Flamethrowing Thermobaric Ground Robot Deployed By Ukrainian Forces

The Krampus is now one of eighty drone types that Ukraine is deploying. 

It is a nasty but effective piece of weaponry designed to terrorize as well as destroy and follows the use of flamethrowing aerial drones. JL

Matthew Loh reports in Business Insider:

Ukraine's defense ministry has approved a flamethrower robot for its military units. The remotely piloted vehicle is equipped with RPV-16 rounds, which are rocket-propelled thermobaric rounds designed by Ukraine for infantry to fire from a portable launcher. Thermobaric rounds disperse a cloud of fuel into the air that is then ignited, creating a powerful blast comparable to a 122MM artillery shell. The weapon is accurate out to 1,970 feet (600 meters) when using a standard aperture sight. Its maximum reach extends to approximately 0.62 miles (1,000 meters). "These drones allow us to replace infantry soldiers on the battlefield" 

Kremlin Classifies Population Data As Russian Birthrate Hits 200 Year Low

The Kremlin has classified demographic data as statistics in the first months of 2025 revealed that its birthrate and population had plummeted to levels not seen since the late 1700s and early 1800s. 

Russia's demographics had been declining for decades due to dire economic circumstances but that trend has been exacerbated by the war in Ukraine in which Russia has suffered what is expected by the end of this month to be a million casualties and as hundreds of thousands of others have fled to avoid conscription into the military. A worst case scenario, according to the United Nations, is that if present trends continue, Russia's population could be cut in half by the end of this century. JL

Isabel Van Brugen reports in Newsweek:

Russia has classified key demographic statistics following a dramatic collapse in its birth rate, which has plunged to levels not seen since the late 18th or early 19th century. For decades, Russia has been experiencing a birth rate and population decline, which have worsened amid its war Ukraine—with high casualty rates and men fleeing the country to avoid being conscripted. Projections estimate Russia's population will fall to 132 million in the next two decades. The United Nations has predicted that in a worst-case scenario, by the start of the next century, Russia's population could almost halve to 83 million. "The level of demographic panic within the government has reached epic proportions."

Ukraine Confident It Can Continue Fighting Off Russia With Less US Aid

The Ukrainians are confident because they know they have faced the worst Russia could throw at them - and have more than held their own.

The Ukrainian economy is growing, European defense contractors are investing in the country, Ukrainian technological innovations in the drone field are the wonder of the world - and the data reveal that Russia is suffering as much or more than they are. There is recognition that Trump favors Putin for philosophical and financial reasons, but the US aid on which they were dependent is still important but no longer as crucial. Reporters indicate not just an absence of fear, but the presence of optimism. JL 

Anne Applebaum reports in The Atlantic:

Ukrainians are confident they can continue fighting without the same American support. The Ukrainian army is not retaking territory, but neither is it losing. The tanks Ukraine needed don’t matter as much as they did two years ago. They still need US intelligence and anti-missile defenses and still get weapons and ammunition from Europe. But on the front, this has become a drone war, and Ukraine produces drones—more than 2 million last year, twice that this year - and builds the software to run them. In April, Ukrainian drone brigades hit 5% more Russian targets—vehicles, people, artillery, radar, etc— than they hit in March. No one is anxious or afraid.

Walmart Is Preparing For Its Most Important New Customer: AI Bot Agents

Think of it as a drone war for shopping: the retailers AI agents will be anticipating and interacting with third party agents from tech companies. The task for each will be to generate sales of greatest advantage to the companies (and secondarily to the consumer deploying them).

This will change how search, advertising and pricing work online. JL

Isabelle Bousquette reports in the Wall Street Journal:

Walmart is preparing to make products appealing not just to human consumers, but to AI agents that will one day shop on their behalf. AI bots, able to perform tasks autonomously, have the potential to transform online shopping, bypassing online search and promotions aimed at attracting human beings. Shoppers will deploy an agent which will scan the internet and surface products based on the user’s preferences. Agents will be able to complete the purchase. It will force retailers to rethink the way they advertise, describe their products online and price them as agents may be less attracted to visuals designed to elicit an emotional response. 

How A Ukrainian Sniper Stopped Russian Armored Vehicle With Single Shot

Using a large caliber sniper rifle capable of piercing armor, the Ukrainian sniper stopped the heavily armored Russian personnel carrier by penetrating the protective shield and literally taking the driver's head off. 

This stopped the APC in its tracks. JL.

Oleksandr Yan reports in Militarnyi:

A Ukrainian sniper using a large-caliber rifle struck the driver-mechanic of a Russian armored personnel carrier from a distance of 1,700 meters during an enemy assault. “The vehicle was stopped, the Russian radio was shouting that the driver’s head was taken off – shock. Even the sniper himself did not believe in this outcome at first. This is the work of our most experienced sniper.” Rifles of 12.7×99 mm (.50BMG) caliber are classified as anti-material because they can penetrate up to 22 millimeters of armor, allowing them to fight lightly armored vehicles at long distances.

Evidence Reveals the Russian Military's Effectiveness Is Declining. Fast.

A host of measures across a range of operational indices reveal that the Russian military's effectiveness is declining - and that the pace of that degradation is accelerating. 

From the plummeting ratio of casualties to territorial gains, the de-mechanization evident in disappearing armor and rising use of aging civilian cars to the virtual evaporation of Russian naval and air force activity, the Kremlin's once vaunted military might has been decimated by the war in Ukraine. The question is which will be reduced faster - the Russian army or Putin's demands. JL

Yevhen Dykyi reports in New Voice of Ukraine:

The state of the Russian army is such that over the past year, they’ve managed to take only Velyka Novosilka - with a pre-war population of 5,000. That’s their trophy. Kremlin losses now surpass any other year of this war. And the ratio between losses and territorial gains is getting worse. They’re advancing by meters, sacrificing regiments. In the latest loss report, one tank is listed, not because Ukraine's anti-tank weapons don't work, but because Moscow has almost run out. Kherson is not occupied because the Russians were driven out. Zaporizhzhia is not occupied because the Russians were stopped there, their effectiveness below what it was six months ago, let alone two years ago and fast degrading.

How the Minerals Deal Became A Win-Win For Ukraine and US

The original minerals deal, as proposed by the US, was a blatant and distinctly one-sided resources grab by the US. But the deal that was eventually signed was much more balanced, giving the US access rights, but without stripping Ukraine's natural resources or violating Ukraine's constitution.

The reason the deal worked out that way was because for the White House, getting to Zelensky to sign was performative: it looked like he had caved to US demands. But the US was more concerned about those optics - and about boxing out China - than it was about actual profits or actual mineral reserves. And the reality is that Ukraine's potential resources are believed to be much greater than its real reserves, eg, those capable of being commercially mined. So the US gets to look tough, while Ukraine gets to keep its reserves and gets US investment which can be paid for in-kind by military supplies. JL

Olga Boichak and Eve Warburton report in Novaya Gazeta:

There’s a big difference between resources - in the ground - and reserves - what can be commercially exploited. Ukraine’s proven mineral reserves are limited and more than half in territories occupied by Russia. Under revised deal terms, Ukraine will set up a Fund for foreign investments governed by both countries. Ukraine will contribute 50%, while the US makes in-kind contributions, such as military assistance. To Trump. getting Zelensky to sign plays well to Trump’s base. Profits are secondary for the US. Boxing out China is more important. So, the deal is a win for Zelensky because it gives the US a stake in an independent Ukraine. But even if Ukraine’s critical mineral reserves turn out to be less valuable than expected, it may not matter to Trump.