Victory Chronicles-DAY 1191

Zaur Gurtziyev, a former Russian Air Force major allegedly involved in war crimes during the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, was killed on May 29 in a grenade attack in the southern Russian city of Stavropol. 

Local authorities say the blast occurred on a city street and was carried out by 29-year-old Nikita Penkov, who also died in the explosion. Gurtziyev, was appointed deputy mayor of Stavropol in September 2024 through Russia’s “Time of Heroes” program – a Kremlin-backed initiative designed to transition decorated military veterans into civilian leadership roles. 

The program was established under Kremlin ruler Vladimir Putin’s directive and is part of a governmental/ federal strategy to elevate veterans into influential public service positions across Russia. 

As a major in 2022 when Russian forces entered sovereign Ukrainian territory en masse, Gurtziyev as a major and notably involved in aerial operations in the easternmost Donetsk cities of Avdiivka and Mariupol. 

His actions during this phase of the war have been subject to international scrutiny, with Ukrainian authorities and human rights organizations accusing Russia of war crimes in these areas. 

Russia loses $450B in energy revenue due to sanctions. International sanctions have cost Russia an estimated $450 billion in lost energy revenues, British Lt. Col. Joby Rimmer told the OSCE on May 29. Rimmer warned of mounting domestic fallout as the Kremlin prioritizes war over welfare. Russia’s key interest rate has jumped to 21%, signaling deep financial instability. For the first time since the Soviet era, defense spending in 2025—at 40% of the national budget—has overtaken social spending. Two-thirds of the National Wealth Fund’s liquid assets have already been spent, leaving Russia’s economy under growing strain.

Russian guided bomb strike kills 2 in Zaporizhzhia region village. Two men were killed and three others injured when Russian forces dropped guided aerial bombs on the village of Verkhnia Tersa in Ukraine’s southeastern Zaporizhzhia region early Thursday, according to local authorities. Ivan Fedorov, head of the regional administration, said at least five bombs hit residential areas in the early morning attack, destroying and damaging multiple homes. Emergency crews later recovered the body of one victim from beneath the rubble.

Ukraine deploys AI-powered ‘mother drone’ for first time in combat. Ukraine has deployed an artificial intelligence-powered “mother drone” in combat for the first time — a major milestone in drone warfare, capable of delivering two strike UAVs up to 300 kilometers into enemy territory.

Deputy Prime Minister Mykhailo Fedorov shared footage of the drone in action on Telegram, confirming its use and highlighting the system’s advanced capabilities. Footage released by the Ministry of Digital Transformation shows the drone in flight as it releases two strike drones.

Developed under Ukraine’s Brave1 defense tech cluster, the AI-powered drone significantly increases the precision and effectiveness of attacks on Russian targets. The system can autonomously identify and destroy enemy aircraft, air defense systems, and critical infrastructure.

Key Takeaways:

• Western insider reporting about Kremlin demands to end the war in Ukraine continues to align with repeated public statements from Kremlin officials outlining Russia’s demands, indicating that Russia’s goal of Ukrainian capitulation and destruction of NATO remains unchanged.
• Putin reportedly maintains his demand that Ukraine cede all of the four oblasts that Russia has illegally annexed but not fully occupied, even as Kremlin officials have signaled that Russia has territorial ambitions beyond these four oblasts.
• Putin continues to demonstrate his willingness to achieve his war aims militarily through a prolonged war in Ukraine during which Russian forces would continue to only make gradual, creeping advances.
• The Kremlin continues to promote its long-standing false narratives that the threat of NATO expansion forced Russia to invade Ukraine in 2022, and that NATO continues to threaten Russia’s security.
• The Kremlin continues to promote Kremlin ruler Vladimir Putin’s envisioned Eurasian security architecture — a Russian-led bloc aimed at countering the West and NATO.
• Russia and Belarus reduced the scope of the September 2025 Zapad-2025 joint Russian-Belarussian military exercise and relocated the main maneuver away from Belarus’s western borders, likely to promote a veneer of cooperation and distract from Russia’s limited military capacity outside of the Ukraine theater.
• Kremlin ruler Vladimir Putin continues to forward an unofficial Russian ideology formulated on Russian nationalism and to try to unify Russian society in support of Russia’s war in Ukraine.
• Ukrainian forces conducted a series of long-range drone strikes targeting Russia’s defense industrial base (DIB) on May 27 and 28.
• Ukraine’s Western allies continue to provide military aid to Ukraine.
• Ukrainian authorities recently identified a Russian servicemember responsible for the execution of two Ukrainian prisoners of war (POW) in January 2025.
• Russian forces recently advanced in Kursk Oblast and near Chasiv Yar, Toretsk, Pokrovsk, and Velyka Novosilka.

In memoriam: Ukrainian soldier Valerii Stetskyi, a hero of Ukraine’s defense forces

Pvt. Valerii Stetskyi, known by the call sign “Techik,” was killed in action on Oct. 21, 2024, while carrying out a combat mission near the village of Paraskoviivka in Donetsk region. He was 39.

Stetskyi was born in the city of Ternopil. He attended Secondary School No. 26 and later trained as a carpenter specializing in artistic furniture at Vocational School No. 10 in Ternopil. He completed his military conscription in Chernihiv region. Afterward, he worked as an auto mechanic and spent time working abroad in Italy as a driver. Passionate about cars, he loved his profession.

In December 2023, he was mobilized into the Armed Forces of Ukraine. He served in the 79th Air Assault Brigade as a driver-electrician in a drone unit.

“He was not only a brave soldier but also a kind and generous person — a true example to us all,” his sister, Iryna, wrote. “A good friend, comrade, brother and son. No matter the circumstances, he remained upbeat, sincere and full of life. His courage and sacrifice have become a symbol of resilience and patriotism for all of Ukraine. Valerii gave the most precious thing — his life — for our future, our peace, and the safety of our country.”

Stetskyi was laid to rest at the Alley of Heroes in the Mykulyntsi Cemetery in Ternopil. He was posthumously awarded the title of Honorary Citizen of Ternopil, and on May 23, 2025, a memorial plaque was unveiled at his former school in his honor. He is survived by his mother, sister, brother-in-law and nieces and nephews.

*Stetskyi’s story on the Heroes Memorial – a platform for stories about the fallen defenders of Ukraine.

• Reuters: Pressure mounting on reluctant Trump to impose sanctions on Russia
• Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry: Russia’s memorandum delay is a stalling tactic
• Drone Coalition to allocate €2.75 billion to support Ukraine in 2025
• NATO announces new Ramstein format meeting next week
• German chancellor does not rule out supplying Taurus missiles to Ukraine
• Trump refrains from new sanctions so as not to “screw up” potential deal with Russia
• Germany pledges 5 billion euros in new aid to Ukraine