Intel Brief, Ukraine special Q&A
Hey there everyone, I’ve scheduled another Ukraine Special Q&A for Thursday night at 8 pm CET (2 pm EST) for paid subscribers. Significant activities are happening thick and fast in Ukraine now. I’ll break it down and make sure you get the big picture.
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Hey there everyone,
I’ve scheduled another Ukraine Special Q&A for Thursday night at 8 pm CET (2 pm EST) for paid subscribers. Significant activities are happening thick and fast in Ukraine now. I’ll break it down and make sure you get the big picture.
Last night Russia carried out another terror attack on Ukraine killing 10 civilians and injuring +100. In terms of missiles it’s the largest attack so far with Russia sending 65 missiles (32 cruise and 33 ballistic missiles) Ukraines way. Fortunately, Ukraine managed to shoot down 40. Add 656 drones of which Ukraine managed to neutralise 602.
Understandably, we’ve seen president Zelensky appeal for mere PAC interceptors for the Patriot air defence systems. Even taken a close look at the data. What do these strikes say about Russian capacity? What’s the problem with the PAC interceptors? What about the European SAMP/T system? Why can’t the Europeans help? I’ll break down the missile numbers for you. They paint a worrying picture. Especially in Europe we need to wake up!
On a more positive note Ukraine’s “logistical lockdown” is continuing forcefully, especially in the south. For the first time since 2023 Deep State has reported a Ukrainian net gain of territory in May 2026. Deep State is quite conservative when it comes to reporting, so the official table still shows a Russian net gain of 14 km2, but the organisation acknowledges in the notes that it’s holding back on Ukrainian gains, so the real result is in fact more positive.
You can check out the summary in Kyiv Independent right here: https://kyivindependent.com/russian-monthly-territorial-gains-slip-into-negative-for-first-time-since-2023-deepstate-reports/?fbclid=IwY2xjawSLcSFleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETBJZDFnWlNTcnB0T3JpWWttc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHk0OYDU9bVSfU_5I70Y0bP7ys5sIewew8t9Qxmkm7GfTSYwTSHEwR18Ji4Mm_aem_cDIGmbBYINTXyKLePqrScg
In view of the deadly Russian missile barrage you’ll appreciate the Ukraine has targeted Iskander ballistic missile launchers at the Taganrog Airfield and a Russian navy cruiser in the Eastern part of the Black Sea over the last few days, thus reducing Russian capacity slightly. More will be needed, but every strike against Russian missile capacity is a win! I’ll break down the latest of the Ukrainian deep strike campaign!
I’ve scheduled the Ukraine Special Q&A for Thursday night at 8 pm CET (2 pm EST) for paid subscribers. You can find it by copying this link to your browser: https://open.substack.com/live-stream/225330?utm_source=live-stream-scheduled-upsell
I hope to see a good crowd logging in. If you’re not yet a paid subscriber, you may want to consider it.
See you on Thursday.
Cheers,
Jacob
