Exclusives
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Russia’s deadly innovations ahead of sacred holiday cost 40% of all casualties in Pokrovsk. The city’s once-populated districts are deserted now. Most apartments are uninhabitable, and the streets are dangerously littered with burnt and damaged cars, while unexploded ordnance is scattered on the ground. |
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Ukraine’s ex-spy boss: Russian nuclear theater froze 2022 counteroffensive. Moscow’s nuclear ghost worked: Documents suggesting Russian Black Sea strikes reached Biden’s desk through manipulated agents, halting Ukraine’s 2022 momentum |
Military
Ukrainian air strike decimates Russian drone hub in new wave of assaults in Kursk Oblast. President Zelenskyy confirmed Ukrainian forces remain active in Russian territory, contradicting Kremlin statements from late April claiming all Ukrainian troops had been expelled from the region.
Frontline report: Ukrainian sappers outsmart Russian motorcycle tactics with modified mines. Ukrainian sappers discovered that standard anti-tank mines triggered only under heavy vehicles, leaving motorcycle infantry undetected, prompting them to recalibrate trigger mechanisms for lighter pressures.
Ukraine launches new border offensive in Kursk, despite Russian complete “liberation” claims. Russian sources claim that Ukrainian forces attempted to breach the Russian border near Tyotkino in Kursk Oblast on 4 May, but were halted at the frontier by artillery and drone strikes.
Frontline report: Russian assault fails as Ukrainian mines scatter Pokrovsk road attack. Russian assault columns moving toward Nadiivka encountered newly scattered fields of anti-tank mines on the road from Selydove, the town serving as their main logistical hub.
As of 5 MAY 2025, the approximate losses of weapons and military equipment of the Russian Armed Forces from the beginning of the invasion to the present day:
- Personnel: 958070 (+1260)
- Tanks: 10763 (+5)
- APV: 22411 (+8)
- Artillery systems: 27370 (+43)
- MLRS: 1377 (+1)
- Anti-aircraft systems: 1155
- Aircraft: 372
- Helicopters: 335
- UAV: 34997 (+137)
- Cruise missiles: 3196
- Warships/boats: 28
- Submarines: 1
- Vehicles and fuel tanks: 47250 (+109)
Intelligence and Technology
Czechia to train Ukrainian F-16 and L-39 fighter pilots at domestic bases. The program addresses Ukraine’s critical need for qualified F-16 pilots while keeping training operations safely outside Ukrainian territory where they would be vulnerable to Russian attacks.
Ukraine negotiates to produce Spanish elite weapon systems locally. Talks with defense giant Escribano are underway to localize production of high-tech turrets and targeting systems already used on the battlefield.
Pakistan faces ammunition shortages amid tensions with India due to large underground exports to Ukraine. Pakistan’s military ammunition stocks plummeted to a four-day supply after extensive exports to war zones.
France boosts Hammer bomb output for Ukraine by nearly 40%. Following JDAM failures, France rapidly modified AASM kits for Ukrainian aircraft. Within four months, the system delivered high precision against GPS-jammed targets.
International
Tusk invokes WWII lessons: Putin’s victory in Ukraine threatens Polish and Dutch citizens’ physical safety. Peace must not mean surrender, the Polish PM cautioned, urging full support for Ukraine to stop Putin and secure Europe.
EU proposes to ban Russian gas imports by 2027 – Bloomberg. The European Union will propose banning all Russian gas imports by 2027, potentially redirecting €23 billion in annual energy purchases.
Finland to hold multinational NATO exercises with 6,500 troops. Finland will host approximately 6,500 troops from Finland, Sweden, and the United Kingdom for military exercises aimed at strengthening northern defense capabilities this May.
Ukrainian forces to join UK’s VE Day celebrations marking war’s end 80 years ago. More than 1,000 soldiers from multiple nations will parade through London today to celebrate eight decades since Nazi Germany’s surrender.
EU could double aid by buying Ukrainian-made weapons amid potential US cuts. With US aid expected to decline as Trump’s peace negotiations stall, the European Commissioner for Defense and Space presents direct weapons procurement from Ukraine as a cost-effective solution.
Humanitarian and Social Impact
“Even after the most severe losses, we are able to live to the fullest” – Quadruple amputee veteran debuts at charity race. A 14-year-old girl who lost both legs in a missile attack also joined hundreds of participants in a Lviv charity half marathon that raised 2.2 million hryvnias for rehabilitation programs.
Russia devastates ecology in Ukraine with strikes causing forest fires. Multiple rocket launcher attacks by Russian forces on Borivka community triggered the blaze that has now spread to residential buildings, damaging private houses.
New Developments
Ukrainian mathematician Maryna Viazovska becomes member of US National Academy of Sciences. Ukrainian mathematician Maryna Viazovska, known for solving a 400-year-old mathematical problem, has been elected to the US National Academy of Sciences.
Read our earlier daily review here.
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