#Russian Army

The AFU General Staff reported that on November 5 and the night of November 6, defense forces hit two Russian ammunition depots in Zaporizhzhia region and a drone command post in Donetsk. At night, drones attacked the Afipsky refinery.

According to ISW, on Nov 3–4, Russian forces attempted to attack various parts of the front, but the AFU disrupted these operations. Peak activity was in the Kostiantynivka-Druzhkivka direction.

The Russian Defense Ministry plans for the first time to postpone December military salaries to January due to a growing budget deficit. Meanwhile, frontline fighters will receive their money early — by December 25.

The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported that during the humanitarian ceasefire in Oleshky, Ukrainian forces maintained the truce, while Russia used the pause to strengthen positions and deliver ammunition.

The Ukrainian Ministry of Defense reported that UAVs have destroyed or wounded 302,000 Russian soldiers since the beginning of 2026. Each casualty is verified in the DELTA system, with the peak of losses occurring in March at nearly 34,000.

Vladimir Putin has signed a decree increasing the Russian army's staffing by 15,500 troops, marking the fourth such expansion in 2026 amid ongoing mobilization rumors.

ISW recorded advances by the Ukrainian Defence Forces in Kharkiv, Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia oblasts over the past day. Russian offensive operations were disrupted, and on the Kupiansk axis the Ukrainian Armed Forces improved their flank positions.

GUR chief Oleksandr Ivashchenko told The Times that Putin's generals requested an additional 800,000 troops, exceeding the army's real capabilities, and that Russia's resources may run out by 2028.

Oleg Ivashchenko, head of the GUR of Ukraine's Ministry of Defense, stated that if current loss rates persist, Russia could exhaust its military and economic resources for waging war as early as 2028.

The SBGS detained a 24-year-old native of Chechnya who deserted from the Russian army. The man was trying to break into Ukraine from Slovakia, bypassing the border crossing points, without any documents.

Human rights advocates have recorded 73 cases in which conscripts in Russia encountered a travel ban, learning of it only at border control. Experts link this to possible preparations for a new mobilization.

Russian troops are changing tactics: instead of mass armored attacks, they are shifting to the covert accumulation of forces for targeted breakthroughs. National Guard representative Ruslan Muzychuk spoke about the failure of the assault attempt near Shakhovo and new threats on the Pokrovsk direction 🇺🇦🛑

The Foreign Intelligence Service of Ukraine has detected alarming signs of preparation for a new mobilization in the Russian Federation: a decline in the number of contractors, a surge in vacancies for military registration, and an increase in search queries about conscription. Intelligence believes that before the elections, the Kremlin will not announce a general conscription but will intensify forced recruitment and pressure on employers. 🇷🇺📉🚨

The Russian army is losing up to 40,000 people a month, and the recruitment of contract soldiers is not covering the losses. The Kremlin is discussing a new wave of mobilization of 100–300 thousand people after the elections, while Rosgvardia is preparing a plan to suppress possible protests 🇷🇺🚨

Putin confirmed the priority of military spending in the Russian Federation budget for 2026–2029. 🇷🇺💰 Actual war spending has already exceeded the plan by 4–5 trillion rubles, and the total budget deficit by the end of the year could reach 7 trillion. The army will increase by 27,000 people without declaring a mobilization. 📉🔫

RVC Commander Denis Kapustin warned of the inevitability of a new wave of mobilization in the Russian Federation. According to him, the Kremlin has exhausted its financial capabilities for hiring contractors, and losses on the front exceed replenishment. 🇷🇺💣