May 27: E-Stories
InUkraine CombatSitRep BehindLines Russia-China InEurope InOtherNews Happy Independence Day Georgia!
Catching up…
For specific news about Trump, his regime and its dealings with Russia, I direct you to Olga’s substack. She and Julie Roginsky publish a weekly podcast, “Pax Americana”, which is highly informative.
For a general view of news from various geopolitical threatres, Scott’s EA Worldview is always superb.
Let’s get going…
Stories we’re following…
Third night of attacks: Russia intensifies its assault on Ukraine and ignores calls for a ceasefire. Russian missile, drone attack kills 12, injures 79. Russia launched 69 missiles overnight and 298 drones, according to Ukraine's Air Force.
2 women killed in Russian strike on residential building in Kupiansk. "At this moment, two people are known to have died - women aged 85 and 56," Kharkiv Oblast Governor Oleh Syniehubov wrote on Telegram.
President Zelensky’s statements after the third night of massive Russian attacks:
Our air defense forces and rescuers were working all night. The Russian army launched the largest number of drones against our cities and communities since the beginning of the full-scale war — 355 attack UAVs, mostly "Shaheds." There were also 9 cruise missiles. Sadly, there are injured people and damage to civilian infrastructure.
The geography of last night’s strike stretched from the Chernihiv region to the Khmelnytskyi region and from the Kharkiv region to the Odesa region. This was already the third consecutive night of combined Russian terror — attack drones and missiles.
Only a sense of total impunity can allow Russia to carry out such strikes and continue increasing their scale. There is no real military logic to this, but there is significant political meaning. In doing this, Putin shows just how much he despises the world — the world that spends more effort on “dialogue” with him than on real pressure.
President Trump post on social media: “He’s killing a lot of people, and I don’t know what the hell happened to Putin,” Trump told reporters. “We’re in the middle of talking, and he’s shooting rockets into Kyiv and other cities.” See full statement below, In Other News section. Mo: He can’t be serious.
Russia 'categorically' rejected unconditional ceasefire in peace talks, Ukrainian official says. "I do not think that (the Russian negotiating team's) directives had a position that allowed for the possibility of reaching an agreement with the Ukrainian side on a ceasefire," Kyslytsia said.
The moment a Russian “Iskander-M” missile struck civilian infrastructure in Chernihiv.
Kyiv launches drone attack on Moscow, official claims, following Russia's large-scale attack on Ukraine overnight. Several Ukrainian drones were downed by Russian air defenses on their approach to Moscow, Mayor Sergey Sobyanin claimed on May 25. Sobyanin's report comes following Russia's large-scale missile and drone attack on multiple cities of Ukraine, which killed 12 people and injured 60.
Combat Situation
Peter Baumont, international correspondent at the Guardian:
Ukrainian and western officials anticipate that Russia will once again attempt a large-scale offensive during the summer, even if they are highly sceptical that it will be effective given Moscow’s punishing losses.
The reality is that with deadlock on the ground, the escalating long-range drone war on both sides is becoming ever more significant, even if it cannot conquer territory.
As it has become ever larger, with Russian and Ukrainian factories turning out thousands of new drones, it has become more sophisticated with Moscow’s employment of big numbers of decoys and systems designed to fool air defence systems.
While Ukraine has targeted bases and factories, including those producing fibre optic cable for a new generation of small combat zones, the purpose on Russia’s side appears aimed solely at undermining morale on the home front. In recent days, drones and missiles have hit apartment blocks, homes and a student dormitory.
ISW: Russian Security Council Deputy Chairperson Dmitry Medvedev suggested that Russia will occupy most of Ukraine if the West continues to aid Ukraine.
Putin likely intends long-range strikes and aggressive rhetoric to generate feelings of hopelessness in Ukraine and the West and dissuade European capitals and the US from further aiding Ukraine by falsely portraying Russian victory as inevitable.
Russian officials are attempting to obfuscate the reality of Russia's compounding economic and materiel constraints, which are increasingly hindering Russia's ability to achieve significant battlefield gains.
Russia came under a massive drone attack in the early hours of May 26 — their own sources report ≈150 UAVs in the sky. Strikes targeted Tatarstan and Yelabuga — the site of Shahed drone production. Yelabuga is noted as a large production site for drones, which used underage labour in the factory under the guise of providing exciting training courses for young students, and opportunities for young girls from African states.
In April, Interpol in Botswana began investigating Alabuga Start, billed in Africa as a work-study program in Russia for "ambitious young women" but linked to the production of military drones, for possible involvement with human trafficking, Bloomberg reported on April 25. The head of Interpol's bureau in Gaborone, Detective Senior Superintendent Selebatso Mokgosi, said the investigation began after the company’s social media posts were brought to the organization’s attention.
Ukrainian MiG-29s continue precision strikes across all fronts, eliminating Russian positions — including FSB officers — near Hlotove, Belgorod region.
Damage reported after train runs over explosive device in Russia's Belgorod Oblast, governor claims. A rail line was damaged in Russia's Belgorod Oblast on May 25 after a cargo train ran over an explosive device planted underneath the tracks, regional governor Vyacheslav Gladkov claimed. Drones have also struck the Dmitrievsky chemical plant in Kineshma, Ivanovo region. The facility is reportedly on fire following the impact.
Behind the Lines
Latvia's Defence Minister, Andris Sprūds, announced that Latvia is sending an additional 1,500 combat drones to Ukraine. This is part of a broader commitment, with two Latvian companies set to deliver a total of 12,000 drones in the first half of 2025 under the international Drone Coalition initiative.
Dutch Defence Minister Ruben Brekelmans: “The final Dutch F-16 will depart for Ukraine tomorrow. All 24 pledged jets will soon be in Ukrainian hands.”
President Macron, Chancellor Merz, and Prime Minister Tusk, have issued a joint address to the Georgian people on the country’s independence day, condemning the Georgian government’s crackdown on dissent.
The three leaders said they were sending a message of ‘friendship and solidarity to the Georgian people’ in their statement to mark Georgia’s Independence Day on 26 May.
The statement said they supported the ‘democratic and European aspirations of the Georgian people’, and therefore ‘condemn all activities of the Georgian authorities resulting in the democratic backsliding and the attacks against civil society, media and government critics.’
The U.S. Helsinki Committee wished Georgia a Happy Independence Day!
U.S. Helsinki Commission leadership is proud to stand with the Georgian people as they fight for their country’s freedom & independence, refusing to surrender their democratic aspirations to an illegitimate regime.
Tens of thousands in Tbilisi cry out "UNTIL THE END!" Day 180 of uninterrupted protests. New, free and fair Parliamentary elections! Release of the political prisoners!
Meanwhile in Russia & China…
Russian authorities are preparing to limit the issuance of bank cards: no more than 20 cards may be issued per person, Anatoly Aksakov, head of the State Duma Committee on Financial Markets, told Izvestia. According to him, the corresponding bill will be submitted to the lower house of parliament in June and "it will not take much time to adopt it." "So far, the proposal is only 20 cards and five in one bank, but I think this is excessive, we will discuss it," Aksakov noted.
Steve Rosenberg for the BBC—From today’s Russian papers: “Moscow’s desire [not to alienate Trump] takes second place to its priority: a convincing victory in Ukraine.” One paper writes in detail about Russia’s economic problems. Plus, a Kremlin advisor claims “legally the USSR still exists.”
Putin's negotiator Dmitriev pushing for release of $280 billion in frozen Russian assets, Ukrainian intel chief says. "Dmitriev is trying to show the U.S. that let's not focus on war and peace, let's look at the bigger picture," Ukrainian Foreign Intelligence Service Chief Oleh Ivashchenko said.
Giving Ukraine long range missiles' a dangerous move', Kremlin says. A response now from the Kremlin to Germany chancellor’s Friedrich Merz’s comments on Ukraine’s military capabilities. Merz said Ukraine now has long-range fire to target military infrastructure in Russia. Russia has now said European countries lifting any restrictions on capabilities for Ukraine would be a dangerous move, according to Reuters. Zelensky will reportedly visit Berlin on Wednesday, where he will meet with Merz and German president Frank-Walter Steinmeier. (Mo: What else are the Russians going to say? Of course they’re pulling out the escalation card.)
Sparkasse Bank has blocked the account of former German Chancellor Gerhard Schröder for transfers from Russia, Bild writes. According to the publication, the money mainly came from Gazprom's Swiss subsidiary, the operator of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline. Schröder heads the company's supervisory board. In this regard, she transferred him about 200 thousand euros every six months, but since mid-2024, Sparkasse has begun sending these payments back to Luxembourg.
Ukraine has said that China is supplying a range of important products to Russian military plants, the chief of Ukrainian foreign intelligence told Ukrinform news agency.
Oleh Ivashchenko said:
There is information that China is delivering machines, special chemicals, gunpowder, and components specifically to military-purpose enterprises. We have confirmed data on 20 Russian factories.
Here is a snippet of the Ukrinform report, which we have not yet independently verified.
According to Ivashchenko, at least five instances of “aviation-related cooperation” with China were recorded in 2024–2025, involving equipment, spare parts, and documentation. Additionally, six major shipments of special chemicals were identified.
The intelligence chief also noted that as of early 2025, 80% of critical electronics used in Russian drones originate from China. This includes cases of mislabeled items, deceptive product naming, and the use of shell companies to smuggle necessary components for microelectronics production from China into Russia.
Szabolcs Panyi: Why has Orbán stayed in power so long? Meta shamelessly took tons of money from his gov’t and proxies, making Facebook his top propaganda tool. New data shows Orbán & co outspent all of Poland—4x bigger than Hungary—during its entire presidential campaign.
Germany may push to suspend EU funding to Slovakia if it continues drifting from the bloc’s common course, Chancellor Friedrich Merz warns. Countries undermining the rule of law, like Hungary, risk financial consequences — and the EU must be ready for tougher confrontations.
With Trump’s transactional presidency, out went a lot of American soft power in regions of the world that were difficult to penetrate. Having axed USAID and other programmes in the global south, China has stepped in to fill the void. The progammes afforded the Americans and allies the opportunity to connect with local populations to build trust between all stakeholders. This is why so much was made of these cuts: it took the U.S. and allies years to build up relationships and, more importantly, a level of trust that opened the doors, hearts and minds.
In Europe…
The EU’s foreign policy chief, Kaja Kallas, called for “the strongest international pressure” on Russia to stop the war following the massive aerial assault on Ukraine.
Lithuanian MP Laurynas Kasčiūnas: "Russia's aggression won’t be stopped by condemnation—it must be stopped by force." He urges Europe to act without waiting for the US: arm Ukraine, boost military production, and replace words with action.
Latvia urges EU-wide halt to Russian visas over 'security concerns'. While some EU countries have restricted or halted visa issuance to Russian citizens, others have continued processing applications, keeping a legal pathway open for Russian travel to the bloc.
The EU rejected a Russian request for consultations on its carbon border adjustment package, a World Trade Organization document showed on Monday, citing Russia’s “war of aggression” against Ukraine as the reason.
“The European Union is of the view that the consultations requested by the Russian Federation cannot be fruitful and cannot lead to a mutually satisfactory solution of (the) matter at hand,” an EU document submitted to the WTO on 26 May read.
NATO is working to secure a spot for president Zelensky at the upcoming summit in The Hague, says Dutch Defense Minister Brekelmans. While Zelensky likely won’t join the main meeting of 32 NATO leaders, NATO aims to find him a place during the two-day event. The US reportedly has reservations. (Mo: Frankly, I cannot understand why Ukraine would not be included in a meeting with NATO members as they are maintaining security on NATO’s eastern flank.)
Germany sets 2029 deadline to fully arm military amid fears of Russian threat, Reuters reports. NATO is expected to ask Berlin to at least quadruple its air defense systems, ranging from long-range platforms such as the Patriot to short-range interceptors, according to Reuters
NYT: Trump delayed his 50% tariffs on E.U. imports. President Trump said yesterday that he was extending the deadline to impose a 50 percent tariff on the E.U. to July 9, from June 1, to allow more time for negotiation. The announcement followed what Ursula von der Leyen, the president of the European Commission, said was a “good call” with Trump, during which she expressed that the E.U. needed extra time to reach a trade deal. She said that talks would advance “swiftly and decisively,” a promise that Trump echoed in a Truth Social post.
Many journalists and analysts have back.tracked their comments since 2016.
In other news…
OCCRP: A defence firm is providing information to South African authorities investigating claims that companies in the UAE unlawfully obtained military intellectual property developed by South Africa’s arms industry.
NYT: Venezuela voted for another country’s land. Venezuela held an election yesterday for governor and legislators to represent Essequibo — a sparsely populated, oil-rich territory. But the area is internationally recognized as part of neighboring Guyana, not Venezuela.
Analysts say that Venezuela’s autocratic president, Nicolás Maduro, is seeking to legitimize his rule abroad and also within his deeply dissatisfied nation, where the military’s loyalty is reportedly fraying. Guyana’s national security minister has said that border security was tightened and that the authorities would arrest any Guyanese person supporting the election.
CBC: King Charles III has begun his visit to Canada. Charles III will read speech from the throne in visit crafted to affirm Canada's sovereignty.
The highlight of this royal homecoming will take place on Tuesday when Charles reads the speech from the throne, which lays out the government's goals and how it plans to achieve them — the first time a monarch has done that in Canada since 1977.
"The royal visit is a reminder of the bond between Canada and the Crown — one forged over generations, shaped by shared histories and grounded in common values. A bond that, over time, has evolved, just as Canada has, to reflect the strength, diversity, and confidence of our people," Carney said in a statement ahead of Their Majesties' arrival.
The King’s visit is being broadcast by all of Canada’s main TV channels, including live on YouTube.
NYT: North Korea: Three shipyard officials were arrested following the failed launch of a navy destroyer, which fell on its side in front of the country’s leader, Kim Jong-un.
Multiple Senate and House members have expressed their horror over Russia’s continued aggression against Ukraine. The world has seen how Russia adopted a strategy of killing and injuring from the beginning of the full-scale invasion in February 2022 in an attempt to demoralise and annihilate the Ukrainian population.
The U.S. congressional members are calling for harsher measures: Rep. Don Bacon said, “It’s time to arm Ukraine to the teeth and impose maximum sanctions on Russia. Putin will only stop when he knows he cannot win.”
In a speech, Sen. Lindsey Graham warned Russia to end the bloodshed or face “bone-crushing sanctions.” He called out China and India as enablers if they continue buying Russian oil, declared the U.S. will no longer be a bystander, and affirmed that the Senate is taking the lead.
Senators Graham and Blumenthal have presented a bill with 81 bipartisan cosponsors for harsher sanctions and other measures against Russia, which we all hope will be presented to the floor for a vote. The sanctions “would be imposed if Russia refuses to engage in good faith negotiations for a lasting peace with Ukraine or initiates another effort, including military invasion, that undermines the sovereignty of Ukraine after peace is negotiated. The legislation also imposes a 500 percent tariff on imported goods from countries that buy Russian oil, gas, uranium, and other products.”
Speaking to reporters in Hanoi, AFP reports the French president said:
President Trump realises that when President Putin said on the phone he was ready for peace, or told his envoys he was ready for peace, he lied. We have seen once again in recent hours Donald Trump express his anger. A form of impatience. I simply hope now that this translates into action.
Canadians 🇨🇦🔝 Fought back! Now they have a leader who will lead them, instead of selling them out to the greedy filthy wealthy, who are destroying everything America 🇺🇸 Was created to be! HELL Awaits them.
Good to see your name back. Last time I saw you there were deer.
I moved the elderly matriarch’s old black iron rod cushioned two seater swing into the area where the deer were a couple months ago. Picturesque between the two Oaks. The outdoor copper bistro set I designed in sheet metal layout and braised with a welding torch now provides a modified coffee table.
I awoke this morning to Joe and Sue, perhaps cousins to the weed eater crew from last Spring, trimming the Iris bed, while the elderly matriarch made it the full month required to be with Good Shepherd to make it through pneumonia.
I could not tell whether Sue was a boy or girl so I named him Sue. He grazes the yard with Joe. Joe eats the clover like the elderly matriarch likes popcorn. I leave him patches of clover when I mow.
Joe has developed a broken hind leg somewhere along the way. This morning laying on the other side of the fence of the swing and coffee table. I put the thoughts aside that he was too young to be shot by hunters last Fall. All those gunshots one after another after another echo. He still likes his popcorn though.
I watched him this morning struggle to make the leap to hop up within deer grace so I went and cut out the entire corner of the fence. Now he does not have to contemplate so much his graceful three-leg leap to make it to the popcorn patch.