pushilin reports 8 killed; Kyiv has not commented as Moscow accelerates retaliation rhetoric and threatens punishment.

Political and legal developments

"This war is your personal choice": Open letter from Zelenskyy to Putin urges end to war, warns Russia faces growing strain. Zelenskyy calls for a ceasefire and leader-level talks, saying Russia is under mounting pressure from losses, sanctions, and internal fatigue.

Sweden orders seizure of Caffa vessel linked to alleged Russian grain theft from occupied Ukraine. Ukrainian officials say the ruling marks a breakthrough in efforts to pursue vessels allegedly involved in extracting grain from occupied regions of Ukraine.

France arrests captain of Russian shadow-fleet tanker seized in Atlantic. The Tagor was boarded in international waters on 31 May after its captain refused to comply with French Navy orders.

"Russia 2050" report with three scenarios for war was presented at Petersburg Economic Forum. "Good" one included nuclear strike and EU disintegration. The "bad" scenario foresees Russia's colonization in 25 years.

Not only Putin: Ukraine charges two Russian commanders who ordered strike that killed three generations of one family. The April 2022 Kh-101 strike on a 16-story residential building in Odesa killed eight people, including three-month-old Kira Hlodan, her mother, and her grandmother.

Read our previous daily review here.

Exclusive

Ukrainian drones used to burn one tanker. Now they can burn the whole train. One rocket-armed Fire Point drone could do eight times the damage of the version flying last month.

"Position of strength": Ukraine has six to nine months to reshape negotiations, says commander of one of top fighting units. His units hold the flank around Sloviansk and force Russia to attack head-on.

Ukrainian operators say their FPV hit Russian truck at record 102 km.

Counter-drone laser tag, small-group tactical training, pre-specialty tracks: Ukraine's updated 51-day basic military training just rolled out. Six Land Forces training centers rolled out the updated course this week, modeled on a private training operation whose head spent the past year criticizing the General Staff.

Ukraine сharges Davor Savičić, Bosnian Serb veteran of Arkan's Tigers, Wagner, and now Russian PMC colonel, with war crimes. Ukraine's SBU charged Bosnian Serb mercenary Davor Savičić, former Arkan's Tiger and Wagner Syria veteran, with torture of civilians in Kyiv Oblast.

Crowdfunded Ukrainian satellite that helped find Russian landing ship Minsk has now delivered 5,900 radar images to intelligence. Ukrainians crowdfunded a $16M satellite in 3 days.

Ukraine launches "Logistics Lockdown" program with $113 million for middle-strike drones against Russian rear. Defense Minister Fedorov said the program will direct funds to brigades that have already been hitting Russian logistics.

Important step during war: Zelenskyy meets his 2019 election opponent Poroshenko face-to-face for first time in years. The shift follows Kyrylo Budanov's January appointment to head the President's Office.

Russia's "falling debris" routine continues as Ukrainian drone hits Tuapse oil terminal for 5th time this spring. The Krasnodar Krai operational HQ described the damage as caused by "falling drone debris."

Why is Russia preparing to ration jet fuel? Refining just hit a 16-year low. The diesel decision is still split among officials. Refiners told to curb foreign sales.

Ukraine targets a Su-34 base, aircraft repair plant, and Black Sea Fleet Air Force HQ in one night. The strikes hit the Taganrog 325 Aircraft Repair Plant, the Voronezh Baltimor airbase, and reportedly the Black Sea Fleet Air Force HQ in occupied Sevastopol.

ISW: a Belarus ground invasion is very unlikely, but Russia may use Belarusian airspace to hit western Ukraine. Belarus has neither massed forces on the Ukrainian border nor would Russia have the reserves to support a Belarusian ground push, per the assessment.

Discount supermarkets and pharmacies dominate Ukraine's resilient companies ranking. New YouControl–Top Lead study shows wartime growth in survival-economy sectors.

Norway pledges $45 million for Ukraine's energy resilience through new EU agreement. Oslo announced the deal on 26 May after Foreign Minister Eide's meeting with European Commissioner Marta Kos in Brussels, with money channelled through the EU's Ukraine Investment Framework.

72 Russian rights abusers face EU asset freezes and travel bans for another year. The framework was established in March 2024 after Navalny's death, in response to Russia's accelerating and systematic repression. EU citizens and companies are barred from funding the sanctioned.

Ukraine is buying the West time and should be in NATO, top Czech commander says. Outgoing Chief of the Czech General Staff Karel Řehka to Euromaidan Press at GLOBSEC Prague.

Ukraine tests VR mental health care across 47 healthcare sites — largest documented deployment of its kind. Aspichi's Luminify system ran 8,884 sessions across 47 organizations in a six-month wartime study.

Poland gets preliminary US approval to produce Russia's Iskander killers — while Ukraine burns through 60 per month on "starvation ration". About 600 PAC-3 MSE interceptors leave US factories each year.

Ukrainian drones now reach so deep that Russia closed its main highway to Crimea. Occupation governor Vladimir Saldo signed the order after Ukrainian mid-range drones began hitting the road Russia's southern military supply depends on.

UK sanctions crypto exchanges and "A7 network" in crackdown on Russian evasion systems. Officials say Moscow has increasingly turned to shadow financial systems and crypto channels to sustain wartime spending as sanctions tighten.

Russia plans broad aviation restrictions as Ukrainian drones keep disrupting airspace. New rules would ban most civilian flights below 5,100 meters across large parts of central Russia, according to aviation associations and industry reports.

The "Behemoth" strike drone – Ukraine's answer to Russia's Shahed. Russia's widespread use of Shahed drones has shaped the war beyond the frontlines, with Ukraine increasingly expanding its own drone-based strike capabilities in response.

"First 500 targets already marked": Ukraine has a response plan if Belarus enters war, says drone forces commander. The comments come amid repeated warnings in Kyiv that Russia is seeking to draw Belarus deeper into the conflict through military coordination and planning discussions.

Russian church courts strip priests of rank for refusing Patriarch Kirill's war prayer. About 50 priests have been documented as targets so far. Several have since had their ranks restored by Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople after lengthy appeals.

UN food aid warehouse in Dnipro struck by Russian Iskander missile, impacting supplies for 130,000 people. Ukraine's Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said the strike reflects continued attacks on humanitarian infrastructure despite repeated international calls to protect aid operations.

After drone incursions in the Baltics, Ukraine's bomb shelter know-how draws official interest. Baltic governments are in early talks with Ukrainian firms on civil defense systems following recent drone incidents in the region.

Belarusian exiled leader and Ukraine's President shook hands in Kyiv — at a 24-country summit. Tsikhanoŭskaya and Zelenskyy discussed Russia's attempts to drag Belarus deeper into the war and Belarusians who live and fight in Ukraine. It was the first in-person meeting between the two leaders.

A Russian banker hid in Brittany as a Ukrainian refugee — France just gave him to Lithuania. Ten months in a Breton village. Now 10.5 years in Vilnius.

Team news

Military

"Position of strength": Ukraine has six to nine months to reshape negotiations, says commander of one of top fighting units. His units hold the flank around Sloviansk and force Russia to attack head-on.

Ukraine targets a Su-34 base, aircraft repair plant, and Black Sea Fleet Air Force HQ in one night. The strikes hit the Taganrog 325 Aircraft Repair Plant, the Voronezh Baltimor airbase, and reportedly the Black Sea Fleet Air Force HQ in occupied Sevastopol.

ISW: a Belarus ground invasion is very unlikely, but Russia may use Belarusian airspace to hit western Ukraine. Belarus has neither massed forces on the Ukrainian border nor would Russia have the reserves to support a Belarusian ground push, per the assessment.

"First 500 targets already marked": Ukraine has a response plan if Belarus enters war, says drone forces commander. The comments come amid repeated warnings in Kyiv that Russia is seeking to draw Belarus deeper into the conflict through military coordination and planning discussions.

Intelligence and technology

Ukrainian drones used to burn one tanker. Now they can burn the whole train. One rocket-armed Fire Point drone could do eight times the damage of the version flying last month.

Ukrainian operators say their FPV hit Russian truck at record 102 km.

Counter-drone laser tag, small-group tactical training, pre-specialty tracks: Ukraine's updated 51-day basic military training just rolled out. Six Land Forces training centers rolled out the updated course this week, modeled on a private training operation whose head spent the past year criticizing the General Staff.

Crowdfunded Ukrainian satellite that helped find Russian landing ship Minsk has now delivered 5,900 radar images to intelligence. Ukrainians crowdfunded a $16M satellite in 3 days.

Ukraine launches "Logistics Lockdown" program with $113 million for middle-strike drones against Russian rear. Defense Minister Fedorov said the program will direct funds to brigades that have already been hitting Russian logistics.

Russia's "falling debris" routine continues as Ukrainian drone hits Tuapse oil terminal for 5th time this spring. The Krasnodar Krai operational HQ described the damage as caused by "falling drone debris."

Why is Russia preparing to ration jet fuel? Refining just hit a 16-year low. The diesel decision is still split among officials. Refiners told to curb foreign sales.

Poland gets preliminary US approval to produce Russia's Iskander killers — while Ukraine burns through 60 per month on "starvation ration". About 600 PAC-3 MSE interceptors leave US factories each year.

Ukrainian drones now reach so deep that Russia closed its main highway to Crimea. Occupation governor Vladimir Saldo signed the order after Ukrainian mid-range drones began hitting the road Russia's southern military supply depends on.

Russia plans broad aviation restrictions as Ukrainian drones keep disrupting airspace. New rules would ban most civilian flights below 5,100 meters across large parts of central Russia, according to aviation associations and industry reports.

The "Behemoth" strike drone – Ukraine's answer to Russia's Shahed. Russia's widespread use of Shahed drones has shaped the war beyond the frontlines, with Ukraine increasingly expanding its own drone-based strike capabilities in response.

International

Norway pledges $45 million for Ukraine's energy resilience through new EU agreement. Oslo announced the deal on 26 May after Foreign Minister Eide's meeting with European Commissioner Marta Kos in Brussels, with money channelled through the EU's Ukraine Investment Framework.

Ukraine is buying the West time and should be in NATO, top Czech commander says. Outgoing Chief of the Czech General Staff Karel Řehka to Euromaidan Press at GLOBSEC Prague.

After drone incursions in the Baltics, Ukraine's bomb shelter know-how draws official interest. Baltic governments are in early talks with Ukrainian firms on civil defense systems following recent drone incidents in the region.

Belarusian exiled leader and Ukraine's President shook hands in Kyiv — at a 24-country summit. Tsikhanoŭskaya and Zelenskyy discussed Russia's attempts to drag Belarus deeper into the war and Belarusians who live and fight in Ukraine. It was the first in-person meeting between the two leaders.

Humanitarian and social impact

Ukraine сharges Davor Savičić, Bosnian Serb veteran of Arkan's Tigers, Wagner, and now Russian PMC colonel, with war crimes. Ukraine's SBU charged Bosnian Serb mercenary Davor Savičić, former Arkan's Tiger and Wagner Syria veteran, with torture of civilians in Kyiv Oblast.

UN food aid warehouse in Dnipro struck by Russian Iskander missile, impacting supplies for 130,000 people. Ukraine's Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said the strike reflects continued attacks on humanitarian infrastructure despite repeated international calls to protect aid operations.

Russian church courts strip priests of rank for refusing Patriarch Kirill's war prayer. About 50 priests have been documented as targets so far. Several have since had their ranks restored by Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople after lengthy appeals.

Ukraine tests VR mental health care across 47 healthcare sites — largest documented deployment of its kind. Aspichi's Luminify system ran 8,884 sessions across 47 organizations in a six-month wartime study.

Political and legal developments

Important step during war: Zelenskyy meets his 2019 election opponent Poroshenko face-to-face for first time in years. The shift follows Kyrylo Budanov's January appointment to head the President's Office.

72 Russian rights abusers face EU asset freezes and travel bans for another year. The framework was established in March 2024 after Navalny's death, in response to Russia's accelerating and systematic repression. EU citizens and companies are barred from funding the sanctioned.

UK sanctions crypto exchanges and "A7 network" in crackdown on Russian evasion systems. Officials say Moscow has increasingly turned to shadow financial systems and crypto channels to sustain wartime spending as sanctions tighten.

A Russian banker hid in Brittany as a Ukrainian refugee — France just gave him to Lithuania. Ten months in a Breton village. Now 10.5 years in Vilnius.

New developments

Discount supermarkets and pharmacies dominate Ukraine's resilient companies ranking. New YouControl–Top Lead study shows wartime growth in survival-economy sectors.

Read our earlier daily review here.

Exclusives

Russian church courts strip priests of rank for refusing Patriarch Kirill’s war prayer. About 50 priests have been documented as targets so far. Several have since had their ranks restored by Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople after lengthy appeals.

A Russian banker hid in Brittany as a Ukrainian refugee—France just gave him to Lithuania. Ten months in a Breton village. Now 10.5 years in Vilnius.

Russia’s new Kyiv strike threat is posturing for the Victory Day humiliation, not retaliation—ISW. EU, France, Poland, and Ukraine answered Moscow's evacuation demand in lockstep. The diplomats are staying.

US pressure flows to Kyiv, Vilnius, and Warsaw—never to Minsk itself. Bombed country rejects relief for the regime hosting Russian drone launches.

Spain pledged €1 billion to Ukraine—then helped block NATO’s plan to count it. Four other allies blocked the metric, and six frameworks now run uncompared.

Why are EU farmers still protesting? Subsidies, not Ukrainian imports. Brussels imposed trade quotas in 2025—the CAP fight is the next one.

Military

"First 500 targets already marked": Ukraine has a response plan if Belarus enters war, says drone forces commander. The comments come amid repeated warnings in Kyiv that Russia is seeking to draw Belarus deeper into the conflict through military coordination and planning discussions.

Ukraine has stabilized the front—next priorities are air defense and anti-ballistic systems, President says. Zelenskyy credited drones, mid-range strikes, and long-range sanctions in his 25 May address. Defensive results in 2026 are better than before, he said.

British-French Storm Shadow missiles took out a Russian command-and-control post on 25 May, per Ukraine. Russia announced a local missile alert in Luhansk around 16:30 on Monday. Ukraine's General Staff disclosed neither the exact target site nor the damage.

"Flash" Beskrestnov on Russia's new threats to strike Kyiv: They have no dynamics on front and need result. Russia again threatens Kyiv with new strikes, but they're partly psychological pressure.

Competition across six manufacturers saves Ukraine 16% on its largest-ever 155mm shell contract. Ukraine redirected money to tens of thousands more shells.

Ukraine destroyed a Russian S-300 launcher, rare radar, and fuel tank cars in occupied Donetsk in one day. Ukraine's Unmanned Systems Forces also struck multiple ammo and logistics depots, a field artillery store, and one of Russia's largest drones, the Merlin-VR reconnaissance UAV, on 24 May 2026.

Russia fails to capture Mala Tokmachka for 1,500 days — longer than Rome's siege of Carthage and three times siege of La Rochelle. The Book of Records of Ukraine has formally certified the position as one of the longest-held front-line defensive stands of the modern Russo-Ukrainian war.

Russia's fourth "Oreshnik" on Ukraine may have struck its own troops in occupied Donetsk Oblast — while first hit Kyiv Oblast. The Ukrainian Air Force confirmed one Oreshnik impact on Ukrainian territory, the strike on Bila Tserkva.

Intelligence and technology

Russia plans broad aviation restrictions as Ukrainian drones keep disrupting airspace. New rules would ban most civilian flights below 5,100 meters across large parts of central Russia, according to aviation associations and industry reports.

The "Behemoth" strike drone – Ukraine's answer to Russia's Shahed. Russia's widespread use of Shahed drones has shaped the war beyond the frontlines, with Ukraine increasingly expanding its own drone-based strike capabilities in response.

Ukrainian drone maker now in contention for US Army contracts: General Chereshnia advanced to second round of Pentagon's $1.1 billion drone competition. Twenty-five companies from around the world participated in the first round at Fort Benning, Georgia, each given two hours to demonstrate their systems to US military personnel.

Ukraine's new air defense system convinces Russian missiles they are in Peru — at one percent cost of Patriot. Lima electronic warfare, Cascade Systems, Night Watch, Alchemist, Patriot PAC-3 alternative, Shahed jamming, Kometa antennas, Lima Quant.

Ukrainian intelligence: Russia's new jet-powered Geran-4 attack drone runs on Chinese turbojets. The Geran-4 has a brand-new reinforced airframe and can pull high-G maneuvers at 300-400 km/h, per Ukraine's military intelligence. It carries up to 90 kg of thermobaric explosives.

International

After drone incursions in the Baltics, Ukraine's bomb shelter know-how draws official interest. Baltic governments are in early talks with Ukrainian firms on civil defense systems following recent drone incidents in the region.

Belarusian exiled leader and Ukraine's President shook hands in Kyiv—at a 24-country summit. Tsikhanoŭskaya and Zelenskyy discussed Russia's attempts to drag Belarus deeper into the war and Belarusians who live and fight in Ukraine. It was the first in-person meeting between the two leaders.

Ukraine offers African nations cooperation across eight sectors from food security to digitalization. Ukraine pledged equal partnership with Africa, where Russia recruits fighters from 36 countries.

Smaller NATO economies already spend 0.25% of GDP on Ukraine. UK, France, Spain, Italy, and Canada block plan to require it. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte had hoped to bring a binding commitment to the Ankara summit: each Alliance member to allocate 0.25% of GDP to military aid for Ukraine.

Humanitarian and social impact

UN food aid warehouse in Dnipro struck by Russian Iskander missile, impacting supplies for 130,000 people. Ukraine's Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said the strike reflects continued attacks on humanitarian infrastructure despite repeated international calls to protect aid operations.

Russia's "BARS-33" campaign is offering Kherson men close-to-home service. Documentation reveals what actually happens. The discharge papers never get signed.

Political and legal developments

UK sanctions crypto exchanges and "A7 network" in crackdown on Russian evasion systems. Officials say Moscow has increasingly turned to shadow financial systems and crypto channels to sustain wartime spending as sanctions tighten.

Russia warns diplomats to leave Kyiv ahead of "systemic strikes" — day after it launched "Oreshnik" missile on region. Russia warned foreign diplomats to leave Kyiv ahead of announced "systemic strikes."

Read our previous daily review here.

Exclusive

Spain pledged €1 billion to Ukraine—then helped block NATO's plan to count it. Four other allies blocked the metric, and six frameworks now run uncompared.

Why are EU farmers still protesting? Subsidies, not Ukrainian imports. Brussels imposed trade quotas in 2025—the CAP fight is the next one.

From hedging to solidarity: how Belarus's exiled opposition came to stand with Ukraine. The latest Belarusian prisoner releases returned key figures to public life. Their positions on Ukraine range from unwavering solidarity to studied ambiguity on Crimea.

France's Macron warned Lukashenka not to drag Belarus into Russia's war. The call was the first since 26 February 2022. Minsk confirmed it took place at Paris's initiative—but the French presidency hasn't yet.

Ukraine wrapped the occupied south in three layers of drones. Russian trucks are burning. Strikes doubled February to March—and the Russians retreated.

Military

"Flash" Beskrestnov on Russia's new threats to strike Kyiv: They have no dynamics on front and need result. Russia again threatens Kyiv with new strikes, but they're partly psychological pressure.

Ukraine destroyed a Russian S-300 launcher, rare radar, and fuel tank cars in occupied Donetsk in one day. Ukraine's Unmanned Systems Forces also struck multiple ammo and logistics depots, a field artillery store, and one of Russia's largest drones, the Merlin-VR reconnaissance UAV, on 24 May 2026.

Russia fails to capture Mala Tokmachka for 1,500 days — longer than Rome's siege of Carthage and three times siege of La Rochelle. The Book of Records of Ukraine has formally certified the position as one of the longest-held front-line defensive stands of the modern Russo-Ukrainian war.

Russia's fourth "Oreshnik" on Ukraine may have struck its own troops in occupied Donetsk Oblast — while first hit Kyiv Oblast. The Ukrainian Air Force confirmed one Oreshnik impact on Ukrainian territory, the strike on Bila Tserkva.

Ukrainian drones lit up a propane train in Russia's Kursk Oblast. The 24 May Lgov District strike caused a gas explosion that forced authorities to move 76 people from neighboring streets.

Ukraine's Sheskharis operation wasn't just about drones: Partisans say they blinded Russia's Novorossiysk air defenses first. ATESH partisans say they blinded Novorossiysk's air defense. Then the drones came.

Intelligence and technology

Ukrainian drone maker now in contention for US Army contracts: General Chereshnia advanced to second round of Pentagon's $1.1 billion drone competition. Twenty-five companies from around the world participated in the first round at Fort Benning, Georgia, each given two hours to demonstrate their systems to US military personnel.

Competition across six manufacturers saves Ukraine 16% on its largest-ever 155mm shell contract. Ukraine redirected money to tens of thousands more shells.

Ukraine's new air defense system convinces Russian missiles they are in Peru — at one percent cost of Patriot. Lima electronic warfare, Cascade Systems, Night Watch, Alchemist, Patriot PAC-3 alternative, Shahed jamming, Kometa antennas, Lima Quant.

Ukrainian intelligence: Russia's new jet-powered Geran-4 attack drone runs on Chinese turbojets. The Geran-4 has a brand-new reinforced airframe and can pull high-G maneuvers at 300-400 km/h, per Ukraine's military intelligence. It carries up to 90 kg of thermobaric explosives.

International

Ukraine offers African nations cooperation across eight sectors from food security to digitalization. Ukraine pledged equal partnership with Africa, where Russia recruits fighters from 36 countries.

Russia warns diplomats to leave Kyiv ahead of "systemic strikes" — day after it launched "Oreshnik" missile on region. Russia warned foreign diplomats to leave Kyiv ahead of announced "systemic strikes."

Smaller NATO economies already spend 0.25% of GDP on Ukraine. UK, France, Spain, Italy, and Canada block plan to require it. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte had hoped to bring a binding commitment to the Ankara summit: each Alliance member to allocate 0.25% of GDP to military aid for Ukraine.

Sviatlana Tsikhanoŭskaya makes her first ever Kyiv visit — her train ticket reads "Przemyśl — Free Kyiv — Free Minsk". The Belarusian opposition leader went directly from the train station to lay flowers at the grave of fallen Belarusian volunteer Maryia Zaitsava.

Political and legal developments

Russia's "BARS-33" campaign is offering Kherson men close-to-home service. Documentation reveals what actually happens. The discharge papers never get signed.

Read our earlier daily review here.

Exclusives

Ukraine wrapped the occupied south in three layers of drones. Russian trucks are burning. Strikes doubled February to March—and the Russians retreated

Tulsi Gabbard, the DNI who called Biden a ‘warmonger’ for backing Ukraine is resigning. Gabbard resigns as US intelligence chief, citing husband's cancer.

Russia threatens NATO member Latvia with retaliation. Rubio calls it “concerning”. Russia's UN ambassador threatened to strike Latvia. The US Secretary of State said the situation raises concerns.

Ukraine’s attack on Moscow: Show of force? Yes. Path of revenge? Not quite.. Moscow's air defense "never coped under the pressure of regular UAVs."

Ukraine’s deputy agriculture minister on the 2026 sowing, the labor crisis, and a sector holding steady under fire. Taras Vysotskyi on the 2026 sowing season, the war’s drag on labor, and a sector that has refused to contract.

EU will return to buying Russian gas once war ends, new Hungarian PM Magyar predicts. The new prime minister told Rzeczpospolita the calculation is set by competitiveness and geography, contrary to the bloc's three-year phase-out plan.

Military

Ukraine targets Russian fuel flows and Black Sea naval assets in coordinated overnight strikes. The General Staff says multiple strategic infrastructure sites were hit over May 23–24.

Ukraine's "long-range sanctions" hit fuel-pumping station supplying central Russia and Moscow region fuel network. The drone attack hit a key Transneft pipeline node in Vladimir Oblast, triggering a large fire.

BREAKING: Russia reportedly struck Kyiv Oblast with Oreshnik intercontinental ballistic missile.

Ukraine warns of possible third "Oreshnik" strike with Kyiv among likely targets — and US Embassy issues security alert.

Ukraine strikes Russia's Sheskharis terminal with 75 million tons of annual oil throughput and 2.5 million cubic meters of tank capacity.

Russian showed his military ID in mud and declared him dead. He survived and went back for gun. He also shot down eight Russian drones in the past few weeks.

Metafrax Chemicals plant, supplying dozens of military facilities, halts operation after Ukraine's strikes 1,700 km inside Russia. Today's strike was Ukraine's one in the series of attacks on the same Russian chemical plant in eight months.

Ukraine strikes "Rubicon" elite Russian drone unit in occupied Luhansk Oblast — while Moscow accuses Kyiv of hitting civilians. Ukraine's General Staff said the overnight strike package included a Russian unit known for drone attacks on Ukrainian civilians.

Ukraine has struck 24 of Russia's 33 largest refineries since 2022, Russian media reports. Only the Omsk and Angarsk refineries, both located east of the Urals, remain outside the strike zone, the publication said.

Intelligence and technology

Russia is now losing 95% of its Shaheds to Ukrainian interception. Moscow's response will be jet-powered variants and border-area targeting. Russia previously lost 12-15% of its Shaheds to Ukrainian air defense. Now Ukraine intercepts 95%.

Russia's 1,392-vessel shadow fleet is now hybrid-warfare tool. It will continue as long as its export capacity remains unharmed. The 1,392-vessel shadow fleet carrying up to 80% of Russia's crude oil maritime exports is the financial backbone of Moscow's wartime economy.

Russia captures Hornet AI drone that Ukraine uses to cut logistics 150 km behind front — without software that makes it work. Russian-language military channels have themselves acknowledged that Hornet strikes are inflicting systematic losses on Russian supply routes.

International

France's Macron warned Lukashenka not to drag Belarus into Russia's war. The call was the first since 26 February 2022. Minsk confirmed it took place at Paris's initiative — but the French presidency hasn't yet.

Trump announces 5,000 US troops to Poland — one week after US froze scheduled combat-team rotation and amid Russia's threat. Meanwhile, Russia began its nuclear drills in Belarus, bordering Poland.

Russia is "directing" Ukrainian drones into NATO territory, Estonian foreign minister says. The minister spoke ahead of an alliance foreign ministers meeting in Helsingborg, Sweden, where colleagues rejected Moscow's claims of Baltic complicity.

Humanitarian and social impact

Kyiv endures massive overnight aerial assault with widespread damage reported across 50 locations, at least 2 dead. Residential areas, schools, markets, and key cultural sites were damaged in an overnight attack.

Russian operators deliberately wound pensioners aged 83, 80, and 69, who can't escape their FPVs in Kherson Oblast. Russian drones wounded an 83-year-old man and killed a 64-year-old woman in her own home.

Russian operator saw funeral procession in Sumy on his screen and steered FPV drone into it, killing one person. A drone hit the bus carrying mourners the day after Ukraine's prosecutors released 11,000 cases of small-drone attacks on civilians.

Ukraine documents 11,000 Russian FPV attacks on civilians, including "double strikes" on same site after medics and firefighters arrive. The cumulative count rose from 2,427 in 2024 to 6,771 in 2025, and is already at 2,010 in the first four months of 2026.

Political and legal developments

Zelenskyy responds to Merz: Ukraine has been defending Europe fully, not with half measures and has to have right to vote in EU. With Orban out of power, Zelenskyy wants full EU membership, not Germany's "associate" compromise.

Ukraine receives remains of Andrii Melnyk, OUN's second head and Sachsenhausen prisoner. He will be reburied at pantheon of heroes. Nazi Germany arrested Melnyk in 1941. He spent 1944 at Sachsenhausen.

Read our previous daily review here.

Exclusive

Tulsi Gabbard, the DNI who called Biden a 'warmonger' for backing Ukraine is resigning. Gabbard resigns as US intelligence chief, citing husband's cancer.

Russia threatens NATO member Latvia with retaliation. Rubio calls it "concerning". Russia's UN ambassador threatened to strike Latvia. The US Secretary of State said the situation raises concerns.

Ukraine's attack on Moscow: Show of force? Yes. Path of revenge? Not quite.. Moscow's air defense "never coped under the pressure of regular UAVs."

Ukraine's deputy agriculture minister on the 2026 sowing, the labor crisis, and a sector holding steady under fire. Taras Vysotskyi on the 2026 sowing season, the war's drag on labor, and a sector that has refused to contract.

EU will return to buying Russian gas once war ends, new Hungarian PM Magyar predicts. The new prime minister told Rzeczpospolita the calculation is set by competitiveness and geography, contrary to the bloc's three-year phase-out plan.

Russia's secret "Skythen" project would station nuclear missiles on seabed, German media report. Investigators have been watching the specialized vessel "Zvezdochka" from Severodvinsk for some time, the broadcasters said.

Military

Ukraine warns of possible third "Oreshnik" strike with Kyiv among likely targets — and US Embassy issues security alert.

Ukraine strikes Russia's Sheskharis terminal with 75 million tons of annual oil throughput and 2.5 million cubic meters of tank capacity.

Russian showed his military ID in mud and declared him dead. He survived and went back for gun. He also shot down eight Russian drones in the past few weeks.

Metafrax Chemicals plant, supplying dozens of military facilities, halts operation after Ukraine's strikes 1,700 km inside Russia. Today's strike was Ukraine's one in the series of attacks on the same Russian chemical plant in eight months.

Ukraine strikes "Rubicon" elite Russian drone unit in occupied Luhansk Oblast — while Moscow accuses Kyiv of hitting civilians. Ukraine's General Staff said the overnight strike package included a Russian unit known for drone attacks on Ukrainian civilians.

Ukraine has struck 24 of Russia's 33 largest refineries since 2022, Russian media reports. Only the Omsk and Angarsk refineries, both located east of the Urals, remain outside the strike zone, the publication said.

Russia's 4th-largest oil refinery in Kstovo halts its main crude unit after 20 May attack. The Lukoil-owned plant's CDU-6 unit, accounting for 53% of refinery capacity, processes 25,700 tonnes of crude per day, Reuters says.

Ukrainian drone strike halts NORSI's main crude unit, Reuters reports. The Lukoil-owned refinery near Kstovo, Russia's second-largest gasoline producer, was hit on 20 May 2026, two industry sources told Reuters.

Intelligence and technology

Russia is now losing 95% of its Shaheds to Ukrainian interception. Moscow's response will be jet-powered variants and border-area targeting. Russia previously lost 12-15% of its Shaheds to Ukrainian air defense. Now Ukraine intercepts 95%.

Russia captures Hornet AI drone that Ukraine uses to cut logistics 150 km behind front — without software that makes it work. Russian-language military channels have themselves acknowledged that Hornet strikes are inflicting systematic losses on Russian supply routes.

Russia is building 10 more launch pads at its Tsymbulova base for jet-powered missile-drones with 1,000 km range. The newest Russian Geran variant "is already approaching the shape of a cruise missile," a UK-based analyst said.

US approves potential $108.1 million sale to sustain Ukraine's FrankenSAM HAWK. Sierra Nevada Corporation will lead the deal, which includes erectable mast trailers and repair services for launchers Ukrainian forces use on the southern front.

Pentagon: Ukraine retook 400 km² after cutting Russian troops off from Elon Musk's Starlink internet. A Ukrainian offensive retook roughly 400 square kilometers of territory in early 2026 after thousands of Starlink terminals used by Russian forces were deactivated, according to a Pentagon Inspector General report.

Russia's 1,392-vessel shadow fleet is now hybrid-warfare tool. It will continue as long as its export capacity remains unharmed. The 1,392-vessel shadow fleet carrying up to 80% of Russia's crude oil maritime exports is the financial backbone of Moscow's wartime economy.

International

Trump announces 5,000 US troops to Poland — one week after US froze scheduled combat-team rotation and amid Russia's threat. Meanwhile, Russia began its nuclear drills in Belarus, bordering Poland.

Russia is "directing" Ukrainian drones into NATO territory, Estonian foreign minister says. The minister spoke ahead of an alliance foreign ministers meeting in Helsingborg, Sweden, where colleagues rejected Moscow's claims of Baltic complicity.

Ukraine's FM Sybiha informs NATO allies of growing Belarus threats at Helsingborg meeting. The foreign minister urged action to deter and prevent the expansion of aggression by Moscow and Minsk at the informal Council on 21 May.

Humanitarian and social impact

Russian operators deliberately wound pensioners aged 83, 80, and 69, who can't escape their FPVs in Kherson Oblast. Russian drones wounded an 83-year-old man and killed a 64-year-old woman in her own home.

Russian operator saw funeral procession in Sumy on his screen and steered FPV drone into it, killing one person. A drone hit the bus carrying mourners the day after Ukraine's prosecutors released 11,000 cases of small-drone attacks on civilians.

Ukraine documents 11,000 Russian FPV attacks on civilians, including "double strikes" on same site after medics and firefighters arrive. The cumulative count rose from 2,427 in 2024 to 6,771 in 2025, and is already at 2,010 in the first four months of 2026.

Political and legal developments

Ukraine receives remains of Andrii Melnyk, OUN's second head and Sachsenhausen prisoner. He will be reburied at pantheon of heroes. Nazi Germany arrested Melnyk in 1941. He spent 1944 at Sachsenhausen.

Putin wants war concluded this year on victorious terms including Donbas, Bloomberg reports. The Russian president also seeks a broader security agreement with Europe that would acknowledge Moscow's territorial gains, sources said.

Read our earlier daily review here.

Exclusives

Ukraine's attack on Moscow: Show of force? Yes. Path of revenge? Not quite.. Moscow's air defense "never coped under the pressure of regular UAVs."

Ukraine's deputy agriculture minister on the 2026 sowing, the labor crisis, and a sector holding steady under fire. Taras Vysotskyi on the 2026 sowing season, the war's drag on labor, and a sector that has refused to contract.

EU will return to buying Russian gas once war ends, new Hungarian PM Magyar predicts. The new prime minister told Rzeczpospolita the calculation is set by competitiveness and geography, contrary to the bloc's three-year phase-out plan.

Russia's secret "Skythen" project would station nuclear missiles on seabed, German media report. Investigators have been watching the specialized vessel "Zvezdochka" from Severodvinsk for some time, the broadcasters said.

Military

Ukraine strikes "Rubicon" elite Russian drone unit in occupied Luhansk Oblast — while Moscow accuses Kyiv of hitting civilians. Ukraine's General Staff said the overnight strike package included a Russian unit known for drone attacks on Ukrainian civilians.

Ukraine has struck 24 of Russia's 33 largest refineries since 2022, Russian media reports. Only the Omsk and Angarsk refineries, both located east of the Urals, remain outside the strike zone, the publication said.

Russia's 4th-largest oil refinery in Kstovo halts its main crude unit after 20 May attack. The Lukoil-owned plant's CDU-6 unit, accounting for 53% of refinery capacity, processes 25,700 tonnes of crude per day, Reuters says.

Ukrainian drone strike halts NORSI's main crude unit, Reuters reports. The Lukoil-owned refinery near Kstovo, Russia's second-largest gasoline producer, was hit on 20 May 2026, two industry sources told Reuters.

Intelligence and technology

Russia's 1,392-vessel shadow fleet is now hybrid-warfare tool. It will continue as long as its export capacity remains unharmed. The 1,392-vessel shadow fleet carrying up to 80% of Russia's crude oil maritime exports is the financial backbone of Moscow's wartime economy.

Russia captures Hornet AI drone that Ukraine uses to cut logistics 150 km behind front — without software that makes it work. Russian-language military channels have themselves acknowledged that Hornet strikes are inflicting systematic losses on Russian supply routes.

Russia is building 10 more launch pads at its Tsymbulova base for jet-powered missile-drones with 1,000 km range. The newest Russian Geran variant "is already approaching the shape of a cruise missile," a UK-based analyst said.

US approves potential $108.1 million sale to sustain Ukraine's FrankenSAM HAWK. Sierra Nevada Corporation will lead the deal, which includes erectable mast trailers and repair services for launchers Ukrainian forces use on the southern front.

Pentagon: Ukraine retook 400 km² after cutting Russian troops off from Elon Musk's Starlink internet. A Ukrainian offensive retook roughly 400 square kilometers of territory in early 2026 after thousands of Starlink terminals used by Russian forces were deactivated, according to a Pentagon Inspector General report.

International

Tulsi Gabbard, the DNI who called Biden a 'warmonger' for backing Ukraine is resigning. Gabbard resigns as US intelligence chief, citing husband's cancer.

Russia threatens NATO member Latvia with retaliation. Rubio calls it "concerning". Russia's UN ambassador threatened to strike Latvia. The US Secretary of State said the situation raises concerns.

Trump announces 5,000 US troops to Poland — one week after US froze scheduled combat-team rotation and amid Russia's threat. Meanwhile, Russia began its nuclear drills in Belarus, bordering Poland.

Russia is "directing" Ukrainian drones into NATO territory, Estonian foreign minister says. The minister spoke ahead of an alliance foreign ministers meeting in Helsingborg, Sweden, where colleagues rejected Moscow's claims of Baltic complicity.

Ukraine's FM Sybiha informs NATO allies of growing Belarus threats at Helsingborg meeting. The foreign minister urged action to deter and prevent the expansion of aggression by Moscow and Minsk at the informal Council on 21 May.

Czech president to Europe: Ukraine isn't a charity case, it's your defense laboratory. Czech president opens GLOBSEC with warning against "bad peace."

Humanitarian and social impact

Ukraine documents 11,000 Russian FPV attacks on civilians, including "double strikes" on same site after medics and firefighters arrive. The cumulative count rose from 2,427 in 2024 to 6,771 in 2025, and is already at 2,010 in the first four months of 2026.

Political and legal developments

Ukraine receives remains of Andrii Melnyk, OUN's second head and Sachsenhausen prisoner. He will be reburied at pantheon of heroes. Nazi Germany arrested Melnyk in 1941. He spent 1944 at Sachsenhausen.

Putin wants war concluded this year on victorious terms including Donbas, Bloomberg reports. The Russian president also seeks a broader security agreement with Europe that would acknowledge Moscow's territorial gains, sources said.

Ukraine uncovers $1.6 million food-procurement scheme: defense official "forgets" quality-check clause on $9.1 million in contracts. Soldiers got rations mixing quality items with expired food.

Read our earlier daily review here.

Exclusives

Ukraine is lofting its AI drones 8,000 meters up—then letting them glide into Russia. With help from a balloon, a Hornet AI drone could double its striking range.

Ukraine threw out the international rulebook after firefighters stood helpless against burning mined forests. The international demining playbook does not cover Russia’s war—Ukraine is writing one as it goes.

Ukraine’s traditional vyshyvanka embroidered shirt submitted for UNESCO cultural heritage recognition. The embroidered shirt has become one of the country’s strongest cultural symbols both at home and abroad.

Philippines sends 40 generators to Ukraine through EU scheme as relationship deepens. Manila ships Ukraine 40 generators through the EU's rescEU framework — deepening a Manila-Kyiv relationship that didn't exist before Zelenskyy's 2024 visit.

Why Ukraine could not have held a wartime election on 15 May—the operational figures behind a lapsed deadline. Numbers from Ukraine’s own election commission, walked through at the Lviv Media Forum last week, explained why a 15 May vote was never possible.

Putin and Xi signed “multipolar world” declaration that teads as repudiation of what Russia is doing in Ukraine. The declaration's principles include respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all states.

Putin’s top foreign-policy aide disavows “Spirit of Anchorage” Kremlin has pushed for months after Putin’s visit to Beijing. In October he publicly defended the "spirit of Anchorage." Today he said he never used the phrase.

Kazakh court authorizes forced collection of $1.4 billion from Gazprom for Ukraine’s Naftogaz. A Zurich-seated tribunal ordered Gazprom to pay $1.37 billion in principal for unpaid transit services in June 2025.

Russia’s drones are trying to dogfight. They probably can’t beat F-16s—but An-28s should worry. Lag in Russia's command network protects fast jets. Helicopters less so

Russia threatens Latvia with “just retribution.” Von der Leyen calls it “absolutely unacceptable”. Latvia's government already resigned last week over its handling of the incursions.

Military

Ukrainian forces seize tactical initiative across frontline, Syrskyi says. Ukrainian counterattacks have liberated more than 400 square kilometers of southern Ukraine in winter and spring 2026, with further gains in Kupiansk and Zaporizhzhia.

"In 2022, offensive came from territory of Belarus": Zelenskyy announces stronger northern defenses and "other things". The message was direct: funding for all defensive measures on the Chernihiv–Kyiv axis is available.

Ukrainian strike on Russian FSB and Pantsir-S1 kills or injures around 100 Russian troops – Zelenskyy says. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced the strike in a Facebook video and attributed it to the SBU's Special Operations Center "A."

Partisans burned locomotive in Saint Petersburg, disrupting key rail routes in Russia's northwestern logistics network, ATESH claims. The partisan network claims the engine was used for oil cargo transport and taken out of service after the attack.

Fire breaks out at Syzran oil refinery as drone attack hits Samara region. One processing unit was burning at the plant, which is involved in supplying Russia's armed forces, Telegram channels reported.

Russia-Belarus nuclear drills end with simulated launches; targets not made public. Russia and Belarus jointly released a video on 21 May showing nuclear munitions arriving at field storage points.

Russian overnight strikes kill two in Kharkiv and Chernihiv oblasts. Ukraine's Air Force said it intercepted 109 of 117 weapons launched; the missile and five drones struck targets across the country.

After more than 1,200 Russian strikes on Ukraine's railway, Ukrzaliznytsia says this summer will be hardest. Since the full-scale invasion began, roughly 17,300 railway infrastructure facilities and pieces of rolling stock have been affected.

Intelligence and technology

Ukraine's Blyskavka kamikaze drone gets new detail that gave 30% to its range. Around $880 buys a Ukrainian drone that flies 80 kilometers and carries an 8-kilogram warhead.

Kyiv moves to scale low-cost interceptor missiles to counter cost imbalance in defending against Russian Shahed strikes. Ukraine says low-cost air defense systems are now doubling interception rates while cutting reliance on expensive missiles.

Russia is preparing new campaign through 15+ Western "proxy outlets" to undermine Ukraine's external support, Ukrainian Foreign Intelligence says. EU media monitors have documented one of the named outlets calling Ukraine "a puppet state founded and run by the CIA."

International

Ukraine's demining equipment manufacturers get access to two new markets through Japan. Ukraine is exporting demining expertise to Colombia, and now Syria.

Latvia issues drone alert over three eastern municipalities, deploys additional air defense. Latvia's military told residents in the Ludza, Krāslava, and Rēzekne municipalities to follow the two-wall principle and call 112.

Poland's defense minister tells Kyiv: be "more precise" with drone strikes. Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz delivered the message from a press conference in Estonia, blaming Russian electronic warfare for redirecting Ukrainian flight paths and warning that Moscow is mining each Baltic incident for propaganda.

Humanitarian and social impact

"Human safari" and double strikes on medics: Ukraine's UN envoy lays out the case to boot Russia from the Security Council. Civilian casualties in Ukraine rose 93% in 2026 compared to 2024, making the first four months of this year the deadliest for Ukrainian civilians since the war began.

Political and legal developments

Russia forced Ukrainians to build military fortifications: Ukraine submits new materials on 1,800 prisoners to ICC. When Russia retreated from Kherson in November 2022, it took 2,000 Ukrainian prisoners with it. Most are still there.

Ukraine lets local governments directly fund community air defense units, expanding decentralization efforts. Local governments will now be able to finance territorial air defense groups operating under Air Force coordination.

Merz proposes interim EU "associate member" status for Ukraine. Berlin's plan would extend the bloc's mutual defense clause and partial budget access during wartime, with a snap-back clause if rule-of-law standards slip.

Read our previous daily review here.

In Ukrainian villages where Russian Shahed drones come down regularly, children have begun disassembling them with screwdrivers to harvest microchips—and Ukraine has had to invent a new category of demining work to handle them, one that the international playbook does not recognize.

When mine awareness teams went into the local schools to warn the children away, the children asked them something the teams had not prepared for: please, teach us how to do this safely. The risk—live munitions don’t always detonate on impact—is obvious.

Ihor Bezkaravainyi told Euromaidan Press the country has had to write its own playbook. Ukraine’s deputy minister responsible for humanitarian demining said the International Mine Action Standards (IMAS), the global rulebook for cleaning up after wars, do not contain a chapter on what to do when a child takes a screwdriver and a bicycle into a contaminated field.

Prohibition does not work

The standards distinguish between humanitarian demining—the structured, methodical process of clearing land with sappers and dogs—and now, in Bezkaravainyi’s framing, what he calls operational demining: the fast government response that has to follow immediately after a strike, before formal clearance procedures even begin.

The category did not exist in international practice. “If a Shahed lands in a cultivated field, no chapter in IMAS tells you what to do next,” he said. “It does not exist.”

The first reaction from international specialists, Bezkaravainyi said, was that the children should be strictly prohibited from approaching the drones.

“In theory, yes,” he said. “In practice, a child takes a bicycle, rides into a field, and starts working on a Shahed with a screwdriver. Prohibition does not work. We have to engage with reality.”

The children-and-Shaheds case is not the only place where the international playbook has run out of answers in Ukraine. Two years ago, Ukraine built its national demining priorities by following the IMAS sequence: first infrastructure, then socially important sites, then economic activities, then everything else, including natural parks and forests. It looked like common sense.

Uneven innovation

Then last summer, the wildfires started. Firefighting trucks could not get through mined roads. In Kharkiv Oblast, helicopters could not deploy because the front line was too close. Ukraine lost both firefighters and forest in the Kharkiv wildfires. “We lost two years on the forests,” Bezkaravainyi said. “Now we are starting again from scratch.”

In this war, innovation has been remarkably effective on the killing side—Russian Shahed drones, fiber-optic FPV strikes, AI-targeted artillery.

Explore further

Drone interceptor was last year’s innovation. Ukraine has already moved on

On the cleanup side, the picture is bleaker. Small plastic mines cannot be identified by drones or satellites. TM-62 anti-tank mines cannot be excavated by machines without human work afterward. Demining machines do not actually demine—they identify, and humans clear.

The real innovation in cleanup, Bezkaravainyi said, is in data analysis: knowing where not to look, so resources do not go to land that was never mined. “Innovation works very well for killing in this war,” he said. “Less well for cleaning up after it.”

The 20-kilometer zone along the front line, Bezkaravainyi noted, is not described in any existing international standard. “And the modern war is not yet described in any mine action standard,” he said. “We are writing the standards as we go.”

Ukraine has submitted the tradition of the Ukrainian embroidered shirt, the vyshyvanka, for inclusion on UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, Deputy Prime Minister and Culture Minister Tetyana Berezhna announced on 21 May, marked in Ukraine as Vyshyvanka Day.

The vyshyvanka has long been regarded as one of the most recognizable symbols of Ukrainian national identity. Different regions of Ukraine developed distinct embroidery techniques, colors, and ornament styles, many carrying local historical, spiritual, and cultural meanings.

Berezhna called the submission a “historic step” for preserving and promoting Ukrainian culture internationally. 

UNESCO nomination enters international review

According to her statement, the nomination dossier has already been transferred to UNESCO’s Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage by Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry and the country’s permanent delegation to UNESCO.

“The embroidered shirt is one of the strongest symbols of Ukrainian identity,” Berezhna said. She described the vyshyvanka as a tradition that connects generations, regions, and millions of Ukrainians living both in Ukraine and abroad.

The minister emphasized that embroidered shirts remain deeply tied to family and personal history in Ukraine, often passed down between generations and preserved as symbols of connection to home and heritage.

Traditional embroidery remains part of modern culture 

Berezhna also stressed that the vyshyvanka continues to evolve as part of modern Ukrainian culture. 

Traditional embroidery patterns are increasingly reinterpreted by Ukrainian designers, while vyshyvankas have appeared at international cultural events, on fashion runways, and in wardrobes around the world.

Museums, researchers, and designers joined the nomination effort 

She said the nomination was prepared through cooperation between government institutions, museums, researchers, cultural organizations, artists, and businesses involved in preserving and promoting Ukrainian embroidery traditions.

Among the organizations involved in the submission process were the National Museum of Folk Architecture and Life of Ukraine, cultural research institutions, regional cultural centers, and organizers of World Vyshyvanka Day.

Berezhna said the international recognition process is important because “the world must know that the vyshyvanka is Ukrainian.”

A quarter of Ukraine’s polling stations are out of action. Nearly a million of its voters are at the front. Five to seven and a half million live abroad as refugees. A single Russian missile alert can shut every working polling station in the country at once. The 15 May presidential election deadline Washington pushed came and went without a vote—on Kyiv’s own arithmetic, it was never operable.

Those were the figures the sociologist Tymofii Brik walked through at the Lviv Media Forum last week, in a live recording of the “Sociology Showed” podcast with Babel editor-in-chief Kateryna Kobernyk. This is the operational answer.

Explore further

Contents

• 10% now, 23% after a ceasefire, 59% only at peace—Ukraine’s verdict on a wartime vote hasn’t moved all year
  1. Names and dates
  2. Historical examples
  3. Plausible and implausible dates
  4. Why Ukraine’s Cabinet drafted a resolution to fire its anti-corruption chief—and why it never came to a vote?
  5. The man who jailed NABU detectives over Russian ties has Russian ties himself
  6. Tymoshenko has survived every era. This one has recordings.

10% now, 23% after a ceasefire, 59% only at peace—Ukraine’s verdict on a wartime vote hasn’t moved all year

Names and dates

The figures have a name and a date. Ukraine’s deputy chief election commissioner, Serhiy Dubovyk, told CNN in December that 75% of the country’s polling stations are functional. The total on Ukraine’s State Voter Register is 33,258, which puts the missing quarter at more than 8,000 polling stations, concentrated in occupied territory and the front-line oblasts.

A free, safe national vote, Dubovyk added, would need at least six months of preparation before the first ballot box opened. He has been repeating those numbers to Western reporters ever since.

Where Kyiv’s agency reaches, the picture has moved. The State Voter Register reopened to full use on 1 January 2026, the first time since Russia’s full-scale invasion. It now holds approximately 33 million people, of whom five to seven and a half million live abroad—with only 104 foreign polling stations registered to serve them—and more than 1.4 million lack official registration.

The Central Election Commission has been preparing the technical groundwork, and a parliamentary working group has been deliberating on the post-war framework.

Electronic voting, sometimes floated as a shortcut, has no legal framework and no system built, and Russia’s cyberattacks on Ukrainian state infrastructure make any rushed deployment uniquely dangerous. Where Kyiv’s agency does not reach—the line of contact, the refugee camps, the polling halls in occupied or shelled cities—the war freezes the picture.

Historical examples

Other wartime democracies have voted before. Britain held a general election in July 1945; Israel has voted through several conflicts; Ukraine itself voted in May 2014, months after Russia’s first invasion.

The difference Ukrainian institutions point to is operational, not ideological. A nationwide air-raid alarm goes up every time a Russian MiG-31K—the Kinzhal’s carrier aircraft—takes off, because the missile can hit any part of Ukraine within minutes once launched; every working polling station shuts at once when the alarm sounds, and an entire election day can be lost if the alert runs for hours.

Ukraine’s election-monitoring Civil Network OPORA, together with more than 400 civil society organizations, has declared that elections cannot be held under those conditions without sustainable peace.

Davyd Arakhamia, the Servant of the People parliamentary faction leader who in January proposed a 90-day post-ceasefire vote, made the same case to RBC-Ukraine: Ukraine has “no modern experience—organizationally, politically, or economically. Honestly, we are not really ready for this right now.”

Plausible and implausible dates

The legal calendar adds its own months. Parliament extended martial law for the 19th time on 30 April 2026; it now runs until 2 August 2026. Under a cross-party framework agreed in November 2023, no first post-war election can be called sooner than six months after martial law lifts.

By the CEC’s rules, no plausible Ukrainian vote arrives before spring 2027—and a realistic one, later. Until then, the constitution extends a sitting president’s powers until a successor is sworn in, so the absence of a vote does not create a legal vacuum.

Through the winter, Washington—its deadline tied to the American midterm calendar—and a chorus of foreign commentators pressed Kyiv to hold a vote on a deadline that, on Ukraine’s own arithmetic, was never operable. Asked the same question by Ukrainian pollsters, only one in ten voters wanted elections now. The 15 May deadline came and went.

At the Lviv Media Forum last week, Brik laid out the political answer, and Kobernyk pushed back. The operational one—the figures Dubovyk gave CNN in December—is still the one Ukraine’s election commission has.

Exclusives

Russia's air-to-air Shaheds probably can't hit F-16s—but the slow planes are exposed. Lag in Russia's command network protects fast jets. Helicopters less so

Russia threatens Latvia with "just retribution." Von der Leyen calls it "absolutely unacceptable". Latvia's government already resigned last week over its handling of the incursions.

US presses Ukraine to ease Belarus sanctions—and lobby Europe to follow. The country struck by drones launched from Belarus is being asked to argue for softer sanctions on the regime that hosts them.

Russian mines cost Ukraine $11 billion every year. Clearing them is the work of decades. Deputy Minister Ihor Bezkaravainyi, who lost his leg to a mine in 2015, on clearing Russia's mines from Ukraine.

Beijing endorses Moscow's 'root causes' framing on Ukraine in Putin-Xi joint statement. The summit produced no agreed timeline for the long-stalled Power of Siberia 2 gas pipeline.

ISW: Russia prepares the ground for Baltic aggression as its spy agency threatens Latvian "decision-making centers". Russia's SVR threatens Latvian military bases over Ukrainian drone claims Riga denies. ISW warns Moscow is manufacturing a pretext for Baltic aggression.

Wounded warriors can wait months for evacuation. Ukrainians are trying to solve this—here's how. From UGVs to experimental hexcopters

Military

Russia has five scenarios for its potential offensive from north of Ukraine, says Zelenskyy. Ukraine is tracking five Russian scenarios for expanding the war via the northern border and reinforcing its forces in the area.

Six of ten Russian refineries hit by Ukraine's Unmanned Systems Forces in May have stopped operating. Tuapse is indefinitely closed.

Drones strike Lukoil's Kstovo refinery, hitting primary crude unit. The plant is among Russia's largest fuel producers and supplies the Moscow region; it was also targeted on 18 May.

Ukraine must choose strike targets more precisely, Polish defense minister says. Kosiniak-Kamysz spoke a day after Estonia shot down a drone of likely Ukrainian origin near Lake Võrtsjärv.

Intelligence and technology

Russia's drone-air-defense arms race now includes depleted uranium — Ukraine found it in Geran-2 warhead. Depleted uranium is widely used in Russian conventional munitions. The change is mounting it on a drone to kill the helicopters defending against the drones.

360-degree armored capsule, V-shaped anti-blast underbody, thermal night-vision: Ukraine gets 20 Roshel Senator MRAPs. Russia's drones are hunting demining crews now, not just buried ordnance. This batch comes in an MRAP variant Ukrainian feedback helped design.

Ukraine's new Stinger training simulator lets crews drill without firing missile that costs $120,000–150,000. Global stocks are aging, too. The simulator means crews can train without firing one.

Every paid-for PURL weapon is reaching Ukraine, including air-defense interceptors, NATO's top operational military commander says. NATO Supreme Allied Commander Europe General Alexus Grynkewich told reporters in Brussels on 19 May that the program now totals nearly $5.5 billion in allied pledges.

International

Russia threatens Latvia with "just retribution." Von der Leyen calls it "absolutely unacceptable". Latvia's government already resigned last week over its handling of the incursions.

US presses Ukraine to ease Belarus sanctions—and lobby Europe to follow. The country struck by drones launched from Belarus is being asked to argue for softer sanctions on the regime that hosts them.

Beijing endorses Moscow's 'root causes' framing on Ukraine in Putin-Xi joint statement. The summit produced no agreed timeline for the long-stalled Power of Siberia 2 gas pipeline.

ISW: Russia prepares the ground for Baltic aggression as its spy agency threatens Latvian "decision-making centers". Russia's SVR threatens Latvian military bases over Ukrainian drone claims Riga denies. ISW warns Moscow is manufacturing a pretext for Baltic aggression.

Pentagon cuts US combat brigades in Europe from four to three—Poland deployment "temporarily delayed". The drawdown follows a separate decision two weeks ago to withdraw 5,000 US troops from Germany.

Lithuania scrambles NATO jets and shuts Vilnius airport over drone from Belarus. It is the third Baltic air alert in four days, after a Romanian jet downed a stray Ukrainian drone over Estonia on 19 May.

IFMA restores Russian and Belarusian flags and anthems at every muaythai championship and age category. Wrestling, gymnastics, judo, sambo, and taekwondo have already done the same; World Aquatics has postponed the same step.

Putin's top foreign-policy aide disavows "Spirit of Anchorage" Kremlin has pushed for months after Putin's visit to Beijing. In October he publicly defended the "spirit of Anchorage." Today he said he never used the phrase.

Humanitarian and social impact

Russian drone collapses Konotop apartment floors, destroys museum as strikes hit at least six regions. Russia hit six Ukrainian regions overnight 20 May, collapsing floors of a Konotop apartment building and killing two in Dnipro.

A Russian drone killed their parents. Soldiers found two children in a Dobropillia basement. Officially, the city had no children left to evacuate.

Russia is holding about 1,000 Ukrainians in indefinite detention and offering only one horrible way out. Russia stopped deporting foreigners in 2022. Around 1,000 Ukrainians now sit in indefinite detention.

Russian mines cost Ukraine $11 billion every year. Clearing them is the work of decades. Deputy Minister Ihor Bezkaravainyi, who lost his leg to a mine in 2015, on clearing Russia's mines from Ukraine.

After more than 1,200 Russian strikes on Ukraine's railway, Ukrzaliznytsia says this summer will be hardest. Since the full-scale invasion began, roughly 17,300 railway infrastructure facilities and pieces of rolling stock have been affected.

Political and legal developments

Kazakh court authorizes forced collection of $1.4 billion from Gazprom for Ukraine's Naftogaz. A Zurich-seated tribunal ordered Gazprom to pay $1.37 billion in principal for unpaid transit services in June 2025.

Russian court sentences Ukrainian woman to 12 years for wiring money to Ukraine's Armed Forces. Russian court sentences Ukrainian woman to 12 years for financing Ukraine's army via 78 transfers. Her Russian accomplice received 14 years for state treason.

New developments

Russia is preparing new campaign through 15+ Western "proxy outlets" to undermine Ukraine's external support, Ukrainian Foreign Intelligence says. EU media monitors have documented one of the named outlets calling Ukraine "a puppet state founded and run by the CIA."

Read our earlier daily review here.

Exclusives

Wounded warriors can wait months for evacuation. Ukrainians are trying to solve this—here's how. From UGVs to experimental hexcopters

From job offers to "meat assaults": The deception of Russia's foreign fighters. A joint human rights report reveals that Russia's global recruitment system increasingly relies on deception, coercion, and economic desperation to funnel tens of thousands of foreign nationals into high-intensity combat in Ukraine.

After Trump's exit, Putin enters Beijing — with a gas price gap and Ukraine on the table. Putin visits Beijing days after Trump, seeking a $50 vs $258 gas price deal, Ukraine signals, and reassurance that China's US thaw won't sideline Moscow.

Even the FSB knows you won't believe it—so Russia now lies only to Russians. A Ukrainian military intelligence official maps how Russian disinformation flipped—from flooding Ukraine to feeding Russians.

Xi pledged to stop arming Iran—US intelligence warns the weapons still flow. Xi pledged to stop arming Iran, but US intelligence says covert Chinese weapons shipments continue via third countries—no deal, no monitors signed.

Is Ukraine about to repeat Hitler´s mistake with the London Blitz?. Is Ukraine about to adopt Russia´s playbook - bringing the war home by striking civilian infrastructure? The author argues that this would be an strategic mistake. But the West is not helping Ukraine.

Ukraine's homemade glide bomb may have an edge over the American and French ones. It took more than a year of development, but Ukraine's new precision glide bomb is finally ready for action.

Military

Flash warns air defense crews not to wait for orders, as Russia is now hunting them with real-time-piloted Shaheds. He also warned crews not to fire carelessly and reveal their location.

Ukraine strikes Kstovo refinery, supplying 30% of Moscow Oblast's gasoline 800 km from border. It is at least the third strike since November on the same refinery.

Drone hits Yaroslavl refinery for third time in two weeks as Russia's fourth-largest oil plant burns again. Yaroslavl governor confirms Ukrainian drone struck industrial facility on 19 May; fire contained, no casualties, six Russian airports closed.

"There was fear": Colombian "Tornado" held frontline position in Ukraine for 110 days, repelling relentless Russian attacks. He's blunt about why he came — a good cause, and the money. He's just as blunt about the rest.

Border drill: Belarus district near Ukraine rehearses rocket strike making mass casualties. Belarus border district drills for rocket strikes, mass casualties and utility blackouts as Zelenskyy warns of Russian attacks launched from Belarusian soil.

Intelligence and technology

Ukraine shows sea drone carrying 27 AI-guided interceptors built to kill Russia's Shaheds in air. The Katran X1.2 is 9 meters long, powered by a 350-horsepower engine.

US wants Ukraine's AI-assisted targeting, GPS-free navigation, and IP to reproduce it, but Zelenskyy has red line. Ukraine plans 3 million attack drones this year; the US built 300,000 last year, and now wants the technology to reproduce them.

Beijing is far more directly involved in war than previously understood: China secretly trained 200 Russian troops in 2025. Chinese troops have trained in Russia since 2024. Russians training in China is the new part.

Ukraine trains demining specialists to use unique drone-mounted magnetometers. The sapper no longer walks the field — the drone does, reading the soil's magnetic shifts.

Frontline tool Ukraine can't fight without: 5,000 pickups now procured through largest-ever open tender. The Defense Procurement Agency will run the process in stages through framework agreements, with first deliveries expected by end of year.

Ukraine announces its first "Equalizer" for asymmetric warfare: 250 kg warhead, no donor restrictions, third of US JDAM-ER cost. Until now Ukraine had no domestic precision glide bomb, relying on scarce Western donations, such as JDAM-ER kits, ATACMS, Storm Shadow, and SCALP-EG.

Ukrainian soldier says supplier swapped ordered drone batteries for cheaper cells that risk thermal runaway at front. He had to slice open the casing himself to find out, and what was inside was not what the contract specified.

International

First Ukrainian drone shot down over Estonia: Kyiv apologizes, accusing Russian jamming. MFA: "Moscow is doing this deliberately."

Estonia downs first drone over its own territory – and suspects it was Ukrainian. Estonia shot down a drone over Lake Võrtsjärv for the first time. Defense Minister Pevkur suspects Ukrainian origin. Latest in a series of Baltic drone incidents.

Xi told Trump Putin could come to regret the Ukraine war, FT reports. First time Xi has offered such an assessment to a US president, per FT sources.

US extends Russian-oil waiver for second time — one Bessent had told allies he wouldn't make.

Humanitarian and social impact

Russian drone tears off 68-year-old man's leg in Kherson's daily "human safari". Two more people were killed and 14 wounded across Kherson Oblast in the same 24 hours.

"One person may still be under the rubble": Kharkiv struck by back-to-back drone raids, 25+ homes damaged. Russian drones struck Kharkiv twice overnight on 19 May, damaging 25+ homes and injuring three people, as part of a 209-UAV assault across Ukraine.

Russia is holding at least 100 people in occupied Crimea with no contact with outside world and no lawyer — and no trials. For the same charges that brought 7–10 years before 2022, courts now hand down 10–20, a Ukrainian rights monitor says.

Political and legal developments

Russia's four-month budget deficit hit $75.4 billion — 50% above what Moscow planned for entire year. Ukrainian PM says even high oil prices aren't saving Russia. The IMF, citing those same prices, just raised its Russia forecast.

New developments

Ukrainian teenager tops 248 girls from 67 countries to win first-ever gold at European informatics Olympiad. Ukraine also brought home 2 silvers + bronze.

Read our earlier daily review here.

For most of the past 12 years, the test of a Russian fake was simple: did it travel inside Ukraine? In 2014, around the annexation of Crimea and the attack on Donbas, it usually did.

The 2014 “crucified boy” story—a staged eyewitness on state-owned Channel One who claimed Ukrainian troops had nailed a three-year-old to a board on a square in Sloviansk and then dragged his mother behind a tank—moved through Russian and Ukrainian feeds before journalists at Novaya Gazeta took it apart within a day, and before anyone noted that the square it described does not exist in that city. The story was false, but it still worked, because Ukrainian society had not yet built the reflex to stop it.

On the stage of the Lviv Media Forum on 15 May 2026, a serving Ukrainian intelligence official described a machine that has largely given up on doing that—not because it was defeated, but because it stopped working, and because Russia found other uses for it.

The speaker was Andrii Yusov, Representative for Strategic Communications of the Defense Intelligence of Ukraine (HUR), in a conversation with communications expert Yarema Dukh.

The fakes that no longer travel

This was an asymmetric war from the first day, Yusov said. Putin’s Russia had spent years preparing—first for hybrid aggression, then for full-scale war—and it arrived with more than artillery and missiles: networks of agents, budgets for information operations, and the experience of running them.

At the start of the hybrid aggression, Yusov argued, Russia’s fake machine overpowered Ukraine’s information space far more than that space could push back. Society’s critical resilience was lower. A fabrication could enter and travel. That has narrowed sharply since.

“The penetration of Russian fakes into the Ukrainian information space, and into the European one, has become much smaller than it was in 2014,” Yusov told the forum. “There is more critical reflex now. A great deal simply does not reach people, or it reaches them and does not catch. The reaction has become: this is obvious nonsense, why would I even respond to it?”

What that machine produces now, he said, is increasingly aimed inward. A separate category of fakes is forming, made exclusively for the domestic Russian audience—what he called a continuation of the North Korea-ization of Russia’s future. It is no longer built for Ukrainians or for Europeans.

“Even the FSB understands that Ukrainians will not consume this and Europeans will not consume it,” he said. “But the willingness of Russia’s own population to keep enduring, to keep suffering, to keep listening to Putin, to keep sending its children to his war—that has to be sustained with something. This is part of what sustains it.”

That is where the 2014 atrocity story comes back, with sequels. The crucified-boy theme has been revived, Yusov said, with characters from a Soviet-era children’s film—ones several generations grew up with—deployed to retell it: a supposed sister added, a mother said to have been tortured and killed by Ukrainians, fresh detail accreting the way a television series adds seasons, because for that audience, that is exactly what it is.

The honest reading of a large share of current Russian output, on his account, is that it is no longer an attempt to convince Ukraine of anything. It is maintenance work on the Russian public’s tolerance for the war.

From inventing to inflating

Producing original content that actually lands inside Ukrainian society has become harder and harder for Russia, Yusov said, and that constraint has changed the method. When fabrication from scratch stops working, what remains is to take a crisis phenomenon that already exists, scale it, and, where useful, attach stories that do not exist at all.

His example was the one running that week: a supposed migration crisis. Ukraine does not have a migrant problem, he said. No one has seen queues of people trying to enter. The economy has a real and continuing need for labor, but that is a question to be managed, not a crisis.

The monitoring matches that. A coordinated anti-migrant information wave surged across Ukrainian social media this spring, with Ukraine’s Center for Strategic Communications recording more than 21,600 posts pushing anti-migrant rhetoric across roughly 14,000 sources between 1 and 10 May, concentrated on Facebook and Telegram and amplified with anxiety-inducing images and video.

The official data tells a different story: in the first quarter of 2026, the State Migration Service issued only 675 migration permits and canceled 445, figures that describe a very limited inflow rather than a flood. Among the “evidence” circulated was a doctored clip of a former regional administration head, edited to make him appear to promise foreigners benefits and positions—a fabrication fact-checkers had already debunked.

The mechanism runs two objectives in parallel, Yusov said. The first is to destabilize the situation inside Ukraine as far as possible. If that fails, the fallback still pays off: discredit Ukrainian society and Ukraine’s military and political leadership in front of Western partner societies, so that coalition support weakens and aid slows. The migration theme, he noted, is one that Russian services have used for a long time in their hybrid war against the European Union, not only against Ukraine.

The danger, Yusov said, is that these subjects are genuinely sensitive and can be born inside Ukraine’s own society, not only injected from outside, which makes it hard to see who is acting in whose interest. The single real problem, he said, is Russia and the continuation of this war; everything else is a distraction.

The asymmetry and the offset

Given that head start, Dukh asked how the Ukrainian side had held the information line at all.

Because of the kind of war this is for Ukraine, Yusov answered—a just defensive war, a war for independence. The consolidation of society pulled an enormous number of people—the creative class, a new generation, civil society, and partners around the world—into the security and defense effort, helping with open-source analysis, information campaigns, and cybersecurity tool development. Ukraine resisted effectively, despite fewer resources, against a larger but more outdated apparatus.

There is also a difference that is hard to manufacture, he said. “At certain moments, we simply made Putin ridiculous. Ukrainians can take a frightening Russian army and frightening aggression and metabolize it with harsh, painful humor, and then send that back out to the world. We can also turn it very brutally on ourselves. Russians unlearned how to laugh at themselves a long time ago, because there you are jailed for it—and that makes a whole class of their operations harder to pull off.”

He pointed to concrete results. The “I Want to Live” project, run by Ukraine’s Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War with the Defense Ministry and military intelligence, gives Russian soldiers a route to surrender under the Geneva Conventions through a 24-hour hotline, a Russian-language website, and a Telegram chatbot.

A companion service, “I Want to Find,” lets Russian families trace relatives taken prisoner or killed in Ukraine. The surrender site has drawn tens of millions of visits, the vast majority from inside Russia, and Russia has repeatedly blocked access to it. Yusov described reach in the millions, hundreds of cases, and dozens of blocks by the Russian communications regulator—work done, he noted, by relatively small teams.

None of that is grounds to relax. What the enemy probes for, every day, is resilience. The operations Russian services run are constant work, not episodes, Yusov said, and he reached for a proverb to describe the method: “Where it is thin, it tears.”

They search for the point where society’s resilience is weakest: which sensitive subject, even one as painful as prisoners of war, can be used to weaken Ukraine’s position, destabilize it from inside, or rehabilitate Russia abroad.

What Ukraine stopped believing

The clearest measure of how far this has moved, on Yusov’s telling, is not in Russia’s behavior but in Ukraine’s expectations.

In 2022, he said, many people in Ukraine genuinely believed Russians did not know the truth: that a call, a letter, the right video, would reach them and they would stop the army. By 2026, that belief is gone, and recognizing it does not make anything easier.

The question is no longer how to inform Russians. It is about extending influence over the small share of the world that actually decides things and about staying demonstrably more credible than the other side, because that contrast is itself the argument.

There is a difficulty built into even discussing acceptable outcomes for Russia, he added. The moment Ukraine says out loud what it wants to see change inside Russia, Russian propaganda answers that anyone acting on it is working for Ukrainian intelligence.

So the interest is stated plainly: a neighbor with a functioning democracy, an independent judiciary, the rule of law, and independent media. The moment those exist, Putin’s regime loses the conditions it depends on.

In Yusov’s view, any protest against that regime, inside Russia or beyond it, is good; the most effective form is armed struggle against it, which is why the Russian volunteers fighting inside Ukraine’s defense forces for a different vision of their country matter as proof that such a struggle is possible.

Toward a more credible society

What Yusov described is an information war turned inside out over 12 years: the stream aimed at Ukraine has thinned as Ukrainian society learned to refuse it, while the stream aimed at Russians has thickened because their endurance now has to be manufactured daily.

Against the West, Russia no longer invents so much as inflates real fault lines, hoping that partners tire of Ukraine on their own. The change Andrii Yusov kept returning to was the one on his own side: the 2022 conviction that the right message could end the war is gone, and what replaced it is slower and far less satisfying—being the more credible society for as long as the war continues.

Exclusives

Ukraine's steel capacity fell fourfold after Russia destroyed Azovstal. Now EU's new quota could cost it €1 billion more. Brussels offered Ukraine 713,000 tonnes duty-free. Ukraine shipped 2.65 million tonnes to the EU last year.

10% now, 23% after a ceasefire, 59% only at peace—Ukraine's verdict on a wartime vote hasn't moved all year. At the Lviv Media Forum, sociologist Tymofii Brik laid out the polling behind a settled question—and a less settled one underneath it.

Russia is 'largely defeated' from Mali to Syria, France's foreign minister says. French FM Jean-Noël Barrot calls Russia "largely defeated" in Africa—as its Africa Corps flees Kidal and Mali's junta cries betrayal.

"Stop treating Russia's bankers as faceless technocrats": inside the war crimes case against Russia's central bank. A landmark ICC complaint reframes Russia's financial occupation of Ukraine — pillaged banks, forced rubles, and passport-gated medical care — as a war crime

Russian air-defense crews are now the hunted as Ukraine bolts rocket pods to its long-range drones. Ukrainian drone forces' operators of the 1st Separate Center hit a protected node near Myrnyi, occupied Crimea, and released thermal video of the attack.

The Freya air defense system could take down Russian ballistic missiles. Can Ukraine build it?. As the Iran war drains the world's Patriots, Ukraine needs to build its own long-range air defense. Freya could be just the thing.

Axios: Cuba has acquired over 300 Russian and Iranian military drones. A classified assessment shared with Axios says Havana has stockpiled the drones since 2023 and its military has begun weighing strikes on US targets.

Military

Ukraine has found key through Moscow's air-defense rings, military analyst says. Moscow is protected by three to four rings of around 100 air-defense positions, with Pantsir systems on the Foreign and Defense Ministry buildings in the city center.

Russians stormed empty houses for the cameras 26 km from the town they claimed to take—and Russia's top general announced its "liberation". Ukraine's own military command does not even list fighting for the place, which stays under its control behind the frontline.

Russia's harbor-guard boat struck in the Caspian — Ukraine's fifth reported vessel hit there this month. The vessel's whole purpose is stopping the kind of attack that just hit it, the General Staff said.

For first time in war, Ukrainian strikes begin worrying Russians more than front. Meanwhile, Russian state TV gave the largest Moscow attack of the war under a minute.

Russia just hit commercial vessel of its closest war ally in Ukrainian waters with Shahed drone. Russia has spent months hitting civilian ships across the Black Sea. This one belonged to its closest strategic partner.

Intelligence and technology

2,000-km strike missile, designed in Netherlands, tested in Ukraine, built in Germany: Rheinmetall and Destinus accelerate RUTA Block 3. Europe has largely lacked indigenous deep-strike missiles. This one is built to be mass-produced, not stockpiled in symbolic numbers.

A Russian airliner revival sold as breakthrough now survives on extended flight-cycle limits, Ukrainian spy agency says. Roughly 159 Superjets still depend on a turbofan built with a French firm that walked out after February 2022.

Ukraine says it has Russia's hidden war-damage assessment — one Moscow won't show its own population. A single mid-sized Russian oil company has been forced to shut down around 400 wells.

Ukraine clears private firms to down Russian drones—24 already in. A Defense Ministry project lets businesses defend their plants from drones with trained staff or licensed security firms, RFE/RL reported.

International

International Gymnastics Federation lifts all sanctions on Russia and Belarus without explanation. Both countries return to full international competition under their own flag and anthem, the federation's wartime rules scrapped entirely while Russia's invasion of Ukraine grinds on.

Russia's ex-combatants entering the EU is a risk flagged in a leaked threat assessment. The Council of the EU document was seen by RFE/RL and mostly covers 2025 trends.

Belarus is now drilling nuclear-weapon use with Russian forces from "unprepared" deployment areas next to EU and Ukraine. Minsk announces these drills, then says they threaten no one.

Humanitarian and social impact

British volunteers rescue 30 animals from front-line Kramatorsk. Ex-Royal Marine Pen Farthing's Nowzad team drove 13,000 km to pull 30 cats and dogs out of Kramatorsk as Russia strikes the Donbas city daily.

Take food for three days. Then you'll come back. The Crimean Tatars never did. The people who finally came home in the 1990s and their descendants are Russia's political prisoners again.

Political and legal developments

Russia fabricated an arrest of Ukraine's first lady—the named agencies deny it. Russian state-owned media disseminated the false claim, referring to unnamed "security structures," and the Ukrainian agencies say none of it is real.

Read our earlier daily review here.