Malazan Empire: Werthead - Viewing Profile - Malazan Empire

Russia lost 2,250 verified casualties yesterday, the highest one-day figure since the start of the invasion. It's believed there have been days when the true figure is much higher, but it has not been possible to verify within the 24-hour window. The current assessment is that Russia suffered 363,820 casualties (KIA, wounded, captured) in 2026 and 1,572,790 since the start of the invasion in February 2022, with between 500,000 and 600,00 KIA.

Ukraine hit the 75th Arsenal near Moscow overnight, causing significant damage to a repair and re-arming facility for Russian armoured vehicles.

Rapid Ranger SAMs are now in service in Ukraine. Built in the UK, the vehicles are fast-moving AA systems capable of targeting long-range drones.

Vietnam is supplying humanitarian aid to Ukraine.

Allegedly Witkoff's proposals included a direct, Article 5-analogue security guarantee to Ukraine straight from the United States, which took Zelensky by surprise, and may make an end to the war on current lines more palatable. Witkoff is taking the proposal to Russia.

Mood music from Moscow is that the Donbas remains their firm red line but the proposals are more interesting than previous ones. One Kremlin source even reportedly said that peace maybe "closer than ever before," which can be technically correct whilst still meaning that peace is not going to happen.

I can't see them bridging this last hill though. Ukraine would be insane to give up Slovyansk and Kramatorsk unfought and then rely on Trump's goodwill or the goodwill of an unknown President three terms down the line who decides he doesn't want to risk World War III over keeping Russia east of the Dnipro. Russia does not want the risk of a NATO peacekeeping force on Ukrainian soil five minutes after the war ends.

But if Putin wants to end the war imminently so he can salvage the Russian economy, this might be his last window of opportunity to do so.

I consider that outcome doubtful at best.

Ukraine has undertaken another secretive operation in the small part of Sumy Oblast under Russian control. 29 Russian soldiers were captured, 108 killed in a seven-week operation that cleared over 600 hectares.

Trump's current rant on the conflict is the most unhinged load of bollocks I think he's ever uttered, and it's a competitive field.

Romanian F-16s engaged and destroyed two Russian drones that were overflying Romanian territorial waters. Apparently both Romania and Bulgaria may deploy fighters to destroy anything that enters their airspace or territorial waters.

Ukraine has hit a depot of the online retailer Ozon in St. Petersburg, setting fire to the entire facility. Ukrainian drones simultaneously hit more oil production facilities and at least one data centre belonging to the IT company VK.

Ukraine recovered a Russian glide bomb intact after it hit an apartment building in Sumy and bounced off into a nearby reservoir. If it had detonated, it would have likely killed or severely wounded many civilians.

Ukraine has recaptured the village of Pavlivka on the western Zaporizhzhia front. This sector was highly active at the start of the year and has been quieter since the start of summer.

The ISW assessment is that Ukraine has retaken an amount of territory equal to all Russian gains since the end of February. We are very close to the crossover point where Ukraine liberates more territory in 2026 than it lost, for the very first time in the war.

Russian and Ukrainian units are increasingly engaging one another in the forested, formerly waterlogged lands created by the destruction of the Kakhovka Reservoir.

Russian use of helicopters as artillery gunships, already on the wane, may be terminated altogether after multiple Mi-28s over Belgorod Oblast were shot down by drones. This tactic has been credited with multiple Russian campaign victories in 2023 and 2024 before the practice became too dangerous.

Israel has, for the first time, accused Russian bot farms of working for Iran and against Israeli interests, citing the drop of such traffic after Ukrainian strikes on Russian data centres.

Blatant Russian lying over its battlefield position is escalating. The Kremlin claims its forces have taken Malokaterynivka and advanced to within 5km of Zaporizhzhia City. Ukraine remains in firm control of Malokaterynivka.

The BARS jet-powered drone has been shown in action intercepting multiple jet-powered Gerans. The number of successful jet Geran strikes on Ukraine has dropped somewhat in the last couple of weeks, though this may also be down to new tactics by existing AA systems.

Lypove, Zelena Dolyna and Kolodiazi on the Lyman front have all been confirmed as liberated by Ukrainian forces. Apparently Operation Vivaldi was supposed to have ended some time ago but because the Russian defences have proven so ineffectual and the reinforcements so lacklustre, Ukraine is still rolling forwards where it is supported by logistics.

Zakharivka on the Vovchansk front has been liberated, with surprisingly the Russian defenders agreeing to surrender rather than fighting on. Ukraine appears to have launched a moderate counter-offensive on this front which has regained some ground, but it is being under-reported for OPSEC.

As many as six Su-34M aircraft were damaged in a Ukrainian attack on the Borisoglebsk military airfield in Voronezh Oblast. Some of the aircraft may have been effectively destroyed, others crippled but may be eventually repairable.