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Russian troops raised flags inside Kostiantynivka after breaking through lines held by a recently formed brigade.
Fuel supplies in Crimea have eased somewhat yet drone strikes on transport routes persist.
The significance of the arms factory in Cheboksary and the measures Russia took to shield it.
The Kremlin named a new Hero of Russia whose background reveals much about present-day Russia.
Maps of the day focusing on Kostiantynivka.
Videos of the day showing Russian drones protecting the route to Crimea and aerial views of the Kinburn Spit.

Russian troops raised flags inside Kostiantynivka after breaking through lines held by a recently formed brigade. The adversary has pushed into the central area of the town. This goes beyond mere infiltration, stated the leader of one company defending Kostiantynivka to Ukrainian reporters from Hromadske. Assessments of Russian numbers inside the town vary between 100 and 250. These numbers originate from three officers who discussed the conditions anonymously.

It remains possible that Kostiantynivka will be lost by the close of summer. The adversary applies intense pressure, acknowledged the leader of one brigade engaged in the defense of the town.

The settlement is divided into two sections by the Kryvyi Torets river that flows from northwest to southeast. According to one soldier interviewed, Russian units already held advantage on the western bank in the southwestern section and defenders now work to stop similar gains on the far side.

Officers cited the arrival of one newer formation the 156th Mechanised Brigade as a factor in the declining position. Russian units reportedly advanced through its sector because newly mobilized personnel could not respond effectively. New formations represent the primary challenge. It would prove better to integrate mobilized personnel into established brigades, reflected a member of an experienced unit.

During the current fighting command replaced the leader of the 156th Brigade. Soldiers nevertheless noted that more Russians continue to reach the town than can be stopped beforehand. Until that approach route is severed the conditions will stay unchanged, one stated. He continued to hold that the town might still be retained.

On Thursday Russian units displayed several flags within the town. Yet a Russian Telegram channel stated that full liberation of Kostiantynivka remains distant.

On its map every site where Russian troops raised a flag appears. All lie in the southwestern section of the town.

Rybar observed that conditions in the eastern half remain far more difficult for Russian units because the adversary retains control of heights near Chervone and at the edge of Chasiv Yar.

The author of the Ukrainian military channel Bachmutsky Balu operates directly on the eastern side of the Kostiantynivka area. From that position he reported that near Chasiv Yar Russian forces concentrate reinforcements and attempt to move behind defender lines.

In our area of responsibility some positions had to be given up to preserve soldier lives, the author wrote, noting a very high density of Russian FPV drones in the sector.

Ukrainian analyst Petrenko assessed the situation shortly before midnight on Thursday in what was almost certainly an overly positive reading of events.

The reading from this Polish OSINT account appears more realistic. It stated that facing encirclement risk both the 156th and 100th Brigades withdrew from the western section of the town. It placed the contact line precisely along the Kryvyi Torets river.

Ukrainian military analyst Kostyantyn Mashovets viewed prospects for retaining Kostiantynivka as highly unfavorable. Only the final two kilometers separate the leading Russian units on each arm of the pincer and the last major barrier between them is the river. Once crossed the position of all Ukrainian units defending south of the junction of Yemelianova and Oleksa Tykhoho streets would deteriorate sharply.

The fuel situation in Crimea has eased somewhat yet drone strikes on transport routes persist. One Russian account noted on Wednesday that strong winds along the road to Crimea hindered Ukrainian drones. It remains unclear whether that factor allowed the mayor of Sevastopol to announce that one of the two fuel station networks would offer fuel for open sale on Friday from 10:00 AM. This applied specifically to ATAN stations. Nine exist in the city though none stocks every fuel type at each location.

At TES stations fuel remained available only with an assigned QR code and in restricted amounts.

Meanwhile mass strikes in the Russian rear continue. The Magyar Birds released a lengthy compilation. Notable is the segment at 2:45 when drones struck a Russian logistics base in Novoazovsk. The site lies more than 150 km from the front line east of Mariupol. Many trucks were sheltered behind protective berms yet many still suffered damage. When seeking to cut enemy supplies these represent the priority targets to eliminate.

The significance of the arms factory in Cheboksary and the measures Russia took to shield it. It may not appear obvious at first but this ranks among the most revealing videos of the conflict. It shows part of the VNIIR Progress arms plant in Cheboksary struck this week by a Ukrainian FP-5 Flamingo cruise missile. Ukrainian drones had struck the site repeatedly yet impact stayed limited because Russian forces covered the entire facility with anti-drone netting. That proved adequate against light weapons but offered no protection against the Flamingo one-tonne warhead.

What renders the plant so vital that even at 1,000 km from the front line it received full steel mesh cover? The adversary maintains many firms yet only some operate unique militarily critical and technologically advanced production lines, wrote Serhiy Sternenko an adviser to the Ukrainian defense minister explaining the strike rationale.

He then listed the weapons whose components are made in Cheboksary. They produce satellite navigation systems without which Shaheds cannot fly guided aerial bombs KABs and jet-powered drones cannot reach targets Iskanders lose precision and Orlans lose direction.

Sternenko named the Kometa satellite antenna specifically. It is commonly fitted to Russian glide bombs that strike on and just behind the front line.

Russian forces recognize the plant importance. That explains the protection visible in the videos. Yet the Russian Telegram channel Fighterbomber noted that despite these steps the site was hit. It criticized that the FP-5 flew more than 900 km over Russian-controlled territory at ordinary passenger aircraft speed. This cruise missile can be reliably intercepted by all air defense types except helicopters. Moreover two separate missiles approached Cheboksary so overload of air defenses cannot explain the outcome. Two reasons remain possible either the system failed or it was absent entirely.

The Kremlin named a new Hero of Russia whose background reveals much about present-day Russia. His name is Ramil Faskhutdinov he holds the rank of colonel and leads the 5th Separate Motor Rifle Brigade formerly known as the Oplot battalion. This formation originated as a pro-Russian separatist unit in the Donetsk region. After the invasion began it became one of the groups where men from the occupied portion of the region perished in large numbers without appearing in official Russian casualty figures because it was not formally part of the Russian army.

Russian independent media quickly assembled a profile of those the Kremlin regards as Russian heroes. In October 2025 this officer personally informed Putin that Myrnohrad had been taken even though fighting for the city continued for several additional months. False reports contribute to elevated Russian losses. On their basis commanders often believe they control zones that remain under Ukrainian control and then plan subsequent actions accordingly.

In addition soldiers from this brigade reported that wounded personnel were compelled into further assaults. Evidence shows the brigade commander personally directed executions of its members. The unit also maintains a torture camp for men who in some manner offend and at the same time its officers demand payments from soldiers to avoid deployment to the front line.

Russian president Vladimir Putin regards this commander as a war hero.

Videos of the day

From above the R-280 road in occupied southern Ukraine appears the land corridor linking Russia with occupied Crimea. The footage originates from a Russian drone patrolling above it. The drone detects a Hornet drone Ukrainians employ to disrupt logistics to the peninsula and engages it. The result remains unknown the recording concludes before assessment is possible.

This Monday the Ukrainian partisan movement Atesh announced that Russian soldiers had pulled back from the Kinburn Spit. This narrow strip of land in the Black Sea extends about 10 km from the Kinburn Peninsula. It is small yet holds strategic value because it divides the Dnipro mouth from the sea. Drone footage illustrates the nature of the entire zone. Among other features Russian trenches appear.

What are the losses

No update on Thursday.

Russia had verifiably lost 23,593 pieces of heavy equipment by Monday morning (on Monday 1 June the total stood at 23,556). Of these 18,585 (18,551) pieces were destroyed by Ukrainian forces 982 (979) were damaged 1,199 (1,199) were abandoned by crews and 2,827 (2,827) were captured by the Ukrainian army. This includes 4,397 (4,394) tanks of which 3,300 (3,293) were destroyed in combat.
Ukraine had lost 11,425 (11,397) pieces of equipment of which 8,888 (8,863) were destroyed 680 (678) damaged 670 (669) abandoned and 1,187 (1,187) captured. This includes 1,426 (1,424) tanks of which 1,091 (1,089) were destroyed in combat.

Note: Neither side issues regular reports on its own fatalities or destroyed equipment. Ukraine releases daily figures on Russian casualties and destroyed equipment yet these cannot be independently confirmed. In this overview data from the Oryx project are used which since the start of the war has maintained a list limited to visually documented equipment losses.