European intelligence services continue to report that Russia is intensifying its deployment of chemical agents in Ukraine in violation of the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC), to which Russia is a signatory. Dutch Defense Minister Ruben Brekelmans reported on July 4 that Dutch and German intelligence agencies have evidence that Russian forces are frequently employing banned chemical agents in Ukraine.[21] Brekelmans stated that Russian forces are intensifying their use of chemical agents, including using drones to drop choking agents into Ukrainian trenches to force Ukrainian soldiers into the line of fire. The Dutch and German intelligence agencies reported that Russian forces are normalizing and standardizing the use of chemical agents, such as tear gas and chloropicrin, along the frontline and that Russia is investing in chemical weapons research.[22]
https://www.understandingwar.org/backgrounder/russian-offensive-campaign-assessment-july-5-2025
Russian President Vladimir Putin appears to be trying to increase volunteer recruitment among the Russian population, likely due to waning domestic support for the Kremlin's crypto-mobilization efforts. Putin attended the “Everything for Victory” forum hosted by the People's Front (Narodnyi Front, formerly the All-Russia People's Front) on July 6 in Moscow City.[1] The People's Front is a Russian Ministry of Defense- (MoD) and state-backed political coalition of non-governmental organizations and political parties largely led by United Russia. Putin created the People's Front in 2011 when he was prime minister. The People's Front monitors the implementation of Putin's decrees and has increasingly served as a military assistance initiative, providing aid to Russian servicemembers fighting in Ukraine through its “Everything for Victory” program. The organization also includes the “Kulibin Club” drone and electronic warfare (EW) production initiative, which develops and tests technology for the Russian military. Putin claimed during his address to the forum that the People's Front has become a mass public movement due to “the overwhelming majority of Russian citizens” who wish to defend “the life principles and values” passed down from previous generations and that the Russian military enjoys “universal, nationwide support” among the Russian population.[2] Putin highlighted the contributions that the organization has made to Russian forces in Ukraine, such as supplying 110,000 drones and more than 14,000 vehicles. Putin is likely attempting to shore up public support for the People's Front and the war to increase voluntary recruitment among Russian citizens. Putin's focused messaging on the Russian populace's alleged “overwhelming” support for Russian forces fighting in Ukraine suggests that the Kremlin is trying to combat issues with voluntary recruitment and societal support for the war. ISW has observed indications that the Kremlin is struggling to maintain its voluntary recruitment rates.[3] ISW continues to assess that Putin remains averse to declaring another partial mobilization out of fear of domestic discontent and remains committed to promoting crypto-mobilization efforts.[4]
The Russian Federal State Statistics Service (Rosstat) has stopped reporting on the number of deaths in Russia, likely as part of Kremlin efforts to conceal Russia's losses from the war in Ukraine. Russian opposition outlet Meduza reported on July 5 that Rosstat did not report demographic data in its January to May 2025 “Socioeconomic Situation in Russia” report.[11] Electoral statistics researcher Dmitry Kobak reported in late June 2025 that Rosstat refused to fulfill his request for data pertaining to 2024 male excess mortality and monthly deaths by date of death.[12] ISW previously assessed that Rosstat is concealing population data in an attempt to obfuscate Russia's ongoing demographic problems, and the omission of demographic data in Rosstat’s reports likely also aims to obscure the Russian military's high personnel loss rates.[13]
https://www.understandingwar.org/backgrounder/russian-offensive-campaign-assessment-july-6-2025