June 27, 2026: Russia seized the Crimean Peninsula from Ukraine in 2014. To make matters worse, Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022. Now, five years later the Russian invasion has failed and Russian leader Vladimir Putin is seeking a way to explain the failure of what he initially called a Special Operation lasting a few days. Russia suffered 1.4 million casualties, lost nearly 14,000 armored vehicles and much equipment. In the last year Ukrainian air strikes using drones have devastated oil production and refining facilities in Western Russia along with the destruction of a Tu-142MR over-the-horizon radio relay aircraft used for communication with submerged submarines. Earlier Ukraine had carried out a long range attack that destroyed most of Russia’s heavy bomber fleet.

Now Ukraine is preparing to make Crimea Ukrainian once more. To make this happen the few roads linking Russia and Crimea are under attack. Modern combat drones, which Ukrainians developed to fight the Russian invaders, are now being used to destroy Russian military bases, Air Defense Systems, roads and port facilities in Crimea. Most Russian civilians in Crimea have returned to Russia during the last year.

Since 2024 Russia has spent nearly $12 billion to improve the roads and other transportation connecting Crimea to Russia. Now the Ukrainians are blowing it all up, day by day. Satellite photos show more and more burned out Russian trucks along roads that are now missing vital bridges but covered by regular patrols by Ukrainian attack drones.

Ukrainian political and military leaders admit that the liberation of Crimea and occupied provinces in eastern Ukraine is going to happen sooner rather than later. This year it is Ukrainian forces that are regaining ground while Russia has been unable to recruit enough new soldiers to replace those lost in Ukraine. Russia has been at war in Ukraine longer than it was during World War II fighting and defeating the German invaders. This is something that is unpopular in Russia and the reason why Russia can’t find enough men to replace losses in Ukraine.

There have been some peace talks, but Vladimir Putin is still looking for a suitable, for himself, way to admit defeat. The Russian people and economy have struggled through four years of economic sanctions and most Russians, according to polls and Russian bloggers, just want the war to be over. They don’t care if Ukraine gets all its territory back, they just want the war and all its attendant privation to end. One day soon, Ukraine and Russia will simply announce that the war is over.