Russia Invades Ukraine. Again
POSTED BY: captaincrunch
UPDATED: Sunday, September 6, 2026 21:09
VIEWED: 562266
PAGE 995 of 1104
Russia’s unstoppable Mach-6 missile just got killed by a Ukrainian drone
After peeling back Russian air defenses in Crimea, Ukrainian drone operators are now hunting down Russia’s best missiles on the ground.
By David Axe | 25/03/2026
https://euromaidanpress.com/2026/03/25/zircons-destroyed/
• The hypersonic Zircon is one of Russia's best long-range missiles
• Fast and low-flying, the Zircon is hard to intercept
• But its Bastion mobile launchers are vulnerable to drone attack
• Striking harder across Crimea, Ukrainian drones recently pinpointed and blasted a Bastion—and blew up its two Zircons
Russia's Zircon missile is very fast and very difficult to intercept. And that's why it's such a big deal that, on or just before Tuesday, Ukraine's defense intelligence agency—the HUR—knocked out a Zircon launcher in Russian-occupied Crimea.
It's the first hit on a Bastion launcher, which transports and fires two of the 10-m Zircon missiles. "Fewer launchers," the Ukrainian defense ministry boasted. "Fewer missiles. Less capacity to strike Ukrainian cities."
The HUR sortied long-range, first-person-view drones to strike the wheeled Bastion in a Russian convoy traveling near Simferopol, 160 km from the front line in southern Ukraine. That the Ukrainian drones could get anywhere near the Bastion convoy speaks to the ongoing collapse of Russian air defenses—not just in Crimea, but all along the 1,200-km front line of Russia's 50-month wider war on Ukraine.
Increasingly incapable of protecting its most precious assets in a zone stretching hundreds of kilometers from the porous front line, the Russians are losing more hard-to-replace weapons. A single Zircon may cost $5 million. A Bastion launcher also costs millions of dollars. As recently as 2024, the HUR estimated Russia possessed just 40 Zircons. Now it has two fewer.
The Zircon is notionally an anti-ship missile, but it can strike targets on land, too, from as far away as 400 km. Russia occasionally tosses a few Zircons in the mix when it bombards Ukrainian cities on a roughly weekly basis.
While few in number, the Zircons are uniquely dangerous. They're extremely hard to shoot down owing to their Mach-6 top speed and low cruising altitude. When Russia attacked Ukrainian cities on 7 March, there were two Zircons among the roughly 450 munitions. Ukrainian air defenses shot down most of the incoming missiles and drones, but both Zircons got through. Their high speed adds kinetic energy to their 300-kg warheads.
Vulnerable on the ground
But the Zircon, like all missiles, is vulnerable on the ground. Mobile launchers, which are harder to locate and hit than fixed launchers, can mitigate that vulnerability. But even mobile launchers need protection from air attack. And Russia is struggling to provide that protection.
There was a time, early in Russia's wider war on Ukraine, when occupied Crimea was one of the best-defended regions on Earth. Long-range radars scanned for incoming drones and missiles. Ground-based air defenses, including the best S-400 batteries, extended overlapping coverage. Short-range air defense and missile-armed warplanes backed up the S-400s.
In four years of relentless drone and missile strikes, Ukrainian forces gradually peeled away those defenses. The key, it seems, was Ukraine's arsenal of medium-range FPV drones such as the Fire Point FP-1 and FP-2. Directly steered via satellite by remote operators, the FP-1s and FP-2s fly low in order to avoid Russian air defenses—and then strike those same defenses with pinpoint accuracy.
In just one year between March 2025 and this month, Ukraine's medium-range drones hit more than 170 Russian air defense systems, many of them in Crimea. Each strike on a hard-to-replace radar or launcher makes it easier for the next wave of drones to hit more radars and launchers—so on and so forth in a virtuous cycle
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Ukraine Is Starting To Wage Systems Warfare
The US Might Consider Paying Attention
By Phillips P. OBrien | Mar 27, 2026
In the last few days much of the world’s attention has been on the US-Iran War. As such people might have missed arguably the most important Ukrainian long-range strikes of the Russo-Ukraine War. These started on March 23, when the Ukrainians hit the large oil export terminal at Primorsk, not far from St Petersburg. This was followed by two more attacks (the follow up nature of this wave of operations is very important to note). On March 24 the Ukrainians hit another Russian Baltic Sea oil facility, in this case the processing plant and export port at Usg-Luga. And then, to compound things, on the evening of March 26-7, the Ukrainians hit both Primorsk and Ust-Luga one more time each.
So three nights of successful attacks in four, against two extremely important targets. Notably the fires at Primorsk burned for days, and it was reported that up to six oil tankers were also burnt/damaged in the attacks. Moreover, it seems that Russian oil shipments were immediately reduced (more on that below).
So many things stand out about these attacks, from the range involved to the importance of the targets, to the timing, and what they reveal about how Ukraine is now waging war. They also make a rather pointed contrast to what the US is now doing in Iran. The big difference is understanding enemy systems.
https://phillipspobrien.substack.com/p/ukraine-is-starting-to-wage-sys
tems
The Joss Whedon script for Serenity, where Wash lives, is Serenity-190pages.pdf at https://www.mediafire.com/two
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Unafraid Of Russian Radars & Missiles, Ukrainian Drone Teams Are Systematically Dismantling Russian Air Defenses—And Clearing Paths For Strikes On Factories
Tochnyi.info's new investigation details the plan
Mar 27, 2026
https://www.trenchart.us/p/unafraid-of-russian-radars-and-missiles
Systematically striking Russian radars, surface-to-air missile batteries and mobile air defense systems all along the 700-mile front line of Russia’s 50-month wider war on Ukraine, Ukrainian forces are “collapsing the layered defensive architecture that the Russian integrated air defense doctrine depends upon to function,” according to an in-depth investigation by Tochnyi.info.
https://tochnyi.info/2026/03/blinding-the-bear-and-pulling-its-fangs-u
kraines-long-range-campaign-against-the-russian-air-defence/
The investigation is one of the first—and possibly also the best—efforts to explain what otherwise might seem like random drone strikes. Ukraine’s drone units hit thousands of targets every month, from individual Russian infantry and combat vehicles to sprawling defense factories deep inside Russia proper.
The strikes on Russian air defenses—at least 492 of them between June and early March—are part of a carefully scripted plan. Destroying the right air defenses faster than the Russians can replace them has the effect of “facilitating strikes on more critical targets deep within Russian territory,” Tochnyi.info explained.
The critical targets include other air defenses, the destruction of which would make further strikes on other critical targets even easier. So on and so forth until the Russians cannot defend themselves from the air, and the only constraint on Ukrainian air raids is the supply of munitions.
The Joss Whedon script for Serenity, where Wash lives, is Serenity-190pages.pdf at https://www.mediafire.com/two
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One thing I've observed is that, as far as air war is concerned, it's far easier to attack than defend. Defense requires vigilance and 100% effective equipment everywhere at all times, an impossibility. But a successful attack only needs to get lucky once.
Aside from that, technology favors the attacker: Supersonic and hypersonic missiles can't be intercepted at all, and drone swarms can overwhelm any defense system cost effectively.
But let's do away with the fiction that it's UKRAINE that's conducting this air war against Russia.
Sure, the missiles and drones may be launched from Ukrainian territory, but those Storm Shadows and Scalps, and the several hundreds of long range drones are from Britain and Europe, and they've been flying over Poland and the Baltic states to reach their farthest north targets. And the targets are chosen by the CIA and flight paths (avoiding radars and defenses) are programmed by western technicians using "proprietary" American data.
I bring this up to contrast Russia's and Iran's strategy.
Iran has been striking out in all directions, attacking every USA base and important economic target in every hostile nation in the region. If Russia followed the same strategy, every USA base, every radar installation and every drone manufacturing facility across Europe and Britain would be smoking ruins by now.
Russia is showing considerable restraint, keeping Ukraine and ONLY Ukraine in its sights. The EU and USA CIA, OTOH, are determined to provoke a NATO war.
As an aside, consider that the Nordic nations and France are interdicting ships carrying Russian cargo (an act of war), that the USA, Britain, France, Germany, and Romania are actively providing weapons and intel, and EU as a whole is funding Ukraine. And now count up all of the nations being dragged into that SECOND USA-prompted war in the Mideast. It's not an exaggeration to say that we are in WWIII.
-----------
"It may be dangerous to be America's enemy, but to be America's friend is fatal."- Henry Kissinger
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Quote:From yesterday: Sergey Lavrov warned that the rapid expansion of global conflicts and the growing confrontation between Russia and Western nations is raising concerns among experts who are beginning to describe the situation as resembling “World War III.”
Originally posted by SIGNYM:
It's not an exaggeration to say that we are in WWIII.
Speaking about escalating geopolitical tensions, Lavrov accused the European Union and NATO of continuing policies of confrontation with Moscow while using the resources of Ukraine in the conflict.
Lavrov said the widening conflict space and the involvement of more countries and regions over the past year is causing serious concern, with some specialists in international relations already warning of a potential global-scale war.
The Joss Whedon script for Serenity, where Wash lives, is Serenity-190pages.pdf at https://www.mediafire.com/two
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1.
Why is Russia asking its billionaires to fund a war its $190 billion defense budget should cover?
Kerimov pledged $1.2 billion. The Kremlin called it spontaneous.
By Peeter Helme | March 27 2026
https://euromaidanpress.com/2026/03/27/russia-oligarchs-war-donations-
190-billion-defense-budget/
Mikhail Khodorkovsky, once the country’s richest man, resisted Kremlin political pressure in the early 2000s. He spent a decade in prison. The men at the 27 March meeting knew the cost of saying no.
____________
2.
Russia denies Putin asked oligarchs to fund war, calls contribution 'personal decision'
'personal decision' means either contribute or die from a fall out a window
By Tim Zadorozhnyy | March 27, 2026 7:17 pm
https://kyivindependent.com/russia-denies-putin-asked-oligarchs-to-fun
d-war/
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov denied reports claiming that Russian President Vladimir Putin asked oligarchs during a March 26 meeting to provide funds to support the war in Ukraine. . . . "That is why many now consider it their duty to make such contributions," Peskov said.
____________
3.
Intelligence reveals new Kremlin tactic to force businesses to fund war
The Kremlin needs billions to continue its war
By Daryna Vialko | Fri, March 27, 2026 – 22:10
https://newsukraine.rbc.ua/news/intelligence-reveals-new-kremlin-tacti
c-to-1774641531.html
The Kremlin is launching a large-scale campaign against the "shadow economy" to find additional funds to finance the war against Ukraine, according to Ukraine’s Foreign Intelligence Service.
New methods of fiscal pressure
According to intelligence, amid the deterioration of the corporate sector and rising losses among companies (reaching 27.1% in 2025), the Russian government has introduced a series of control measures.
These include advance VAT payments, a new verification system for importers, licensing of the tobacco trade, and criminal liability for cryptocurrency mining.
Particular attention is being paid to cash circulation, informal employment, and the gold market. Russia’s Ministry of Finance expects these measures to generate up to $10 billion annually, although experts consider these estimates to be overstated.
Reaction of the Russian business
Businesses are responding to the pressure by raising prices, cutting staff, and moving further into the shadow economy.
In the Far East, as many as 36% of entrepreneurs are already considering closing their businesses.
Statistics show stagnation in cashless payments following the VAT increase to 22%. In many regions, nearly half of customers report that businesses are offering only cash payments, effectively undermining the country’s tax base.
Putin’s challenges and funding the war
Recently, Russian leader Vladimir Putin held a closed-door meeting with major businesses, where he effectively ordered oligarchs to "chip in" for the war against Ukraine.
Putin continues to publicly justify the aggression, calling it a "righteous fight" for Russia’s future.
At the same time, Russia has recorded a sharp drop in trust in Putin. Approval ratings have fallen to their lowest level since the start of the full-scale invasion in 2022, according to surveys, including those conducted by Kremlin-controlled pollsters.
The Joss Whedon script for Serenity, where Wash lives, is Serenity-190pages.pdf at https://www.mediafire.com/two
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As Russian oil profits soar, so do Ukraine's drone attacks on refineries
March 28, 2026 12:40 pm
https://kyivindependent.com/as-russian-oil-profits-soar-so-do-ukraines
-drone-attacks-on-refineries/
The past few weeks have seen record numbers of Ukrainian drones being launched, at least according to Russian officials. The Kremlin's Defense Ministry on March 9 said 754 had been detected over Russia and occupied Crimea over the previous 24 hours.
The Joss Whedon script for Serenity, where Wash lives, is Serenity-190pages.pdf at https://www.mediafire.com/two
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Flamingo missile reportedly strikes explosives plant in Russia's Samara Oblast
March 28, 2026 9:37 am
https://kyivindependent.com/flamingo-missiles-reportedly-strike-explos
ives-plant-in-russias-samara-oblast/
A Ukrainian Flamingo missile reportedly struck the JSC Promsintez explosives production plant in Russia's Samara Oblast on the morning of March 28, Russian Telegram media channels reported.
Photos and videos published on social media by local residents appear to show a large fireball emanating from the production plant, located in the city of Chapaevsk.
The JSC Promsintez explosives manufacturing plant is located approximately 750 kilometers from the Ukraine-Russia border.
The Joss Whedon script for Serenity, where Wash lives, is Serenity-190pages.pdf at https://www.mediafire.com/two
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Almost every soldier I spoke with voiced the same fear, unprompted: that by the time this war finally ends, global access to drone technology will be so widespread that bad actors from previously unthreatening countries, from deranged extremists to attention-seekers, will have the ability to inflict terror and death anywhere, anytime.
Inside Ukraine's secret drone warfare juggernaut
By Benjamin Patton | March 28, 2026 8:33 PM
https://kyivindependent.com/inside-ukraines-secret-military-juggernaut/
The Joss Whedon script for Serenity, where Wash lives, is Serenity-190pages.pdf at https://www.mediafire.com/two
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What soldiers’ stories reveal about life inside Russian units
By Kenneth Glad | March 28, 2026
https://www.dagens.com/war/what-soldiers-stories-reveal-about-life-ins
ide-russian-units
Individual experiences from conflict zones can vary widely, reflecting different roles and circumstances. Some accounts focus on how personal decisions are shaped under intense and uncertain conditions.
Accounts from the war in Ukraine rarely align neatly, but three recent investigations approach the same reality from different angles. Reporting based on interviews, fieldwork and documentary testimony, describes how some Russian soldiers move from recruitment to combat under conditions they say they did not expect.
Individually, the stories differ. Taken together, they point to recurring friction between what recruits are told, what they face in the field, and what awaits them afterward. Many of the claims remain difficult to verify independently.
Three perspectives on entry
United24 recounts the experience of a man who said he enlisted to avoid a prison sentence, expecting limited duties behind the lines. Over time, those expectations shifted as he was moved closer to active fighting. https://united24media.com/war-in-ukraine/better-prison-than-the-russia
n-army-inside-one-tortured-soldiers-escape-from-an-assault-unit-17189
A separate case documented by The New York Times follows Aleksandr Abbasov-Derskhan, who coincidentally joined after serving time in prison. He later questioned the decision, saying: “I risked my life, but it is unclear for what.” https://www.nytimes.com/2026/03/18/world/europe/russia-ukraine-prisone
r-benefits.html
The BBC‘s reporting is drawn from interviews filmed for a documentary. The soldiers the documentary crew spoke to were already deployed and focused less on why they joined than on what they encountered once they arrived. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cz7gw3l395ro
These entry points differ, but each suggests that the gap between recruitment messaging and battlefield reality can be significant.
Control under fire
Once at the front, the accounts describe systems of control that go beyond formal orders. In BBC interviews, soldiers spoke about punishments for refusal, including killings they said were carried out on commanders’ instructions. One recalled an execution happening within a few metres, summarising it in blunt terms: “click, clack, bang.”
The British broadcaster said it could not independently verify these claims, but noted that multiple interviewees described similar incidents, alongside references to repeated high-risk assaults.
From another angle, the United24 report describes what can happen to those who try to leave. A soldier who attempted to flee said he was detained and subjected to repeated punishment before being sent back. His account points to a system where discipline may depend heavily on individual commanders rather than consistent oversight.
Aftermath and consequences
What follows service varies sharply. The New York Times reports that Abbasov-Derskhan returned home seriously injured and now works long hours while disputing the benefits he received. His case reflects broader complaints cited by the newspaper from soldiers and families over compensation and status.
Others never return through official channels. According to United24, a soldier who had tried multiple times to escape ultimately crossed into Ukrainian-held territory and surrendered, saying: “I could no longer go back to my own side.”
Meanwhile, BBC interviewees described psychological strain after leaving the front, including persistent memories of violence.
These accounts do not offer a single, unified picture. Instead, they show how experiences can diverge depending on where a soldier enters the system, how orders are enforced, and whether they make it out at all. For some, the most decisive moment comes not in battle, but in choosing which risks to face.
The Joss Whedon script
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