President Zelenskyy traveled to Kharkiv today, which is where he filmed his daily address.
Zelensky visited the Vovchansk sector and met with troops from the 17th Motorized Infantry Battalion of the 57th Brigade. They discussed the frontline situation, Vovchansk’s defense, combat dynamics, drone supply and use, recruitment, and direct funding for brigades.
The State Will Continue to Support Our Cities and Communities in the Eastern Part of Ukraine – Address by the President
4 August 2025 – 17:49
I wish you health, fellow Ukrainians!
Today, in Kharkiv and the region, with our people of great strength. First, I visited combat brigades. The Vovchansk direction – the 57th Brigade. Then, the positions of the 92nd Separate Assault Brigade. These are very effective brigades – thank you, warriors, for every occupier destroyed. I presented the men with state awards. In both brigades, we had very candid conversations – including about how the important decisions already made are working in practice, particularly regarding direct funding for brigades – first of all, funding for drones. It’s very important now to give brigades more opportunities to independently purchase pickup trucks and other necessary equipment as well – based on their own needs and choices. Unfortunately, there are still many legal hurdles and red tape. We will simplify everything and give more opportunities to our brigades. Tomorrow, I will convene a Staff meeting to discuss everything we heard today from our servicemen. Plus, the development of contracts in the army – so that contracts can be expanded, including on the basis of the experience of “18-24” contracts. I’ve already spoken with the head of the region and the head of the city about additional financial support for the brigades in the Kharkiv region that are carrying out combat missions – this is something we discussed today with the guys from the 57th Brigade. Of course, there are things we’ll not disclose publicly – those we discussed with the battalion commanders – but we will do our best to implement all of it as well. It was important to meet today in Kharkiv with our communities, with representatives of businesses, schools, and universities. I’m grateful to everyone for their work in Kharkiv, for Kharkiv, and for all of our Ukraine. The state will continue to support our cities and communities in the eastern part of Ukraine. In particular, this includes special conditions for businesses in frontline and border areas – to preserve jobs and sustain our Ukrainian production. There are many specific aspects, and we have already discussed them with Prime Minister Yuliia Svyrydenko. I am expecting a report on the action plan for the border areas.
And one more thing – something special.
Here in Kharkiv, I met today with very young boys and girls – but they already know what they want, who they want to become, and that their choice is Ukraine – an independent Ukraine. We are all fighting for one thing – independence for Ukraine, a battle still to be won together by all Ukrainians. I am absolutely confident that weʼll do it – Ukraine will always be independent and strong. Just like our people. Thank you, people!
Olena Zelenska Met with Mental Health Support Workers in Japan
4 August 2025 – 18:24
During her working visit to Japan, First Lady of Ukraine Olena Zelenska met with the staff of the Shibuya Himawari Psychological Assistance Center for Ukrainians and the University of Tokyo Hospital. She also spoke with individuals currently receiving assistance there.
The Shibuya Himawari Center was established immediately after the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion to provide psychological support for Ukrainians who found refuge in Japan. Today, around 1,500 people are registered there, and in total, over 6,000 Ukrainians have received support at the center.
The National Association of Mental Health Professionals of Japan also supports people remaining in Ukraine – offering online consultations, on-the-ground assistance, regular experience-sharing with Ukrainian professionals, and hosting training sessions, workshops, and symposiums.
Olena Zelenska thanked the Head of the Association and the Director of Shibuya Himawari Center, Mariko Ukiyo, for her personal visit to Ukraine earlier this year, during which she trained Ukrainian psychologists in art therapy techniques.
“Japan is one of the few countries with deep experience in crisis preparedness and population support in emergency situations. The culture of respect for vulnerability and the sense of responsibility for collective safety are highly developed here. Every challenge is met with a response rooted in both medicine and culture,” the First Lady said.
She emphasized that Ukraine is also sharing its own experience with Japan in this field. A series of animated videos from the All-Ukrainian Mental Health Program “How Are You?” – focused on stress management and self-help techniques – will be showcased at EXPO 2025, currently underway in Tokyo, and in schools across Japan.
Olena Zelenska also visited the University of Tokyo Hospital, which hosts a Recovery Center for patients transitioning out of the acute phase of treatment in the neuropsychiatry department. The center provides assistance to individuals suffering from depression, anxiety, and adjustment disorders, combining physical activity, psychotherapy, and elements of social training.
“Today I’m visiting a place that could serve as an important example for Ukraine. At the same time, after years of implementing the All-Ukrainian Mental Health Program, we’re now in a position to share our own experience – one gained in extreme, wartime conditions,” she noted.
The First Lady spoke about the creation in Ukraine of 279 Resilience Centers and a network of 200 specialized mental health centers within hospitals, as well as the integration of mental health care into the work of over 2,000 primary health care facilities.
“Every country forges its own path to mental health, but when we manage to combine the best practices, it makes everyone stronger,” Olena Zelenska concluded.
Here’s the video:
She also spoke at the Ukrainian-Japanese Forum of Tokyo,
Georgia:
Day 250 of #GeorgiaProtests
“Until the end!”
And many thought it would lose the spark in August 🔥
“Until the End” — 250th day of continuous protests in Tbilisi. Citizens are still demanding the resumption of parliamentary elections and the release of those arrested for participating in Pro-EU protests.
People took to Freedom Square for a human chain to stand with Nino Datashvili. Nino is a regime prisoner, a mother and a schoolteacher who’s punished with a psychiatric institution.
Considering Mzia Amaglobeli’s trials in Batumi and Tbilisi being deserted in August, it’s a lot.
Mzia Amaghlobeli delivers her final remarks in court before the expected verdict:
“I see diplomats and international orgs here. Their presence isn’t personal support—it means we’re not alone on this path toward dictatorship. Thank you, friends of Georgia.”
The substantive hearing of Mzia Amaglobeli’s case has concluded at the Batumi City Court. Today, she delivered her closing statement. Judge Nino Sakhelashvili will announce the verdict for Mzia Amaglobeli, co-founder of Batumelebi and Netgazeti, on August 6 at 14:00.
🇳🇱The Netherlands has announced a new €500 million package aid for Ukraine. Funds will be used to purchase military equipment from US reserves for Ukraine.
The package will include missiles and components for the Patriot air defense system. www.defensie.nl/actueel/nieu…
“Ukraine will receive a package of U.S.-made weapons from the Netherlands, including Patriot missiles.” – Zelensky.
The total value of the package is €500 million. The president noted that the Netherlands is the first NATO country to purchase U.S.-manufactured weapons specifically for Ukraine.
A few observations drawn from insider insights, open-source data, information from russian internal documents, and conversations with senior officers, frontline soldiers, and volunteers – based on developments from Spring through Summer 2025. Thread🧵:
2/ Since early 2025, Russia’s personnel losses have remained among the highest since the war began. But at the same time, Ukraine has faced a sharp rise in desertion and AWOL cases. The pace of Russian territorial advances is higher than during the same period in 2024.
3/ Each year follows a similar pattern: Russian forces form a pocket around a town, Ukraine cites manpower shortages and lack of aid, Russia takes heavy losses but advances, Ukraine inflates already high Russian casualty figures, while Moscow grossly downplays them
4/ Today, Russia is producing more drones, becoming increasingly organized, and gaining an edge, particularly in drone warfare, both in quantity and operational sophistication. The entire kill chain has improved, and training for drone operators has scaled
5/ Simultaneously, while force generation remains Moscow’s main advantage, coercion and abuse to mobilize people have increased sharply. More conscripts are pressured to sign contracts to avoid abuse, and far more arrested individuals are offered contracts to avoid criminal cases
6/ Russian troops largely doubt the war’s stated goals are achievable. Unlike Ukraine’s forces, Moscow enforces a strict punitive system with systematic extrajudicial punishments. While such cases have increased in the Ukrainian army since 2022–2023, they remain unsystematic
7/ A far bigger problem for Ukraine remains mobilization and growing dissatisfaction with mobilization methods. Although these incidents number in the hundreds, just a fraction of the tens of thousands involved, they receive outsized online coverage and attention.
8/ This narrative is amplified by Russian propaganda, but it’s also fair to note that the government’s response has often been inadequate. In several clear-cut cases, serious violations were publicly dismissed as Russian psyops or met with vague promises to investigate.
9/ In private conversations with TCK personnel, I was told that legally exempt individuals are sometimes mobilized to meet quotas. Once mobilized, they often launch legal proceedings to secure release- draining time and resources from the combat units who receive such dead weight
10/ Many changes, such as improved transfers, digitalization, data collection, and the shift to a corps structure, have led to tangible improvements. Ironically, I supported these reforms back in 2022–2023, when some dismissed them, arguing that it can’t be done during a wartime
11/ Ukraine’s position in 2025 is better than I had anticipated last year. For example, I expected urban fighting in Pokrovsk to begin by late 2024 or early winter 2025 – but Russian forces have taken significantly more time to reach their current positions
12/ That said, constant self-reassurance that Ukraine is holding and Russia is on the verge of collapse is harmful. The front may stay static and advances slow, until the situation deteriorates to the point where Russia might seize thousands of square kilometers per month
13/ Of course, the opposite could happen – but counting on that while the balance shifts toward Russia isn’t a strategy. The West must apply real pressure to bring Moscow to the table, as it no longer takes empty threats seriously.
“… “killing” implies murder, which would be wrong, says Titan; she prefers to call her job “liquidating Russians”. The unit is one of a small but growing number of all-female drone crews. Genitals are irrelevant to flying drones, notes Maria Berlinska” www.economist.com/europe/2025/…
Commander Twig and her girls pull into a café near the Zaporizhia front and order non-alcoholic mojitos. In the distance is the occasional thud of outgoing artillery. The word “killing” implies murder, which would be wrong, says Twig’s comrade, Titan; she prefers to call her job “liquidating Russians”. The five-strong unit is one of a small but growing number of all-female drone crews. Genitals are irrelevant to flying drones, notes Maria Berlinska, a campaigner for military women.
Unlike men, many of whom are unwilling conscripts, all Ukrainian women under arms are volunteers. They number about 100,000 of the country’s 1m military personnel. Some 5,500 are on the front line, says Oksana Grygorieva, a gender adviser to the armed forces. They include medics, drivers, drone crews and others. Before Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022 about 15% of armed forces staff were female. The army’s huge growth means that though the share is smaller, the number of women serving has more than doubled.
Perhaps 20% of the students in military high schools and universities are women, says Ms Grygorieva—a huge shift. Only in 2018 did Ukrainian legislators open such schools to women, and remove other restrictions on the roles they could fulfil. Laws against sexual harassment in the armed forces are now being tightened. The struggle is to ensure women “are not treated like second-class soldiers”, says Ms Grygoieva. Formal barriers may have gone but informal ones remain, says Katerina Prymak, head of Veteranka, which campaigns for military women’s rights.
Alina Shukh initially tried to enlist in the prestigious Azov Brigade, but they said they had “no positions for women”. Instead she joined the more egalitarian Khartiia Brigade. As a former professional heptathlete, Sergeant Shukh notes, she is stronger than most male soldiers. In any case, says Olha Bihar, who commands an artillery unit, technology is changing warfare: the best killer may now be a tiny drone pilot with dexterous fingers. “All our stereotypes are changing,” she says; she hopes, some day, to be minister of defence.
Much more at the link.
Ukrainian Mi-24 with 47 interceptions of Russian Shahed drones.
According to Russian media, the Russian Su-57 has been armed with a new hypersonic missile similar to the Zircon.
Previously, the Zircon had not been used from fighter jets – it was only launched from ships or ground-based platforms.
united24media.com/latest-news/…
Russia’s Su-57 fifth-generation fighter jet has been equipped with hypersonic weaponry, according to Lieutenant General Alexander Maksimtsev, Chief of the Main Staff and First Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Aerospace Forces.
In an interview with the state-owned Krasnaya Zvezda, Maksimtsev confirmed that the aircraft is now fitted with “modern aviation strike systems and hypersonic weapons” as part of the ongoing state defense procurement program.
According to Military Watch Magazine on August 2, the specific class of hypersonic missile integrated into the Su-57 remains undisclosed.
However, the report indicates the likely candidate is an air-launched version of the Zircon cruise missile, which has been under development for several years.
The missile—originally deployed from Russian Navy ships and submarines—reaches speeds of up to Mach 9 and is designed to evade current and next-generation air defense systems.
The Zircon was first reported in operational service on a Russian surface combatant in early 2023 and later expanded to submarine platforms.
Russian defense officials, including then-Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, have described the missile’s capability to bypass air defenses as a key advantage.
The missile features an estimated range of 1,000 kilometers, and its high velocity is considered sufficient to disable large naval vessels through kinetic impact alone.
Although Russia has not officially confirmed which missile is now in service aboard the Su-57, previous state media coverage and defense industry sources have indicated that a compact hypersonic missile for internal carriage had reached the prototype stage by early 2023.
The missile was reportedly designed to fit the internal weapons bays of the Su-57, maintaining the aircraft’s low-observable profile.
Parallel efforts have also been made to expand the Su-57’s long-range strike capability. In October 2023, Russian media reported that a new air-launched cruise missile—derived from the Kh-101/102 family used by strategic bombers—had been adapted for use by the Su-57.
Although reduced in size, the missile reportedly retained its 3,500-kilometer range through a new turbojet engine and redesigned internal layout.
While the Su-57 currently serves with only one frontline regiment, military analysts note that missile systems developed for the platform could later be deployed across other aircraft types.
A similar approach was seen in July 2025, when the R-77M air-to-air missile, originally designed for the Su-57, was adopted by Su-35S units. Russia’s MiG-31K interceptor also remains a candidate for fielding air-launched hypersonic weapons, including the Kh-47M2 Kinzhal ballistic missile and potentially a version of the Zircon.
More at the link.
The Security Service of Ukraine reported that one Su-30SM fighter jet was completely destroyed and another damaged, along with three Su-24s hit. The enemy suffered major losses, as a single Su-30SM typically costs between $35 and $50 million.
A swarm of seven Russian/Iranian Shahed drones flies over Ukraine. Fascist Russia has stepped up its attacks on democratic Ukraine in recent weeks. Drone launches have already been reported this evening (Aug. 4) in Ukraine.
❗️The Security Service of Ukraine claims it successfully carried out a drone strike on the Russian Saky airfield in occupied Crimea last night damaging or destroying five Russian military aircraft as a result. One Su-30SM was reportedly destroyed, another damaged, as well as three Su-24s.
/2. Locals reported a drone attack on Crimea overnight, but there are no visual confirmations yet. We’ll have to wait for updates or satellite imagery.
Russians have created a record 35 km traffic jam on the Crimean Bridge. The queue formed on the entry side to the peninsula from Taman. Over 4,000 vehicles were stuck due to inspections, with wait times reaching around 8 hours.
Russia has started attaching anti-tank cluster mines to Shahed drones.
The photo shows one of the drones spotted today over Ukrainian territory.
Such drones have recently been observed among a group of Shaheds entering the borders of Sumy and Chernihiv regions.
🛢️(Reuters) – Primary oil processing at Russia’s Novokuibyshevsk refinery
has been halted. CDU-11 with a capacity of 18,900 metric tons per day was hit.
/2. Ryazan oil refinery has halted around half its refining capacity. Two units were stopped: CDU-3 – 8,600 metric tons per day, and CDU-4 – 11,400 tons per day.
At the moment, the Ryazan refinery is operating only with CDU-6, 23,200 tons per day, around 48% of total capacity.
There are no new Patron skeets or videos today. Here is some adjacent material:
Now that’s a happy Ukrainian dog! This is Artem, who turned his home in Sviatohirsk, eastern Ukraine, into a shelter for abandoned animals. He takes care of over a dozen dogs—they are all excited when the Hachiko team arrives with food deliveries. 🐶
I read a lot about the condition, conditions of the Orc military in Occupied Ukraine and their assaults, and don’t post that content much, it is as expected and who the fuck cares about their self inflicted misery and deaths.
This however, deserves to be shared, for the clown show it is, “crack ruZZian Marine Assault Troops in action”,
OSINTtechnical
@Osinttechnical
Aug 3
Reported footage of a Russian raiding force trying to cross the Dnipro River earlier this year.
(Significant amounts of) alcohol may have been involved in the operation.
Aug 3, 2025 · 10:00 PM UTC
funlady75
Thanks, Adam
Adam L Silverman
@funlady75: You’re welcome.
Jay
As always, thank you, Adam.
Adam L Silverman
@Jay: You’re welcome.
Adam L Silverman
I’m getting ready to rack out. Everyone is most welcome.
Jay
I read a lot about the condition, conditions of the Orc military in Occupied Ukraine and their assaults, and don’t post that content much, it is as expected and who the fuck cares about their self inflicted misery and deaths.
This however, deserves to be shared, for the clown show it is, “crack ruZZian Marine Assault Troops in action”,
Video at link.
Steve Crickmore
Jay, I think the following was the link you were looking for. In a grim war, it is humorous. x.com/Osinttechnical/status/1952127560197767349
AlaskaReader
Thanks Adam
Westyny
Thank you, Adam.
YY_Sima Qian
Thanks Adam.