The Under Reported War Issue 20 - July 13 2025

Welcome to a weekly roundup of news from the war in Ukraine you probably did not hear about.

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All reports will be linked to their sources so you can read the original if you’d like to. If you have any questions or need more detail I’ll be happy to try to give you answers.

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Sunday 6th - Saturday 12th July 2025

Today is Day 1,236 of Putin’s 3-Day Special Military Operation.
Here are some of the things you probably did not hear about this week.

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PARABLE OF THE WEEK

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'Shriek’, the kestrel who fought a Russian drone / Veronica Konkova

This story neatly illustrates the cultural difference between Ukraine and Russia. The former celebrates a kestrel injured attacking a Russian drone, the latter celebrates the killing an endangered species of pelican by posting the event online.

• Ukrainians Rescue ‘Heroic’ Falcon, Russian Drone Kills Rare Pelican
  https://www.forbes.com/sites/davidhambling/2025/07/11/ukrainians-rescue-heroic-falcon-russian-drone-kills-rare-pelican/
  “A kestrel broke a wing fighting a Russian drone. A Ukrainian drone crew saw the encounter and rescued the kestrel, who was evacuated first to Zaporizhzhia and then to Dnipro and the Kolibri Veterinary Clinic.
  
  [In contrast], video from a Russian FPV interceptor includes – along with hits on Ukrainian reconnaissance drones – an incident where an interceptor closes in on two large birds. It is just possible that these were mistaken for drones from long range, but when the interceptor pilot gets close, rather than breaking off the attack he zeroes in and hits one of the birds. The birds [were] Dalmatian Pelicans , an iconic wetlands bird which is a globally threatened species.”
  

Russian drone pilot closes on a Dalmatian Pelican before killing it then boasting about it / Screengrab

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BEHIND THE HEADLINES (THE BIG PICTURE)

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I missed the publication of this study by former Ukraine Defence Minister, Andriy Zagorodnyuk. It makes a lot of important points about the progress of the war. Since it is fact-based and runs counter to the widely-accepted narrative that Ukraine cannot win, it got little publicity.

I encourage you all to read it. Alternatively, the TLDR is: Ukraine has won many ‘functional victories’ by forcing Russia from the Black Sea, denying it air supremacy, degrading its army to the point where it is is operationally paralysed, and is winning the technological arms race though its innovations in both drone and electronic warfare. By seizing the initiative to shape this war, Ukraine has inflicted multiple functional defeats on its invader, forcing Russia on the strategic defensive. As Europe’s ‘Porcupine’, Ukraine can now deny Russia all its strategic objectives.

It’s hard to argue with any of that since it is all true.

• Ukraine’s New Theory of Victory Should be Strategic Neutralization
  https://carnegieendowment.org/research/2025/06/ukraines-new-theory-of-victory-should-be-strategic-neutralization?lang=en
  “By ensuring that Russia’s war is operationally pointless, Ukraine can survive, adapt, and achieve success, no matter how prolonged the war.”

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Last week there were many alarmist headlines such as this:

• Fears Of Disaster Brewing For Ukraine As U.S. Halts Weapons Shipments Over Stockpile Concerns
  https://www.twz.com/news-features/fears-of-disaster-brewing-for-ukraine-as-u-s-halts-weapons-shipments-over-stockpile-concerns
  “Air defense interceptors are atop the list of items being curtailed as Russia's ability to pummel Ukraine from afar is growing.”
  

I feel embarrassed for the usually very good TWZ website because this then happened:

• All reports confirm that U.S. aid deliveries to Ukraine have resumed, — Zelenskyy.
  https://bsky.app/profile/wartranslated.bsky.social/post/3ltpdk6yh5s2n
  ““We have high-level political signals—positive signals, including from the United States and our European friends. According to all reports, deliveries have resumed,” the president said in his evening address.”

I believe the relevant four-letter acronym is TACO.

Even if the flip-flop had not happened, European military aid has already exceeded the no-longer-withdrawn-until-Trump-changes-his mind-again American contribution. But you won’t have heard about that.

• Ukraine Support: Europe largely fills the US aid withdrawal, lead by the Nordics and the UK
  https://www.ifw-kiel.de/publications/news/ukraine-support-europe-largely-fills-the-us-aid-withdrawal-lead-byn-the-nordics-and-the-uk/
  “Aid flows to Ukraine shifted significantly in March and April 2025. While the United States allocated no new aid during this period, European countries increased their support.
  
  As a result, Europe has, for the first time since June 2022, surpassed the U.S. in total military aid, totaling EUR 72 billion compared to EUR 65 billion from the U.S.”

Sigh… welcome The Under-Reported War.

Aid Allocations to Ukraine / Kiel Institute for the World Economy

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Keep Calm and Carry On. The attacks on Ukraine’s cities are bad, but some perspective has been lost. They are nowhere near as serious as The Blitz, or the levelling of Germany’s cities in WWII.

• Ukraine war: lessons from the Blitz suggest Russia’s targeting of cities could backfire
  https://theconversation.com/ukraine-war-lessons-from-the-blitz-suggest-russias-targeting-of-cities-could-backfire-193688
  “Germany’s Second World War Blitz on Britain [lasted] for eight months between September 7, 1940, and May 11, 1941. In the first phase, London was attacked on 57 consecutive nights. Houses, shops, factories, hospitals and schools were destroyed. Some 43,000 civilians were killed and one in six Londoners made homeless.”
  

That report was from late 2022. In all reputable surveys, Ukrainians are still defiant today. Meanwhile, Ukraine is building back better:

• How War Has Led Improvements to Ukrainian Cities
  https://www.kyivpost.com/photos/55491
  “There are dramatic changes taking place as authorities take the opportunity offered while repairing damage caused by war to make their cities more “user friendly”.”
  

Don’t just repair damage, improve upon what was there before / The Kyiv Post

However, this did not stop the publication of the most misleading headline of the week.

• Russia's intensifying drone war is spreading fear and eroding Ukrainian morale
  https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c0m8gn7grn2o
  

It is actually a good story providing background and context to Russia’s attacks on Ukraine’s cities. Somehow the headline writer turned a few soundbites from frightened people who had just survived bombings into an eye-catching headline that trumpets fear spreading and morale collapsing. Not backed up by any hard evidence, of course. Just anecdotes.

Truly shockingly bad war reporting. It would have to be from the BBC… sigh.

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The war continues to take a heavy toll on Putin’s siloviki and apparatchiks. You quite possibly heard this:

• Russian minister dies by suicide hours after getting fired by Putin
  https://edition.cnn.com/2025/07/07/europe/russian-minister-suicide-intl
  “inside a car in Odintsovo, a suburb of Moscow. He was found with a gunshot wound, the committee said. It said the circumstances of his death were being investigated but the “main theory is suicide”.”

But you most likely did not hear this: On the same day that his boss committed ‘suicide’, the 42-year old Deputy Head of the Transport Ministry, Andrey Korneichuk, also died of a ‘heart attack’.

• Deputy Head of the Property Management Department, Andrei Korneychuk, died in the Ministry of Transport
  https://meduza.io/news/2025/07/07/mash-baza-i-112-v-ministerstve-transporta-rf-vo-vremya-soveschaniya-umer-chinovnik
  “According to some data, the 42-year-old official died in his office, according to others - during a meeting. Korneychuk, telegram channels write, stood up abruptly, then fell to the floor and died.”

Or this:

• Oil Industry Exec Andrey Badalov Dies in Apparent Fall From Window
  https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2025/07/04/transneft-vice-president-dies-in-apparent-fall-from-window-reports-say-a89678
  “The Transneft Vice President’s body was found beneath the windows of a home on the Rublyovo-Uspenskoye highway, the state-run TASS news agency reported, citing an unnamed law enforcement source.”

Badalov lived on the 10th floor but somehow managed to contrive to jump out of a window on the 17th floor.

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And I would be very surprised if you heard this as well.

The excellent ‘The Insider’ investigative team, studied the records of Russian arbitration court where disputes between businesses and also with the government are settled. They found:

• Frozen accounts, fake parts, failed deliveries: Russian courts reveal the impact sanctions are having on the Kremlin’s defense industry
  https://theins.ru/en/inv/282493
  “In Russia, the importation of sanctioned components for the defense sector has grown into an industry of its own. As a result, the market has become saturated with corporate disputes and clashes between suppliers and the state.

  
  The Insider reviewed Russian arbitration court records and found that suppliers, contractors, and intermediaries are suing one another over faulty components — which often turn out to be Chinese knockoffs that have been substituted for branded Western parts.
  
  Banks in Central Asia and Turkey are shutting down exporters’ accounts en masse at the first sign of suspicious counterparties or questionable shipments, and the Russian Ministry of Defense — desperate for critical weaponry — is demanding penalties from manufacturers for missed deliveries.
  
  All of this points to one thing: despite official reassurances, sanctions are indeed causing severe disruptions to Russian military production.”

• Sanctions hit harder than bombs: Russian courts reveal systemic failure in weapons supply
  https://euromaidanpress.com/2025/07/07/sanctions-hit-harder-than-bombs-russian-courts-reveal-systemic-failure-in-weapons-supply/
  “No radar, no drones, no sonar—the military’s most critical projects stalled in legal chaos, journalistic investigation finds.”

The Arbitration Court of the Moscow District / Yandex Maps/Ivan Karpenko

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NEWS FROM THE FRONTLINE

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Every day, Russia captures a few fields and the occasional hamlet and, er… that’s it. So much for the mighty war machine that will inevitably flatten Ukraine.

• Institute for the Study of War (ISW) Assesses Calamitously Low Russian Rate of Advance
  https://www.iswresearch.org/2025/07/russian-offensive-campaign-assessment_2.html
  “Russia remains unlikely to make operational-level breakthroughs in the near future. Future Russian gains — even relatively accelerated advances following the suspension of US aid — will likely remain gradual and creeping and result in disproportionally high losses as Russian forces still have not restored operational maneuver to the increasingly transparent battlefield.
  
  ISW has observed geolocated evidence to assess that Russian forces gained roughly... 466 square kilometers in June 2025. Russian gains in January to [May] 2025 ranged from roughly 175 to 590 square kilometers per month. These Russian gains are remarkably smaller than the 1,265 square kilometers per day that ISW assesses Russian forces were gaining at the start of Russia's full-scale invasion in March 2022.”

Russian forces are going nowhere very, very slowly. A Ukrainian surveillance drone watches a T-90 tank burn / Screengrab

As if to hammer home the point, the ISW daily summary also reports this:

• Rear Echelon Railway Guards Thrust Into Battle
  https://www.iswresearch.org/2025/07/russian-offensive-campaign-assessment_9.html
  "Order of Battle: Elements of the Russian 37th Railway Brigade (Russian Railway Troops) are reportedly operating in the Pokrovsk direction."
  

And that many reported ‘attacks’ are rather underwhelming:

• Summer Offensive Conducted in ‘Attacks’ of 1 or 2 Soldiers
  https://www.iswresearch.org/2025/07/russian-offensive-campaign-assessment_8.html
  "An officer of a Ukrainian brigade operating [near] Kupyansk stated that Russian forces... are continuing to attack in contested “gray” areas in groups of one to two personnel."
  
  Russian attempts to seize positions [include] nightly Russian infantry attacks of one to two personnel in anti-thermal imaging ponchos."

Oh dear, a drone bomber begin its attack run on Russian soldiers wearing heat-insulating anti-drone ponchos. Note the enormous size of the attacking force. Three! / Screenshot

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You would think a modern army that has amassed 50,000 troops in one sector would be able to launch a major offensive there that could at least threaten to overwhelm local defences. Apparently not.

• One Ukrainian tank, three soldiers, and 50,000 Russians stopped in Sumy
  https://euromaidanpress.com/2025/07/03/ukrainian-tank-stops-50000-russians-sumy/
  “Unsupported bike troops, lacking the protection afforded by overhead drones and the extra firepower provided by nearby artillery, [were] be easy prey for an aggressive tank crew.
  
  Having lost more than 20,000 armored vehicles and other heavy equipment in the first 41 months of their wider war on Ukraine, and struggling to build more than a few hundred new T-90M tanks every year, the Russians increasingly ride into battle on motorcycles or quad-bikes—or simply walk.”
  

The FrontIntelligence Insight Substack has posted a deep-dive explaining the desperate thinking behind Russia’s new motorcycle assault tactics.

• 21st-Century Dragoons: Dissecting Russia’s Motorcycle Assault Tactics
  https://frontelligence.substack.com/p/21st-century-dragoons-dissecting
  “This report offers a detailed, though generalized, assessment of motorcycle assault group composition, tactics, and equipment as of June 2025.“

The dream: A Russian assault infantryman with his motorcycle, equipped with an anti-drone electronic warfare (EW) jammer / Screengrab

The reality: Oh dear (again), Russian soldier riding a motorcycle moments before being struck by a FPV drone / Ukrainian Presidential Brigade

Ukraine is also adjusting to fighting the Drone War. Tanks are no longer the dominant weapon on the battlefield. They now have a supporting role and military units have to be reorganised to accomodate that.

• Ukraine cuts back on tanks—and creates a deadlier kind of brigade
  https://euromaidanpress.com/2025/07/10/ukraine-tank-brigades-drones-infantry/
  “Ukraine’s tank brigades are disappearing. The army is getting new heavy mechanized brigades that are better for the infantry-first fighting. Big, cumbersome, easy-to-spot tanks are just too vulnerable to the tiny first-person-view drones that are everywhere all the time all along the front line.”

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​I ask this same questions again and again of the doom-sayers: “If Russia has overwhelming numbers of soldiers that will crush Ukraine, how come it has to beg soldiers from other nations?” I never get a coherent answer.

• Russia Seeks to Involve Laos in Its War Against Ukraine Under Humanitarian Pretext
  https://en.defence-ua.com/news/russia_seeks_to_involve_laos_in_its_war_against_ukraine_under_humanitarian_pretext-15048.html
  “Moscow is arranging the deployment of Laotian army engineers to Russian territory, claiming demining aid but aiming to bolster its war effort against Ukraine.”

• North Korea’s Growing Role In Ukraine War Shows How Weak Russia Is
  https://www.forbes.com/sites/natashalindstaedt/2025/07/07/north-koreas-growing-role-in-ukraine-war-shows-how-weak-russia-is/
  “It was reported last week that North Korea plans to triple the number of troops fighting with Russia along the front lines in Ukraine—sending an additional 25,000-30,000 troops. Troops will arrive in the next few months, adding to the 11,000 North Korean troops that were sent in November.”

Russia is negotiating with Laos for troops / Illustrative image / The Lao People’s Army Newspaper

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Innovation is the new normal. Reports than would once have appeared in the ‘Innovations’ section, have now become everyday stories on the frontline. Robot UGVs (Unmanned Ground Vehicles) are taking an ever increasing share of the fighting. Two videos tells the how the 3rd Assault Brigade carried out a previously unprecedented operation:

• Using only drones and ground robotic systems, soldiers attacked enemy positions in the Kharkiv region
  https://bsky.app/profile/wartranslated.bsky.social/post/3ltkhykxqc226
  “They cleared them, and captured the occupiers . Not a single shot was fired, and there were no losses. VIDEO.”

• Russian infantry surrender after a [UGV] kamikaze drone blew up their shelter.
  https://bsky.app/profile/specialkhersoncat.bsky.social/post/3ltjpgykwmc2d
  “After the shelter was blown up, Russians took out a banner reading "We want to surrender" and showed it to the cameras of a Ukrainian reconnaissance drone. VIDEO.”

Here’s a video showing why battlefield surveillance is so critical to Ukraine’s Drone Zone.

• How Vector [ISR Drone] Survives Under Enemy Fire in Ukraine
  https://en.defence-ua.com/news/how_vector_survives_under_enemy_fire_in_ukraine_quantum_systems_reveals_details_of_combat_episode-15056.html
  “Vector reconnaissance drones are a striking example of why testing military systems in the harsh conditions of real combat is so important.”

And if you’ve wondered how Ukraine manages to take such a huge daily toll on Russia’s artillery and mortars it is because of innovations like this explained in a report from February.

• Unique Acoustic Artillery Detector Created for German Vector [Drone], Which is Produced in Ukraine
  https://en.defence-ua.com/weapon_and_tech/unique_acoustic_artillery_detector_created_for_german_vector_uav_which_is_produced_in_ukraine-13512.html
  “A new development in the field of counter-battery warfare by Quantum Systems should go into series production in the summer of 2025.”

I’ve mentioned Ukraine’s new electronic warfare (EW) drone-jamming network several times. It is now in operation on the frontline.

• Setup and Innovation of Atlas, the EW System Now in Service
  https://en.defence-ua.com/weapon_and_tech/setup_and_innovation_of_atlas_the_ew_system_now_in_service_with_ukraines_national_guard-15054.html
  “Atlas is presented as a next-generation networked solution capable of integrating hundreds or even thousands of EW units to put up a unified "anti-drone wall" against enemy FPV drones. According to the manufacturer, the system introduces a new level of coordination in electronic warfare, allowing forces not just to react to threats but to act preemptively.”

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The Zemledeliye minelayer is based on Russia’s Grad MLRS rocket launcher. It launches mines instead of rockets and can spread a minefield at a range of 15 kilometres. But with Ukraine’s Drone Zone reaching ever further behind Russia’s frontline, they have become vulnerable to FPV attack.

• Rare Russian Zemledeliye minelaying system destroyed by FPV drones
  https://bsky.app/profile/specialkhersoncat.bsky.social/post/3ltjx7mnqs22p
  “Course-corrected missiles allow the Zemledeliye to deploy a minefield in a matter of minutes. The system fires rockets that scatter mines at a given location.”

FPV drone about to strike the Zemledeliye mine-layer / screengrab

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THE DRONE, ROBOT, & MISSILE WAR (LATEST INNOVATIONS)

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Auto-targeting using machine recognition is the next big step in the Drone War. Expensive loitering munitions often have this technology but cheap FPV drones are increasingly equipped with it too. Auto-targeting cuts the risk of jamming and/or an inexperienced pilot missing the target.

• Strikes by Ukrainian FPV drones with auto-targeting on Russian BUK, Strela air defense systems and other targets
  https://bsky.app/profile/specialkhersoncat.bsky.social/post/3ltlwdwsuhk2h
  VIDEO.

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Last week, we saw the US Army finally learning how to drop a grenade from a drone. This week it revealed how much its Switchblade 600 loitering munition costs. You can buy at least 340 FPV drones with the same cash.

• The U.S. Army’s $170,000 Attack Drone Competes With $500 FPV
  https://archive.ph/HysoM#selection-3815.0-3815.60
  New budget documents show that the U.S. Army is making a little headway in its efforts to catch up with Ukraine and Russia acquiring small attack drones like the ubiquitous FPVs. But they also show there is still a very long way to go, and rather than abundant low-cost systems, the Army will be fielding a few expensive systems for the immediate future.

To its credit, the US Army has recognised this mis-match.

• Pentagon Just Made A Massive, Long Overdue Shift To Arm Its Troops With Thousands Of Drones
  https://www.twz.com/air/pentagon-just-made-a-massive-long-overdue-shift-to-arm-its-troops-with-thousands-of-drones
  “Sweeping changes mean small drones will be treated like ammunition and lower-level officers will have more authority to buy and employ them.
  
  “Small UAS [drones] resemble munitions more than high-end airplanes. They should be cheap, rapidly replaceable, and categorized as consumable.””

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UGVs (ground robot drones) now feature regularly in battlefield videos. A utility UGV was used to retrieve a dropped Russian Kalashnikov light machine gun.

• Ukrainian ground drone retrieves Russian weapons from the frontline.
  https://bsky.app/profile/specialkhersoncat.bsky.social/post/3lsylg5tcc22x

A UGV is now equipped with a rocket launcher.

• Ukrainian ground drone with S-5 rocket launcher in service with the 92nd Brigade
  https://bsky.app/profile/specialkhersoncat.bsky.social/post/3ltas26gjyc27

And, of course, yet another new Ukrainian UGV appeared on the frontline.

• ​Ukraine's Armed Forces Expand Unmanned Capabilities with the Liutik System
  https://en.defence-ua.com/weapon_and_tech/ukraines_armed_forces_expand_unmanned_capabilities_with_the_liutik_system-15112.html
  Ukrainian Liutik can assist in moving equipment, supplies, and potentially wounded personnel.

The Liutik ground robotic system / The Ministry of Defense of Ukraine

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THE DRONE & MISSILE WAR (THE LONG-RANGE WAR)

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Ukraine continued its relentless but mostly un-reported attacks on Russia’s defence industry.

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One of Russia’s most important military plants suffered a major attack this week.

• FP-1 Deep strike Drones Scale Up in Number and Break Through Moscow Defenses
  https://en.defence-ua.com/news/fp_1_deepstrike_drones_scale_up_in_number_and_break_through_moscow_defenses_ukraines_attack_on_chem_plant_in_krasnozavodsk_shows-15063.html
  “Ukrainian FP-1 long-range drones have struck the Krasnozavodsk Chemical Plant in Moscow outskirts, meaning they managed to overcome some of the densest air defenses in all of Russia.
  
  Ukraine used FP-1 drones in the strike. The drone reportedly carries a larger warhead—than Liutyi, usually used in such attacks—and may now be in serial production.”

• Ukraine hits backbone of Russian ammo supply chain—defense-linked plant rocked by explosions near Moscow
  https://euromaidanpress.com/2025/07/07/ukraine-reportedly-hits-russian-ammo-supply-plant-tied-to-rocket-systems/
  “Residents of Krasnozavodsk reported multiple loud blasts after Ukrainian drones reportedly reached the site. The plant supplies Russia’s Ministry of Defense with munitions like signal cartridges, anti-tank missile igniters, detonators, thermite blocks, and explosive charges. The plant [also] repairs and modernizes Russia’s multiple rocket launchers [MLRS], including Uragan, Grad, and Tornado-G. As of 2023–2024, it had assembled and upgraded full systems and their parts.”

• Ukraine’s General Staff Confirms Strike on Ammunition Plant in Russia’s Moscow Region
  https://en.defence-ua.com/news/ukraines_general_staff_confirms_strike_on_ammunition_plant_in_russias_moscow_region-15072.html
  “Ukraine’s Defense Forces have carried out a high-impact strike on the Krasnozavodsk Chemical Plant, a facility that [also] produces thermobaric warheads for Shahed-type UAVs.”

Images of the FP-1 one-way attack drone that struck near Moscow / Mezha Media

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• Missile Components Factory Attacked
  https://bsky.app/profile/noelreports.com/post/3lthoo2desc2a
  “On July 4, Ukrainian drones struck two buildings at the Azov Optical-Mechanical Plant. This facility produces precision optical-mechanical components for missile guidance, armored vehicle stabilizers, aviation and UAV navigation, and electronic warfare systems, KiberBoroshno reports.”

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• ​UAVs Hit Workshop of VNIIR-Progress Plant — It Manufactures Components for Missiles, Drones
  https://en.defence-ua.com/news/uavs_hit_workshop_of_vniir_progress_plant_it_manufactures_components_for_missiles_drones_which_russia_terrorizes_ukraine_with-15044.html
  “On the night of July 5, explosions were heard in the Russian city of Cheboksary, the capital of the Chuvash Republic, as a result of a drone attack. After that, security forces blocked access to the territory of the VNIIR-Progress plant, which is engaged in the production of electronic components for the Russian army.”
  

• https://bsky.app/profile/noelreports.com/post/3lthojfcp5c2a
  “Satellite imagery confirms the July 5 strike by an An-196 “Liutyi” drone on the new workshop of JSC "VNIIR-Progress" in Cheboksary. The facility produces "Kometa" adaptive antenna arrays used in "Geran" drones.”
  

Smoke rises from the VNIIR-Progress plant / Screengrab

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And, of course, Russia continued its nightly attacks. The largest was on July 8th.

• Russia Tests Ukraine's Air Defenses with 741 [Missile] Salvo
  https://en.defence-ua.com/news/russia_tests_ukraines_air_defenses_with_741_weapon_salvo-15087.html
  “In the largest aerial assault since the full-scale invasion began, Russia launched 741 airborne weapons against Ukraine during the night of July 9, 2025. The attack started at 8:00 p.m. on July 8 and included 728 Shahed-type attack drones and decoy UAVs, along with sevenKh-101/Iskander-K cruise missiles and six Kh-47M2 Kinzhal aeroballistic missiles.”

Flight paths of the swarm of the 741 airborne missiles launched at Ukraine July 7th. Yellow are attack drones, blue are ballistic missiles, red are cruise missiles. / monitorwarr

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ESPIONAGE NEWS

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• Two Alleged Chinese Spies Arrested
  https://bsky.app/profile/noelreports.com/post/3ltjudihpi22o
  “The Ukrainian SBU detained two Chinese nationals - 24-year-old Den Yancheng and his father Den Zehua - for attempting to steal secret tech tied to Ukraine's Neptune missiles. The father coordinated the espionage while traveling from China to Ukraine.”

24-year-old Den Yancheng / Screenshot

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GRIMLY HILARIOUS MOMENTS OF THE WEEK

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Ah, the good old days before Russia’s greatest strategist decided to invade a peaceful neighbour / Screengrab

The Zapad annual exercise is the showcase of the Russian armed forces (VSRF). Every year, before invited foreign dignitaries, its combined armour, artillery and aviation sweep away all resistance in an imaginary but irresistible assault. Unfortunately for the VSRF, events in Ukraine demonstrated Zapad is little more than a carefully choreographed military Potemkin Village.

In an epic piece of self-satire, the 6th Combined Arms Amy has now appealed for donations of camouflage netting and building materials for use in Zapad 2025. How the mighty have fallen.

• A Russian Army Appeals for Volunteers to Supply Equipment Before the Annual Zapad Set-Piece
  https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1941808340679418228.html
  “An appeal by the Combined Arms Army of the 2nd Leningrad Military District has illustrated the shortage of resources currently faced by the Russian military. A message apparently circulated on Telegram reads: "Hello, 👋 [supporters] of the combined arms army of the 2nd Leningrad district, I am contacting you. The commander made a request to find camouflage nets and building materials for the state exercises "Zapad-2025". Please help me in any way possible."

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Soldiers on both sides have to scramble to find essential supplies for themselves. Russian troops now face competition from scrap metal merchants for much sought-after electrical cable and they are not happy.

• Russian soldiers at the front lines in Ukraine are unable to obtain vital electrical supplies
  https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1941824849921343643.html
  "We, military signalmen, have a simple and very difficult front — every day we fight not only against electronic warfare and the weather, but also against a banal shortage: equipment, cable, splitters, power, consumables.
  
  In recent months, these auctions have been visited en masse by 'non-ferrous metal workers' – those who buy equipment not for restoration, but for scrap. They artificially inflate prices , making it impossible to buy equipment en masse.
  
  Moreover, in a number of cases, they began to deliberately damage the equipment before transfer: they drill chips, they run power supply through the negative [terminal], they burn the boards so that [they] can no longer be restored , even if you are ready to pay money for [them].”

Russian Electrical Cables / Screenshot

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BOOM OF THE WEEK

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Russian Grad multiple launch rocket system explodes in a most gratifying fireball / Screengrab

• Russian Rocket Launcher Goes Boom
  https://bsky.app/profile/wartranslated.bsky.social/post/3ltfavvvkjs2k
  “An epic detonation of ammo occurred after a Ukrainian FPV drone struck a Russian 122mm Grad MLRS in Donetsk region.”

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FOREIGN AID & INVESTMENT IN UKRAINE

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A lot happened this week and it is unlikely you heard any of this. Germany paid for five hundred Lyuti drones for Ukraine and delivered the last of four promised field hospitals. Poland elects a president hostile to Ukraine (although its government is not). Switzerland semi-overcomes its neutrality to deliver $6.3 billion towards reconstruction. Now that Australia’s much-delayed Abrams main battle tanks (MBTs) arrived, there are very few nations left who have MBTs that could be donated. Norway and Germany donate three more PATRIOT missile systems to defend Ukraine. The UK made a big commitment to donating thousands of air defence missiles. A joint Czech-Ukraine artillery shell manufacturing initiative began. And Denmark’s Hydrema MCV 910 mine-clearing machine is operating successfully in Kharkiv oblast.
Phew.

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• One Ukrainian drone keeps smashing Russia’s top war factories—so Germany’s paying for 500 more
  https://euromaidanpress.com/2025/07/07/germany-pays-for-500-furious-drones/
  “Hundreds more long-range Lyuti (Furious )drones are coming, funded by Berlin. The $200,000 drone can follow a complex flight path and change altitude in order to avoid Russian air defenses.”
  

• Fourth Field Hospital Delivered by Germany
  https://bsky.app/profile/noelreports.com/post/3ltoid3t3bs25
  “German defense giant Rheinmetall has delivered another mobile rescue station to Ukraine. A crucial addition to frontline medical and emergency capabilities.”
  

• The Polish Model for Abandoning Ukraine
  https://euromaidanpress.com/2025/07/07/the-polish-model-for-abandoning-ukraine/
  “Ukraine’s strongest ally just elected a president who wants to cut refugee benefits, block EU membership, and exploit historical grievances. How did Poland—once Ukraine’s loudest champion—turn against its neighbor?”
  

• Switzerland will allocate nearly $6.3 billion for Ukraine’s reconstruction, President Zelensky announced
  https://bsky.app/profile/noelreports.com/post/3ltfecnj4m22p
  

• Where Can Ukraine Find New Tanks as Western Support Nears Its Limit
  https://en.defence-ua.com/news/where_can_ukraine_find_new_tanks_as_western_support_nears_its_limit-15100.html
  “The promised tank deliveries to Ukraine are nearing completion. It remains unclear whether additional vehicles will be acquired, as doing so could be a difficult and time-consuming process in today's Europe.”
  

• Germany & Norway to Fund Three US-Made Patriot Systems for Ukraine
  https://en.defence-ua.com/weapon_and_tech/germany_to_fund_two_us_made_patriot_systems_for_ukraine-15105.html
  “In addition to German contribution, Norway has pledged to fund one more Patriot system. According to Volodymyr Zelenskyy, this agreement has been secured through bilateral talks with the Prime Minister of Norway. These commitments are part of a broader push by Ukraine to secure at least ten Patriot batteries from Western partners.”
  

• UK Backs Ukraine with £2.5 Billion Defense Financing for Thousands of Air Defense Missiles, Systems, and Recovery
  https://en.defence-ua.com/news/uk_backs_ukraine_with_25_billion_defense_financing_for_thousands_of_air_defense_missiles_systems_and_recovery-15106.html
  “A central feature of the agreement is the UK's financial support to deliver two [unnamed] air defense systems and over 5,000 missiles, produced by Thales in Belfast. These systems are expected to improve Ukraine's ability to intercept Russian drones and missiles, addressing one of its most urgent security needs.”
  

• Czech [Company] Excalibur Army Opens Office in Ukraine to Launch Ammunition Production
  https://en.defence-ua.com/news/czech_excalibur_army_opens_office_in_ukraine_to_launch_ammunition_production-15086.html
  “Czech manufacturer, Excalibur Army, opens Ukraine office to launch joint artillery ammo production with Ukrainian Armor and boost tech ties.”
  

• Danish Hydrema MCV 910 has already de-mined over 560 hectares in the Kharkiv region
  https://mod.gov.ua/en/news/partner-support-danish-hydrema-mcv-910-has-already-demined-over-560-hectares-in-the-kharkiv-region
  “The 18-tonne Hydrema MCV 910 mechanized mine-clearing vehicle, manufactured in Denmark, is designed to neutralise both anti-personnel and anti-tank mines containing up to 10 kilograms of explosive material. To date, over 25,000 hectares of the region have been de-mined, while approximately one million hectares still require inspection for explosive hazards.“

Danish Hydrema MCV 910 mine-clearer / MoD Ukraine

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EUROPE REARMS

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A lot of rearmament news this week too, the biggest being Germany’s astounding expenditure on heavy weapons. I seriously doubt you’ve heard any of this either:

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Poland is trying to expand artillery shell production but it is slower than hoped.

• Poland to Increase 155mm Shell Production Ninefold, Still Falls Short of Demand
  https://en.defence-ua.com/news/poland_to_increase_155_mm_shell_production_ninefold_but_still_falls_short_of_demand-15055.html
  “Poland has decided to allocate €565.9 million to expand its ammunition production capacity ninefold, but this will still not be enough to replace the U.S. in this field.”

Like Poland, America is struggling to increase artillery shell production.

• US Sets New Deadline For Failed Ammo Production Ramp-Up to a Million Shells Yearly
  https://en.defence-ua.com/industries/us_sets_new_deadline_for_failed_ammo_production_ramp_up_to_a_million_shells_yearly-15088.html
  “The Pentagon called the initial plan to produce 100,000 155mm ammunition a month by October 2025 unattainable and announced new deadlines.”

Poland was the only major NATO member that began re-arming soon after Russia’s 2014 seizure of Crimea. It has bought an astonishing amount of heavy weapons from South Korea and the USA. Now it finds those weapons might have become obsolete, but does not have the cash to build drone defences.

• Spending Billions on Tanks and Helicopters, Poland Can't Find Money For Anti-Drone Systems
  https://en.defence-ua.com/analysis/spending_billions_on_tanks_and_helicopters_poland_cant_find_money_for_anti_drone_systems-15098.html
  “Poland suspends a couple of projects to develop and modernize C-UAS systems citing lack of funding — after record-breaking purchases of other weapons.”

Germany is duplicating Poland’s rearmament and more. It announced a staggering €25 billion expenditure on new main battle tanks (MBTs) and infantry fighting vehicles (IFVs).

• Germany’s Military Build-Up: 1,000 Leopard 2 Tanks and 2,500 Boxer APCs for NATO Defense
  https://en.defence-ua.com/analysis/germanys_military_build_up_1000_leopard_2_tanks_and_2500_boxer_apcs_for_nato_defense-15059.html
  “Germany is planning a massive military buildup by creating seven new NATO brigades and equipping them with 1,000 Leopard 2 tanks and 2,500 Boxer armored personnel carriers.”

In contrast, North Macedonia is not replacing the MBTs it donated to Ukraine, but has switched to a drone warfare-ready army.

• North Macedonia Gave All Tanks to Ukraine, Builds New Army Around Wheeled Armor and Drones
  https://en.defence-ua.com/news/north_macedonia_gave_all_tanks_to_ukraine_builds_new_army_around_wheeled_armor_and_drones-15089.html
  “The Balkan country shows a good example of how financial constraints can be overcome through adapting to modern warfare needs and partnering with allies.”

France is experimenting with (not very impressive) 3D—printed bunkers. Whilst Germany is building modular metal units to be embedded in trenches. If they are as good as German modular homes, they will be a big hit.

• France 3D-Prints Bunkers, Germany Builds Trenches Like Lego in Fortification Tech Push
  https://en.defence-ua.com/weapon_and_tech/france_3d_prints_bunkers_germany_builds_trenches_like_lego_in_fortification_tech_push-15091.html
  “European militaries are experimenting with new technologies designed to rapidly establish fortified defense lines, as the long-neglected art of fortification experiences a revival.”

Fifteen year since the last one was built, France finally resumes SCALP-EG cruise missile production. The UK has already resumed building Storm Shadows. Both nations are working together to upgrading the missile.

• France to Resume Manufacture of SCALP-EG/Storm Shadow Missiles
  https://bsky.app/profile/noelreports.com/post/3ltls53gzyc2o
  “French Defense Minister Sébastien Lecornu announced that production of SCALP-EG cruise missiles will restart in 2025, 15 years after the last order. The move comes amid recognition of the missile's effectiveness in Ukraine, where it’s being widely used against Russian forces.”

• Storm Shadow / SCALP to Be Upgraded as Paris and London Modernize Production
  https://en.defence-ua.com/news/storm_shadow_scalp_to_be_upgraded_as_paris_and_london_modernize_production-15102.html
  “The UK and France are upgrading their long-range missile arsenals by developing a new version of the Storm Shadow / SCALP missile and modernizing MBDA’s production lines to enable next-generation manufacturing.”

Finally, Britain may be planning to build Ukraine’s Raybird surveillance drone.

• IUkrainian Raybird UAV Marketed to British Military Via New Joint Venture
  https://en.defence-ua.com/news/ukrainian_raybird_drone_marketed_to_british_military_through_new_joint_venture-15069.html
  “Skyeton will contribute its field-tested and continuously upgraded Raybird UAV platform, while Prevail Partners will be responsible for adapting the system to British operational standards and providing local manufacturing capabilities. This strongly suggests plans to produce the drone on UK soil — a move that could both enhance its appeal for British defense procurement and bypass export restrictions related to military goods from Ukraine.”

Raybird-3 UAV equipped with an electromagnetic spectrum monitoring system / Photo credit: Skyeton

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That’s all for this week. Any questions or comments are always appreciated.

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