⚡️Ukraine's State Bureau of Investigation opened an inquiry into the 125th Brigade and its subordinate units over the improper organization of defenses in Kharkiv Oblast, Ukrainska Pravda reported on May 25, citing court documents filed earlier.https://t.co/ww3W0aldBz

— The Kyiv Independent (@KyivIndependent) May 25, 2024

Not good:

⚡️Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski said in an interview published on May 25 that the U.S. has told Russia that if it uses nuclear weapons, there will be an American response using conventional weapons on Russian forces in Ukraine.https://t.co/0SE7202pAb

— The Kyiv Independent (@KyivIndependent) May 25, 2024

Related to this (which, yes, is a valid military target, but…):



Covered in today's sitrep.

Great read and thanks for sharing. The lessons we're learning in Ukraine are immeasurable. Here's a non-paywall link for anyone interested.

Russian jamming leaves some high-tech U.S. weapons ineffective in Ukraine

benchmark said:

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Great read and thanks for sharing. The lessons we're learning in Ukraine are immeasurable. Here's a non-paywall link for anyone interested.

Russian jamming leaves some high-tech U.S. weapons ineffective in Ukraine

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Most US precision weapons use INS as primary guidance and GPS to update the INS fix after launch/drop. Jamming GPS reduces weapon accuracy which typically has less impact on larger weapon's effectiveness, but more so for smaller ones like artillery rounds which have a much tighter kill radius. ATACMS, for example, has multiple INS units meshed together which preserves its accuracy even when it can't get a GPS update.

Recently, some weapons have been modified with home-on-jam to directly attack the jamming source. As the bottom half of your article illustrates in discussing other countermeasures, warfare is all about adaptation. Forcing Russia to play its EW hand for us to see and react to is a major intel win.

MOVE-COUNTERMOVE

G-7 closes in on a deal to use frozen Russian funds to finance aid for Ukraine.

DEAL

Kyiv says it has "combat control" of areas in Kharkiv where Russian forces entered, plus other notes.

UPDATES

Ya, Russias Kharkiv "offensive" has been a dismal failure to this point. Probably another reason for Putin's recent buckling..

Quote:

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Russian Ministry of Defense claims control over Arhangelske village

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https://liveuamap.com/en/2024/25-may-russian-ministry-of-defense-claims-control-over-arhangelske



DeepStateMap corroborates this too.

Gilligan said:

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Ukraine Volunteer is still alive.

Amazing!

He should consider taking a break.

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I think he sees his team as his family and he intends to live by the ole mantra "live by the sword die by the sword".

I also believe he is being paid directly from US DOD or more likely a military tech firm for R&D on certain EW gear he utilizes. It is likely his family receives all of this which might also include a death benefit.

Sounds like they were out a really long time and doing something special because he didn't tell anything except for being caught out and almost killed in an arty barrage.

Godspeed UV.

Big fire in Skadovsk, along the coast of occupied Kherson oblast.

⚡️Пишуть, що це палає після вибуху поблизу Скадовську. pic.twitter.com/zEfjOx5UiW

— Сергій Нещадим (@nevedimka123) May 25, 2024

ISW's latest campaign assessment discusses Putin's sudden interest in negotiations.

"Western media continues to report that Russian President Vladimir Putin is interested in a negotiated ceasefire in Ukraine, although Kremlin rhetoric and Russian military actions illustrate that Putin remains uninterested in meaningful negotiations and any settlement that would prevent him from pursuing the destruction of an independent Ukrainian state. A ceasefire does not preclude Russia from resuming its offensive campaign to destroy Ukrainian statehood, and Russia would use any ceasefire to prepare for future offensive operations within Ukraine."

Scroll to bottom for bullet point summary: ISW

JFABNRGR said:

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"Putin's only strategy is to hold out and hope Trump becomes President."

Of course no elaboration or details as to why was given in the interview.
This was the real point on the interview made obvious at the end. A bunch of political garbage designed for western consumption.

His own direct comments that Zelensky is illegitimate as a negotiating partner now (as he travels with Yanukovich) and that current lines are not a negotiable point in any matter seem to contradict the 'report.' (From today's sitrep):

Quote:

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He further states above that any talks would have to be in accordance with "common sense". This is a very diplomatically 'soft' way of saying: any peace settlement must take into account not only all current battlefield realities, which in practical terms means the territories Russia has already captured must be retained, but also take into account Russia's interests, which primarily revolves around its chief aims of deNazification, demilitarization, neutrality, etc.

In essence, Putin is merely reaffirming that Russia will be open to talks with someone other than Zelensky, and as long as all of Russia's aims are fulfilled. This is obviously a long shot which allows Putin to retain the mien of peacemaker while still knowing that the conflict realistically will press on.

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Certainly, it's implausible at best that your/the Reuters analyses is accurate to Putin's thinking, imho.

Meanwhile, more air strikes around Kharkiv and this report:

📌Moreover, we will probably reveal a terrible secret that is uncomfortable to admit in the overly patriotic segment. Russian troops have entrenched themselves on the achieved lines and partially switched to defense: their task is not to destroy people in assault operations but…

— Rybar Force (@rybar_force) May 25, 2024

Teslag said:

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74OA said:

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ISW's latest campaign assessment discusses Putin's sudden interest in negotiations.

"Western media continues to report that Russian President Vladimir Putin is interested in a negotiated ceasefire in Ukraine, although Kremlin rhetoric and Russian military actions illustrate that Putin remains uninterested in meaningful negotiations and any settlement that would prevent him from pursuing the destruction of an independent Ukrainian state. A ceasefire does not preclude Russia from resuming its offensive campaign to destroy Ukrainian statehood, and Russia would use any ceasefire to prepare for future offensive operations within Ukraine."

Scroll to bottom for bullet point summary: ISW

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Which is why it's imperative that Ukraine be a part of NATO. That's the only way to permanent peace

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Winner winner chicken dinner.

all eyes should be on the 58th CAA over the next few days... they are reportable refusing orders right now.

this is due to the commander being arrested. pic.twitter.com/1JL9PKZhOo

— david D. (@secretsqrl123) May 25, 2024

the 20th CAA is in a similar situation, but the troops are falling in line from reports. commander also arrested. pic.twitter.com/f13PeUluJy

— david D. (@secretsqrl123) May 25, 2024

Stupid question - which side is this russian or Ukraine?

From the map it looks like one of the icons is in Melitopol? So Russian I'm guessing.

Yeah, think you're right. Just noticed the "Western Military District" & "Southern Military District" designations which Ukraine would probably not have as well.

Hungary seeks to opt out of further support for Ukraine. (Orban has been aligning further toward the Chinese of late, and will assume the rotating chair of EU council in July.)

Ukraine continues strikes on Belgorod.

Large strikes from the Russians apparently;

This mornings missile and drone strike by Russia against Ukraine included

A couple dozen Geran-2 drones.

4 Tu-95s launching a smaller salvo of Kh-101 cruise missiles.

3-5 MIG-31k launching Kinzhal hypersonic missiles.

Confirmed Kinzhal hits as well as heavy drone activity at…

— ayden (@squatsons) May 26, 2024

Russian bloggers etc. have (speciously) claimed this 'Epicenter' strike took out an ammo store facility:

Yesterday, the Russian Armed Forces carried out an Attack on the City of Kharkiv in Northeastern Ukraine utilizing 2 Long-Range “FAB-500” Glide Bombs which Struck a Large Shopping Center called the Epicenter within Central Kharkiv City during the Busiest Time of the Day. The… pic.twitter.com/b8ywUSZqX8

— OSINTdefender (@sentdefender) May 26, 2024

More on EW from NYT yesterday. Everyone had to know this going into last summer's counteroffensive. Not a good look IMO.

NYT: Some U.S. Weapons Stymied by Russian Jamming in Ukraine

Quote:

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The reporting showed that the proportion of confirmed successful strikes dropped in a period from January to August 2023 from a high of 55 percent to a low of 7 percent in July and 6 percent in August, the months when Ukraine's struggling summer counteroffensive was at its height. At one point, only one in 19 Excalibur rounds was hitting its target, according to one of the people familiar with the report.

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Quote:

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He [Michael Bohnert, an engineer at RAND] noted that the Excalibur was designed in the 1990s, when GPS was in its infancy and electronic warfare technology was not nearly as sophisticated as it is now. "Those older ones fundamentally have difficulties," he said. "Better weapons should have been given earlier."

Daniel Patt, a senior fellow at the Hudson Institute, a Washington-based research organization, warned that the experience with the Excalibur in Ukraine was an example of how superior weapons systems can be handicapped by a lack of software adaptability and urged the Department of Defense to foster a culture of innovation and agility to be able to adapt quickly.

"The life cycle of a radio in Ukraine is only about three months before it needs to be reprogrammed or swapped out as the Russians optimize their electronic warfare against it," Mr. Patt wrote in his testimony. "The peak efficiency of a new weapon system is only about two weeks before countermeasures emerge."

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Quote:

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President Zelensky: Russia is preparing new offensive grouping 90 kilometers north-west from Kharkiv

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https://liveuamap.com/en/2024/26-may-president-zelensky-russia-is-preparing-new-offensive

Quote:

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Damage at the terminal of Zaporizhzhia airport as result of Russian missile strikes

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https://liveuamap.com/en/2024/26-may-damage-at-the-terminal-of-zaporizhzhia-airport-as

Quote:

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Swedish Defense Minister Pl Jonson backs Ukraine's use of Swedish munitions in Russia: "Ukraine has the right to defend itself through combat actions directed at the opponent's territory as long as the combat actions comply with the laws of war."

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https://liveuamap.com/en/2024/26-may-swedish-defense-minister-pl-jonson-backs-ukraines

OK, can see the potential issue with Russian doctrine. I think the key is in the the first sentence "the possibility of using nuclear weapons".

What edge or advantage does NATO gain by "luring the Russians into using tactical nukes"? Is the blogger, or yourself, suggesting that NATO is trying to precipitate a fight with Russia? Why? NATO, while steadily gearing up, is nowhere near ready to take on a fight like that....especially if tactical nukes are involved.

The idea the previous poster postulated that Ukraine was rattling NATO's stable strat chain now becomes something of an "ah, ha" statement based on the doctrine lines you posted. BUT...you really think Ukraine is in desperate enough straits to lure the Russians into dropping nukes on them?? To what end?

Pretty sure Poland and Germany would go ape-**** if Russia set off nukes in Ukraine. Does Russia have a death wish, because a nuke exchange even at the tactical level would precipitate that and if they are half blinded, they will surely be operating at a dangerous disadvantage.

I have little faith in our defense and intel communities but I have just enough left to think they're not dumb enough to want this to go nuclear. Anyone dumb enough to want things to escalate to that point, to justify intervention or for literally any reason whatsoever should be removed.

The intent of escalation to direct involvement of Nato countries is irrefutable from "Kiev."

There's really…no other plausible explanation for the recent strikes on nuclear strike detection systems in Russia, that I am aware of.