Allow me to introduce a new thread featuring our defenders, who agreed to share their experiences and answer questions. I hope that my readers can gain a deeper understanding of the ongoing war. Today, I'm pleased to present Shootnik, @Shootnick_14 - a national guardsman
Hi! Could you tell a little bit about yourself?
Hello! Before the war, I was a sociologist who enjoyed traveling in Ukraine and abroad. Computer games, whiskey, and TV series were my pastimes. Now, I have a deep interest in studying new weapons and tactical medicine.
Tell us about your initial encounter with the enemy
The initial enemy encounter involved an 82mm mortar. As we reached our positions, it took 15 minutes before we found ourselves in a mortar exchange. In the first week, we faced tank, artillery, MLRS, and air force bombardments.
How has the enemy changed since then?
In my experience, the enemy increased the quantity and quality of drones. Frontline soldiers encounter various small drones, including those with thermal imagers. Russians know how to fight, improve and mitigate identified weaknesses.
Are tanks obsolete in modern warfare? What's your opinion?
Those who say so lack battle experience. Tanks are deadly, powerful, and fearsome weapons. Even the outdated Russian tanks on secondary and tertiary defense lines pose a serious threat. Not to mention their upgraded tanks
Your favorite Western weapons used?
I've only used the Matador, AT-4, and NLAW grenade launchers. I highly appreciate them, especially the Matador for its simplicity and functionality. I also use a c7a1 rifle, which I like for its accuracy, despite its longer length.
Top-3 issues in our military?
Key challenges are limited weaponry and ammo, lack of communication, and personnel with a Soviet mindset. While the first problem can be tackled physically, the 2nd and 3rd demand changes through novel training methods and fostering a military ethos
Your thoughts on civilian volunteers in the war?
They are the force that helps us to survive and safeguard our people. They provide vehicles, medicine, surveillance tools, and protection that we urgently require. Without their assistance, we would have suffered greater losses.
Does international aid make a noticeable impact at your level?
As a fire support soldier in an NGU brigade, I especially appreciate the support from Eastern European countries. Our unit received Bulgarian, Polish, and Czech variants of soviet weapons, for which I am grateful
Did the war reveal any new aspects about Ukrainians for you?
If the army reflects society, then I've truly observed the essence of Ukrainian society: its pros and cons would require a long thread. The key point I can make is that Ukrainians are very distinct and unique people.
Your vision for Ukraine's post-war future?
After the war, I expect challenging city and town rebuilding phase. Social challenges are expected to arise as well. Limited Western response to russia necessitates our preparedness for Ukraine's next defense as long as Russia exists.
Could you provide a list of your favorite places in Ukraine that you would recommend visiting?
Stokhid River, Volyn. Lychakiv Cemetery, Lviv, Carpathian Mountains, Black Sea. My favorite cities are Kyiv, Lviv, Dnipro, Vinnytsia, Chernivtsi.
If you found this thread enjoyable, please remember to follow and share. I apologize for the concise format of questions and answers due to Twitter's limitations. Nevertheless, I plan to continue and expand this format in the future🇺🇦
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Mobilization, payouts, demographics, and desertions are central factors shaping the war’s trajectory. Thanks to weekly notes by the Conflict Intelligence Team, we have some data to analyze the current state of affairs in Russia. Below are some key points from the past two weeks:
2/ The sign-up bonus for contracts with the Ministry of Defense in the Novosibirsk region will double from 800,000 rubles ($10200), set in December 2024, to 1.6 million rubles ($20400) between July 1 and September 30. An additional 400,000 will be given from the federal budget
3/ The sign-up bonus with the Ministry of Defense in Vladimir region has been raised to 2.1 million rubles ($26,700) for the period from July 1 to September 30. This marks the third increase in 2025, following rises to 1 million rubles in January and 1.6 million in April.
Did you know Russia’s Su-34 and Su-35S jets, used in bombing campaigns, contain over 1,100 microelectronic parts from 11 Global Export Control Coalition countries? A new joint investigation by IPHR, NAKO, and Hunterbrook uncovers the supply chain. 🧵Thread with key takeaways:
2/ Most components come from the US, but the supply chain spans Germany to Japan. Of 891 parts from 138 firms, 59% are under strict export controls. 36.3% of shipments were small-value (less than $10000), pointing at intermediaries and shell companies use to evade sanctions
3/ Despite sweeping sanctions, Russia continues to receive Western semiconductors at industrial scale. An analysis of more than 180,000 customs records from 2023 shows approximately $805.6 million worth of microelectronics arriving from top-tier global suppliers.
Since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, Russia has launched 28,743 Shahed/Geran drones at Ukraine - 2,736 of them in June of this year, according to President Zelensky. Our team took a brief look at the Shahed numbers and noted the following trends and figures🧵:
2/ The 2,736 drones launched in June, many targeting Kyiv, make up nearly 10% of the total, proving growing production. This aligns with earlier warnings from Ukrainian intelligence, which estimated Russia’s monthly output at around 2700 Shahed-type UAVs and roughly 2500 decoys
3/ Ukrainian Air Force data shows 5,438 drones of this type were launched at Ukraine in June 2025 - about twice the number cited by Zelensky. The gap likely comes from the Air Force counting both Geran and decoys UAVs, while Zelensky referred only to strictly Geran drones
As Ukraine marked Naval Forces Day, Russia’s Black Sea Fleet started the morning fending off a joint air and sea drone attack on its base in Novorossiysk. Early footage shows no major damage. Our team reviewed satellite imagery from the day before, here’s what we know🧵:
2/ As of July 5, four Kilo-class diesel-electric submarines were present at the Novorossiysk naval base - which is nearly the entire remaining operational submarine force of Russia’s Black Sea Fleet. These submarines are equipped to launch Kalibr cruise missiles.
3/ Valuable naval assets, including an Admiral Grigorovich-class frigates, minesweepers, patrol boats, and corvettes, were anchored in the bay at the time of the attack. The strike occurred overnight, and by late morning, local authorities declared the situation to be safe
In recent months, Russia has focused on drone strikes deeper behind the front, aiming to disrupt Ukraine’s supply lines. In return, Ukraine has turned to hitting Russian drone teams. In an effort called "Dronocide," Ukrainian troops found 90 suspected drone sites in Zaporizhzhia
2/ The Armed Forces of Ukraine claim that 42 enemy positions were destroyed or heavily damaged in precision strikes. Notably, it does seem that the operation was a coordinated joint efforts between the Air Force, Defense Intelligence, drone units, and a land forces brigade.
3/ Coordination between various branches and units has long been a persistent issue for the Armed Forces. But based on this limited evidence presented in the video, there are optimistic signs that coordination and joint execution is improving to some degree.
On 5 July, Ukrainian forces carried out a strike on the Borysoglebsk airfield in Russia. Reports indicate that a depot with glide bombs, a trainer aircraft, and possibly other aircraft were hit. Our team has conducted a brief analysis of imagery a fire map - here’s what we found:
2/ NASA’s Fire Information for Resource Management System detected at least three thermal anomalies at the Air Base. While it's not very precise or comprehensive, the heat sources appear to be located in 2 areas: the central part of the airfield and the logistical section
3/ While not conclusive, this serves as a credible independent indicator suggesting a possible strike on the logistical area - where Russian forces may have stored ammo, or fuel. The fire in the central part of the airfield appears to be near the Radar Landing System