UKRAINE STRIKES RUSSIAN DRONE TRAINING CAMP, KILLS DOZENS OF CADETS IN OCCUPIED EAST

Ukraine struck a Russian drone pilot training camp in occupied eastern Ukraine, killing at least 65 cadets and an instructor, President Volodymyr Zelensky announced Thursday. A separate Ukrainian strike targeted a Russian security service headquarters and an air defense system in the same region, killing and wounding close to 100 additional Russian personnel, according to Zelensky's Telegram channel. Russia has not confirmed either strike.

The strikes come amid a notable shift in battlefield momentum. Russian forces lost more territory last month than they were able to capture — the first such reversal in nearly two years, according to Russia Matters. Over the four weeks ending May 19, Russian forces registered a net loss of 69 square miles of Ukrainian territory, with Russia losing a net 29 square miles in the most recent week alone.

Russia is losing soldiers faster than it can recruit and replace them, according to Western and Ukrainian military assessments. May marks the fifth consecutive month in which Russian personnel losses have outpaced new deployments. Total Russian combat losses since the February 2022 invasion have reached approximately 1.35 million personnel, according to the Ukrainian General Staff.

Russia has continued large-scale aerial bombardment in parallel with the battlefield setbacks. In recent days, Russian forces launched one of the conflict's heaviest barrages, firing more than 500 drones and dozens of ballistic missiles at Ukrainian cities, according to Ukrainian air defense officials. Ukraine's aerial defenses reported intercepting a significant share of the incoming projectiles before they reached populated areas.