Brave New Words II. The A‑Z dictionary of wartime Russia, volume II

A

Apti Alautdinov. Major General in the Russian army, commander of “Akhmat” regiment. Target of ridicule and criticism from the pro-war community as the “TikTok Troops” commander because his unit is rarely seen on the actual front lines, but is very active on social media and in propaganda outlets. Criticizing him usually results in a forced, humiliating apology video.

B

“Baba Yaga”. Also known as “Vampire,” “Baba Yaga” is a blanket term for heavy agricultural drones repurposed by the Armed Forces of Ukraine to drop munitions. Originally, Baba Yaga is a witch in Slavic folklore.

Babkoselo (A combination of the words “бабка,” “granma, hag,” and “село,” “village”; something like hag-village). An insignificant settlement, where soldiers die by the thousands to capture it, even though it holds no strategic value. Before the war, only lonely pensioners lived in such places; now there are probably no people left there at all. Its “liberation” will most certainly be celebrated in Russian Ministry of Defence’s briefings.

BEK. USV, unmanned surface vessel. A marine drone used to attack military ships, “shadow fleet” tankers, and port infrastructure.

Beliye Spiski (Whitelists). Since the start of the full-scale invasion, the Kremlin has banned all kinds of things on the internet: media outlets, messanging apps, Wikipedia articles. But sometimes, authorities go even farther. Whitelists, or beliye spiski, dictate the only content Russians are permitted to access during periods of mobile traffic “restrictions”. In some regions, these “restrictions” have been introduced “until the end of the special military operation” (fortunately, such areas remain rare). These whitelists include government websites, state propaganda outlets, banking services, and state monopolies—and, inevitably, the newly-imposed Max messenger (see below).

Bezumny Max (“Mad Max”). See “Yozhiki.”

Busification. Derogatory term for forced mobilisation raids carried out in Ukraine by employees of the territorial recruitment centers. As part of the mobilisation drive, men are dragged off the streets into service vans (buses, hence the name); often, they attempt to flee but are subdued by force. Russian propaganda draws its own conclusions: Ukrainians do not want to die for the “Zelensky regime”.

C

Cherepakha (Turtle). See “Yozhiki.”

D

Debris. According to Russian official reports, Ukrainian drones never hit their targets; they are always shot down, and all damage is caused merely by “falling debris.” In this narrative, debris is the most destructive weapon in existence.

Dogovornyachok (A shady deal or a backroom pact). This ironic diminutive of “agreement” refers to any attempt at negotiations or truces; it reflects deep suspicion that such efforts are merely self-serving backroom pacts. For pro-war hardliners, peace talks can read either as a welcome end to a hard-fought war or as a betrayal, “selling out” a victory they believe was deserved. For anti-war Russians, the fear is a U.S.-Russia backroom deal that would both undermine Ukraine and further embolden Putin’s repression. In different ways, all of them share a sense that the outcome will be decided in the shadows.

Dvizhukha. A slang term for “fun activity” or “moves”. Vladimir Putin used this word to describe the war during his 2024 direct line.

E

Ernest. See “Puzikovschina”.

F

Flagovtyk (Flag-planting). A propaganda operation to plant a flag in the grey zone or enemy territory. Usually militarily pointless but leads to unjustified casualties. See “Zakras”.

Flamingo (FP5). A Ukrainian cruise missile. Claims a 3,000 km range and 1-ton warhead. First launched at Crimea in September 2025 (two missed, the third’s fate is unknown). Developed despite chronic underfunding.

FPV (First Person View drones). The deadliest weapon of the late war, accounting for >50% of casualties. Fast, cheap, and maneuverable, they evolved from racing drones into mass-produced munitions.

G

Geran (also known as Shahed and Moped). Long-range strike drone, originally Iranian Shahed drone. Modernised and mass-produced in Russia for hundreds of nightly strikes on Ukraine.

Glamouriki. See “Zakrasy”. 

Goodwin. See “Puzikovschina”.

Grey zone. Uncontrolled territory between Russian and Ukrainian positions. As drones became deadlier, this zone expanded to be miles wide in 2025. Its existence allows Russian generals to falsify maps (zakrasy) by claiming they control empty land.

I

Infiltratsiya. See “Prosachivanie”.

K

Kalich, kalich-polk (Cripple Units). Russian army units formed from wounded soldiers who have not fully recovered. These soldiers are sometimes sent on assaults while still on crutches (see “Myasnoy Shturm (Meat Assault)”).

Kineticheskie sanktsii (Kinetic Sanctions). An ironic term used by pro-Ukrainian bloggers to describe physical missile or drone strikes on Russian oil refineries or “shadow fleet” tankers. The implication is that while traditional economic sanctions fail, “kinetic” ones successfully inflict real economic damage on the aggressor state.

Kishka (The Gut). A deep, narrow salient of Russian forces into AFU defenses, relative to the slow pace of the front since 2023. Examples: the offensive on Dobropillya (northern flank of Pokrovsk direction) or the breakthrough to Kupyansk. Both ended in failure for the Russian army, though the threat of such breakthroughs remains. See also: “Prosachivanie”.

Kovyor (Carpet). An emergency signal closing airspace and airports. While southern Russian airports have been closed since the start of the war, the conflict didn’t affect hubs like Moscow for a long time. With the advent of long-range AFU drones, this changed: airports now sometimes close for consecutive nights, canceling or delaying hundreds of flights.

L

LBS (LOC, line of contact). The official military acronym for the front line. See also: “Lentochka”, “Zero”, “Peredok”.

Lentochka (The ribbon). The border or the front line. “Behind the ribbon” means in enemy territory.

Lesopolka (Forest strip). The protective tree rows planted across Ukrainian and southern Russian plains to prevent soil erosion. During the war, these became the only available cover for defense and staging offensives. Assaulting a lesopolka can be just as bloody as capturing a babkoselo.

M

Madyar. The callsign of Robert Brovdi, a Ukrainian soldier and pioneer of mass drone warfare. Since 2025, he commands the Unmanned Systems Forces, a separate branch of the AFU. The Russian equivalent branch is led by a much less public figure, drone supplier Yuri Vaganov (aka “Yura Unitaz” / Yura Toilet).

Mangal (Cope cage, slat armor). Roof screens welded onto tanks to stop drones. Evolved.

Mavic. The DJI Mavic 3T drones. The workhorse Chinese drone for reconnaissance and dropping small grenades.

Max. A new messenger app aggressively pushed by Russian authorities to replace others under online censorship.

Military-biological activity. Refers to alleged experiments with bacteriological weapons on Ukrainian territory—a theory that conspiracy theorists within the Russian leadership continue to pin on the United States. Igor Kirillov, the head of the Nuclear, Biological, and Chemical Protection Troops (who was killed in Moscow), was a true believer. He claimed that NATO forces had established 46 laboratories in Ukraine to infect birds and mosquitoes with dangerous viruses and were deliberately excavating cattle burial sites to unleash anthrax.

Myasnoy Shturm (Meat Assault). An unprepared infantry attack on fortified positions. It results in the rout of the attacking side and massive personnel losses. Until 2025, it also involved massive losses of military vehicles.

N

Nash Slon (“Our elephant”, meaning “Our cool guy”). Internet slang for approval, briefly assigned to various politicians. First widely used for anti-war candidate Boris Nadezhdin; now most often applied to Donald Trump, who fluctuates between being “our elephant” for pro-war and anti-war audiences depending on his latest statement.

Negative growth. “Truly negative growth” was a phrase used by Samara Governor Vyacheslav Fedorishchev to describe the economic situation.

Nol (Zero). The very front line.

NPZ (Oil Refinery). In 2025, these became the primary targets for Ukrainian long-range drones. See also: “Unplanned shutdowns”, “Kineticheskie sanktsii”, “Debris”.

O

Obnulenie (Zeroing someone out). A grim euphemism for murder within the Russian army (usually fratricide/execution). See also: “Puzikovshchina”.

Okhlazhdenie (Cooling). Has two meanings in 2025. Economic refers to the Central Bank raising rates to “cool down” the “overheated” war economy. Digital meaning refers to a “cooldown period” for SIM cards: any SIM activated from abroad or after a long period of inactivity cannot access the internet for 24 hours (this measure, aimed to stop long-range drones, appears ineffective).

Okhranota (Guard-tards). A term, sometimes derogatory, sometimes self-applied, for pro-government bloggers who defend the state against criticism from other “patriots.” Used to describe one faction in the infighting over fundraising (See: “Srochnosbor”).

Oshibatsya mozhno, vrat nelzya. (You can make mistakes, but you cannot lie). A slogan said by Andrei Belousov upon becoming Minister of Defense. A year and a half later, the phrase sounds like pure mockery.

Optovolokno (Fiber optics). Drones controlled via fiber optic cable. A Russian innovation by the “Rubicon” center involving an FPV drone carrying a spool of thin glass cable (up to 60km long) for video and control signals. Unlike radio-controlled drones, these cannot be jammed by electronic warfare.

Oreshnik. A medium-range missile system Putin boasts about as his new wonder weapon. This class of weapons was banned and destroyed by the US and USSR under the 1987 INF Treaty. One Oreshnik complex is reportedly deployed in Belarus near the Russian border.

P

Pautina (Operation Spiderweb). A Ukrainian operation against Russian strategic aviation. It achieved partial success, hitting two out of five targeted airfields and destroying/damaging over a dozen Tu-95 and Tu-22M3 bombers. Embarrassed by the deep infiltration, the FSB retaliated against the truck drivers whom the Ukrainian special services had used as unwitting mules.

Peredok (The front). One more term for the frontline.

Podsvinki (Shoats). A term for young pigs, used as a slur for foreign leaders by Vladimir Putin and Dmitry Medvedev. Putin likely imitates Khrushchev’s rustic, aggressive rhetoric (“Kuzka’s mother” etc).

Podval (Basement). The term for illegal detention and torture site for Russian soldiers. Deserters, drunks, and those refusing “meat assaults” are sent “to the basement” (most often using a grammatically incorrect phrase “na podval”). It doesn’t have to be underground; any structure will do. If none is available, see “Yama” (the Pit).

Predbednost (Pre-poverty). A euphemistic economic label used to downplay poverty by recasting it as a borderline condition. Example: “We have few poor people, but many pre-poor people”, as cited by researcher Alexandra Arkhipova.

Pervoprichiny SVO (Primal Causes [of the “Special Military Operation”]). A term used by Vladimir Putin, the meaning of which is known only to him. Based on his speeches, these causes range from Pecheneg and Polovtsian raids in 9–10th centuries to the actions of Cossacks commander Bohdan Khmelnytsky (17th century), the collapse of the USSR, and NATO’s violation of a promise Putin invented.

Prosachivanie (Seeping through or infiltration). A new Russian military tactic (late 2024–2025). Due to manpower shortages and FPV drone saturation making dense formations suicidal, Ukrainian defenses became “porous”. Russia exploited this by stopping armored assaults and sending single soldiers or tiny groups to walk kilometers under drone fire. Though many die, this “seeping” allowed Russia to encircle Pokrovsk and execute “gut-like breakthroughs” (kishka) in Dobropillya and Kupyansk.

Ptica/Ptichka (Birdie). Any flying drone (as opposed to ground or sea drones).

Puzikovschina (Puzikov regime). Named after Colonel Igor Puzik (callsign “Zloy”, Evil). A form of “zeroing out” (obnulenie) where a commander sends subordinates to certain death or kills them directly to settle scores or cover up crimes. Puzik famously is alleged to have sent drone innovators “Goodwin” and “Ernest” into a suicidal infantry assault.

R

Rubicon. The “Rubicon” Center for Unmanned Systems, created in late 2024 by Defense Minister Belousov. One of the most effective Russian units, known for pioneering fiber-optic FPV drones.

S

Shahed See “Geran”.

Shturma (The Storms, Storm Troopers). Expendable assault infantry units. Often comprised of convicts, punished soldiers, or those caught drinking. They are the ones “ground down” in “meat assaults”.

Spetzsbor (Special Reserves). Involuntary service guarding refineries and ports from Ukrainian drones. A euphemism from Putin’s decree calling up reservists to “protect critical infrastructure”.

Srochnosbor (Urgent fundraiser). Fundraising campaigns by pro-war bloggers. While some money buys drones and cars, much disappears. Different factions accuse each other of theft and fight for a monopoly on donations. This infighting led to the suicide of blogger Murz and the labeling of blogger Roman Alekhin as a “foreign agent”.

Stochit (v nol) (Grind down to zero). To sacrifice a unit in an assault, implying 100% casualties, dead or wounded. Example: “The regiment was ground down to zero storming this babkoselo.”

T

Tenevoy flot (Shadow Fleet). A fleet of ~1,000 aging tankers allowing Russia to bypass sanctions. Though these ships are cheap and expendable, Ukraine has targeted them with strikes (see “Kineticheskie sanktsii”).

Truba (Pipe). Operation Pipe refers to using old decrepit industrial pipes/tunnels to bypass Ukrainian defenses when the front is stagnant. Used successfully in Avdiivka where Russian troops crawled through a pipe to collapse city defenses. Similar tactics were used in Kursk (gas pipeline), Kupyansk, and the Seversky Donets canal. A Kazakh mercenary even claimed he was forced to dig World War I-style tunnels toward enemy lines.

Tsar-mangal. See “Yozhiki”.

U

UMPK, UMPB. Unified Gliding and Correction Module. Russia adapted old Soviet gravity bombs (FABs) with wings and satellite guidance—copying JDAMs—after initial failures. By 2025, they drop thousands of these bombs monthly from safe distances, devastating Ukrainian positions without risking aircraft.

Unplanned refinery shutdowns, unplanned repairs. A press-release euphemism used when an oil refinery had suspended operations due to a Ukrainian drone attack.

Utilsbor (Recycling fee). A shadow tax on Russians via imported cars introduced to cover soaring military spending.

V

Vampire. See “Baba Yaga”.

Vladimir Solovyov. TV anchor and propagandist who leads a powerful faction of milbloggers fighting for the “urgent fundraising” market against other pro-war groups. Solovyov’s network defended Colonel Puzik in the “Goodwin and Ernest” scandal.

Y

Yama (The Pit). Literally a hole in the ground used as a prison for soldiers, similar to “the basement”. A practice dating back to the Chechen wars (Zindan).

Yozhiki (Hedgehogs). A structure of unraveled wire cables welded onto military (or even civilian) vehicles to create a protective fuzz. This is the latest iteration of the “mangal” (grill) armor as of the time of publication. Due to the constant threat of drones, both sides tirelessly “modernize” whatever equipment they have. First came steel plates and logs, dubbed “Mad Max” for their resemblance to the film’s aesthetic. The next evolutionary step was the “Tsar-Mangal” (Tsar Grill), “Turtle”, or “Barn Tank”—a massive superstructure built over a vehicle using scrap materials like garages, industrial roofing, and rubber conveyor belts. Aesthetically, these monstrosities drifted from Mad Max to Warhammer 40k. Ultimately, none of these, including “Hedgehogs”, guarantee reliable protection against drones.

Z

Zakras (Maps filling). Also Glamuriki (Glam-arrows), “on credit”. The act of marking territory as controlled on a map by “colouring” it in. It is the basis of headquarters reporting. Russian generals love to report capturing territory “on credit”—claiming control before it is actually established to secure medals for “liberation”. Famous example: Kupyansk, which Vladimir Putin invited foreign journalists to visit as proof of its capture; a week later, Volodymyr Zelensky visited the city instead. Glamuriki is another slang term for these falsified maps used by military cartographers. Note: False reporting is also a serious issue for the AFU, partly blamed for the loss of Siversk.

Zeekr. Chinese electric car brand that became a symbol of corruption and embezzlement among “urgent-fundraisers” (Srochnosborschiki). Pro-war blogger Roman Alekhin, later declared a “foreign agent”, caused outrage among his peers by buying one of these luxury cars while soliciting donations for the front.

Zhduny (Awaiters). Old meaning (pre-2025): a derogatory term used by both sides to describe disloyal civilians in occupied territories who are “waiting” for the enemy army to arrive. New meaning: FPV drones that are pre-positioned by operators in ambushes on rooftops or roads. They “wait” in sleep mode until a target appears, at which point the operator activates them for an attack.

With contributions by Maxim Litavrin

Editor: Dmitry Tkachev