Ukraine shot down 140,000 Russian missiles, drones and aircraft over 4 years — including 44,000 Shahed-type drones now hitting US bases in the Middle East.
Ukraine sent 200 advisers to the Gulf.
Trump's response: "The last person we need help from is Zelenskyy" — The Times. 1/
Despite Trump's dismissal, US Central Command requested those Ukrainian advisers now deployed in Kuwait, Qatar, UAE and Saudi Arabia.
"It was short-sighted dismissing what Ukraine can contribute in specialist advice," says RUSI's Justin Bronk. 2/
Ukrainian officers were astonished to see Gulf states firing as many as eight Patriot missiles (each $3+ million) at a single target — even using them to hit cheap drones.
Ukrainians use only one or two missiles to down Russian ballistic missiles. 3/
"I don't understand what they had been doing, what they've been looking at for the four years we've been fighting," a senior Ukrainian officer said.
The US and Gulf allies appear to have ignored Ukrainian data on improving Patriot intercept rates. 4/
On March 1, three US F-15E fighter jets were shot down by Kuwaiti air defence while pursuing drones.
"In any war friendly fire happens, but in this particular case it was clear negligence," the Ukrainian officer said. 5/
In the first four days of the Iran war, the US and allies launched 800+ Patriot missiles—200 more than Ukraine received in three years.
"Often they were firing thoughtlessly." They used $6 million SM-6 missiles to shoot down $70,000 Shaheds. 6/
Cheap Shaheds caused billions in damage to US and Gulf assets. A $1 billion US early warning radar was hit. At least one $300 million air defence radar was destroyed.
Both were clearly visible in satellite imagery for two months before being struck. 7/
On May 13, 2023, "Matyoryi," a 25-year-old Patriot officer, shot down three Russian jets and two helicopters over Russia's Bryansk region by driving his battery close to the border for an ambush.
He turned defensive systems into offensive weapons. 8/
Matyoryi's team found ways to assemble and dismantle their Patriot battery far faster than American training manuals prescribed — firing and escaping before detection.
They ambushed Russian aircraft in skies Moscow thought were safe. 9/
Colonel Kyrylo Peretyatko, Hero of Ukraine, commanded a NASAMS battery that shot down 12 Russian cruise missiles in two minutes.
"Such operations have not existed in world history. This is a completely different war, which all countries are studying." 10X
Moldovan recruit Maxim Roșca was promised easy money and travel — then sent to camps in Bosnia and Serbia to train in drones, incendiary devices and protest tactics, Politico.
Recruits were told instructions would come from Moscow. 1/
In camps, they learned to fly drones, drop explosives, evade police and organize unrest — part of a Russia-backed network targeting operations across Europe. 2/
Moldovan investigator: “Dozens were trained.”
Prosecutors are probing 80 suspects, 20 indicted. Some linked to operations in France and Germany, including vandalism and election interference cases. 3/
There’s a 50–60% chance of a ceasefire in Ukraine this year — not soon, but before the US midterms.
If this window closes, the war could last another 1–2 years, with major consequences for Ukraine and Europe.
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Me: Russia is using global distraction to Iran to escalate — yesterday’s super major attack hit during the day, when people were at work and in traffic.
We can’t view these wars in isolation — Russia and Iran coordinate on intelligence, technology, and military.
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Me: Russia is using drones far more intensively than Iran.
To stop it, the key is cutting supply chains — especially sanctioning electronics and enforcing secondary sanctions on those enabling drone production in Iran and Russia.
Save Ukraine, charitable foundation, rescued 1,162 Ukrainian children using "underground railroad”. Russia is doing everything to prevent returns, so they use covert operations.
Founder Mykola Kuleba: "It's like special operation for every child" — CNN. 1/
Rostyslav Lavrov, 16, walked out of Russian naval academy in occupied Crimea October 2023. Save Ukraine volunteers waited to pick him up.
Took two days to reach Ukrainian territory. Russian authorities declared him "missing and wanted." 2/
Roughly 2,000 Ukrainian children returned home after being forcibly deported, illegally transferred to or stuck in Russia, Belarus or occupied areas.
Less than quarter came through official channels: 83 with help of Qatar, 19 through scheme spearheaded by Melania Trump. 3/
Oleksandr “Teren” Tarnai served nearly 4 years in an assault company. He fought across Zaporizhzhia, Kherson Oblast, Donetsk Oblast. On February 13, 2026 an artillery shell killed him. He was 35. 1/
He stayed by the vehicle waiting for a tow truck — not wanting to lose a single second delivering his men to the front. His friend, officer Yaroslav Halas of the 128th Brigade, writes about him on Ukrainska Pravda. 2/
Sashko did not wait for a conscription notice. On February 28, 2022 — his 32nd birthday — he walked into the recruitment office himself. He had every reason to join artillery: in 2016–2017 he served with a 152mm D-20 howitzer. He asked for infantry instead. 3/
Ukrainian drones are killing Russians faster than Russia can replace them.
A top Ukrainian drone commander “Madyar”: We need to keep milking this cow, exhausting it beyond its maximum capacity — The Economist.
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Ukrainian drones killed or incapacitated at least 8,776 more Russian soldiers than Moscow replaced over winter. Drone units are just 2% of the army, but cause over a third of Russian losses.
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At peak, drones caused 388 Russian losses in a single day — about one assault battalion. Madyar’s unit alone accounts for roughly one-sixth of total losses.
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