The Under Reported War Issue 38
Three Russian ammunition arsenals explode / Chechen war criminal awards son yet another medal / Ukraine’s drones drop mini-bunker busters / Russian division’s top secret orders posted online
Welcome to a weekly roundup of news from the war in Ukraine you probably did not hear about.
All reports are linked to their sources so you can read the original if you’d like to. If you have any questions, detect errors and omissions, or need more detail, just let me know.
By the way, today is Day 1,571 of Putin’s 3-Day Special Military Operation.
Here are some of the things you probably did not hear about for the week covering Sunday 7th to Saturday 13th June 2026:
HEADLINES THAT NEVER WERE
(BUT SHOULD HAVE BEEN)
As ever, welcome to The Under Reported War.
‘HIDDEN’ ARSENAL DETONATES AT BELGORAD
An unusually high number of weapons depots were attacked this week.
(See also Sevastopol in ‘NEWS OF THE MIDDLE STRIKE’ and St.Petersburg in the ‘UKRAINE’S LONG-RANGE WAR’ section).
Munitions Dump Explodes Near Belgorod
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“An explosion at an ammunition depot and a subsequent secondary detonation occurred near the village of Belovskoye, [on the edge of Belgorod]… Black smoke rose above the forest, which may indicate a UAV attack that caused a fire, followed by a second powerful explosion….
Publicly available satellite images show trucks, construction materials, traces of heavy equipment, and fortified positions covered with protective sheeting… The appearance of multiple smoke [trails] is characteristic of the [secondary] detonation of piles of munitions.”
Russia has a knack of placing dangerous munitions stockpiles close to cities, towns and villages. The Belgorod blast was situated in dense woodland surrounded by the city’s eastern suburbs.
Open-source research (OSINT) by the Pepel Group shows strange reflective sheeting over much of the munitions dump. That might be a defence against infra-red cameras, but it also guarantees the site stands out in satellite imagery. Very Russian.
UKRAINE’S EU MEMBERSHIP TALKS START NEXT WEEK
Putin said they would be permitted. Trump said much the same. They start Monday. The negotiations can take many years, particularly if the applicant needs to first undertake major economic and legal restructuring. Germany is trying to fast-track non-voting membership for both nations in order to give them the security of being inside the Union.
The EU will officially start accession talks with Ukraine and Moldova on June 15
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“All member states agreed to begin the first round of negotiations on fundamental issues including rule of law and democratic institutions.”
Why Moldova? Aside from the enormous economic advantages, Putin claims Moldova’s Russian-speaking region of Transnistria as part of the ‘Rússkiy Mir’ (‘Russian World’) and therefore under his protection. Russian soldiers are based there. Tiny Moldova wants them out, and EU membership is a good way to achieve that.
UKRAINE’S LONG-RANGE WAR BITES DEEP
Attacks on Russia’s oil refineries are reportedly pushing them into a crisis
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“[They are losing]control over fuel supplies and a lack of effective anti-drone defences. Russian oil giant Rosneft is reportedly pushing for nationalisation.”
Here’s a (probably partial) list of the refineries attacked this week:
TANECO and TAIF-NK oil refinery in Nizhnekamsk, Tatarstan
Sloviansk oil refinery, Kuban
Kuibyshev Oil Refinery, Samara
Novorossiysk oil refinery
PUTIN HENCHMEN IN MEDAL NEWS
Adam Kadyrov received yet another medal from his own father
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“This time the title of “Hero” of the Chechen Republic.”
This kid’s father must be so proud. In August last year (ISSUE 24), I wrote:
WAR CRIMINAL GETS AWARD FOR DENTISTRY
“It is true. I kid you not. Chechen killer Ramzan and his wife, sons, daughters, father (posthumously, such a shame, we all miss his mass-murdering antics), nephews, son-in-laws, fathers-in-law, sisters-in-law, brothers-in-law, niece, mother-in-law, stepbrother, uncle, second cousin, plus some others whose relationship seem impossible to unravel, just keep on winning awards. It is extraordinary. They must be the greatest family ever. Truly.”
At that time Ramzan Kadyrov had just received “an Order of Merit for Dentistry and a medal for excellence as an ambulance worker,” taking his tally up to thirty-one. I don’t have the totals for the year since then, but eighteen year-old Adam just received at the least his seventeenth medal. Such a precocious teenager.
Chechen troops are used as barrier troops to execute any Russian soldiers unwilling to march into the frontline meat grinder.
NEWS FROM INSIDE THE DRONE WALL
There has been almost no movement along the entire frontline, with drones from both sides preventing any significant advances.
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RUBIKON STRUGGLES
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You will see the name ‘Rubikon’ appear regularly in these bulletins. That’s because it is an innovative and elite Russian drone unit that was, perhaps, solely responsible for keeping the Russian army somewhat effective over the last two years. As it has grown, like so many organisations, it has now become less successful. Particularly so now that Ukraine targets its drone pilots ruthlessly.
Rapid Expansion Brings Systemic Problems to Russia’s Rubikon Center
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“The Rubikon Center proved effective as a rapid-response unit and an experimental platform. However, the 2026 attempt to turn this elite innovation hub into a large mass military structure led to internal conflicts and a decline in personnel quality.”
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FIBRE-OPTIC BIRD’S NEST
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Thousands and thousands of kilometres of discarded fibre-optic drone cables are woven across the frontline.
Fiber-Optic Bird’s Nest
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“A bird’s nest in built almost entirely from discarded fiber-optic drone cable.”
I’m a little skeptical of this one. As a nest it is impracticable: no insulation, not waterproof, the fibres are difficult to break into short strands etc. I think someone may be spoofing us for a laugh. I won’t be convinced until I see one in situ with eggs laid.
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GLIDE BOMB INTENSITY AND ACCURACY
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Now that it can no longer maintain heavy artillery barrages, glide bombs are Russia’s biggest long-range threat at the front. The arrival of Swedish Gripen fighters might alleviate the problem but it will be many months before even a few of them are operational.
Ukraine’s Lima Line of electronic warfare stations does spoof glide bomb navigation, but the longer the glide time the more effective the jamming. There is heavy fighting going on around Huliaipole and it seems the Lima jamming is ineffective there, perhaps because Russian fighter-bombers are operating closer to the front.
Russian Glide Bombs Strike Targets Despite Electronic Warfare
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“According to [OSINT analysis of] satellite images of fields and forest belts near the town of Huliaipole in the Zaporizhzhia region, Russian guided aerial bombs (KABs) continue to accurately strike targets… The total number [used] in May [was] 7,496 munitions.
The use of [glide bombs] allows Russian aircraft to drop munitions dozens of kilometers away from the line of contact. They operate without entering the range of most Ukrainian air defense systems.”
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UKRAINE’S ARMY REFORMS SUCCEED
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Not many nations have managed to reform their militaries during wartime. Ukraine’s army has done just that and has seen an increase in effectiveness along with a drop in casualties.
How Ukraine’s Third Army Corps Is Reshaping the Army While Fighting Russia
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“One year after taking responsibility for its own sector of the front, Ukraine’s Third Army Corps says it has stabilized a 150-kilometer frontline while introducing new command structures, expanding drone and robotic warfare capabilities. Commanders describe the corps as a model for how the Ukrainian military is adapting to the realities of modern warfare.”
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FRONTLINE DRONE INNOVATION NEWS
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Carried by a Baba Yaga drone bomber, this is designed to penetrate hard-to-attack dugouts and bunkers. It appears to use a delayed fuse so that it detonates only after the spiked bomb penetrates the ground.
Russians Alarmed By Ukraine’s Fence Post Drone Bomb (Video)
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“Russian social media has been circulating images of a Ukrainian drone bomb which is square with a metal point like the ground spike for a fence post. This is a penetrating weapon, as a sticker on the bomb proclaims, and it has Russian military bloggers worried. Now nowhere is safe.”
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KREMLIN PLANS BELARUS FRONT?
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Russia has launched plenty of Shahed and missile attacks from and across Belarusian territory. Extending the 1300km frontline into Belarus is clearly attractive to Russia. Kyiv is close to the Belarus border and Russian armoured columns struck at the capital from across that border in 2022. Does Belarus want to be dragged into a war it did not start and cannot finish? Its dictator, Alexander Lukashenko, is hugely unpopular already. Does he want a Russian-style body count of the soldiers loyal to him? I guess we will see.
Ukraine Warns of Potential New Front as Russian Forces Shift Assets Toward Belarus
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“Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that Russia is attempting to draw Belarus more deeply into the war. According to his remarks, this could pose a potential threat to Ukraine’s northern defense axis, particularly the Chernihiv-Kyiv direction, prompting reinforcement measures along the border.”
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RUSSIAN ADVANCES ARE ‘MAP COLOURING’
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Be wary of maps showing Russian gains. As this Russian milblogger makes clear, a lot of those ‘advances’ reflect more the greed of officers who colour-in the maps rather than the reality on the ground. Map colouring is big business.
Ukraine controls the skies along the Kramatorsk front
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“Vampire drones operating even during daylight… Russian infantry units face a critical drone shortage, lack coordination, and show advances only through ‘map coloring’.”
On the Institute for the Study of War (ISW)’s daily maps, Russian advances often appears far more extensive than they are in reality. ‘Flag raising’ is often only a hasty (and very dangerous) photo op conducted so a senior Russian officer can claim a bonus. The flag raisers usually die since they’re in Ukrainian territory.
For the first two-and-a-half years of the war , the ISW’s daily maps only recognised Russian territorial gains. They did not display the land Ukraine recovered in the sweeping counter-attacks of late 2022. These days, the ISW tries harder, but be wary!
Btw, Ukraine has still liberated more territory than the Russian invaders currently occupy.
RUSSIA’S ‘INVINCIBLE’ WAR MACHINE
Q: WHEN IS A NEW PLANE NOT A NEW PLANE?
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A: When it was already old in 2011 and then refurbished. Especially so when it was refurbished again this year.
The Beriev A-50U (Mainstay) is a Russian knock-off of the Boeing E-3 AWACS. It has been around for more than forty years. So the announcement last week that a new A-50U had entered service raised eyebrows. Turns out it is not new, but one of the oldest Mainstays still flyable. It has just gone through its second refurbishment.
Russia does this a lot. Its new tanks are rarely ‘new’. They are most modernised and refurbished tanks from the 1960s and 1970s. That does not, of course, stop dim journalists from reporting them as new.
The Russian Air Force’s ‘New’ Radar Plane Isn’t Actually New
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“Russia went to war in February 2022 with potentially [between five and] seven Beriev A-50U radar early warning planes. The A-50Us use fuselage-mounted radars to watch for Ukrainian warplanes and drones
In a series of attacks going back more than three years, the Ukrainians may have knocked out nearly half of the [remaining airworthy] A-50Us. The recent refurbishment of one A-50U doesn’t alter the overall math as Russia gradually loses its eyes in the sky”
Russia’s AWACS fleet is much reduced after two were shot down in long-range ground-launched ‘missile ambushes’, and one was destroyed in a drone attack, plus possibly more were lost in Operation Spiderweb. It cannot maintain early warning coverage over the entirety of the frontline. These days the 4-5 active A50Us remaining are shuttled between civilian airports to keep them away from Ukrainian attacks.
Russia Can Keep No More Than Four A-50U AWACS Aircraft Flying
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“The Russian Aerospace Forces (VKS) have reportedly received back into service the upgraded A-50U airborne early warning aircraft carrying the tactical number Red 47 after repairs conducted at the Beriev Aircraft Company facility in Taganrog. Notably, this aircraft was originally upgraded to the A-50U standard as far back as 2011.”
Russia Bases A-50U Aircraft [Concentrated] at Civilian Airports
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“Russia is using civilian airports within the territory of its Central Military District to host its fleet of A-50U airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) aircraft. To reduce the risk of being targeted, the aircraft frequently change their locations.”
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RUSSIA SCRAPING THE ROCKET BARREL
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After four years of war, the demechanised Russian army has lost so many multiple rocket launchers like the BM30 that it has resorted to dragging ancient man-portable single rocket launchers out of storage yards.
Russians Are Returning to Vietnam War Tactics Using Portable Rocket Launchers
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“Russia’s army, lacking significant means to change the situation for the better on the fronts of the Russia-Ukraine war, is switching to tactics that were used by the Vietnamese in the guerrilla war against the US army in the last century.”
It’s clearly a sign that Russia can no longer get its multiple launch rocket launchers close enough to the fighting because of the drone threat.
I’ve a feeling that the crews of these man-portable launchers will have a very short life expectancy.
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IN NOT UNRELATED NEWS
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Note how, in this video, the mortar round wobbles before the Russian fires it from the RPG launcher. It could have gone anywhere, including dropping at his feet. It is reminiscent of Omar getting confused about which end of a Stinger to use in ‘Four Lions’.
Russian fires improvised projectile made from mortar round (Video)
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SCRAPYARD NEWS
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It belonged in a vintage truck rally, but ended up as drone fodder in Ukraine.
Russian military using 75-year-old GAZ-69 truck [Video]
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DESKILLING THE RUSSIAN ARMY BY DRONE
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Confirmation That Specialists and Officers are Sent to Their Deaths
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“Many of the Russian soldiers seen daily being blown up by Ukrainian drones are there not because they’re trained infantry, but are specialists or even officers who are being sent to their deaths as a punishment.”
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GUARDS REGIMENT LEAKED SECRETS ONLINE DAILY
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Dumb use of social media, Part 13,452. This must be one of the reasons why the Kremlin banned Telegram.
143rd Guards Motor Rifle Regiment Posts Classified Data on Public Forum
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“ASTRA reported [that] a group called “Бл*дская организация” (ed. “F*king Organization) was used to post daily links to Yandex, [including] Telemost conferences for commanders. Secret orders from the headquarters of the 5th Guards Combined Arms Army were also sent there.
Separate lists of Russian servicemen, tables of video surveillance systems, requests for the issuance of ammunition, spreadsheets containing usernames, passwords, and even two-factor authentication (2FA) keys used by unit commanders to access drone livestreams.”
DESTRUCTION OF RUSSIAN AIR DEFENCES
NOT EVERY DRONE IS ON TARGET
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It’s not easy to pilot lightweight drones in high winds. You will often see near misses. These, of course, still inflict blast damage and sometimes destroy their target anyway. You can see how difficult it is to fly with precision in this video of an attack on a S-400 missile system:
Near Miss on S-400 Air Defense System in Crimea
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“The S-400 system was located near the village of Kurortne… Ahead of the strike, drone footage identified several components of the air defense system and Russian troops stationed at the position.”
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BUK GOES BOOM!
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Along with at least two TOR-M2s, and a Pantsir blarted by Ukraine, normal service was resumed this week when a shiny new Buk-M3 missile launcher and radar was knocked out.
Ukraine Strikes Russian Buk-M3, Tor SAM Systems (Video)
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“The destruction or damage of these systems is particularly significant because Russian air defenses remain a critical component of Moscow’s ability to protect troop concentrations, logistics hubs, and military infrastructure from Ukrainian strikes.
Neutralizing such assets can create opportunities for follow-on drone and missile operations.”
NEWS OF THE MIDDLE STRIKE
There are so many Middle Strike attacks every week, that I’m just going to list a few of the more significant or unusual stories.
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TRUCK HUNT CONTINUES
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The order went out to repaint Russian trucks in civilian colours last week. The first evidence of that is emerging.
Russians Begin Masking Military Trucks as Civilian Vehicles Due to Constant Drone Attacks
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“In the northern part of Crimea, an unusual Ural truck, freshly painted blue, was spotted. A man in civilian clothes with a short haircut was behind the wheel, but the license plates on the vehicle remained military.”
Military traffic falls 71% in 2 weeks on key route
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“Military cargo traffic along the Russian-controlled R-280 highway, the key land corridor linking Russia with occupied Crimea via Mariupol, Berdiansk, Melitopol and Simferopol, has fallen by 71% over the past two weeks.”
Russia keeps four field armies fed through three southern towns. Ukraine’s drones just arrived
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“Trucks, hundreds of them every day, roll into Chernihivka, Kamianka and Rozivka. The towns are logistical chokepoints.
A 1 June drone strike near Chernihivka hit the layer the Russians used to assume was out of reach. A Ukrainian drone hit a Russian truck 23 km southeast of Chernihivka, near one of the three southern towns hosting four Russian field armies. Truck drivers have no choice but to converge on [these towns] in order to finally deliver their cargo. .
The [recent strikes] suggests Ukraine has reached a layer of the Russian rear the Kremlin used to assume was out of reach.”
Drones Struck a Convoy of Russian Trucks Carrying Fuel and Ammunition Near Armiansk
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“Because the Chonhar Bridge was damaged, the enemy concentrated a large number of trucks carrying military cargo that were moving specifically through Armiansk. Consequently, during the strike, we managed to hit the trucks carrying fuel and ammunition. There were about 50 vehicles, and some of them were destroyed.”
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SAPPER BASE LAID WASTE
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Often only 20% of Ukraine’s drones reach their targets. Increasingly, a much higher percentage break though. You can see the consequence of when that happens in this video. The devastation they wreak is relentless.
Mass overnight strike against 90th Engineer-Sapper Regiment [Video}
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“The unit mined and built parts of the Surovikin Line in southern Ukraine.”
Btw, at the moment only 5-10% of Russia’s strike drones reach their target.
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SEVASTOPOL ARMS DEPOT BLOWN UP
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Ukraine is rightly proud of its Neptune cruise missiles. They sank the Russian flagship Moskva. This week Neptunes struck a Black Sea Fleet weapons depot at Striletska Bay in Sevastopol, Crimea.
Neptune Missiles Destroy Weapons Storage Facilities in Crimea
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“On the night of June 11, units of the Ukrainian Navy launched a missile strike on a military facility of the Russian Black Sea Fleet in occupied Crimea.”
UKRAINE’S LONG-RANGE WAR
WAR RETURNS TO ST. PETERSBURG
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The inhabitants of St.Petersburg, Russia’s second city and Peter the Great’s imperial capital, received yet another reminder that they are at war, and that the war is not going particularly well for them.
Sentinel-2 satellite imagery shows fires at 15th Navy Arsenal
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“Sentinel-2 satellite imagery shows a fire at Russia’s 15th Navy arsenal in Leningrad region after Ukrainian drone strikes. Earlier high-resolution images indicated ammunition was stored in the open at the site…
Ukraine’s Defense Forces struck multiple strategic targets in Russia’s Leningrad region during the night of June 6, including fuel infrastructure, a naval weapons arsenal, and facilities linked to Russia’s Baltic Fleet.”
Before-and-After Images Confirm Extensive Damage to 1060th Logistics Support Center’s Arsenal Near St. Petersburg
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“The published collage shows the destruction or significant damage to a number of structures within the complex used to store missile weapons, ammunition, and military equipment. Only traces of ruins remain where individual buildings once stood.
The most noticeable changes were recorded in the central part of the facility, where analysts noted a significant burn zone. It was there that a secondary detonation and fire were observed following the strike.
Strike on Russian Navy Arsenal Burns 5,000 Tons of Ammunition
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“The attack on military unit 55443-LI took place on June 6 using approximately 40 strike drones. Eight drones reportedly reached the target.
The strike hit ground hangar-type storage facilities, triggering the detonation of stored ammunition.
Reported losses are estimated at approximately 5,000 tons of materiel, mainly artillery ammunition of various calibers and engineer munitions.”
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PIPELINES POUNDED, TERMINALS TARGETED
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Ukraine attacked the Grushovaya Balka oil storage and pumping hub
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“Russian crude reaches the sea through tunnels under a mountain ridge—and Ukraine hit the end near Novorossiysk. Pipelines link the Grushovaya depot to Novorossiysk’s loading berths about 12 km away. Locals counted about 50 blasts before a huge fire lit the mountains above Russia’s main Black Sea oil port.”
Here’s the rest:
Drones struck the Krasny Yar oil pipeline station in Volgograd region
Russia’s Largest Caucasus Oil Terminal Hit After Ukrainian Drone Strike
Drones Strike Sheskharis Oil Terminal in Novorossiysk
Ust-Labinsk oil depot in Krasnodar Krai burns throughout the day
The Vtorovo oil pumping station has been struck.
NASA FIRMS confirms fire at the Lobkovo LPDS pumping station
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GO TO THE BEACH, BRING A GUN
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Russian Beach Holidays - The New Reality
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“Russian mobile fire groups are on duty right on the waterfront in Adler, Krasnodar region.”
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ANOTHER CHEAP CRUISE MISSILE ENTERS SERVICE
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Ukraine May Already Have 930-km Rusty Dagger Cruise Missiles in Service
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“Debris reportedly recovered by Russian sources suggests Ukraine may have received and already employed the new AGM-188A Rusty Dagger cruise missile.
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MISSILE NAVIGATION MANUFACTURER HIT BY FLAMINGOS
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This electronics factory was attacked last month and partially destroyed. This week, Ukraine finished the job. The satellite antennae manufactured at VNIR-Progress are vital components of Russia’s Shahed drones, and its advanced ballistic and cruise missiles.
FP-5 Flamingo cruise missiles strike military electronics manufacturer
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“Ukraine attacked Russia’s VNIIR-Progress defense production facility in Cheboksary, roughly 1,000 km away. Footage shows the missiles careening toward the plant before impact…
[It manufactures] precision satellite navigation modules for Shaheds, Kalibr missiles and UMPK glide bombs”
ESPIONAGE
RUSSIAN DRONE ASSASSINATION THWARTED
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Ukraine foils Russian plot to assassinate intelligence official with FPV drone
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“Russian spy recruited to kill GUR spokesman Andrii Yusov with FPV drone for $100,000 bounty”
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COMMANDANT OF RUSSIA’S ARSENALS KILLED
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Car Bomb Kills Russian Munitions Chief
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“Colonel Damir Davydov, head of the Main Missile and Artillery Directorate (GRAU)… which is responsible for supplying the Russian army with weapons and ammunition.
Ukrainian intelligence services likely knew the colonel’s address for a long time. His personal information appeared on Ukrainian OSINT projects dedicated to tracking down Russian Armed Forces personnel and individuals suspected of war crimes. “
DIPLOMACY NEWS
INSENSITIVITY - UKRAINE’S ENDURING PROBLEM
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Ukraine’s ability to shoot itself in the foot is a weakness that needs addressing. When smirking members of the Azov Corps wear neo-Nazi insignia openly whilst posing for photojournalists, that is a problem. Naming a military unit after the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA) is a problem too. The UPA fought the Soviet Union and Nazi Germany but also massacred Polish civilians and Jews between 1943-45. To cap it all, doubling down and pretending it is not an issue is just plain dumb. None of this needed to happen. A less controversial name could have been chosen.
History haunting Ukraine-Poland relations, again
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“How a Ukrainian military unit’s new name reopened the most painful chapter in Polish-Ukrainian history.”
Angering Poland, at a time when so much military aid and EU membership depends upon unanimous support from EU members, is foolish almost beyond belief. Poland is now demanding it be reimbursed Trump-fashion for weapons it gave to Ukraine.
Poland Objects as Germany Seeks to Channel Unfrozen €6.6 Billion into Arms for Ukraine
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“The European Union is debating how to spend €6.6 billion from the European Peace Facility that was unblocked after Hungary lifted its veto. Germany wants the entire amount to be directed to Ukraine to help finance its defense needs. Poland, however, argues that the money should instead be used to reimburse EU member states for weapons they have already supplied to Ukraine.”
WAR CRIME NEWS
HUMAN SAFARI HUNTERS NAMED
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Ukraine names 10 Russians tied to “human safari” drone hunt on civilians in Kherson
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“Counterintelligence built a case against Russian military drone pilots from a single regiment and charged each in absentia with war crimes.”
FOREIGN AID & INVESTMENT IN UKRAINE
CO-PRODUCTION NEWS
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German Diehl Plans to Produce Ukraine’s Flamingo Cruise Missile.
Estonia Launches Production in the Netherlands of THeMIS robots for Ukraine.
Norway to provide more than $1257 million for joint maritime drone construction.
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BRITAIN’S 2025 UKRAINE ARSENAL
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Here’s What’s Was Inside Britain’s Huge 2025 Ukraine Arsenal
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“Tanks, Missiles, and 184,000 Drones. The United Kingdom declared one of the largest arms transfer packages to Ukraine in the 2025 UN Register of Conventional Arms, listing tanks, armored vehicles, naval craft, missiles, and a massive number of drones among the equipment delivered to Kyiv… London transferred more than 200,000 units of weapons and military equipment to Ukraine across multiple categories in 2025.
The missile category included 5,000 air-to-surface missiles. The largest numbers appeared in the drone category. The UK declared 12,565 unmanned aerial vehicles, 12,000 fixed-wing strike drones, 50 Altius 600M loitering munitions, and 172,350 rotor-type strike drones.”
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BULGARIA CHOOSES THE WRONG SIDE YET AGAIN
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Bulgaria turned on its allies in the Second Balkan War of 1913, lost catastrophically and had the cede territory to all of them. It then joined the losing side in WWI and lost another big chunk of territory. It did the same in WWII and ended up as a Soviet puppet state. Now it has chosen to align itself with Putin. Such a smart move.
Bulgaria’s New Government Announces Plan to Halt Military Aid to Ukraine
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“The new government, formed in May, has announced its intention to abandon further military aid packages, despite the fact that Sofia has already delivered 13 aid packages to Kyiv since 2022.”
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GERMANY STEPS UP AGAIN
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If you do the math on the cost of each shell, it’s clear that these will not be standard 155mm rounds, but a mixture of various munitions.
Germany will contribute another €300 million to Czech-led ammunition initiative for Ukraine
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“The additional funding is expected to finance the purchase of around 50,000 artillery rounds for Ukrainian forces.”
In April, Germany announced:
Germany Orders “Thousands” of AI Strike Drones for Ukraine, Anubis, Seth-X With Advanced Autonomy
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“Germany will produce Anubis and Seth-X strike UAVs for Ukraine with very advanced combat artificial intelligence.”
Just two months later, we heard this:
Anubis with AI is already in Ukraine and are hitting the Russian Federation two weeks after ordering these “middle strikes”
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“Anubis is one of two drones from Auterion Airlogix, which were recently ordered for Ukraine.
[Ukraine is] already using Anubis medium-range drones from the American-German-Ukrainian company Auterion Airlogix to strike the Russian occupation forces.
The Russians published a photo of one of the drones shot down in the area of temporarily occupied Donetsk, which was noticed on the Military Journal Telegram channel.”
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EUROPEAN MISSILE NAVIGATION TESTED IN UKRAINE
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A European alternative to America’s DSMAC contour mapping navigation system has been developed and is being tested on the battlefield in Ukraine. DSMAC is installed, for example, in the Anglo-French Storm Shadow/SCALP-EG cruise missile. It is vitally important that Europe develops an alternative free from an American veto on its use.
How Ukraine Tested a DSMAC-Style Navigation System on Mid-Strike Drones
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“One of Europe’s alternatives to the DSMAC navigation system used on cruise missiles and strike drones is already undergoing active testing in Ukraine.
A defense technology company tested its Osiris navigation module on Ukrainian drones at ranges exceeding 50 km, highlighting once again the value of evaluating weapons systems under real combat conditions.”
EUROPE & CANADA REARM
BALTIC SEA MARINE ATTACK DRONES
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Lithuania Receives First Naval Drones
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“In May, Lithuania established the ANBO unit (Autonomous Remote Unmanned Operations Unit), a specialized formation dedicated to autonomous and remotely operated unmanned systems. The newly delivered naval drones are expected to enhance the unit’s surveillance, reconnaissance, and maritime security capabilities in the Baltic Sea.”
Currently, the Lithuanian army has already trained over a thousand drone operators. However, the size of the ANBO unit itself will remain classified.”
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POLISH AUTOMATIC RIFLE MANUFACTURER SECURES FUTURE
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Polish Rifle Manufacturer Łucznik Saved Through SAFE Program
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“Łucznik is one of 12 companies that have received funding under the European SAFE mechanism.
Within a guaranteed package worth about PLN 736 million, the company is to supply around 45,800 MSBS Grot assault rifles, 13,400 Vis 100 pistols, and 1,300 40 mm underbarrel grenade launchers.”
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BRITISH ENERGY WEAPON TRIALLED
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Thales Microwave Weapon Destroys 80 Drones During Trials
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“The RapidDestroyer microwave weapon, a radio-frequency directed energy weapon (RFDEW) designed to counter drone swarms, has destroyed 80 drones during trials.”
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AIRBUS LOOKS TO UNCREWED AERIAL FIGHTER DRONE
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Ravenstorm At The Center Of Airbus’s New Combat Drone Portfolio
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“As Europe’s flagship next-generation fighter effort unravels, Airbus is betting heavily on uncrewed collaborative combat aircraft.”
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UKRAINE AND LATVIA SIGN DEFENCE COOPERATION AGREEMENT
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Latvia to Adopt Ukraine’s Experience in Countering Drones
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“One of the key areas of the agreement will be sharing Ukraine’s experience with Latvia in protecting its airspace from drone attacks. This includes both military and civilian practices developed by Ukraine over the years of full-scale war.”
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MOST MISLEADING HEADLINE OF THE WEEK
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UK Ranks Second-to-Last in New NATO Ranking
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“The United Kingdom has been ranked 31st out of 32 NATO member states in a new assessment measuring how well countries are fulfilling their commitments to strengthen and modernize their armed forces, according to The Times.
The ranking, which is expected to be published later this month, evaluates each member state’s progress in meeting NATO targets for developing military capabilities and improving defense readiness.
The only country ranked below the United Kingdom, according to the media, is Iceland, which does not have its own armed forces.”
A bit cheeky from an Ukrainian publication, and utterly mendacious from the politically hostile ‘Times’ since the ranking does not take into account that, for example, the reason the UK has almost no long-range self-propelled howitzers is that all of them were donated to Ukraine. State-of-the-art LCH-155 howitzers are on order but that does not affect this snapshot ranking right now. The same applies to many other categories used in the assessment. (See above: BRITAIN’S 2025 UKRAINE ARSENAL)
As always, the reality is fat more nuanced than the headline suggests. The UK and France both maintain a higher state of readiness than their NATO partners, so when this ranking only takes into account improvements, they can appear quite low when they actually have much higher readiness than those ranked above them.
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NORWEGIAN MISSILE MAKER BUYS US RUSTY DAGGER MANUFACTURER
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Kongsberg Bets On High-Low Cruise Missile Mix With JSM And Rusty Dagger
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“Norwegian missile-maker Kongsberg has finalized its acquisition of a majority stake in Zone 5 Technologies, bringing under its umbrella the U.S. start-up’s Rusty Dagger low-cost cruise missile, among others.”
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ANOTHER STRATEGIC LOSS FOR AMERICA
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Unlike Russia with its Beriev A-50Us, NATO does not plan to keep its AWACS flying until they fall out of the sky. Canada recently chose the Swedish GlobalEye for its air force, and it looks like NATO will do the same.
NATO Prepares to Announce Saab GlobalEye as New AWACS Aircraft
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“NATO may further distance [itself] from using American defense industry products. Already in early July 2026, NATO may announce choosing Swedish Saab GlobalEye as AEW&C aircraft for joint fleet, replacing previously cancelled E-7 Wedgetail from U.S..
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GOOD IDEA, HOPE IT WORKS
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Quantum Systems Builds Pulse P19 Prototype for Drone Interception
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“German company Quantum Systems has officially introduced the Pulse P19 multi-role [aircraft]. The platform is designed to counter long-range kamikaze drones. A radar system is integrated into the lower fuselage, with an electro-optical station installed behind it.
During patrol missions, the system will detect drones using onboard radar and identify targets using optical sensors. All reconnaissance data will be transmitted to a ground operator via the MOSAIC UXS control software. After operator confirmation, the aircraft will engage targets.
The aircraft has a maximum speed of about 670 km/h. For air-defense tasks, it will be armed with pod-mounted machine guns, as well as low-cost missiles and interceptor drones.”
That’s all for now. See you next week.
thank you for your work putting this together
An excellent roundup of news.