Weekly Russia-Ukraine war summary: Russia loses up to 20 strategic bombers and “retaliates” with air assault on Ukraine, battles in Tetkino

On the southern Donetsk axis, Russian forces have captured Novopil, located west of Velyka Novosilka. They advanced in Bahatyr and areas near Otradne and also broke through to Komar and entered Fedorivka. Russia’s Ministry of Defense (MoD) claimed full control over Fedorivka, releasing a “flag-planting” video as evidence. Russian troops also launched attacks on Malynivka from the direction of Novozlatopil, marking renewed fighting on the boundary between the southern Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia fronts — a zone that had seen little recent activity.

According to estimates by Ukrainian analytical outlet Oko Hora ✙ News and Analytics (1, 2), Russian forces seized 124 km² of territory between May 26 and June 1, advancing at a rate of about 18 km² per day. The number of combat engagements during that period increased by 5% compared to the previous week.

DeepState reported that, based on data from Ukraine’s General Staff, Russian attacks in May 2025 increased by 19% as compared to April. The average daily number of attacks rose from 154.8 to 183.6. DeepState also noted that Russian forces occupied an additional 449 km² of Ukrainian territory in May — more than double the pace of the previous three months, when their monthly gains did not exceed 200 km².

The AFU saw a significant command reshuffle over the past week. Major General Mykhailo Drapatyi stepped down as commander of the Ground Forces and was appointed Commander of the Joint Forces — a move President Volodymyr Zelensky said would allow Drapatyi to focus “exclusively on combat matters and [...] fully dedicate himself to the front line.” Drapatyi remains in charge of the Khortytsia Operational Strategic Group.

Robert “Madyar” Brovdi, commander of the 414th Strike UAV Brigade (nicknamed “Madyar’s Birds”), was appointed to lead Ukraine’s newly formed Unmanned Systems Forces (USF). Shortly after his appointment, Brovdi outlined a development plan for the USF that prioritizes increased domestic production of munitions, the deployment of robotic logistics systems, and expanded pilot training programs. The Russian pro-war blogger community reacted negatively to Brovdi’s promotion, pointing to his deep expertise in drone warfare and praising the Ukrainian military’s personnel flexibility — highlighting the fact that a former conscript could rise through the ranks based solely on skill and effectiveness, something they said would be unthinkable in the Russian military.

Mutual strikes and sabotage

On June 1, first-person view (FPV) drones struck strategic aviation airbases in four different regions across Russia as part of Operation Spiderweb — a mission executed by the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) deep behind enemy lines.