/r/WorldNews Live Thread: Russian Invasion of Ukraine Day 1532, Part 1 (Thread #1679)

[New post can be found here](/r/worldnews/comments/1t5zlqc/rworldnews_live_thread_russian_invasion_of/)

Ukrainian officer: > The enemy is gradually beginning to launch drone system brigades against combat targets, which are part of the general military armies, as part of their overall concept of increasing the number of drone system components in the drone army. > On the Dobropil'sk direction, this has already led to a sharp increase in FPV activity, especially over the city itself, which significantly complicates the work of SBU units, but often the quality of the training of such drone pilots is lacking and inferior to ours. Thus, the enemy manages to inflict quite significant losses on our units, but compared to the efficiency of our unit crews - their situation is quite dismal, they rely solely on quantity. Russia will probably continue to improve. It's a mistake to assume things won't change & surprise IMO. https://t . me/officer_33/6845

Russian MFA spokeswoman Zakharova issues a supposed warning to staff and officials of diplomatic missions and international organisations in Kyiv to evacuate immediately, citing the risk of Russian retaliatory strikes on so called "decision making centres", if Kyiv chooses to move again Victory day commemorations. >The note's authors stated that the Russian military department's announcement must be treated "with the utmost responsibility." The Foreign Ministry called for "the timely evacuation" of foreign diplomats from the Ukrainian capital "in view of the inevitability of a retaliatory \[Russian\] strike" against Kyiv and "decision-making centers" in the event of a Ukrainian attack on May 9. Comment: Is this likely to hint at a Hazelnut(Oreshnik) strike on Kyiv if the Russians choose to follow through with this supposed threat? Source: /NOELreports/status/2052107357488873897 on X for translation and captions Meduza io for Russian language article.

Does anyone think Russia has a snowball's chance of hell at accomplishing their war goals and annexing Ukraine? I'd say .01% chance at this point. Am curious. Second, what are the odds that Russia could keep the current annexed territory in ceasefire and eventually annex/absorb the taken land? I'd say..10%? Thanks to the Trump card.

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This is kinda a duplicate, but still: >1/6 Investment levels in Russia's manufacturing sector have sharply declined, signaling economic stress. Source: RBK. Only 38% of firms report normal investment levels, down from 79% two years ago. A bleak outlook looms as profits plummet and credit dries up. 2/6 Investment levels in Russian industry have plunged to crisis-era figures last seen in 2008-2009, dropping from 79% of companies viewing them as 'normal' to just 38% now. This decline raises concerns about future economic activity. 3/6 The availability of loans in Russia has hit its lowest point since tracking began. This financial strain is coupled with a manufacturing sector that has seen its PMI index remain below 50 for 11 months, indicating ongoing contraction. 4/6 According to preliminary estimates from Russia's Ministry of Economic Development, GDP shrank by 0.3% year-on-year in Q1. Additionally, enterprise profits have seen a significant drop, falling by a third in the first two months of the year. 5/6 Analyst Andrey Krylov from Sovcombank stated that current interest rates are hindering the recovery of business activity. This situation, along with the broader decline in investments, suggests the economy may be heading towards recession. 6/6 Questions arise about the motivations behind businesses reducing investments in Russia, as the economy signals significant cooling. A sustained decline in business activity could bring about deeper structural vulnerabilities. [https://bsky.app/profile/milonews.bsky.social/post/3ml67xmhiuv2v](https://bsky.app/profile/milonews.bsky.social/post/3ml67xmhiuv2v) [https://skywriter.blue/@milonews.bsky.social/3ml67xmhiuv2v](https://skywriter.blue/@milonews.bsky.social/3ml67xmhiuv2v)

[What brings 28-year-old North Carolina construction worker in Ukraine’s 47th brigade? | EuroMaidanPress](https://euromaidanpress.com/2026/05/05/what-brings-28-year-old-north-carolina-construction-worker-to-end-up-in-ukraines-47th-brigade-he-explains-in-his-own-words/) > A 28-year-old American has told ArmyInform that he came to Ukraine to join the Armed Forces after years of interest in the war and the events that began back in 2014. He is from North Carolina, a state often called “first in freedom.” > For him, this decision wasn’t spontaneous. “I’ve been interested in Ukraine since 2014 and in its struggle for democracy, for the right to remain a free country,” he says. He followed the war for years but only made the decision now. > It all started with simple conversations on social media. “I was 15, just meeting people. One Ukrainian, Danylo, told me about Maidan and the war. That’s how I began to understand what was really happening," the volunteer recalls. > The decision to come developed gradually. Until 2025, he didn’t have the opportunity to leave his job and relocate, so he saved money and waited. Ordinary worker with no military experience ends up on front line. > Before the war, he worked in construction and repair. “I worked with my hands with air conditioners, windows, gutters, siding. I did everything,” he says. These skills proved useful in the military. After arriving in Ukraine, he chose a unit and eventually joined the 47th Brigade. “If you want to fight, go to the 47th. When I got here, I realized it was the right choice,” the soldier adds. > He got the call sign “Forrest” in childhood because of his slower speaking pace. The name stuck and has now become part of his military story. > After two months of basic training, he moved on to active service, but training continues constantly. “Instructors here look at what you can do, find your weak spots, and work on them. Mistakes should stay on the training ground, not in battle,” he explains. > He doesn’t regret his decision and gives simple advice to those considering joining the war: “Go hiking, carry a backpack, train with your own body weight. If you can, practice shooting at a range. And then come here and do what you’re meant to do.”

>It is reported that travel agencies in Russia are starting to close down en masse. In the first quarter of 2026, 1,200 tourist companies were liquidated in Russia, which is 34.2% more than in the same period last year, according to Kommersant. The main reason for the decline in demand was Russians' cost-cutting and restrictions on flights to Middle Eastern countries. Of course mentioning Putin’s destruction of the economy and the war is forbidden. [https://bsky.app/profile/beefeaterfella.bsky.social/post/3ml6j347bsk2h](https://bsky.app/profile/beefeaterfella.bsky.social/post/3ml6j347bsk2h) >Russian cope in media today: A severe crisis has begun in the steel market in Russia, with its scale already being compared to 2009, writes RBC; According to analysts' estimates, the profitability of Severstal, MMK, and NLMK has fallen to 17-year lows. Experts have already lowered their stock forecasts for these companies by 10–20% and expect EBITDA to drop by 6–40% in 2026. The situation turned out to be worse than even the most pessimistic expectations, and the coming year may be the toughest for Russian metallurgists. [https://bsky.app/profile/beefeaterfella.bsky.social/post/3ml6im4ayxk2h](https://bsky.app/profile/beefeaterfella.bsky.social/post/3ml6im4ayxk2h)

> The Russian tanker Universal, which is under sanctions and was sent to Cuba with a cargo of diesel, got stuck about 1,600 kilometers from the island, according to Bloomberg. According to ship tracking data, it interrupted its voyage in mid-April and has been drifting in the ocean ever since. > Universal is carrying nearly 270,000 barrels of diesel fuel, according to Vortexa information. This year, only one tanker, the "Anatoliy Kolodkin", managed to deliver oil to Cuba. But this happened because Washington granted it permission to reach the island, whose maritime blockade the US initiated at the beginning of the year.😂 I have sympathy for the people of Cuba. I posted this because it means a Russian tanker is effectively "frozen" and that's a positive aspect. https://t . me/istrebin/41013

Analysis of the latest russian oil&gas revenue data update. > 1\ My interpretation of the latest Russian oil & gas revenue data, beginning to show Iran oil windfall. > 👉Q1 results trajectory was 6.64tr rub (pre-Iran) 👉Budget plan was 8.92tr rub 👉Current trajectory is 9.25tr rub (post-Iran) 👉Iran effect would be worth ~2.6tr rub this year > IF continued as now. ... > 11\ Caveats: oil prices are enormously variable. It's foolish to put much faith in long-term forecasts, I'm only presenting ONE scenario to show the estimated effect so far. If Ukraine can keep hitting Russian ports and tankers, things will improve. If Hormuz stays closed, they will worsen. https://bsky.app/profile/leoskyview.bsky.social/post/3ml73spbhgc2r

From a strategy perspective, there's enough security and resources being moved to Moscow for the parade, that false flagging it just undermines the Russian goverment themselves, right?

>Russian manufacturing PMI in April dropped slightly to 48,1 points from 48,3 points in March. Services PMI also showed a slight contraction at 49,7 points up from 49,5 points in March. Business confidence dropped to the lowest it's been in 40 months. [https://bsky.app/profile/delfoo.bsky.social/post/3ml6hd6dbrk2r](https://bsky.app/profile/delfoo.bsky.social/post/3ml6hd6dbrk2r) >Russia's Sukhoi SSJ-100 plane is looking for technicians to improve performance as it looks like now it has 10-20 000 hour service life total and the aim is to get it to 25-40 000 hours. Ural airlines is planning to use its Airbus planes to beyond 100 000 hours for example. [https://bsky.app/profile/delfoo.bsky.social/post/3ml6kiuzzyk2r](https://bsky.app/profile/delfoo.bsky.social/post/3ml6kiuzzyk2r)

**The estimated total russian war losses from 24.02.22 to 06.05.26 inclusive are as follows****:** * personnel - approximately 1 337 170 (+1 050); * tanks ‒ 11 918 (+1); * armored fighting vehicles ‒ 24 515 (+5); * special equipment ‒ 4 170; * vehicles and fuel tanks ‒ 94 312 (+282); * unmanned ground vehicles ‒ 1 332 (+12). * artillery systems ‒ 41 478 (+92); * MLRS ‒ 1 775 (+5); * air defense assets ‒ 1 363 (+2). * aircraft ‒ 435; * helicopters ‒ 352; * UAVs (operational-tactical level) ‒ 276 061 (+2 031); * cruise missiles ‒ 4 585 (+1). * warships and boats ‒ 33; * submarines ‒ 2. Source [https://mod.gov.ua/en/news/total-russian-combat-losses-in-ukraine-as-of-may-6-2026](https://mod.gov.ua/en/news/total-russian-combat-losses-in-ukraine-as-of-may-6-2026) Russia grows weaker every day. Slava Ukraini!

Some headlines from the hellscape that is russia: >Authorities have drastically reduced support for small and medium-sized businesses following tax increases. [https://archive.is/F2lBH](https://archive.is/F2lBH) >The service life of older Superjets has been doubled following the failure of the aircraft construction program. [https://archive.is/Vv1vn](https://archive.is/Vv1vn) >Russian economists have been banned from forecasting food and gasoline price increases. [https://archive.is/ZXC9p](https://archive.is/ZXC9p) >“Significantly below projections.” The budget’s windfall oil revenues from the war in Iran turned out to be 10 times less than expected. [https://archive.is/IvlyS](https://archive.is/IvlyS)

Slava Ukraini!

> Russian oil&gas revenues in April rose as a result of higher oil prices. The total was 856 billion RUB (incl. quarterly NDD tax, minus higher subsidies for domestic market). In nominal terms, oil&gas revenues are at 2024 levels, and roughly in line with original budget plans. Up from 617bn rub last month. https://bsky.app/profile/jakluge.de/post/3ml6uhcbq7s2g

@Zelenskyyua > An important step in relations with Hungary – today, the funds and valuables of Oschadbank that were seized by Hungarian special services in March of this year were returned. At the time, the Hungarian side unlawfully detained Ukrainian cash-in-transit officers. We brought our people back sooner, and now both the funds and the valuables are back on Ukrainian territory in full. I am grateful to Hungary for its constructive approach and civilized step. I thank everyone on Ukraine’s team who fought for a fair decision and defended the interests of our state and our people. Glory to Ukraine!

> "Russians" providing damage assessment after the yesterday’s Ukrainian FP-2 guided drone strike on a Kasta radar system. Noël reports it was Kadyrov's Chechen tiktokers doing the recording, that probably explains the quotation mark around "Russians". Video shows drone hit I posted yesterday + on-site damage. https://bsky.app/profile/specialkhersoncat.bsky.social/post/3ml6ohjbhds2q

> Russian manufacturing PMI in April dropped slightly to 48,1 points from 48,3 points in March. Services PMI also showed a slight contraction at 49,7 points up from 49,5 points in March. Business confidence dropped to the lowest it's been in 40 months. Anything below 50 means that companies expect contraction. These are forward-looking indices provided by managers at companies. In most countries they usually predict how the economy will behave soon. https://bsky.app/profile/delfoo.bsky.social/post/3ml6hd6dbrk2r

> WHAT A HORROR! Russian drones hit a kindergarten in Sumy. > And this is happening while Putin is begging for a ceasefire so his pathetic parade in Moscow can go ahead safely. https://bsky.app/profile/mariadrutska.bsky.social/post/3ml6qqyvlpc2c

> Russia has resumed using surface-to-air missiles to strike ground targets. This year, multiple cases of RM-48U and 48N6DM use were recorded. RM-48U, once a decoy, is now often armed, while 48N6DM carries a ~180 kg warhead with reduced ground-attack range. I heard S-300 launches in ground attack mode are very inaccurate. They used them to hurt & terrorise civilians in Kharkiv for ages. https://bsky.app/profile/the-hedgehog.bsky.social/post/3ml6rly57r22k

> Bulava loitering munition strike on the Russian Tunguska and Pantsir-S1 air defence system, as well as another RAM-2 loitering munition strike on the second Russian Pantsir-S1 air defence system. https://bsky.app/profile/specialkhersoncat.bsky.social/post/3ml6tmfak322e

> Hungary finally returns Ukrainian Oschadbank funds and assets: > In March, "the Hungarian side unlawfully detained Ukrainian cash-in-transit officers. We secured the return of our people relatively quickly, and now, the funds and valuables have also been returned to Ukrainian territory in full. One of Orban's farces done. https://bsky.app/profile/antongerashchenko.bsky.social/post/3ml6tmihupk26

> ❗️Ukraine rejected Putin’s proposed May 8-9 ceasefire, with no silence planned for Red Square, a Presidential Office source told Kyiv Times. The decision follows repeated Russian strikes and Kyiv’s charge that Moscow already violated the ceasefire regime. Currently from "a source", I haven't seen an official announcement. https://bsky.app/profile/noelreports.com/post/3ml6twqedis2p

[SBU detains Zhytomyr military recruitment chief for running bribery scheme tied to military draft | New Voice of Ukraine](https://english.nv.ua/nation/head-of-the-zhytomyr-oblast-recruitment-center-detained-on-charges-of-accepting-bribes-from-business-50605729.html) > Ukraine's SBU Security Service detained the head of the Zhytomyr Oblast territorial recruitment center on bribery charges after he allegedly extorted monthly payments from a local business owner to shield the owner's employees from military conscription, the SBU reported on May 6. > According to investigators, the official systematically accepted bribes from the owner of a regional company. > Prosecutor General Ruslan Kravchenko said the businessman had initially approached the official seeking information on how to legally obtain deferments for his employees — only to be offered an illegal alternative: monthly cash payments to keep his workers off conscription lists. > Investigators say the TRC chief set up a recurring monthly "subscription fee" arrangement with the entrepreneur. In exchange, the businessman provided lists of employees — including personal data and phone numbers — whom the official was supposed to shield from street checks and checkpoint inspections. > The SBU said investigators methodically documented the official's crimes before arresting him in the act of accepting a new bribe payment from the businessman. The TRC chief has been charged under Part 3, Article 368 of Ukraine's Criminal Code, which covers unlawful enrichment. He faces up to 10 years in prison and asset confiscation if convicted.

Russia has lost 1,050 soldiers killed and wounded over the past day, bringing its total number of personnel losses to 1,337,170 **Source:** [Russian losses over past day: 1,050 soldiers killed and wounded | Ukrainska Pravda](https://www.pravda.com.ua/eng/news/2026/05/06/8033350/) **Details:** The total combat losses of the Russian forces between 24 February 2022 and 6 May 2026 are estimated to be as follows \[figures in parentheses represent the latest losses – ed.\]: * approximately 1,337,170 **(+1,050)** military personnel * 11,918 **(1)** tanks * 24,515 **(+5)** armoured combat vehicles * 41,478 **(+92)** artillery systems * 1,775 **(+5)** multiple-launch rocket systems * 1,363 **(+2)** air defence systems * 435 (+0) fixed-wing aircraft * 352 (+0) helicopters * 1,332 **(+12)** ground robotic systems * 276,061 **(+2,031)** operational-tactical UAVs * 4,585 **(+1)** cruise missiles. * 33 (+0) ships/boats * 2 (+0) submarines * 94,312 **(+282)** vehicles and fuel tankers * 4,170 (+0) special vehicles and other equipment The information is being confirmed.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/may/06/ukraine-drone-supply-chain-taiwan > As Ukraine seeks to edge China out of its drone supply chain, Taiwan emerges as a quiet player > Taiwan’s reputation for tech excellence means it is a favoured alternative source for Ukrainian drone-makers Good.

> WOW: Unique footage shows Ukrainian drone use shotgun to down Russian UAV. https://bsky.app/profile/united24media.com/post/3ml5xbed3lw2n It's been a while since I've seen that, which is a shame because it seems c****, reusable and quite effective for use against tactical or small/slow reconnaissance drones. Also, nice shot.

> Ukraine, Bahrain to Open Embassies as Kyiv Expands Gulf Security Ties https://www.kyivpost.com/post/75500

> NATO nations test drone defenses in Romania with Ukrainians adding dose of realism https://www.stripes.com/theaters/europe/2026-05-05/nato-romania-drones-21580629.html

> Illegal foreigner legalization scheme busted in Kyiv https://www.ukrinform.net/rubric-crime/4120155-illegal-foreigner-legalization-scheme-busted-in-kyiv.html

> Ukraine needs single coordination center for recruiting foreigners into military service – Budanov https://www.ukrinform.net/rubric-society/4120059-ukraine-needs-single-coordination-center-for-recruiting-foreigners-into-military-service-budanov.html

> Europe, US Rally Behind Ukraine’s Ceasefire Offer, Urge Russia to Accept https://www.kyivpost.com/post/75501 It didn't last long of course - as we all knew it wouldn't. I'm posting this piece here despite its seeming near-immediate obsolescence because it's amusing to see how the turn has been tabled with Ukraine's counter-ceasefire proposal.

> Russia seeks exchange of North Korean POWs captured in Ukraine, shows no interest in other foreign fighters https://uawire.org/russia-seeks-exchange-of-north-korean-pows-captured-in-ukraine-shows-no-interest-in-other-foreign-fighters

> Rubio, Lavrov Discuss Ukraine War, Iran in Call Requested by Moscow https://www.kyivpost.com/post/75496

> UK and NATO allies respond to ongoing Russian North Atlantic underwater activity https://www.armadainternational.com/2026/05/uk-and-nato-allies-respond-to-ongoing-russian-north-atlantic-underwater-activity-foc/

> Krasny Luch, occupied Luhansk region > > BAVOVNA at ammo depot https://bsky.app/profile/maks23.bsky.social/post/3ml523kbsjs2x

> Crimea, Armyansk a few hours ago, it was reported that a building of the FSB of the Russian Federation was hit. https://bsky.app/profile/maks23.bsky.social/post/3ml55z5ckys2o

F*** Putin!

For those wondering: No ceasefire. Russia bombed Kharkiv, Zaporizhzhia, and a few other cities/towns in the last few hours.

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