1/ Ukrainian drones are making it very difficult to reach the front lines near Pokrovsk, and all but impossible to travel with any supplies, according to a Russian soldier fighting there. He describes Russia trying to push forward over a carpet of corpses. ⬇️
2/ The account from Alexander Zaborovsky, a soldier fighting near Pokrovsk in late September 2025 illustrates how difficult the conditions are there. The Russian offensive currently appears to be largely stalled in the area.
3/ "Last night we were in the direction of Pokrov from the direction of Avdiivka.
Let me explain it simply. You can carry out five mobilisations, but what's the point?
4/ "The fucking guys are already moving out [only] in pairs instead of fives, and it's not a given that all of them will reach their positions.
Even the one-off supply depots are now 50 km from the front line (essentially in the deep rear).
5/ "15-20 km away, there's still a chance of making it to the next point in a Niva, a UAZ, or some other small piece of junk.
And then what? Only on foot or by motorbike with minimal chances.
6/ "At night, there are no options at all. Few can imagine what the lads are eating now in the 'rabbit ears' [the Dobropillya salient] these days.
7/ "Until there are at least 30 kg of heavy stuff, I'm not talking 50 kg and above, you can even drive a regiment, if it's a platoon, two will remain, someone will fucking get a medal with a promotion.
8/ "Whether or not you have electronic warfare sets, the junk sitting on rooftops gives you a chance close to the margin of error. If the enemy is currently operating at least six bands, you'll need six EW sets…
9/ …and even if you have them and turn them on, what kind of generator and how many batteries would you need to last at least an hour, hour and a half? And so on.
10/ "This fucking mobilisation, whether prepared or not, will be wiped out by these daring commanders in a couple of months, and that's it, tops. The 22nd is a very good witness. When the whole staff was rejoicing, "Oh, fuck, we'll plug all the holes, so what? It's already May."
11/ "They were replenished from the Crimean training grounds, those who were lucky enough to live there for at least six months.
Without [control of] the lower sky [i.e. defeat of Ukrainian drones], it will be the same. Well, we'll take these 50 km over corpses, but then what?"
1/ Russia's war effort in Ukraine has become critically dependent on self-funded logistics organised by civilian volunteers and the soldiers themselves, who are spending their salaries on basic supplies and equipment that the state does not provide. ⬇️
2/ Soldiers and volunteers have been speaking for some time about shortages of almost everything on the front line, with the gaps being filled at their own expense by 'humanitarian aid' fundraisers and the soldiers' own expenditure.
3/ Fundraising has become increasingly precarious due to a sharp drop in the amount of donations. Volunteers have complained that few people now respond to their appeals, and repeated scandals around the theft of donated aid have not helped.
1/ Sanctions and GPS jamming have had a hugely disruptive effect on Russian civil aviation, according to airline pilots. They have had to fly with suitcases full of old paper charts, turn off critical safety systems, and fly defective aircraft with dubious Chinese components.⬇️
2/ The Russian independent media outlet The Insider has been speaking with a number of airline pilots about the impact of sanctions on their work.
3/ Prior to the imposition of sanctions, Russian airlines used Western aeronautical chart systems such as Jeppesen from the US and Lido from Germany. These were disconnected after sanctions were introduced, leaving Russian airlines without electronic charts.
1/ Ukraine's frequent drone attacks inside Russian territory are getting on Russian nerves, judging by an exceptionally sweary rant by Russian military volunteer and warblogger Evgeny Golman. "Drones are fucking killing us, fucking hell," he declares. ⬇️
2/ "Guys, what the fuck is going on? I was just sitting at the car wash, fucking watching TV, fuck... Okay, the Ministry of Defense is fucking lying about trillions. They would have crushed everyone by now. Why is everyone fucking silent?
3/ "Yesterday, HIMARS fucked Belgorod, fucking hell. There was no power for hours. Stary Oskol without power, Novy Oskol without power, fuck. Drones are fucking killing us, fuck. The whole Belgorod region, fuck. Bryansk, fuck. Kursk, fuck.
1/ Prominent Russian warblogger and fundraiser Roman Alekhin has been forced to give up blogging and fundraising due to the Russian government declaring him to be a 'foreign agent', following a corruption scandal around his fundraising work. ⬇️
3/ While he has not (yet) been charged with any criminal offences, this was followed a week later by Alekhin being declared a 'foreign agent' by the Russian government – effectively forbidding him from all public activity.
3/ While he has not (yet) been charged with any criminal offences, this was followed a week later by Alekhin being declared a 'foreign agent' by the Russian government – effectively forbidding him from all public activity.
1/ Russian sappers in the Kursk region are said to have been "butchered" after being transferred to assault units, and have been replaced by North Koreans. It's another example of Russia expending specialists in deadly attacks on Ukrainian positions. ⬇️
2/ The wife of Daniyal Saifullaevich Ilyasov, a sapper-deminer serving with the 89th Guards Sapper Regiment (military unit 75406), has recorded a pair of videos complaining about how her husband has likely been sent to his death in Ukraine.
3/ In late August 2025, North Korean soldiers took over from his unit, likely to do demining. Ilyasov was transferred to the 1st platoon of the grenade launcher rifle battalion of the 163rd Guards Tank Regiment (military unit 84839), where he was made a grenade launcher operator.
1/ Russian prisoners of war released by Ukraine are "treated like cattle," put in chains by the Russian army, and sent back to the front line to fight, regardless of sickness or injuries. This practice is expressly prohibited by the Geneva Conventions. ⬇️
2/ There have been persistent reports for some time that Russian POWs are being systematically abused on their return to Russia, with interrogations, beatings and even executions. An investigation by Radio Svoboda has identified more details.
3/ Junior Sergeant Ivan Grebennikov was one of 1,000 Russians swapped for 1,000 Ukrainians in May 2025. He spent 10 months in Ukrainian captivity. He sustained serious injuries before being captured, like most of the other POWs released in the swap.