The Netherlands delivered the last of 24 promised F-16s to Ukraine on May 26, according to Dutch Defense Minister Ruben Brekelmans. This confirms Ukraine has at least 25 F-16s and possibly more, including 3 F-16 losses. President Zelenskyy received an official invitation to the NATO summit in The Hague at the end of June.


Russia launched 367 drones and missiles against Ukraine on May 24-25. The attack included 9 Iskander-M/KN-23 ballistic missiles, 55 Kh-101 and Kalibr cruise missiles, 1 Kh-22 cruise missile from a Tu-22M3 bomber, 4 Kh-59/69 guided missiles, and 298 Shahed and decoy drones. Ukrainian air defenses shot down 45 cruise missiles and 266 UAVs. Of the downed UAVs, 139 were destroyed by weapons fire and 127 were suppressed by electronic warfare. Successful strikes were recorded at 22 locations across Ukraine.

Three siblings died in Zhytomyr Oblast during the overnight attack. Stanislav Martyniuk, 8, Tamara Martyniuk, 12, and Roman Martyniuk, 17, were killed at their home. Their parents were injured and hospitalized. The mother sustained severe injuries.

Russia struck Kyiv Oblast killing 4 people and injuring 34, including 7 children. The attack damaged 115 houses across Bucha, Fastiv, and Bila Tserkva districts. In Makariv village, 39 houses were damaged or destroyed. In Markhalivka village, 22 houses were damaged with most totally destroyed. The injured are receiving treatment at 7 medical facilities. Food warehouses, schools, garages, and outbuildings were also damaged. No life-threatening injuries were reported.

A Russian drone struck student accommodation at Taras Shevchenko National University in Kyiv. Debris from the downed UAV damaged a gas pipe and started a fire. Two student residential buildings and the university dining hall were damaged. Four people were injured and treated at the scene. Firefighters quickly contained the fires that ignited. Students were offered temporary housing elsewhere. Cleanup efforts continue on campus.

A Russian missile hit Khmelnytskyi Oblast killing 4 people and injuring 5. Six private houses were completely destroyed and over 20 houses sustained damage. An educational institution had windows shattered and public transport was damaged. Five injured people were hospitalized with one in serious condition. The others sustained shrapnel wounds.

Russia struck a five-story apartment building in Mykolaiv with a drone. Two floors were completely destroyed and three others damaged. Two people died and five were injured, including a teenager. The people who were killed were a 77-year-old man and a woman whose body was recovered from rubble. Emergency workers evacuated 210 residents from the building. Two women were rescued from the rubble, one was hospitalized in serious condition.

The Russians attacked Dnipropetrovsk Oblast using missiles, drones, guided bombs, and artillery. Shahed drones and missiles struck an industrial company in Pavlohrad, causing a fire. In Dnipro city, a drone hit a three-story building, starting a fire that was quickly put out. The Russians targeted Mezhova, Novopavlivka, and Vasylkivka communities in Synelnykove district with drones and aerial bombs, damaging a house, a gas/petrol station, and a company. In Nikopol district, FPV drones and artillery damaged one apartment building and four houses. A fire broke out in one house.

Russia also attacked industrial facilities in Sumy Oblast. In Konotop, infrastructure was destroyed and some parts of the city lost power. Additionally, in Sumy city the Russians attacked a food processing company.

A Russian FAB-500 aerial bomb hit a house in Kupiansk, Kharkiv Oblast, killing two women aged 85 and 56, and injuring three people, 60-year-old man and two women aged 75 and 68. Treatment was provided to the wounded on the scene.

A Russian Kalibr missile struck the industrial zone in Ternopil, damaging an industrial facility. A 1,000 square meter fire broke out in a workshop area. Windows in nearby residential buildings were broken. No casualties were reported.

A 26-year-old State Emergency Service worker was wounded in Tomyna Balka village, Kherson Oblast. He sustained a traumatic brain injury, blast trauma, a concussion, and shrapnel wounds to his back and arms. He was hospitalized and is in moderate condition. Kherson Oblast head Oleksandr Prokudin stated the Russians deliberately targeted civilian rescue workers dealing with the aftermath of the attack.

Ukraine's Air Force spokesperson Yurii Ihnat stated that light aircraft cannot effectively intercept Shahed drones during night attacks. He noted that Yak-52 planes work well against reconnaissance UAVs in good weather and visibility conditions. He said that light aircraft cannot operate safely at night, especially since Shahed warheads now carry up to 90 kg of explosives. The Air Force is working to adapt these light aircraft for these more difficult drone interception missions.

Russia claims it intercepted 110 Ukrainian drones overnight May 24-25. This includes 16 over Tula, 14 over Bryansk, 14 over Kaluga, 13 over Moscow, 13 over Tver, 10 over Belgorod, 10 over and Kursk, eight over Oryol, two over Smolensk, 1 over Lipetsk, 1 over Nizhny Novgorod, 1 over Novgorod, and 7 over Crimea.


Drones operated by Ukraine's military intelligence struck a Russian fuel and lubricant train near Novobohdanivka village in occupied Zaporizhzhia on May 24. Three fuel tankers were destroyed and railway infrastructure damaged. The strike took place 50 kilometers from the front line.

A map showing the location of the train strike in relation to the front lines.

Drone strikes on May 22-23 damaged Russia's Energia defense plant in Yelets, Lipetsk region. Satellite imagery confirmed workshop destruction, and fires. 9 employees were reportedly injured. A second attack occurred May 23-24. Energia produces batteries for Iskander missiles, UMPK glide bombs, and Kinzhal missiles. It's the largest of three Russian manufacturers producing these products and has contracts with more than 20 defense customers.

Satellite imagery of damage at Yelets

Drones targeted Russia's Migalovo airfield near Tver, the base of the 196th and 8th Military Transport Aviation Regiments. One drone exploded on the airfield causing fires. Governor Igor Rudenya claimed five drones were downed with no damage, but photos and videos show heavy, dark colored smoke. The facility houses Il-76MD and An-124 transport aircraft. It is 500+ kilometers from Ukraine's border. It has been reported that they struck ammunition storage at the base, this does not seem confirmed yet.

Smoke at Migalovo airfield.

The Ukrainian 413th Raid Unmanned Systems Battalion used FPV drones to destroy a 9A310M1 launcher from a Russian Buk-M1 air defense system and a 9S36 radar from the newer Buk-M2 system. Both systems were destroyed.


Ukraine has completed a three-day prisoner exchange bringing home 1,000 defenders. 390 were returned on May 23, 307 on May 24, and 303 on May 25. All returnees were male enlisted and non-commissioned officers from Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, Kharkiv, Kherson, Sumy, and Chernihiv regions. Seventy were Mariupol defenders. Since March 2022, Ukraine has freed 5,757 people through official exchanges and 536 outside formal frameworks. This was the sixth exchange this year and 65th since the full-scale invasion began


Unfortunately, no soldiers from the Azov Brigade or civilians taken prisoner in the 2014-2022 era of the war were returned. Azov Commander Denys Prokopenko said that he doesn't believe the Ukrainian government prioritizes their return. Andrii Yusov, Deputy Head of Ukraine's Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War said that the lists of which prisoners would be returned were created by the captors. He said everyone in captivity must be returned. One problem with returning civilians is that the Russians will selectively determine who or who is not eligible for return. They argue civilians are not eligible for these exchanges some times, but other times, civilians are included. Yusov added that Mariupol defenders are a high priority for the Ukrainian government.


Ukraine's General Staff reported that Ukraine captured 971 Russian troops during their Kursk operation since August 2024, which they used as leverage for the 1000-for-1000 prisoner swap.


Ukraine's Foreign Intelligence Service reported that China supplies machine tools, chemicals, gunpowder, and components to 20 Russian military plants. Between 2024-2025, there are 5 known instances where China provided aviation-related assistance that involved equipment, spare parts, and technical documentation. 6 large chemical shipments were documented. By early 2025, 80% of Russian drone electronics originated from China. Chinese intentionally mislabel products and use shell companies to bypass sanctions. China became the primary supplier of gallium, germanium, and antimony to Russia after Western sanctions. About 20 Chinese companies, including state-owned enterprises, supply these materials used in microelectronics, laser systems, thermal imaging optics, and nuclear weapons components. In April, President Zelenskyy reported that Ukraine received intelligence showing China supplies weapons to Russia, including gunpowder and artillery components.


Spain remains the only NATO member not supporting 5% GDP defense spending by 2032. Secretary General Mark Rutte's proposal allocates 3.5% to core defense, 1.5% to cybersecurity and infrastructure. No NATO member currently spends 5%, though 23 of 32 meet the existing 2% target.

Polish presidential candidate Rafał Trzaskowski rejected a to pledge blocking Ukraine's NATO accession, stating Poland must work toward Ukrainian membership for security. His opponent Karol Nawrocki accepted anti-Ukrainian demands from far-right politician Sławomir Mentzen. Trzaskowski said Ukraine's NATO path could take 10-15 years but remains necessary to prevent Russian aggression.


Republican Congressman Don Bacon called for maximum arms supplies to Ukraine and confiscating €280 billion in Russian assets after extensive Russian attacks May 23-25.Her said peace talks have "zero effect on Putin" and Russia won't stop until it realizes it cannot win.


Russia started escorting its shadow fleet tankers through the Gulf of Finland with military aircraft, according to Finnish Defence Minister Antti Häkkänen.Estonia tried to intercept the shadow fleet tanker Jaguar on May 14 while it traveled through international waters toward the Russian port of Primorsk. Estonia deployed an AgustaWestland AW139 helicopter, an M28 Skytruck aircraft, and a patrol ship named EML Raju to intercept the tanker. Russia responded by scrambling a Su-35S fighter to escort the Gabon-flagged tanker. The Jaguar ignored Estonian requests to change course and later anchored near Gogland Island in the eastern Baltic Sea. The Russian Su-35S did not establish two-way communication with Estonian air traffic control, violating international aviation procedures. Portuguese F-16s stationed at Ämari Air Base were involved as part of NATO's Baltic Air Policing mission.

In retaliation, Russia detained the Greek-owned tanker Green Admire on May 18 while it passed through Russian territorial waters carrying shale oil from Estonia to Rotterdam. The vessel belongs to Greece-based Aegean Shipping. Large tankers in the region typically use the deeper Russian coastal route because it is safer than Estonia's shallow waters. Estonia, Russia, and Finland had previously agreed on this shipping route.

Confirmed and Geolocated Advances As Reported by the ISW

Russian Advances:

• Kursk Oblast: western Gornal (southwest of Sudzha) - marginal advance

• Kharkiv Oblast: Vovchansk Aggregate Plant in northern Vovchansk (northeast of Kharkiv City) - advance

• Donetsk Oblast: south of Chasiv Yar - marginal advance

• Donetsk Oblast: southwest of Toretsk - advance (topline reference)

Unconfirmed Advances

Russian Claims:

• Sumy Oblast: seized Bilovody and advanced into Yunakivka (both northeast of Sumy City)

• Donetsk Oblast: elements of 1442nd Motorized Rifle Regiment advancing in and north of Stupochky (south of Chasiv Yar)

• Donetsk Oblast: advanced into southern Leontovychi (southwest of Pokrovsk)

• Donetsk Oblast: temporarily advanced across Donetsk-Dnipropetrovsk Oblast administrative border near Kotlyarivka

• Donetsk Oblast: 36th Separate Motorized Rifle Brigade advanced along H-15 highway northwest of Odradne (southwest of Kurakhove)

• Donetsk Oblast: 127th Motorized Rifle Division elements advanced southwest of Novopil and northwest/southwest of Zelene Pole

Reported Attacks/Assaults

Russian Attacks:

• Sumy Oblast: Yunakivka and Bilovody areas northeast of Sumy City

• Kharkiv Oblast: Vovchansk and Vovchanski Khutory northeast of Kharkiv City

• Luhansk Oblast: Kutkivka, Stroivka, Krasne Pershe, Petropavlivka areas around Kupyansk

• Luhansk Oblast: Kruhlyakivka, Nova Kruhlyakivka, Zahryzove, Hrekivka, Olhivka around Borova

• Luhansk Oblast: Multiple locations around Lyman including Ridkodub, Novomykhailivka, Torske

• Donetsk Oblast: Multiple assaults around Siversk, Chasiv Yar, Toretsk, Pokrovsk, Novopavlivka, Kurakhove, Velyka Novosilka

• Zaporizhia Oblast: Novoandriivka, Stepove, Mali Shcherbaky southwest of Orikhiv

Ukrainian Counterattacks:

• Donetsk Oblast: near Horikhove (east of Novopavlivka)

• Donetsk Oblast: south of Novomykolaivka, seized limited forest positions

• Donetsk Oblast: near Odradne and Dachne, direction of Oleksiivka (west of Kurakhove)

• Donetsk Oblast: along Bahatyr-Odradne-Komar line and near Zelene Pole

From the Southern Defense Forces of Ukraine Telegram channel:

Over the past 24 hours, 25 Shahed-131/136 attack UAVs were destroyed by air defense units in the operational zone of the Tavria air defense complex.

🛡 The defense forces of Southern Ukraine continue to strike enemy deployments, firing positions, and rear areas.

Over the past day, enemy losses amounted to:

- 101 occupiers

- 17 artillery systems, including "Msta-B" and "Hyacinth-B"

- 1 tank

- 1 anti-aircraft installation (ZU-23-2)

- 14 units of vehicles and armored vehicles

- 6 reconnaissance UAVs of the "Orlan", "Zala", "Supercam" type

- 3 electronic warfare devices

- 1 quad bike

- 1 boat

- 7 motorcycles

- 4 buggies

- 1 Starlink and 2 antennas

- 5 generators

- 6 UAV control antennas

- 4 communication antennas.

Destroyed:

- 62 shelters/dugouts

- 1 checkpoint (checkpoint).

Glory to Ukraine!

Glory to Ukraine!

Quote of the Day:

"The hedgehog is nature's ultimate sprinter. With eyes locked on its prey and muscles coiled like springs, it explodes into motion — a blur of speed and grace. For the gazelle, it's a deadly race where one misstep can mean the end."

-David Attenborough