The fuel crisis is hitting Russian troops particularly hard.
1/ Russian soldiers say they are facing a “catastrophic shortage” of fuel at the front lines due to Ukrainian drone strikes on refineries. Far less is available now, it’s more expensive, and it’s only being issued for vehicles owned by the army – excluding vast numbers in use. ⬇️
— ChrisO_wiki (@chriso-wiki.bsky.social) 2026-07-26T14:28:58.978Z
2/ Soldiers interviewed by the independent Russian news site Verska says that a “catastrophic shortage” has made the situation “a complete mess”. Just like civilians, the military is now being rationed to only 20 litres of gasoline per vehicle per day.
3/ The Russian army is also only issuing fuel to vehicles with military licence plates. As the vast majority of frontline vehicles (reportedly up to 90%) are privately owned, either by soldiers themselves or donated to them, this policy is likely having a big effect on mobility.
4/ The reduction in fuel availability is affecting both combat and logistics vehicles. Soldiers are also complaining about the poor quality of the lower-octane fuel that they are receiving, which is causing motors to fail due to its adulteration and likely contamination.
5/ There have already been indications from Ukrainian drone videos that Russian vehicles have been breaking down or running out of fuel during combat operations. It’s likely that this reflects the impact of the fuel crisis.
…..
8/ One unfortunate result of the reduction in military fuel supplies is that there’s now less available for the soldiers to resell for their own gain, even though the profit is now much greater. They “borrow” fuel and sell it to civilians for 350 roubles ($4.48) per litre.
British intelligence apparently thinks Russia will try something really stupid within a few months — a direct challenge to NATO.
Swedish defense officials also warn that Moscow could seize a small but strategic area – such as the Suwałki Gap, Gotland, Svalbard, Estonia’s Narva region, or Baltic islands – to test NATO’s Article 5.
Russia’s goal wouldn’t be occupation, but exposing cracks in the Alliance and weakening confidence in its collective defense.
Ukraine paid a return visit to the already burning oil refinery in Tyumen.
Here’s an update on the Ukrainian strike on the military plant in Kirov.
We are publishing a satellite image showing the aftermath of a missile strike on the “Avitek” military plant in Kirov.
A “Flamingo” missile breached the roof, detonating inside the workshop and causing a massive fire.
No workers were evacuated, so it is most likely that the… pic.twitter.com/V64Mo1XYzf
— Exilenova+ (@Exilenova_plus) July 25, 2026
No workers were evacuated, so it is most likely that the entire shift in the workshop perished.
Ukraine has apparently run out of targets to hit in the Sea of Azov.
A Russian train chugs along despite a fuel tank car that’s on fire.
Footage shows a burning fuel tanker on a Russian train transporting fuel toward Russian-occupied Ukrainian territory. According to the report, the train was struck by a Ukrainian strike drone while carrying fuel intended for Russian forces in the occupied territories. #Ukraine
— NOELREPORTS (@noelreports.com) 2026-07-26T13:07:35.213Z
Andrew Perpetua watches a ton of videos every week and has noticed a trend.
These Ukrainian drone units that use Vampires with gigantic bombs to delete Russians one at a time are out of control. They just vaporize dudes one after another. Why waste time with FPVs and shit when you can nuke them from orbit.
— Andrew Perpetua (@AndrewPerpetua) July 26, 2026
Russia bombed a chess club. I guess they couldn’t find a kindergarten.
Russia 🇷🇺 has been destroying several chess clubs in Ukraine 🇺🇦, and tonight they hit the club in Kherson.
Viltorija visited the club in 2021, and since helped provide with special tables.
🧵1/4 pic.twitter.com/sn4gDzEd2f
— Peter Heine Nielsen (@PHChess) July 25, 2026
Russian commanders have figured out how to use AI to exaggerate their claims of success.
If you are going to use AI to paint a rosy scenario, don’t have your flag planters floating above the ground.
2/ ‘Donetsk Infantry’ has posted an insight into the problems that the Russian command is continuing to have. with false reports from the ground. These have led to the war being fought on the basis of grossly inaccurate control of terrain maps.bsky.app/profile/thes…
— ChrisO_wiki (@chriso-wiki.bsky.social) 2026-07-26T14:50:33.474Z
3/ He writes: “On the role of AI in the Ministry of Defence’s reports,” likely with reference to one of the areas in the Zaporizhzhia region where Ukrainian forces have recently been reported to be advancing.
4/ “The commander of one of the Southern Military District’s units had long been concealing the loss of square kilometres of territory and reporting to his superiors via videos showing the raising of flags over an ever-increasing number of settlements and territories.
5/ “He let his guard down and was caught out by a video where the soldier holding the flag barely had his feet touching the ground.”
Let’s check in on the fuel situation in Russia.
Russia murdered seven more Ukrainians.
Russia also bombed cows in Sumy.
And a supermarket in Chernihiv.
At least 2 people, including a 10-year-old child, were killed and 4 injured in a Russian drone strike on an ATB supermarket in Chernihiv today. The attack hit the city’s ZAZ district, leaving one victim in critical condition.www.kyivpost.com/post/81108
— Kyiv Post (@kyivpost.com) 2026-07-26T14:16:35.558Z
A Russian strike on a house in Kharkiv.
I’d say Kherson is already pretty unlivable.
Kherson resident Kateryna showed how she has to move around the city – under trees, always watching out for drones and praying.
People in Kherson don’t go outside without an urgent need.
Russia is trying to make Kherson uninhabitable.
📹: ekaterina_feniks7/Instagram pic.twitter.com/uja6kN9hCh
— Anton Gerashchenko (@Gerashchenko_en) July 25, 2026
Sexual violence by Russians against Ukrainian POWs is rampant.
“Before he left for the front line in 2022, Serhii Boychuk told his wife that if captured, he didn’t want to be taken alive. A few months later, the Russians took him prisoner. Guards beat and tortured him sexually for more than two years, he said.
He recounted being raped with… pic.twitter.com/0LofuZuSR5
— Rob Lee (@RALee85) July 26, 2026
He recounted being raped with bottles and sticks, and having a knife pressed against his genitals. He still finds it difficult to walk. ‘They wanted to psychologically break me,’ said Boychuk, now 33.
Other Ukrainian former detainees described similar experiences of sexualized torture while in Russian prisoner-of-war camps. Their accounts match the findings of Ukrainian prosecutors and intelligence services and United Nations investigators, who have conducted extensive interviews with former prisoners—both soldiers and civilians—throughout the more than four-year war.
This growing body of testimony suggests that Russian sexual violence against POWs and civilian prisoners has been systematic—and condoned, even encouraged, by senior Russian officials…
Other former POWs and civilian detainees who spoke to the Journal said they were forced to stand, crouch or parade naked. Some had their genitals electrocuted. Some were raped—either with objects such as bottles or sticks, or by Russian guards.
Yes, it’s a crazy conspiracy theory, but this is Russia, so imaginative fraud schemes are never completely outside the realm of possibility.
Speaking of fraud, it looks like Russia has Potemkin gas stations.
Another 1,440 Russians who experienced a failure to win, plus nine more tanks.
Russia has lost 54 tanks in just the last four days.
Shouldn’t those priests be out at a gas station sprinkling holy water on the pumps to lower the price? They’d have better luck at that than trying to convince teenagers not to have sex.
Russia has started to use what is called dazzle camouflage to protect its naval ships in the Baltic Sea.
The idea behind this kind of camo — which is the black and white geometric shapes on the hull in the photos below — is to confuse drone pilots by making it difficult to get an accurate read on range, speed and distance to the ship.
This is one of the reasons why drone development has proceeded at a frenetic pace.
Extremely interesting but expected development.Russian BARS-Sarmat unit is testing carbon copies of Ukrainian Sting interceptor FPVs, mounted under Yak-52 and An-2 light aircraft. Same Ukrainian tactics.In this war, your invention gets cloned by the enemy within months.
— Dimko Zhluktenko (@dim0kq.bsky.social) 2026-07-25T16:59:03.392870Z
It’s New Year’s Eve in Moscow.
The rest of the country is on its own.
Romania shot down two more Russian Shaheds.
I’m sure Russia will be deterred by the prospect of Romania launching a diplomatic letter.
Russia needs another 30,000 North Koreans to feed to the meat grinder.
Iran is unhappy with Ukraine’s strike on shipping in the Caspian Sea.
Too fucking bad.
Russia says the EU is engaging in piracy.
Arrrr! Shiver me timbers! To Davy Jones’ locker with ye, Putin!
❗️The EU has approved rules allowing member states to sell Russian oil and other commodities confiscated from sanctions-evading shadow fleet vessels. The measure is part of the bloc’s 21st sanctions package, while Moscow condemned the move as “piracy.” #EU
— NOELREPORTS (@noelreports.com) 2026-07-25T19:19:26.528Z
WANTED: Energetic individuals to secure meat for the grinder. No experience necessary but an ability to drag a reluctant recruit from his car is a plus.
🚨 Job postings have appeared for Russian companies hiring specialists in mobilization.This happened during the 2022 mobilization as well.Another clear warning sign that, despite official denials, Russia intends to do another mobilization after their September election.
— Maria Drutska (@mariadrutska.bsky.social) 2026-07-26T07:27:01.369Z
Russia’s witness protection program leaves a lot to be desired.
One of these days Yanukovych is going to be paid a visit from Mr. Budanov’s operatives.
🕵️ Yanukovych may be living in Sochi under a false identity — investigation
Fugitive former Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych is reportedly living in Sochi with his partner, Liubov Sadykova, and using the alias Oleg Leonov, according to an investigation by Telebachennia… pic.twitter.com/7HnzV7HQ1w
— NEXTA (@nexta_tv) July 25, 2026
Our old friend 22 Trucks posted on his Substack about the discussion in RSBU a few days ago about whether Wildberries is a legitimate target for Ukraine to be blowing up.
You can read it here: https://22trucks.substack.com/p/b-but-but-wildberries-is-so-innocent
The gist of it is that Wildberries supplies nearly everything a soldier in the field needs and that since much of that stuff isn’t provided by the Russian military to its own troops, soldiers rely on family and supporters to supply it — and that often means buying it at Wildberries.
Regarding Wildberries, I would add that one of the purposes of the campaign against the retailer is political and aimed at the rest of the world — to puncture the long-held image (in Europe and elsewhere) of Russia’s army as all-powerful and unstoppable and replace it with the image of incompetence and weakness.
Trump can cover for Putin for just so long.
#Trump is still playing dumb, but the pressure is mounting from all sides. Four American troops were killed in the Iranian strikes. The press is going to hound Trump with questions. MAGA bloggers are openly talking about it too. And now Zelenskyy has added fuel to the fire.
She should have quit while she was sort of ahead.
Rest in peace.
He’s a good son.
Every morning at 9.