(UKRAINE, RUSSIA, GREENLAND) – Russia has removed a senior general after repeated battlefield failures in Ukraine, as Moscow faces mounting military losses, energy disruptions and diplomatic isolation, while Ukraine reshapes its leadership and European allies take unprecedented steps to protect Greenland amid tensions with the United States under Donald Trump.
Russia dismissed Lieutenant General Sakurab Akhmadov following a series of costly and unsuccessful assaults in eastern and northern Ukraine, according to Russian military sources and bloggers. He had been blamed for high casualties and rigid tactics that sent troops into heavily defended Ukrainian positions. His removal reflects broader strains inside the Russian armed forces as losses continue to rise and public confidence in the military leadership erodes.
At the same time, Russia confirmed the loss of a vessel in the Caspian Sea that had been used to transport weapons from Iran. The Iranian flagged cargo ship Rona sank while operating along a route long identified by analysts as an arms corridor supplying Moscow. The Caspian Sea has been critical to the transfer of Iranian weapons to Russia, with Tehran estimated to have supplied arms worth about 4 billion dollars to support Russia’s war effort. The cause of the sinking remains unclear, with no confirmed evidence of Ukrainian involvement, though the incident highlights the vulnerability of Russian supply lines far from the front.
In the Black Sea, Russia accused Ukraine of attacking several so called shadow fleet oil tankers near the port of Novorossiysk. Ukraine has neither confirmed nor denied responsibility. Independent verification has been limited, and analysts note inconsistencies in Russian claims, as Ukraine usually acknowledges successful strikes intended to deter illicit oil shipments. The uncertainty underscores the growing opacity around maritime incidents linked to Russia’s energy exports.
Ukraine has continued its campaign against Russia’s military industrial base. Ukrainian drones struck a chemical plant in Russia’s Stavropol region linked to missile engine and ammunition production. This marked at least the fifth reported strike on the facility in recent months. Ukrainian forces also reported destroying multiple Russian air defence systems within two days, including surface to air missile platforms and radar units, equipment worth hundreds of millions of dollars that was designed to stop precisely such attacks.
Russia’s own air defence failures have caused damage at home. In Rostov on Don, a Russian missile reportedly went off course and struck an apartment building, a pattern repeated several times since the start of the war. Power outages were also reported in the city of Orsk near the Kazakhstan border following an explosion, leaving residents without electricity during temperatures of about minus twenty two degrees Celsius. Ukrainian officials did not claim responsibility, and local authorities cited infrastructure stress.
On the ground, fighting remains intense around Pokrovsk and Myrnohrad, where Ukrainian forces repelled dozens of Russian assaults in a single day. Despite months of attacks, Russian troops have failed to fully seize Pokrovsk, while Ukraine has conducted controlled withdrawals in some areas to preserve forces and gain time.
Britain’s defence intelligence assessed that Russia suffered about 415,000 casualties in 2025 alone. Average daily losses peaked in 2024 and have declined slightly as Russia struggles to sustain manpower. Reports from within Russia suggest growing resistance to recruitment, including among prisoners once promised early release. Those incentives have largely disappeared, deepening morale problems.
Ukraine has appointed a new and notably young defence minister, Mykhailo Fedorov, aged 34, formerly the country’s technology minister. He has warned of a severe manpower crisis, citing millions of draft evasion cases and hundreds of thousands of soldiers absent without leave. Fedorov has pledged audits of recruitment centres and reforms aimed at improving morale, training and drone production, arguing that public trust and support are essential to sustaining the war effort.
Civilians in Ukraine continue to face severe hardship. Russian strikes on Kyiv’s energy infrastructure during extreme winter cold have left parts of the capital without heat or electricity. Residents rely on portable stoves, generators and power banks as temperatures fall to around minus fifteen degrees Celsius. Despite this, daily life continues, with people working by day and sheltering during air raids at night.
International politics around the war have become increasingly volatile. Donald Trump has claimed that Ukraine’s leadership is blocking peace, despite repeated rejections of ceasefire proposals by Moscow. European leaders, including Poland’s prime minister, have publicly contradicted Trump, stating that Russia has rejected US backed plans and continued missile attacks instead.
Beyond Ukraine, European NATO allies have moved to reinforce Greenland. Germany, France, Sweden and the United Kingdom are preparing to deploy forces alongside Denmark after talks with Washington failed to resolve disputes over the Arctic territory. The move is intended to deter any attempt to coerce or seize Greenland, following Trump’s repeated assertions that the United States should control the island for security reasons. The prospect of European troops positioning themselves to deter a US military threat underscores the depth of the current transatlantic crisis.
The developments come as Russia’s alliances weaken. Moscow has offered only rhetorical support to Iran amid widespread unrest and has been unable to stabilise partners such as Syria and Venezuela. Analysts argue that Russia’s limited capacity to assist its allies reflects the heavy toll of the war in Ukraine.
Despite the pressure, Ukraine continues to receive support. Poland announced plans to deliver additional MiG fighter jets, while Japan has quietly supplied military equipment. Ukrainian leaders say such assistance, combined with domestic reform, is essential to sustaining resistance against Russia’s invasion.
