Ukrainian Marines Capture Russian Paras In Dnipro River Ambush

The Dnipro River sector has been out of the news for at least a year, as the fighting focused in other areas to the north, east and south. 

But recently, as the stymied Russians fruitlessly attempt to seek any sort of gain, no matter how minor or strategically insignificant, they have made some new attempts along the river frontier. Those have been as unsuccessful as have the other Russian efforts elsewhere, even when carried out by elite airborne units, as was the case here. JL

Dmytro Shumlianskyi reports in Militarnyi:

The Ukrainian 34th Marine Brigade captured paratroopers from the 331st and 217th regiments of Russia’s 98th Guards Airborne Division in the Dacha area near the Antonivskyi Bridge on the left bank of the Dnipro River. According to one of the Russian prisoners, during a crossing over the Konka River to an island held by Ukrainian forces, he lost his weapon, but his commanders ordered him to continue the assault “with a shovel.” Units of the 34th Brigade are operating in the Kherson direction: defending the right bank of the Dnipro and positions on the left bank.

Putin: The Man Who Broke Russia

When the Murdoch-owned, Trump-supporting Wall Street Journal suggests that Vladimir Putin has 'broken' Russia with his ill-advised and poorly executed invasion of Ukraine. 

And that follows similar reports in generally Russian-friendly mainstream media that he is increasingly paranoid about Ukrainian drone attacks as well as internal assassination and coup attempts, you know, if you are a Russian oligarch or Kremlin apparatchik, that it is time to reassess your options. JL

Walter Mead reports in the Wall Street Journal:

Will Vladimir Putin be remembered as the man who broke Russia? The master of the Kremlin made a critical error. Ukraine wasn’t a real country, he reasoned. Its people weren’t nationalist. Its government was a hollow shell. That turned out to be wrong. Mr. Putin’s army is stalemated. Even as he struggles vainly in Ukraine, Mr. Putin has been forced to watch the decline of Russian influence in Europe. The war has gone on so long, cost so much (that it has) weakened the sinews of Russian power severely. The  likely outcome is an agonizing stalemate that continues to chew up Russian manpower and economic resources, threatening Mr. Putin’s grip on power and the future of Russia itself.

Trump Gave Russia $10 Billion In New Oil Funds, Kyiv Burns $7 Billion...So Far

The Trump administration lifted sanctions on Russian oil in a vain attempt to offset the unintended affects of its poorly planned and executed attack on Iran. This provided the Kremlin with an estimated $10 billion in additional revenue. 

But Ukraine's persistent and increasingly effective attacks on Russia's oil infrastructure, particularly on its two primary energy complexes at Krasnodar Krai and Ust Luga, have eliminated at least $7 billion of that windfall so far. JL

Decimus reports in Daily Kos:

The giant fire in the major oil refinery at Tuapse can be seen through the massive smoke plume from the fire which stretches over 380 kilometers across the Black Sea, making it visible from Crimea, as well as the coastal regions of neighboring countries like Georgia and Turkey. Ukraine has disabled considerable parts of the eight major oil and gas facilities in Krasnodar Krai including the Tuapse Refinery. The installations Ukraine is hammering in Ust Luga and Krasnodar Krai are not replicated anywhere else in Russia. Nor can they be easily and quickly replaced. Even though Trump lifting the oil sanctions on Russia in order to help Putin’s coffers to an estimated $10 billion, Russia has lost at least $7 billion since the start of 2026 due to Ukrainian strikes on its oil infrastructure.

At Zaporizhzhia, Russians Forced To Retreat In 3 Directions By Ukraine Push

The 'limited Ukrainian clearing operation' that began three months ago in Zaporizhzhia has blossomed into a counteroffensive which is forcing the Russians to retreat on three axes in that oblast. 

Ukrainian special forces have not just disrupted the Kremlin push but have 'dismantled' its plans for a spring-summer advance, further exposing the the decimated state of the Russian military. JL

RFU News reports:

In Zaporizhzhia oblast, what started as a limited Ukrainian clearing operation has now grown into a full-fledged riverbank counteroffensive, as Ukraine sent its special forces operators to break the Russians. In coordinated counterattacks, Ukrainian infantry moved under constant drone threat, engaging in close-quarters combat while systematically clearing Russian positions. Geolocated video shows Ukrainian troops advancing trench by trench, neutralizing enemy fighters and shooting down Russian drones, dismantling the Russian push. across three axes Ukrainian forces disrupted Russian offensive at its most dangerous stage, preserving the city’s safety and the integrity of its defensive lines, setting the stage for a continued push forward.

The Growing Perception - and Reality - That Ukraine Has Checkmated Russia

As 2026 approaches its midpoint, Russia now faces two challenges to what was once believed to be its advantage over Ukraine: its ground war is not just stymied, but increasingly appears to be losing ground as its hold on Ukrainian territory has suffered net losses for two months in a row. 

And as importantly, Ukrainian drone range and effectiveness has improved to such a degree that no area in European Russia (eg from the Urals to the western border with NATO countries) is safe from attack, as the Ukrainian destruction of Russian fighter-bomber aircraft 1,700 kms from the front just demonstrated. On top of that, economic analysts are predicting that the Trump administration's attempt to help Russia by relaxing some oil sanctions will prove insufficient to save its economy, in part due to Ukraine's relentless additional attacks. It is small wonder that Vladimir Putin is reported to be hiding in a bunker somewhere, afraid of his oligarchs and military. JL

Mick Ryan reports in Futura Doctrina:

Ukraine has stepped up its military effectiveness this year on the ground and in long-range strike operations. This is depriving Russia of momentum on the frontline, and in the past month it has lost ground. Russia is also losing the initiative in long-range strike operations, as Ukrainian drones range over larger parts of Russia and have a greater impact on oil exports. Ukraine’s long-range strike campaign has crossed a new threshold. The successful targeting of Su-57 and Su-34 aircraft at Chelyabinsk at 1,700 kilometres demonstrates that Russia’s aviation fleet has no truly safe rear area within its European territory. This will force Russia to disperse assets further, increasing logistics costs and reducing operational sortie rates at a time when airpower is central to its offensive campaign.

Chinese Courts Rule Twice In 6 Months That AI Cannot Be Excuse For Layoffs

These rulings are significant for several reasons. Chinese acceptance of strict, one-party rule is predicated on the assumption that the trade-off is better a better socio-economic life for the majority of citizens. AI's potential threat to millions of jobs thus threatens Chinese Communist Party domination, which the government will not tolerate. No court would issue such an important opinion without the Party's approval, thus signaling that China has no intention of letting AI disrupt its peoples' lives so drastically. 

But the ruling also undercuts two core arguments about AI in the US: the first, that AI does lead to massive layoffs, which will increase corporate profits (and executive bonuses) and that the US cannot allow government regulation of AI because it will permit China to 'win' the AI race. The implication for AI in the US is that unfettered job destruction, which was already facing political headwinds, will probably have to proceed more prudently in order to avoid even more draconian regulation. JL

Aaron Mak reports in Politico and Lucy Buchholz reports in BusinessChief:

A Hangzhou court ruled last week that it was illegal for a company to demote, then dismiss a senior tech worker and replace him with AI, the second such decision to come from China’s courts since December. The decision underscores that AI-driven restructuring must be grounded in clear, lawful justification, rather than using automation as a rationale for demotions or dismissals. The rulings come as China faces economic challenges pushing it to move aggressively to stymie AI labor displacement. The country has long relied on acceptance of one-party rule to assure quality of life and prosperity, (so) AI threatens to upend the population’s well-being. (But) the rulings (also) undercut a core argument in the U.S. that forceful safeguards on AI will  cause it to lose the AI race with China. "China is being tougher on tech companies than the US, so the idea that America should not regulate tech because it’ll hurt (versus) China is completely negated by this.” 

As Ukraine Triples Drone Strikes, Russians' Fear To Move, Lose Territory

Not only has the Kremlin's latest offensive stalled, the Russians have actually lost territory for two months in a row. And the primary reason is that mid-range Ukrainian drone strikes on Russian supplies, troop concentrations and logistics have tripled, effectively crippling the Russian war effort.

The Ukrainians have expanded the gray zone to as much as 200 kilometers from the front in some sectors, making travel to the zero line an extreme risk for the Kremlin's troops, thereby starving Russian units of initiative, as well as food, ammunition and other essentials. JL

Euromaidan Press reports:

In March, the Ukrainians' mid-range drones struck Russian targets a staggering 288 times, blowing up Russian air defenses, bases, ammunition and equipment depots and electrical infrastructure. “Ukraine’s mid-range strike operations are becoming faster, broader and more systematic.” Radio jamming and other forms of electronic warfare don't work against A.I. drones, as they don't rely on radio signals to search and destroy. Ukrainians are starving Russian regiments of supplies and manpower before the regiments even get a chance to engage Ukrainian defenders along the gray zone—and Russia's spring 2026 offensive is the first one in this war to stall before it started. The Russians are  actually falling back, losing 67 square kms of Ukrainian territory in April after losing 31 kms in March. For the Russians, "just reaching the front line has become very risky."