Ukrainian special forces’ drones pound Russian arsenals, logistic hubs in Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia

Ukraine Special Operations Forces, SOF, have launched drone attacks on a number of Russian arsenals and logistics hubs in eastern Donetsk and southeastern Zaporozhye regions over the course of a week. The targets were located along a key highway that the Russian army is rebuilding through the captured territories to connect Russia with occupied Crimea and transport troops, equipment, and other cargo. In Nikolsky, Makhedonivka, and Markovo near Mariupol in Donetsk region, Special Operations Forces Middle Strike Unit struck three arsenals and three support vehicles. Two Russian logistics hubs were also struck in Nikolsky and Markovo. Markovo is located near the Russian border on a key route to Crimea itself, which Russian troops use to supply its own forces. Nikolsky is located on a branch of this road toward southeastern Zaporozhye. On the same highway, Special Operations Forces drone struck a repair base and a command post for enemy units in Gamovka, Zaporozhye region. In neighboring Priyazovsky, a rear support area for enemy units was hit. In the town of Turpany, located on a branch of this highway toward Tokmak, Special Operations Forces drone struck a logistics hub and a supply depot for Russian units. It's worth noting that Ukrainian Special Operations Forces have scaled up long-range attacks on Russian military and other strategic facilities in occupied parts of the country and well beyond the contact line. Vladimir Bogliev, head of the Cherepovets Foundry and Mechanical Plant, who supported the war against Ukraine, harshly criticized the Kremlin. He accused the authorities of being out of touch with reality and predicted serious upheavals for Russia. Bogliev called on the authorities to pay attention to the economic and social catastrophes that are gaining momentum in Russia. If a country is developing at a rate below the global average, then that speaks of the country's degradation. It's the country's degradation within the context of global processes. There's no other way. Now, alongside economic setbacks, the social atmosphere is becoming very tense, the Russian industrialist said. He hinted that certain forces are preparing to overthrow the government in Russia and in connection with this they are discrediting the Kremlin. To be honest, I don't recall a time since the 1990s, when the Soviet Union was collapsing, when those in the power vertical so actively discredited the power vertical. Those events are clearly aimed at discrediting the government, at losing the people's trust in it. In my opinion, this is preparation for certain changes at the very top of the government itself. I associate this with the upcoming elections. Unpopular decisions will be made that will leave the people with no option but to maintain a modicum of trust in the top. The situation is now at its most dire. It is precisely now that we can observe a complete loss of feedback from the ruling elite about the actual state of affairs in the country's economy at the bottom. You should hear that the situation at the bottom is completely different from what is being reported to you at the top, Bogdanov declared. Recently, in Russia, there have been increasingly frequent statements from officials and Kremlin-loyal big business representatives about the deteriorating economic situation in the country. This is also reflected in the statement by Economic Development Minister Maxim Reshetnikov, who spoke of the Russian economy's exhaustion of reserves and mounting challenges. The official, quoted by Russian media, made this statement at the MyBusiness forum in Sevilazhsk. The minister cited the increased tax burden as one of the key pressure factors. He stated that entrepreneurs are forced to adapt to new conditions, which makes doing business more difficult. In these conditions, he identified the state's main task as supporting companies that need to go through a period of transformation. Reshetnikov argues that the current situation is linked to profound structural shifts in the economy. Some industries are gaining new opportunities for growth, while others are being forced to downsize or restructure. According to the official, businesses are forced to respond flexibly to staff shortages by closing less efficient operations, redeploying employees, and adapting to new labor market conditions. He recalled that in previous years, the economy had demonstrated resilience largely thanks to accumulated reserves. However, this safety margin has now been largely exhausted, and the situation has become more challenging. Russia is preparing for a new ground offensive in southeastern Ukraine. To support this move, Moscow is pulling from its strategic reserves to add 20,000 more soldiers to its forces currently in the country, according to the Financial Times. As stated by Vadim Skibitsky, a representative of Ukraine's Military Intelligence, or HUR, this build-up is part of a larger plan. Skibitsky noted that Russia currently has about 680,000 soldiers on Ukrainian territory. The Kremlin's primary goal is to capture the entire Donbass region by September. The addition of fresh troops is intended to replenish existing units and strengthen the front lines for the upcoming push. This development follows months of heavy fighting across the eastern and southern fronts. Ukrainian officials continue to monitor the movement of these strategic reserves as Russia scales up its military presence for the planned operation. Every month we destroy the same number of occupiers as they mobilize, yet the size of their force on Ukrainian territory continues to grow. We believe they are increasing their troop numbers by drawing personnel from their strategic reserves, as stated by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Previously, Russia planned to recruit an additional 409,000 soldiers in 2026 as it increased its activity along the front line. According to a statement from the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Alexander Sersky, the Russian military also intensified its recruitment efforts within the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine. This campaign specifically targeted university students, where academic failure was used as a tool for mobilization. Earlier, the Center for Countering Disinformation reported that the Kremlin was considering at least three scenarios regarding the war in Ukraine. Moscow is simultaneously exploring options ranging from the continuation of hostilities to a frozen conflict and hybrid aggression against NATO countries. Meanwhile, Deputy Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, Brigadier General Pavlo Palisa noted that Russian losses in Donbass have tripled, while their advance remains minimal. According to him, despite Russia's ambitious plans for 2026, the enemy currently lacks the actual forces to implement them. Speaking about the possibility of a new wave of mobilization in Russia, Palisa notes that throughout this entire period, the Russians have continued to draft reservists and specialized professionals into the army. Throughout the entire period of the full-scale invasion, the Russians have been conducting a covert mobilization. That is, it has, in essence, never stopped, he explains. At the same time, he said, for mobilization in the classical sense, open and with an official announcement, many factors are necessary, the key one being an idea that unites society. ''The most important thing, in my view, is an idea that must unite society and justify the need for such actions,'' the general says. Palisa expresses doubt that possible provocations or other events, such as terrorist attacks, could serve as such a unifying factor on the necessary scale. According to him, current propaganda narratives are also failing to produce the expected effect to justify a new wave of mobilization. ''I think right now it's not having enough of an effect, not the one they're expecting to justify mobilization,'' he adds. Separately, he notes the tightening of controls in Russia, particularly on social media, which could indicate both preparations for certain decisions and an attempt to keep the situation within the country under control. ''It seems to me that this is, first and foremost, to keep the situation under general control within the country,'' Palisa notes. In addition, the office of the president explained that political peace talks were currently on hold. One of the main reasons for the lull in the military-political track of the negotiations has been the escalation of the conflict in the Middle East, although the humanitarian tracks, in particular, the prisoner exchange, continue to operate.