Nojus T
Founder and editor of VanguardEast
I am a Lithuania-based writer covering Russia’s war against Ukraine, Baltic security, NATO, and the military and political developments shaping Europe. I have followed and documented the full-scale war for more than four years, with a focus on making complex developments clear, well-sourced, and accessible.
Articles by this author
Russian Military Outlet Calls for Nationwide Air Defense Overhaul Amid Drone Threat
Quite a situation is developing with pro-war Kremlin channels. A Russian blogger with over 300,000 followers has publicly urged Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov to establish a nationwide zonal air defense system, arguing that existing defenses no longer provide sufficient protection against large-scale drone and missile attacks. In a post published on July…
Ukraine Claims More Than 200 Russian ‘Shadow Fleet’ Vessels Hit in Kerch Strait Operation
Ukrainian forces say the three-week campaign has disrupted shipping through the Kerch Strait and targeted Russia’s sanctions-evasion network. Ukraine’s Unmanned Systems Forces say they have struck more than 200 vessels linked to Russia’s so-called shadow fleet during a three-week operation in the Black and Azov seas, claiming the campaign has severely disrupted maritime logistics around…
U.S. Senate Moves Forward With New Russia and Iran Sanctions Bill
The proposal would target major buyers of Russian energy, sanctions evasion networks, banks, officials and Iran’s energy and weapons sectors. U.S. senators from both parties have reached an agreement on a new sanctions bill aimed at cutting the money Russia earns from energy exports and tightening pressure on Iran. The Senate is expected to hold…
Ukraine Strikes $500 Million Russian S-400 System in Crimea
Ukrainian drone operators destroyed a launcher and 96L6 radar from Russia’s S-400 air-defense system, valued at up to $500 million. Ukraine’s military intelligence says its forces struck key parts of a Russian S-400 Triumph air-defense system in occupied Crimea during the night of July 25–26. Drone operators reportedly located the system at an active combat…
Zelenskyy Says Russia Is Preparing to Receive 30,000 More North Korean Troops
Ukrainian intelligence also indicates Pyongyang is preparing to transfer new ballistic missile launchers to Russia, Zelenskyy says. Russia is preparing to receive as many as 30,000 additional troops from North Korea and a new shipment of ballistic missile launchers, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said, citing Ukrainian intelligence. Preparations to accommodate the North Korean personnel have…
Ukraine Hits Russian Early Warning Radar In Crimea.
Ukraine’s General Staff said Saturday its forces had hit an early-warning radar station in occupied Crimea and a Russian ammunition depot in Kherson region overnight, part of a run of strikes on targets behind the front line. The radar site was near Olenivka. The depot was near Novosemenivka. Both claims, posted to the General Staff’s…
NATO Authorizes Ukrainian Navy to Lead Allied Maritime Forces.
Ukraine’s Naval Forces have done something no unit has ever done before in NATO’s history. According to a report from ArmyInform, they now have the right to command Alliance forces. This happened during the joint Ukrainian American Sea Breeze 2026 exercises in the United Kingdom. The mine countermeasures headquarters of the 1st Division of Ukraine’s…
Ukraine Gains 1.8:1 FPV Drone Advantage Over Russia, Syrskyi Says
Ukrainian Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi stated that the Armed Forces recently achieved a noticeable advantage over Russian troops in FPV drone use, reaching an estimated 1.8:1 ratio during one day in July. The statement followed his visit to Ukrainian combat units operating in the Oleksandrivsk direction, where he worked alongside Chief of the General Staff Andriy…
On NATO’s Eastern Flank: How Lithuania Is Strengthening Its Defenses
NATO is reinforcing its eastern flank as Lithuania hosts “Freedom Shield I,” a major military exercise involving nearly 2,900 troops, mostly German. The training simulates defence against a potential Russian attack and runs for roughly six weeks. Germany has taken the unprecedented step of permanently stationing an armoured brigade in Lithuania, expected to reach full…
Russia Looks Abroad for Gasoline as Domestic Fuel Crisis Deepens
Russia is taking the unusual step of exploring gasoline imports from abroad in an effort to calm mounting pressure on its domestic fuel market. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed on Tuesday that negotiations with several countries are currently underway. He stated that if pricing terms prove acceptable, the imports would proceed, describing this as a…