Ukraine updates in English

[US7IGN]

I believe that first of all, it is not only putin who is fighting, but the russians. If he did not meet their expectations, then how could he have stayed in power for so many years? He is also trying to act as rationally as possible in achieving his ambitious goal - to go down in history as a strong leader who dedicated his life to the restoration of the russian Empire. At least if we look at how he organized mobilization, it was done very skillfully and effectively. russians are not only not caught on the streets and forced to join the army, but they go to fight voluntarily. russia's borders are open and its economy is not collapsing due to a shortage of workers. Moreover, thanks to the war in russia, a layer of society has appeared that is interested in continuing the war against Ukraine.

The Telegraph conducted a study of changes in russia during the war and came to the conclusion that it significantly affected the socio-economic structure of the country. In industrial regions, workers receive high salaries and bonuses at enterprises producing military products, while the families of military contractors receive significant social benefits.

A new middle class is emerging from the formerly poor, depressed regions of russia, where many russians previously had no stable jobs. Military contracts, higher salaries, and social benefits create economic benefits that some russians seek to maintain, even if it means continuing the war. The military economy stimulates domestic consumption in remote and poor regions of russia. Demand for services, hotels, and restaurants increases, while the population spends more on education, sports, and household needs.

After the war ends and the military is demobilized, the new middle class may quickly lose its financial benefits and social privileges, potentially leading to social instability in the country. And this is an important factor that encourages russia to continue the war.
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2025/08/24/russias-new-middle-class-cant-afford-for-putins-war-to-end/?utm_campaign=feed&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=later-linkinbio

All those who continue to underestimate the russians should pay attention to the fact that, for example, they recently produced their fifth nuclear submarine, capable of carrying supersonic missiles. https://gazeta.ua/articles/world-life/_rosiya-vivela-na-viprobuvannya-pershu-atomnu-submarinu-i-zastosuvala-z-novimi-giperzvukovimi--raketami/1228154

They also continue to produce modern fifth-generation aircraft, albeit in small quantities, but independently. While the West continues to admire the brave Ukrainians who are forced to shoot down drones using light training prop planes with shotguns and rifles. https://www.wsj.com/world/ukraine-russia-drone-hunting-e2fea5fc

[US7IGN]

I have a feeling that many serious processes are taking place secretly and that we can only learn about indirectly. For example, about the preparations for the elections in Ukraine. But it seems that Ukrainians will once again be offered only the illusion of choice. At least they are already beginning to be led to believe through publications in reputable Western publications that Zaluzhny should be a worthy next president of Ukraine. One such article was recently published in The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/world/ng-interactive/2025/aug/25/general-envoy-future-ukraine-president-valerii-zaluzhnyi-london-waiting-game

It is difficult to say what will change in Ukraine due to the replacement of one player with another from the same team, but at least the issue of the legitimacy of the president will be resolved and Ukraine will be protected from political upheavals at such a dangerous time. On the other hand, there will be no hope for changes in state policy and the situation inside the country. But I do not rule out the strengthening of authoritarianism and the emergence of a hybrid of corrupt officials and military dictatorship. Yermak proposes to reform the Office of the President and involve more military personnel and veterans in the work. https://hromadske.radio/news/2025/08/22/yermak-proponuie-reformuvaty-ofis-prezydenta-y-zaluchyty-do-roboty-bilshe-viyskovykh-i-veteraniv

The state of war can continue indefinitely, since Europe promises to continue financing Ukraine. Germany will provide Ukraine with EUR9 billion annually in the coming years, said the country's Finance Minister and Vice Chancellor of the German government, Lars Klingbeil. https://interfax.com.ua/news/general/1099062.html

Ukraine's access to Elon Musk's satellite internet service Starlink could be cut due to the Polish president's veto of a refugee aid bill, a Polish deputy prime minister said on Monday, as a conflict between the government and head of state deepens. Poland pays for Ukraine to use Starlink, which provides crucial internet connectivity to the country and its military as they try to push back invading russian forces. Polish President Karol Nawrocki on Monday vetoed a bill extending state financial support provided to Ukrainian refugees and unveiled plans to limit their future access to child benefits and healthcare. https://tvpworld.com/88525661/president-nawrockis-veto-means-poland-cant-pay-for-ukraines-starlink-access-from-october-official

russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov believes that Ukraine "has the right to exist" if it gives up its territories on which the russian Federation has held pseudo-referendums. The Kremlin will not accept President Volodymyr Zelensky's signature on legal documents establishing terms for an end to russia's full-scale war against Ukraine, russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said in an interview with NBC News released on Aug. 24. Lavrov said the Kremlin views Zelensky as the "de facto head of the regime" but not a legitimate leader of Ukraine.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jPggR7sHsBo

The fact that the russians have once again become welcome guests of the leading media in the States is sad. The tactic of using selective truth makes russian propaganda extremely convincing and effective. Unfortunately, nothing is heard in the opposite direction. Which of the Western leaders is broadcast in the same way by the media in russia or China?

Vladimir putin is being held up by Donald Trump’s administration as a reasonable wartime leader who is ready for peace. In a wide-ranging interview, JD Vance, the US vice-president, cited a number of “concessions” that he claimed showed the Kremlin was serious about ending its invasion of Ukraine. putin’s apparent compromises, Mr Vance said, had not been offered by Moscow in the last three-and-a-half years of fighting, and were only made possible by Mr Trump. However, these concessions, as envisaged by Mr Vance, are more of a mirage to hoodwink the White House than a genuine compromise, wrote The Telegraph. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2025/08/25/jd-vance-russia-ukraine-concessions-peace-usa-trump/

Ukraine has stepped up drone attacks on russian oil refineries and exporting infrastructure, striking the most important sector of President Vladimir putin's economy to show it can fight back as the United States seeks to broker a peace deal. Ukrainian attacks on 10 plants disrupted at least 17% of russia's refinery capacity, or 1.1 million barrels per day, according to Reuters calculations. https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/russian-oil-refineries-terminals-burn-ukraine-hits-putins-war-economy-2025-08-25/

In the Rivne region, another conscript died at a collection point for sending to a military training center. The mobilization center refers to the results of investigative and operational measures and notes that the man's death occurred due to heart failure. But they did not say anything about how the sick man was recognized as fit for military service and whether anyone will be punished for a knowingly false medical report. https://sud.ua/uk/news/ukraine/339388-v-rovenskoy-oblasti-v-punkte-sbora-vnezapno-umer-voennoobyazannyy-vitaliy-sakharuk-v-ttsk-otreagirovali

Meanwhile, Ukraine is slowly closed by an iron curtain. On the western border, barriers with deep ditches and barbed wire continue to be built. When will mines and machine guns appear there, who will shoot in the back those who want to escape from Ukraine? Is it even possible to call a normal country from which people are trying to escape?

[N0TZU]

Putin certainly has been skillful. But the West has allowed the Russian economy to function because of sanctions that were substantially bypassed without significant consequence. Sanctions can always be bypassed in some way, but a tight, leaky sieve is considerably better than one with gaping holes.

The West is always concerned with setting a precedent that could haunt them later, which is one reason why Russian assets in the west haven’t been seized, nor shadow oil tankers seized. Sooner or later it comes down to money.

Wlad, how do you read paywalled articles from so many sources?

How I wish to know what sweet things have been whispered by Putin to Dear Leader Trump! Regardless, Vance surely knows better than the baby formula that he regurgitates about peace negotiations.

Where on the western border have the fortifications been built, or are being built?

[US7IGN]

Wlad, how do you read paywalled articles from so many sources?

In fact, I read their translations into Ukrainian or Polish on several local sites. Some sites translate the articles in full. Some, like the BBC, quote large fragments. I always give a link to the original article.

Where on the western border have the fortifications been built, or are being built?

Large fortifications are being built on the border with Belarus and Transnistria, explaining the threat of an attack from there. It is clear that this works both ways. Previously, people fled to Belarus because the border runs through forests, but now people are mainly fleeing from Ukraine through the mountains to Romania. There is less population there, unlike the border with Slovakia. Where the border runs along flat land, there is enough barbed wire and drone surveillance, but in some areas they have already started digging ditches. Also, 50 km from the border, checkpoints have been set up on the roads and you have to walk for several days to get to the border alone, which requires serious preparation. There have also been more frequent cases when border guards started shooting at fugitives, so it is becoming increasingly difficult to escape from Ukraine.

[US7IGN]

Today is a sunny morning, I am alive and unharmed, I have electricity and water, and even the smell of smoke from the street and my poor health cannot spoil my mood. This night there was another massive attack on Kyiv from hundreds of drones and a dozen missiles. There were many hits, the exact addresses of which can be found in the municipality's reports about blocked roads. I looked out the window at the burning local railway depot, where a train was hit. The walls shook from some of the explosions, and I could not identify some of the sounds at all. Maybe they were missiles, maybe new jet drones. Many residential buildings in the capital were destroyed or damaged, in one of which an entire entrance was blown away. Drones also attacked other regions, mainly western ones, almost all night.
https://www.bbc.com/ukrainian/articles/cpqv0e8v71jo
https://expres.online/podrobitsi/ataka-na-kiiv-moment-podviynogo-vluchannya-potrapiv-na-video
https://uatv.ua/uk/majzhe-600-bpla-balistychni-krylati-ta-aerobalistychni-rakety-zapustyla-rosiya-po-ukrayini-detali-vidbyttya-ataky/
https://texty.org.ua/fragments/115769/rosiya-masovano-atakuvala-kyyiv-s-zahybli-vshent-zrujnovano-pidyizd-5-poverhivky-foto-video/

Instead, Ukrainian drones struck the Kuibyshev and Afip refineries in russia's Samara region and Krasnodar Krai on the night of Thursday, August 28. The russian oil refining industry lost another 4.7% of its capacity that night, and a total of 21% in two weeks. https://www.ukrinform.ua/rubric-ato/4030281-sili-oboroni-vnoci-urazili-kujbisevskij-ta-afipskij-npz-u-rosii.html

[US7IGN]

After a night of intense bombardment by russia, Ukrainian search and rescue teams are still picking through the rubble. It was russia's deadliest onslaught on Kyiv since July, leaving at least 19 dead, including four children. https://www.bbc.com/news/live/czd0z0grm9lt

I would like to know what goal russia pursues by spending hundreds of drones and dozens of missiles on strikes on Kyiv, but by doing so it only draws attention to its terrorist nature. No matter how cynical it may sound, destruction and victims outside Kyiv have become commonplace and remain almost unnoticed outside the regions. Instead, broken windows in the offices of international companies or damaged embassy buildings in the capital, as well as photos of respectable people against the backdrop of the consequences of strikes, immediately appear on the front pages of world media and cause a wave of posts on social networks.

The war also continues at sea, where ships are becoming victims of naval drones. russians hit Ukrainian medium reconnaissance ship "Simferopol"
https://24tv.ua/rosiyani-urazili-korabel-vms-zsu-odin-chlen-ekipazhu-zaginuv_n2903158
Ukrainians hit a russian missile ship, a carrier of Kalibr cruise missiles, in the Sea of ​​Azov - not far from the temporarily occupied Crimea. https://uatv.ua/uk/ukrayinski-rozvidnyky-vrazyly-nosij-kalibriv-v-azovskomu-mori-detali/

russia is trying to disrupt Ukraine's preparations for winter by carrying out attacks on energy and gas infrastructure facilities in various regions. On the night of August 26-27, the enemy carried out targeted strikes with unmanned aerial vehicles, damaging equipment at substations, the Ministry of Energy of Ukraine reports. https://mev.gov.ua/novyna/rosiyany-atakuvaly-obyekty-enerhetychnoyi-ta-hazotransportnoyi-infrastruktury-v-shesty

In the Ryazan region of russia on Wednesday, August 27, explosions caused the Ryazan-Moscow main oil pipeline to fail, a source in the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense (GUR MO) of Ukraine told DW. The transportation of petroleum products to Moscow has been suspended indefinitely. https://www.dw.com/uk/u-rf-pisla-vibuhiv-vijsov-z-ladu-naftoprovid-razanmoskva-dzerelo-v-gur/a-73780825?maca=ukr-rss-ukrnet-ukr-all-3816-xml

The Ukrainian military has confirmed that russian forces have crossed the border into Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, an important industrial region in eastern Ukraine. https://www.bbc.com/ukrainian/articles/cx29jqqr21eo?xtor=AL-73-%5Bpartner%5D-%5Bukr%5D-%5Bheadline%5D-%5Bukrainian%5D-%5Bbizdev%5D-%5Bisapi%5D

From Kyiv to the Suwałki Gap, bogs return as Europe’s defensive shield. European countries are considering restoring bogs as a natural barrier against russian armored vehicles, particularly in Finland and Poland, writes Politico. https://www.politico.eu/article/russia-defense-kyiv-ukraine-nato-eu-bogs-poland-war-germany/

Rheinmetall AG opened what will be Europe’s biggest ammunition factory after a slight delay as discussions about security guarantees for Ukraine gather steam and Germany sets out to massively expand its military, writes Bloomberg. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-08-27/rheinmetall-opens-europe-s-largest-artillery-ammunition-factory?taid=68aeb4a52564470001bdda6e&utm_campaign=trueanthem&utm_content=business&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter

[N0TZU]

I Am relieved that you were not directly affected by the attacks on Kyiv.

My guess as to why there is more press coverage of Kyiv attacks and casualties is that probably most Western reporters are stationed there.

Congratulations to the UA forces for their effective attacks on Russian petroleum infrastructure. Besides being vital to the Russian military and economy, they conveniently supply their own incendiary material! In addition it may make an impression on those Russians for whom the war seems far away and without much consequence to them. Alas, being steeped in propaganda, they will likely draw the wrong inference.

I think that Brady will be happy that the Rheinmetall ammo factory is open. I hope his stock investment does very well.

Bogs as military barriers. Well, everything old is new again.

[US7IGN]

Congratulations to the UA forces for their effective attacks on Russian petroleum infrastructure. Besides being vital to the Russian military and economy, they conveniently supply their own incendiary material! In addition it may make an impression on those Russians for whom the war seems far away and without much consequence to them. Alas, being steeped in propaganda, they will likely draw the wrong inference.

Let me remind you aa old joke in russia: A boy asks his dad: "father, now they have put up the price of vodka, does it mean you will drink less?" He replies: "no, my child, it means you will eat less."

Sure, the russians blame this on the Ukrainians who are attacking the oil refineries, not on their government, whose actions led to this.

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky signed a decree appointing Olga Stefanyshyna, former Minister of Justice of Ukraine, as Ambassador of Ukraine to the United States of America. https://nv.ua/ukr/world/geopolitics/zelenskiy-priznachiv-stefanishinu-novim-poslom-ukrajini-v-ssha-50540429.html

The profile committee of the Verkhovna Rada supported the draft law, which proposes to punish servicemen for disobeying a senior commander with imprisonment for a term of 5 to 10 years. In fact, this also means a ban on courts, when passing sentences, to impose a milder punishment on military personnel than is provided for by law and to release them from serving sentences with probation. The Military Ombudsman and the military themselves condemn such an initiative. They believe that this will not lead to improved discipline, but that the changes are aimed at instilling an atmosphere of fear, suppressing any dissent, and unleashing terror against the undesirable and inconvenient. https://sud.ua/uk/news/publication/339676-voennyy-ombudsmen-prizvala-zakonodateley-ne-prevraschat-sudey-v-statistov-zapreschaya-im-naznachat-bolee-myagkoe-nakazanie-voennosluzhaschim-za-nepodchinenie
https://censor.net/ua/b3570897

Ukraine will change the rules for holding mass events. Organizers must first coordinate them with the General Staff of the Armed Forces. The order of the military administration was signed in fulfillment of the order of Prime Minister Yulia Svirydenko. https://sud.ua/uk/news/ukraine/339683-ne-tolko-v-kieve-teper-massovye-meropriyatiya-v-ukraine-vozmozhny-tolko-s-razresheniya-voennykh

Apparently, even protests like the one in this video, where the number of police far exceeds the number of protesters, really scare the authorities. https://www.facebook.com/reel/1205598111374127

When on 28.08.2025 the authorities suddenly allowed men aged 18 to 22 to travel outside Ukraine, several versions appeared explaining this decision. One of them is the desire to get rid of young people who could threaten the authorities with their protests, as happened during the "cartoons" when young people came out to protest against the limitation of the powers of anti-corruption bodies. But as border guards say, this permission did not lead to a significant increase in passenger traffic. https://sud.ua/uk/news/publication/339565-vyekhat-za-granitsu-smogut-muzhchiny-ot-18-do-22-let-vklyuchitelno-krome-opredelennykh-dolzhnostnykh-lits-opublikovano-postanovlenie
https://sud.ua/uk/news/ukraine/339698-gpsu-razreshenie-na-vyezd-muzhchin-do-23-let-ne-privelo-k-uvelicheniyu-passazhiropotoka

I think another version is more likely. To go abroad, young men will have to register for military service to receive the appropriate document. It is possible that the situation will repeat when people did the same to get a reservation, and then received summonses. In the near future, this theory may be confirmed if the draft age is lowered. Otherwise, the following theory will make sense, which says that this is populism before the upcoming elections. If the war ends and elections are held in the near future, the army will be significantly reduced in any case and young people will not be drafted.

Unfortunately, all this is happening against the backdrop of a constantly deteriorating international situation for Ukraine.

A Polish musician, singer-songwriter, satirist, essayist and actor Krzysztof Skiba attributes the worsening attitude towards Ukrainians in Poland to russian influence: "We're pushing ourselves under the Russian thumb. We clearly miss Moscow's rule, from which Wałęsa, in partnership with Reagan, freed us over thirty years ago. Poles have grown tired of democracy, prosperity, and vacations in Croatia. We once again dream of turning Poland into a Russian collective farm, a land of poverty and backwardness, and a western province of Stalin's empire. These aren't fantasies, but a realistic assessment of what's CURRENTLY HAPPENING. Anti-Ukrainian sentiment, and even a trend of attacking Ukraine, brings us closer every day to the jaws and Soviet muck offered by Putin. To win the war, or at least at checkers, you need to do some good research. Who is friend and who is foe. The only country actively fighting Putin, Ukraine, which has been offering effective resistance and bleeding for three years, has ceased to appeal to Poles. The current trend is stupid, absurd and suicidal spitting on everything Ukrainian." https://www.facebook.com/KrzysztofSkibaFanPage/posts/pod-ruski-butsami-pchamy-si%C4%99-pod-ruski-but-t%C4%99sknimy-wida%C4%87-do-rz%C4%85d%C3%B3w-moskwy-od-kt/1268101134768587/

russian oil exports to India are set to rise in September, dealers said, as New Delhi defies U.S. punitive tariffs designed to force the country to stop the trade and push Moscow towards a peace deal with Ukraine. India has become the biggest buyer of russian oil supplies that were displaced by Western sanctions after Moscow invaded Ukraine in 2022. This has allowed Indian refiners to benefit from cheaper crude, Reuters reports. https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/indias-russian-oil-imports-set-rise-september-defiance-us-2025-08-28/

Three years after russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the U.S. and European Union still import billions of euros worth of russian energy and commodities, ranging from liquefied natural gas to enriched uranium. Imports of goods from russia in the first quarter of 2025 totaled 8.74 billion euros ($10.11 billion), down from 30.58 billion euros four years earlier. Since January 2022, the EU has imported 297 billion euros' worth of russian goods. The EU, however, continues to purchase oil, nickel, natural gas, fertilizer, iron and steel from russia. Despite the significant drop in imports, this still gives India reason to accuse the West of double standards. https://www.reuters.com/world/three-years-into-war-us-and-europe-keep-billions-trade-with-russia-2025-08-05/

Xi shows Trump who holds the cards as he sets up meeting with Kim and Putin, who are attending a military parade in the centre of Beijing. It's also a key diplomatic win for Xi. The Chinese leader has been trying hard to project Beijing's power on the international stage - not just as the world's second-largest economy, but also as a diplomatic heavyweight. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cx29z9g2kl2o

[KD8ZM-Brady]

I think that Brady will be happy that the Rheinmetall ammo factory is open. I hope his stock investment does very well.

I know I've been away from commenting for a while, but I must have missed the development of some inside joke!

Wlad, I didn't understand what is going on in Poland from your last message. When I watch European news channels, I consistently hear that Poland is arming up against Russia far faster than just about any other nation (not just promising to, as Germany is doing). But it sounds like some are thinking that Poles are hoping to return to the Russian fold...?

[N0TZU]

“ Let me remind you aa old joke in russia: A boy asks his dad: "father, now they have put up the price of vodka, does it mean you will drink less?" He replies: "no, my child, it means you will eat less."”

Thanks for the reminder, propaganda is only part of the problem.

Good article on the many missteps of Trump’s negotiator Steve Witless here. https://www.politico.com/news/2025/08/29/steve-witkoff-russia-ukraine-00533390?nid=0000018f-3124-de07-a98f-3be4d1400000&nname=politico-toplines&nrid=203aeaa3-9053-45b0-8b42-cfe6ef107bb0

[US7IGN]

There was an air raid alert all night and I didn't sleep well, although there were no explosions heard in Kyiv. russia carried out a massive strike on Ukraine all night with cruise and ballistic missiles, as well as drones. Zaporizhia and Dnipro were the most affected, drones also reached western Ukraine. Again, dozens of destroyed houses and dead. https://www.bbc.com/ukrainian/articles/c79lpxewx42o?xtor=AL-73-%5Bpartner%5D-%5Bukr%5D-%5Bheadline%5D-%5Bukrainian%5D-%5Bbizdev%5D-%5Bisapi%5D

If last winter the russians seemed to expect to gain control of the entire country and not destroy the energy sector, then this year I would not expect it. If they decide to stop, then it is logical to expect that they will try to destroy everything that remains outside their control. But for now, russia also continues to suffer losses. For the first time since the start of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, russia has spent half of its federal budget revenues on the war. https://www.rbc.ua/rus/news/povnomasshtabne-vtorgnennya-ukrayinu-vpershe-1756538653.html

On the night of August 30, russia was massively attacked by drones. Explosions were heard in particular in the Samara and Krasnodar regions, where oil refineries were hit. https://focus.ua/uk/voennye-novosti/721790-rosiyska-nafta-cherez-ataku-bezpilotnikiv-palayut-naftopererobni-zavodi-u-sizrani-i-krasnodari?utm_source=ukrnet_news

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said that the aggressor country russia is trying to destabilize Europe every day and is attacking its infrastructure. https://www.tf1info.fr/international/guerre-en-ukraine-russie-le-chancelier-allemand-friedrich-merz-sur-lci-vladimir-poutine-veut-restaurer-l-union-sovietique-2391620.html

But the main event in Ukraine today was the murder of the former speaker of the Ukrainian parliament Andriy Parubiy in the western city of Lviv. Parubiy, 54, rose to prominence during Ukraine's Euromaidan mass protests, which advocated closer ties with the EU and brought down pro-russian former President Viktor Yanukovych in 2014. Parubiy was a pivotal figure in the Euromaidan movement, which began after Yanukovych's government refused to sign an association agreement with the EU in late 2013. He organised and co-ordinated Maidan's "self-defence" - armed teams of protesters who guarded the sprawling tent camp in the heart of the capital Kyiv. He was injured several times during clashes with Ukraine's riot police. After Yanukovych's ouster, he became secretary of Ukraine's National Security and Defence Council, during a period when Russia-armed separatists began fighting in eastern Ukraine - and when russian President Vladimir putin annexed the southern Crimea peninsula. Following russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Parubiy joined Ukraine's territorial defence. He had been a lawmaker in Ukraine's current parliament. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cjw6ep37469o

Among the theories that are now being told by so-called "experts" on every YouTube channel, from the current government's elimination of possible competitors before the elections to the operation of the russian special services. I did not know him personally and I do not want to say anything about him as a person and a politician, but such murders in the middle of the day demonstrate the next level to which situation in Ukraine has descended.

Even the wonderful weather cannot relieve the headache and improve bad mood, but it helps to write the next book, which I finally have time to work on. It seems that my last project with the company I collaborated with for a whole year will soon end and I will again have a lot of time and little money.

A German approached me with a proposal to organize a joint business in Ukraine for the production of electronics, but he does not imagine how difficult it is, considering that even an investment project of a company like Rheinmetall with all their resources is hampered. On the other hand, there are examples of success, and all those who somehow continue to work in Ukraine. For example Germany's Quantum Systems is ramping up its production inside Ukraine as well as bolstering cooperation with its plants in Germany. Quantum's reconnaissance Vector drones were among the first donated to Ukraine as humanitarian aid in the initial weeks of russia's full-scale invasion in early 2022. Over the next three years, Quantum Systems opened facilities across the war-torn country — an addition to its existing production and delivery lines in Germany, the United States and Australia. https://www.politico.eu/article/germany-drone-quantum-systems-ukraine/

In any case, I started talking to everyone I knew who was already making or had the ability to make electronics. While the production of drones and other electronics for the military is the most profitable business in Ukraine, it is also the most dangerous, not only because of russian drone attacks, but also because of the terrible corruption and attention from law enforcement agencies.

Ukraine's anti-corruption agency has been investigating the country's star deep-strike drone company — Fire Point — over concerns it misled the government on pricing and deliveries, five sources with knowledge of the investigation told the Kyiv Independent. https://kyivindependent.com/exclusive-maker-of-ukraines-prized-flamingo-cruise-missile-facing-corruption-probe/?fbclid=IwY2xjawMebXVleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETFDajdqMUx0TUlqbFcyWWJuAR6AhrYuRoVL6gCdfVFdVGz25FGLk2TXuAtH-URCJhe-yX008R2HxK0l0i4BYA_aem_mEZFuPTw6qEb-7jL-GCl4A

The National Anti-Corruption Bureau, or NABU, is also looking into the co-owner of President Volodymyr Zelensky's former film studio as the alleged ultimate beneficiary of the company, sources said. Until recently, the weapons maker was virtually unknown outside of Ukraine's defense circles, despite appearing to be one of the largest — if not the largest — recipient of Defense Ministry drone budget funds, according to documents obtained by the Kyiv Independent. But over the past weeks, Fire Point has gone on a charm offensive, promoting its FP-1 deep-strike drones and "Flamingo" cruise missile in Western media. In his first public comments about the weapon, Zelensky last week called the Flamingo Ukraine's "most successful" missile the country has in its arsenal to defend against ussia's nearly four-year full-scale invasion.

[US7IGN]

Wlad, I didn't understand what is going on in Poland from your last message. When I watch European news channels, I consistently hear that Poland is arming up against Russia far faster than just about any other nation (not just promising to, as Germany is doing). But it sounds like some are thinking that Poles are hoping to return to the Russian fold...?

I also do not know all the nuances, but it seems to me that in Poland, measures aimed at strengthening armed protection against russia and populist movements to persecute Ukrainians on the part of the new Polish president and his electorate are strangely combined. I am not inclined to think that he is stupid and does not realize the economic and political consequences in the event of a deterioration of relations with Ukraine and Ukrainians, which gives reason to believe that he is either ready to cede Poland's interests for his own or is under the influence of russia, which only will benefit from this. Unfortunately, the Ukrainian issue became one of the main ones played out by competing parties during the last elections.

russia is likely to step up attacks in an attempt to destroy Ukraine's energy infrastructure before winter, according to a report by the US Institute for the Study of War. https://www.understandingwar.org/backgrounder/russian-offensive-campaign-assessment-august-30-2025

[N0TZU]

I know I've been away from commenting for a while, but I must have missed the development of some inside joke!

Hi Brady, glad to see you here!

I thought that you had mentioned being invested in Rheinmetall AG, but I must be mistaken.

[US7IGN]

In the Odessa region, border guards shot a man who was trying to flee Ukraine while crossing the border. https://sud.ua/uk/news/ukraine/340070-v-odesskoy-oblasti-pri-popytke-peresecheniya-granitsy-iz-za-pulevogo-raneniya-pogib-muzhchina-gpsu-naznachila-rassledovanie
Think about it, Ukrainians shoot other Ukrainians in the back. Some people have turned into desperate, lawless animals, and others into monsters. The fact that the authorities have limited people's freedom could still be explained by their greed and desire to maintain power at any cost. But how can you explain when some people shoot others in the back. They shoot not at the enemy, but at their own fellow citizens. In the back. The degradation of society is frightening. What is even more frightening is that a sufficient number of people have formed and exist in Ukraine who consider all this acceptable. Or maybe only those who are even worse than them can stop the russians? And this is the main goal of the selection of those who were previously Ukrainians and will remain on the territory of the country that was previously Ukraine? Now I ask myself, what do I have in common with this country and the people who live here?

[KD8ZM-Brady]

Wlad, I didn't understand what is going on in Poland from your last message. When I watch European news channels, I consistently hear that Poland is arming up against Russia far faster than just about any other nation (not just promising to, as Germany is doing). But it sounds like some are thinking that Poles are hoping to return to the Russian fold...?

I also do not know all the nuances, but it seems to me that in Poland, measures aimed at strengthening armed protection against russia and populist movements to persecute Ukrainians on the part of the new Polish president and his electorate are strangely combined. I am not inclined to think that he is stupid and does not realize the economic and political consequences in the event of a deterioration of relations with Ukraine and Ukrainians, which gives reason to believe that he is either ready to cede Poland's interests for his own or is under the influence of russia, which only will benefit from this. Unfortunately, the Ukrainian issue became one of the main ones played out by competing parties during the last elections.

russia is likely to step up attacks in an attempt to destroy Ukraine's energy infrastructure before winter, according to a report by the US Institute for the Study of War. https://www.understandingwar.org/backgrounder/russian-offensive-campaign-assessment-august-30-2025

Definitely seems like a divergence, doesn't it? Ockam's razor would suggest to me that Poles are vitally concerned about protecting their own country from Russia, but not as concerned about protecting Ukraine. Or, they may be looking at other EU countries that have been disrupted by an influx of Muslim migrants and generalizing that fear to include Ukrainians. (Seems like an irrational fear in regard to Ukrainian refugees!) At any rate the Polish politicians are catering to the fears of the populace.