Drone Not Fooled By Russian Soldier's Standing Still Like Statue

In what proved to be a vain attempt to avoid detection by a hovering Ukrainian drone, a Russian soldier on the Pokrovsk front stood stock still in hopes that the drone would not see him. It didn't work.

Nice try, though. JL

Ivan Khomenko reports in United 24:

A Russian soldier on the Pokrovsk front attempted to avoid detection by remaining completely still after spotting an approaching Ukrainian FPV drone. In the footage, from Ukraine's Spartan Brigade, the Russian serviceman notices the FPV drone and immediately stops moving among the trees, apparently attempting to blend into the surrounding vegetation. The attempt did not prevent the Ukrainian drone operator from identifying him. 

Why Russia's Advance Has Slowed And Its War Has Become Unwinnable

Putin may not lose the war he started, but it is becoming increasingly apparent that he cannot win. 

Data reveal an 82% decline in Russian territory seized while in a growing number of sectors the Ukrainians are liberating more ground. And what the Kremlin has to show for this deteriorating performance is a huge increase in casualties. The result provides further evidence that Ukraine is now degrading Russia's military and that there is no prospect - even with additional Chinese and North Korean aid in addition to a Russian mobilization - that Kremlin is capable of reversing this situation. JL

The World Strategist reports:

The numbers don't lie. Russian forces seized 505.55 square kilometers in August 2025. By August 2026, that figure had shrunk to 90.35 square kilometers, an over 82% reduction. In July 2026, Russian forces averaged 353 casualties per square kilometer of territory infiltrated and a staggering 1,132 casualties per square kilometer of territory actually seized. “The heavy losses of Russian troops and equipment amid slow advances indicate that Ukrainian strikes are degrading Russian military operations on the battlefield”. The reasons for the slower Russian advances are not seasonal or temporary, but fundamental changes in the character of the war: drone dominance and ground counterattacks. There is “no indication that Russian forces will be able to accelerate their advances or restore maneuver."

Building On Distinguished WWII Service, Ukraine Recruiting Women For Drone Units

Throughout history, Ukrainian women have established a fierce reputation as warriors for their homeland, from Princess Olha of Kievan Rus to the female snipers in the Red Army of World War II.

Now, modern day Ukraine hopes to harness this wealth of talent by recruiting women for its Unmanned Systems forces. The recruiting campaign is specifically focused on encouraging women to join its mid-range strike force, which is becoming an increasingly important tactical and strategic resource, as the latest advances of the combined arms Operation Vivaldi in Lyman has demonstrated. JL

Decimus reports in Daily Kos:

In WWII Ukrainian women served with distinction in the Soviet Red Army … as snipers, tank commanders, pilots, and machine gunners. But the tradition of Ukrainian women as fearless warriors goes as far back to the history of the Ukrainian people with Princess Olga of Kyiv’s deadly vengeance on those who killed her husband, the King of Kyvian Rus. Today, there are many women fighting in various capacities in the war but in an official effort, the army aims to recruit women volunteers for the Mid-Range Drone Campaign. And the recruitment campaign is aptly named … “Strike Like Princess Olha”. Last week, Ukraine launched a campaign for the Unmanned Systems Forces which aims to recruit women for drone operations.

1,5,00 Troops Out, Only 1,200 In: The Brutal Math of Russia's Daily Casualty Crisis

Russia is now losing 200 to 300 soldiers a day more than it is mobilizing, which, in the inexorable math of war, means a deficit of 6,000 to 15,000 a month. 

This brutal accounting does not assess the loss of skills, experience, morale, unit cohesion and other intangibles which can mean success or failure on the battlefield. And over the longer term, how does the Kremlin account for this contribution to the degradation of its entire military? The larger problem for Putin's strategic objectives is that those casualties are rising at a far greater rate while the territory they capture declines, especially when compared to the record of the Ukrainian forces fighting them. Much has been made of the Russians' stolid acceptance of futile death, but with the increasing velocity of the destructive cycle, physical limits driven by raw numbers suggest a finite continuum. JL

Giorgio Provinciali reports:

With talk of a new mobilization by the Kremlin, the decisive issue concerns Moscow’s ability to transform manpower, funds, and materiel into effective combat units. The intake of new Russian recruits is at 1,000–1,200 daily, while concurrent losses stand at 1,400–1,500. Over a thirty-day period, this amounts to 30,000–36,000 new enlistments against 42,000–45,000 losses, a deficit of between 6,000 and 15,000 men per month. The vicious cycle lies in the loss of skills that are harder to regenerate. Casualties deplete experience faster than training can rebuild it, causing the quality of units to deteriorate that masks the reality of a degraded army. The need to replace the fallen cuts training time, weakens cohesion, and increases vulnerability to further losses, triggering a self-perpetuating cycle. How long can a command afford to burn through 42,000 men a month for a gain of ninety square kilometers, while the adversary retakes one hundred and thirty?

Russian General Falsely Reported Kostiantynivka Capture, Killed By Ukraine Drone

Russian Major General Anton Grunis, commander of the 4th Motorized Rifle Brigade, was killed by a Ukrainian drone in Donetsk oblast, in what appears to have been a targeted strike.

Grunis is now the 12th (or possibly 13th) Russian general killed by Ukrainian forces since the invasion. JL 

Meduza Media reports:

Russian Major General Anton Grunis, commander of the 4th Motorized Rifle Brigade of the Southern Group of Forces, has been killed. Robert Brovdi, commander of Ukraine’s Unmanned Systems Forces said Grunis was killed on September 12, 2026, in the Donetsk region in a Ukrainian drone strike. Grunis was the officer who reported to Putin in July that Kostiantynivka was captured, though Russian forces did not - and still do not - control the city. Grunis is the seventh senior Russian military officer killed in strikes by Ukrainian drones. 

Operational Security Success Has Become Strategic Ukrainian Advantage

What is now, as of this week, being called 'Operation Vivaldi' by the Ukrainian command, actually began four months ago, in May. But no one outside the Ukrainian army talked about it for three months. And even now, detailed reports are sketchy, despite the growing awareness that Ukraine has pushed the Russians back over the Zherebets River and possibly beyond while potentially engineering the war's first actual breakthrough in years.

This is a far cry from the highly touted but ultimately failed 2023 Ukrainian offensive which was so heavily whispered about prior to its launch that the Russians were well prepared. The difference between that and the current situation is operational security - keeping plans quiet. The Ukrainians have become very good at it and it is paying off. The Russian command have been equally quiet about the Lyman counteroffensive, but that is because they don't want their failings to incur the Kremlin's wrath. JL

David Axe reports in Trench Art:

On May 22 Ukraine's 3rd Assault Brigade—backed by the 60th and 66th Mechanized, of the 3rd Corps—attacked Russian positions around of Nove, 15 km north of Lyman. Russian drones were jammed that day. (But) nobody outside the Ukrainian army reported it for three months. "The moment AFU could start moving vehicles through the area, the battle was over. Vehicles showed up because the conditions that had made movement impossible were gone." Ukrainian drones were everywhere. And Russian drones, jammed by electronic warfare, could barely fly. "Once Ukraine had enough control over movement, every new Russian mission sent into the area walked into a reinforced perception trap—troops holding positions that existed in reports more than in a functioning front." The 3rd Corps could sow chaos in the new gray zone that was once a Russian salient. What kept the trap working was that nobody talked about it.

Ukrainian Troops Cross Zherebets River, Confirming Russian Collapse Around Lyman

It has been several years in this war since the word 'breakthrough' could even be considered, let alone applied. But as Ukrainian forces have reportedly now crossed the Zherebets River, ostensibly a barrier behind which the Kremlin could safely rally its troops, suggests that the Russians have lost their ability to reorganize and consolidate their defenses quickly enough against the fast-moving Ukrainian assault.

Such calamities feed on each other as officers find their maps are no longer accurate, leading to mistakes in artillery and drone targeting as well as reinforcement positioning. Whether this turns into a full-fledged breakthrough is not yet clear, but the necessary precursors are falling into place. JL

RFU News reports:

Ukrainian troops crossed the Zherebets River at several points, putting Russian forces in an increasingly dangerous situation. This confirms Ukraine consolidated gains on the west bank, eliminating the Russian salient. The crossing toward Terny seals the Russian pocket in Kolodiazi where Russian soldiers remain trapped. Depleted Russian units are fighting fresher Ukrainian assault units, and lack supplies due to Ukrainian drones around river crossings. The Russian command appears to be underreporting the severity of the collapse, which makes things worse for the Russians. Crossing of the river suggests Russian defenses did not reorganize quickly enough. As Russian officers work from maps showing lost ground as Russian-controlled, they issue orders based on a front that no longer exists. Artillery receives incorrect targeting, reserves are directed toward strongpoints already bypassed and drone teams in what is no longer the rear are vulnerable to ambush.