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⚡️ 'Russian propagandist' — Bessent hits back as Kremlin envoy Dmitriev downplays US sanctions.

"The Russian economy is a wartime economy. Growth is virtually zero," U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told CBS News.
kyivindependent.com/russian-propag…
(US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent addresses a press conference in Rosenbad after the trade talks between the US and China concluded, in Stockholm, Sweden, on July 29, 2025. (Magnus Lejhall /AFP via Getty Images) 2/
U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on Oct. 26 called Kremlin envoy Kirill Dmitriev a "Russian propagandist" after the latter claimed U.S. sanctions would not impact Russia's economy.

The statement comes as the Trump
kyivindependent.com/tag/donald-tru…
administration, for the first time, imposed fresh sanctions against Russia, targeting its leading oil companies.

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Why does Russia want Donbas? 6 things to know about the region Ukraine is being pressured to give up

Russian President Vladimir Putin is once again trying to seize through political backchanneling what he has failed to capture by force.
kyivindependent.com/why-does-russi… 2/
According to the Financial Times (FT),
ft.com/content/7960c6…
Putin once again is trying to entice U.S. President Donald Trump to pressure Ukraine into surrendering the eastern Donbas region — a territory Moscow
kyivindependent.com/tag/moscow/
has fought to occupy for more than a decade

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- I owe my Trump-supporting family and friends an apology.

- I’ve been critical of the Trump presidency and am still exhausted from the experience.

But to be fair, President Trump wasn’t that bad, other than when:

He incited an insurrection against the government
Mismanaged a pandemic that killed nearly half a million Americans
Separated children from their families, and lost those children in the bureaucracy

Tear-gassed peaceful protesters on Lafayette Square so he could hold a photo op holding a Bible in front of a church

Tried to block all Muslims from entering the country
Got impeached, got impeached again

Had the worst jobs record of any president in modern history

Pressured Ukraine to dig dirt on Joe Biden

Fired the FBI director for investigating his ties to Russia

Bragged about firing the FBI director on TV
Took Vladimir Putin’s word over the US intelligence community

Diverted military funding to build his wall
Caused the longest government shutdown in US history

Called Black Lives Matter a “symbol of hate"

Lied 30,000 times
Banned transgender people from serving in the military

Ejected reporters from the White House briefing room who asked tough questions

Vetoed the defense funding bill because it renamed military bases named for Confederate soldiers

Refused to release his tax returns

Increased the national debt by nearly $8 trillion

Had three of the highest annual trade deficits in U.S. history

Called veterans and soldiers who died in combat losers and suckers

Coddled the leader of Saudi Arabia after he ordered the execution and dismembering of a US-based journalist

Refused to concede the 2020 election

Hired his unqualified daughter and son-in-law to work in the White House

Walked out of an interview with Lesley Stahl

Called neo-Nazis “very fine people”

Suggested that people should inject bleach into their bodies to fight COVID 2/
Abandoned our allies the Kurds to Turkey

Pushed through massive tax cuts for the wealthiest but balked at helping working Americans
Incited anti-lockdown protestors in several states at the height of the pandemic

Withdrew the US from the Paris climate accords

Withdrew the US from the Iranian nuclear deal

Withdrew the US from the Trans Pacific Partnership which was designed to block China’s advances
Insulted his own Cabinet members on Twitter

Pushed the leader of Montenegro out of the way during a photo op

Failed to reiterate US commitment to defending NATO allies

Called Haiti and African nations “shithole” countries

Called the city of Baltimore the “worst in the nation"

Claimed that he single handedly brought back the phrase “Merry Christmas” even though it hadn’t gone anywhere

Forced his Cabinet members to praise him publicly like some cult leader

Believed he should be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize

Berated and belittled his hand-picked Attorney General when he recused himself from the Russia probe

Suggested the US should buy Greenland

Colluded with Mitch McConnell to push through federal judges and two Supreme Court justices after supporting efforts to prevent his predecessor from appointing judges

Repeatedly called the media “enemies of the people"

Claimed that if we tested fewer people for COVID we’d have fewer cases

Violated the emoluments clause

Thought that Nambia was a country

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Putin demanded in a conversation with Trump to end the war in Ukraine – WP

In a phone conversation with US President Donald Trump, Kremlin dictator Vladimir Putin demanded that Ukraine withdraw its troops from the territory of Donetsk region to stop the war. In return, Russia is allegedly ready to partially withdraw from Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions.

This was reported by The Washington Post, citing sources. It should be noted that publicly, the American, Ukrainian, or Russian sides have not confirmed such conditions.

The publication's interlocutors claimed that during a meeting on Friday in Washington, the US President's special representative Steve Witkoff allegedly pressured the Ukrainian delegation to hand over Donetsk to Russia, arguing that "the region is mostly Russian-speaking."

Details
obozrevatel.com/ukr/politics-n… 2/
This was stated by The Washington Post , citing sources .
washingtonpost.com/politics/2025/…

It should be noted that neither the American, Ukrainian, or Russian sides publicly confirmed such conditions.

"What journalists learned about the negotiations"

The publication's interlocutors claimed that during a meeting on Friday in Washington, US President's special representative Steve Witkoff allegedly pressured the Ukrainian delegation to hand over Donetsk region to Russia, arguing that "the region is mostly Russian-speaking."

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Ukrainian teenager killed in Ireland wanted to become a cybersecurity expert and fight against Russia — media

17-year-old Ukrainian citizen Vadym Davydenko, who died from knife injuries in a refugee center in Ireland, dreamed of becoming a cybersecurity expert and fighting against Russia as part of a cyber unit
hromadske.ua/europa/253304-… 2/
This is reported by the Irish Times
irishtimes.com/crime-law/2025…
and the Daily Mail , citing a family friend Vadim.
dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1…

According to the sources, Vadym was fond of sports, studied IT, but wanted to study cybersecurity and then return home to fight on the front lines in a cyber unit.

"He wanted to get a better education in Ireland, because, you know, it would be difficult in Ukraine - very difficult.

- I don't understand how such a bright person could be taken from life like that ," the journalists quote a family friend.

The man allegedly missed his flight from Poland to Ireland and his family insisted he fly home, but he decided to continue. He also had a girlfriend in Ukraine who was planning to visit him in Ireland, but she is "absolutely devastated" after learning of his death.

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⚡️US helps Ukraine target Russian energy infrastructure, FT reports.

Sources told the Financial Times that the U.S. is involved at every stage of operational planning, although Kyiv retains control over target selection, with Washington advising on target vulnerabilities.

kyivindependent.com/us-helps-ukrai…
(A purported images of a fire burning at the Tuapse oil refinery in Russia's Krasnodar Krai following a reported attack by Kyiv on March 14, 2025. (Astra / Telegram) 2/
The U.S. has been assisting Ukraine in conducting strikes on Russian energy sites for several months, the Financial Times (FT) reported on Oct. 12, citing unnamed Ukrainian and American officials.

Ukrainian strikes on Russian oil facilities
kyivindependent.com/tag/oil-refine…
intensified significantly this summer, disrupting operations and worsening a nationwide fuel shortage.
kyivindependent.com/russia-expands…

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( - Interesting thoughts here, by an retired US admiral, he gets some good points here, war today is at big changing, regarding just 1 year ago.
- I will thread this out, hope you will having some points. ../Lewi)
What positive changes are happening in the Armed Forces of Ukraine, what might "trigger" Putin, and why Ukraine needs not only "Tomahawks." An interview with retired US Rear Admiral Montgomery

A conversation with retired US Navy Rear Admiral Mark Montgomery is not just an interview about the course of the war in Ukraine.

It is a strategic discussion about the balance of power, timing, and the limits of the West's political will.
Montgomery is among those military strategists who think not only in terms of the front line but also the security architecture in which that front exists.

His answers are always precise, pragmatic, and at the same time uncomfortably honest—about what Ukraine can and must do on its own, and what it cannot manage without external support.

About the future that is being decided now.
About whether Ukraine can regain the initiative, whether Europe can remain a bastion of stability without the American shoulder,

And whether the West is ready to force the Kremlin to peace not with words but with force?
—his thoughts were shared in an exclusive interview by retired Rear Admiral Mark Montgomery.
obozrevatel.com/ukr/location/s… 2/
Montgomery emphasizes three simple but harsh truths:
- modern technology and long-range weapons change the balance, unmanned systems compensate for the enemy's human superiority, and economic and political pressure is perhaps the only real mechanism capable of forcing the Kremlin to make concessions.

At the same time, the interview goes far beyond the Ukrainian context.

At its heart is a broader strategic dilemma:
- is Europe ready to take responsibility for its own security if the United States reduces its military presence on the continent? .....

The administration in Washington increasingly talks about "shifting focus" to the Indo-Pacific region, and in Europe - about the need to "do more."

- However, as Montgomery notes, none of the European armies has the full range of capabilities that American air and naval power or nuclear shield provide.

"And that is why the question is not only about money, but about Europe's ability to act quickly, coherently and decisively"....

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"In fact, a Ukrainian counteroffensive is currently underway": former CIA director urged not to overestimate Russia's successes in Donbas

Retired US General and former CIA chief David Petraeus stated that the situation on the front should be assessed soberly. According to him, Russian forces have not achieved a decisive breakthrough; instead, Ukrainian forces continue counteroffensive actions, liberating new territories.

In an interview with the German publication WELT, Petraeus noted that the Ukrainian army has reclaimed about 200 square kilometers in recent weeks. At the same time, Russia has paid a huge price for its advances – over a million killed and wounded soldiers.

Details

war.obozrevatel.com/ukr/naspravdi-… 2/
Retired US general and former CIA chief

David Petraeus said the situation on the front should be assessed soberly . According to him, Russian troops have not achieved a breakthrough, while Ukrainian forces continue counter-offensive actions, liberating new territories.obozrevatel.com/ukr/entity/tsr…

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Russian Drones Turn the Streets of Kherson Into a Civilian Kill Zone
Attacks have increased to a level and range that has made the streets of Kherson a daily gauntlet

(By 
Oksana Grytsenko
 and 
Jane Lytvynenko
 | Photography by Emanuele Satolli for WSJ
Oct. 8, 2025 10:30 pm ET)

wsj.com/world/russia-u… 2/
MYKOLAIV, Ukraine—Yaroslav Pavlivskiy waved his hands as he sprang from his car, pleading for mercy with the operator of a Russian drone circling overhead as he drove home from a market in the southern city of Kherson.

The operator flicked a switch to release a grenade, which exploded and tore into the legs of the 69-year-old pensioner. A passerby used a belt as a tourniquet to stop him from losing too much blood, saving his life.

In the hospital the next day, the doctor showed Pavlivskiy a Russian video of the incident, which was set to techno music and carried a caption: “A drone operator spotted another ‘civilian.’ After reconnaissance, the target was eliminated.”

Russian drone operators have turned daily life in Kherson into a terrifying gauntlet. A year ago, from the other side of the Dnipro River, they began sending drones, in addition to using bombs and artillery, to take potshots at civilians.

Now the attacks have intensified to such an extent that Ukrainian authorities, civilians and human-rights groups say it has become a systematic effort to keep people off the city’s streets under threat of execution from the skies

(Yaroslav Pavlivskiy with his wife, Halyna)

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"Russian troops suffered the greatest losses on three fronts in Ukraine: ISW explained what lies behind the numbers"

Recently, a leak of Russian documents revealed the real losses of the Russian Federation on the front since the beginning of 2025.

It also indicated that on some fronts, the Russians are suffering abnormally high losses:
- the ratio of killed to wounded is almost 1 to 1 – compared to the classic ratio of 1 to 3.

The aggressor paid the highest price on several priority fronts for Moscow, but the gains there for Russia are practically negligible.

The leaked data indicate this, and the Institute for the Study of War @TheStudyofWar explained what can be said about the prospects of continuing the war based on the current losses of the #Russian Federation.
understandingwar.org/research/russi… 2/
The ratio of killed and wounded in the Russian army is abnormally high
Analysts have drawn attention to the leak of Russian data on the losses of the occupation army , published recently by the "I Want to Live" project .
👇
war.obozrevatel.com/ukr/kolosalni-…

According to the leak, from January to August of this year, Russia lost a total of 281,550 of its soldiers on the battlefield .

86,744 people were eliminated (including 1,583 officers and 8,633 recruits ).

33,996 people are considered missing , including 11,427 recruits .

Another 158,529 were wounded in battle (this figure includes 6,356 officers and 16,489 enlisted men ), and 2,311 were taken prisoner.

These figures, noted ISW, are practically in line with the data announced by the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Oleksandr Syrsky:

299,210 people killed and wounded as of September 9.

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The Chancellor of Germany stated that the country can no longer consider itself peaceful due to constant cyberattacks and sabotage.

Friedrich Merz emphasized that the threats have become daily: from attacks on data centers and digital infrastructure to espionage operations and drones.

"We are not at war, but we do not live in peace either,"
– Merz concluded.

"Drones spotted again in SH: State police strengthen defense"

Following Denmark, several drones have now been sighted over Schleswig-Holstein. The Ministry of the Interior says it is currently evaluating the incidents. The state police are strengthening their drone defenses.

Several drones were spotted over Schleswig-Holstein overnight into Friday. According to Interior Minister Sabine Sütterlin-Waack (CDU), the suspicion of espionage is now being investigated.
2/
The Interior Ministry is in "intensive and ongoing discussions" with the federal government and the Bundeswehr. The state police are strengthening their drone defenses in coordination with the other northern German states.

The minister did not provide any details on how many drones were spotted and where.

"Border controls due to possible drone transports"

In recent nights, drones have been spotted over Denmark several times
tagesschau.de/ausland/drohne…

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Kimmel jabs 'bully' Trump for restricting free speech
"We have to speak out against this bully. He’s not stopping. And it’s not just comedy.

He’s gunning for our journalists too," TV host said, referring to the U.S. president.

Late-night TV host Jimmy @JimmyKimmelLive returned to the airwaves Tuesday night to lambast the @realDonaldTrump administration’s “mob tactics to suppress free speech,”

politico.com/news/2025/09/2… 2/
In his comeback show, Kimmel said through tears about right-wing activist Kirk:

“It was never my intention to make light of the murder of a young man. I don’t think there’s anything funny about it.”

He went on to mount an impassioned defense of free speech, saying:

“This show is not important. What is important is that we live in a country that allows us to have a show like this.....

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Poland to Russia:

‘You have been warned’ so don’t ‘whine’ if your jets are shot down in NATO airspace

Radosław Sikorski upbraids Moscow for being “incapable of living in peace” with its neighbors following a series of incursions into NATO airspace.

politico.eu/article/radosl…
("I have only one request to the Russian government: If another missile or aircraft enters our space without permission, deliberately or by mistake, and gets shot down and the wreckage falls on NATO territory, please don't come here to whine about it," Radosław Sikorski said. | Vitalii Nosach/Global Images Ukraine via Getty Images) 2/
Russia shouldn't complain at the United Nations if its missiles or aircraft are shot down after entering NATO airspace, Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski warned Moscow on Monday.

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Worth reading/spread

An Swedish well known expert of eastern Europe security wrote this evening Joakim von Braun
(translated from Swedish, yes its an strange language by the vikings.. 😇/Lewi)
----
Oil Blitz – Ukraine’s bombing of the Russian oil industry

Ukraine’s extensive attacks targeting Russia’s oil refineries, oil storage facilities, pipelines, etc. have caused serious damage to the entire Russian energy industry.

The attacks, combined with the increasingly extensive sanctions imposed by Western countries, have made it very difficult for Russia to carry out repairs and reconstruction to the extent now required.

The results are a reduction in Russian production of approximately 10-15 percent.

At the same time, the Ukrainian attacks are extending further into Russia and soon it seems that Ukraine can hit important targets throughout the territory of Russia!

Attacks far into Russia
In early 2025, Russia’s largest commercial port in Ust-Luga was attacked, which is located 1,500 kilometers from Ukraine on the Baltic Sea (sic!) and in February, Rosneft’s oil refinery in Saratov was attacked a full 1,500 kilometers away.
2/
A month later, the Bashneft refinery in Ufa, 1,400 kilometers away, was hit by a huge fire.

- In May, Ukraine received several hits at a refinery in Bashkiria at a distance of 1,300 km.

I would like to remind you that the distance between Stockholm ( Sweden )and Gothenburg ( Sweden ) is a little over 400 kilometers, which puts the distances a little in a Swedish perspective.

10 days ago, Russia's major oil port in Primorsk near Vyborg on the Baltic Sea was attacked. This target is also over 1,500 kilometers away.

There are a total of 18 large oil tanks here for storing oil. In addition, a total of 5 Russian airports were closed in connection with the attack, which meant that the next 30 flights had to be canceled.

Earlier yesterday, Gazprom's Salavat oil refinery in Bashkortostan was also attacked, about 1,400 kilometers from Ukraine's border with Russia.
( wich I wrote about yesterday with video and pics/Lewi )

Salavat is one of Russia's largest oil refining and petrochemical plants, producing gasoline, diesel fuel and other petroleum products. On the same day, Lukoil's Volgogradneftepererabotka oil refinery in Volgograd Oblast was attacked by at least 11 drones.

The plant is now reportedly closed! During the last 18-month period in 2024-2025, Lukoil-Volgogradneftepererabotka has been attacked at least 12 times. The company accounts for almost 6 percent of Russia's production.

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"Putin is going to rule until the end of his life": Kurnosova named the "number one person" in the dictator's entourage

obozrevatel.com/ukr/novosti-ro… 2/
The "number one man" in Vladimir Putin's entourage

is russian billionaire oligarch Yuri Kovalchuk .

However, the Kremlin leader, like most dictators, intends to rule until the end of his life and does not count on any successors in this regard.obozrevatel.com/ukr/person/vla…

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One year after the destruction of the GRU arsenal in the #TVer region of the russian Federation:

- Why this was the most daring SBU operation at that time

The Special Operations Center "A" of the SBU shared details of the operation in #Toropets, Tver region, which took place exactly one year ago.

Fighters of the SOC "A" demonstrated how, thanks to the coordination and management of the SBU, high-precision strikes were planned and carried out on the 107th GRU arsenal – destroying hundreds of thousands of tons of ammunition and a significant part of russian reserves.

Within the Special Operations Center "A" they say:

"Thanks to the coordination and management of the SBU, we were able to first analyze, plan, and carry out high-precision strikes on the 107th weapons arsenal in Toropets, Tver region."
instagram.com/p/DOvAMmyDHAB/… 2/
The Defense Express publication

also conducted an OSINT analysis that confirms the version of the drone launch from the territory of the russian Federation and adds technical details of the visual footagedefence-ua.com/photo/udar_sbu…

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50 Of The Most Powerful Street Art Pieces Made In Support For Ukraine All Around The World

As artists, they have a voice to speak up and influence others, and a moral obligation to act against injustice.


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So they took their peaceful weapons to the streets and sprayed the walls with stunning, yet heartwrenching murals to support Ukraine.

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Putin’s failed summer offensive shatters the myth of inevitable Russian victory
atlanticcouncil.org/blogs/ukrainea… 2/
During the early months of 2025, there was much speculation that Russia’s coming summer offensive would prove the decisive campaign of the entire invasion.

Many thought the Ukrainian army was already close to collapse, with Putin himself declaring
bbc.com/news/articles/…
in March that “there are reasons to believe we can finish off” Ukrainian forces.

The stage seemed set for Russia to finally break Ukraine’s dogged resistance and win the war.

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#Poland permits NATO deployment on its soil following russian drone incursion
This comes as a part of the alliance’s new “Eastern Sentinel” initiative with contributions from Denmark, France, Britain, Germany and other allies.

Polish President Karol Nawrocki signed a classified resolution this week allowing NATO forces to operate on Polish soil, according to Poland’s National Security Bureau.

euromaidanpress.com/2025/09/15/pol…
(Polish soldiers from the NATO Response Force (NRF) stand ready to begin a live-fire exercise alongside French and Romanian troops at the NATO multinational battlegroup in Romania in June 2022. Photo: NATO) 2/
The move comes as part of the alliance’s new “Eastern Sentinel” initiative that began on 12 September to strengthen Europe’s eastern flank
euromaidanpress.com/2025/09/13/pol…

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Frontline report:

Today the biggest news comes from the #Pokrovsk direction.

#Ukrainian forces spring trap on russian breakthrough near #Pokrovsk

Systematic clearing operations conclude months-long russian offensive with Ukraine controlling key supply routes to #Kramatorsk.

euromaidanpress.com/2025/09/14/fro…
(Screenshot from Reporting From Ukraine’s video) 2/
Here, Ukrainian forces are closing the gap around the remaining russian forces in their Dobropillia salient.

As Ukrainians finish off pockets of russian resistance, the russians’ only hope is to surrender to the advancing Ukrainian army or be annihilated completely.

After conducting a successful penetration from the high ground in the west, Ukrainians are now launching their attacks from the north as well, well, completing the pincer around the russian #Dobropillia salient.

Ukrainians are using highly trained infantry squads to move in, engaging with russian forces along the way

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⚡️EU to apply 'unique' approach to Ukraine's accession path as @Hungary wields veto, official says.

There is an agreement in place with the #EU to maintain Kyiv's progress despite Budapest's veto, Deputy Prime Minister for European Integration Taras @taraskachka said.

kyivindependent.com/eu-to-apply-un…
(Ukraine's Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration Taras Kachka in Copenhagen, Denmark, on Sept. 2, 2025. (Thomas Traasdahl / Ritzau Scanpix / AFP via Getty Images) 2/
The European Union has agreed to apply a "unique" approach that will allow Ukraine and Moldova to move forward on their path to bloc membership while Hungary continues to veto their accession, Deputy Prime Minister for European Integration Taras Kachka said on Sept. 13.

Hungary, broadly seen as the most Kremlin-friendly nation in the EU and NATO, declared on Aug. 30 that it will not agree to open the first round of negotiations
kyivindependent.com/hungary-contin…
on Ukraine's accession to the EU.