1/ Russian soldiers are being handcuffed to each other, pepper-sprayed, and beaten to force them to go to the front lines. A soldier says that ex-POWs and badly wounded men on crutches are being forced to fight. "They're just throwing us in for meat," he says. ⬇️

1/ Indians fighting in the Russian army have been killed en masse near Pokrovsk. A survivor says in a video that his friends, who included students studying in Russia, died only 10 days after signing a military contract and being sent to the front without any training. ⬇️

Here's another Serbian proverb for you, you stupid vatniks "Threatening with an empty gun". As of New Year 2026, no gas will be allowed to enter Serbia through Bulgaria. No gas to cut off. Seriously, how are these people allowed to handle nuclear weapons and sharp objects?

Apparently Russian intellectuals permeating Telegram never learned of the Serbian proverb "We may be brothers, but our purses are not sisters". Maybe they'll learn it once the Russian-owned oil industry here gets nationalized when our economic class decides to.

1/ Russian warbloggers are bitter and outraged that Serbia is selling ammunition to the EU to provide to Ukraine. One advocates that in response, "as a brotherly gesture, [we could] cut off their fucking gas valve". ⬇️ bsky.app/profile/wart...

The reasons are very traditional Russian values indeed: top-down control, inertia, apathy, and rampant corruption, versus Ukrainian volunteer and self-organizing mindsets empowered from above to protect “what matters most”…

1/ Russia is failing to keep up with Ukraine's drone development, according to a Russian warblogger. In a lengthy commentary, 'Voenkor Kotenok' asks: "Who is stealing Russia's victory on the battlefield in the Special Military Operation?" ⬇️

1/ A Russian marine says that his commander, whom he describes as an incompentent drunkard, ordered his unit to march 20 km and attack a Russian-held position, after which all but three of his men were killed. He's now considering a suicide mission to kill his commanders. ⬇️

1/ The vast number of Russian casualties sustained in the war in Ukraine will one day require a reckoning, warns a Russian warblogger. He laments that Russia missed the opportunity to conquer Ukraine in 2014 after the revolution which ousted the pro-Russian leadership. ⬇️

1/ Pokrovsk and Kupyansk are falsely being portrayed by the Russian media as decisive imminent victories, says Igor 'Strelkov' Girkin. He warns that Russsia is failing to make progress on the Zaporizhzhia front, which he describes as the decisive theatre of the Ukraine war. ⬇️

1/ Russian hospitals are overflowing with badly injured soldiers, who are lying for days in the hallways without even being treated, due to the doctors being so overworked. The men are not being compensated for their wounds, says one hospitalised soldier. ⬇️

Is there nothing that AI can't do?

1960 - His Royal Highness The Prince Andrew 1986 - His Royal Highness The Duke of York, Earl of Inverness, and Baron Killyleagh 2022 - His Royal Highness The Prince Andrew; 2025 - Prince Andrew 2025 - Andrew Mountbatten Windsor 2027 - Andrew 2028 - Andy 2030 - A 2032 - .

1/ The fatal capsizing of a Russian floating crane in Sevastopol has highlighted the inability of the Black Sea Fleet's principal shipyard to build the cranes needed for the construction of new naval vessels, as a critical Russian commentary notes. ⬇️

1/ The Russian government is to implement what it calls a 'dronification' rating for Russia's regions, in which they will be assessed for their success in producing UAVs. However, as Russian warblogger 'Military Informant' warns, it's ripe for cheating and perverse incentives. ⬇️

1/ Poor-quality Chinese-made lithium batteries for drones are exploding in frontline dugouts, endangering their occupants, according to a Russian warblogger. He highlights Russia's failure to find viable alternatives to Chinese components of dubious quality. ⬇️

1/ A Russian soldier fighting in Chasiv Yar says that new recruits sent to the front die almost immediately, with his own unit taking over 90% casualties. The fields are strewn with rotting corpses. To avoid having to pay compensation to relatives, collecting IDs is banned. ⬇️

1/ A US-built luxury cruiser boat stolen from Crimea has somehow turned up at St Petersburg's Naval Military Scientific Centre as an official Russian Navy vessel. In reality it's for the commanding admiral's personal use, a fact that the FSB is being urged to investigate. ⬇️

1/ The disgraced and jailed Russian general Timur Ivanov wants to go back to Ukraine to fight as a stormtrooper, according to his lawyer. The news has angered many Russian warbloggers, who suspect that he intends to bribe a unit to let him serve in safety in the rear. ⬇️

1/ The battle for Pokrovsk is very different to the infamously bloody battle for Bakhmut two years ago, due to the presence of swarms of kamikaze and cargo drones. A commentary by a Russian warblogger highlights how urban warfare has changed. ⬇️ bsky.app/profile/wart...

1/ Russian warbloggers are angrily denouncing General Valery Gerasimov for blatantly lying to President Vladimir Putin about Russia's military progress in Ukraine during a televised briefing. They note that the incident highlights the persistent problem of false military reporting. ⬇️

1/ Human trafficking is rife in Russian military recruitment offices, according to a Russian warblogger. Scammers and organised criminal groups are exploiting medically unfit men for profit and military units corruptly "sell" men to other units. ⬇️

1/ Russian soldiers say that the army isn't issuing them with fuel for combat operations. They are trying to buy it with their own money but are struggling to obtain it in Donetsk because only coupons are now being accepted as payment, due to the ongoing fuel shortages. ⬇️

1/ Russian soldiers face swarms of Ukrainian mice in their dugouts, which eat absolutely everything they can reach. Russian warblogger Platon Mamatov complains: "People who haven't fought think mice are cute. Nothing of the sort. Mickey Mouse is a natural disaster."

1/ A Russian soldier says that every man in his unit has been ordered to shoot his comrades if they try to flee, or face being shot themselves as a punishment. He describes an atmosphere of paranoia amidst huge losses, which he puts at 95% of men going into assaults. ⬇️

1/ A Russian city is literally drowning in human waste due to the failure of its sewage system. It's worn out but hasn't been replaced or repaired due to a lack of funding. It's a vivid illustration of the costs imposed by the Russia government's budget being redirected to fund the war in Ukraine. ⬇️

1/ Russian forces are making extensive use of infiltration tactics in place of the notorious 'meat assaults', according to a new report for @rusi.bsky.social by Jack Watling. However, a Russian warblogger says that this is costing 2 or 3 times as many cumulative casualties as massed assaults. ⬇️

1/ A Russian colonel reportedly died of cardiac arrest after it was discovered during a rotation that he had been lying to his superiors about his division's control of territory in the Kherson region. ⬇️

1/ Russia is said to be lagging far behind Ukraine in drone production, with dozens of Ukrainian drones for every Russian one. An angry commentary from a Russian warblogger complains of an ongoing failure by Russia to produce enough drones for the front. ⬇️

1/ Russian convicts are refusing en masse to join the army, according to the jailed Igor 'Strelkov' Girkin. In contrast to Yevgeny Prigozhin's recruitment campaigns in 2022-23, which attracted tens of thousands of recruits, distrust of the army is now said to be universal. ⬇️

1/ The constant presence of drones has fundamentally changed the nature of the war in Ukraine, according to Russian warblogger Alexander Kharchenko. The only way to survive is to stay underground, and it can take days to travel just a few kilometres. ⬇️

1/ A truck crash in Ufa, in which 12 vehicles were struck and two people killed by a runaway Chinese-made construction truck, has highlighted concerns about Russia's widespread substitution of European vehicles with cheaper Chinese alternatives. ⬇️

1/ Russian 'grey imports' to support the war effort are facing a crisis, following simultaneous crackdowns by Chinese, Kazakh and Russian customs officials. Thousands of truckloads of drone parts and medical supplies are said to be stuck at the border. ⬇️

1/ The Russian warblogger Maxim Kalashnikov says that on parts of the front line, the ratio of killed and wounded is "almost 1:1 already". His friend Yuri Yevich blames Ukrainian drones for preventing evacuations at any time of the day or night. ⬇️ bsky.app/profile/puck...

1/ A Russian soldier has spoken of his experience of mutinying with his comrades against his commander and subsequently deserting. "Don't go to fight, no matter what they promise you," he says. "There's only one thing there—death." ⬇️

1/ Russian political officers – responsible for maintaining the morale of the Russian army's troops – are handing out instructions to their men advising them on the best ways of committing suicide. ⬇️

1/ Igor 'Strelkov' Girkin isn't impressed with Russia's meatgrinder tactics and warns that the Ukrainians are becoming relatively stronger despite Russia's ongoing attacks. He warns that a full mobilisation is becoming inevitable, and wants to see change in the high command. ⬇️

1/ Chinese-made cars are choking and dying on fraudulently diluted Russian gasoline, which an increasing number of gas stations are selling as Russia's fuel shortage worsens. ⬇️

1/ A Russian soldier and his comrades were tied to trees to be 'sacrificed to Baba Yaga' as a punishment for refusing a suicidal order to fake the capture of a village, after many other men had died while attempting to achieve the same objective. ⬇️

1/ The Russian army's notorious 'meat assaults' are ultimately the fault of training establishments sending unprepared soldiers to the front line, according to an interesting (though not entirely persuasive) commentary by a serving Russian soldier. ⬇️ bsky.app/profile/noel...

1/ Russian warbloggers have provided further evidence of North Korean soldiers continuing to be engaged in the war against Ukraine. The North Koreans are reported to be addicted to TikTok, online shopping, Ladas, and shawarma. ⬇️ bsky.app/profile/maks...

1/ A Russian soldier has spoken of how his entire battalion was wiped out at the hands of a perpetually drunken commander who sent men unarmed and unsupported into assaults. He says his unit was in disarray, with routine beatings, alcohol and drug use, and extortion. ⬇️

1/ Large numbers of elderly Russian men are being attracted by fat recruitment bonuses to join the war in Ukraine for the financial benefit of their families. "I've lived my life, we'll get an apartment for my son now, so what if I get killed?", asks one. ⬇️

1/ In a sign of further financial trouble for the Russian government, which is facing increasing problems due to the economic strain of the war in Ukraine, public servants are said to have been unexpectedly told that they must pay all taxes owed six weeks ahead of schedule. ⬇️

I wanted to talk about this report about Russian Railways for a little bit.

1/ The recent destruction of a Russian column at Volodymyrivka has prompted strong reactions from Russian warbloggers. Some claim the attack to have been successful, despite the losses; others castigate commanders for sacrificing lives and vehicles. ⬇️ bsky.app/profile/noel...

1/ A Russian soldier has recorded a video in advance of his own anticipated murder, speaking about how his commander has executed and buried other members of his unit, as well as hoarding aid meant for the soldiers. The speaker has since disappeared and is now likely dead too. ⬇️

1/ Russian troops on the Dnipro delta islands are dying of starvation, according to Russian warbloggers. They say that swarms of Ukrainian drones have caused extreme logistical difficulties, leading to soldiers being cut off for months. bsky.app/profile/spec...

1/ A Russian submarine stricken with a serious fuel leak has surfaced off Brittany and is being tracked by the French Navy. Meanwhile, leaked documents describe how a Russian missile corvette collided with a civilian tanker on 7 August 2025. ⬇️

1/ Russia is reportedly preparing to carry out a "sanitisation of the state" to purge "officials, military personnel, and members of the media and public" who are suspected of undermining the war against Ukraine. ⬇️