Russia Invades Ukraine. Again by captaincrunch

The Joss Whedon script for Serenity, where Wash lives, is Serenity-190pages.pdf at https://www.mediafire.com/two

There Are A Few Hundred Russian Tankers On The Black Sea. In Five Days, Ukraine Droned More Than 70 Of Them.

Ukraine's counter-logistics campaign goes to sea.

Jul 11

https://www.trenchart.us/p/there-are-a-few-hundred-russian-tankers

Hundreds of Russian tankers ply the Sea of Azov and the adjacent Black Sea, hauling fuel between Russian ports and Russian-occupied ports in southern Ukraine and Crimea.

On July 7, Ukraine’s drone force finally started hunting the tankers. By day five of the counter-tanker effort, the Ukrainians had hit and damaged no fewer than 76 ships including tankers and even tugboats sent to assist damaged tankers.

“To be clear, 76 tankers comprise a massive fraction of Russia’s shadow fleet” of unregistered ships, RAND analyst Michael Bohnert explained. “At this rate, in two weeks, there will be next to no Russian tankers in the Black Sea.” https://x.com/mbohnert/status/2075958146409898308

The attacks on tankers are part of a wider effort by Ukrainian deep strike forces to starve Russian forces in occupied Ukraine, and especially in Crimea, by striking their supply lines at a depth of a hundred miles or farther.

The Joss Whedon script for Serenity, where Wash lives, is Serenity-190pages.pdf at https://www.mediafire.com/two

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Saturday, July 11, 2026 7:24 PM

Is also JJ. Keep it real please, and use a VPN

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

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Saturday, July 11, 2026 7:40 PM

What's that Shit Golem?

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Saturday, July 11, 2026 7:48 PM

Here's one for you too, Ted.

I don't want my little screen bitch to feel left out.

--------------------------------------------------

Those who dance always seem crazy to those who can't hear the music.

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Saturday, July 11, 2026 7:48 PM

SIGNYM

I believe in solving problems, not sharing them.

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?

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.

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?

So, Ukrainians are killers?
Well. They're not doing a very good job.

AFA "upgrades" are concerned: You haven't addressed the fact that the F-35 still has hundreds of flaws. Literally hundreds. Seven are CRITICAL. I'll bet you dollars to donuts the "upgrade" isn't an upgrade, it's a FIX.

Looking at all the weapons we gave Ukraine - Javelins, Abrams tanks, Strykers, M113 APCs, Patriot systems, HIMARS, Bradleys, F16s, M777 artillery and rounds, radars etc etc... the one thing that stayed in the fight longest was the HIMARS.

-----------

"It may be dangerous to be America's enemy, but to be America's friend is fatal."- Henry Kissinger

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Saturday, July 11, 2026 7:50 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by SIGNYM:
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?

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.

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?

So, Ukrainians are killers?
Well. They're not doing a very good job.

AFA "upgrades" are concerned: You haven't addressed the fact that the F-35 still has hundreds of flaws. Literally hundreds. Seven are CRITICAL. I'll bet you dollars to donuts the "upgrade" isn't an upgrade, it's a FIX.

Looking at all the weapons we gave Ukraine - Javelins, Abrams tanks, Strykers, M113 APCs, Patriot systems, HIMARS, Bradleys, F16s, M777 artillery and rounds, radars etc etc... the one thing that stayed in the fight longest was the HIMARS.

Ah... They go by the Triple A Game publisher rules.

Just put any piece of shit out there, and we'll try to fix what we can after everyone paid for it.

And yes. The Ukrainian Nazis love killing.

And Democrats love Nazis.

Democrats also love murdering people.

This making any sense to anybody yet?

Is the Dawn Cometh?

--------------------------------------------------

Those who dance always seem crazy to those who can't hear the music.

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Sunday, July 12, 2026 6:54 AM

The Joss Whedon script for Serenity, where Wash lives, is Serenity-190pages.pdf at https://www.mediafire.com/two

What Is Happening In The Sea Of Azov?

Phillips P. OBrien
Jul 12, 2026

https://phillipspobrien.substack.com/i/206655330/what-is-happening-in-
the-sea-of-azov

The Sea of Azov was supposed to be a Russian lake. The Russians have controlled every inch of the coastline along it since the full-scale invasion in 2022, and access to it is through only one narrow channel called the Strait of Kerch (thus the Kerch Bridge), which runs between Crimea and Russia.

Now it is anything but a Russian lake. Over the last few weeks, in a sign that their campaign to try and isolate Crimea is continuing to ramp up, the Ukrainians have greatly accelerated a campaign to sink or damage Russian-controlled shipping in that body of water.

The strategic importance of the Sea of Azov is not hard to discern by simply looking at a map. With road and rail communications to Crimea down significantly, and the Russians wary about using the Kerch Bridge too much for items such as fuel, trying to get supplies to Crimea by ship becomes the only reasonable alternative. The Ukrainians themselves are stating that at least one part of this campaign is part of the Crimea “switch off” operation to isolate the peninsula.

However, that is not all. Azov is often the first place where stolen grain from Ukraine and Russian grain itself is shipped out into the world market. It is estimated that up to a quarter of all the grain shipments that are controlled by Russia head through the Sea of Azov.

Finally, there are some oil shipments that heads through Azov to the world as well. As global sanctions against Russia in this area seem to be doing little to reduce shipments of Russian oil, Ukraine is using its “kinetic sanctions” to do the job instead.

For a small body of water, the Sea of Azov is of very high strategic importance for Russia, and keeping it protected should be a very high priority for the Russian military.

However, clearly they are struggling in this area. Over the last week, at first with very little fanfare, the Ukrainians started to methodically gear up a campaign against Russian shipping. Using both air and sea drones, stories started emerging of a series of Ukrainian strikes against Russian-controlled vessels in Azov. Here is a video with footage of some of the attacks.

Note: The UAV (air) attacks seen in that video show that the Ukrainian tactic seems to be to go for the bridge of the vessels. I’m guessing that they do not always want to destroy the vessel outright, but they do want to cripple it so it cannot be controlled. However, this is a guess for now. Sea drones, obviously, would be a different matter.

The ramping up of the attacks is pretty obvious when you look at it in chart form. I put together this chart of the attacks claimed through July 11, when the Ukrainians said that they attacked 28 vessels.

And this was how the types of vessels attacked were described by Ukrainian official sources:

According to the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and Unmanned Systems Forces Commander Robert “Magyar” Brovdi, the targets included 21 oil tankers, four tugboats, two cargo vessels, and one specialized dredging vessel. Ukrainian officials said the extent of the damage is still being assessed.

So while oil tankers dominate the list, the Ukrainians are clearly trying to shut down a range of vessels in a clear statement to the Russians that the Sea of Azov is not to be considered a safe place for any shipping. That message seems to be getting through, as it is now claimed that the Russians on July 10 forbade any new traffic to move through the Kerch Strait between the Sea of Azov and the Black Sea. There is no indication when the Russians plan to relax that restriction—and if the attacks stay at the present level (or the capability remains and the Russians do not develop the ability to protect shipping) then it can be assumed that the body of water will remain functionally closed.

So, using air and sea drones, the Ukrainians have turned the Sea of Azov into a Ukrainian lake. Think about that for a minute.

Btw, tomorrow or the day after (Monday, July 13 or Tuesday, July 14) I will be releasing a piece about how what we are seeing these days globally has to be understood as a Revolution in Military Affairs. The Sea of Azov campaign will be mentioned.

As of now, the Russians do not seem to have a working counter to this campaign—so the question, as posed in last weekend’s update, is whether they can do something to change the dynamic of this operation. If not, this one campaign will further strangle Russian supplies from getting to Crimea and do real damage to Russian grain and fuel shipments, just when the Russian economy is crying out for more funds.

In other words, it is a strategically impactful campaign being waged effectively at the right time. It deserves far more coverage than it is getting.

The Joss Whedon script for Serenity, where Wash lives, is Serenity-190pages.pdf at https://www.mediafire.com/two

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Sunday, July 12, 2026 7:13 AM

The Joss Whedon script for Serenity, where Wash lives, is Serenity-190pages.pdf at https://www.mediafire.com/two

Trump Gifts Putin Time

Phillips P. OBrien
Jul 12, 2026

https://phillipspobrien.substack.com/i/206655330/trump-gifts-putin-tim
e

You would not be forgiven for believing that Donald Trump had some Damascene conversion last week and switched sides from backing Russia to backing Ukraine. There was enough reporting on this that it almost seemed believable. The key reason, as I mentioned in the piece yesterday, was Trump’s verbal statement (not followed up yet, it must be said) to provide Ukraine with some kind of license to make some part of a Patriot anti-air system. This announcement was far less clear the more you look into it.

The Worst NATO Summit In History
Phillips P. OBrien
·
Jul 11
Read full story

Note, the more you try to find details on this, the murkier it becomes.

What has happened, of course, is that Trump is trying to verbally associate himself with the Ukrainian cause as it becomes clearer to even him that the Ukrainians are doing much, much better in the war than he had ever imagined possible. Here was how one Wall Street Journal story summarized what Trump is hearing.

Quote:
President Trump, who last year told Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky that he held “no cards,” praised the country’s ingenuity and its long-range drone capabilities on Wednesday in an amiable encounter with the Ukrainian leader at the North Atlantic Treaty Organization’s summit in Turkey.

Trump is being shown U.S. intelligence reports about Ukraine’s new strike capabilities and has been impressed by them, while the Russian public increasingly wants the war to end, according to two U.S. officials familiar with the matter. Those assessments explain why Trump is talking more positively about Ukraine compared with last year, the officials said.

Of course, what Trump has actually done is make no promises about anything concrete and if you read his words, he seems to be implying that Ukraine might eventually get this license instead of getting any new supplies made in the USA. Here was how he said it:

“We’re going to give a license to you to make Patriots. That’s pretty cool. This way, you can’t complain that we’re not giving ‘em enough…We’ll give them the right to make Patriots. We’ll show them how to do it.”

In other words, “stop complaining that we are not shipping you more Patriot interceptors as the Russians bombard your cities and economy with ballistic missiles. We will give you the ability to make your own.”

The only problem with this is that it will most likely take years until Ukraine can actually make Patriot interceptors, if they eventually do get the license. The most optimistic forecast I received from a Ukrainian source is that they believe that they could do it in a year, but most believe that is very optimistic.

The only problem with waiting for years is that bombarding Ukraine with ballistic missiles is a key and growing Russian priority now. The Russians have put far more effort into building these systems just as the US has been slow-walking new Patriots to Ukraine. The scale of the ballistic missile assault facing Ukraine is sobering.

Here is a quick summary of what we are seeing:

• Scale of the escalation. Russia’s monthly ballistic missile launches have roughly tripled year-over-year — 28 missiles in a comparable month a year ago versus around 70+ now. January 2026 already set a record of 91 ballistic missiles in a single month, and Russia has sustained a high tempo since. These attacks are certainly set to increase significantly next winter when they can do the most damage.

• Interception rates are falling behind. The problem of the deprivation of Patriots in a nutshell. Ukraine intercepted about 89% of all aerial threats in June overall (drones, cruise missiles), but only 40% of ballistic missiles. Ballistic missiles interceptions seem to require Patriot interceptors—and the Ukrainians had to admit on July 6 that they had none or almost none, left.

• Notable Recent Russian Ballistic Missile Attacks:

June 2: 33 Iskander-M ballistic missiles fired alongside cruise missiles and 650+ drones; only 11 of 41 ballistic missiles (27%) were shot down.

June 15: 34 Iskander-M ballistic missiles in a combined strike; roughly half intercepted. Killed 5, injured 35 in Kyiv.

July 6: 29 ballistic missiles fired at Kyiv, and Ukraine’s air force said all 29 struck their targets — part of a barrage that killed at least 19-27 people.

July 8: The third ballistic missile strike on Kyiv in six days, killing 4.

Recent weekend strikes used Iskander-M/S-400 ballistic missiles from the Bryansk area alongside cruise missiles and drones.

• Cumulative toll: at least 60 deaths in Kyiv and its region since the start of July alone.

The fact that Russia seems to be upping its strike rate with three attacks on Kyiv in six days, just as it is clear that Ukraine is running out of Patriots interceptors, shows how the Russians are aware of the help Trump has and will continue to provide for them. For at least a year, if not longer, they can do a great deal of damage with their ballistic missiles knowing that the Ukrainians have few options to shoot them down. That is a massive strategic gift that the USA has given to Russia. Trump has provided Putin at least one more whole winter, and possibly two or three (the Japanese after many years of licensing are only making 30 Patriot PAC-3 interceptors, the ones Ukraine needs, annually), to attack what he wants.

And still people talk about Trump actually wanting to help Ukraine. He does not. He just wants to be seen to be supportive of Ukraine because Ukraine is doing better and his beloved Putin is struggling. But he remains what he has always been, and he has even be able to provide Putin with a massive gift of time while the world applauded thinking he was helping Ukraine.

We really are lost.

The Joss Whedon script for Serenity, where Wash lives, is Serenity-190pages.pdf at https://www.mediafire.com/two

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Sunday, July 12, 2026 3:40 PM

The Joss Whedon script for Serenity, where Wash lives, is Serenity-190pages.pdf at https://www.mediafire.com/two

Zelensky urges energy sector to speed up winter preparedness

by Dominic Culverwell | July 12, 2026 6:01 pm

https://kyivindependent.com/zelensky-urges-energy-sector-to-speed-up-w
inter-preparedness-asap/

. . . Ukraine is underprepared for the coming winter and has failed to secure funding for its 5.4 billion euro ($6.2 billion) energy resilience plan.

Officials have warned that this winter could be even harsher than the last, when prolonged blackouts and heating outages pushed millions of Ukrainians into a humanitarian crisis during sub-zero temperatures as Russia targeted Ukraine's energy facilities.

One of the main problems is the lack of reforms at state-owned energy companies, which provide the majority of Ukraine's energy supply. Zelensky announced an overhaul of state-owned energy companies last November following a corruption scandal at state-run nuclear operator Energoatom.

In a separate statement on July 12, Zelensky said the transformation of state-owned companies must be "accelerated" to strengthen Ukraine's resilience. Companies such as Energoatom have failed to implement meaningful reforms, the Kyiv Independent previously reported.

At the same time, Zelensky praised the performance of state-owned oil and gas companies Ukrnafta and Naftogaz, saying both had met their national performance targets despite repeated Russian attacks. He thanked Naftogaz CEO Serhii Koretskyi for his work and said they discussed ways to further strengthen Ukraine's resilience.

The president also spoke with Kharkiv Mayor Ihor Terekhov about implementing resilience measures and winter preparedness plans. After Kharkiv received recognition for its readiness last winter, Zelensky suggested the city's experience could help other Ukrainian cities and communities.

Kyiv, by contrast, was widely criticized for its handling of the energy crisis. Rather than taking responsibility, Mayor Vitali Klitschko and the central government traded blame, while the capital remains underprepared for the coming winter as the dispute continues.

The Joss Whedon script for Serenity, where Wash lives, is Serenity-190pages.pdf at https://www.mediafire.com/two

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Sunday, July 12, 2026 7:12 PM

The Joss Whedon script for Serenity, where Wash lives, is Serenity-190pages.pdf at https://www.mediafire.com/two

July 12, 2026

Ukrainian partisan movement ATESH says it burned electronic warfare towers in Russia's Bryansk Oblast, the region Russia uses to launch ballistic missiles at Kyiv. ATESH agents targeted communication and EW nodes in the cities of Fokino and Karachev in a coordinated operation, the group reveals.

The sabotage lands in the strategically critical zone that Russia uses for ballistic strikes on the Ukrainian capital. Iskander-M ballistic missiles launched from Bryansk Oblast reach Kyiv in about two minutes of flight time.

Ukrainian Volunteer Army spokesperson Serhii Bratchuk said on Kyiv24 TV that Russia has moved its launchers up to the Bryansk border, reducing flight time to the point that the air raid siren in Kyiv sounds after the first explosions ring out in the capital. Ukraine cannot intercept most of these strikes due to an acute shortage of Patriot missiles.

https://euromaidanpress.com/2026/07/12/russian-missiles-that-killed-16
-in-kyiv-this-week-came-from-bryansk-partisans-say-theyve-burned-ew-towers-shielding-it/

The Joss Whedon script for Serenity, where Wash lives, is Serenity-190pages.pdf at https://www.mediafire.com/two

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Monday, July 13, 2026 6:02 AM

The Joss Whedon script for Serenity, where Wash lives, is Serenity-190pages.pdf at https://www.mediafire.com/two

Russia builds three ballistic missiles per day: Japan’s entire annual Patriot output would cover only one mass strike on Kyiv, expert says

Ukraine needs 2,000 PAC-3 interceptors per year to defeat Russian ballistic missiles, Ukrainian analyst Oleksandr Kovalenko says.

By Olena Mukhina | July 13, 2026

https://euromaidanpress.com/2026/07/13/russia-builds-three-ballistic-m
issiles-per-day-japans-entire-annual-patriot-output-would-cover-only-one-mass-strike-on-kyiv-expert-says/

Ukraine needs a minimum of 2,000 PAC-3 interceptors per year to defeat Russian ballistic missiles. Ukrainian military-political analyst Oleksandr Kovalenko from the Informational Resistance group said on Espreso TV that Ukraine's requirement is 2,000 PAC-3 per year, against Russia's production of the 9M723 ballistic missile for the Iskander-M complex at 3 per day, or more than 1,000 per year.

The US produces about 700 PAC-3 interceptors per year at Lockheed Martin, per Kovalenko. Japan produces roughly 70 PAC-3 per year at Mitsubishi Heavy Industries under license. Global combined output stands at approximately 770 PAC-3 per year, compared with Ukraine's 2,000-per-year requirement.

"We need at least 2,000 anti-missiles of the PAC-3 type just to intercept the 9M723 production. That is why PAC-3 production is very important for us," Kovalenko said. . . .

The Joss Whedon script for Serenity, where Wash lives, is Serenity-190pages.pdf at https://www.mediafire.com/two

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Monday, July 13, 2026 8:24 AM

The Joss Whedon script for Serenity, where Wash lives, is Serenity-190pages.pdf at https://www.mediafire.com/two

Lindsey Graham On Ukraine and Trump

In His Own Words

Phillips P. OBrien

Jul 13, 2026

https://phillipspobrien.substack.com/p/lindsey-graham-on-ukraine-and-t
rump

. . . Conclusion—With Some Adjectives.

In summation, using Graham’s own words, the following points seem clear, at least to me.

1. Graham supported Trump always and consistently, no matter what the President said or did. Indeed, Graham’s support for Trump became louder more recently.

2. Graham never criticized Trump for cutting off all US military aid for Ukraine; indeed, he said changing aid to loans was a good thing.

3. Graham never criticized Trump for blocking a vote on Graham-Blumenthal but regularly stated that the President would support a vote, claims that seem to have had no validity.

4. If Graham was ever forced to choose between Ukraine and Trump, he always supported Trump, to the point that he stated Zelensky should resign after being ambushed by Trump and Vance in the Oval Office in February 2025.

5. Graham regularly made it seem to the public, both before and after the 2024 election, that Trump was more pro-Ukraine than the President really was.

6. Graham never used his powerful position in the Senate to do anything Trump did not want to get aid to Ukraine.

If you believe these are the actions of a “friend” of Ukraine, so be it.

The Joss Whedon script for Serenity, where Wash lives, is Serenity-190pages.pdf at https://www.mediafire.com/two

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Monday, July 13, 2026 1:26 PM

The Joss Whedon script for Serenity, where Wash lives, is Serenity-190pages.pdf at https://www.mediafire.com/two

Ukraine's Freyja anti-ballistic system: When it could enter service

The expert explained what's missing before the new air defense system can be deployed

By Daryna Vialko and Kostiantyn Kryvolap | Mon, July 13, 2026 - 19:51

https://newsukraine.rbc.ua/news/ukraine-s-freyja-air-defense-when-it-c
ould-1783960707.html

. . . "This is not Patriot, which took 10 years to develop. This system is on a completely different technological level. In this case, an air defense system is assembled from existing components. Europe has everything needed except the missile, and Ukraine provides the missile," Kryvolap added. . . .

. . . just like the development of Patriot and SAMP/T systems, building Ukraine's own anti-ballistic defense system will take time.

The Joss Whedon script for Serenity, where Wash lives, is Serenity-190pages.pdf at https://www.mediafire.com/two

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Monday, July 13, 2026 5:35 PM

SIGNYM

I believe in solving problems, not sharing them.

Quote:
UPDATE: The Lindsey Graham Timeline Does Not Work… He Died in Kyiv

12 July 2026 by Larry C. Johnson 289 Comments

Let’s follow the timeline. According to the official story: 911 call from his DC residence at 8:30pm ET on July 11 for suspected cardiac arrest. He “died at home.”

This is total bullshit!

So let’s go thru the timeline. Lindsey departed Dulles International Airport at around 0700 local on July 9 — the flight from Dulles to Warsaw is 9 hours. He took the overnight train that departed Warsaw at 18:15 hours local on July 9th and arrived in Kyiv between 09:45–10:45 local on July 10th.

So Lindsey Graham arrives in Kyiv by 11 am Friday morning. He meets with Zelensky and tours a drone factory. Then we are asked to believe that he returns to Washington, DC after spending less than 24 hours on the ground. Again, I call bullshit!!

The earliest train back to Warsaw departs Kyiv-Pasazhyrskyi at 07:40–08:00 on the 11th and arrives Przemysl Glówny in the afternoon (~17:00–18:00). That is at least nine hours. That would make it roughly 1100 hours in Washington, DC. Let’s assume he has an hour to get to the airport and the plane takes off at 1900 hours local from Poland, which is 1200 hours in Washington. The flight going west takes 10 hours… This means the earliest the plane could have landed at Dulles is 2200 hours on the 11th. That is 2 ½ hours after Graham reportedly died at home.

I emphasize that the normal travel to Kyiv by members of Congress, members of NATO and the EU, and even Joe Biden is to take a plane to Poland and then hop a train to Kyiv. It is, normally, at least a 20 hour trip. In order for Senator Graham to have arrived at home by 2000 hours local in Washington, DC, he would have had to depart from Kyiv at 0700 hours local Ukraine. I have been unable to find any schedule that shows a train departing Kyiv at that hour.

https://sonar21.com/the-lindsey-graham-timeline-does-not-work-he-died-
in-kyiv/
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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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Monday, July 13, 2026 6:06 PM

The Joss Whedon script for Serenity, where Wash lives, is Serenity-190pages.pdf at https://www.mediafire.com/two

Too bad, but your Russian propagandist's fake timeline starts in the wrong country.

Quote:
Originally posted by SIGNYM:

UPDATE: The Lindsey Graham Timeline Does Not Work… He Died in Kyiv . . .

This is total bullshit! . . .

So let’s go thru the timeline. Lindsey departed Dulles International Airport at around 0700 local on July 9 — the flight from Dulles to Warsaw is 9 hours.

Lindsey Graham was in Turkey for the NATO summit immediately before traveling to Ukraine. He departed Ankara on July 9, 2026, and took an overnight train from Poland to arrive in Kyiv.

https://www.nytimes.com/2026/07/12/us/politics/lindsey-graham-final-da
ys.html

‘I can’t die now’: Explosive report reveals Graham laughed off advice to seek medical care

Trump also theorized that he was the last person to speak with the senator before he passed . . .

https://www.rawstory.com/lindsey-graham-2677208310/

The Joss Whedon script for Serenity, where Wash lives, is Serenity-190pages.pdf at https://www.mediafire.com/two

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Monday, July 13, 2026 8:53 PM

Thanks for the update, Shit Golem.

--------------------------------------------------

Those who dance always seem crazy to those who can't hear the music.

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Monday, July 13, 2026 10:45 PM

SIGNYM

I believe in solving problems, not sharing them.

Quote:
Originally posted by second:
Too bad, but your Russian propagandist's fake timeline starts in the wrong country.
Quote:
Originally posted by SIGNYM:

UPDATE: The Lindsey Graham Timeline Does Not Work… He Died in Kyiv . . .

This is total bullshit! . . .

So let’s go thru the timeline. Lindsey departed Dulles International Airport at around 0700 local on July 9 — the flight from Dulles to Warsaw is 9 hours.
Lindsey Graham was in Turkey for the NATO summit immediately before traveling to Ukraine. He departed Ankara on July 9, 2026, and took an overnight train from Poland to arrive in Kyiv.

https://www.nytimes.com/2026/07/12/us/politics/lindsey-graham-final-da
ys.html

‘I can’t die now’: Explosive report reveals Graham laughed off advice to seek medical care

Trump also theorized that he was the last person to speak with the senator before he passed . . .

https://www.rawstory.com/lindsey-graham-2677208310/

The Joss Whedon script for Serenity, where Wash lives, is Serenity-190pages.pdf at https://www.mediafire.com/two

The issue isn't when he got to Kiev, but when he arrived in Poland on his way back home.

-----------

"It may be dangerous to be America's enemy, but to be America's friend is fatal."- Henry Kissinger

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Monday, July 13, 2026 10:51 PM

I'll bet Lindsey Graham has been in Turkey.

Gobble, Gobble!

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIDDDDDDDDDDDDDSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!

--------------------------------------------------

Those who dance always seem crazy to those who can't hear the music.

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Monday, July 13, 2026 10:54 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by second:
‘I can’t die now’: Explosive report reveals Graham laughed off advice to seek medical care

--------------------------------------------------

Those who dance always seem crazy to those who can't hear the music.

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Tuesday, July 14, 2026 7:15 AM

The Joss Whedon script for Serenity, where Wash lives, is Serenity-190pages.pdf at https://www.mediafire.com/two

A Russian Geran-2 drone struck Copanca, Moldova, on the night of July 12 to 13. The Moldovan Ministry of Defense (MoD) reported on July 13 that a Russian Geran-2 (the Russian-produced version of an Iranian Shahed-136) drone crashed and exploded in Copanca, roughly 25 kilometers from the Moldovan-Ukrainian border, after the Russian drone entered Moldovan airspace during strikes against Odesa Oblast.[8] Russian drones or drone debris have crashed onto Moldovan territory over 20 times and onto Romanian territory at least 30 times since February 2022.[9]

Increasingly frequent Russian drone incursions into European and NATO airspace indicate that Russian President Vladimir Putin has adopted a reckless policy that accepts the risk of Russian drones entering European and NATO airspace as an acceptable consequence of his strikes in Ukraine. Russia’s acceptance of such risks underscores the need for European and NATO states to consider negotiating possible air defense agreements with Ukraine as a matter of self-defense against Russian drone strikes against NATO countries, regardless of whether the Russian drone incursions are accidental or intentional.

https://understandingwar.org/research/russia-ukraine/russian-offensive
-campaign-assessment-july-13-2026/

The Joss Whedon script for Serenity, where Wash lives, is Serenity-190pages.pdf at https://www.mediafire.com/two

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Tuesday, July 14, 2026 7:19 AM

The Joss Whedon script for Serenity, where Wash lives, is Serenity-190pages.pdf at https://www.mediafire.com/two

Zelenskyy wants FREYJA flying within 12 months. Ten nations just joined European Anti-Ballistic Missile Coalition for first time

Zelenskyy told the first meeting of the European Anti-Ballistic Coalition that Ukraine is finishing its interceptor and hopes to see FREYJA working within 12 months.

By Olena Mukhina | July 13, 2026

https://euromaidanpress.com/2026/07/13/zelenskyy-wants-freyja-flying-w
ithin-12-months-ten-nations-just-joined-european-anti-ballistic-missile-coalition-for-first-time/

Ukraine is finishing its own anti-ballistic missile. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said at the first meeting of the European Anti-Ballistic Coalition that Ukraine will contribute a missile to FREYJA, a joint European missile defense system.

Ten countries have joined the Coalition — Ukraine, France, Britain, Germany, Italy, Norway, Denmark, Sweden, the Netherlands, and Spain — along with representatives of NATO, the European Union, and leading European defense companies.

"Ukraine can provide its part — the anti-ballistic missile. We are now completing work on it. Others have radar and other critical components. It is important that we combine our efforts," he said.

Four days ago, Zelenskyy told journalists that eight countries might join. Zelenskyy coordinated positions with French President Emmanuel Macron in a call before the meeting.

Zelenskyy set a timeline for his expectations for the new air defense missile.

"I hope that within the next 12 months we will see FREYJA in operation," he revealed.

Zelenskyy divides work: Ukraine builds missile, partners build rest

Europe needs a modern, reliable, and more affordable system of protection against ballistic missiles, and partner countries are capable of building one together, Zelenskyy claimed.

He argued FREYJA should receive political support as a joint European initiative aimed at strengthening the security of the entire continent.

The division of labor Zelenskyy described aligns with the program's technical structure. Freya recycles a Soviet S-300 interceptor and relies on a German infrared seeker co-developed with Diehl Defense, and Kyiv munitions firm Fire Point is transforming its FP-7 ballistic missile into an air-defense missile under the initiative.

Radars and command systems come from partners. The Ukrainian company Fire Point aims to begin serial production in August 2026, building airframes and storing them until German seekers arrive.

Demand is rising faster than supply

Russia is betting on ballistic strikes against Ukrainian cities, and the missile programs of Russia, Iran, and North Korea are compounding the global threat.

Europe has all the technological preconditions to become a world leader in producing modern anti-ballistic systems without political dependence on other states, he said.

Russia produces roughly 800 ballistic missiles a year, compared with about 600 American PAC-3 interceptors, and a single Iskander can require two or three interceptors to bring down. Ukraine's Ministry of Defense reported an 89% interception rate against Russian air threats in June but only 40% against ballistic missiles.

The Joss Whedon script for Serenity, where Wash lives, is Serenity-190pages.pdf at https://www.mediafire.com/two

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Tuesday, July 14, 2026 11:17 AM

The Joss Whedon script for Serenity, where Wash lives, is Serenity-190pages.pdf at https://www.mediafire.com/two

This sounds like science fiction, as unlikely as Putin achieving victory within a year, but maybe Putin has a secret plan, and maybe Ukraine has one, too:

Can Ukraine's FREYJA air defense system protect Europe from Russian missiles? Expert explains

What does it have in common with Israel's Iron Dome?

By Lev Shevchenko and Daryna Vialko | Tue, July 14, 2026 – 17:50

https://newsukraine.rbc.ua/comment/can-ukraine-s-freyja-air-defense-sy
stem-protect-1784040009.html

Europe is developing the FREYJA air defense system based on Fire Point technology. It will combine European radars and sensors with cost-effective Ukrainian interceptor missiles, stated aviation expert and defense industry development director Anatolii Khrapchynskyi in a comment to RBC-Ukraine.

Khrapchynskyi said FREYJA should not be viewed as a conventional air defense system consisting only of a launcher, radar, and command post. According to him, it is a large-scale integration architecture designed to unify the defense capabilities of European countries and Ukraine.

The concept behind FREYJA is to combine a wide range of European sensors, radar systems, and guidance technologies with affordable Ukrainian interceptor missiles developed by Fire Point.

"In practice, this approach makes it possible to create a unified pan-European shield similar to Israel's Iron Dome and completely rethink how the continent's airspace is defended," Khrapchynskyi said.

How FREYJA differs from conventional air defense systems

Unlike traditional air defense systems such as SAMP/T, which are limited to their standard physical components, including a launcher, radar, and reloading vehicle, FREYJA operates as a higher-level integration platform, the expert explained.

The system connects dozens of separate air defense assets into a single intelligent network. This enables a shift from simply responding to incoming attacks to proactively countering threats. The platform can predict a threat's trajectory in advance, instantly assess the level of danger, and deploy the most effective interceptor available in the integrated network.

"This project not only makes rational use of Europe's existing defense resources but also addresses the critical shortage of air defense capabilities," Khrapchynskyi said. Through Fire Point's technology, Ukraine is offering a cost-effective alternative to expensive foreign interceptor missiles. This would allow both Ukraine and its European partners to build their own air defense capabilities and protect their skies without relying entirely on imported systems.

Earlier, it was reported that FREYJA could become operational by the end of 2026. The FP-7.x interceptor missile designed for FREYJA is made of composite materials and is capable of reaching speeds of 1,500-2,000 meters per second. The missile is 7.25 meters long, has a range of up to 200 kilometers, and carries a warhead weighing up to 150 kilograms.

The Joss Whedon script for Serenity, where Wash lives, is Serenity-190pages.pdf at https://www.mediafire.com/two

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Tuesday, July 14, 2026 11:30 AM

Is also JJ. Keep it real please, and use a VPN

Quote:
Originally posted by SIGNYM:
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?

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.

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?

So, Ukrainians are killers?
Well. They're not doing a very good job.

AFA "upgrades" are concerned: You haven't addressed the fact that the F-35 still has hundreds of flaws. Literally hundreds. Seven are CRITICAL. I'll bet you dollars to donuts the "upgrade" isn't an upgrade, it's a FIX.

Looking at all the weapons we gave Ukraine - Javelins, Abrams tanks, Strykers, M113 APCs, Patriot systems, HIMARS, Bradleys, F16s, M777 artillery and rounds, radars etc etc... the one thing that stayed in the fight longest was the HIMARS.

-----------

"It may be dangerous to be America's enemy, but to be America's friend is fatal."- Henry Kissinger

"Is the F-35 the Most Successful Fighter in History?

The Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II is widely regarded as the most advanced and successful stealth fighter program in history, despite its high cost, delays, and controversies 19FortyFive+1.

Why It’s Considered the Most Successful
Unmatched technological capability: The F-35 is the world’s first supersonic stealth aircraft and the most lethal, survivable, and connected fighter ever built JSF. It integrates advanced sensor fusion, stealth design, and multirole combat capability in a single platform.

Global adoption: As of 2026, over 1,340 F-35s have been built, with more than 880 in service worldwide Wikipedia. It is operated by the U.S. Air Force, Navy, and Marine Corps, plus allies such as the UK, Italy, Japan, Australia, and Israel, and is being procured by multiple other NATO and non-NATO countries Wikipedia.

Versatility: The F-35A, F-35B, and F-35C variants cover conventional takeoff, short takeoff/vertical landing, and carrier-based operations, making it adaptable to diverse missions Wikipedia.

Operational dominance: In terms of production numbers, combat experience, and technological breadth, it surpasses contemporaries like the F-22 Raptor, J-20, and Su-57 19FortyFive.."

Here you go dummy...Something else; for every Ukrainian soldier who dies, 8 Russians do.

T

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Tuesday, July 14, 2026 11:53 AM

The Joss Whedon script for Serenity, where Wash lives, is Serenity-190pages.pdf at https://www.mediafire.com/two

Air defense missile shortage

One of Ukraine's biggest challenges remains the shortage of missiles for Patriot air defense systems, which can intercept ballistic missiles.

Against this backdrop, Russia increasingly uses ballistic missiles during its large-scale air attacks. During several recent strikes, Ukraine's air defenses failed to intercept any ballistic missiles.

https://newsukraine.rbc.ua/comment/will-ukraine-get-300-patriot-missil
es-by-1784037100.html

The Joss Whedon script for Serenity, where Wash lives, is Serenity-190pages.pdf at https://www.mediafire.com/two

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Tuesday, July 14, 2026 2:40 PM

The Joss Whedon script for Serenity, where Wash lives, is Serenity-190pages.pdf at https://www.mediafire.com/two

Ukrainian Drone Sinks Russian FSB Patrol Ship Involved in 2018 Kerch Strait Attack

In brief: Ukraine says it destroyed the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) patrol vessel Izumrud near Russia’s Novorossiysk using a naval drone. The ship was previously involved in Russia’s 2018 seizure of Ukrainian naval vessels and sailors in the Kerch Strait.

by Kyiv Post | July 14, 2026, 5:56 pm

https://www.kyivpost.com/post/80257

Recent operation

On Tuesday, Ukraine’s Unmanned Systems Forces (USF) said they struck 11 Russian vessels in the Sea of Azov, bringing the total number of ships reportedly hit during Operation MoLoChKa [Dairy] to 116 in nine days.

The Joss Whedon script for Serenity, where Wash lives, is Serenity-190pages.pdf at https://www.mediafire.com/two

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Tuesday, July 14, 2026 3:29 PM

Is also JJ. Keep it real please, and use a VPN

I see you're dabbling in QAnon type bullshit again.

T

Quote:
Originally posted by SIGNYM:

Quote:
UPDATE: The Lindsey Graham Timeline Does Not Work… He Died in Kyiv

12 July 2026 by Larry C. Johnson 289 Comments

Let’s follow the timeline. According to the official story: 911 call from his DC residence at 8:30pm ET on July 11 for suspected cardiac arrest. He “died at home.”

This is total bullshit!

So let’s go thru the timeline. Lindsey departed Dulles International Airport at around 0700 local on July 9 — the flight from Dulles to Warsaw is 9 hours. He took the overnight train that departed Warsaw at 18:15 hours local on July 9th and arrived in Kyiv between 09:45–10:45 local on July 10th.

So Lindsey Graham arrives in Kyiv by 11 am Friday morning. He meets with Zelensky and tours a drone factory. Then we are asked to believe that he returns to Washington, DC after spending less than 24 hours on the ground. Again, I call bullshit!!

The earliest train back to Warsaw departs Kyiv-Pasazhyrskyi at 07:40–08:00 on the 11th and arrives Przemysl Glówny in the afternoon (~17:00–18:00). That is at least nine hours. That would make it roughly 1100 hours in Washington, DC. Let’s assume he has an hour to get to the airport and the plane takes off at 1900 hours local from Poland, which is 1200 hours in Washington. The flight going west takes 10 hours… This means the earliest the plane could have landed at Dulles is 2200 hours on the 11th. That is 2 ½ hours after Graham reportedly died at home.

I emphasize that the normal travel to Kyiv by members of Congress, members of NATO and the EU, and even Joe Biden is to take a plane to Poland and then hop a train to Kyiv. It is, normally, at least a 20 hour trip. In order for Senator Graham to have arrived at home by 2000 hours local in Washington, DC, he would have had to depart from Kyiv at 0700 hours local Ukraine. I have been unable to find any schedule that shows a train departing Kyiv at that hour.

https://sonar21.com/the-lindsey-graham-timeline-does-not-work-he-died-
in-kyiv/
-----------

"It may be dangerous to be America's enemy, but to be America's friend is fatal."- Henry Kissinger

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Tuesday, July 14, 2026 3:31 PM

Is also JJ. Keep it real please, and use a VPN

tick tock tick tock...

T

7 Signs Putin Is Losing Control of the System He Built

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Tuesday, July 14, 2026 6:54 PM

Is also JJ. Keep it real please, and use a VPN

Ukraine cuts off Crimea's 'energy bridge' crushing Putin's hopes

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Tuesday, July 14, 2026 9:47 PM

Oh. I'm sure Putin is crushed because some worthless clickbait bullshit Ted saw today while playing with is 2 inch pud.

--------------------------------------------------

Those who dance always seem crazy to those who can't hear the music.

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Wednesday, July 15, 2026 5:41 AM

The Joss Whedon script for Serenity, where Wash lives, is Serenity-190pages.pdf at https://www.mediafire.com/two

Russian Ministry of Defense (MoD) recruitment programs are reportedly failing to compensate for the rising Russian casualty rate amid costly advances in Ukraine. The Ukrainian Foreign Intelligence Service (SZRU) reported on July 12 that the Russian MoD recruited about 195,000 contract soldiers as of early July 2026 — less than 50 percent of Russia’s annual contract recruitment goal of 409,000.[1]

SZRU reported that Russia’s daily recruitment rate fell from about 1,200 people per day in 2024 to 1090 recruits per day in mid-2026 and noted that Russia’s recruitment rate is insufficient to accomplish Russia’s annual goal. SZRU noted that growing battlefield losses have forced the Russian MoD to relax its medical and other administrative standards for recruiting candidates and intensify efforts to recruit students, foreigners, and residents in Russian-occupied Ukraine. Ukrainian Commander-in-Chief General Oleksandr Syrskyi reported on July 14 that Russian forces currently suffer over 400 casualties per each square kilometer that Russian forces seize in Donetsk Oblast.[2]

ISW previously assessed that Russian forces suffered around 1,298 casualties per square kilometer they seized or infiltrated in June 2026 compared to an average of 68 casualties per kilometer seized in June 2025 at the theater level.[3]

ISW’s calculations differ from those in Syrskyi’s statement due to several methodological factors. ISW’s assessment accounts for theater-wide casualties while Syrskyi’s figures specifically refer to the Donetsk Oblast. ISW is unable to independently estimate Russian casualty levels within individual Ukrainian oblasts. It is also unclear how Syrskyi’s statistics account for the areas in which Russian forces conduct infiltration missions, suffer casualties, but do not successfully seize. Ukrainian forces also recently liberated areas near Lyman, and it remains unclear how territorial control changes resulting from newly liberated Ukrainian territories factor into the Russian casualty rate when calculating the quantity of square kilometers that Russian forces seized. Syrskyi’s figures all the same provide a helpful metric for quantifying the overarching trend in how Russian forces pay very steep prices for meager tactical gains, regardless of the specific methods used to quantify such figures. Russia’s high casualty rates, regardless of calculation method, reflect Ukraine’s ability to undermine Russian battlefield operations and inflict significant personnel losses.[4]

Russia’s casualty rate overtook its recruitment rate in March 2026, and Russian forces will likely continue struggling to generate replacements amid the rising casualty rate without compulsory mobilization.[5]

https://understandingwar.org/research/russia-ukraine/russian-offensive
-campaign-assessment-july-14-2026/

The Joss Whedon script for Serenity, where Wash lives, is Serenity-190pages.pdf at https://www.mediafire.com/two

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Wednesday, July 15, 2026 5:48 AM

The Joss Whedon script for Serenity, where Wash lives, is Serenity-190pages.pdf at https://www.mediafire.com/two

After the Sea of Azov, Ukraine’s Drone Fleet Turns to the Black Sea, Hitting 20 Russian Ships

By Ivan Khomenko | Jul 15, 2026 11:34

https://united24media.com/war-in-ukraine/after-the-sea-of-azov-ukraine
s-drone-fleet-turns-to-the-black-sea-hitting-20-russian-ships-20788

Ukraine’s Unmanned Systems Forces (SBS) say they have expanded their campaign against Russia’s so-called shadow fleet from the Sea of Azov into the Black Sea, claiming strikes on 20 Russian vessels overnight.

According to statements published by SBS Commander Maj. Robert “Madyar” Brovdi on July 15, Ukrainian drone units struck 20 Russian vessels overnight, including 17 oil tankers, two LNG tankers, and one tugboat. Brovdi said an official report and video evidence would be released later.

According to Brovdi, the latest operation marks a new phase of Ukraine’s maritime drone campaign after SBS concluded what it described as the first stage of operations in the Sea of Azov.

“One hundred sixteen vessels of Russia’s shadow fleet in the Sea of Azov—the first round of the naval battle is complete. Now it’s the Black Sea: 20–0 today. We hunted 17 oil tankers, two LNG tankers, and one tugboat. An official report, along with video evidence, will follow.”

He did not disclose the identities of the ships or the extent of the reported damage.

In a separate statement, Brovdi responded to comments made by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, who had described Ukraine’s previous attacks on Russian tankers in the Sea of Azov as “terrorism” and “worse than piracy.”

“There is no piracy, Lavrov—just business. Yours. Bloody. In the sights of the Free Ukrainian Bird. To the bottom of the sea.”

The latest announcement follows a sustained Ukrainian campaign against vessels linked to Russia’s shadow fleet. According to previous SBS statements, Ukrainian forces struck 116 Russian vessels in the Sea of Azov over the preceding nine days before shifting operations into the Black Sea.

The Joss Whedon script for Serenity, where Wash lives, is Serenity-190pages.pdf at https://www.mediafire.com/two

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Wednesday, July 15, 2026 5:58 AM

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Russia has begun removing 10-40 MVA transformers from Northern Crimean Canal pumping stations, idle since Moscow destroyed the Kakhovka dam.

By Olena Mukhina | July 14, 2026

https://euromaidanpress.com/2026/07/14/consequences-of-own-destruction
-russia-is-stripping-canal-it-killed-to-fix-crimean-substations-ukraine-keeps-hitting/

Russia has started removing the transformers from the Northern Crimean Canal, which historically supplied up to 85% of the Crimean Peninsula's fresh water. ATESH partisans say occupation authorities have begun hauling them to electrical substations damaged by Ukrainian strikes. The claim has not been independently verified.

The reason, according to ATESH, is that Russia has run out of spare transformers. A new one of this class takes six months to a year and a half to build, and sanctions prevent Russia from quickly buying one abroad.

So the occupation is cannibalizing its own infrastructure — pulling equipment off one facility to plug the hole in another. The units being taken are not junk: 10- to 40-MVA transformers that once fed large pumping stations, including NS-355 on the Connecting Canal. That class of equipment fits almost any substation.

The pumping stations are available for stripping because the canal has not worked since June 2023. Russia blew up the Kakhovka dam, and the Dnipro level at the intake fell below critical levels, and the flow of Dnipro water into Crimea stopped. The pumps have sat idle ever since.

Russia is dismantling the consequences of its own destruction to repair the damage from Ukrainian strikes.

Transformers are going where war needs them

Russian command now prioritizes facilities that feed the defense industry, rail junctions, air defenses, radars, and command posts, per ATESH.

Moving transformers from dead pumping stations to those substations is an attempt to restore power fast, without waiting for foreign deliveries or long production runs.

ATESH calls it a dead end. The stock of equipment that can be pulled from other sites keeps shrinking, and every new Ukrainian strike opens a new hole with nothing left to fill it.
Ukraine has been burning Crimean substations for three weeks

The claim lands in the middle of a sustained campaign. Ukrainian drones have hit Crimean power infrastructure night after night since late June.

Ukraine struck 37 energy facilities across occupied southern Ukraine between 1 and 5 July, targeting electrical substations and transformers in Crimea and parts of Kherson, Luhansk, and Zaporizhzhia oblasts, according to Unmanned Systems Forces Commander Robert Brovdi.

Occupation authorities declared a peninsula-wide state of emergency on 26 June. They have shut children's camps, halted civilian fuel sales, and imposed rolling blackouts.

The Joss Whedon script for Serenity, where Wash lives, is Serenity-190pages.pdf at https://www.mediafire.com/two

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Wednesday, July 15, 2026 9:14 AM

The Joss Whedon script for Serenity, where Wash lives, is Serenity-190pages.pdf at https://www.mediafire.com/two

Putin Was Xi’s Role Model. Now He’s the Junior Partner.

Four years of war and economic isolation have reduced the Russian president to a supplicant in a relationship growing more imbalanced

By Lingling Wei and Thomas Grove | July 13, 2026 9:06 pm ET

https://www.wsj.com/world/x-putin-junior-partner-df611b88

Xi Jinping once admired Vladimir Putin. Now he manages him.

Four years of war and economic isolation have reduced the Russian president to a supplicant in a relationship growing more imbalanced—and at times tense.

Before Putin made his 14th trip to meet with Xi in China, he publicly signaled that the two countries would strike a breakthrough agreement on energy. Indeed, his May visit had no bigger ambition than persuading Xi to greenlight a second natural-gas pipeline between Russia and China—known as the Power of Siberia 2, a project two decades in the making that Moscow desperately needs.

But the Russian delegation that flew to Beijing ahead of Putin ran into a brick wall. Chinese officials made it clear to the visiting head of Gazprom, Russia’s state-owned gas giant, that they would sign up to the pipeline only if Russia sold them gas at the same lower-than-market rate Moscow sells domestically, said people with knowledge of the talks. In essence. Beijing was asking the Kremlin to subsidize the project.

Driving home their point. Beijing’s officials told the Russians not to raise the issue again until the terms changed, the people said.

A day later. Putin left the Chinese capital having signed 42 agreements and joint declarations. The pipeline deal wasn’t among them. Beijing offered no public explanation.

“Xi received Putin like an emperor receiving his visitor in his castle,” said Joerg Wuttke, a veteran German business executive with long experience in China-Russia relations, “and sent him home.”

Lesson from 1960s

Xi appears to understand the lesson from the 1960s, when Soviet heavy-handedness toward China as the “younger brother” helped fracture that earlier alliance. For now, Xi is careful to treat Putin with respect in public even as he seeks to extract concessions in private.

Still, the May visit couldn’t be more different from the two men’s first meeting in 2013, when Xi chose Moscow for his first foreign trip as Chinese leader. Xi expressed admiration for the Russian leader, calling him his “role model," according to people with knowledge of the conversation.

What Xi admired, the people said, was Putin’s ability to command a seat at the world’s top table despite running an economy highly dependent on oil and gas—rather than a diversified one like those of the U.S. and China.

Now, Putin’s Ukraine war didn’t just bog down Russia. It handed Xi the leverage to finish a power shift that was already underway, turning what was once a partnership of near equals into a relationship China now dominates in almost every dimension.

The Joss Whedon script for Serenity, where Wash lives, is Serenity-190pages.pdf at https://www.mediafire.com/two

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Wednesday, July 15, 2026 10:31 AM

Nobody cares, Shit Golem.

--------------------------------------------------

Those who dance always seem crazy to those who can't hear the music.

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Wednesday, July 15, 2026 9:14 PM

Is also JJ. Keep it real please, and use a VPN

Crimea has almost completely run out of water.

T

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Wednesday, July 15, 2026 10:54 PM

Surrounded on all sides by water and nothing to drink...

--------------------------------------------------

Those who dance always seem crazy to those who can't hear the music.

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Thursday, July 16, 2026 5:39 AM

The Joss Whedon script for Serenity, where Wash lives, is Serenity-190pages.pdf at https://www.mediafire.com/two

Quote:
Originally posted by 6ixStringJack:
Surrounded on all sides by water and nothing to drink...

--------------------------------------------------

Those who dance always seem crazy to those who can't hear the music.

6ix, drinking Black Sea water will kill Russians, so I applaud your idea. The Black Sea is salty, but less salty than the global oceans. Its surface waters average about 17 to 18 parts per thousand (ppt) in salinity, which is half as salty as the open ocean (~35 ppt).

The Joss Whedon script for Serenity, where Wash lives, is Serenity-190pages.pdf at https://www.mediafire.com/two

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Thursday, July 16, 2026 5:40 AM

The Joss Whedon script for Serenity, where Wash lives, is Serenity-190pages.pdf at https://www.mediafire.com/two

A $50 computer just flew Russia’s newest jet drone into a Ukrainian grain ship—and jamming couldn’t stop it

Russia’s fast, highly autonomous Geran-4 one-way attack drone is the weapon of choice for strikes on Ukrainian grain ships.

By David Axe | July 14, 2026

https://euromaidanpress.com/2026/07/14/geran-4-vs-grain-ships/

The Geran-4 Seeker drones pummeling Ukrainian ports combine jet propulsion, mesh radio control, and machine-vision targeting run off a Raspberry Pi—the same $50-class hobbyist computer that schoolchildren use to build robots. They're the best one-way attack drones in the Russian inventory, and cause for concern in Kyiv as the dueling Ukrainian and Russian countershipping campaigns escalate.

"Seeker is controlled by an operator via a radio mesh modem, but it can be locked onto a target and handed over to its machine-learning algorithms to complete an attack in the presence of EW jamming," Canadian drone expert Roy noted.

Ships aren't the only targets in the Geran-4s' crosshairs. The jet-propelled drones also struck two Ukrainian air force Mikoyan MiG-29 fighters on the ground at Voznesensk airfield in southern Ukraine on or just before 27 June. Where older, propeller-driven Gerans cruise at just 340 km/hr, the jet-propelled Geran-4 cruises at 500 km/hr or faster. The newer, faster drone outpaces many Ukrainian interceptor drones, making it harder to take down by kinetic means.

The Joss Whedon script for Serenity, where Wash lives, is Serenity-190pages.pdf at https://www.mediafire.com/two

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Thursday, July 16, 2026 6:16 AM

The Joss Whedon script for Serenity, where Wash lives, is Serenity-190pages.pdf at https://www.mediafire.com/two

Thousands rally in Kyiv, other cities against Defense Minister Fedorov's dismissal, demand reappointment

President Volodymyr Zelensky's dismissal of Mykhailo Fedorov has sparked a wave of criticism from lawmakers, soldiers, veterans, and civil society figures, who argue Ukraine is losing one of its most effective wartime officials without a clear explanation.

By Oleksiy Sorokin, Tim Zadorozhnyy | July 16, 2026 11:25 AM (Updated: July 16, 2026 12:55 pm)

https://kyivindependent.com/thousands-rally-in-kyiv-other-cities-again
st-defense-minister-fedorovs-dismissal-demand-reappointment/

Reflecting on his tenure, Fedorov highlighted more than 20 major achievements, including disrupting Russian forces' access to Starlink systems, coordinating strikes against Russian logistics in occupied Crimea, and launching what he described as "an unpopular but extremely important" military reform.

Tatiana Bohdanovska, 29, whose 22-year-old brother Kostiantyn Kaminskyi, call sign "Castet," was killed fighting in Kharkiv Oblast in 2022, said she viewed the decision as a betrayal of those who had sacrificed their lives defending Ukraine.

"My brother died believing this country would become different," Bohdanovska told the Kyiv Independent. "If the government had invested earlier in technology and supported the army the way it should have, maybe he would still be alive."

She argued that Fedorov had begun modernizing Ukraine's military by investing in technology and tackling entrenched corruption.

"For the last six months, he produced results that soldiers supported," she said. "He started changing a system that is very old and very corrupt. Maybe someone in the government isn't ready for those changes. But we are — and that's why we're here."

Bohdanovska also compared Fedorov's dismissal to the replacement of former Commander-in-Chief Valerii Zaluzhnyi, saying both decisions came after the officials had earned broad public trust. . . .

The Joss Whedon script for Serenity, where Wash lives, is Serenity-190pages.pdf at https://www.mediafire.com/two

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Thursday, July 16, 2026 8:40 AM

The Joss Whedon script for Serenity, where Wash lives, is Serenity-190pages.pdf at https://www.mediafire.com/two

Protests in Ukraine's cities against Zelensky's removal of defence minister

By Laura Gozzi, Anastasiia Levchenko, and Sarah Rainsford | July 16, 2026

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cdx76069n3do

. . . There had been rumours that Mykhailo Fedorov's dismissal was linked to tensions between him and Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi. [Syrskyi is a Soviet-style Russian who happens to live in Ukraine only because his military officer father got transferred there. He is NOT Ukrainian. His real loyalty is to Russia. The guy who was fired was fired because he noticed that the Russian in charge of Ukraine's defense was a Russian who should have been deported back to Russia. His parents and brother live in Russia. It is no surprise that Syrskyi did a half-assed job. The surprise is that he has not been fired. Instead, the guy who knows from experience that Syrskyi should be fired was fired. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oleksandr_Syrskyi#Early_life_and_career ]

At a press conference on Thursday, Fedorov all but confirmed that, saying he had suggested to Zelensky that Syrskyi and Chief of the General Staff Andrii Hnatov should be replaced.

"When the president said he did not plan to replace Syrskyi, I... said I would learn to work with him," Fedorov said. But "all the initiatives we proposed were blocked," he added.

"Instead of finding a way of defeating Russia asymmetrically - which is the commander-in-chief's job – Syrskyi has found a way of splitting our country," Fedorov said of Syrskyi.

Fedorov also revealed that Zelensky offered him to stay on his team as an adviser, but that he refused.

He was not seeking to antagonise the president, he explained, saying he was "confident" that Zelensky "hears the Ukrainian people, knows what to do, and the situation will be 100% resolved".

"I don't believe he has yet chosen a side in the Syrskyi matter. I spoke with him today and said that I am acting according to my conscience," he said.

"This is the worst mistake Zelensky has made during his entire presidency," Oleksandr, a Ukrainian soldier, told the BBC.

He had signed up to the army earlier this year because he trusted Fedorov's team and vision, he said: "I don't know anyone who supports the decision to replace him. Not within the army, not in society."

"I have lots of friends in the military. Lots of them died. I don't want this to go on," Maria Lavrynets, 31, told the BBC at a protest in Ivan Franko square in central Kyiv. "We see [Fedorov's] results. We see the motivation of the soldiers, we should stand for them."

When he was brought in, Fedorov set off to restructure the defence ministry, which many in Ukraine see as too bogged down in bureaucracy and old Soviet-era attitudes.

A former minister of digital transformation, he was active from the early days of Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022 in setting up a volunteer "IT Army of Ukraine" to launch cyber-attacks against Russians.

Later, he led a successful fundraising campaign called the Army of Drones and brought in elements of "gamification" to the war, designing a system that awarded Ukrainian military units with credits for hitting Russian assets.

Fedorov's focus on drones, high-tech warfare and procurement continued after he became defence minister.

In the early days of his tenure he also asked SpaceX founder Elon Musk to stop Russia from using Starlink satellites for drone attacks - a move that caused considerable disruption to Russia's frontline operations and advance.

His ministry also played a significant part in Ukraine's recent attacks on the Moscow-occupied Crimean peninsula, which last month Fedorov vowed to "cut off" from Russia entirely, with the use of mid-range drone strikes.

In a Facebook post shortly after his dismissal, Fedorov listed his achievements and said he would "continue... to defeat the enemy through asymmetry, speed of innovation, and organisational strength".

Prominent blogger Serhii Sternenko, whom Fedorov brought in as an adviser, hailed his former boss as "the best minister of defence in our entire history" and bemoaned the "bureaucratic obstacles and artificial delays" he said had stood in the way of deeper reform.

Another former adviser - a tech expert nicknamed "Flash" - said being part of Fedorov's team had been an honour and added: "I had access to various systems and could analyse the actions of our enemy. I could predict their next steps. I will no longer be able to do that."

Pavlo Yelizarov, a renowned drone unit commander, resigned from his position of deputy commander of the Ukrainian Air Force in protest at Fedorov's sacking - a move he called "a great evil for the country's defence capability".

The Joss Whedon script for Serenity, where Wash lives, is Serenity-190pages.pdf at https://www.mediafire.com/two

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Thursday, July 16, 2026 9:35 AM

The Joss Whedon script for Serenity, where Wash lives, is Serenity-190pages.pdf at https://www.mediafire.com/two

Putin loses confidence in his military

By Jonathan Sweet and Mark Toth | July 16, 2026 7:00 AM ET

https://thehill.com/opinion/national-security/5969689-trump-patriot-mi
ssile-production-license/

Once again, Russian President Vladimir Putin, under growing pressure in Ukraine, is resorting to nuclear bluffing. On Wednesday, his aide Nikolai Pastrushev announced that Russia’s “naval nuclear forces are on full alert.”

Although it projects defiance, it also reveals that Putin is losing confidence in his military.

The Joss Whedon script for Serenity, where Wash lives, is Serenity-190pages.pdf at https://www.mediafire.com/two

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Thursday, July 16, 2026 12:22 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by second:
Putin loses confidence in his military

I've lost complete confidence in your media.

They lie to you about everything, Shit Golem.

--------------------------------------------------

Those who dance always seem crazy to those who can't hear the music.

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Thursday, July 16, 2026 1:23 PM

Is also JJ. Keep it real please, and use a VPN

Quote:
Originally posted by 6ixStringJack:
Surrounded on all sides by water and nothing to drink...

--------------------------------------------------

Those who dance always seem crazy to those who can't hear the music.

It's surrounded by sea water dummy.

T

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Thursday, July 16, 2026 1:42 PM

The Joss Whedon script for Serenity, where Wash lives, is Serenity-190pages.pdf at https://www.mediafire.com/two

Editorial: By sacking Fedorov, Zelensky risks turning the tide of war back in Russia's favor

President Volodymyr Zelensky's decision to oust popular Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov after just six months on the job could prove to be his most harmful decision of the war in recent years.

By The Kyiv Independent

July 16, 2026 5:58 PM

https://kyivindependent.com/editorial-by-sacking-fedorov-zelensky-risk
s-turning-tide-of-war-back-in-russias-favor/

. . . of all Zelensky’s questionable personnel decisions, Fedorov’s dismissal could have the most devastating consequences for Ukraine’s war effort.

The 35-year old tech trailblazer has something the political and military leadership has lacked: a clear plan to win the war. A strategy.

Facing an overwhelmingly larger Russian army, Ukraine always needed an asymmetric strategy based on advanced technology and creative thinking to have a chance of defeating Russia. A small Soviet army can never beat a large Soviet army, as years of slow but steady Russian advances on the battlefield have shown.

Fedorov understands that.

Maximizing technological advantage, data-driven optimization of everything from procurement to personnel management, improving the distribution of drones to front-line units: Everything was done with the deliberate aim of breaking Russia's war aims, forcing peace on Kyiv's terms, and preserving Ukrainian lives in the process.

By reforming the notoriously corrupt procurement system and introducing competitive tenders for most purchases, Fedorov likely saved Ukraine billions in public funds while angering those who could no longer skim excessive profits from state contracts.

With the honing and scaling up of Ukraine's middle and deep strike campaign from occupied territory to deep inside Russia, Fedorov has also helped bring strategic offensive pressure on Moscow the likes of which hasn't been seen before. . . .

The Joss Whedon script for Serenity, where Wash lives, is Serenity-190pages.pdf at https://www.mediafire.com/two

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Thursday, July 16, 2026 1:47 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by THG:
Quote:
Originally posted by 6ixStringJack:
Surrounded on all sides by water and nothing to drink...

--------------------------------------------------

Those who dance always seem crazy to those who can't hear the music.

It's surrounded by sea water dummy.

T

No shit, you stupid fuck.

--------------------------------------------------

Those who dance always seem crazy to those who can't hear the music.

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Friday, July 17, 2026 7:16 AM

The Joss Whedon script for Serenity, where Wash lives, is Serenity-190pages.pdf at https://www.mediafire.com/two

Too Early to Celebrate

July 16, 2026

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/other/ukraine-s-most-revered-general-ha
s-a-warning-about-the-deep-strike-campaign-russia-can-strike-back-with-equal-or-greater-force/ar-AA284rTQ

. . . There are a couple of issues with the article from The New Yorker. It, like many other analyses from the West, places far too much emphasis on long-range strike capabilities while omitting many important details.

Undoubtedly, long-range strike capabilities are important, but they do not decide the outcome of modern wars. Russia has been striking Kyiv and every other major Ukrainian city for the past four years, including oil refineries, industrial centers, and energy infrastructure, and yet Ukraine shows no signs of capitulating anytime soon.

Yet for some reason, analysts expect Russia to capitulate despite having many more resources and being led by a dictator who has little regard for the mood of the general population.

This opinion was echoed by Ukraine’s former commander-in-chief, Valerii Zaluzhnyi, whom I have referenced many times at this point.

“Ukraine’s increasingly effective strikes against Russian logistics and critical infrastructure have imposed real costs on Moscow,” he writes. “But these attacks are expensive, technologically demanding and ultimately reciprocal.

Russia retains the ability to strike back with equal or greater force. Neither side can rely on this form of warfare to produce a decisive strategic outcome.” While Ukraine’s advances in long-range capabilities should not be ignored, it would be wrong, or, as Zaluzhnyi claims, even dangerous, to insist that these capabilities alone can win the war.

A Rough Battle Still Ahead

Ukraine has indeed turned the tide of the war, only if you ignore the many alarm bells currently ringing in Ukraine.

Fedorov, the visionary reform-minded Defense Minister, has just been ousted from his post after serving only six months in office.

This move has been met with widespread opposition among average Ukrainians, who have taken to the streets to protest Zelensky’s decision.

The country faces a critical manpower shortage, with a sizable portion of its population living abroad and little willingness to return.

Meanwhile, draft dodgers are common among the country’s fighting-age males, as conscription officers continue to snatch people off the street to man the front lines.

Make no mistake. Despite the long lines at Russian gas stations, despite the discontentment among the population, despite the strikes on refineries or cargo ships, the war in Ukraine is not ending soon.

Ukraine still has an uphill battle to fight and has a long way to go before it is able to remove the Russians from its soil.

This is not to demean Ukraine’s advancements, but rather, the goal is to provide a more realistic assessment of what is actually going on in Ukraine.

The situation is not lost, but it is nowhere near as rosy as many analysts seem to believe.

The Joss Whedon script for Serenity, where Wash lives, is Serenity-190pages.pdf at https://www.mediafire.com/two

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Friday, July 17, 2026 8:08 AM

The Joss Whedon script for Serenity, where Wash lives, is Serenity-190pages.pdf at https://www.mediafire.com/two

Putin’s false claim of the capture of one Ukrainian town exposes the slow pace of Russia’s bloody advance

By Nick Paton Walsh, Victoria Butenko, Daria Tarasova-Markina | July 16, 2026

https://www.cnn.com/2026/07/16/europe/russia-ukraine-kostyantynivka-ca
pture-claim-intl

It is the fate of just one town, over a year, but provides a rare insight into Russia’s ill-fated war of choice.

The slow and costly infiltration of Kostyantynivka, key to Moscow’s advance in Ukraine’s eastern Donbas and claimed as occupied by the Russian defense ministry on July 3, lays bare the persistence of the Kremlin’s forces and the devastating casualties they will tolerate to obtain even the smallest of goals.

On July 3, the Ministry of Defense posted a series of videos of Russian troops at various points inside the town’s center, waving Russian flags, to bolster its assertion they had taken the town. The false claim – contradicted by recent videos, testimony from Ukrainian troops, and independent mapping of the frontlines – was one of several made in past months by Russia’s leaders, seeking to suggest their battlefield progress was greater than it is, to perhaps persuade their domestic audience, or counterparts in the White House, that their military campaign had not stalled.

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky swiftly seized on the falsehood, and urged Russian President Vladimir Putin to meet with him in the town to talk peace, if indeed it was under Moscow’s control.

CNN, which has reported in or near Kostyantynivka twice over the past year, has used geolocated videos and testimony, to show the horrific cost and slow pace of the Russian advances that led up to the false claim of the town’s capture. The town’s fate exposes both the dogged, relentless nature of Moscow’s assault, and the relatively minute nature of the victories it claims, even if falsely.

Mapping by the independent Ukrainian analysts Deep State shows Russian forces outside the town, trying to push in. The road into the town is already lined with fishing nets, to protect traffic from Russian attack drones. Cars safely drive into town and the market, in its center, remains busy, despite the occasional threat of drones.

A CNN team that visited in July last year found streets bustling with civilians, although some were reluctant to be filmed, perhaps fearing future Russian occupation and being sanctioned for “cooperating” with Western media.

By the first winter months, the map shows the so-called gray zone of disputed territory edging closer to the town center. Russia’s assault with airstrikes had escalated. Videos posted by Ukrainian forces show apartment blocks in the town’s southwest in flames.

And a Russian drone captures the damage caused by an airstrike, just a few streets away.

But the Ukrainians are still confidently inside the town center, with the General Staff posting a video of one officer casually standing in Victory Square in November.

Russian footage posted from that time shows what appears to be their infantry’s point of view from inside an apartment complex courtyard, off the town’s Gromov Street, on the southwestern edges again.

It is in the latter days of the year that Russia appears to take its largest steps forward, recorded by Deep State in the first week of 2026. The gray zone has reached the town and two separate Russian prongs edge closer to its main access roads.

Two key factors inform the extent of Moscow’s progress. The range of attack drones – either the tiny First-Person View drones that target individuals or vehicles, or the larger-payload machines that hit buildings – grows monthly, slowly putting the safe space around Kostyantynivka at a greater distance and complicating its defense by Ukraine. More significantly, at this time Western officials began to echo Ukrainian claims that Russia was experiencing up to 35,000 dead or wounded on the battlefield every month.

This staggering figure – an apparent result of both a Ukrainian mandate to kill as many soldiers as possible with its drones and the continued use of brutal “wave” assault tactics by Moscow – exposes the likely human cost of Russia’s small advances around Kostyantynivka.

The videos posted in January show, however, that Kyiv’s forces are very much still in the center, near the embattled railway station, at the end of the month.

By February, white phosphorus, a horrific munition whose use in warfare over residential areas is considered illegal in humanitarian law, rains down over the apartment blocks of the southwest, suggesting the outskirts are home to the heaviest combat.

All the same, the Ukrainians post videos showing they are still in the central-south area of the town.

It is clear by this stage that much of the civilian population has left and the town is slowly being reduced to rubble. A video posted in April shows that where Ukrainian troops stood casually in November has been reduced to the skeletal remains of buildings and ruins, raising the question of the economic value of the areas Russia fights for.

CNN experienced the change in Russian drone reach firsthand in May, in a grueling five-hour return journey on foot along the main entrance road into Kostyantynivka, which a year earlier was safely accessible under the cover of fishing nets. By May, the nets remained but the road was littered with the charred remnants of cars, struck by drones, and automated robots used to deliver supplies to the front line.

The five-kilometer (3.1-mile) walk down what had become known as the “Road of Life,” from the next main town of Druzhkivka, to the outskirts of Kostyantynivka, was mostly carried out on foot, a journey during which Ukrainian troops had to constantly duck into the foliage and hope the Russian attack drones overhead would pass them by. Vehicles on the road had become targets and the team passed the burned-out car where an officer from the unit was killed just days earlier.

The increased peril on the road, despite Ukrainian troops still being in the town’s center, reflected Russian drones having developed greater range over the past few months and the technological advances on both sides that constantly reconfigure the battlefield. The map shows the gray zone now deep inside the town and Russian forces truly inside its southwest.

Two months later, the Russian military would claim the town was theirs and post videos in apparent evidence to that effect. However, it is clear on the July 3 map that they still have to exert control over significant parts of it.

A week after the claimed capture, Ukraine’s 19th Army Corps posted a video on Telegram of its drones targeting Russian forces in the rubble of the city, killing one “occupier.” The post says: “The enemy paints victories on screens, but in practice, they are destroyed by our units. The city stands. Defense continues.”

This is the lesson of Kostyantynivka: Russia may slowly be taking it, at huge cost. But it covers a mere 66 square kilometers (25.5 square miles), while Russia’s territory amounts to 17 million square kilometers (6.6 million square miles).

It is unclear exactly how many Russian or Ukrainian lives have been lost to the fight. But images of the town show its reduction to rubble.

The town has some strategic importance in that its capture would enable Moscow’s forces to edge closer to the last main population centers of the Donbas region that Putin so covets – Kramatorsk and Sloviansk. But the capture of both these towns is likely to involve a similarly gruesome and lengthy fight, putting an even optimistic assessment of attaining this key Moscow war goal at least a year away.

A year of horrific violence in Kostyantynivka eats at the weakness at the heart of Putin’s war-plan: how long can he sustain Russian public confidence in a conflict where the smallest achievements must be falsely claimed and in reality remain out of reach?

The Joss Whedon script for Serenity, where Wash lives, is Serenity-190pages.pdf at https://www.mediafire.com/two

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Friday, July 17, 2026 9:34 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by second:
Putin’s false claim

Nobody believes when you say somebody is making a false claim.

Even Putin.

You're worthless, brainfucked idiot.

--------------------------------------------------

Those who dance always seem crazy to those who can't hear the music.

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Friday, July 17, 2026 1:31 PM