Russia Invades Ukraine. Again
POSTED BY: captaincrunch
UPDATED: Sunday, September 6, 2026 21:09
VIEWED: 562266
PAGE 1082 of 1104
Laura Loomer
A sudden and mysterious shift on Ukraine.
By Jim Newell | July 25, 2026
https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2026/07/donald-trump-iran-news-sen
ate-maine-south-carolina.html
The conspiratorial MAGA influencer (and thus close confidante of Trump) has changed. Like most of her ilk, she was exceptionally critical of Ukraine and President Volodymyr Zelensky for years during the war, saying the country was full of “Nazi apologists” and calling Zelensky a “jihadi apologist.” This week, however, she visited Ukraine, interviewed Zelensky, and changed her tune on the conflict. She is now staunchly pro-Ukraine and observed, “I feel like such an asshole for minimizing the struggle of Ukrainians for the last 5 years,” explaining, “We have been so propagandized by Russia and we don’t even realize it.” (A lot of people realized that the right-wing influencers had been propagandized by Russia.)
This is all well and good. Hopefully it makes some difference in right-wing politics and, more importantly, Trump’s view of the conflict. But—now it’s our turn to play conspiracy theorist—it’s also terribly difficult to take her conversion at face value. How does someone who’s built her substantial MAGA following and income in part by checking the “Hate Ukraine” box suddenly get on a trip to Kyiv to interview all of its powerful people and announce that she had been wrong all along? We’re talking about a complete 180. Loomer, for what it’s worth, has denied that she was paid by the Ukrainian government for the trip.
The Joss Whedon script for Serenity, where Wash lives, is Serenity-190pages.pdf at https://www.mediafire.com/two
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Ukraine veteran drives protests that topple army chief and defend Fedorov
Author: Alex Stezhensky | July 25, 2026, 07:14 AM
https://english.nv.ua/nation/dmytro-koziatynskyi-on-ukraine-s-cardboar
d-maidan-protests-and-military-reform-50627186.html
In an interview with NV, Ukrainian IT specialist and veteran Dmytro Koziatynskyi explains what drove him to call Ukrainians into the streets this year and last, and how civilians who joined the military in 2022 are changing its Soviet-era ways.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced a change in the leadership of Ukraine’s Armed Forces on July 21. Mykhailo Drapatyi replaced Oleksandr Syrskyi as commander in chief.
The replacement came amid protests across Ukraine, including outside the presidential office in Kyiv. A rally in the square near the Ivan Franko Theater began after Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov was dismissed. Protesters later added another demand — Syrskyi’s removal.
At his “farewell” news conference, Fedorov said disagreements with the then-commander in chief were one reason he had been pushed out. He cited other reasons as well, including his efforts to combat corruption at the Defense Ministry.
Koziatynskyi emerged as a key figure in the protests that led to the replacement of the top military commander of a country at war. He initially used social media to call Ukrainians to the Franko Theater for a rally in support of Fedorov. After Drapatyi was appointed, Koziatynskyi warned that unless Fedorov returned as defense minister, the protest would become an indefinite demonstration starting July 24.
Koziatynskyi played a similar role last year. When the authorities tried to strip key powers from the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine, or NABU, and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office, or SAPO, he was the first to call people into the streets.
Koziatynskyi spoke to NV about his acute sense of justice, his IT education, his military service, Ukraine’s commanders in chief and Soviet-era practices in the military.
NV has edited the interview into a monologue.
The protests
My birthday is July 21, and for the second year in a row, I have celebrated it at a protest.
Maybe it comes down to my acute sense of justice. When I see something outrageous, I cannot keep quiet. That is why I called on people to take to the streets both this year and last.
When I posted a call for a protest in 2025, I did not expect so many people to come. I thought it would just be my social media bubble. But I was shocked when I saw how many protesters were heading to Franko Square carrying cardboard signs.
The public gave NABU and SAPO an enormous vote of confidence then, and in my view, they earned it. We have all heard about Operation Midas. It was one of the defining events of 2025.
The law designed to destroy NABU and SAPO was clearly intended to let the people behind the Dynasty cooperative and former presidential chief of staff Andriy Yermak keep “running their schemes.” I hope we never see Yermak in Ukrainian politics again and that he is held accountable for the actions he is suspected of.
Ukraine has a great many active, committed people. I had feared that all the activists were serving in the military or had been mobilized, leaving no one on the home front to bring about change. But that turned out not to be true. I saw that it was possible to win public support and that people would take to the streets for the right causes.
I truly felt that our civil society was mature enough to engage in democratic dialogue with the authorities. Our protest was peaceful. Society established that dialogue without rioting or calls to overthrow the government. Everyone understands perfectly well that wartime is no time to demand a change in the country’s political leadership.
The very fact that protests are possible during wartime shows how strong our democracy is.
Last year, I spoke with the security services. That is their job. None of them knew who I was, and they were genuinely trying to determine whether I
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Weekend Update #195
Phillips P. OBrien
Jul 26, 2026
This week the Ukrainian long-range attacks on Russian Wildberries warehouses and infrastructure (think a Russian version of Amazon) very much continued apace. https://meduza.io/feature/2026/07/24/nedelyu-nazad-vsu-nachali-bit-po-
skladam-wildberries-vspominaem-chto-proizoshlo-s-teh-por
This campaign causes some mixed emotions in me. If it distracts from the oil campaign, that is definitely not what I would say is an efficient use of Ukrainian resources. It seems that there have been only 5 strikes on refineries since the Wildberries campaign started. With oil prices back on the rise, I personally believe that efforts against the refineries remain top priority.
As for the benefits of the Wildberries campaign—I can see the argument that they will possess dual use components (though what percentage of their possessions are dual use is unknown and I would imagine small). I also understand the idea that it will disperse Russian air defense. So it can have some strategic advantages.
However, my guess is that this is really aimed at Putin’s political standing. It’s a way of undermining the basic “deal” of his regime with the Russian people—I will provide you goodies if you give me power. That bargain looks dicey if all your goodies are blowing up.
Such campaigns often do not work as expected, so this might be hopeful. Certainly, if it means that striking these warehouses distracts from the campaign against refineries, I find that an odd choice. However, it could be that the Ukrainians believe that Putin’s political standing is in trouble and this is a way to seriously undermine it.
More at https://phillipspobrien.substack.com/p/weekend-update-195-the-worst-we
ek
The Joss Whedon script for Serenity, where Wash lives, is Serenity-190pages.pdf at https://www.mediafire.com/two
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Nuclear Autumn
By Richard Lourie
Richard Lourie is the author of Sakharov: A Biography
July 26, 2026, 3:15 pm
https://www.kyivpost.com/opinion/80918
Putin is under pressure from the vocal militarist right and the still silent majority now suffering from gas shortages, internet blockages, and airport closures. He will face an autumn of crisis if he does not deliver some major breakthrough by the end of summer. Jingoist bloggers and retired army colonels are already calling quite unselfconsciously for the use of tactical nuclear weapons to put a quick, victorious end to the war.
This may be little more than nuclear saber rattling, but Putin knows such a victory would win him the place in Russia’s history that he believes should be his – the Restorer of Empire – and he is also well aware that Harry Truman has not gone down as a figure reviled for Hiroshima.
If Putin used a tactical nuclear weapon, how would he go about it, and how would the West react? The questions are as obvious as their answers are opaque. Putin could select a city and then à la Israel give the residents sufficient time to flee. Very few people would be killed or injured and, intent having been demonstrated, the extortion could begin.
The city could also be chosen for its historic significance like Poltava (assuming the area in Russian possession) where Peter the Great defeated King Charles XII of Sweden which made Russia a European power for the first time and one to be feared.
But more likely the place would be chosen for other, more practical reasons: location, relative safety.
What would NATO and the US do militarily? Nothing. Trump has said he doesn’t care about Ukraine and has proved it with actions, while the Europeans are still insufficiently united and prepared to engage in hostilities with Russia.
The Joss Whedon script for Serenity, where Wash lives, is Serenity-190pages.pdf at https://www.mediafire.com/two
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Putin is back with another unhinged history lesson: “Ukraine will lose western territories”
By Jens Asbjørn Bøgen | July 27, 2026
https://www.dagens.com/war/putins-back-with-another-unhinged-history-l
esson-ukraine-will-lose-western-territories
According to the Russian leader, the only guarantor for Ukraine’s territorial integrity is Russia.
Russian President Vladimir Putin addressed Russian Navy personnel on Sunday with a series of sweeping claims about the future of Eastern Europe.
Speaking to sailors, he insisted that Ukraine would eventually see its borders shrink dramatically.
“I am confident that sooner or later Ukraine will lose these western territories, lands that once belonged to Poland, Hungary and Romania. It may not happen tomorrow or the day after tomorrow. It may take one year, two years, 10 years or 15 years, but history will ultimately put everything back in its place,” Putin said, according to Russian state news agency TASS and Ukrainian news outlet Ukrainska Pravda.
The Russian leader offered no concrete evidence to back up his claims. Instead, he presented a skewed version of regional history to justify the ongoing war.
He also claimed that Moscow had once been the sole defender of Ukrainian sovereignty. “There was only one guarantor of Ukraine’s territorial integrity. It was Russia. But they decided it was necessary, possible and beneficial for them to declare Russia their enemy,” Putin said.
It should be noted that according to the 1994 Budapest Memorandum, Russia, the United States and the UK all pledged to respect Ukraine’s sovereignty and independence.
What is he talking about?
From the 14th century through the 18th century, large parts of central and western Ukraine were ruled by the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth.
Some western Ukrainian regions were part of the Austrian and Austro-Hungarian empires until the end of World War I in 1918.
Between the two world wars, parts of western Ukraine were integrated into Romania and Czechoslovakia.
During the 18th century, much of central, eastern and southern Ukraine was absorbed by the Russian Empire, and later became the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic under the Soviet Union.
Ukraine’s current internationally recognized borders were established when the country gained independence in 1991.
Spiders in a jar
Throughout his address, the Russian leader attempted to portray Ukrainian officials as deeply divided and corrupt. He alleged that political figures in Kyiv were busy squandering international assistance while fighting amongst themselves behind closed doors.
He claimed Ukrainian leaders have “clashed and fallen out with each other like spiders in a jar, dividing up the money they have stolen from the Ukrainian people or are stealing from their Western sponsors.”
The Russian president further asserted that the conflict would ultimately end with a complete Russian victory. He repeated familiar Kremlin talking points, insisting that Moscow did not launch an unprovoked invasion but was forced to act by Western powers.
While Kyiv and its international allies view the invasion as an illegal war of aggression, Putin framed the campaign as an effort to restore historical balance. The speech marks yet another attempt by the Kremlin to undermine Ukraine’s legitimacy on the world stage.
The Joss Whedon script for Serenity, where Wash lives, is Serenity-190pages.pdf at https://www.mediafire.com/two
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Jul 25, 2026
Calming & Motivational Video: 8 hours of uninterrupted 4K Ultra HD footage featuring the Wildberries warehouse fires. The music soothes your mind, while the visuals inspire.
We are confident this unique meditation will help you quiet negative thoughts and tune into a positive vibe. Let go of your worries and enjoy the hypnotic silhouettes of smoke rising into the sky.
The Joss Whedon script for Serenity, where Wash lives, is Serenity-190pages.pdf at https://www.mediafire.com/two
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Quote:
Originally posted by THG:Quote:
Originally posted by THG:Quote:
Originally posted by SIGNYM:
THGR, if the F-35 is so awesome, why does it need an upgrade?
"It may be dangerous to be America's enemy, but to be America's friend is fatal."- Henry Kissinger
Wow, Ok. Think computer and then see if you can understand that upgrades are newer more advanced technology. The jet was designed to do this. It continually improves.
T
And another thing I think you've missed comrade. The Russians are focusing on taking ground, be it a little at a time. The Ukrainians are not trying to take land; they are focused on killing a thousand Russians a day. Get it?
T
F35's are a great plane. Russias' top plane, the SU-57, not so much.
T
What does ANOTHER SU-57 CRASH mean for RUSSIA?
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Russia is fine. Ukraine is toast. Child rapist Zelensky is a dead man walking.
--------------------------------------------------
Those who dance always seem crazy to those who can't hear the music.
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Quote:
Originally posted by SIGNYM:
THGR, if the F-35 is so awesome, why does it need an upgrade?
THGR:
Wow, Ok. Think computer and then see if you can understand that upgrades are newer more advanced technology. The jet was designed to do this. It continually improves.
I notice you left out my reply.
Quote:
THGR:
And another thing I think you've missed comrade. The Russians are focusing on taking ground, be it a little at a time. The Ukrainians are not trying to take land; they are focused on killing a thousand Russians a day. Get it?
You left out my reply to that, too.
Quote:
THGR:
F35's are a great plane. Russias' top plane, the SU-57, not so much. ,
It's not even sure that it was an Su-57.
-----------
"It may be dangerous to be America's enemy, but to be America's friend is fatal."- Henry Kissinger
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Putin is preparing for three more years of war, The Moscow Times reports
By Daryna Vialko | Mon, July 27, 2026 - 22:57
https://newsukraine.rbc.ua/news/putin-is-preparing-for-three-more-year
s-of-1785182071.html
On July 27, Russia declared its military budget a top priority again amidst a traditional shortfall of funds, The Moscow Times reports. https://ru.themoscowtimes.com/2026/07/27/putin-poruchil-gotovit-byudzh
et-kprodolzheniyu-voini-2-a201942
Putin prepares a "war budget"
Military spending will remain the top priority as Russia drafts its budget for the next three years, Putin said.
The Russian leader also accused the West of fueling a "Russophobic campaign" and setting "world records" in imposing sanctions. He claimed that no one would ever succeed in "breaking the Russian people."
Putin added that Russia's state institutions are ready to defend the country and, together with society, are capable of delivering a "decisive response to any hostile actions."
Alongside "strengthening the country's defense" as the main budget priority for 2027–2029, the Kremlin leader also promised to finally address key social priorities.
Funds are running short
According to the outlet, Russia's 2026 budget originally allocated 12.9 trillion rubles for "national defense."
In reality, however, military spending is expected to exceed that amount by 4–5 trillion rubles.
According to Bloomberg estimates, to cover all war-related expenses, Russia's Finance Ministry is preparing cuts to civilian spending to fund the war and planning to raise an additional 2–3 trillion rubles through borrowing.
Actual federal spending on the war against Ukraine reached 5.9 trillion rubles in the first quarter alone, according to Janis Kluge, a researcher at the German Institute for International and Security Affairs.
Compared with the same period last year, spending on the military and weapons production increased by 29.9%. Compared with the first quarter of 2024, it rose by 68.7%; compared with 2023, by 129%; and compared with the first quarter of 2022, it has increased 4.6-fold.
According to the report, the war against Ukraine has already cost Russian taxpayers 53.079 trillion rubles, or approximately $746.6 billion.
The outlet notes that this amount is equivalent to 28 years of Russia's current healthcare spending or 30 years of education spending.
Social programs remain unfunded
The growing emphasis on defense and security has forced the Russian government to take a "selective approach" to financing other sectors, said Emil Ablaev, a leading analyst at the Center for Macroeconomic Analysis and Short-Term Forecasting.
According to Ablaev, last year, budget revenues fell 3 trillion rubles short of targets, and the crisis has deepened this year.
Russia's Finance Ministry raised VAT to 22%, but the budget deficit had already reached nearly 6 trillion rubles by the end of the first half of the year.
By the end of the year, the gap in Russia's federal budget could widen to as much as 7 trillion rubles, the expert says.
Earlier, Putin signed another decree expanding the size of Russia's armed forces. The Russian Armed Forces will increase by 27,000 personnel starting August 1.
Russian officials have also claimed there is no need to announce a new mobilization because the country has enough "volunteers" to continue the war against Ukraine.
The Joss Whedon script for Serenity, where Wash lives, is Serenity-190pages.pdf at https://www.mediafire.com/two
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