While attention focuses on Russian attacks on Kyiv and the EU, Ukraine is quietly dismantling Russian logistics. Drones are isolating Crimea, the front, and the entire European territory of Russia.
Monday, May 25, 2026 (1552nd day of the war)
Finnish president would represent Europe at peace negotiations
Soldiers of the 118th separate mechanized brigade of the Ukrainian army have a very long successful defense behind them: they have been defending the front-line village of Mala Tokmachka in Zaporizhzhia Oblast for more than 1,500 days. For comparison: they have thus surpassed the duration of the Spanish and French siege of Gibraltar from 1779 to 1783, which lasted 1,320 days, the Roman siege of Carthage, which lasted 1,100 days, and nearly doubled the length of the siege of Leningrad during World War II, which lasted 872 days. Mala Tokmachka has thus become a symbol of Ukraine's ability to defend Ukraine against Russian aggression.
Russian forces in Monday's long-range attacks deployed 262 Shahed attack drones, Ukrainian air defense shot down or otherwise suppressed 246 of them, and the remaining drones hit 9 target locations. In the opposite direction: the General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces reported that drones hit the Belec oil depot in the Bryansk region of the Russian Federation. This claim could not be independently verified. The General Staff further stated that its units attacked a command and communication point of the Russian armed forces in occupied Luhansk Oblast with Storm Shadow cruise missiles.
The Russian Foreign Ministry reported that its head Sergey Lavrov, during a telephone conversation with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, officially informed the American side that the Russian army is beginning systematic strikes on facilities in Kyiv that allegedly serve the needs of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
EU Ambassador to Kyiv Katarína Materňová stated that representatives of the diplomatic corps of EU countries will not leave the Ukrainian capital despite new threats from the Russian Federation.
The 1st Azov National Guard Corps has again released videos of its systematic medium-range drone attacks conducted on the Mariupol – Taganrog and Mariupol – Volnovakha roads. These videos document that the Russian Federation is unable to guarantee the safety of its logistics even at distances greater than 100 kilometers from the contact line.
The Russian Federal Security Service stated that magnetic mines, which according to the FSB were manufactured in one of the NATO countries, were found on the ship Arrhenius, anchored in the port of Ust-Luga, having arrived after a stop in the Belgian port of Antwerp.
The Telegraph, citing NATO sources, reported that the United Kingdom, France, Spain, Italy, and Canada blocked an initiative by NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte for member states to allocate 0.25% of their GDP to military aid for Ukraine. Conversely, at least seven NATO countries expressed support for this proposal, including the Netherlands, Poland, as well as the Baltic and Scandinavian countries, which already spend more than 0.25% of their GDP on Ukraine and express dissatisfaction that countries like France, Italy, Spain, and Canada are significantly lagging behind in their military aid relative to the capabilities of their economies.
Finnish President Alexander Stubb stated on Sunday during an interview with Finnish radio that he is willing to become a representative of Europeans in possible peace negotiations with the Russian Federation. The Finnish president also emphasized that such negotiations are only possible after Russia agrees to a ceasefire. Alexander Stubb also stated that, given the number of losses in the Russo-Ukrainian war, Ukraine is today in the most advantageous situation since the start of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna expressed the opinion that Russian President Vladimir Putin realizes that the negotiations so far, from which he expected to gain time to continue the war, have not brought the desired result, and that if Europe becomes involved in the negotiations, he will not be able to continue the delaying tactic or the war in Ukraine.
British BBC reported that the Russian Federation jammed GPS signals during the return of British Defense Secretary John Healey from a visit to British troops in the Baltics, attempting to affect the flight of the British defense minister's plane. This is not the first such incident. The Russian Federation has repeatedly and long-term attacked aircraft carrying prominent European officials in this way, with a similar incident in 2024 affecting former British Defense Secretary Grant Shapps.
The price of Brent oil fell to $97.69 per barrel in anticipation of a peace deal between the US and Iran. Despite this decline, the price of Russian oil remains in a band that provides the Russian Federation with significantly increased revenues, enabling it to strengthen the Russian economy and thus its ability to continue the war in Ukraine.
Tuesday, May 26, 2026 (1553rd day of the war)
Belarusians hint they could re-enter the war
The Russians attacked Ukraine overnight with two Iskander-M ballistic missiles and 122 Shahed drones. Ukrainian defense forces shot down at least 111 of them, the remaining drones and ballistic missiles hit 11 target locations.
The 412th Nemesis Unmanned Systems Brigade joined the 1st Azov National Guard Corps and also released video footage of attacks on Russian traffic on the Mariupol – occupied Crimea route and in occupied Crimea. The footage is from drones with infrared cameras, proving that the attacks shown were carried out at night. Ukrainian attacks on Russian traffic at distances greater than 100 kilometers from the contact line are thus ongoing, regardless of the time of day.
The interregional public organization of pilots and aircraft owners informed on social media that Russian authorities are preparing to close the airspace around Moscow up to the Belarusian border next month. Civilian flights up to 5,100 meters will be completely banned. The ban will also apply in areas above St. Petersburg, Yekaterinburg, and Samara.
Polish radio RMF 24 reported that Polish Deputy Defense Minister Cezary Tomczyk announced that Poland has received preliminary approval from the US State Department to produce missiles for Patriot air defense systems in its defense industry plants. Poland has long invested in technology transfer and securing material supplies for its armed forces.
Belarusian officials (including Belarusian Security Council Secretary Alexander Volfovich) during a meeting of the Committee of Secretaries of Security Councils of the Collective Security Treaty Organization in Moscow, and simultaneously spokesman of the State Border Guard Service Andriy Demchenko, independently published a claim that Ukrainian drones regularly and daily violate Belarusian airspace. Alexander Volfovich stated that 116 Ukrainian drones crossed the Belarusian border in the past week. These statements fit into the broader context of Belarus preparing to re-enter the war.
Commander of the Unmanned Systems Forces of the Ukrainian Armed Forces Robert "Magyar" Brovdi responded to the rising tension between Belarus and Ukraine, stating that his forces already have the first 500 potential targets in Belarus that they have listed for possible attacks if Belarus re-enters the war in Ukraine.
The Moscow Times reported that due to severe economic problems in the Russian Federation, Russia is canceling plans to purchase approximately 500 new river-sea vessels that were to replace ships older than 40 years, some of which were built in shipyards in Komárno. Instead, it plans to increase shipping fees and registration fees for older vessels to generate additional revenue to ensure the maintenance of waterways and the operation of river icebreakers, ensuring navigation on Russian rivers. These steps will further limit the ability of the Russian Federation to ensure functioning river transport, which plays a significant role in the Russian economy.
Wednesday, May 27, 2026 (1554th day of the war)
More modern combat systems enter the drone war
Rostov Oblast Governor Yuri Slyusar reported that Ukrainian drones again attacked the airport in Taganrog, with geolocated images from social media showing they hit the 325 ARZ aircraft repair facility located at the airport. Another Ukrainian drone attack was announced by the governor of occupied Crimea, Mikhail Razvozhaev – targets were in the city of Sevastopol. According to pro-Ukrainian social networks, a Russian military command center is located in the impact area.
Ukrainian Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov announced the launch of a program called "Logistical Closure" – its goal is to intensify strikes at operational depth and systematically destroy Russian logistics capabilities.
Ukraine is testing the first rocket-powered drones, preparing for an expected massive influx of jet-powered Shahed drones, which are significantly faster. One of the tested drones is a product of the Estonian defense company Alatyr Group. It is the P4P drone with combined electric and rocket propulsion, with a claimed speed of over 500 kilometers per hour.
The director of the British intelligence service GCHQ, Anne Keast-Butler, stated in her first public interview that Russia is deliberately threatening critical infrastructure, democratic processes, supply chains, and public trust in the United Kingdom.
Bloomberg, citing information from the Russian agency Interfax, reported that Russian oil companies have been advised to reduce sales of petroleum products on foreign markets. One of the agency's sources stated that the Russian Federation is preparing a decision to completely ban the export of diesel and aviation fuel, but the date for implementing this measure is not yet known.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy awarded the Separate Center for Special Operations "North" (falling under the Special Operations Forces of the Ukrainian Armed Forces) the honorary title "Heroes of the Ukrainian Insurgent Army." It can be assumed that the awarding of such an honorary title will be abused by Russian propaganda for a hybrid information operation and subsequently provoke negative reactions among part of the population of allied countries.
The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine adopted a law on public procurement that ensures the implementation of European standards in public procurement and legislative changes necessary for further steps of Ukraine's integration into the European Union. This is one of the transformative steps demanded by the European Union not only to make progress in Ukraine's accession process to the EU, but also to provide the first tranche of the EU war loan, which is expected in the coming month. The adoption of this law is not the only condition for the provision of the war loan. Further reforms are to concern unpopular economic measures, anti-money laundering legislation, anti-corruption legislation, and customs measures harmonizing the Ukrainian market with the EU market, especially in the area of protection against Chinese influence.
The adoption of this law will allow the World Bank to release another tranche of economic aid in the amount of $3.5 billion.
The Hungarian parliament voted on a bill that cancels Hungary's withdrawal from the International Criminal Court. Hungarian Prime Minister Péter Magyar, who submitted the bill to parliament on behalf of the government, stated that to maintain international peace and security and protect human rights, it is absolutely necessary to hold perpetrators of the most serious international crimes accountable before an international judicial forum.
Thursday, May 28, 2026 (1555th day of the war)
Ukrainians get Swedish Gripens
Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson announced that Sweden will donate 16 used Gripen C/D fighter jets to Ukraine and subsequently produce 20 new Gripen E/F jets, which will be financed by the European war loan in 2026/2027. As he stated, these aircraft will be delivered to Ukraine by 2030.
Swedish Defense Minister Pål Jonson stated that incorporating the Gripen into the Ukrainian armed forces' arsenal represents a new chapter in the history of Ukrainian air defense. Jonson reported that training of Ukrainian pilots on Gripen C/D aircraft is already underway and is expected to accelerate in the fall. The Gripen C/D aircraft themselves can be compatible with weapons such as IRIS-T short-range missiles, AMRAAM medium-range missiles, and Meteor long-range missiles. This will be the first Ukrainian aircraft capable of confronting Russian Su-35 aircraft. According to Jonson, the delivery of Gripen C/D aircraft is expected early next year.
Russian forces in their daily long-range attack struck Ukraine with one Kinzhal aeroballistic missile and 147 Shahed drones. Ukrainian air defense forces shot down or otherwise suppressed 138 of them, the remaining drones and missile hit 7 target locations. In the opposite direction, Ukrainian drones struck the Tuapse oil refinery in the Krasnodar Krai of the Russian Federation, according to the Ukrainian General Staff. The Ukrainian General Staff further reported that Ukraine struck intelligence complexes in the areas of Voronezh, Taganrog in the Russian Federation, and Sevastopol in occupied Crimea using Storm Shadow cruise missiles.
Reuters reported that three tankers – James II, sailing under the Palau flag, and tankers Altura and Velora, sailing under the Sierra Leone flag – all heading to Russian ports, were attacked by drones off the northern Black Sea coast of Turkey. The attack on tankers carrying oil from Russian ports suggests the attack was carried out by Ukrainian drones, but the Ukrainian side did not claim responsibility for these attacks.
The 2nd National Guard Corps of Ukraine began building an extensive system of trenches, anti-tank ditches, non-explosive barriers, earth shelters, and other fortifications, consisting of an outer and inner ring of defensive positions.
Former commander of US forces in Europe, General Ben Hodges, stated that the first phase of liberating Crimea consists of isolating it, making it impossible to use the roads leading to Crimea through occupied territories and the Crimean Bridge. According to Hodges, Ukraine can currently strike every square meter of Crimea with precision weapons. To liberate Crimea, it is necessary to continue attacks on airfields, remnants of the fleet, logistics, and other facilities involved in the war, so that the Russians understand that Crimea is meaningless for them.
The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine ratified the agreement on the EU loan of €90 billion to support Ukraine.
Kaja Kallas stated that Europe will never become a neutral mediator between Russia and Ukraine, because Europe is on Ukraine's side and defends its own key security interests. Kallas also noted that it is very important to encourage Ukraine and Russia to engage in joint dialogue, because there are many problems that only Ukraine and Russia can solve, and no one else.
US Chargé d'affaires in Ukraine Julie Davis reacted to the statement by European Commission Vice President and EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas that only US representatives in Ukraine left their embassy in Ukraine after threats from the Russian Federation. Davis informed that she remains in Kyiv and is joined there by Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal and Democratic Congressman Jim Himes.
Friday, May 29, 2026 (1556th day of the war)
Russian drone hits residential building in Romania
Russian forces in their daily long-range attack struck Ukraine with one Iskander-M/S-400 ballistic missile and up to 232 Shahed drones. Ukrainian air defense forces shot down or otherwise suppressed 217 of them, the remaining drones and missile hit 14 target locations.
During the night attack of Russian Geran-2 drones, one of them hit an apartment building in the Romanian city of Galați, located just a few kilometers from the border with Ukraine. The attack injured two residents. The Romanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs called the strike on the residential building in Galați by a Russian drone a serious escalation by Moscow. Romanian Foreign Minister Oana Țoiu said on Friday that she summoned the Russian ambassador to inform him of the measures Romania will take at the diplomatic level after the Russian drone hit the residential building. Romanian President Nicușor Dan announced that he convened a meeting of the Supreme Council of National Defense to discuss the consequences of the most serious incident on Romanian territory since the start of Russia's large-scale war against Ukraine. After the meeting of the National Defense Council, he announced that Romania decided to close the Russian consulate general in Constanța and expel the Russian consul. French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot summoned the Russian ambassador to demand an explanation for the incident with the attack drone that hit an apartment building in the Romanian city of Galați overnight.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen stated that the incident with the Russian drone hitting a residential building in Romania, causing civilian casualties on EU territory, proves that Russia is crossing another line. Ursula von der Leyen further stated on social media that Russia's escalation of activities on EU territory is reckless and irresponsible. "I strongly condemn this violation of Romanian airspace and international law. The EU is united in its efforts to increase pressure on Russia through sanctions and strengthen defense capabilities, especially along the EU's eastern border."
The press service of the Special Operations Forces of the Ukrainian Armed Forces reported on its attack on the oil refinery of the Russian company Lukoil in Volgograd. The refinery was forced to halt production after the attack. The annual processing capacity of this refinery reaches 15 million tons of oil, which corresponds to the combined capacity of all refineries in Hungary and Slovakia. The Security Service of Ukraine reported that it struck a base of electronic intelligence of the FSB intelligence service in the Temryuksky district of Krasnodar Krai, as well as the oil pumping station "Yaroslavl-3" in the Yaroslavl region of the Russian Federation.
The analytical project DeepState reported that Ukrainian forces, after a series of offensive operations, gained at least 46 square kilometers of territory in the Oleksandrivka sector near the village of Novoselivka.
US Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN Tammy Bruce, unusually sharply in the context of Donald Trump's second presidential term, criticized Russian attacks on civilian targets in Kyiv at the UN. Bruce called the massive Russian attacks on Kyiv an inexplicable, dangerous, and barbaric escalation of the war in Ukraine.
The awarding of the honorary title "Heroes of the Ukrainian Insurgent Army" to the Separate Center for Special Operations "North" by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy caused shock in Polish-Ukrainian relations. On Thursday, a meeting took place between Polish Deputy Foreign Minister Marcin Bosacki and Ukrainian Ambassador Vasyl Bodnar, at which Marcin Bosacki clearly expressed his protest against Zelenskyy's decision and explained that this decision is painful for Poles. The ambassador also emphasized that it provokes anger in Poland and, in this difficult wartime period, strongly discourages many Poles from supporting Ukraine. Polish President Karol Nawrocki announced that he proposed to include on the agenda of the next meeting of the chapter of the Order of the White Eagle the issue of revoking this highest Polish decoration from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Reuters reported (citing information from five Western intelligence officers) that Russian officials at the highest level have discussed transporting 100,000 Armenians living in the Russian Federation at the time of the elections in Armenia to participate in parliamentary elections and vote against current Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan. Russian authorities estimate that the cost of transporting 100,000 Armenian voters will be approximately $50 million.
Saturday, May 30, 2026 (1557th day of the war)
Crimea faces a gasoline crisis
According to Russian social networks, Ukrainian drones attacked the Russian city of Taganrog for the second time this week. The attack targeted the port and again the airport in Taganrog. One ship was damaged in the port, and a fuel tank was also on fire. Ukrainian forces hit two Tu-142 aircraft at the airport. The hit targets were documented by video from the attacking drones. Another drone attack targeted the sea oil terminal in Feodosia in occupied Crimea and the Armavir oil depot in Krasnodar Krai of the Russian Federation.
In the opposite direction, Russian forces attacked with one Iskander-M ballistic missile, six Kh-101 cruise missiles, and 290 Shahed attack drones. Ukrainian air defense shot down or otherwise suppressed five Kh-101 missiles and at least 279 Shahed drones. The remaining missiles and drones hit 7 target locations.
During the Asian Security Summit in Singapore, US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth answered journalists' questions about Ukraine's request for anti-aircraft missiles to protect against escalating Russian attacks. Hegseth said the United States will find a way to support Ukraine in its defense against Russian threats. The US Secretary also informed that the US budget for 2027 includes investments of $56 billion to ensure superiority in drones and further study of Ukraine's battlefield experience, and that the US has learned a lot from Ukraine about how sophisticated autonomous systems operate on the modern battlefield.
The fuel shortage in occupied Crimea is worsening. From Sunday, gasoline should be dispensed without volume restriction only for armed forces, municipal and social transport, while sales to private companies and individuals will be limited to 20 liters per vehicle.
Sunday, May 31, 2026 (1558th day of the war)
Ukrainians again attacked Rosneft refinery
Russian social networks reported a Ukrainian drone attack on the Rosneft oil refinery in the Saratov region of the Russian Federation. The Russians in the opposite direction attacked Ukraine with 229 Shahed attack drones. Ukrainian air defense and electronic warfare means neutralized 212 of them, the remaining drones hit a total of 11 target locations.
Summary
Because increased media attention is focused on Russian drone attacks, as well as the first incident in which EU residents were injured by Russian drone attacks, the most significant change in the drone war taking place on the other side of the front remains less visible. Many Russian cities, such as Taganrog, are systematically and repeatedly attacked, often several times a week, documenting the complete inability of the Russian side to effectively suppress Ukrainian attacks. At the same time, it proves that Ukrainian attacks are hitting the Russian interior hard. Taganrog itself is roughly the size of Košice. Therefore, one can easily imagine the real impact of the war on Russian cities if they are attacked several times a week by Ukrainian drones causing damage to the most important infrastructure, such as ports and especially industrial enterprises. And it is not just attacks in the adjacent areas of Ukraine, but a problem for practically the entire European part of the Russian Federation.
Equally significant as long-range attacks are the attacks at the operational level, where Ukrainian drones effectively eliminate traffic in all occupied territories of Ukraine, including occupied Crimea and the former separatist regions. We share the opinion of General Ben Hodges that effective isolation of the battlefield by medium-range drones will allow Ukraine to gain superiority on the battlefield and ensure a gradual, slow advance of Ukrainian forces, which we have been witnessing for the second month. This shows that Ukraine has real potential in the coming months to seize the initiative on the battlefield and translate it into the recapture of occupied territories.
Specific event of the past week: Ukrainian forces probably successfully attacked at least four bases of Russian intelligence services and thus significantly reduced the ability of the Russian Federation to obtain intelligence information from the territory of Ukraine. This suggests that Ukraine is preparing further significant operations that it wants to hide from the eyes of Russian intelligence.
However, positive news from the Ukrainian battlefield is not a reason to neglect support for Ukraine. In a war of attrition, even the side that is losing the war can try to reverse its course. Based on the hybrid actions so far, one can expect increasing intensity of threats from the Russian Federation towards the population of the European Union and other countries supporting Ukraine. One can expect efforts to intensify hybrid actions in European countries in the form of sabotage, arson campaigns, assassinations, and similar activities aimed at destabilizing countries supporting Ukraine. Therefore, we should resolutely confront threats from the Russian Federation and make it clear that any such threat, whether fulfilled or unfulfilled, will result in the EU countries uniting and strengthening the pressure that EU countries will exert on the Russian Federation.
