Each day the Ukraine Battlefield update newsletter provides a straightforward overview of developments in the conflict. Subscribe for free to receive the complete edition in your inbox.

Ukraine permitted the 9 May parade yet delivered embarrassment to Putin in Saint Petersburg before his international partners.
Fuel shortages continue to widen with petrol limits now active in Bryansk and Kursk inside Russia.
Russia's leading commentator claims Ukrainian positions are breaking yet the assessment appears overstated as seen on the eastern side of the Zaporizhzhia front.
Intense fighting grips Kostyantynivka.
Concerning reports emerge from the Kramatorsk sector.
The nuclear cruiser Admiral Nakhimov finally left dry dock after years of repairs.
Daily maps cover the Saint Petersburg strike Kostyantynivka Zaporizhzhia and the Kramatorsk direction.
Daily videos include multiple angles of the Saint Petersburg raid the Kronstadt corvette strike and a Mirage 2000 on mission.

Ukraine let Russian leader Vladimir Putin stage his 9 May parade but then embarrassed him in Saint Petersburg before assembled allies. Ukrainian drone operations persisted. Inside Russia the public reacted strongly to an incident in which a drone reportedly struck a bus traveling from Moscow to Crimea in occupied Donetsk territory killing seven. Only the Russian account is available so far.

Developments in Saint Petersburg drew greater notice as the annual International Economic Forum opened on Wednesday. Putin was set to address the gathering and his press secretary indicated the plan remained unchanged at publication time.

The forum is meant to project Russia as an economic force yet observers instead saw a nation struggling to protect its second city while the president prepared to speak and foreign partners were present.

Drones arriving from the sea struck an oil facility and the adjacent Kronstadt naval base. The operation carried clear military weight but the publicity effect stood out more with numerous videos circulating that portrayed Russia as exposed and unable to shield its territory.

Russian channel Rybar noted with irony the flood of footage online despite restrictions noting that limits failed to block drone guidance or the spread of recordings and that cutting mobile data offered little protection against such attacks.

The videos allow a step-by-step reconstruction of events around Saint Petersburg.

One clip shows the familiar image of a fuel tank on fire.

Particularly telling footage captures an improvised defense at a key location where a uniformed individual attempts to engage a drone with a sidearm while onlookers observe the unsuccessful attempts.

Additional scenes show forum attendees approaching the site with smoke rising from the port area in the background.

Similar to the situation in Tuapse the Saint Petersburg tanks sit close to housing districts allowing residents to witness the raid from their windows with two drones approaching and only one intercepted.

Even those who missed the visual saw clear signs through sound that the conflict had reached their city.

Another selected clip shows successive drones arriving with limited overall impact on the intended targets.

Rybar also supplied a map marking Kronstadt where further details on the cruiser Admiral Nakhimov appear in a later section.

Fuel shortages are expanding with rationing now in place in Bryansk and Kursk on Russian soil. Sergei Aksyonov head of the Crimean administration stated that the motor fuel shortfall on the peninsula remains under President Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin's direct oversight with instructions issued to relevant ministries.

He added that he personally reviews all citizen submissions and urged residents and visitors to stay calm and rely solely on official sources.

No further statement had appeared by publication time indicating the shortage persisted in Crimea.

Similar limits of twenty liters per person and a ban on canisters apply in occupied Ukrainian areas.

The issue has moved onto Russian territory with identical restrictions confirmed in Bryansk and Kursk regions according to Maxim Gusev minister for economic development and industry in Belgorod region.

Russia's prominent commentator asserted that Ukrainian lines are giving way yet the claim seems overstated with the eastern flank of the Zaporizhzhia axis serving as an example. Yuriy Podolyaka the leading Russian Z-channel voice made the statement.

The remarks appeared aimed at boosting morale during a challenging period rather than reflecting ground reality. Podolyaka said Ukrainian lines were beginning to fracture on multiple fronts after failing to dictate the pace despite heavy losses and that the area northeast of Orikhiv was shifting while Kostyantynivka showed clear signs of strain and gaps existed along the Kramatorsk front with no reserves remaining as summer approached.

Evidence offered included a reported advance toward Liubymivka after full capture of Vozdvyzhivka yet Ukrainian analyst Petrenko indicated fighting remained limited to the eastern edge with the line unchanged elsewhere.

No other maps supported the broader claims and the latest from DeepStateUA showed differences amounting to several villages with one video of a Russian soldier planting a flag quickly countered by Ukrainian reports.

Heavy pressure continues in Kostyantynivka. Podolyaka correctly noted intense fighting around the key town. Ukrainian commentator Bohdan Myroshnykov described the situation as hellish adding it remained too soon to discuss loss of the town but saw no prospect of driving Russian forces back.

Analyst Petrenko reported that small Russian groups had entered eastern and western sectors despite efforts to prevent it with the town now nearly surrounded on three sides and under repeated air strikes.

DeepStateUA highlighted manpower shortages among defending units as the primary concern.

Maps from DeepStateUA and Andrew Perpetua illustrate the Russian approach of fixing Ukrainian forces on the outskirts while attempting to bypass and isolate the town from east and west.

Concerning developments appear on the Kramatorsk axis. The Petrenko account reported that enemy infantry crossed the Siverskyi Donets-Donbas canal and began attacks toward Malynivka and Tykhonivka marking the effective start of operations on this axis.

The crossing point appears on the accompanying map with a wider view showing the canal running northwest from Sloviansk where earlier crossings occurred but without altering plans for the battle around Kramatorsk and Sloviansk.

A Russian nuclear cruiser has sailed. The vessel Admiral Nakhimov left dry dock after remaining there since 1999 with modernization work contracted in 2013.

Original plans targeted return to service in 2018 yet the ship is still not fully operational and will eventually carry Zirkon Onyx and Kalibr missiles.

The cruiser departed for sea trials an event described by the Archangel Spetsnaza channel as significant for the Northern Fleet though it also pointed to ongoing issues in Russian shipbuilding including slow repair timelines.

The channel noted that drone warfare requires naval adaptation following the paralysis experienced by the Black Sea Fleet and expressed hope that deployment would proceed without delay while incorporating lessons from recent Ukrainian strikes.

Those changed conditions were evident during the Saint Petersburg attack when drones also struck Kronstadt naval base damaging at least the corvette Boykiy with a fire reported at the impact site.

Videos of the day

A Mirage 2000 appears on a bombing run approaching at low altitude and high speed before climbing steeply and releasing ordnance at the peak of the ascent to extend range.

Most accounts attributed footage of a vehicle carrying Ukrainian soldiers to a Russian sniper hit yet it more likely resulted from a nearby drone detonation with the composure of those inside remaining notable regardless.

Ukrainian drones struck the railway station in Dzhankoi Crimea where Russian forces have frequently targeted trains though no civilian casualties were reported at the time of writing.