Putin was recently going on about how Russia's economy is growing and sanctions aren't working. Meanwhile, today Gazprom shares fell by 5.04% on the Moscow Exchange to 83.98 rubles per share. That is the lowest price since the company's shares began trading in 2006!!!!!!

Anyone interested in the information I share knows that I have never criticized either the Ukrainian government or the Ukrainian army. Ukraine is constantly fighting a powerful adversary and needs support—even when mistakes are made—not criticism.

It must be honestly admitted that the Russian Ministry of Defense employs people who will do anything to lend credibility to any lie. Recently, "Z-bloggers" have been complaining that fighting continues in a settlement even after its "liberation" has been officially announced.

#Kostiantynivka Demon: "Fierce fighting is underway in Kostakha, with close-quarters clashes taking place. However, the city has not fallen; the ruins of Kostakha remain under AFU control, and the cost of these attacks is extremely high for the enemy." 👍🤞✊🫶👌💪

#Pokrovsk Today, DS reported that the AFU is still holding positions in the northern part of Hryshyne. Recall that in August 2024, Russian forces captured the town of Novohrodivka, located about 22 km to the east. It took the Russians two years to break through the built-up belonging to Pokrovsk...

#Orikhiv Observing Russian attacks on AFU positions in Malaya Tokmachka, one can cautiously conclude that this village, like nearby Bilohiria, is under Ukrainian control.

An increasing number of Russian channels are beginning to realize the situation Russia faces: "Promoting the narrative that "we must be patient" in response to "temporary domestic difficulties" does not promise the expected effectiveness.

I'm attaching a very disturbing graphic that illustrates a serious problem Ukraine faces. As you can see, the last time Russian ballistic missiles were successfully shot down was on July 2nd. Since then, they have been falling on Ukrainian cities with impunity.

Z-blogger "Veteran's Notes": "The enemy has launched an active hunt for vessels in the Sea of ​​Azov and the Black Sea. The attacks are being carried out by the SBS under the personal command of Madyar, who has been publishing objective, real-time monitoring of these strikes for the past five days.

The Center for Regional Policy Development in Moscow specializes in political research, lobbying, and electoral technologies. Today, its President, Ilya Grashchenkov, posted a very interesting post on Telegram about the mood of the Russian public:

A very interesting post by Z-Blogger Alexey Zhivov: "A very good offer for the defense of facilities in St. Petersburg. They're offering starting at 180,000 rubles, with a bonus for destruction of up to 500,000 rubles. I think there will be takers.

#Lyman – following up on my post from yesterday, there is a new update: "The Su-35 shot down by the 3rd Russian Corps had caused us quite a few problems with the offensive on the northern flank. However, after it was downed, hostile air activity generally subsided.

Z-Blogger "Creamy Caprice": "July 8, 2026 – Rate of advance. Average daily advance of the Russian Armed Forces in the SMO zone. Update based on data from July 4 to July 7, 2026. Rate of advance: +0.2 km² per day during this period; total advance: +0.84 km²." UPS 😁🤪🤡

#Lyman — ah, OPSEC... You can't really write anything, and that has to be respected, but the boys are reporting that they're really hammering the Russians. Some truly fantastic news is coming in, but for now, just keep your fingers crossed for the boys. 🙏✊🤞

For several days, everyone has been excited about the "Magyar's Birds" hitting tankers, which Magyar claims belong to the Russian "shadow fleet." The attached graphic is currently trending.

#Oleksandrivka Today, the 37th Independent Marine Brigade officially announced that the village of Novokhatske has come under the control of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.

#Kostiantynivka The Russian channel "Dossier. Secret District" reports: "According to our information, the current 'liberation of Kostiantynivka' is a repeat of the ruse used last year in Kupyansk.

Z-blogger Radov: "Kostiantynivka = Kupyansk = Lyman" — it looks like the Russian Ministry of Defence will soon announce the "liberation" of Lyman; things are getting increasingly amusing... 🤡🤪

#Kostiantynivka, what's the current situation in the city? I won't go into detail, but rather try to explain the general situation, focusing more on the operational perspective than the tactical one.

I apologize for my lack of activity lately, but it has been very difficult and very upsetting for me, as I've shared with those who sent me private messages. I hope this meeting will have some positive impact. united24media.com/world/ukrain...

#Kostiantynivka yesterday, Putin and Russian MoD announced the "liberation" of this city. I'm attaching two maps from Z-Blogger's "Creamy Caprice" (one current and one from a month ago). Both show that Kostiantynivka is a large gray zone, with the AFU controlling the north and northwest of the city.

#Oleksandrivka OMG, OMG—I haven't posted anything lately, but I have to write about this because it’s so idiotic it’s actually funny. On a front sector where the AFU has been achieving major successes for months, the Russian Ministry of Defence announced today the "liberation" of Oleksandrivka.

Well, here's another reference to recent statements by Putin and Lavrov, this time concerning the so-called "Anchorage spirit" and accusations that the US deceived Russia. I am attaching a post by Russian political commentator Igor Dmitriev:

Surely everyone has read the recent statements by Putin, Lavrov, Peskov, and other Russians, in which they emphasized the ongoing Russian offensive and its associated successes. All of this was intended to convince public opinion that opposing Russia was impossible.

The Russian Telegram channel "Shadows of Russia" is not a Z-Blogger, but a political and historical portal with a strong patriotic edge. Its authors often write engaging articles about how to bring about positive change in Russia. An interesting post appeared there today:

As a reminder, in mid-February of this year, Yuri Ushakov reportedly responded to a proposal for European mediation by saying: "Sorry, we won't do it, go fuck yourself." ua.news-pravda.com/en/russia/20...

The Telegram channel fairdaily24 is highly regarded in the Russian news scene because it is run by a group of journalists very well-informed about the situation in Russian ruling circles. And today they posted an interesting piece:

I don't think it's stupidity, pomposity, or disrespect. I think it's simply dementia. Trump probably thought Giorgia said that. I know this, as I care for someone with dementia. But it's an example of how, at a certain age, you can't let people in government. www.cnn.com/2026/06/19/p...

#Lyman: I'll remind you that about a month ago, Gerasimov "liberated" about 85% of the city. I'm attaching a thread in which I described the situation in this area, particularly in terms of the offensive launched by the 3rd Brigade. bsky.app/profile/madr...

For those who don't believe that the initiative on the front is passing to the AFU, I recommend Z-Blogger's post "Osetin": "On the Zaporizhzhia Front is missing... General Popov, with his decisiveness, leadership skills, and many other qualities.

#Kupyansk Just a reminder that in mid-November of last year, Gerasimov informed Putin of the "liberation" of this city. During the winter, the AFU launched numerous counterattacks, almost completely driving the Russians out of Kupyansk. Only isolated pockets of resistance remained.

Russian political scientist Vladimir Pastukhov offers some interesting advice to Putin, worth reading: "We are all participants in a crucial political experiment, one that the Kremlin is particularly keenly watching:

#Oleksandrivka Z-Blogger Radov recently started complaining that the AFU is attacking Komar. As a reminder, this village was captured by the RuAF last summer. If this information is true, it would mean that Ukraine has pushed back the Russian offensive by as much as 13-14 km.

#Kostiantynivka Demon: "The situation in Kostiantynivka is difficult, Pidars is throwing great forces here, suffering heavy losses, but the battles are reminiscent of those we once knew about Pokrovsk, and for now we are holding off the pressure." KOSTIANTYNIVKA HOLDS 👍🙏💪✊

Z-Blogger "Ejdailyru": "The Federal Protective Service (FSO) security was removed from the building where Central Bank Chairman Elvira Nabiullina lives almost two weeks ago, reported economic observer Vyacheslav Shiraev (considered a foreign agent in Russia), citing sources.

#Kostiantynivka defenders speak about the real situation in the city, without propaganda or distortion. A must-read! hromadske.ua/viyna/265664...

Z-Blogger Yaroslav Belousov: "We are living a lie. Judge for yourself. The government is spending tens of billions of rubles on slowing down Telegram and "internet security," while citizens, in turn, are spending billions to bypass these blocks.

Let me remind you of Dmitriev's tweet from mid-April. Two months later, it turned out that there was indeed a shortage of jet fuel... only in Russia (the article is attached). 😁🤡🤪 ru.themoscowtimes.com/2026/06/12/v...

I'm shocked to discover that the fan movement in Russia opposes the war and supports Ukraine. I'm attaching an excerpt from an interview with a Spartak Moscow fan. www.instagram.com/p/DZc__MJMht...

#Lyman As a reminder, a month ago, Gerasimov "liberated" 85% of Lyman, so the RuAF needed to validate its chief of staff's claims, which is why it increased pressure on the city. A short thread on this topic includes Ukrokkupant's maps. bsky.app/profile/madr...

#Kostiantynivka: The day before yesterday, I wrote that the situation in the city was so confusing that it was difficult to precisely define each army's zone of control. Today, I have a little more information, so I will try to present a relatively current situation in Kostiantynivka.

Z-Blogger "Ejdailyru": "In the first quarter of 2026, 71,200 people signed contracts with the Ministry of Defense, a 20% drop compared to the previous year, according to calculations by Important Stories (the register of undesirable organizations of the Russian Federation)

#Kostiantynivka, the situation is getting really confusing. On the left is the DS map, and on the right is Z-Blogger Divgen's map. The difference in the city's control zones is immediately apparent.

#Dobropilla The AFU eliminated a Russian group that infiltrated Bilytske. Petrenko geolocated the videos, and it took place in the center of the town. Bilytske is under Ukrainian control; currently, there are no Russians there.

I guess everyone who read what Putin said today at the St. Petersburg Economic Forum must have asked themselves: is he detached from reality, or are his statements pure propaganda? However, Z-Blogger Remeslo explains it differently:

Referring to Gurulev's deleted statement regarding the autumn mobilization in Russia, Z-Bloggers agree that it will not bring the intended result: "It seems that the Russian authorities have already decided that a new wave of mobilization is coming!

Well, Z-Bloggers are increasingly making fun of what Kremlin officials are officially reporting. And look at the reader reactions; almost everyone agrees with what Dmitry Borisenko wrote:

A very interesting post by Z-Blogger Yuri Kotenok. Honestly? I don't believe Gurulev's account was hacked; in my opinion, the post describes the current situation in Russia:

May has passed, the month that, almost from the beginning of the war, marked the peak of Russia's spring offensives. Recall that in 2022, the RuAF captured Lyman and Borova and slowly ending the clearing of Severodonetsk; in 2023, Russia finally captured Bakhmut after nine months.

According to the "Kartograf" channel, in the thrid decade of May, Russian gains on the front amounted to: 21/05-8,74km2 22/05-0km2 23/02-0km2 24/05-0.86km2 25/05-0km2 26/05-0km2 27/05-0,97km2 28/05-3,52km2 29/05--18,9km2 (profit UA) 30/05-0km2 31/05 -5,58km2 TOTAL: 19,67km2, or about 1,8km2 per day