1/ US citizen Daniel Martindale, who has disclosed that he spied on Ukraine for Russia for two years, worked alongside German volunteers as an aid worker in frontline towns near Vuhledar and Pokrovsk. It's likely that he used this as cover to spy on the Ukrainian Armed Forces. ⬇️
2/ Martindale's extraction by Russian forces was publicised in an announcement on 27 October by the military authorities in the 'Donetsk People's Republic'. He spoke in much more detail in a Moscow press conference on 2 November.
3/ The German news outlet t-online reports that German volunteers in the Vuhledar region recall Martindale working with them to deliver aid from the end of 2022. According to the volunteer, "he introduced himself to us as Daniel from Indiana."
4/ Martindale spoke very fluent German: "It was striking how well [he spoke German]. You could hear the slightly slurred accent, otherwise it was flawless." He also spoke Polish, Chinese, and Russian fluently.
5/ The German volunteer says that Martindale came under previous suspicion. According to a local partner, he repeatedly disappeared for short periods, and also when a US aid group was in the region. He is said to have travelled around with the Ukrainian military administration.
6/ Martindale was active in unloading and distributing aid supplies in Selydove near Pokrovsk and near Vuhledar, where the Russians say he gave them information that enabled them to capture Bohoiavlenka on 27 October. He was photographed helping the German volunteers.
7/ Martindale was "noticeably reticent about giving information about himself." However, the German volunteer says that secrecy is not unusual near the front and is in fact strongly recommended: "Our helpers do not introduce themselves there with their real names." /end
1/ Russian warbloggers are baffled and aghast at reports that the Russian Ministry of Defence will ban the issue of drones to combat units, and will keep them for its new Unmanned Systems Forces instead. If carried out, the consequences are likely to be drastic. ⬇️
2/ The Russian MOD established its Unmanned Systems Forces (BPS) in November 2025. To the concern of many commentators, it appointed Lieutenant Colonel Yuri Vaganov to command the new force, despite his lack of formal military education or prior service experience.
3/ Vaganov has earned the unofficial callsign 'Toilet' for his previous career as a seller of plumbing fixtures. He became a monopoly supplier of FPV drones to the army after the start of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
1/ A prominent Russian warblogger and Ka-52 helicopter pilot appears to have killed himself after posting an apparent farewell video on Telegram. 'Voivode', real name Alexey Zemtsov, says he has committed suicide due to pressure from his superiors. ⬇️
2/ Zemtsov is a Guards Senior Lieutenant in the Russian Aerospace Forces (VKS) and administrator of the Telegram channel 'The Voivode Broadcasts', which has about 152,000 followers. He has been a prolific warblogger, but his criticisms caused serious problems with his superiors.
3/ He has published a farewell post on his channel, saying in a series of videos that he has "exercised the right of his last officer's honour" (i.e., decided to commit suicide) and declaring that "I won't be able to survive this disgrace". He explains his reasons.
1/ In this third part of his exposé of how organised crime has taken over the Russian army in Ukraine, Russian journalist Sergey Komkov highlights how Russian commanders are now "jumping to the tune of robbers and murderers." ⬇️
1/ Wealthy Russians are reportedly being offered the chance to have an hour-long meeting with Elon Musk's father Errol for the generous price of 1.9 million rubles ($25,000). Interested parties are advised to book slots quickly, as he flies out of Moscow tomorrow. ⬇️
2/ Russian warblogger Alex Kartavykh has published an apparent Telegram conversation offering access to Errol Musk, who is said to be organising resettlement opportunities for Afrikaner farmers from South Africa.
3/ The elder Musk has been a fairly regular visitor to Moscow in recent years. He was pictured over the past weekend attending an Easter service in the presence of Vladimir Putin.
1/ Russian tank crews are being sent to their deaths en masse in infantry assaults, according to a Russian soldier's plea for help. With tank use now severely limited due to drone strikes, their crews appear to be surplus to requirements. ⬇️
2/ A Russian soldier writes to the warblogger 'Voenkor Kotenok':
"Hello. I can't help but tell you what's really going on in the tank battalion of the 110th Brigade of the Russian Armed Forces (formerly the 100th Brigade of the DPR People's Militia).
3/ "Basically, tanks are now hardly taking part in direct combat, and so every two to three weeks, two men from each company in the battalion are drafted into the infantry and sent to assaults, to fortified positions, to support UAVs.
1/ An "Organised Thieves' Den" that has taken over Russia's army in Ukraine is systematically exploiting the war for profit, caring nothing for Russia's ultimate success or failure, says Russian journalist Sergey Komkov. ⬇️
2/ Here's part 1 of Komkov's exposé of how convicts recruited by the army have, in his assessment, effectively taken it over and are exploiting it for personal gain.
3/ Komkov complains that professional soldiers are unable to tackle the "criminal scum" (which he refers to by the acronym "OVM") who have taken over the lower ranks in the 'Special Military Operation' (SVO):