Key Takeaways from the ISW:
- Russian President Vladimir Putin is leaning on nuclear saber-rattling to project military strength after Russia’s apparent failure to ensure full security for the May 9 Victory Day parade without asking Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky for a ceasefire.
- Putin’s posturing with the Sarmat intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) also likely aims to distract from Russia’s worsening performance on the battlefield, particularly during the Russian spring-summer 2026 offensive.
- Open-source reporting confirmed the first death of a Russian university student recruited into the Russian Unmanned Systems Forces (USF) in combat, potentially in an assault unit.
- Ukrainian forces recently advanced in the Slovyansk direction and in the Kostyantynivka-Druzhkivka tactical area.
- Russian forces launched 216 drones toward Ukraine overnight.
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