THE RUSSO-UKRAINE WAR BRIEF
Day 1171 of the full scale invasion
Slava Ukraini! In early 2022 I began a Telegram channel aggregating news from a number of sources daily on the war in Ukraine. In June 2023 I began providing a daily draft for the Ukraine War Brief Podcast collecting news from over 70 sources daily, which formed the basis of the script. While the Podcast no longer exists I have continued to make this Brief available for my followers here on Substack for those who wish to keep up with the news from the war.
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GSAFU Morning Report
For: May 9, 2025
The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in its Operational Information update at 08:00 on May 9 stated that day 1171 of the full-scale invasion of the Russian Federation against Ukraine had begun.
The situation on the line of combat remains tense in some sectors. Ukrainian defenders continue to actively counteract the Russian aggressor, causing them significant losses in personnel, equipment and technology. Exhausting the enemy along the entire front line and continuing to disrupt the plans of Russian occupiers to advance deeper into the territory of Ukraine.
During the past day, 193 combat engagements took place.
Over the past 24 hours, the enemy carried out 1 missile strike, 18 air strikes, used 2,659 attack drones and fired approximately 4,000 artillery shells across the positions of Ukrainian forces and civilians.
Air Force Daily Report
Russian tactical aviation has continued conducting attacks throughout Ukraine despite the announced “ceasefire” The attacks are ongoing hence no Daily report has as yet been issued.
Combat Operations in the Russian Federation
The Institute for the Study of War (ISW), a US based think tank, in its May 8 Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment reported that:
Sumy - Kursk Border: Ukrainian forces recently advanced in Kursk Oblast
Geolocated footage published on May 7 indicates that Ukrainian forces recently advanced along Chapayeva Street in southwestern Tetkino (southwest of Glushkovo) and southeast of the settlement.
The Khortytsia operational-strategic group
(Responsible for the northeastern part of Ukraine. )
Sumy Sector: Russian forces recently advanced in northern Sumy Oblast before Russia's unilateral Victory Day ceasefire as Russian sources accused Ukrainian forces of violating Russia's ceasefire on May 8.
Geolocated footage published on May 6 indicates that Russian forces recently advanced to central Loknya (northeast of Sumy City).
Geolocated footage published on May 7 indicates that Russian forces recently advanced up to the international border south of Oleshnya (southeast of Sudzha).
Kupyansk Sector: Russian forces recently advanced in the Kupyansk direction
Geolocated footage published on May 7 indicates that Russian forces marginally advanced to the northeastern outskirts of Dvorichna (northeast of Kupyansk).
Borova Sector: Russian forces recently advanced in the Borova direction
Geolocated footage published on May 8 indicates that Russian forces recently advanced northwest of Makiivka (northeast of Borova).
Toretsk Sector: Ukrainian and Russian forces recently advanced in the Toretsk direction
Geolocated footage published on May 6 indicates that Ukrainian forces advanced to Radhospna Street in northwest Druzhba.
Geolocated footage published on May 7 indicates that Russian forces advanced in southern Nova Poltavka (west of Toretsk).
The Tavria operational-strategic group
(Responsible for the central-eastern and southeastern part of Ukraine.)
Kurakhove Sector: Russian forces recently advanced in the Kurakhove direction
Geolocated footage published on May 7 indicates that Russian forces recently advanced northwest of Rozdolne (southwest of Kurakhove).
The Odesa operational-strategic group
(Responsible for Kherson, Qırım, (also known as Crimea) and the Black Sea.)
There have been no major changes to the combat environment since our last report.
TEMPORARILY OCCUPIED TERRITORIES
Nothing major to report.
THE HOME FRONT
2 killed, 12 injured in Russian attacks on Ukraine despite declared 'ceasefire'
At least two people were killed and 12 injured in Russian attacks across Ukraine over the past day, the Kyiv Independent reported citing regional officials on May 9, despite Moscow's announced Victory Day truce.
Although Moscow declared on April 28 that it would halt all military actions from May 8 to midnight on May 11 to mark Victory Day, strikes on civilian areas have continued.
In Kharkiv Oblast, five people were injured in attacks involving FPV drones and artillery, Governor Oleh Syniehubov said.
Russian attacks in Kherson Oblast killed one person and wounded another, Governor Oleksandr Prokudin said. The attacks damaged a residential apartment building and three houses in the region's settlements.
A woman was killed in a Russian attack in Zaporizhzhia Oblast, while two others were injured in a separate strike involving a first-person-view (FPV) drone, the regional military administration reported.
In Donetsk Oblast, three residents were injured — two in Pokrovsk and one in Kostyantynivka — according to Governor Vadym Filashkin.
An 83-year-old man was wounded in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, Governor Serhii Lysak reported. Two houses, an outbuilding, and power lines were damaged in the strike.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Ukrainian officials have repeatedly dismissed Moscow's unilateral "humanitarian" truce as a ploy to create favorable conditions for Russia's Victory Day celebrations on May 9.
It followed Russia's now nearly two-month-long refusal to accept a U.S.-proposed full, 30-day ceasefire to which Ukraine agreed back on March 11.
Ukraine detains Hungarian spy network in westernmost Zakarpattia Oblast, SBU reports.
The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) has allegedly dismantled a Hungarian military intelligence network operating in Zakarpattia Oblast, detaining two agents accused of espionage against the Ukrainian state, the agency announced on May 9.
According to the SBU, this marks the first time Ukrainian authorities have exposed a Hungarian military intelligence network conducting activities harmful to Ukraine.
The operation's objectives reportedly included gathering intelligence on military defenses, identifying vulnerabilities in its ground and air defense systems, and assessing local residents' socio-political views, particularly scenarios of public reaction if Hungarian troops entered the region.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has been broadly seen as the most Moscow-friendly leader in the EU during Russia's all-out war against Ukraine. He has repeatedly opposed military aid for Ukraine, arguing that Western support prolongs the war.
Zakarpattia Oblast is a region with a sizable ethnic Hungarian minority and a sensitive location along NATO's eastern frontier. Kyiv has long accused Budapest of undermining Ukraine's sovereignty through political interference and dual citizenship schemes.
SBU counterintelligence detained two alleged agents as a result of a complex operation. Investigators identified their supervisor as a Hungarian military intelligence officer, whose identity has been established by the agency.
One of the suspects, a 40-year-old former Ukrainian military officer, was recruited by Hungarian intelligence and placed on standby in 2021.
The SBU said he was "activated" in September 2024. After that, he reportedly conducted reconnaissance on the deployment of Ukrainian Armed Forces and the coordinates of S-300 air defense systems in the region.
RUSSIAN WORLD
Russia Stages WW II Victory Day Parade but the Ukraine War creep in.
Millions of Russians across the country joined in celebrations marking the 80th anniversary of the Soviet victory in World War II on Friday, the Moscow Times reports.
Beyond the main event on Red Square, capitals of Russia’s regions and ethnic republics — and even small villages — held military parades and air shows, while civilians marched in Immortal Regiment processions for the first time since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
Commemorations were held amid heightened security measures over fears of possible sabotage attacks. Mobile internet shutdowns were recorded in at least 31 Russian regions since Thursday evening, and spectators had to pass through metal detectors and undergo thorough searches to access closed-off celebration areas.
Though no major security incidents were reported Friday, the fighting in Ukraine still loomed over the day’s events, even as far away from the front lines as Siberia and the Far East.
This year’s Immortal Regiment processions, which were held in 57 regions of the country with tens of thousands of participants in each, were also joined in by relatives of Russian soldiers killed on the front lines in Ukraine in a rare act of public mourning sanctioned by the officials.
Born out of a grassroots movement, the Immortal Regiment was first held in the Siberian city of Tomsk in 2012. Originally, the procession was meant to allow descendants of deceased veterans to connect with their family history by symbolically marching on behalf of their relatives.
Overtaken by the Kremlin, the event has since been wielded as a propaganda tool meant to inflate Russia’s role in defending Nazi Germany and reinforce narratives of imperial revanchism, critics say.
Over the years, attendance at Immortal Regiment processions also became mandatory for many government employees as well as schoolchildren and university students.
People carrying photos of loved ones killed on the battlefield in Ukraine since 2022 were spotted marching alongside those commemorating relatives who fought against Nazi Germany in the republics of Buryatia, Tyva and Sakha (Yakutia), as well as the Zabaikalsky, Irkutsk and Omsk regions, among others.
RELATED INTERNATIONAL NEWS
Trump calls for 'unconditional ceasefire,' committed to 'securing peace' between Ukraine, Russia.
United States President Donald Trump on May 8 called for a "30-day unconditional ceasefire" between Ukraine and Russia, , warning that Washington and its partners would impose further sanctions if the ceasefire is not respected, Reuters reported on May 8.
Ukraine has expressed readiness to accept a U.S. proposal to enact an immediate 30-day ceasefire, while Russia has proposed only a three-day ceasefire to coincide with the 80th anniversary of the end of World War Two on Thursday.
Trump said in a social media post: "If the (30-day) ceasefire is not respected, the U.S. and its partners will impose further sanctions."
"Hopefully, an acceptable ceasefire will be observed, and both Countries will be held accountable for respecting the sanctity of these direct negotiations," Trump said.
Separately, in a recent interview, Trump said that U.S. may consider implementing additional sanctions against Russia if it does not reach a peace deal with Ukraine. U.S. lawmakers have preemptively prepared a comprehensive sanctions bill that would impose new penalties on Russia.
"As president, I will stay committed to securing peace between Russia and Ukraine, together with the Europeans... This ceasefire must ultimately build toward a peace agreement," Trump added, expressing his support for an end to the war.
Trump's post follows a "constructive" phone call with Zelensky. During the call, the leaders discussed the war, diplomatic efforts, and "a real and lasting ceasefire."
Trump has said he wants to the end the war in Ukraine but his administration has also threatened to abandon its attempts to broker a deal if Russia and Ukraine do not make headway.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Thursday he told Trump in a telephone call that Kyiv was ready for a 30-day ceasefire with Russia "starting this minute."
The Ukrainian president said Russia had to demonstrate its readiness to end the war, starting with an unconditional ceasefire.
Ukraine's foreign minister said on Thursday Russia had repeatedly violated its own 3-day ceasefire hours after it began and called the initiative a "farce", while Moscow said Kyiv had continued fighting.
Recent months have seen a series of failed peace talks and ceasefires, including one initially brokered by the U.S. in March. While Ukraine immediately agreed to the ceasefire, Russia repeated violated it.
Later, in April, Russia declared a ceasefire over the Easter holiday, though Zelensky accused Moscow of nearly 3,000 violations between April 19 and April 21.
Russia has repeatedly proclaimed its supposed readiness for peace talks while simultaneously pushing for maximalist demands. Kyiv has dismissed these declarations , noting that Russian forces have only intensified their attacks on Ukrainian cities and towns.
Europe throws support behind Ukraine special tribunal to prosecute Russia.
Europe threw its support on Friday behind a special tribunal to prosecute President Vladimir Putin and other senior Russian officials for the crime of aggression against Ukraine, a show of unity on a day when Moscow marks its "victory day", Reuters reports.
At a meeting in Ukraine's western city of Lviv, ministers from almost 20 European nations gave their political sign-off to the tribunal, welcoming the completion of the technical work required to set it up.
The tribunal will be set up within the framework of the Council of Europe, the continent's leading human rights watchdog that was formed after World War Two to uphold rights and the rule of law.
European nations have stepped up their efforts since U.S. President Donald Trump authorised sanctions in February against the International Criminal Court, created to prosecute war crimes when member states are unwilling or unable to do so themselves.
Russia denies its troops have committed atrocities in Ukraine since its forces launched a full-scale invasion in February 2022. Ukraine says Russian troops have committed many thousands of war crimes.
Foreign ministers from the so-called 'core group' of at least 37 countries signed the "Lviv statement", a document marking the conclusion of work done to draft the necessary legal instruments for the tribunal. The tribunal could start operating next year.
"This tribunal will ensure that those most responsible for the aggression against Ukraine are held accountable," EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas told reporters
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said it was a moral duty for Europe to hold Russia accountable for the war.
"A strong tribunal for the crime of aggression can - and must - make any potential aggressor think twice," he said in a video address to the meeting.
An EU official said the tribunal would need to respect the immunity of Putin and his officials while in office but added a prosecutor would be able to investigate and prepare a proposed indictment for when that immunity dropped.
Dutch Justice Minister David van Weel welcomed the move.
"I think it is a good step because it fills a void that currently exists, which is how can you prosecute the leadership for the crime of aggression against another country," he told Reuters in Kyiv.
Drawing a parallel with the allied victory in World War Two, British foreign minister David Lammy said 80 years later "in Ukraine we are (again) on the frontlines of that fight for freedom ... sending a powerful message to Putin and his cronies and those that stand with him that freedom will prevail".
European nations are trying to ramp up the pressure on Putin to accept an unconditional 30-day ceasefire, as proposed by the United States. Separately, Britain on Friday announced a new package of sanctions on Russia's so-called shadow fleet.
Ukraine has been pushing for the creation of a special tribunal since early in the conflict, accusing Russian troops of committing many thousands of war crimes, but is also intent on prosecuting Russians for orchestrating the 2022 invasion.
The ICC has issued an arrest warrant against Putin over the deportation of Ukrainian children. Moscow says the warrant is meaningless, and "null and void".
But the ICC cannot prosecute Russian officials for the crime of aggression in Ukraine because Russia is not a member of the Rome Statute, which created the court, and Ukraine was not a full member at the time of the invasion.
For the ICC to prosecute the crime of aggression, members must also sign an additional amendment.
Beijing says that Putin and Xi discussed 'Ukrainian crisis' and that Moscow confirmed readiness to start peace talks.
Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping exchanged views on the "Ukrainian crisis" during their talks held at the Kremlin on May 8, Meduza reported citing the Chinese Foreign Ministry reported on Friday.
According to the ministry’s statement, during the discussion, Xi Jinping voiced support for a “universal, comprehensive, cooperative, and sustainable concept of global security.”
The Chinese leader also stressed that “the legitimate security interests of all countries should be taken seriously, and the root causes of the crisis must be addressed.” He reportedly said that China welcomes peace efforts and hopes for an agreement between Moscow and Kyiv that would be acceptable to both sides.
Additionally, the Chinese Foreign Ministry reported that Putin said Russia is ready to begin peace talks without preconditions and hopes for a just a lasting peace agreement.
The Kremlin’s own reports on the talks with Xi Jinping made no mention of discussions about ending the war.
MILITARY & TECH
Ukrainian Intelligence Unveils Naval Drone Carriers Used in Crimea Strikes.
Ukraine’s Main Intelligence Directorate (HUR) has revealed the use of specialized unmanned naval drone carriers for strike missions in the Black Sea, including attacks on targets in Russian-occupied Crimea, Militarnyi reports.
The platforms were shown in the new documentary “Sea Battle. The Age of Drones” by Ukrainian journalist and filmmaker Artem Shevchenko. The footage provides the first look at two distinct types of naval drone carriers operated by the GUR.
According to the documentary, the Directorate is assembling a flotilla of sea-based unmanned systems. Central to this effort are platforms adapted to launch loitering munitions — primarily FPV kamikaze drones — enabling precision strikes against both maritime and land-based targets.
One of the newly revealed models is equipped with a conventional propeller engine rather than a waterjet, and is fitted with four launch containers for FPV drones. A special forces reconnaissance unit familiar with the system told Shevchenko:
“Our sea platform carries from 500 to 3,000 kilograms of weapons of various types: air, surface, and underwater. The system combines the latest technologies with NATO-style artificial intelligence.”
A second model, less clearly shown, features a completely different hull design and is equipped with a launcher for four fixed-wing, aircraft-type drones. This platform is believed to have been used by GUR’s elite Prymary unit in multiple long-range missions against Russian targets in Crimea.
Notably, the same type of drone was reportedly involved in the April 2025 strikes that destroyed several Russian combat boats and a Tor-M2 air defense system near the occupied peninsula’s coast.
Both drone carriers were seen equipped with Starlink satellite terminals, enabling extended-range operations and persistent connectivity across the Black Sea battlespace.
The documentary also showcased the drone control station, including an aviation-style operator’s chair, helm-like steering device, and a throttle-style lever. Several buttons are visible on the helm, one of which is believed to control pitch stabilization.
Visual feeds from the drone’s day/night cameras are streamed directly into the operator’s augmented reality (AR) headset and mirrored on a rear monitor for situational awareness among support personnel. The AR interface integrates multiple camera views into a panoramic field of vision and also includes thermal imaging overlays from forward and aft sensors.
An advanced 400-km Strike Drone from Switchblade Creators May Already Be in Ukraine.
AeroVironment has introduced a new kamikaze drone, the Red Dragon, that can autonomously perform tasks even without a GPS signal at a distance of 400 km. This drone has already been tested on the battlefield, Defense Express reports.
American AeroVironment has recently introduced its new long-range loitering one-way attack drone called Red Dragon. Its key feature is full autonomy, enabling it to detect and strike targets without operator input and even without a GPS signal.
During the SOF Week 2025 conference, company representatives told The War Zone that the Red Dragon loitering munition has already seen battlefield testing by at least one unnamed customer. It should be noted that multiple types of AeroVironment drones have been operating in Ukraine for some time now.
Among them are Switchblade 300 and 600, both proving effective in combat. One notable example was the destruction of a russian Tor surface-to-air missile system using the larger Switchblade 600 in coordination with a Shark reconnaissance UAV.
In addition to the Switchblade series, Ukraine also employs Jump 20 reconnaissance UAVs, and likely the RQ-11 Raven as well. Ukraine is currently the only battlefield offering real-world testing conditions for drones in a heavily contested environment. Thus, it's possible that the declared Red Dragon's combat experience was obtained by covertly deploying the system in the Ukrainian warzone.
The company is planning to create an export variant of the Red Dragon that will not be subject to the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) from the U.S. Department of State. This will allow the company to avoid a ban on arms sales to Ukraine if Donald Trump's administration were to introduce one.
Red Dragon's extensive autonomy is ensured by its visual navigation system and optical seeker, which allows the drone to continue performing tasks in the event of a GPS signal loss. It also significantly speeds up the training of operators, as Red Dragon searches, identifies, and attacks independently.
The drone has the following characteristics: autonomously, it can fly as far as 400 km, reduced to the signal range of 65 km when controlled by an operator, although it can be expanded using airborne repeaters. Compatible armaments include a 10 kg warhead, an electronic warfare suite, and more. The top speed is 160 km/h and the cruising speed is 90 km/h.
That’s it for today’s Brief folks if you would like to keep up with events in Ukraine daily please consider subscribing, it’s free!
Remembering Pete Reed, an American hero among many in this Russo-Ukrainian War. His widow Alex Potter did an interview with TGM: “Pete was so gregarious, you know. He was loud and proud and wild, and I think part of that was his personality He definitely knew how to lead and how to take charge of people, which was both amazing for our medical work — and very attractive to me. He had like a heart of gold underneath. And it wasn't just in the field.” 💪💙 Full story: https://tinyurl.com/ydc9wpef