Russia Invades Ukraine. Again
POSTED BY: captaincrunch
UPDATED: Sunday, September 6, 2026 21:09
VIEWED: 562266
PAGE 1090 of 1104
Ukraine's grain exports may fall 53% as Russia targets ports, Bloomberg reports
This threatens the country's largest source of export revenue.
By Vladyslava Kovalenko | Sat, August 08, 2026 – 13:20
https://newsukraine.rbc.ua/news/ukraine-s-grain-exports-may-fall-53-as
-russia-1786184319.html
Ukraine's agricultural exports this season could fall by more than half after Russian attacks disrupted operations at Black Sea ports, according to Bloomberg. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-08-07/ukraine-grain-expor
ts-to-slump-after-russian-strikes-on-odesa
According to Ukraine's Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food, the country could export around 29.6 million tons of agricultural products in the 2026-27 marketing year, 54% less than the previous estimate of 64.4 million tons.
Meanwhile, wheat exports could decline by 53% to 8.3 million tons compared with the previous forecast.
Ukraine is one of the world's largest grain suppliers, while the agricultural sector generated more than half of the country's export revenue last year.
Russian attacks on the Port of Odesa, which normally handles around 90% of grain shipments, are disrupting these flows, while alternative routes along the Danube are limited by drought, which has caused water levels in the river to fall to record lows.
The new harvest is filling storage facilities and affecting domestic prices. Around 59 million tons of grain storage capacity in Ukraine could be completely filled by early November, while the storage deficit is expected to reach around 11 million tons by the end of autumn.
It should be recalled that earlier we reported that Ukraine's direct losses from lost export revenue will exceed $2 billion. This concerns the second half of 2026.
Recently, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said that the country could resume exports despite the blockade of the maritime corridor.
It was also revealed why Russia is carrying out massive attacks on Ukrainian ports now: https://newsukraine.rbc.ua/news/why-russia-massively-targeting-ukraine
-s-1785409252.html
The Joss Whedon script for Serenity, where Wash lives, is Serenity-190pages.pdf at https://www.mediafire.com/two
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That's what Ukraine gets for attacking RUSSIAN grain ships.
FAFO.
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"It may be dangerous to be America's enemy, but to be America's friend is fatal."- Henry Kissinger
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"It may be dangerous to be America's enemy, but to be America's friend is fatal."- Henry Kissinger
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Quote:FAFO is an internet acronym that stands for "F* around and find out**" (or politely, "fool around and find out"). But that is NOT what happened, Signym. Trump happened. He stopped sending Patriot missiles. Once those were finally all used, which just recently happened, Russia could bombard with ballistic missiles the port's grain loading machinery.
Originally posted by SIGNYM:
That's what Ukraine gets for attacking RUSSIAN grain ships.
FAFO.
Weekend Update #197: Anatomy Of A Con
Ukraine Has Not Gone From Winning To Losing
By Phillips P. OBrien
Aug 09, 2026
Donald Trump has known from the moment that he became president again that Ukraine was desperate for Patriot missiles. Indeed, he knew it so well that he used that information to both boast about his own power and also to abuse the Ukrainians as supplicants. Remember, he loves things that make him seem powerful, and knowing that the Ukrainians were desperate for Patriot interceptors as the Russians were bombarding their cities and people, is exactly the kind of thing that turns him on.
How can I say that? Well, he went to great lengths to tell the world—not in a way that somehow politically helped him, but just because he could. Lets start with examples from very early into his second term:
Examples of Trump Knowing How Desperately Ukraine Needs Patriots
14 April 2025 — Oval Office
Just before Trump was down to meet with El Salvadoran president Bukele, he was asked whether he had spoken to Zelensky about his offer to purchase more Patriot batteries, Trump replied:
“Oh, I don’t know. He’s always looking to purchase missiles. You know? He’s against—listen, when you start a war, you got to know that you can win the war, right?”
He continued on to insult Ukraine by saying that you don’t start a war against somebody twenty times your size and then hope that people give you some missiles—implying that Ukraine decided to start the war.
Much more at https://phillipspobrien.substack.com/p/weekend-update-197-anatomy-of-a
-con
The Joss Whedon script for Serenity, where Wash lives, is Serenity-190pages.pdf at https://www.mediafire.com/two
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Putin Can’t Bomb or Drone Ukraine Into Submission
Kyiv city recorded 73 percent support for freezing the war along the current line — the highest of any region, against 53 to 59 percent elsewhere. It also recorded the highest rejection of a Donbas handover, at 69 percent. The city under sustained ballistic missile attack most wants the shooting to stop and least wants to pay for it with territory.
By Alexander J. Motyl | August 8, 2026
https://www.19fortyfive.com/2026/08/putin-cant-bomb-or-drone-ukraine-i
nto-submission/
The last thing Russia’s embattled ‘president’ Putin needs is more bad news. The war is going badly, the economy is tanking, antiwar sentiment is on the rise, and Muscovites and Saint-Petersburgers may soon have to be drafted into the ranks of the living dead. Only Vladimir Putin’s genocidal designs are progressing satisfactorily, as Russian missiles kill Ukrainian civilians every day.
Now, along comes the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology’s latest poll on Ukrainian attitudes toward war and peace.
Details follow below, but the bottom line is that Ukrainians remain unfazed by Putin’s savage bombardments and are committed to keep on fighting.
If Putin and his criminal cabal were hoping to demoralize Ukrainians and force them to surrender, they were sorely mistaken.
As the KIIS executive director put it:
“Our survey took place in a rather controversial period…. However, given the totality of circumstances, we see that Ukrainians still retain optimism and the intention to continue resisting the enemy. Although the Russian campaign of air strikes (especially with ballistic missiles) causes pain and suffering to Ukrainians, it does not break our will. Ukrainians understand that Russia and Russians are an existential threat, so the fight must continue.”
Here are some of the poll’s key findings:
-“The absolute majority of respondents – 77% – share the view that although Russia is advancing, it is [doing so] slowly and with heavy losses, and Ukraine is able to continue effective resistance.”
– “60% of respondents consider it categorically unacceptable to transfer the entire Donbas under Russian control in exchange for security guarantees…. Compared to April, fewer Ukrainians express readiness to approve this scenario.”
-A “majority rejects the proposal to withdraw Ukrainian troops in exchange for security guarantees…. Despite the merciless campaign of bombing Kyiv city with ballistic missiles and other means, the readiness of the city’s residents to approve the proposal has even decreased – from 34% to 26%. On the other hand, the number of those who are categorically against it has increased from 62% to 69%.”
-Regarding “’freezing’ the war on the current front line in exchange for security guarantees in the form of significant funding and weapons supplies, 59% are ready to approve it (although also mostly reluctantly). Categorically against this scenario – 31%.”
-“Only 21% of Ukrainians expect the war to end at least by the end of this year. And only 15% expect the war to end at least in the first half of 2027. Instead, 45% expect the war to end either in the second half of 2027 or later.”
To repeat, despite (or because of Putin’s genocidal war, Ukrainians are determined to fight for as long as it takes. They’re willing to compromise, but they’re unwilling to commit suicide by accepting Putin’s (and quite possibly Donald Trump’s) terms. After all, if the choice is fighting or being killed, it’s hardly surprising that Ukrainians choose to fight.
Ukrainian determination to survive Putin is bad enough for him. Making matters worse is a recent podcast by one of Russia’s best exiled commentators, Michael Naki. Erudite and astonishingly well informed, Naki is resolutely opposed to Putin’s war and is unafraid to ask tough questions, such as the heading of an August 5 program, “What stands in the way of Putin’s being killed?”
Naki discusses three scenarios—an elite coup, a mass uprising, and a foreign assassination—and concludes they’re all unlikely. What makes
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Mutual Delusion
By Anatol Lieven
07 August 2026
Hardliners on both sides in the Ukraine war are pursuing a chimaera in the hope of a miracle. Moscow appears to believe that in the near future, the Ukrainian defences that have held the Russian advance to a bloody crawl for years will miraculously collapse, or that the European money and arms that have enabled those defences will suddenly vanish. A large part of the Western commentariat (and some, though by no means all Ukrainian security experts) appear beholden to a symmetrical fantasy.
. . .
In the later decades of the Cold War, despite Western fears of Soviet aggression, the risk of escalation leading to nuclear catastrophe produced a serious will to détente among Western establishments. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, it became clear that Soviet aggressiveness had been vastly exaggerated in the West. Today, the risk of escalation is much greater, but that lesson has not been learned, and the will to détente seems to have disappeared. It needs to be recovered, before it is too late.
More at https://newleftreview.org/sidecar/posts/mutual-delusion
The Joss Whedon script for Serenity, where Wash lives, is Serenity-190pages.pdf at https://www.mediafire.com/two
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Fuck Ukraine.
Nobody gives a shit.
And now people are actively rooting against them.
Because they're actively rooting against YOU.
Everybody hates you, Shit Golem.
If you care about Ukraine, then shut the fuck up.
Nobody wants fucking losers like you and Ted Bundy Clone as allies.
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Those who dance always seem crazy to those who can't hear the music.
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Despite sanctions and war, one Russian industry is booming
By Lauge Risom Koch | August 9, 2026
https://www.dagens.com/war/despite-sanctions-and-war-one-russian-indus
try-is-booming
The average cost of a coffin in Russia has surged by 105% since the invasion of Ukraine, driving rapid expansion in the domestic funeral industry.
The average price of a coffin in Russia has more than doubled since the country launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. This massive increase in funeral costs coincides with heavily mounting military casualties on the frontlines. The broader funeral services sector has also seen rapid expansion and surging inflation over the past four years.
Rising costs of funeral supplies
The cost of manufacturing and purchasing coffins began climbing during the very first months of the war. By June 2026, the average price of a standard coffin reached roughly 9,167 rubles, which is approximately $112. According to reporting by United24 Media, this represents a staggering 105% increase from the pre-war average of 4,469 rubles in February 2022.
The price spikes closely followed major military developments, such as the initial invasion and the subsequent announcement of partial mobilization. Following the mobilization order in September 2022, coffin prices jumped by roughly 33% in just five months. By February 2023, families were already paying significantly more to bury their deceased relatives.
Official data shows that these costs continued to rise steadily throughout the duration of the conflict. The state statistics system, Rosstat, reported that coffin prices increased by 11.6% in 2024 and another 9.3% in 2025. This inflationary trend persisted into the current year, with prices climbing an additional 7% during the first half of 2026.
Surging grave digging expenses
The financial burden of burying the dead extends well beyond the purchase of a casket. The service fees associated with digging graves have also experienced dramatic inflationary pressure since the war began. Before the invasion, families paid an average of 7,849 rubles for grave digging services, but those costs quickly skyrocketed.
As the conflict progressed, these labor costs increased substantially each year. The average price rose to 8,862 rubles in January 2023, and then surpassed 10,000 rubles by early 2024. By the end of 2025, the average price for grave digging reached 12,576 rubles, marking a 60% increase from pre-war levels.
As noted by United24 Media, the state statistics agency ultimately changed how it tracks these specific expenses. Beginning in 2026, Rosstat actually removed grave digging from its consumer inflation basket. Consequently, the government has officially stopped publishing the average national price for this essential funeral service.
Expansion of the funeral industry
As casualty numbers continue to climb, the broader funeral services sector in Russia is experiencing unprecedented financial growth. The total financial turnover of the industry reached 128 billion rubles in 2025. This massive figure represents a more than 50% increase compared to the revenue levels recorded in 2021 before the invasion.
This boom in demand has prompted a record number of new businesses to enter the morbid market. During 2025 alone, over 1,500 new funeral service companies opened their doors across the country. In the first six months of 2026, nearly a thousand more agencies entered the market, marking the highest first-half growth figure in five years.
The dramatic rise in burial costs and funeral services comes as Moscow sustains severe personnel losses. According to estimates highlighted by United24 Media, Russian forces have suffered approximately 1.6 million military casualties since the full-scale conflict began. This staggering toll reportedly includes approximately 700,000 troops killed in action.
The Joss Whedon script for Serenity, where Wash lives, is Serenity-190pages.pdf at https://www.mediafire.com/two
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Russia Has Spent $625,000,000,000 to Take 12 Percent of Ukraine. That Is $21,500,000 a Square Mile with 1,400,000 Battlefield Casualties
Russia’s military spending from 1 January 2022 through 31 March 2026 came to 53.1 trillion rubles — roughly $625 billion using year-by-year conversion. Net territorial gain over the same period is between 28,191 and 29,051 square miles, about 12 percent of Ukraine. That works out to about $21.5 million in military spending for every square mile taken.
By Harry J. Kazianis | August 9, 2026
https://www.19fortyfive.com/2026/08/russia-has-spent-625000000000-to-t
ake-12-percent-of-ukraine-that-is-21500000-a-square-mile-with-1400000-battlefield-casualties/
The best public accounting puts Russia’s military spending at 53.148 trillion rubles from January 1, 2022, through March 31, 2026. Rounded to a usable headline number, Moscow’s wartime military bill stands at 53.1 trillion rubles, or roughly $625 billion, using year-by-year dollar conversions rather than a single exchange rate for the entire period. The ruble sum is the hard figure, as close as I can get to it right now, but clearly is not absolute, but meant to show you, the reader, the scale of Russian spending. The dollar total is an approximation. And the reality is clear: Putin has very little to show for it, lost the war based on many different goals he himself set, and looks like China’s junior partner.
The Ukraine War Math Is Tough for Russia
The arithmetic starts with the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute’s annual estimates: 7.457 trillion rubles in 2022, 9.435 trillion in 2023, 14.393 trillion in 2024, and 15.964 trillion in 2025. Economist Janis Kluge calculated another 5.9 trillion rubles in the first quarter of 2026 from Russian Finance Ministry data. Add those five figures, and the result is 53.148 trillion rubles. No estimate is included for April through August 2026.
This is not a Kremlin invoice labeled “the Ukraine war.” The total includes nuclear forces, military salaries, bases, procurement, and other defense functions, as well as the 54 days of 2022 before the full-scale invasion. It also misses some regional enlistment bonuses and other war-related spending outside the federal military accounts. SIPRI estimates that direct operations in Ukraine consumed about 4.5 percent of Russian GDP in 2024 and 5.1 percent in 2025, compared with total military burdens of 7.2 percent and 7.5 percent, respectively. The war drove most of the bill, not every ruble.
The Ukraine War Failure
What did Russia obtain? Nothing compared to what it spent; that’s for sure.
A Russia Matters review of DeepState and Institute for the Study of War data placed Moscow’s net gain since February 24, 2022, between 28,191 and 29,051 square miles, equal to about 12 percent of Ukraine.
Including Crimea and the parts of Donbas held before 2022, Russia controls roughly 19-20 percent.
Dividing $625 billion by the higher net-gain estimate produces a crude ratio of $21.5 million in military spending for each square mile gained.
To me, considering the loss of lives to gain such territory, this is nothing short of a disaster. More on the human cost in a second.
Russia Paid 1.4 Million Casualties for 12 Percent of Ukraine
The human bill is larger than the map suggests.
A July 2026 Center for Strategic and International Studies estimate put Russian battlefield casualties at 1.4 million, including killed, wounded, and missing personnel, from February 2022 through June 2026.
Between 400,000 and 450,000 were fatalities. CSIS estimated monthly losses of 30,000 to 34,000 in 2026, against recruitment of roughly 27,000, a shortfall in Moscow’s effort to keep feeding the front without another national mobilization.
Russia also lost at least 23,959 pieces of military equipment, according to the Oryx visual database as counted by Russia Matters, on August 4.
The total included 14,143 tanks and other armored vehicles, 380 aircraft, and 29 naval vessels. Oryx requires photographic or video evidence, so the
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Quote:
Originally posted by THG:Quote:
Originally posted by SIGNYM:
OMG, you STILL don't get it!
Do you still believe that someone spouting into a camera is providing FACTS?
Dood, I could get in front of a camera and spin a convincing yarn about ... a killer outbreak, a swarm of invading bugs, whatever.... and show flashes of irrelevant pictures and you'd never know that it was completely fabricated.
YOUR filter for whether something is true or not is whether it aligns with what you want. That's a piss poor way of learning the truth.
FACTS, dood.
You can't admit to facts. I get that. Nonetheless, I'm going to post them, and time will show all you've done by defending all things Russia is bury you head in the sand. And the people speaking into microphones that I listen to are honestly trying to report accurately. Not so much with you aye comrade?
T
I’m grateful for your posts because they will be around when your reality comes crashing down.
T
Russian Emergency
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