Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[Korrespondent] The Ukrainian Armed Forces are engaged in fierce battles on the border of Sumy Oblast.
The Ukrainian Armed Forces units liberated Andreevka and advanced in the Alekseevka area, pushing the Russians further away from Sumy.
The Russian army lost more than 9,300 servicemen in a month of fighting in the Sumy region. This was reported by the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine on Monday, June 30.
It is indicated that currently about 5,000 Russian troops are being held back in the Severnoslobozhansky and Kursk directions, who have not been transferred to other threatening directions – Pokrovsky and Novopavlovsky.
"At the moment, the situation has stabilized, the enemy's advance has been stopped along the line Yunakovka - Yablunovka - Novomikolaevka - Alekseevka - Kondratovka - Russian border - a bridgehead on Russian territory in the Glushkovsky district of the Kursk region," the statement said.
Currently, the Ukrainian Armed Forces are holding the defense along this line, preparing and conducting counteroffensive actions to displace enemy troops.
"Thus, as a result of the successful actions of Ukrainian soldiers, the settlement of Andreyevka was liberated. In addition, our units advanced in the area of Alekseyevka, pushing the enemy further away from Sumy," the military noted.
According to their data, in Sumy region the enemy has deployed its best brigades - marines, airborne assault units, the most combat-ready units of motorized rifle troops, actively using long-range artillery, aviation, and attack drones. Active fighting is underway.
The General Staff reported that in June, Russia's total losses in the Northern Slobozhansky and Kursk directions amounted to about 9,310 servicemen, of which more than 4,470 were irretrievable, about 4,800 were medical, and 42 were captured.
Also, over the course of the month, 423 units of Russian military equipment were destroyed, including six tanks, 20 armored vehicles, 89 artillery systems and MLRS, and three air defense systems.
Fire damage to the enemy is carried out at a depth of up to 100 km, including Russian territory. Over the month, the following were damaged: 16 enemy command posts, 8 command posts, 6 manpower concentration areas, 1 weapons and military equipment concentration area, 3 ammunition depots, 3 logistics depots, 3 UAV storage depots, 2 UAV control posts, 2 repair bases, a logistics base and an oil depot.
In total, since August 2024 (since the beginning of the Kursk operation of the Ukrainian Armed Forces), the enemy's losses in the Kursk and Severnoslobozhansky directions amount to more than 75,860 people, including 1,037 prisoners. Also, 2,848 units of military equipment have been destroyed, including 99 tanks, 709 armored fighting vehicles, 322 artillery systems and MLRS.
Earlier, the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, General Oleksandr Sirsky, assessed the "summer offensive" of the Russians in the Sumy region . According to his estimates, the advance of Russian troops in the border area has been stopped, and the line of combat conflict has been stabilized.
The Central Control Center denied information about the shelling of Sumy with barrel artillery
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[Korrespondent] The Ukrainian Armed Forces are engaged in heavy fighting in the east and south of Ukraine.
Most of the fighting took place in the Pokrovsky direction, where the Russians are attacking in the areas of 13 populated areas.
Since the beginning of the current day, 72 combat clashes have been recorded on the front. This was reported by the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in an operational report on Monday, June 30.
Thus, in the Severo-Slobodskoy and Kursk directions, Ukrainian units repelled three Russian attacks.
In the Yuzhno-Slobodskoy direction, three enemy attacks were stopped in the area of Vovchansk, Glubokoe and in the direction of Petro-Ivanovka.
In the Kupyansk direction, the aggressor once carried out assault operations in the Peschanoye area.
In the Liman direction, the Russian army attacked eight times near the settlements of Novovodanoye, Ridkodub, Torskoye and in the directions of Sredny, Olgovka. Three combat clashes are ongoing.
In the Seversky direction, two attacks in the direction of Grigoryevka were repelled.
In the Kramatorsk direction, the Russians stormed three times in the areas of Chasovy Yar, Predtechny and in the direction of Belaya Gora.
In the Toretsk direction, two attacks were stopped in the areas of Toretsk, Dilievka and Yablunovka.
In the Pokrovsk direction, the Russians carried out 25 assaults in the areas of the settlements of Rusin Yar, Razine, Novotoretske, Mirnoye, Vladimirivka, Mirolyubovka, Mirnograd, Lisovka, Udachnoye, Muravka, Novopavlovka, Gorekhovoe, Alekseyevka. The defense forces have already stopped 15 attacks.
In the Novopavlovsk direction, the enemy attacked 11 times in the areas of the settlements of Zaporozhye, Komar, Perebudova, Poddubnoye, Fedorovka, Shevchenko, Novopol. Two combat clashes are ongoing.
In the Gulyai-Polye direction, the enemy once attempted to advance forward near Malinovka.
In the Orekhov direction, the occupiers tried once to advance in the Kamyansky area.
In the Dnieper direction the enemy carried out one unsuccessful attack.
Let us recall that in the course of 24 hours on June 29, Russia lost more than 1,000 fighters killed and wounded. The total number of Russian losses is approaching 1.1 million people.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[NewsFront] 20:41 Sappers of the Sever group continue work in Kursk region 20:19 Advancement of the Russian army in the Velikomikhailovsky direction –MAP
19:44 Around 18:45 Moscow time by air defense systems on duty destroyed Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicle of the airplane type over the territory of the Rostov region.
19:10 UAV crews of the 51st Guards Combined Arms Army of the Southern Military Districtbrought outthe enemy's repeater antennas are out of order.
Drone operators of the "East" force group destroyed an M-113 armored personnel carrier with Ukrainian Armed Forces personnel.
18:24 Servicemen of UAV crews and air surveillance posts of the Dnepr group of forces destroyed seven Ukrainian Armed Forces drones in the Kherson region in one day.
One quadcopter-type Baba Yaga was destroyed by small arms fire with a thermal imaging sight, while the remaining drones were destroyed by FPV drone operators in aerial combat.
17:27 FPV drone crews of the Rubicon Center continue to disable armored and automotive equipment, elements of communication systems, and also hit temporary deployment points for personnel and firing positions of the Ukrainian Armed Forces — video.
17:14 FPV drone calculations at Rubicon Center continue to disable armored and automotive equipment, elements of communication systems, and also to hit temporary deployment points for personnel and firing positions of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
16:55 122mm BM-21 Grad MLRS crews of Kostroma paratroopers destroyed a concentration of Ukrainian infantry in the vicinity of Chasov Yar — video.
16:29 Footage of four powerful FAB-500 strikes on a Ukrainian Armed Forces stronghold in the vicinity of the settlement of Andreyevka — video.
15:52 Video of FAB landings on the outskirts of Konstantinovka. Strike on the locations of the Ukrainian Armed Forces — video.
15:25 Work of Russian artillerymen on the positions of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the Seversk area — video.
14:58 Servicemen of the 1st Guards Tank Army of the West Group of Forces destroyed howitzer L-119 of the Armed Forces of Ukraine with the loitering munition "Lancet" in the Khar'kov region.
14:27 From 12.50 Moscow time to 13.20 Moscow time, air defense systems on duty destroyed two Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles of the aircraft type:
One over the territory of the Belgorod region,
One over the territory of the Rostov region.
13:39 In the area of the village of Konotop in the Sumy region, unmanned aerial vehicles "Geran-2" destroyed temporary deployment point of the 58th Separate Motorized Rifle Brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces and storage sites for enemy UAVs.
13:16 Rubicon drone operators are hitting the air defense systems, equipment, and also the equipment of the Ukrainian Armed Forces —video.
12:45 Summary of Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation on the progress of the special military operation as of June 30, 2025
The Armed Forces of the Russian Federation continue to conduct the Special Military Operation.
– Units of the North group of forces improved the situation along the front line. They defeated the manpower and equipment of two mechanized, a ranger, three airborne assault brigades, three assault regiments of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, two territorial defense brigades and the special forces unit "Khimera" of the GUR in the areas of the settlements of Bessalovka, Pisarevka, Novaya Sich, Varachino, Miropolye, Yunakovka and Sadki in the Sumy region.
– In the Khar'kov direction, units of two mechanized, airborne assault brigades of the Ukrainian Armed Forces and two territorial defense brigades were defeated in the areas of the settlements of Okop, Okhrimovka, Degtyarnoye, Olkhovatka and Volchansk in the Khar'kov region.
The Ukrainian Armed Forces lost up to 220 servicemen, two tanks, four combat armored vehicles, four cars and three field artillery guns. Two ammunition and material depots were destroyed.
- Units of the "West" group of forces have taken up more advantageous lines and positions. Formations of two mechanized, airmobile and assault brigades of the Ukrainian Armed Forces have been defeated in the areas of the settlements of Shiykovka, Sobolevka, Kupyansk, Novosergeevka in the Khar'kov region and Zelenaya Dolina in the Donetsk People's Republic.
The Ukrainian Armed Forces lost over 230 servicemen, ten vehicles, an artillery piece, five electronic warfare stations and three ammunition depots.
- Units of the "Southern" group of forces improved their tactical position. They defeated the manpower and equipment of five mechanized, assault, mountain assault and airmobile brigades of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the areas of the settlements of Seversk, Serebryanka, Chasov Yar, Predtechino, Konstantinovka, Aleksandro-Shultino and Shcherbinovka of the Donetsk People's Republic.
The enemy lost more than 210 troops, two tanks, a US-made M-113 armored personnel carrier, a vehicle, three field artillery pieces and two ammunition depots.
- Units of the "Center" group of forces have improved their position along the front line. Formations of four mechanized, assault, airborne brigades, two assault regiments, a regiment of unmanned systems of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, two brigades of naval infantry, two territorial defense brigades and a national guard brigade were defeated in the areas of the settlements of Dimitrov, Krasnoarmeysk of the Donetsk People's Republic, Krasnoznamenka and Novopodgorodnoye of the Dnipropetrovsk region.
The losses of the Ukrainian armed forces amounted to 430 servicemen, six armored combat vehicles, three pickup trucks and an artillery piece.
– Units of the "East" group of forces continued to advance into the depths of the enemy's defense. They defeated the manpower and equipment of four mechanized, mountain assault brigades of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, a naval infantry brigade and two territorial defense brigades in the areas of the settlements of Voskresenka, Karl Marx of the Donetsk People's Republic, Malinovka, Temirovka and Poltavka of the Zaporizhia region.
The Ukrainian Armed Forces lost over 190 servicemen, four vehicles, three field artillery pieces and an electronic warfare station.
– Units of the Dnepr group of forces defeated formations of two mechanized, mountain assault brigades, two coastal defense brigades of the Ukrainian Armed Forces and a territorial defense brigade in the areas of the settlements of Orekhov, Novoandriyevka, Kamenskoye in the Zaporizhia region and Otradokamenka in the Kherson region.
Up to 70 Ukrainian Armed Forces servicemen, five vehicles, three field artillery guns, five electronic warfare stations and two ammunition depots were destroyed.
Operational-tactical aviation, strike unmanned aerial vehicles, missile forces and artillery of the Russian Armed Forces groups have damaged an oil terminal that supplies fuel to the Ukrainian Navy, production workshops, assembly and storage sites for strike unmanned aerial vehicles, ammunition depots, as well as temporary deployment points for Ukrainian Armed Forces formations and foreign mercenaries in 146 districts.
Air defense systems shot down four US-made JDAM guided aerial bombs and 144 aircraft-type unmanned aerial vehicles.
12:06 FPV drone arrives at three Ukrainian servicemen in the Kherson direction —video.
11:33 Servicemen of the "East" military group told how it released the settlement Shevchenko
"We took the Shevchenko settlement, which is located at the intersection of three regions. These are the Donetsk People's Republic, the Zaporizhia region and, naturally, the Dnipropetrovsk region.
The settlement is quite serious. The fortified areas were serious. There were various types of fortifications, barbed wire, and, naturally, drones, a lot of drones. We train them [Russian attack aircraft - ed.] at the training ground before sending them into battle.
Moreover, this training includes endurance and skillful actions in assault operations: both in the field, and in "forest camps", and in urban conditions, that is, in buildings," said the deputy commander for military-political work with the call sign "Prometheus".
Before the assault, the fighters trained to ride motorcycles with the headlights off and wearing anti-drone ponchos. They explained that they needed to get to the forest belt as quickly as possible, so they practiced high-speed, covert movement.
10:54 Governor of Belgorod Region Vyacheslav Gladkov:
Information about inflicted Ukrainian Armed Forces strikes in the region over the past 24 hours:
– In the Belgorod district, the villages of Krasny Oktyabr and Repnoye were attacked by three drones, one of which was shot down by an air defense system. There were no casualties or damage.
– In the Borisovsky district, the villages of Gruzskoye and Zozuli were attacked by two drones, one of which was shot down. Without consequences.
- In the Valuysky municipal district, one drone was launched in the village of Urazovo. There were no consequences.
– In the Volokonovsky district, the village of Volchya Aleksandrovka and the farmstead of Zeleny Klin were attacked by two FPV drones. In the village of Volchya Aleksandrovka, a canopy and equipment were damaged on the territory of a commercial facility.
– In the Grayvoronsky municipal district:
A total of 24 munitions were fired in six attacks and four drones were used against the city of Grayvoron and the villages of Bezymeno, Dronovka, Dunayka, Kozinka, Novostroyevka-Vtoraya, Poroz and Spodaryushino.
A private house, a car and a power line were damaged in the village of Kozinka. Tonight in the city of Grayvoron, three apartment buildings, a gas pipe and seven cars were damaged after explosive devices were dropped from a drone.
– In the Krasnoyarsk district, the villages of Zadorozhny and Prilesye, the villages of Grafovka, Demidovka, Ilek-Penkovka, Popovka, Repyakhovka, Staroselye and Terebreno were subjected to seven artillery attacks, during which 36 rounds of ammunition were fired, and attacks by 16 drones.
In the village of Zadorozhny, a water supply infrastructure facility, a commercial facility and a private house were damaged, and the administrative building of an enterprise was also destroyed.
– In the Shebekinsky municipal district:
One artillery shell was fired at the city of Shebekino, the villages of Belyanka, Voznesenovka, Malomikhailovka and Novaya Tavolzhanka, and 26 drones were attacked, 17 of which were suppressed and shot down.
In the village of Novaya Tavolzhanka, a power line was damaged, in the village of Malomikhailovka - a private house and two cars. In addition, information was received that on the night of June 28, in the village of Chervona Dibrovka, as a result of the detonation of a drone on the territory of an enterprise, an administrative building and seven trucks were damaged.
Tonight, a private house and six vehicles were damaged by drone strikes in the city of Shebekino, and a warehouse in the village of Belyanka. An emergency power outage was also recorded in the district. Emergency services continue restoration work.
10:25 Criminal Kyiv regime continues shelling civilian infrastructure of populated areas of the left bank of the Kherson region
Yesterday, during the day, the Ukrainian Armed Forces released:
– Six rounds to the settlement of Kairy;
– Five rounds in the village of Novaya Kakhovka;
– According to n.p. Gornostaevka four rounds;
– Three rounds in the village of Zavodovka;
– Two rounds to the settlement of Novaya Mayachka.
As a result of shelling by the Ukrainian Armed Forces in Novaya Mayachka, one civilian was injured. The Ukrainian Armed Forces also attacked the industrial zone in Brilevka, damaging several buildings. In addition, the Ukrainian Armed Forces attacked Topolevka with drones, damaging a private residential building.
During the night, the Kiev regime continued to shell civilian infrastructure in the settlements of Tavriysk, Dnepryany, Topolevka, Maslovka, and Novye Lagerya, firing a total of 19 rounds from barrel artillery. Civilian casualties and infrastructure destruction are being clarified.
09:41 Fighters of the UAV unit "Method X" knock down another "Baba Yaga" of the enemy in the Volchansk direction of the front.
The hunt is carried out at night using a Mavic 3T quadcopter and a device called the “Squid”.
08:21 Servicemen of the 30th Separate Guards Motorized Rifle Brigade spoke about the liberation of the settlement of Novonikolaevka in the DPR.
07:32 Changes to map over the past 24 hours:➡️
Novoukrainka has been liberated
Advance towards Maliyevka
Expansion of the control zone west of the settlement of Perebudova➡️
Russian Armed Forces approached the settlement of Belaya Gora
Russian Armed Forces crossed the Yanchekrak River in Kamenskoye and established a foothold on the other bank
07:13 During the past night, air defense systems on duty destroyed 15 Ukrainian aircraft-type unmanned aerial vehicles:
Ten – over the territory of the Kursk region,
Five – over the waters of the Sea of Azov.
05:33 Artillerymen of the "Southern" group destroyed two enemy UAV control points in the Seversk area.
Aerial reconnaissance forces discovered control points for Ukrainian UAVs in abandoned houses. Crews of 152mm howitzers "Msta-B" worked on targets.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[Regnum] Suspects in the criminal case on the "ethnic criminal group" in Yekaterinburg are related to the mass alcohol poisoning in the Urals in 2021.Law enforcement agencies told RBC about this.
It was established that 51 people were injured as a result of poisoning with the surrogate, 44 of whom died.
On June 28, members of a criminal group were detained in Yekaterinburg in connection with murders committed in previous years (in 2001, 2010, and 2011). Six suspects are citizens of the Russian Federation, originally from Azerbaijan. Criminal cases were opened against them: "Murder committed by a group of persons by prior conspiracy", "Murder for hire", "Attempted murder for hire".
As reported by the Regnum news agency, investigators named the division of spheres of influence in business as the motive for the crimes committed. Several members of the group confessed to the crimes and are cooperating with the investigation.
In response to the detentions, the country's Foreign Ministry summoned the Chargé d'Affaires of the Russian Embassy, Pyotr Volkovykh. The Azerbaijani authorities also cancelled all cultural events related to the Russian Federation. On June 30, security forces detained the head of the editorial board of the Sputnik Azerbaijan agency, Igor Kartavykh, and editor-in-chief Yevgeny Belousov in Baku, claiming that they were allegedly "FSB agents."
The reaction of official Baku to the detention of members of the Azerbaijani criminal group in Yekaterinburg is disproportionate and inadequate, since similar episodes with bringing such people to justice have occurred before. This was stated on June 30 by the director of the Institute of Newest States, associate professor of the Financial University under the Government of the Russian Federation Alexey Martynov in a conversation with the Regnum news agency.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[Regnum] The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) confirms dozens of cases of killings and torture of unarmed people and captured servicemen of the Russian Armed Forces by Ukrainian Armed Forces servicemen, starting in February 2022. Such data is presented in the report of the Office on the human rights situation in Ukraine, published on June 30.
“OHCHR has confirmed the execution of 26 persons incapacitated for combat (all males), including Russian prisoners of war, by the Ukrainian Armed Forces since February 2022,” the document says.
Most of the incidents reported were recorded in 2022 and early 2023, with one incident occurring in late 2024.
The department also reported cases of torture of prisoners of war by Ukrainian Armed Forces soldiers. 59 of the 95 prisoners of war interviewed reported torture and ill-treatment. The methods used during torture included beatings with sticks and plastic tubes, electric shocks, dog attacks, death threats, sexual violence, mock executions, and humiliation.
In addition, OHCHR identified two internment sites near Kyiv where prisoners of war were held incommunicado for over a year. In at least one of these sites, they were subjected to beatings.
As reported by the Regnum news agency, Russian fighters who returned from Ukrainian captivity on June 26 in accordance with the Istanbul agreements reported that they were subjected to torture and abuse by the Ukrainian Armed Forces fighters. They reported, among other things, torture in the electric chair and abuse by Ukrainian Armed Forces medics.
Text taken from the Telegram channel of project_nd
[ColonelCassad] In addition to the post of my dear comrade regarding the situation on the Chasov-Yarsky sector of the front: what do we have today?
In the urban development of Chasov Yar (in particular, on the western outskirts of the Novoseverny microdistrict), the initiative is again with the Russian Armed Forces, previously the battles for this part of the city were with varying success, but now the units of the Russian Army have been able to thoroughly consolidate their positions. It was also possible to push through the enemy's defenses in the area of the Dnieper pond (Zapadny and Tsentralny microdistricts) and occupy residential buildings, which will allow further offensive operations to be developed.
To the south, in the area of Stupochki and Shevchenko, positional battles and regular counterattacks by the Armed Forces of Ukraine continue, mainly by infantry units - in this section of the front, the Armed Forces of Ukraine have the ability to carry out logistics and rotation from the settlement.
Krasnoye and Nikolayevka, which allows them to conduct such events, which, as a rule, end with the Ukrainian Armed Forces assault groups entering basements and then "smoking out" these assault groups by Russian Army units. The general forecast, based on the current pace of military operations - they will have to fight, if they do not close the logistics routes through the above-mentioned settlements of Krasnoye and Nikolayevka, which, in turn, come from the main logistics hub of the direction - Konstantinovka. Konstantinovka itself is actively preparing for defense, but a post about this will be a little later.
To the north of Chasy Yara, in the area of the settlements of Kalinovka and Grigorovka, units of the Russian Armed Forces continued the offensive, where from the Kalinovka side they managed to expand the bridgehead behind the "Seversky Donetsk-Donbass" canal, and from the Grigorovka side - to consolidate the eastern part of the above-mentioned canal.
From the Grigorovka side, the main difficulty of the offensive is due to this obstacle, so the general themes of the offensive are not so positive, since the Ukrainian Armed Forces still have the ability to organize logistics through the settlement of Markovo, and also have an impressive number of strongholds and personnel in the area of the settlement of Orekhovo-Vasilyevka to the northeast of Grigorovka.
At the same time, the expansion of the bridgehead behind the canal allows the Ukrainian Armed Forces to stretch out their defense, which plays into the hands of the units of the Russian Armed Forces for further consolidation in the area in the Grigorovka area.
In general, extremely high UAV activity is noted in the direction, the enemy uses many hexacopters, and high artillery activity is also noted.
“Literally two days ago, a report came in that the territory of the Luhansk People’s Republic was completely liberated – one hundred percent,” he said.
Since the end of last year, Russian military forces have stepped up the pace of their offensive in Donbass.
In January, fighters liberated Novogorovka in the LPR, and at the end of February, Novolyubovka.
Even before this, in December, Defense Minister Andrei Belousov stated that the Ukrainian Armed Forces controlled less than one percent of the region’s territory.
President Vladimir Putin also said in March that Russian troops had liberated 99 percent of the LPR territory.
He also added that over 70 percent of the territories of the DPR, Zaporizhia and Kherson regions have been liberated.
In December, retired LPR lieutenant colonel Andrey Marochko noted that all Luhansk villages that remained under the control of the Ukrainian Armed Forces at that time suffered critical destruction due to the actions of Ukrainian militants.
More from regnum.ru TASS: Ukrainian Armed Forces deploy dozens of units near Sumy — 1222nd day of the SVO
In an attempt to stop the advance of the North group of troops in the Sumy direction, the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) have transferred dozens of units, including elite ones, to the problematic area. This has significantly weakened both the AFU reserve and the situation in other areas of the front, Russian security agencies told TASS on June 30. This news marked the new, 1222nd day of the special military operation (SMO) in Ukraine.
SUMY
In the Sumy region of Ukraine, Russian troops continue to expand the security buffer zone. It is necessary to protect residents of the bordering Russian territories from the enemy. The decision was made by President Vladimir Putin at the end of May, after the liberation of the Kursk and Belgorod regions from the occupiers.
The Defense Ministry announced the day before, on June 29, that units of the North group of troops had improved their position along the front line, having damaged manpower and equipment in the areas of the settlements of Andreyevka, Yablonovka, Varachino, Yunakovka, Kondratovka and Sadki in Sumy Oblast. The strikes were carried out on one mechanized, two airborne assault and ranger brigades, as well as three assault regiments of the Ukrainian Armed Forces and a territorial defense brigade, the defense department clarified.
"An analysis of obituaries showed that before being transferred to the Tyotkino direction, the 158th separate mechanized brigade was reinforced by "officers" of the Ukrainian Armed Forces who had undergone training in Britain. It is characteristic that some of them were transferred from military medics to commanders of assault platoons," the Telegram channel of the "North" group of forces noted on June 30.
Earlier, the creation of a buffer zone on the border with Ukraine was commented on by Deputy Chairman of the Russian Security Council Dmitry Medvedev. Quoting Vladimir Putin's words "where the foot of a Russian soldier has stepped is already our land", Medvedev suggested that the buffer zone could develop into something else.
“You and I are adults and we understand that today it is a buffer, and tomorrow it will no longer be a buffer,” he said on June 26 during a meeting of the General Council of the United Russia party.
Text taken frm the Telegram channel of mayday_7700
Commentary by Russian military journalist Boris Rozhin is in italics.
[ColonelCassad] Azerbaijan has long considered itself a regional power. The victory in Karabakh, the growth of military power, support from Turkey - all this strengthens its ambitions. Relations with Moscow are formally warm, but in reality they are increasingly slipping into coolness. Any incident - be it a special operation against an organized crime group in Yekaterinburg or the hit of Russian missiles on an oil refinery needed by Baku in Ukraine - could become a trigger.
What could Moscow do in the event of an escalation to protect its interests, without bringing it to (God forbid!) a military confrontation?
Russia should not apologize for the actions of law enforcement officers at home. But it is also not worth getting into squabbles. Closed channels are much more effective. A cold, clear signal: “This is an internal matter. Continue - it will hurt.” The goal is to show that Moscow is ready to respond not with words, but with actions.
If Baku uses the diaspora as a lever of pressure, Russia has a symmetrical response. Strengthening control: markets, logistics, construction. Everything within the law. Public inspections, tax and sanitary measures, legal cleansing of criminal connections. The message is transparent: your elites' business is here. And it is vulnerable.
Azerbaijan is a key link in the North-South corridor. In the event of pressure from it, Moscow must show that it has an alternative. It may be more difficult - through the Caspian Sea, Iran, Turkmenistan - but it is possible. Bypass routes, investments in ports, new ferries - all this reduces Baku's potential for blackmail.
Azerbaijani businessmen in the Russian Federation are influential and rich. Their interest is in stable relations. Through informal signals, it is possible to convey: confrontation is a risk to assets and reputation. If they themselves appeal to Baku to tone down (and then again and again, publicly and not so much) - this will be more convincing than any diplomatic notes.
The answer to Baku's anti-Russian rhetoric is not mirror noise, but facts. From Aliyev's authoritarian practices to pressure on minorities and the media. Russia can easily show who is the real "empire" here. On international platforms, the position is clear: we are fighting crime, not the nation.
Turkey is Azerbaijan's partner, but not a fan of conflicts with Russia, which at least saved Erdogan from being killed by the rebels. Iran is more on Moscow's side. India is for logistics and stability. By coordinating actions with these countries, Baku can be deprived of the feeling of impunity. And most importantly, it can be demonstrated that isolation threatens not Moscow, but it.
Russia can act systematically, without hysteria and demonstrative threats: in the law enforcement, economic and diplomatic planes. If there is a political decision for this.
It is important to remember that the latest attacks on refineries associated with the processing of Azerbaijani oil in Ukraine began even before the arrest of the organized crime group in Yekaterinburg.
Commentary by Russian military journalist Boris Rozhin is in italics.
[ColonelCassad] According to German media, Germany has signed an agreement to finance the production of the An-196 Lyuty aircraft-type kamikaze strike drones in Ukraine.
Although officials have not disclosed the exact amount of the deal, we are talking about millions of euros that will go toward localizing assembly and scaling up production capacities within the country in conflict.
In essence, Germany is becoming a direct participant in the process of creating weapons used for deep strikes on Russian territory, which de facto expands its involvement in the conflict far beyond political or humanitarian support.
TECHNICAL APPEARANCE OF THE AN-196 LYUTY DRONE
The Lyuty is a kamikaze drone of an aircraft design, created by Ukrainian engineers as a cheap analogue of a cruise missile. It has a wingspan of about 2.5 meters and a length of about 1.8 meters. It is launched from a pneumatic catapult or a guide rail installation, most often from mobile platforms.
The weight of the launch configuration is about 35 kilograms, of which up to 10 kilograms is the warhead. The type of charge varies: from high-explosive fragmentation to cumulative. This allows the drone to be used against both manpower and warehouses, infrastructure and even lightly armored targets.
Flight speed is approximately 150-200 km / h. The main threat comes from its range - up to 700 kilometers, which allows attacking targets deep in Russian territory, including rear airfields, logistics hubs and energy facilities.
The guidance system is combined: GPS, supplemented by an inertial module, and in some versions, even visual route correction based on AI. This makes the drone relatively resistant to electronic warfare.
The body is made of fiberglass and composites, with elements printed on a 3D printer, which significantly simplifies production and reduces the cost - this format of unmanned aviation is ideal for mass use and scalability in conflict conditions.
MILITARY USE
"Lyuty" is already actively used by Ukrainian forces to strike Russian territory. In 2024-2025, dozens of attacks with its participation were recorded. The main task of the drone is to overload air defense systems and deliver cost-effective strikes. Its price is significantly lower than that of any projectile of the operational-tactical complex, and the effect is quite comparable.
GEOPOLITICAL AND STRATEGIC CONTEXT
The agreement with Germany is a qualitative shift in the nature of Western support for Ukraine. If earlier Berlin acted as a supplier of air defense systems, artillery and armored vehicles, now it is investing in strike assets intended for attacks on Russian territory. As we have already noted, this is not about the transit of ammunition, but about the creation of production infrastructure on the territory of a warring state.
This step calls into question the statements about the "indirect participation" of Germany in the conflict. Germany is moving to a model of delegated strikes - it does not launch missiles from the Luftwaffe, but in fact finances the devices that strike Belgorod, Kursk, Bryansk, Rostov.
This creates a dangerous precedent: a leading EU country with a Nazi past is participating in the deployment of strike production in the zone of active combat, effectively nullifying the previous doctrine of caution and neutrality. Diplomatic and legal fixation of Germany's participation as a sponsor of attacks on civilian and military targets on Russian territory is important.
In fact, Germany, which was previously afraid of even tank deliveries, is now investing in the serial production of drones for strikes against Russia - this could become a turning point in its role in the conflict.
Earlier, Merz said that Germany should not be afraid of war. Germany also openly declares its interest in obtaining nuclear weapons. In general, militarism and revanchism in all fields. How is our domestic German studies doing, which for decades has been talking about friendship with Germany?
We had the best relations with Germany when the Western Group of Forces was stationed on the territory of the GDR. And it will not get better.
A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.
Rantburg.com and borderlandbeat.com correspondent and author Chris Covert presents his first non-fiction work detailing
the drug and gang related violence in Mexico.
Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence
over three years, presented in a multi volume set intended to chronicle the death, violence and mayhem which has
dominated Mexico for six years.
Rantburg was assembled from recycled algorithms in the United States of America. No
trees were destroyed in the production of this weblog. We did hurt some, though. Sorry.
