Russia Invades Ukraine. Again by captaincrunch

REAL WORLD EVENT DISCUSSIONS

Russia Invades Ukraine. Again

POSTED BY: CAPTAINCRUNCH
UPDATED: Thursday, March 26, 2026 12:41
SHORT URL:
VIEWED: 422553
PAGE 199 of 199

Monday, March 16, 2026 3:22 PM

Peter has only been right about one thing in the last 5 years, and that was the fact that EVs were going to fail.

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

Be Nice. Don't be a dick.

NOTIFY: Y | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | TOP | HOME

Monday, March 16, 2026 5:13 PM

THG

Keep it real please, and use a VPN

Why Russia Is Burning Siberian Cows — It’s Not About Rabies

NOTIFY: Y | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | TOP | HOME

Tuesday, March 17, 2026 7:02 AM

SECOND

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

March 16, 2026

American defense giant RTX plans to shift production of AIM-120C-8 air-to-air missiles to Europe.

The United States intends to concentrate its domestic capacity on producing the newer AIM-120D-3 version. European lines will manufacture the C-8 variant. RTX is already negotiating with more than 30 Belgian companies to establish a full supply chain for components.

The C-8 differs from the newer D-3 in its engine and electronics but remains highly effective. These missiles are actively procured for aircraft and Norwegian NASAMS air defense systems, which help protect Ukrainian airspace. European production will reduce pressure on US stockpiles and eliminate chronic ammunition shortages.

Raytheon ramps up AIM-120 production to 1,900 units per year

Raytheon has signed agreements to significantly scale up arms production, prioritizing AIM-120 missiles alongside Patriot and Tomahawk systems. Localizing production in Europe will remove logistical obstacles and provide Ukraine with modern ammunition to defend against Russian attacks.

https://euromaidanpress.com/2026/03/16/europe-may-turn-into-ukraines-a
mmo-powerhouse-factories-ready-to-churn-out-aim-120c-8-missiles/

More about AIM-120C-8 at https://www.google.com/search?q=AIM-120C-8

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

NOTIFY: Y | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | TOP | HOME

Tuesday, March 17, 2026 2:17 PM

SECOND

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

After Blowing Through Its Deficit Target, Russia Further Cannibalizes the Economy to Fund the War

By Illia Kabachynskyi | Mar 17, 2026 17:25

https://united24media.com/business/after-blowing-through-its-deficit-t
arget-russia-further-cannibalizes-the-economy-to-fund-the-war-16916

Russia has a money problem. And although officials are trying to keep up a brave face, insisting that Russia is a self-sufficient and economically independent country, reality tells a different story: the budget is falling short of expected revenues, while the National Wealth Fund is losing its liquid assets. As a result, Russia’s budget is heading toward a spending sequester—cuts to expenditures that had previously been planned.

Right now, Russia’s Finance Ministry has asked other ministries to identify areas where spending can be reduced by at least 10%. Naturally, the only things that can be cut are those unrelated to the war and to the expenditures that help keep Russia’s approval ratings high—namely, social spending. All so-called “unprotected” categories will be reduced. That means major investment projects and infrastructure construction, which in turn means there is effectively no prospect of economic growth in Russia.

No money

The reason Moscow is so eager to cut spending is the enormous cost of the war and its inability to offset those costs with oil revenues.

• In January–February, the budget deficit reached 3.4 trillion rubles, or $44 billion — nearly the entire annual target of 3.8 trillion rubles, or $48 billion, in just two months.

• Oil and gas revenues collapsed by 47% year over year, to 826 billion rubles, or $10.6 billion; the shortfall exceeded 300 billion rubles, or $3.85 billion.

• The budget is based on an Urals oil price of $59 per barrel. The average price in January was $41, and in February it was $44.6.

• Spending rose by 5.8%, even though the full-year plan had projected overall growth of only 2.9%.

The government is trying to finance the deficit using the National Wealth Fund, but at the current pace, its liquid portion could be exhausted within a year. More than $4 billion has already been withdrawn from it in the first two months alone.

In 2025, Moscow was already losing ground amid falling oil prices, which, alongside the strong ruble, came at a very high cost to the Russian economy. Tax collection was also expected to increase, but that did not happen against the backdrop of a slowing economy: in order to collect high taxes, people and businesses need to be earning more, yet the slowdown in entire sectors of the economy worked against that.

Although the Kremlin is shielding military and security spending, the overall economic decline and budgetary financing problems cannot help but affect the war effort. We have already written that dozens of regions are on the verge of default, entire sectors of the economy are stagnating, and the drop in rail freight volumes points directly to stagnation among businesses across the country. This is reflected in public sentiment and in the broader situation inside Russia. Economic pressure is one of the ways to force Moscow to the negotiating table. History shows that this is a possible scenario.

Keep sanctions in place

A war in the Middle East could become a lifeboat for the Russian economy: its oil supplies do not depend on the Strait of Hormuz. Russia has already been allowed to sell 130 million barrels of oil currently at sea, which, by various estimates, could earn the country up to $10 billion. While in January and February, Urals oil was selling below $50 a barrel after discounts, in the first weeks of the war against Iran, prices jumped to $70 a barrel. At those new price levels, Moscow could earn up to an additional $150 million per day. If the Urals remain above $75 throughout the year, the country would receive an additional 3 trillion rubles ($38 billion).

That would be enough to support the economy, maintain social spending, and direct additional resources to the war in Ukraine, since the cost of war for Russia rises every year. For example, $150 million in revenue earned in a single day would be enough to purchase 50 ballistic missiles.

But the issue is not just missiles: when an approaching economic collapse is bearing down on you, sooner or later, you end up at the negotiating table and become more willing to compromise. A windfall from high oil prices gives the Kremlin an incentive to drag out those talks. And although Russia’s economic problems are not going away—3 trillion rubles will not be enough to solve them—negotiations among Ukraine, the United States, and Russia have already been postponed several times.

That is why it is so important to preserve all sanctions previously imposed on Russia and to continue working to expand sanctions packages, including those related to Russian oil exports. If that pipeline is shut down for good, the Kremlin will have no money left to wage war.

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

NOTIFY: Y | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | TOP | HOME

Tuesday, March 17, 2026 2:32 PM

SECOND

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

Brussels hands Kyiv complete EU accession conditions

March 17, 2026

https://english.nv.ua/nation/svyrydenko-ukraine-now-has-a-full-set-of-
conditions-that-must-be-met-for-eu-accession-50592389.html

A Ukrainian delegation in Brussels has received the European Union’s conditions for accession covering the final three negotiation clusters, Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko reported on Telegram on March 17.

The clusters are “Competitiveness and Inclusive Development,” “Green Agenda and Sustainable Connectivity,” and “Resources, Agriculture, and Cohesion Policy.”

“From now on, Ukraine has a full set of conditions that must be met for EU accession — for the first time in history,” Svyrydenko said, recalling that last December Kyiv received conditions for three other clusters: “Fundamentals of the EU Accession Process,” “Internal Market,” and “External Relations.”

The next steps are to successfully close the negotiation clusters and sign the accession treaty, which would mark the final stage of Ukraine’s path to full EU membership.

"The government will continue to fulfill the accession conditions by implementing the necessary reforms and measures and reporting to the EU. The government is immediately sending the document with the conditions received today to the Verkhovna Rada (Ukrainian parliament) for joint work on their implementation."

On March 16, The Office of the Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration shared the latest report on the implementation of the EU–Ukraine Association Agreement for 2025.
https://eu-ua.kmu.gov.ua/wp-content/uploads/Zvit-pro-vykonannya-Ugody-
pro-asotsiatsiyu-za-2025-r.pdf
https://english.nv.ua/nation/ukraine-boosts-eu-reform-progress-to-84-u
nder-association-pact-50592111.html

Ukrainian to English translation of "Report On The Implementation Of The Association Agreement Between Ukraine And The European Union For 2025"
https://www.mediafire.com/file/zyxm0qkzw6wg8xj/Application_for_the_imp
lementation_of_the_Association_Agreement_for_2025.pdf/file

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

NOTIFY: Y | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | TOP | HOME

Wednesday, March 18, 2026 7:41 AM

SECOND

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

Zelensky calls for increase in “eliminations” as he reveals how many soldiers Russia is mobilizing

By Jens Asbjørn Bøgen | March 17, 2026

https://www.dagens.com/war/zelensky-calls-for-increase-in-eliminations
-as-he-reveals-how-many-soldiers-russia-is-mobilizing

“Over the past three months, we eliminated 30, 35, and 28 thousand Russian soldiers respectively.”

The share of fatalities has increased, with 62% of losses recorded as deaths and 38% as injuries.

Goal: 50,000 eliminations per month.

“Russia mobilizes 40–45 thousand people every month. We must eliminate roughly the same number of troops so that the Russian army doesn’t grow in size. Eliminate them simply so that Russia cannot expand its aggression,” Zelenskyy said.

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

NOTIFY: Y | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | TOP | HOME

Wednesday, March 18, 2026 7:47 AM

SECOND

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

“You pay and you might stay alive”: Russian soldiers expose frontline bribery system

Kathrine Frich | March 17, 2026

https://www.dagens.com/war/you-pay-and-you-might-stay-alive-russian-so
ldiers-expose-frontline-bribery-system

Control, survival and money are intertwined with daily life as a Russian soldier.

As the conflict drags on, accounts from the front suggest a system where access to safety can depend on what soldiers are willing to pay.

A deadly system

According to a joint investigation by Die Welt and independent outlet Verstka cited by Onet, some Russian commanders are exploiting their authority for profit, demanding payments from soldiers in exchange for safer assignments.

Reporters spoke with more than 20 soldiers and relatives, reviewing documents, receipts and chat records to verify their claims.

One soldier, Maksim Ivanov, described how power operates within certain units: “They decide who lives and who dies.”

Paying to survive

Ivanov said he was asked to pay 1 million rubles, roughly $11,000, to avoid being sent on a near-certain assault shortly after arriving at the front.

“Then I understood why he had scared us so much before,” he said.

Others reported similar arrangements, where soldiers could pay to stay in rear positions, transfer to less dangerous units or avoid returning to combat after being wounded.

A monthly “subscription”

Some payments were not one-off demands but ongoing.

“It’s like a subscription, you pay every month so they don’t send you to slaughter,” Ivanov said, describing regular transfers of about 100,000 rubles, or around $1,100.

According to testimonies cited by Die Welt and Verstka, those who refused to pay were often sent on high-risk missions.

Control and coercion

Former soldier Maksim Sokolan said commanders in his unit collected bank cards and PIN codes, giving them direct access to soldiers’ funds.

In other cases, requests for money were framed as unit needs, including equipment purchases or so-called “battalion assistance.”

Alexei Andreev, another former contract soldier, said troops were routinely asked to contribute between 15,000 and 50,000 rubles for gear such as radios and drones.

Violence and pressure

Refusal could carry consequences beyond reassignment.

Igor Vakhterov, who had previously fought with the Wagner Group, said he was beaten after rejecting a demand to hand over half his bonus.

Other accounts describe soldiers being detained, threatened or placed in dangerous positions after disputes with commanders.
Life and death stakes

The investigation also points to a practice known among soldiers as “zeroing,” where individuals who resist orders are allegedly sent into extreme danger or killed under unclear circumstances.

Even medical evacuation could depend on payment, with one soldier claiming it sometimes cost up to 100,000 rubles to transport the wounded.
A system unchecked

Families and soldiers have filed complaints with military prosecutors, but many say they have received no response.

The Russian Ministry of Defense did not reply to requests for comment from Die Welt and Verstka at the time of publication.

The structure of command, where officers control assignments, transfers and medical decisions, allows such practices to persist, according to those interviewed.

“You pay and you might stay alive,” Ivanov said.

Sources: Die Welt, Verstka, Onet.

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

NOTIFY: Y | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | TOP | HOME

Thursday, March 19, 2026 7:05 AM

SECOND

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

Battlefield analysis: What Ukraine’s recent front-line gains really mean

by Francis Farrell

March 18, 2026 5:12 PM

https://kyivindependent.com/analysis-ukraines-counterattacks-and-the-u
pcoming-russian-spring-campaign/

. . . if Moscow can find battlefield success and repeat the pace of advance that they enjoyed over late 2025, the city of Zaporizhzhia itself, an industrial and logistical stronghold of 700,000 people, could come under threat.

This could dramatically alter the political dynamic of the war, and with it, Russia's minimum demands at any peace negotiations.

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

NOTIFY: Y | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | TOP | HOME

Thursday, March 19, 2026 7:14 AM

SECOND

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

Killer robots don’t exist yet but Ukraine and Russia are getting closer

“We are already deep into practical battlefield autonomy.”

by Igor Kossov

18/03/2026

https://euromaidanpress.com/2026/03/18/killer-robots-dont-exist-yet-bu
t-ukraine-and-russia-are-getting-closer/

Ukraine is running out of soldiers and Russia’s loss-recruitment ratio is starting to look grim. If full-spectrum autonomy is possible, it may not only help turn the tide, but put the winner at the forefront of a terrifying military revolution. Former top commander Valeriy Zaluzhnyi predicted that Ukraine must win this race no later than 2027.

Fortunately, fully-autonomous weapons — those that navigate, detect, select, and strike targets without a human pilot, all in one package — don't exist yet, according to more than a dozen interviews with AI developers, dronemakers, military insiders, and Russia analysts.

However, each separate capability: from navigation, to object recognition, to targeting assistance, are already available and increasingly common on the battlefield.

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

NOTIFY: Y | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | TOP | HOME

Thursday, March 19, 2026 10:05 AM

SECOND

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

Ukraine's commander-in-chief: Russia plans to conscript another 409,000 troops in 2026

By Anastasia Protz — 19 March, 09:36

https://www.pravda.com.ua/eng/news/2026/03/19/8026207/

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

NOTIFY: Y | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | TOP | HOME

Thursday, March 19, 2026 8:49 PM

SECOND

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

Putin's top weatherman urges nuclear strikes on NATO country in chilling forecast

Russian state TV meteorologist Yevgeny Tishkovets has been incorporating predictions about ideal weather conditions for nuclear attacks on Britain and Europe into his forecasts, while advocating for missile strikes on Western military facilities.

10:28 ET, Thu, Mar 19, 2026

https://www.the-express.com/news/world-news/202557/putin-s-top-weather
man-urges-nuclear-strikes-britain-citing-favorable-winds

That was today. Two years ago, the same weatherman gave the same forecast :

Russian Weatherman Says Conditions ‘Ideal’ for Nuclear Strike on NATO

Published Mar 09, 2024 at 12:17 PM EST

Russian weatherman Evgeny Tishkovets recently told TV host and Kremlin-back propagandist Vladimir Solovyov that conditions are "ideal" for a nuclear strike on member countries of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).

https://www.newsweek.com/russian-weatherman-says-conditions-ideal-nucl
ear-strike-nato-1877580

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

NOTIFY: Y | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | TOP | HOME

Thursday, March 19, 2026 10:08 PM

6IXSTRINGJACK

Quote:
Originally posted by second:
That was today. Two years ago, the same weatherman gave the same forecast :

http://www.fireflyfans.net/mthread.aspx?tid=67464

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

Be Nice. Don't be a dick.

NOTIFY: Y | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | TOP | HOME

Thursday, March 19, 2026 11:30 PM

SECOND

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

Quote:
Originally posted by 6ixStringJack:
Quote:
Originally posted by second:
That was today. Two years ago, the same weatherman gave the same forecast :

http://www.fireflyfans.net/mthread.aspx?tid=67464

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

Be Evil. Be a dick.

It is NOT about the weather. 6ixStringJoker points to ‘Experts’ Know Less than They Think; All ‘authorities’ should be challenged which indicates 6ix totally missed the point that Russians have been telling the entire world that Russia will nuke them if they don't obey. Ukrainians are admirably murdering the Russians who cannot live peacefully around people who aren't their slaves.

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

NOTIFY: Y | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | TOP | HOME

Friday, March 20, 2026 12:34 AM

6IXSTRINGJACK

Quote:
Originally posted by second:
Quote:
Originally posted by 6ixStringJack:
Quote:
Originally posted by second:
That was today. Two years ago, the same weatherman gave the same forecast :

http://www.fireflyfans.net/mthread.aspx?tid=67464

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

Be Evil. Be a dick.
It is NOT about the weather. 6ixStringJoker points to ‘Experts’ Know Less than They Think; All ‘authorities’ should be challenged which indicates 6ix totally missed the point that Russians have been telling the entire world that Russia will nuke them if they don't obey. Ukrainians are admirably murdering the Russians who cannot live peacefully around people who aren't their slaves.

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

I'm not the one listening to a weatherman from big bad Russia and taking him seriously.

I'm not the one listening to a dumbass weatherman from big bad Russia who said the same damn thing 2 years ago and taking him seriously.

I'm not the one taking the word of "experts" who write bullshit slop like this while they feed it to you while you're on your knees constantly begging for more because you're insatiable.

You post 2 dozen anti-Trump, anti-American articles from so-called "experts" every day, and you've done so for the last 10 years straight.

Get some help. Your brain is beyond cooked brother.

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

Be Nice. Don't be a dick.

NOTIFY: Y | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | TOP | HOME

Friday, March 20, 2026 6:44 AM

SECOND

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

Quote:
Originally posted by 6ixStringJack:

I'm not the one listening to a weatherman from big bad Russia and taking him seriously.

I'm not the one listening to a dumbass weatherman from big bad Russia who said the same damn thing 2 years ago and taking him seriously.

I'm not the one taking the word of "experts" who write bullshit slop like this while they feed it to you while you're on your knees constantly begging for more because you're insatiable.

You post 2 dozen anti-Trump, anti-American articles from so-called "experts" every day, and you've done so for the last 10 years straight.

Get some help. Your brain is beyond cooked brother.

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

Be Evil. Be a dick.

Everything Trump says, does, or writes is an explanation for why his life has been troubled for decades. The same is true for every Trumptard I know. They literally are doing a constant broadcast for why they have trouble, but they don't tune in to the show they produce. Instead, all they know about themselves is the simple fable running inside their head, but not out in reality, that their troubles are caused by libtards. Russians have the same fables in their heads that Trumptards run, except their fables blame the Ukrainians and the West, rather than libtards.

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

NOTIFY: Y | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | TOP | HOME

Friday, March 20, 2026 6:45 AM

SECOND

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

Ukrainian forces are also conducting a systematic effort to degrade Russian air defenses and expose other valuable assets in the Russian rear within their mid- and long-range battlefield air interdiction (BAI) campaign. A Ukrainian open-source intelligence (OSINT) analyst reported on March 18 that the reported monthly Ukrainian mid-range strikes between 50 and 250 kilometers behind the frontline have quadrupled from an average of roughly 11 between March and October 2025 to an average of 45 since November 2025.[6] The analyst noted that Ukrainian forces conducted a total of 365 mid-range strikes between March 19, 2025 and March 9, 2026, of which one third occurred in the previous three months alone (roughly since January 9, 2026). The figures include some Ukrainian long-range strikes that have similar impacts, as mid-range strikes are typically at an operational depth (about 20 to 120 kilometers from the frontline).[7] The OSINT analyst noted that Ukrainian forces targeted radar stations, missile launchers, and other elements of the Russian air defense system in almost half of the strikes since March 19, 2025. The OSINT analyst added that Ukrainian forces have used Ukrainian-manufactured mid-range strike drones with ranges of up to 250 kilometers to partially replace the role that High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) systems used to fill, and notably increased their usage of FP-2 long-range strike drones over the past five months (roughly since October 9, 2025). BBC’s Ukraine Service reported on March 19 that Ukrainian General Staff data indicates that Ukrainian forces struck 55 Russian air defense systems during Winter 2025-2026.[8] Ukrainian Unmanned Systems Forces (USF) Commander Major Robert “Magyar” Brovdi reported on March 16 that Ukrainian forces struck 23 more air defense systems between March 1 and 16, for a total of 80 systems during Winter 2025-2026 and early Spring 2026.[9] Dutch open-source project Oryx visually confirmed on January 1, 2026 that Ukrainian forces destroyed 77 Russian surface-to-air-missile (SAM) systems and 23 radar stations in 2025.[10] Ukraine’s degradation of the Russian air defense network through concentrated strikes against radars and air defense systems allows subsequent Ukrainian strikes to target other valuable assets in the Russian rear, enhancing the reach of Ukraine’s mid-range BAI campaign.[11]

https://understandingwar.org/research/russia-ukraine/russian-offensive
-campaign-assessment-march-19-2026/

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

NOTIFY: Y | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | TOP | HOME

Saturday, March 21, 2026 9:00 AM

SECOND

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

The Russians captured 4,336 km2 of Ukraine in 2025 versus 3,363 km2 in 2024. But that 29% increase in the pace of its advances cost Russia as many as 418,170 casualties, including both killed and wounded. While many wounded troops eventually return to the front, many don't. Russia recruits around 30,000 fresh troops every month, but last year it may have buried or retired more people than it recruited.

https://euromaidanpress.com/2026/03/20/lyman-mech-assault/

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

NOTIFY: Y | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | TOP | HOME

Sunday, March 22, 2026 8:03 AM

SECOND

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

Putin offers to stop sharing intel with Iran if US cuts off Ukraine

https://www.politico.eu/article/putin-offers-stop-intel-iran-condition
-us-cuts-off-ukraine/

Moscow proposed a quid pro quo to the U.S. under which the Kremlin would stop sharing intelligence information with Iran, such as the precise coordinates of U.S. military assets in the Middle East, if Washington ceased supplying Ukraine with intel about Russia.

The U.S. continues to share intelligence with Ukraine. But for how much longer? Washington paused the exchanges last year after a disastrous Oval Office meeting between Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

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

NOTIFY: Y | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | TOP | HOME

Sunday, March 22, 2026 8:12 AM

SECOND

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

Russia's new Izdeliye-30 missile makes strikes harder to anticipate

By Kateryna Hodunova | March 22, 2026 12:23 PM

Even as Russia sharply expands drone production, it continues to develop deadlier weapons, including missiles. Its latest, the Izdeliye-30 cruise missile, flattened a residential building in Kharkiv in early March within seconds, killing 11 people.

"It is a mistake to assume that the future belongs exclusively to drones," Vladyslav Vlasiuk, the Ukrainian president's commissioner for sanctions, said following the strike.

Russia is seeking to build cheaper but equally destructive weapons. The Izdeliye-30 is one such development. It carries a larger warhead than its predecessor, the Kh-101, and can be launched from both strategic bombers, large, long-range aircraft such as the Tu-95MS and Tu-160, and tactical aircraft, the frontline combat jets Russia uses more often in Ukraine, such as the Su-34, Su-30SM, and Su-35S. That gives Russia more ways to launch missile attacks and makes them harder for Ukraine to anticipate and intercept.

Russia's growing ability to launch such missiles from tactical aircraft could alter the dynamics of the war.

Much more at https://kyivindependent.com/drones-draw-focus-but-russia-continues-mis
sile-advances-with-its-new-izdeliye-30/

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

NOTIFY: Y | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | TOP | HOME

Sunday, March 22, 2026 8:59 AM

SECOND

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

Trump Has Given Up Pretending

Phillips P. OBrien

Mar 22, 2026

Two things have changed since January 2026 and both are notable. The first is that this was the last time that we saw a rash of stories about how Russia was advancing inexorably while Ukraine was, disastrously, running out of soldiers for the front. The second was that this was the last time that Donald Trump bothered even pretending that he might help Ukraine. Both stories have been regularly repeated narratives/gambits, for three years in the case of the former and one year in the case of the latter.

Both narratives have quietly been shelved since then, embarrassing those who had invested so much to spread them loudly and widely.

In the land war there is more and more evidence that Ukraine is able to extract growing and terrible toll on the Russian army without relying on more and more infantry at the front. Instead, the Ukrainians are relying on machines, mostly UAVs, to destroy their attackers. It is, for now, a vindication of their choice about how to approach the war.

Much more at https://phillipspobrien.substack.com/p/weekend-update-177-russian-loss
es

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

NOTIFY: Y | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | TOP | HOME

Monday, March 23, 2026 6:08 AM

SECOND

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

Russian families say soldiers killed in Ukraine are listed as missing or deserters to avoid death pay

March 22, 2026, 07:43 AM

https://english.nv.ua/nation/relatives-of-russian-armed-forces-soldier
s-complain-about-denied-payments-50593880.html

Wives and mothers of Russian soldiers killed in the war against Ukraine are increasingly taking to social media to complain about delays and denials of compensation payments, German tabloid Bild reported on March 21.

The complaints are appearing in chats and communities linked to pro-government organizations, where relatives are attempting to pressure authorities into providing assistance. Bild said it analyzed tens of thousands of messages from soldiers' families over the past six months.

Relatives say soldiers are frequently classified as missing in action or as deserters, preventing families from receiving compensation payments.

"The prosecutor's office makes no effort at all. We called everywhere, but the required documents often only arrive after a year," one woman wrote.

Under Russian law, the federal government is required to pay families of fallen servicemembers more than 13 million rubles ($157,000), with additional payments from regional budgets. However, payments are only disbursed after an official death confirmation.

Relatives say the paperwork process drags on for months or years. In some cases, documents list "undetermined cause of death" or fail to link the death to combat operations.

Russian independent outlets have previously reported that the military routinely classifies soldiers as missing in action when their bodies cannot be recovered from the battlefield. In such cases, families are forced to go to court to have the servicemember officially declared dead — a prerequisite for receiving any compensation.

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

NOTIFY: Y | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | TOP | HOME

Monday, March 23, 2026 6:12 AM

SECOND

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

Quote:
Originally posted by second:

pay families of fallen servicemembers more than 13 million rubles ($157,000)

The above payment is the motivation:

A new unofficial “instruction manual” appears to be circulating within Russia’s occupying army: finish off your wounded comrade, then take your own life, Ukraine’s Air Assault Forces said on March 22 as they published a video they said showed the practice. The military warned that the footage contains disturbing images. https://t.me/ua_dshv/8334#

“A real conveyor belt of self-destruction — this is the occupiers’ new ‘manual,’” the Air Assault Forces said. “It is brutally simple and terrifying at the same time: finish off your wounded comrade and then put a bullet in your own head.”

According to the Ukrainian military, constant pressure from fiber-optic drones, precision bomb drops, and artillery has created conditions in which Russian troops increasingly understand that evacuation is unlikely.

“While Ukraine’s Armed Forces fight for every life and pull their own soldiers out of the hottest positions, the enemy is simply erasing itself — platoon by platoon,” the statement said.

https://english.nv.ua/russian-war/ukraine-says-russian-troops-increasi
ngly-abandon-wounded-and-die-by-suicide-50593873.html

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

NOTIFY: Y | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | TOP | HOME

Monday, March 23, 2026 6:24 AM

6IXSTRINGJACK

Quote:
Originally posted by second:
Quote:
Originally posted by 6ixStringJack:

I'm not the one listening to a weatherman from big bad Russia and taking him seriously.

I'm not the one listening to a dumbass weatherman from big bad Russia who said the same damn thing 2 years ago and taking him seriously.

I'm not the one taking the word of "experts" who write bullshit slop like this while they feed it to you while you're on your knees constantly begging for more because you're insatiable.

You post 2 dozen anti-Trump, anti-American articles from so-called "experts" every day, and you've done so for the last 10 years straight.

Get some help. Your brain is beyond cooked brother.

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

Be Evil. Be a dick.
Everything Trump says, does, or writes is an explanation for why his life has been troubled for decades. The same is true for every Trumptard I know. They literally are doing a constant broadcast for why they have trouble, but they don't tune in to the show they produce. Instead, all they know about themselves is the simple fable running inside their head, but not out in reality, that their troubles are caused by libtards. Russians have the same fables in their heads that Trumptard run, except their fables blame the Ukrainians and the West, rather than libtards.

You're the most fucked up person I know, dude.

Stop judging everyone else. You're the problem.

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

Be Nice. Don't be a dick.

NOTIFY: Y | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | TOP | HOME

Monday, March 23, 2026 3:30 PM

SECOND

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

Quote:
Originally posted by 6ixStringJack:

You're the most fucked up person I know, dude.

Stop judging everyone else. You're the problem.

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

Be Evil. Be a dick.

6ix, you are pure evil, and I don't give a damn whether you are too far gone in depravity to know it. Why don't you smoke another cigarette and watch another 15 minutes of porn, since that's your everyday purpose in life, plus feeling superior to people who have real jobs that need doing and who don't need Trump's approval or that of Trumptards?

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

NOTIFY: Y | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | TOP | HOME

Monday, March 23, 2026 3:30 PM

SECOND

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

Inside the ‘underground railroad’ Ukraine is using to bring back children from Russia

By Ivana Kottasová, Svitlana Vlasova | March 21, 2026

https://www.cnn.com/2026/03/22/europe/ukraine-underground-railroad-res
cue-children-from-russia

Rostyslav Lavrov knew he had to escape. He was stuck at a Russian naval academy in occupied Crimea, where he was sent at the age of 16 after Moscow’s forces took over his hometown in Ukraine’s Kherson region. The school had even tried to give him a new – Russian – birth certificate to cement his transformation into a Russian.

He was determined not to let that happen. So, one day in October 2023, Lavrov said he walked out of his dorm, and embarked on a secret journey back to Ukraine.

Now 19 years old and living in Kyiv, Lavrov is one of the roughly 2,000 Ukrainian children and teenagers who have returned to their home country afterbeing either forcibly deported, illegally transferred to or stuck in Russia, Belarus or Russian-occupied areas of Ukraine.

Many of them, like Lavrov, had to leave clandestinely because getting out with Russian permission is nearly impossible.

Ukraine has rallied the world on the issue, building international coalitions to try to push Russia to cooperate. But its success has been limited. Less than a quarter of the 2,000 children who have returned so far came back came through official channels: 83 with the help of Qatar and 19 through a scheme spearheaded by US first lady Melania Trump.

Lavrov’s escape plan had been in the works for three months when he finally walked through the gates of the Russian school for the last time.

He had secretly managed to contact volunteers from Save Ukraine, a group that rescues children trapped in Russia and Russian-occupied territories. They set to work, arranging his way out.

“I chose a day when I had (classes) in another building. I got up in the morning, put on my uniform and did everything as normal so they would think I was going to study,” he told CNN, adding that Save Ukraine volunteers were waiting to pick him up at a nearby location.

“I didn’t take anything with me to avoid drawing attention to myself. I was nervous at the checkpoints, but I tried to stay calm and not show it.” He isn’t sure exactly how long it took him to make it to Ukrainian-held territory but estimates two days. He discovered later that the journey was perhaps even riskier than he thought – the Russian authorities had declared him “missing and wanted.”

Mykola Kuleba, the founder of Save Ukraine and Ukraine’s former children’s ombudsman, said Lavrov’s escape was not unusual in nature.

Save Ukraine’s founder Mykola Kuleba, seen at the group’s office, claims Moscow seeks to obstruct children's return to Ukrainian territory.

Photos of children brought back by the group are on display at Save Ukraine’s office.

“It’s like a special operation for every child,” he said, asking CNN not to reveal too many details to avoid putting anyone at risk. “We don’t work with the Russian authorities or any officials in occupied territories, because it’s really dangerous,” he said, explaining that, in his experience, giving them any information leads to complications. Once Moscow knows Ukraine wants a particular child, it will do anything it can to prevent them from returning, he claimed.

Yulia Dvornychenko experienced this kind of alleged Russian obstruction firsthand.

She was separated from her sons, Danylo, then 17, and Mark, 9, when she was arrested in 2021 at her home in Torez, an eastern Ukrainian town occupied by pro-Russia separatists since 2014. Accused of being a Ukrainian spy. She is a widow, and her new partner was arrested alongside her, so she was told that her children would be sent to a Russian orphanage unless she signed a false confession – which she did.

Eighteen months later, she was released in a prisoner of war (POW) exchange. Mark was still in Torez, living with a family friend, and Danylo lying low in Moscow, where he fled from Torez when it became clear he was at high risk of being drafted into the Russian army.

Once in a government-controlled area of Ukraine, Dvornychenko immediately started working on getting them back, getting help from the Ukrainian government.

Russian authorities first told her Mark, now 11, would be returned in a POW exchange. She tried to reassure him, saying not to get scared if the Russians tied his hands and blindfolded him. “I told him it meant he was coming home. I knew what happens during those (exchanges),” she said.

Yulia Dvornychenko and her son Mark look at old family photos.
Danylo Dvornychenko seen at the family home in Kyiv.

She spent a week waiting at the exchange location in the southern Zaporizhzhia region – but Mark did not show up. The office of the Russian Commissioner for Human Rights then introduced new conditions for his return, asking for Dvornychenko to come and pick him up personally – an option rejected by Ukraine, given the risk of her being rearrested.

Eventually, Dvornychenko said, “the only option was for Danylo to go to Torez and pick up Mark, but for that, we had to gather a bunch of documents… And we did all that. We faked it.”

Dvornychenko was reunited with two boys almost two years after that chaotic night of her arrest. “They weren’t the children I remembered. Mark had grown up a lot, Danylo had a beard, he was already a grown man. It was both joyful and sad. Sad because time had been lost,” she said.

CNN has asked the office of Russia’s Commissioner for Children’s Rights, Maria Lvova-Belova, for a comment.

Kuleba said that Save Ukraine’s covert approach to bringing children back is sometimes criticized by international organizations, which say an official mechanism between Kyiv and Moscow is needed.

“We have been waiting for an official mechanism for years… so we have to do it unofficially,” he said. “We built an underground railroad to find and rescue these kids.”

As of the end of February, the group had brought back 1,162 Ukrainian children.

Darya Kasyanova, one of Ukraine’s leading children’s rights advocates and the chair of the Ukrainian Child Rights Network, said working with international organizations can be tricky, “because there are a lot of standards, a lot of limitations and challenges.”

Both she and Kuleba argue that some international standards – such as the need to interview each child and establish their best interests before returning them to Ukraine – are simply unworkable given the circumstances.

“It can be dangerous for these children because, in most cases, these children are really traumatized, many have been abused, including sexual abuse, which is why we are sure that it should be done only after returning (to Ukraine) or when the child reaches a safe third country,” Kasyanova said.

Like Kuleba, Kasyanova runs a group of volunteers focused on returning Ukrainian children from Russia and occupied territory.

Speaking to CNN last month, she was waiting for news about an operation to bring back two Ukrainian girls from Crimea, illegally annexed by Russia. She said each mission is a balancing act between achieving the child’s return and ensuring the safety of the volunteers who accompany each minor, since it’s become too risky for parents to travel there.

“It can be dangerous for the child and for our team,” she said. Hours after speaking with CNN, Kasyanova sent an update. The two girls rescued from Crimea had safely crossed the border. The number of children her team had returned now stood at 341.

The Ukrainian government has identified 20,000 children it says have been forcibly deported or illegally transferred to Russia, Belarus or Russian-occupied areas of Ukraine. Many have been funneled into reeducation camps or adopted by Russian families.

Moscow has publicly acknowledged the transfers, Lvova-Belova openly boasting about them and claiming Russia was “rescuing” orphans from Ukraine. In 2023, the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued an arrest warrant for Lvova-Belova and Russian President Vladimir Putin for their alleged role in the scheme to deport Ukrainian children to Russia. The Kremlin rejected the ICC’s actions as “outrageous and unacceptable.”

The 20,000 figure includes only the children Ukraine knows about – and Save Ukraine continues to identify new cases of children abducted into Russia.

Many were taken from orphanages or residential schools in the chaos of the early days of the full-scale invasion and some have no living relatives who would be searching for them.

Save Ukraine’s 30-strong team is using all available tools to try to find them, from interviewing children who’ve returned about others they might have met in Russia, to using open-source intelligence techniques and social media campaigns on YouTube and TikTok. The team is even trying to connect with children inside online video games, Kuleba said.

But he admitted they are finding it increasingly hard to convince the abducted children that their home is in Ukraine. Four years is a long time – especially for the youngest.

“These kids are growing up and being poisoned by propaganda. Many of them have been brainwashed, and it’s really hard to convince them that no, there are no Nazis in Ukraine,” he said, referring to Putin’s false claim that neo-Nazis run its government.

According to Ukraine’s ombudsman, Dmytro Lubinets, more than 1.6 million Ukrainian children live in areas under Russian occupation and are forced to attend Russian schools which he described as “indoctrination machines.”

Taras, a 19-year-old from a Ukrainian village currently occupied by Russia, had been in government-controlled Ukraine for a week when CNN met with him. Because most of his large family is still living under occupation, he asked CNN to use a pseudonym, choosing Taras after the 19th-century Ukrainian hero Taras Shevchenko.

He told CNN that younger children and teenagers in occupied Ukraine face Russian indoctrination every day and are being prepared for future military service. “Children are now given automatic weapons to take apart and reassemble. In school, they dress them (in uniforms), make them run and do training,” he said.

“The (Russians) are specifically targeting those who did not take Russian passports and did not send their children to school. If a child does not go to school, they take him or her to a Russian children’s colony,” he said.

His family, who have a farm, couldn’t afford to flee when Russia first took over their village. “They confiscated our car, our only means of earning money, because we sell potatoes at the markets. My sister became distraught and started crying when one of the soldiers wanted to ‘get to know’ her,” Taras told CNN, adding that the soldier became aggressive when she rejected him.

When it became obvious Taras and his brothers were at risk of being drafted by the Russian military, the family decided they had to leave.

Just before Christmas, with the help of Save Ukraine, they managed to get Taras’ older brother out. In February, it was time for Taras to go. He had been waiting for days to hear from the volunteers and, when he finally got the call that they were coming to pick him up, he was ready within minutes.

As with Lavrov, Taras’ journey out was perilous, involving some deception and a huge amount of courage. He had a cover story he repeated at every checkpoint: a new job in Russia.

After three days, he made it. Save Ukraine volunteers were waiting for him at the border. They gave him a Ukrainian flag in which he immediately wrapped himself. He swore he’d keep it forever. “The sun was shining and I sent a message to my mum: ‘That’s it, mum, I’m home,’” he told CNN.

Inside Save Ukraine’s office in Kyiv is a large stack of these Ukrainian flags – ready for the children who’ll be rescued next. Taras is hoping his siblings who are still in occupied Ukraine will soon get one of them. Save Ukraine is working on that.

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

NOTIFY: Y | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | TOP | HOME

Tuesday, March 24, 2026 6:45 AM

SECOND

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

Ukrainian Commander-in-Chief General Oleksandr Syrskyi reported that Russian forces intensified ground attacks across the theater in the last week.

Syrskyi stated that the Russian military command is trying to bring up new forces and is counting on deteriorating spring weather conditions, like fog, to reduce the effectiveness of Ukrainian drone and artillery strikes for future assaults.[3] Syrskyi stated that the Russian military command deployed tens of thousands of servicemembers into highly attritional infantry-led assaults that resulted in more than 6,090 killed and wounded during the four-day period, for a daily average of about 1,520 casualties. Syrskyi stated that Russian forces lost a total of 8,710 troops during the last week (between roughly March 17 and 23). Such a high casualty rate is unsustainable given Russia’s current recruitment rates and would likely degrade Russia’s ability to wage such large assaults in the mid- to long-term. ISW continues to assess that Russian forces are unlikely to seize the Fortress Belt in 2026 but will likely make some tactical gains at a significant cost.[4]

Russian officials are already setting expectations in the domestic information space for slow advances and high casualties, however, with one Russian State Duma deputy stating on March 23 that all wars have casualties but that Russian forces will try to minimize casualties by advancing at a “leisurely pace” toward Slovyansk and Kramatorsk.[5]

https://understandingwar.org/research/russia-ukraine/russian-offensive
-campaign-assessment-march-23-2026/

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

NOTIFY: Y | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | TOP | HOME

Tuesday, March 24, 2026 7:07 AM

SECOND

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

Undermining Ukraine’s EU ambitions

Ukraine has tried, repeatedly, to clean up its courts — but each attempt has run into the same roadblocks.

By Oleg Sukhov | March 23, 2026 8:02 PM

https://kyivindependent.com/entrenched-interests-thwart-ukraines-lates
t-judicial-overhaul-undermine-eu-accession/

A handful of controversial judges have been dismissed, and some changes have been enacted. But beneath the surface, a powerful clique is digging in its heels, making sure attempts at changing the system are stalled.

Lack of will

Tainted judges are supposed to be fired by the High Council of Justice, the judiciary's highest governing body.

But the council is reluctant to fire judges.

Since 2022, the High Qualification Commission has recommended firing 63 judges. The High Council of Justice has fired only 16 judges, refused to fire 10 and has not made any decisions on the rest.

A top judicial official told the Kyiv Independent that the High Council of Justice does not want to fire most of the tainted judges because it is waiting for Supreme Court rulings on them. The official believes, however, that this approach is unjustified.

The consequences are mounting: stalled reforms are now undermining Ukraine’s EU ambitions. Authorities have shown little urgency in adopting the European Commission’s recommendations on judicial reform.

As part of Ukraine's European integration, Brussels has demanded that international experts participate in checking the integrity of incumbent Supreme Court judges and firing them if they do not meet ethics standards.

However, the Ukrainian government has so far failed to meet this condition.

"With this quality of judges and law enforcement agencies, nobody will vote for our (EU accession),” Zhernakov said.

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

NOTIFY: Y | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | TOP | HOME

Wednesday, March 25, 2026 6:23 AM

SECOND

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

Robert "Magyar" Brovdi, Commander of Ukraine's Unmanned Systems Forces, has said that wiping out one Russian soldier costs US$878 in matériel. He has also said the Unmanned Systems Forces currently wipe out 400 Russians for every one Ukrainian.

By Alona Mazurenko | 24 March, 14:51

https://www.pravda.com.ua/eng/news/2026/03/24/8026961/

Ukraine’s top drone commander wants to bleed Russia’s army dry

“Madyar” Brovdi has pioneered unmanned warfare methods NATO is yet to learn

Mar 22nd 2026

https://www.economist.com/europe/2026/03/22/ukraines-top-drone-command
er-wants-to-bleed-russias-army-dry

The road to the command point is rough, though the minivan’s blacked-out windows hide the details. On arrival its doors slide open to reveal the entrance to a world buried deep underground. Inside, one corridor is lined with two decks of Japanese-style sleeping pods. Behind a second corridor lies a gym. Wall after wall of screens relay live data feeds: kill chains, missions, enemy losses. A gallery of famous Ukrainian paintings hangs among missiles and explosives. A snuff video of Russian soldiers in their last moments of life runs on a loop next to an expressionist stone sculpture of a man’s face.

The darkly eccentric atmosphere is in keeping with the character of the man in charge. Before the invasion Robert “Madyar” Brovdi was a wheeler-dealer grain broker. Now the 50-year-old commander of Ukraine’s unmanned forces is a weathered warrior and the lead architect of a strategy to target drone power at individual Russian soldiers. Four years into the war, Ukraine’s central challenge has become not so much holding territory as removing Russians faster than the Kremlin can recruit them. For the first time, thanks in large part to Mr Brovdi’s efforts, this might now be happening.

Mr Brovdi analyses the figures in a windowless three-metre-square cubby-hole, chain-smoking cigarettes and sipping Fortnum & Mason tea, a nod to his prior life fraternising with the rich in London auction-houses. Russian losses have increased substantially since he took over last summer, aided by a revamped, gamified system that now prioritises enemy infantry. December marked a turning point, the first month when verified Russian losses to Ukrainian drones exceeded recruitment. Since the start of the winter, Ukrainian drones have killed or incapacitated at least 8,776 more soldiers than Russia has replaced. Russia continues to gain little ground in return for its losses. Even on its most successful axis, near the town of Kostiantynivka in the Donbas, it has taken just 23% of the territory called for in its winter campaign plan.

Mr Brovdi’s drone brigade, codenamed “Madyar’s birds”, claims it has been responsible for a sixth of the Russian losses. The wider unmanned-forces grouping he now controls accounts for more than a third. Those forces make up just 2% of the Ukrainian army’s headcount. At the December peak, enemy losses reached 388 a day, equivalent to the assault component of an entire battalion. “If a battalion has no infantry left, the Russians don’t disband it but throw desk officers to the front,” Mr Brovdi says. “They are the easiest targets, because they can’t fight.” His soldiers are ordered to target personnel, rather than armour or other equipment, at least 30% of the time. Russia can only train and equip so many recruits; Mr Brovdi likens it to a cow, and his units to farmers. “We need to keep milking this cow, the Russian army, for everything it’s worth, exhausting it beyond its maximum capacity.”

An ethnic Hungarian from Ukraine’s western borderlands, Mr Brovdi joined the war as a civilian volunteer. His rise was improbable but no accident. Applying business instincts to battlefield problems, he helped to develop Ukraine’s earliest drone capabilities. The first breakthrough came in the summer of 2022, when he was fighting on the Kherson front. The Ukrainians were outgunned and, worse, had no idea where the Russians were firing from. Mr Brovdi, still an inexperienced soldier, remembered a drone he had bought his son on a business trip in Asia, and had some brought to the trenches. They were crude, but good enough to spot hidden Russian tanks. The future commander began passing coordinates to a nearby artillery brigade over Discord, a social-media app. He had created Ukraine’s first drone kill chain.

A year later Mr Brovdi and his disciples had been transferred to Bakhmut, then the war’s main killing ground. One colleague, a former taekwondo champion known as Klym, had a friend who had competed in races of first-person-view drones. He suggested the fast, agile machines could carry small munitions. The team began hanging water-filled condoms from trees and trying to hit them with drones. Soon they were taping American mk-19 grenades to the frames. This became the cornerstone of a “line of drones” reconnaissance-and-strike kill-zone concept, which Mr Brovdi later championed to offset Ukraine’s infantry shortage.

The bunker’s hundred-odd screens show how far operations have progressed. Every mission, whether drone strike or electronic-warfare session, is logged and verified by video, then fed into business-intelligence software that Mr Brovdi repurposed from his days as a grain trader. “The principles are the same,” he says. “I asked my guys to swap grain type, tonnage and truck numbers for weapons, shifts and ammunition.” The killing is managed closer to the front. Teams operate 3-5km behind the line, overseen only by battle captains back at headquarters. Mr Brovdi says the unit has an ecosystem of 15 interlocking functions, from jamming to surveillance, mine-laying and explosive production. It is a concept NATO generals have yet to grasp, he says. “When the Americans come—and they come to us like bees to honey—they ask, ’Which drone is best?’ I tell them the best drone is an ecosystem. For one pilot to make a kill, a whole machine must work behind him.”

Mr Brovdi’s critics say his success hinges on the unconditional support and funds he has received since taking over as drone chief. Ukraine’s armed forces usually operate under constant shortages. His predecessor, who was less close to Oleksandr Syrsky, the commander-in-chief, never enjoyed the same resources. Mr Brovdi counters that Ukrainian soldiers should not be waiting for drones, but that the drones should be ready and waiting for them. He insists on having a backup for each piece of equipment, a lesson learned in several near-death experiences, and says his strict safety protocols keep his unit’s cumulative casualty rate at just 1%. The unmanned-systems forces now extract 400 Russian lives for just one Ukrainian, he claims, and each kill costs $878 in materiel. “We should be swapping plastic and metal for dead Russians,” he says. “It’s the best exchange rate.”

Mr Brovdi’s battlefield kill videos, posted on social media with slapstick chase music, have made him a controversial figure. Some allege that such videos violate the laws of war. He dismisses the criticism. “I don’t experience any moral reservations at all. None,” he says. “A man with a rifle in his hand on my land is coming to kill me. I kill him or he kills me. Millions of Ukrainians, my mother included, draw strength from what we do.”

That single-minded focus is giving Ukraine hope. Whether it will be enough to force Vladimir Putin to stop his war is another question. December was the first time Mr Brovdi’s figures turned in Ukraine’s favour. In the year before that, Russian forces had grown by over 100,000 men. Russia’s president seems to have no exit strategy. “Let’s first see if we can keep the pace up this coming year,” says Mr Brovdi. “I have no rose-tinted fantasies that this war is about to end.”

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

NOTIFY: Y | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | TOP | HOME

Wednesday, March 25, 2026 9:16 AM

SECOND

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

Ukrainian forces have damaged a Russian military icebreaker in the Baltic Sea port of Vyborg amid a mass overnight attack, the General Staff reported on March 25.

The attack is the first known successful strike on Russian military ship in the Baltic Sea, almost 1,000 kilometers from Ukrainian territory.

The ship, identified by the General Staff as patrol icebreaker "Pruga," operated by the border guard wing of Russia's FSB secret police, was docked at the city's shipyard when it was hit, the General Staff said.

Photos purportedly taken the following day and posted on Telegram show a white ship keeled over on its side among other larger boats docked at the port.

According to the General Staff, the Pruga, belonging to a class of ships built at the shipyard known as Project 23550, is able to work both as an icebreaker and as a regular military warship.

According to Russian maritime media outlet Paluba, one such ship costs around 18 billion rubles ($222 million).

Picture and more at https://kyivindependent.com/russian-military-icebreaker-damaged-in-unp
recedented-baltic-sea-drone-strike-ukraine-claims/

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

NOTIFY: Y | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | TOP | HOME

Wednesday, March 25, 2026 6:48 PM

THG

Keep it real please, and use a VPN

tick tock...

T

Ukraine Cripples Russia’s Energy Export

NOTIFY: Y | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | TOP | HOME

Wednesday, March 25, 2026 10:07 PM

SECOND

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

The Lying Sack of Shit Trump Can Shove His Fake “Security Guarantees” Up His Fat Ass

March 25, 2026, 02:40 PM

Trump has agreed to provide Ukraine with security guarantees only if Kyiv withdraws from Donbas. But Russia would effortlessly gain strong defensive positions that it has not been able to seize on the battlefield. Military analysts say Russia could need years and significant manpower to fully capture the Donetsk Oblast, including the fortified Ukrainian cities Kramatorsk and Slovyansk.

https://english.nv.ua/nation/zelenskyy-u-s-wants-ukraine-to-withdraw-f
rom-donbas-50594953.html

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

NOTIFY: Y | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | TOP | HOME

Thursday, March 26, 2026 6:27 AM

SECOND

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

The Tide Turns for Ukraine

By Noah Rothman | March 25, 2026 8:41 AM

https://www.nationalreview.com/corner/the-tide-turns-for-ukraine/

Kyiv-skeptical elements inside the Trump administration are still trying to force Ukraine into a supplicative posture, and Ukraine is still resisting Washington’s efforts to impose defeat on it. But those who saw Ukraine as little more than a freeloading alms-seeker draining the West’s resources toward no greater strategic end must increasingly rely on baseless prejudices to justify that outlook.

Russia’s war of conquest in Ukraine won’t end anytime soon, and there will be more twists of fortune to come in a war that’s been full of them. But those who told themselves that Ukraine’s defeat was only a matter of time allowed the wish to father the thought.

“The command of the Russian troops threw tens of thousands of soldiers into ‘meat assaults,’ but the price of this attempted offensive turned out to be catastrophic for the aggressor,” Ukrainian Armed Forces chief General Oleksandr Syrskyi revealed this week. “Over four days of intensive assault actions, the enemy lost more than 6,090 servicemen killed and wounded.” https://www.kyivpost.com/post/72443

“For soldiers in front-line assault units, the odds of surviving the war are approaching zero,” the exiled Russian dissident Mikhail Khodorkovsky wrote, citing Russian-language dossiers disclosing the extent of Moscow’s losses. https://x.com/khodorkovsky_en/status/2036538548309074008

“I have read the full Russian-language report linked below,” the Volokh Conspiracy contributor, U.S. law professor, and native Russian speaker Ilya Somin wrote, “and I can confirm it amply documents these conclusions (based on original Russian military docs provided by an officer who defected).” https://x.com/IlyaSomin/status/2036662428641931708

(What’s this all about? See the article written in Russian, below. You’ll have to translate. Use google:
https://dossier-center.translate.goog/minus27/?_x_tr_sl=auto&_x_tr
_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en-US&_x_tr_pto=wapp The following is a sample.)

Minus Division

How the Russian Army Fights – Using One Unit as an Example

March 23, 2026

https://dossier.center/minus27/

What are the chances of survival for a soldier in a Russian motorized rifle regiment in the war with Ukraine? The Dossier Center examined documents from the 27th Guards Division and arrived at a damning conclusion. The chances of survival are within the margin of error.

Read more at https://dossier-center.translate.goog/minus27/?_x_tr_sl=auto&_x_tr
_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en-US&_x_tr_pto=wapp

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

NOTIFY: Y | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | TOP | HOME

Thursday, March 26, 2026 6:33 AM

SECOND

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

Quote:
The Dossier Center has obtained personnel rosters for the 27th Guards Motorized Rifle Division, which has been fighting in the Pokrovsk sector since 2024. These records reveal that over the course of a single year, more than 28,000 individuals were enlisted in the division—a figure double its authorized strength. Was this an error? No; we have verified that the data is accurate. We realized that, based on these figures, we could calculate the unit’s losses—and, by extension, those of the entire Russian army—as well as estimate a newly recruited contract soldier’s chances of survival. Those chances, it turned out, are negligible. Moreover, those who did survive are unlikely to ever return to active duty due to severe injuries. Nearly half of the division’s personnel are over the age of forty; furthermore, the survival rate for new recruits is significantly lower than that of soldiers who have served in the division since its inception, as the newcomers are invariably deployed to assault units. Since the start of its involvement in the war against Ukraine, the division’s entire personnel roster has been completely replaced three times over.

For a detailed look at how the 27th Division operates, who serves within its ranks, and whether the military leadership deems such methods of warfare acceptable (spoiler alert: they do—and they even reward commanders for their "successes"), see the full investigation by the Dossier Center.

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

NOTIFY: Y | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | TOP | HOME

Thursday, March 26, 2026 6:42 AM

SECOND

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

Reuters: 40% of Russia’s oil exports offline, mostly due to Ukrainian drone strikes — worst disruption in Russian history

Russia earns roughly a quarter of its state budget from oil and gas. This week’s attacks halted oil loadings at both Russian Baltic Sea terminals.

By Yuri Zoria | March 25, 2026

https://euromaidanpress.com/2026/03/25/reuters-40-of-russias-oil-expor
ts-offline-mostly-due-to-ukrainian-drone-strikes-worst-disruption-in-russian-history/

Ukrainian drone strikes, pipeline damage, and tanker seizures have halted at least 40% of Russia's oil export capacity — around 2 million barrels per day — in what Reuters calculated on 25 March as the most severe oil supply disruption in modern Russian history. The shutdown combines port strikes, pipeline damage, and tanker seizures.

Ukraine has maintained a sustained drone campaign against Russian oil infrastructure throughout the war, targeting refineries, pumping stations, and export terminals to reduce the foreign currency revenues that fund Moscow's ongoing war against Ukraine.

All three major western Russian ports hit

Ukraine struck all three of Russia's major western oil export ports recently. Primorsk and Ust-Luga on the Baltic Sea suspended crude oil and petroleum product loadings on 25 March after massive drone attacks sparked blazes. Both ports had briefly resumed exports after earlier strikes but halted again following the latest wave.

A source told Reuters that Ust-Luga was sealed off with reservoirs ablaze. Gulf of Finland Coast Guard District director Jukka-Pekka Lumilahti confirmed the Primorsk fire was still ongoing.

"It is still burning there pretty much just as it was at the start," he said. "These are indeed massive fires, and there is a massive amount of smoke."

He added there was no oil leakage from the attacks.

Heikki Autto, a Finnish MP and chairman of the parliament's defence committee, told Reuters he saw a massive pillar of black smoke rise from the direction of Primorsk as he landed at Helsinki Airport yesterday.

Novorossiysk on the Black Sea — which can handle up to 700,000 barrels per day — has also been loading below plan since drone attacks earlier this month.

Beyond the port strikes, Russia's Druzhba pipeline — which runs through Ukraine to Hungary and Slovakia — has been disrupted since damage in late January. Ukraine said the pipeline was hit by Russian strikes, but both Slovakia and Hungary — led by pro-Russian governments — demanded Kyiv restart supplies immediately.

Frequent seizures of Russia-related tankers in Europe have also disrupted 300,000 barrels per day of Arctic oil exports from the port of Murmansk, Reuters said, citing traders.

With western export routes under sustained attack, Moscow must rely on oil shipments to Asian markets from the country's east — but traders said those routes are limited by capacity.

The timing compounds the pressure

Russia's oil output is one of the main revenue sources for the national budget, central to its $2.6 trillion economy, with oil and gas accounting for roughly a quarter of state budget proceeds. Ukraine says it aims to cut those revenues to weaken Russia's military capacity. The disruption arrives just as oil prices exceeded $100 a barrel due to the Iran war — Reuters noted Ukraine has stepped up attacks over recent weeks as US-pushed peace talks stalled.

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

NOTIFY: Y | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | TOP | HOME

Thursday, March 26, 2026 9:13 AM

SECOND

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

Quote:
Originally posted by second:
Reuters: 40% of Russia’s oil exports offline, mostly due to Ukrainian drone strikes — worst disruption in Russian history

Sanctioned Russian shadow fleet tanker struck by drone near Istanbul, 140,000 tons of oil on board

By Benjamin Murdoch | March 26, 2026

https://euromaidanpress.com/2026/03/26/sanctioned-russian-shadow-fleet
-tanker-struck-by-drone-in-black-sea/

An explosion struck a sanctioned oil tanker linked to Russia’s “shadow fleet” in the Black Sea on March 26, Turkish media outlet NTV reported.

The vessel is part of a network of tankers used by Moscow to sustain oil exports despite Western sanctions, allowing it to continue generating revenue for its war in Ukraine. By operating through opaque ownership structures and indirect shipping routes, this system has softened the intended economic impact of sanctions and kept energy income flowing into the Russian state budget.

ALTURA struck 15 miles off Istanbul, crew safe

The crude oil tanker ALTURA, carrying around 140,000 tons of oil from Russia, was hit roughly 15 miles off the coast of Istanbul near the Bosphorus, according to NTV.

Turkish officials said the blast likely resulted from an unmanned maritime drone, damaging the ship’s deck and engine room and causing it to take on water.

Türkiye’s Transport and Infrastructure Minister Abdulkadir Uraloglu said initial assessments point to an uncrewed surface or underwater vehicle.

Russian channels said the attack was carried out by a Ukrainian drone.

All 27 crew members were reported safe. Emergency teams, including coast guard units and a rescue vessel, were deployed to assist.

ALTURA sanctioned by EU, UK, Ukraine, and Switzerland

The vessel has been sanctioned by the EU, UK, Ukraine, and Switzerland and is identified in multiple databases as part of Russia’s shadow fleet. The ALTURA alone transported millions of barrels of Russian oil between 2024 and 2025, including shipments to India and China.

Ukraine has increasingly targeted this maritime network, viewing it as a critical source of funding for Russia’s war effort. Previous strikes on oil infrastructure and shadow fleet-linked assets have aimed to disrupt export logistics and reduce the flow of energy revenues into the Russian state budget.

Drone attacks on shadow fleet expand Ukraine's maritime campaign

The use of a maritime drone is consistent with the expanding role of uncrewed naval systems in the Black Sea, where such attacks have targeted ships, port infrastructure, and logistics routes tied to energy exports.

Despite multiple rounds of sanctions, international enforcement has remained uneven, allowing much of the shadow fleet to continue operating with limited interference.

Incidents like this underline both the vulnerabilities of the network and the increasing role of Ukrainian direct action in attempts to curb Russia’s oil trade.

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

NOTIFY: Y | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | TOP | HOME

Thursday, March 26, 2026 11:36 AM

SECOND

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

Russia panics over war setbacks, Kremlin launches internal crackdown

Thu, March 26, 2026 – 12:20

https://newsukraine.rbc.ua/news/russia-panics-over-war-setbacks-kremli
n-launches-1774520412.html

Russian Armed Forces' problems and internal criticism

According to analysts, a Russian military blogger has called for a significant buildup of forces and reforms in the defense industry.

According to him, the Russian army faces systemic problems that hinder success on the front lines. He emphasized that without fundamental changes in the structure of the troops and a shift away from small-group tactics, Russia will not be able to achieve victory quickly.

Additionally, the blogger stated that at the current pace of the offensive, it could take Russian forces up to 100 years to capture the rest of Ukraine.

The ISW also estimates that even if the February 2025 pace is maintained, it could take about 83 years.

"The milblogger’s statements may be a final attempt to criticize the Kremlin and Russian military command before the Kremlin implements the anticipated ban on Telegram in the future and pushes milbloggers to state-controlled platforms," the Institute for the Study of War states.

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

NOTIFY: Y | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | TOP | HOME

Thursday, March 26, 2026 12:41 PM

SECOND

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

FACT-CHECK: Trump Says Ukraine Is Behind US Ammo Shortages in Iran. Is He Telling the Truth?

The US really did send Ukraine a massive amount of tanks and artillery – weapons that are pretty useless against Iranian drones and missiles. Also, Kyiv offered Trump help, but he rejected it.

By Kyiv Post | March 25, 2026, 3:50 pm

Recent claims by senior US officials led by President Donald Trump that munitions shortages faced by American troops fighting against Iran are Ukraine’s fault are false, a Kyiv Post fact check of those statements found.

Starting in March, following massive expenditures of US air defense munitions against unexpectedly aggressive and large-scale Iranian missile and drone attacks in the Gulf, Trump, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, and White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt all have blamed Ukraine.

Much more at https://www.kyivpost.com/post/72585

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

NOTIFY: Y | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | TOP | HOME

YOUR OPTIONS

SHARE THREAD

NEW POSTS TODAY

USER	POST DATE
second	03.26 06:27
second	03.26 06:33
second	03.26 06:42
second	03.26 09:13
second	03.26 11:36
second	03.26 12:41