The situation 1513 – May 13, 2026

1. The Kremlin is doubling down on its demand that Ukraine withdraw from all of Donbas as a precondition for the resumption of negotiations.
2. Russia’s exaggerated territorial ambitions and aggressive territorial demands run completely counter to battlefield reality.
3. US President Donald Trump said that he has not agreed with Putin that Russia should acquire all of Donetsk and Luhansk.
4. Russian courts are increasingly leveraging corruption charges as a pretext to nationalize Russia’s largest corporations, likely setting conditions for the broader nationalization of private assets to support state revenues.
5. Russian demands for cash reached an all-time high over Victory Day weekend, demonstrating rising societal fears over internet restrictions and tax policy.
6. Ukrainian forces continue to increase the range and frequency of their long-range drones strikes against Russian oil infrastructure, exploiting overstretched Russian air defenses.
7. Russian forces conducted large-scale drone strikes overnight on May 12 and throughout the day on May 13, killing at least six people.
8. The Russian State Duma passed a bill granting the Russian president powers for extraterritorial military operations to protect Russian citizens abroad, previously introduced on March 10.
9. Ukrainian forces recently advanced in the Slovyansk, Oleksandrivka, and Hulyaipole directions and in the Kostyantynivka-Druzhkivka tactical area.

The full update of the Russian offensive 1513 is available on UNDERSTANDING WAR.