Top Tweets for #isW

NEW: Russian federal entities, including the Ministry of Defense (MoD), are sponsoring the transfer of youth from occupied Ukraine to participate in the final stage of the “Zarnitsa 2.0” military-patriotic competition in Russia’s Volgograd Oblast. Other Key Takeaways: Russia continues the practice of deporting Ukrainian prisoners, often held on fabricated or illegal charges, to Russian prisons in violation of international law. Russian officials continue efforts to integrate Russian servicemembers and military training into school curricula in advance of the upcoming schoolyear. The Russian Volunteer Society for Assistance to the Army, Aviation, and Navy (DOSAAF) continues to expand its presence in occupied Ukraine. The ruling United Russia Party is setting conditions to use the upcoming State Duma elections as a referendum on popular local support for the occupation. Inflation rates in occupied Crimea continue to rise as occupation officials struggle to reckon with the economic and financial implications of Ukraine’s intermediate-range strike campaign. The Mariupol occupation administration is preparing to deputize civilians to enforce Russian law enforcement objectives. Russian state-owned bank Promsvyazbank (PSB) is using its dominance of the financial sphere in occupied Ukraine to generate funds for the Russian military.

NEW: A senior Iranian military official outlined the main principles of Iran’s new targeting logic, which is intended, in part, to reestablish deterrence vis-à-vis the United States and Israel as the Iranian regime prepares for potential future conflict. These principles include “rapid response[s]” to US and Israeli attacks, responding to individual strikes on Iranian territory with multiple strikes on various targets, preemptive strikes against US assets, and expanding the geographic scope of Iranian conflicts with the United States and Israel. Other Key Takeaways: Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al Zaydi is attempting to carry out a fundamental reform of the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) that is designed to consolidate his individual power as prime minister. Zaydi’s efforts to professionalize the PMF could fulfill US objectives regarding militia disarmament. The success of these reforms would depend on Zaydi’s ability to enforce them and appoint professional personnel to undertake institutional changes throughout the PMF. The Iraqi Parliament is unlikely to approve this draft PMF Law, however. The Parliamentary Security and Defense Committee is unlikely to approve the amended draft PMF Law, given that the committee includes parliamentarians from Iranian-backed Iraqi militia political wings that also control PMF brigades. Iranian opposition to any Iraqi federal government attempts to weaken the Iraqi militias could undermine Zaydi’s efforts to subordinate the PMF under himself, even if this draft law were to pass through the Iraqi Parliament.

Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment, July 24, 2026: Ukrainian forces appear to have struck at least 10 Wildberries warehouses (the closest Russian equivalent to Amazon) in Russia and occupied Ukraine in the past week. Other Key Takeaways: Intensified Ukrainian strikes against Wildberries facilities may impose additional requirements on Russia’s already-stretched air defenses and will likely increasingly inconvenience Russians who utilize the Wildberries platform. The Russian Central Bank slightly lowered its key interest rate for the fifth time in 2026 while attempting to portray Russia’s economy as stable in line with recent Kremlin messaging. Romanian aircraft shot down an unspecified drone in Romanian airspace on July 24, while an overnight explosion damaged a cargo vessel bound for Ukraine off the Romanian coast. Ukrainian forces continued their long-range strike campaign against Russian energy and logistics assets on July 24. Russian forces launched five Kh-59/69 guided missiles and 180 drones against Ukraine overnight. Neither Ukrainian nor Russian forces made confirmed advances on July 24.

NEW: US Secretary of State Marco Rubio rejected the Russian narrative that the United States and Russia reached any kind of agreement to end Russia’s war in Ukraine during the August 2025 Alaska Summit. (1/2) Other Key Takeaways: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky continues reiterating his commitment to peace negotiations with the United States and Russia. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky continues reiterating his commitment to peace negotiations with the United States and Russia. Neither Russian nor Ukrainian forces made confirmed advances on July 23.

MORE: At least seven vessels have changed course to avoid transiting through the Bab al Mandeb Strait in light of the Houthi blockade on Saudi ports. The Houthis imposed the blockade against Saudi Arabia on July 20. Six commercial vessels altered their course away from Saudi ports on July 22, according to ship-tracking data cited by Reuters. Another oil tanker that was bound for Yanbu — Saudi Arabia’s main oil export terminal on the Red Sea — turned away from the Bab al Mandeb Strait while in the Gulf of Aden on July 22. The European Union Naval Force warned commercial vessels with links to the United States, Israel, and Saudi Arabia on July 22 against sailing in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden. Commercial ship traffic through the Bab al Mandeb Strait continued on July 22 despite the Houthis’ threats against commercial vessels, however. Commercially available ship tracking data from July 22 shows that 30 commercial vessels have transited through the Bab al Mandab Strait since ISW-CTP’s last data cutoff on July 21. This is a notable decrease from the 64 commercial vessels that transited the strait between 2:00 PM ET on July 20 and 2:00 PM ET on July 21, however. At least one oil tanker transporting crude oil from Yanbu, the Xin Long Yang, initially changed course on July 21 to avoid crossing the Bab al Mandeb Strait but has begun to reapproach the strait on July 22. Houthi officials have emphasized that the Houthis will maintain their blockade on Saudi ports until Saudi Arabia lifts its blockade on Yemeni ports and airports. ISW-CTP will provide further analysis about the Houthi blockade against Saudi Arabia in its July 23 Iran Update.

Other Key Takeaways ⬇️ Russian forces conducted one of their largest ballistic missile strikes thus far in the war on the night of July 18 to 19, predominantly targeting Kyiv Oblast. Russian forces have launched more ballistic missiles against Ukraine thus far in July than Russia reportedly produces each month. Ukrainian forces continued their strike campaign against Russian vessels in the Black Sea as part of the ongoing effort to deny Russia’s ability to sustain logistics and transport fuel to occupied Crimea and to isolate the peninsula. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky continues to meet with senior Ukrainian military commanders.

NEW: Russian Chief of the General Staff Army General Valery Gerasimov again aggrandized Russian battlefield advances in Donetsk Oblast on July 18, but several of his claims are not corroborated by any available evidence. Other Key Takeaways ⬇️ Continued Ukrainian strikes against vessels in the Black Sea and Sea of Azov are reportedly compelling Russian forces to divert Russian elite drone units from the frontline and are hampering Russian energy and agricultural logistics. Ukrainian forces struck two logistics facilities of Russia’s largest online retailer, Wildberries (roughly equivalent to Russia’s version of Amazon), overnight on July 17 to 18, causing significant damage to the facilities. Mykolaiv Oblast Military Administration Head Vitaly Kim resigned from his post on July 17. Ukrainian forces struck Russian oil and energy infrastructure overnight on July 17 to 18. Neither Ukrainian nor Russian forces made confirmed advances on July 18. Russia launched two Iskander-M ballistic missiles, two Onyx anti-ship missiles, three Kh-59/69 cruise missiles, and 90 drones against Ukraine overnight.