Russia failed to take Ukrainian land by force and now pressures US to make Kyiv give it up politically.
Syrskyi: Russian manuals call 1.5-3 km per day a breakthrough, but troops move 1.5-4.5 km per month. At this pace, Russia needs years to take the land it wants, Bloomberg. 1/
Putin is trying to sell a narrative to Trump's circle that Ukraine is losing, using small territorial gains to force a settlement.
He seeks a deal that weakens Ukraine militarily and leaves the option to resume the invasion later. 2/
Syrskyi rejects Russian claims of taking Pokrovsk. Russia sent 170,000 troops and fought for more than a year but seized only part of the city.
Ukrainian forces control 13 of 29 km² and maintain their position. Russian units failed to encircle the garrison or cut logistics. 3/
Suffocation with plastic bags, electric shocks to the genitals, broken fingers, needles driven under fingernails and forced removal of pro-Ukrainian tattoos.
In Russian detention centers and prisons, this is called a “gentleman’s kit” — United24 cites a report by Memorial. 1/
Almost all Ukrainians released from Russian captivity report systematic torture, humiliation, and a complete lack of medical care.
These abuses are not isolated incidents but a routine part of detention. 2/
In January 2025, Memorial’s monitoring mission conducted 40 interviews with former POWs, civilian hostages, witnesses, and families of victims.
The research covered 8 regions of Ukraine and focused on war crimes committed after Russia’s full-scale invasion. 3/
The most effective sanctions against Russia’s shadow fleet right now are Ukrainian SBU drones.
In the past two weeks, they hit three oil tankers in the Black Sea. But The Atlantic writes this escalation also signals Ukrainian desperation ahead of talks. 1/
For more than two years, Ukraine avoided striking civilian vessels, even those carrying Russian oil that funds the war.
Oleksandr Kubrakov, then infrastructure minister, stopped an SBU strike in 2023: “That would be piracy. Those are not our methods.” 2/
That rule changed in late November 2025.
Five oil tankers were hit in 13 days — three near Ukraine, one near Turkey, one off West Africa.
SBU confirmed responsibility for the Black Sea strikes, calling them “kinetic sanctions” on Russian oil. 3/
“If you sit on your couch and wait for the war to end, nothing will change.”
That’s how 24-year-old Mykhailo explains why he volunteered for Ukraine’s army — even though men aged 18-24 are not required to serve — UNITED24. 1/
Ukraine launched Contract 18-24 in February 2025 after the first volunteer wave faded.
The state needed a sustainable way to refill the army — without forced mobilization of the youngest cohort. 2/
Defense Minister Rustem Umerov describes the idea plainly: “This is not about compulsion. It is an opportunity to make a conscious choice, gain combat experience, and secure financial stability in one year.” 3/