Exclusives
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Ukraine wants the playbook of the German newsroom Russia banned. USAID is gone. The alternative was built by readers giving 20 euros each. |
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A Russian tank division rolls toward Pokrovsk, adding major manpower to Russia’s eastern push. Can the Ukrainian 7th Rapid Reaction Corps kill enough Russian reinforcements to halt an offensive toward Kramatorsk and Sloviansk? |
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Russians published footage of a drone striking a UN convoy in Kherson. UN says they “don’t know” who did it.. Kherson has faced sustained FPV drone attacks on civilian and humanitarian movements from Russian-held territory across the Dnipro River. |
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Weaponizing the Westerlies: Ukrainian balloons sow havoc over Russia. Aerostats grow more instrumental in Ukrainian strikes, intel gathering, and making Russia waste its air defenses. |
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Russia hits Taiwan too—and three democracies are comparing notes on public media. Ukraine builds. Georgia dismantles. Taiwan defends. Notes from a packed hall at Lviv Media Forum, 15 May 2026. |
| Ukraine’s $50,000 suicide drones can now skip the suicide part. There's a tendency for single-use Ukrainian drones to become reusable. Now the Fire Point FP-1/2 has joined the reusable club. |
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Ukrainian supply robots are blocking Russia’s plan to starve Kostiantynivka. Ukraine's growing legion of resupply robots can prolong the defense of Konstyantynivka. But human soldiers are still necessary. |
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Russia is fighting for a world that strips you of freedom, agency, and humanity. I spent two years in a Russian penal colony watching what Russia wants for the rest of us. |
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ISW: Russia’s grand territorial ambitions are divorced from battlefield reality. The think tank noted that Russian forces first infiltrated Kostiantynivka in October 2025 and have made no significant tactical gains in six months, even as Peskov restated Moscow's withdrawal demand on four oblasts. |
Military
Ukraine strikes Russian Caspian Fleet base deep inside Russia, home to missile-capable ships used in Kalibr strikes – General Staff. Kyiv reports damage to a major Russian refinery and naval vessels in the Caspian Sea base of Kaspiysk, alongside strikes on logistics and weapons storage sites.
Two more Russian air defense systems gone, along with a naval plane and helicopter. Drone forces destroyed a Tor-M2 in Luhansk Oblast and a Pantsir-S1 in Crimea, struck a ship in Berdiansk, destroyed the Be-200 amphibious aircraft and Ka-27 chopper in Russia's Yeysk.
Ukrainian flag flies again over Odradne, six months after Russia overran the village. The 129th Brigade's storm units pushed Russian forces out of fortified positions, treelines, and strongpoints in northeastern Kharkiv Oblast.
Moscow's fuel supplier under fire: Ukrainian drones strike Rosneft's Ryazan refinery. The plant supplies all grades of gasoline, diesel, and jet kerosene to regions around the Russian capital. Vacuum distillation units were on fire after the overnight strike.
Intelligence and technology
Russia planning strikes on Ukraine's Presidential Office and state residence, Zelenskyy says. Zelenskyy said intelligence documents outline possible strikes on political leadership buildings, military command posts, and protected state facilities.
Russia wants Belarus to join new "aggressive operations" against Ukraine or NATO, Kyiv says. Kyiv says it has documented Russian-Belarusian contacts tied to potential planning for operations launched from Belarus.
Ukraine's drone commander proposes "Standard-10" for every strike crew in country. Ukrainian drone crews average 3 confirmed kills a month. Madiar's own 414th Brigade averages 30.6.
Skyeton makes Raybird reconnaissance drone Ukraine has used since 2018. Russia just destroyed its Kyiv office. "We knew sooner or later Skyeton would become a target," the company said.
Russia starts ninth project 22350 frigate in St. Petersburg built for Mach-8 hypersonic anti-ship missiles that have already hit Ukraine. Project 22350 frigates are 135-meter open-ocean warships built for anti-ship, anti-submarine, and escort operations.
Russia's 1500-drone strike on Ukraine was timed to Trump's arrival in Beijing — Ukrainian Colonel explains why. Russia used the Victory Day lull to redeploy air defenses around Moscow and stockpile drones for a strike timed to Trump's Beijing arrival, Colonel Dmytro Kashchenko says.
Russia is building 168,000-strong drone force by year-end through stealing Kyiv UAV model, says Ukraine's drone commander Madiar. An average Ukrainian brigade is now intercepting up to 60 Russian "Molniya" strike drones per day because Russia has centralized production.
International
Lithuania signs full Drone Deal, Latvia receives Ukrainian air defense experts. The agreement covers joint production of long-range strike, naval, interceptor and bomber drones, with technology transfer between Ukrainian and Lithuanian companies. Latvia is hosting Ukrainian air defense specialists under a separate proposed deal.
If this were real life, they would already be dead: Ukrainian drone pilots force NATO drills on Gotland to stop three times. During the pause, the opposing forces had time to think about how to act better against the enemy.
Humanitarian and social impact
Day of Mourning in Kyiv: final toll from Russian missile strike reaches 24 dead, including three girls aged 12, 15, and 17. The 28-hour search-and-rescue operation ended at the destroyed apartment block in Darnytskyi district.
After four years in Russian captivity, 205 Ukrainian defenders are home in the first stage of a 1000-for-1000 exchange. Most of those freed were taken at Mariupol in 2022; the oldest is 62, the youngest 21. The exchange was mediated by the US and the UAE.
Russia strikes Kramatorsk daily. The city is putting its monuments out of harm's way. The Donetsk Oblast city dismantled its monuments to prominent Ukrainians and sculptures, and shipped them outside the oblast for safekeeping.
Political and legal developments
As rescuers cleared rubble of Kyiv apartment building, Russia's security council secretary listed same 2022 demands for ending war. Same demands as Russia's failed 2022 Istanbul talks were issued from Bishkek hours after Russia's biggest two-day strike on Kyiv.
Russian Kh-101 missile that killed 12 in Kyiv was manufactured this quarter — after 21 EU sanctions packages. The same missile type killed 31 in a Ternopil apartment six months ago. The production line is still running.
US House discharge petition reaches 218 signatures, forcing vote on Ukraine aid, bypassing Speaker Johnson. The bill authorizes $1.3 billion in military assistance and up to $8 billion more in direct loans.
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