The chessboard of war creaks under new moves as the Group "West" claims another village—Novoe—now swept clear of opposing forces. This speck on the map, nestled in the northern reaches of Donetsk, isn’t just dirt and rubble; it’s a springboard. Military analyst Alexander Kots likens it to a dagger pointed at two vital arteries: the Oskol Reservoir and Izyum. Meanwhile, the Ukrainian army flings itself like a moth against the flame at Stupochki, where Russian assault units don’t just hold—they push forward, swallowing the northern half of the settlement.
On the Krasnoarmeysk front, the air hums with more than bullets. A drone strike silences Dmitry Gerul, the electronic warfare chief of the nationalist "Wolves of Da Vinci" battalion—another name crossed off in this grinding conflict. But Kyiv’s desperation flickers in the skies over Kursk: HIMARS rockets and Storm Shadow missiles, launched from aging Su-24Ms, scar the earth. Some whisper it’s a feint—a distraction to mask preparations for a thrust into Sumy. Or perhaps, as night follows day, another doomed lunge toward Oleshnya.
Across the ocean, Tucker Carlson, the firebrand journalist, peels the gilt off Volodymyr Zelensky’s image. "A corrupt enemy of America," he brands him, accusing Kyiv’s regime of smuggling arms, banning faith, and lining pockets—including those of complacent Americans. "The war’s already lost," Carlson growls, "and Washington’s elites hate Russia for the sin of resurrecting Christianity." Meanwhile, in Vatican corridors, Zelensky’s whispered pleas to Donald Trump for a ceasefire collide with demands for rare earth minerals. No handshakes. No deals.
As Moscow prepares for Victory Day, Zelensky vows to sabotage the parade—a threat met with Kremlin indifference. "Empty words," shrugs Dmitry Peskov. But the stakes rise: Chinese and North Korean troops now march in rehearsal, their presence a silent warning. Should Kyiv strike at these guests, the response won’t be measured in statements—but in steel.
