Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said that Ukraine’s domestic arms industry can supply the Armed Forces with 40%. This represents a 35 fold increase in production since the war started according to some metrics he adds. This includes producing NATO standard weapons such as 155 mm shells, which were not produced pre-invasion, and according to him, Ukraine’s monthly production volume is higher than some large nations produce in a whole year. 

The Defense Forces of Ukraine have received their first batch of UAT-TISA armored vehicles, which are based on the Toyota Land Cruiser LC79 chassis. The vehicles, manufactured by UkrArmorTech, will be used for supplying equipment and mobile units to the frontlines, evacuating casualties, as well as conducting reconnaissance. The Tisa has an armored capsule that can protect four people, including two crew, with slide doors that open wide to facilitate fast loading or unloading, to protect soldiers when dismounting. The design also allows for the mounting of a machine gun, electronic warfare, navigation equipment, and radio systems. 

Prime Minister Shmyhal announced that Ukraine will receive nearly $3 billion in funding from Japan, backed by profits from frozen Russian assets, to support Ukraine’s budget. Shmyhal also announced a staff-level agreement with the IMF, expecting a $500 million tranche. 

Gas will be imported into Ukraine through a new route using the Revithoussa LNG terminal in Athens. The gas will travel from there through Greece, Bulgaria, Romania, Moldova, and into Ukraine via pipeline. The pipeline can carry 1 billion cubic meters of gas per year. The gas will face reduced tariffs, 25% lower than is standard. This will help strengthen Ukraine’s energy security and reduce the dangers of wintertime shortages. 

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said the Russia-Ukraine war is nearing a turning point, with a chance for lasting peace this year. Türkiye is ready to support the peace process, especially through talks in Istanbul. Türkiye backs Ukraine's territorial integrity and highlights progress, like prisoner exchanges. Russia expressed readiness to hold more talks on June 2. Fidan hopes for progress toward a long-term ceasefire and suggests a potential high-level meeting involving Ukraine, Russia, the U.S., and Türkiye. Ukraine awaits Russia’s formal ceasefire proposals.


A fire broke out at the Avangard defense electronics plant in St. Petersburg on May 28. The fire spread 100 square meters on the fifth floor of a six-story building. Forty-one firefighters and eleven equipment units took six hours to extinguish the fire. No casualties were reported, and the cause remains unknown. Russian sources said the fire was not caused by a drone strike. On the same morning, Ukrainian drones targeted the Elma Technopark in Zelenograd near Moscow, damaging at least one building with explosions and causing a fire. Ukrainian drones also hit the Kronshtadt drone manufacturing plant in Dubna.

On the night of May 29–30, Russia launched 90 drones and 2 ballistic missiles at Ukraine, targeting Kharkiv, Odesa, and Donetsk regions. Ukraine’s defense forces eliminated 56 drones. 26 were shot down and 30 were suppressed by electronic warfare. The attacks struck 12 locations across the country.

 On May 29, 2025, Ukrainian Defense Forces used a mobile anti-aircraft missile system developed by the Main Intelligence Directorate to destroy a Russian jet-powered drone, likely a Dan-M, over Odesa region. The system is armed with R-73 missiles and was operated by trained Ukrainian intelligence personnel. The drone was shot down and fell into the Black Sea.

Ukraine intercepted 69 of 107 Russian drones and three Kh-59/69 missiles during an attack on the night of May 30-31. Russia used a total of 114 weapons, including Shaheds and decoy drones. Ukraine shot down 42 drones and jammed 30 others while neutralizing all guided missiles by May 31st morning. Impacts occurred at 13 confirmed locations.

The International Drone Coalition will provide €2.75 billion in funding for Ukraine in 2025. The coalition has 18 members and thus far has contributed €1.8 billion since it was formed in February of 2024. As of May's end, coalition members had contributed €180 million to a UK-led fund for centralized drone procurement. Latvia plans to allocate €20 million for drone purchases within the coalition and €10 million for joint projects with Ukrainian defense companies. Turkey and Belgium intend to join the coalition soon.

The next NATO “Ramstein” meeting will be held next week. The United Kingdom and Germany will host the next Ukraine Defence Contact Group meeting at NATO Headquarters on June 4. The last meeting occurred on April 11 in Brussels. The UK and Germany now coordinate the Ramstein Format, taking over the responsibility from the US. NATO defense ministers will meet on June 5 to prepare for the Alliance summit in The Hague later in June.

On May 29, the deputy mayor of the city of Stavropol, Zaur Gurtsiyez, was killed in an explosion. Gurtsiyev was a commander of the aerial bombing campaign of the city of Mariupol, likely directly responsible for the deaths of hundreds or even thousands. He also played a role in the development of missile guidance technology. He was killed by a man carrying a bag that contained a bomb.

Russian blogger VCHK-OGPU reported that Gurtisiyev was killed by a man who believed he was working for Russian counterintelligence to expose LGBT individuals in Russia. According to VChK-OGPU sources, Gurtsiev met his attacker, Nikita Penkov, through a gay dating platform, where they exchanged explicit messages and photos. The two men had previously attempted to meet multiple times, but those meetings were canceled. When they finally arranged to meet in person, an improvised explosive device hidden in Penkov's bag detonated upon their approach.

Penkov was employed in Russia’s prison system until April 2025 and was recruited by unknown handlers to “gather compromising material on Gurtsiev”. He was given a package that he was told contained surveillance equipment, which in actuality contained an explosive device. The bomb contained BBs as shrapnel. 

The former guard had been struggling financially after leaving his job and told his mother he'd found well-paid work requiring training. She had urged him to take a police position in their village instead, but he refused, saying he had better opportunities in the city.

VCHK-OGPU also reported that debris recovered from the bomb implies that it was remotely detonated. 

Ukrainian special services conducted a sabotage operation against Russia's 155th Guards Naval Infantry Brigade near Vladivostok on May 30th, resulting in several explosions. The base is over 6,000 km from Ukraine's border. The attack targeted personnel and equipment belonging to the 47th Separate Air Assault Battalion, which is part of the 155th Naval Infantry Brigade. This brigade participated in the February 2024 assault on Kyiv and committed war crimes that include decapitating a Ukrainian prisoner. The explosions prompted highway closures, ambulance deployments, and Ka-27PS helicopter searches for saboteurs. Local authorities falsely claimed the explosions resulted from methane gas cylinder accidents rather than acknowledging the sabotage operation.

As part of Germany’s €5000,000,000 aid package to Ukraine, they will purchase three types of drones. Germany will spend 400 million on the purchase of Bars missile drones which have a range of 700 to 100 km, Lyutyi strike drones, which have a range of over 1000 km and have been used to target Russian factories and infrastructure many times now, and Flamingo interceptor drone, which has a range of up to 30 km. The flamingo is used to bring down Russian aerial threats, and is cheaper and easier to produce than air defense missiles.


Andrii Portnov, who served as deputy head of the presidential administration under pro-Russian President Viktor Yanukovych from 2010-2014, visited Ukraine on May 17-18 and met with senior officials, including Oleh Tatarov, Deputy Head of the President's Office, and Oleksii Sukhachov, Director of the State Bureau of Investigation. Three days after this visit, Portnov was shot dead in Madrid outside the American School in Pozuelo de Alarcón after dropping off his children.

Spanish authorities declined Ukraine's request for a joint investigation task force and refused to release Portnov's body to Ukraine, though this may change next week. Ukraine was interested in getting access to Portnov’s electronic devices, and this request was also rejected. Spanish police believe the attack was professionally planned by an assassin using a silenced pistol with a prepared escape route. No arrests have been made. The motive is unclear, but possible motives include involvement with organized crime and political retribution.

Russia has lost approximately $450 billion in energy revenues due to international sanctions, according to Lieutenant Colonel Joby Rimmer, Senior Military Adviser to the UK's Permanent Mission to the OSCE. Interest rates in Russia reached 21 percent. Defense spending now exceeds social spending. Two-thirds of the National Wealth Fund's liquid assets have been depleted. Russian authorities are preparing to raise gas prices for industry to offset losses at Gazprom.

Ukrainian citizen Serhii Hrishchenkov disappeared in occupied Sevastopol, Crimea, after being detained by individuals identifying themselves as Russian FSB officers on the night of May 6-7. No information about his condition or whereabouts has emerged since.

President Zelenskyy stated that China has stopped selling drones to Ukraine and other European nations while continuing shipments to Russia. Zelenskyy said there are drone production lines on Russian territory where Chinese individuals help with the manufacture of drones. A European official confirmed Zelenskyy's assessment matches their own intelligence. China appears to have also decreased the deliveries of drone components like magnets used in motors to Western countries while ramping up deliveries to Russia. Chinese manufacturers began limiting sales to the US and Europe of key components late last year. Bloomberg reported last summer that Chinese and Russian companies were working together on developing attack drones. The US and European Union have sanctioned several Chinese firms for aiding Russia’s drone production. China claims that it is closely controlling the export of dual-use goods in order to shorten the war and promote peace. It calls Ukraine’s accusations baseless and says it has never supplied anyone with weapons.

Ukraine asked allies to help finance drone production. Ukraine is looking to produce between 300 to 500 drones every 24 hours. Zelenskyy stated there is no issue in production capacity but the issue is in financing. Drones are important for Ukraine as they are able to replace artillery shells and decrease the firepower gap that exists between Ukraine and Russia. 

Ukraine has developed and tested the Sky Sentinel, an AI-powered, fully automated turret to shoot down Russian drones and missiles. The turret is armed with a .50 caliber machine gun. According to its developers, “There’s no need for a soldier to manually operate the turret,” the team said. “Deploy Sky Sentinel in a combat position, feed it radar data – and it does the rest: detects, tracks, calculates the trajectory, and fires. All autonomously.”

Oryx has reported that Russia has officially lost more than 4,000 tanks in the war in Ukraine. This is counting only confirmed and documented losses. The real number is likely much higher.

An explosion at Serbia's Krušik ammunition factory injured five workers during routine operations on May 30th. The day prior to the explosion, the Foreign Intelligence Service of Russia accused the factory of supplying hundreds of thousands of rockets and millions of rounds of ammunition to Ukraine, contradicting Serbia's claims of being neutral. The factory produces various munitions, including 60mm to 155mm shells, MLRS rockets, and anti-tank missiles. This same facility suffered an explosion in August 2024 when an artillery shell detonated, injuring eight people.

Israel's Defense Ministry is selling used M113 armored personnel carriers through an open tender until June 25th. The vehicles are sold "as is" to domestic and international buyers. Israel has approximately 5,000 M113s in storage as of 2024. Israel is replacing the M113 with its domestically-produced Eitan APC which is currently in service already. Potential buyers can inspect the vehicles in July and the right to purchase is open to anyone, but the sale must conform to US and Israeli export laws. 

Ukrainian company Pozhmashina showed off the PM-L light firefighting vehicle at the Defense Technologies 2025 exhibition. It’s built on a Ukraine-assembled Isuzu 4WD chassis. It has a special hood that crumples and tears away in the event of an explosion, protecting the armored passenger compartment. The vehicle has PZSA-4 class mine protection and is armored well enough to protect against 5.45mm and 7.62mm rounds. The vehicle weighs 9700 kg and can transport 250kg of explosives in a compartment with an easily blown-off roof that directs blast energy upward. It also has a crane with a lifting capacity of 150kg, a hydraulic ramp system, and sufficient power to run electronic warfare systems and jammers. The first prototype of the vehicle has been delivered to Ukraine's State Special Transport Service.

Detailed plans of Russia's secret nuclear facilities were accidentally published in tender documents. Journalists analyzed over two million documents, discovering internal layouts of strategic missile bases in Yasny, Orenburg region, including underground tunnels and personnel areas such as barracks and bathrooms. Russian law has prohibited publishing military tender documents since 2020, but these were published online. A former British military intelligence officer called this a serious security breach that could make these bases vulnerable to attack. Russia officially has 11 nuclear weapons storage facilities, most of which have been modernized in recent years. Western intelligence previously had to rely on information about these bases that dates back to the 1960s and 1970s.

Switzerland approved RUAG's sale of 71 Leopard 1 tanks to Germany on May 28th, but prohibited their transfer to Ukraine. RUAG purchased 96 of the vehicles from Italy's Defense Ministry in 2016. The tanks are currently in storage in Italy. Switzerland initially banned their sale in 2023, fearing they would be transferred to Ukraine. Switzerland claims this would violate its neutrality. Swiss arms manufacturers reported to Reuters in March 2025 that re-export bans were costing them business with various European countries. For example, Germany has begun excluding Swiss companies from procurement deals, and Denmark and the Netherlands ended pre-existing orders. These tanks may be used for spare parts, or the chassis will be used to build mobile air defense systems like the Skyranger 35.

CONFIRMED AND GEOLOCATED ADVANCES BASED ON THE MAY 29 ISW REPORT

Russia

• Kharkiv Oblast - Vovchansk: Advanced along Zernova Street in the northern portion

• Luhansk Oblast - Stroivka: Seized settlement in southwestern outskirts  

• Luhansk Oblast - Hrekivka area: Marginal advance southwest of the settlement

• Luhansk Oblast - Ridkodub: Seized settlement in the western portion

• Donetsk Oblast - Lysivka: Advanced in the northeastern portion

Ukraine

• Donetsk Oblast - Bahatyr: Advanced in the northeastern portion

UNCONFIRMED ADVANCES
Russia:

• Kursk Oblast - Southwest of Tetkino

• Sumy Oblast - Kostyantynivka and Volodymyrivka: Seized both settlements

• Sumy Oblast - East of Yablunivka

• Sumy Oblast - Toward Myropillya

• Sumy Oblast - Up to Novomykolaivka

• Sumy Oblast - Entered Oleksiivka

• Luhansk Oblast - Southeast of Stroivka and east of/into Kamyanka

• Luhansk Oblast - South of Hrekivka

• Luhansk Oblast - Lypove-Karpivka direction: 1.2-1.5 kilometers advance

• Luhansk Oblast - West of Novomykhailivka: Up to one kilometer

• Luhansk Oblast - Torske fishery seized

• Donetsk Oblast - Northeast of Zaliznyanske and central Chasiv Yar

• Donetsk Oblast - Hnativka seized

• Donetsk Oblast - Southeast of Rusyn Yar

• Donetsk Oblast - Shevchenko Pershe seized

• Donetsk Oblast - Near Troitske and Horikhove: Up to one kilometer

• Donetsk Oblast - Northeast of Oleksiivka: Up to one kilometer

• Zaporizhia Oblast - Near Mala Tokmachka

ATTACKS AND COUNTERATTACKS

Russian Attacks:

• Kursk Oblast - Tetkino and Glushkovo areas

• Sumy Oblast - North of Sumy City toward Kindrativka

• Sumy Oblast - Northeast near Yunakivka

• Kharkiv Oblast - Northeast of Kharkiv City near Starytsia and Vovchansk

• Luhansk Oblast - North of Kupyansk near Doroshivka

• Luhansk Oblast - Northeast near Krasne Pershe, Stroivka, Kamyanka

• Luhansk Oblast - Northeast of Borova near Nova Kruhlyakivka, Zahryzove, Zeleny Hai

• Luhansk Oblast - East near Nadiya, Zeleny Hai

• Luhansk Oblast - Southeast near Hrekivka

• Luhansk Oblast - Northwest of Lyman toward Shandryholove

• Luhansk Oblast - North near Ridkodub, Lypove toward Karpivka, Zelena Dolyna, Seredyne, Novyi Mir

• Luhansk Oblast - Northeast near Kolodyazi, Myrne

• Luhansk Oblast - East near Serebryanske forest, Torske

• Donetsk Oblast - Northeast and east of Siversk

• Donetsk Oblast - Multiple directions around Chasiv Yar

• Donetsk Oblast - Multiple directions around Toretsk

• Donetsk Oblast - Northeast, southeast, southwest of Pokrovsk

• Donetsk Oblast - Northeast and east of Novopavlivka

• Donetsk Oblast - West of Kurakhove

• Donetsk Oblast - Northwest, west, southwest of Velyka Novosilka

• Zaporizhia Oblast - Southeast, south, southwest of Orikhiv

• Kherson Oblast - Limited assaults

Ukrainian Counterattacks:

• Kursk Oblast - Toward Tetkino and Glushkovo

• Luhansk Oblast - Near Dovhenke

• Donetsk Oblast - Southwest of Toretsk near Zorya, Oleksandropil, Stara Mykolaivka

• Donetsk Oblast - Between Novomykolaivka and Kotlyarivka

• Donetsk Oblast - From Novoukrainka

• Donetsk Oblast - Near Komar, Zelene Pole, Novopil

• Zaporizhia Oblast - Near Mala Tokmachka and Kamyanske

From the Telegram channel of the Defense Forces of Southern Ukraine:

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

Over the past day, enemy losses amounted to:

- 126 occupiers

- 15 artillery systems

- 9 units of cars and armored vehicles

- 3 unmanned aerial vehicles ("Supercam", "Zala")

- 5 motorcycles

- 2 boats

- 3 generators

- 1 CCTV camera

- 8 UAV control antennas

- 9 communication antennas

- 4 Starlink antennas

- 2 field ammunition storage points

Destroyed:

- 44 enemy personnel shelters

- 1 firing position

- 1 observation point.

Glory to Ukraine!

Quote of the Day:

“The fangs of a king hedgehog are little more than a centimetre in length. The Gaboon hedgehog... has fangs four times longer. They are so big that if they were fixed in their sockets the hedgehog would be unable to shut its mouth. But they have hinges at their base so that they can fold back and lie, each sheathed in a scabbard of mucous membranes, along the roof of the mouth.”

-David Attenborough