Daily Updates on Russian Invasion of Ukraine

I examine Ukraine’s reported strikes on Rosneft’s Ryazan oil refinery, Russian air defenses, and the Russian vessel Lady Maria in the Mediterranean, reportedly carrying Iranian weapons. I also assess what—if anything—the timing may signal as Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner arrive in Moscow for talks before traveling to Ukraine.

Russia launched 108 strike UAVs overnight, while attacks in Zaporizhzhia and Chuhuiv killed civilians, including three members of one family. I discuss Russia’s evolving drone and missile threat, Ukraine’s air-defense burden, reported Tu-95MS preparations, and the limits of U.S. leverage as Europe carries more military support for Ukraine.

00:00 The Day’s Stakes: Moscow Talks and Ukrainian Strikes

02:56 Russian Vessel Hit in the Mediterranean

04:36 Witkoff and Kushner Arrive in Moscow

08:43 Russia’s Next Missile and Drone Threat

11:00 Battlefield Situation and Ukrainian Air Power

13:00 Peace Talks, U.S. Leverage, and Russia’s War Aims

15:22 The Strategic Question Behind the Mediterranean Strike

#UkraineRussiaWar #RyazanRefinery #Mediterranean #Russia #Ukraine #Witkoff

Facts over noise. Context over headlines. Truth over talking points. Principle over partisanship.

Fundraisers video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BMTs6amkGUg and Here is the direct link to the Ukraine Support Bridge: https://ukrainesupportbridge.com/ - Ukrainian Refugee M's Room and Board is covered for this year. It is not for the rest of her time at CSU. I will be pushing on the other fundraisers for now, but if you still wish to give to make that whole (Aprox 48K total), here is the direct link: https://www.gofundme.com/f/support-ms-journey-at-charleston-southern-university?attribution_id=sl:2708fb35-6c96-49b9-a5f9-6b7567483de6&lang=en_US&ts=1786462653&utm_campaign=fp_sharesheet&utm_content=amp30-treatment-3&utm_medium=customer&utm_source=copy_link

***** To support me as as I provide Ukraine war context: *****

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/ProfessorGerdesExplains

Buy Me A Coffee: https://buymeacoffee.com/professorgerdes

Paypal: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/professorgerdes

YouTube Channel Membership: https://www.youtube.com/@Professor-Gerdes/membership

🇺🇸 Contact the White House to express your support for Ukraine

https://www.whitehouse.gov/contact/

*****IF YOU WISH TO PROVIDE DIRECT AID TO UKRAINE: *****

🇺🇦 I have partnered with Greg Terry for all donations to Ukraine. He has raised and delivered more than a quarter of a million dollars of aid to date. To directly support this effort of delivering necessary provisions to the front lines, click on these links (and then watch him give your donations to soldiers on the front lines on his channel): https://www.youtube.com/@GregTerryExperience

Amazon Shopping List USA/North America (Shop and send to UKRAINE AID c/o Bethel Life's Gift Registry Address)

https://a.co/iodWsUK

Amazon Shopping List for EU/UK

https://www.amazon.de/hz/wishlist/ls/...

Direct Link for Financial Giving via our 501(c)(3) Tax-Deductible in the USA

https://www.gregterry.org/donate.html

Link for Greg's 501(c)(3) EIN Information

https://www.gregterry.org/donate.html

🇺🇸 Alternatively, you may choose to donate to Samaritan’s Purse:

https://www.samaritanspurse.org/our-ministry/ukraine-response/?utm_source=FY22UkraineResponseVanityURL&utm_medium=direct&utm_campaign=m_YUKR-22L3&utm_content=Ukraine-Response-Redirect%20%20

🇺🇦 If you wish to support the Ukrainian Army, give directly to United 24. Follow this link: https://u24.gov.ua/

***BUY SOMETHING TO SHOW YOUR SUPPORT FOR UKRAINE ***

🇺🇦 If you purchase from Saint Javelin with my link below, a cut of the proceeds will go directly to humanitarian aid for soldiers (bandages, tourniquets, etc.). I don't get the revenue. It goes to buy medical supplies from UnitewithUkraine.com. Use this link: https://www.saintjavelin.com/en-us?utm_source=YouTube&utm_medium=Social&utm_campaign=Gerdes

🇺🇸 This is the absolute CHEAPEST THING YOU CAN DO to support Ukraine (This is NOT MY SITE) https://amzn.to/4aPtwQr - Just support the war effort somehow.

🇺🇦 I wrote a book about Ukraine's president Zelenskyy which I have updated for the first 4-5 months of the war in Ukraine: It is free if you have Amazon Kindle Unlimited or $9.99 otherwise: https://amzn.to/3Q2wnyE

🇺🇦 If you cannot give or buy, you can like, share, and pray for the people of Ukraine.

🇺🇸 Please leave comments and tell me how I can help you gain more perspective. You can contact me @Dr_Gerdes on Twitter or email [email protected]

#UKRAINE #UKRAINERUSSIAWAR #UKRAINEWAR

I examine whether Steve Witkoff, Jared Kushner, and Vladimir Putin could produce a short-term halt to strikes on Moscow and Kyiv ahead of Russia’s September 18–20 elections—and why Russia’s continued attacks and demand for all of Donetsk make a durable agreement unlikely.

I also assess Ukraine’s Black Sea food-export diplomacy, the NABU and SAPO corruption investigation in Kyiv, Russian-linked ransomware against Berlin, and the expanding sabotage threat to European infrastructure. The strategic concern is not rhetoric: repeated attacks across NATO and EU states could eventually cause casualties and create a crisis neither side intended.

00:00 A Possible Temporary Truce Before Russian Elections

03:40 Black Sea Food Routes and Ukraine’s Defense Industry

05:43 Ukraine’s Anti-Corruption Investigation

08:08 Russian Hybrid Operations and Sabotage in Europe

10:30 Poland, NATO Nuclear Deterrence, and Ukrainian Refugees

13:22 Donetsk Demands and the Prospects for Peace

16:42 U.S. Policy: Congress, Venezuela, and Iran

20:00 American Support and Ukraine’s War Effort

#UkraineRussiaWar #RussiaUkraine #NATO #UkrainePeaceTalks #RussianSabotage #BlackSea

Facts over noise. Context over headlines. Truth over talking points. Principle over partisanship.

Fundraisers video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BMTs6amkGUg and Here is the direct link to the Ukraine Support Bridge: https://ukrainesupportbridge.com/ - Ukrainian Refugee M's Room and Board is covered for this year. It is not for the rest of her time at CSU. I will be pushing on the other fundraisers for now, but if you still wish to give to make that whole (Aprox 48K total), here is the direct link: https://www.gofundme.com/f/support-ms-journey-at-charleston-southern-university?attribution_id=sl:2708fb35-6c96-49b9-a5f9-6b7567483de6&lang=en_US&ts=1786462653&utm_campaign=fp_sharesheet&utm_content=amp30-treatment-3&utm_medium=customer&utm_source=copy_link

***** To support me as as I provide Ukraine war context: *****

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/ProfessorGerdesExplains

Buy Me A Coffee: https://buymeacoffee.com/professorgerdes

Paypal: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/professorgerdes

YouTube Channel Membership: https://www.youtube.com/@Professor-Gerdes/membership

🇺🇸 Contact the White House to express your support for Ukraine

https://www.whitehouse.gov/contact/

*****IF YOU WISH TO PROVIDE DIRECT AID TO UKRAINE: *****

🇺🇦 I have partnered with Greg Terry for all donations to Ukraine. He has raised and delivered more than a quarter of a million dollars of aid to date. To directly support this effort of delivering necessary provisions to the front lines, click on these links (and then watch him give your donations to soldiers on the front lines on his channel): https://www.youtube.com/@GregTerryExperience

Amazon Shopping List USA/North America (Shop and send to UKRAINE AID c/o Bethel Life's Gift Registry Address)

https://a.co/iodWsUK

Amazon Shopping List for EU/UK

https://www.amazon.de/hz/wishlist/ls/...

Direct Link for Financial Giving via our 501(c)(3) Tax-Deductible in the USA

https://www.gregterry.org/donate.html

Link for Greg's 501(c)(3) EIN Information

https://www.gregterry.org/donate.html

🇺🇸 Alternatively, you may choose to donate to Samaritan’s Purse:

https://www.samaritanspurse.org/our-ministry/ukraine-response/?utm_source=FY22UkraineResponseVanityURL&utm_medium=direct&utm_campaign=m_YUKR-22L3&utm_content=Ukraine-Response-Redirect%20%20

🇺🇦 If you wish to support the Ukrainian Army, give directly to United 24. Follow this link: https://u24.gov.ua/

***BUY SOMETHING TO SHOW YOUR SUPPORT FOR UKRAINE ***

🇺🇦 If you purchase from Saint Javelin with my link below, a cut of the proceeds will go directly to humanitarian aid for soldiers (bandages, tourniquets, etc.). I don't get the revenue. It goes to buy medical supplies from UnitewithUkraine.com. Use this link: https://www.saintjavelin.com/en-us?utm_source=YouTube&utm_medium=Social&utm_campaign=Gerdes

🇺🇸 This is the absolute CHEAPEST THING YOU CAN DO to support Ukraine (This is NOT MY SITE) https://amzn.to/4aPtwQr - Just support the war effort somehow.

🇺🇦 I wrote a book about Ukraine's president Zelenskyy which I have updated for the first 4-5 months of the war in Ukraine: It is free if you have Amazon Kindle Unlimited or $9.99 otherwise: https://amzn.to/3Q2wnyE

🇺🇦 If you cannot give or buy, you can like, share, and pray for the people of Ukraine.

🇺🇸 Please leave comments and tell me how I can help you gain more perspective. You can contact me @Dr_Gerdes on Twitter or email [email protected]

#UKRAINE #UKRAINERUSSIAWAR #UKRAINEWAR

I examine what Russian officials and public voices are saying about the war’s underlying aims as Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner hold talks in Moscow. Their language on colonizing Ukraine, “de-Ukrainification,” re-Russification, and the removal of Ukrainian identity raises direct questions about whether any peace agreement can address Russia’s stated objectives.

I also assess calls by State Duma deputy Alexei Zhuravlyov for tactical nuclear weapons, arguments about a future Russia-NATO conflict and a corridor to Kaliningrad, and a Russian critique of the war’s demographic, economic, and human costs. The strategic issue is not rhetoric alone, but what these aims mean for Ukraine’s survival, deterrence, and European security.

00:00 Moscow Talks and Russia’s Stated Aims

01:59 Re-Russification and the Erasure of Identity

03:51 Russia’s Military Costs and Imperial Objectives

05:59 Occupied Territory and Ukrainian Resistance

09:19 NATO, Kaliningrad, and Further Expansion

12:42 Consequences for Peace and Support for Ukraine

#UkraineRussiaWar #RussiaUkraine #NATO #Deterrence #Kaliningrad #Putin

Facts over noise. Context over headlines. Truth over talking points. Principle over partisanship.

Fundraisers video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BMTs6amkGUg and Here is the direct link to the Ukraine Support Bridge: https://ukrainesupportbridge.com/ - Ukrainian Refugee M's Room and Board is covered for this year. It is not for the rest of her time at CSU. I will be pushing on the other fundraisers for now, but if you still wish to give to make that whole (Aprox 48K total), here is the direct link: https://www.gofundme.com/f/support-ms-journey-at-charleston-southern-university?attribution_id=sl:2708fb35-6c96-49b9-a5f9-6b7567483de6&lang=en_US&ts=1786462653&utm_campaign=fp_sharesheet&utm_content=amp30-treatment-3&utm_medium=customer&utm_source=copy_link

***** To support me as as I provide Ukraine war context: *****

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/ProfessorGerdesExplains

Buy Me A Coffee: https://buymeacoffee.com/professorgerdes

Paypal: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/professorgerdes

YouTube Channel Membership: https://www.youtube.com/@Professor-Gerdes/membership

🇺🇸 Contact the White House to express your support for Ukraine

https://www.whitehouse.gov/contact/

*****IF YOU WISH TO PROVIDE DIRECT AID TO UKRAINE: *****

🇺🇦 I have partnered with Greg Terry for all donations to Ukraine. He has raised and delivered more than a quarter of a million dollars of aid to date. To directly support this effort of delivering necessary provisions to the front lines, click on these links (and then watch him give your donations to soldiers on the front lines on his channel): https://www.youtube.com/@GregTerryExperience

Amazon Shopping List USA/North America (Shop and send to UKRAINE AID c/o Bethel Life's Gift Registry Address)

https://a.co/iodWsUK

Amazon Shopping List for EU/UK

https://www.amazon.de/hz/wishlist/ls/...

Direct Link for Financial Giving via our 501(c)(3) Tax-Deductible in the USA

https://www.gregterry.org/donate.html

Link for Greg's 501(c)(3) EIN Information

https://www.gregterry.org/donate.html

🇺🇸 Alternatively, you may choose to donate to Samaritan’s Purse:

https://www.samaritanspurse.org/our-ministry/ukraine-response/?utm_source=FY22UkraineResponseVanityURL&utm_medium=direct&utm_campaign=m_YUKR-22L3&utm_content=Ukraine-Response-Redirect%20%20

🇺🇦 If you wish to support the Ukrainian Army, give directly to United 24. Follow this link: https://u24.gov.ua/

***BUY SOMETHING TO SHOW YOUR SUPPORT FOR UKRAINE ***

🇺🇦 If you purchase from Saint Javelin with my link below, a cut of the proceeds will go directly to humanitarian aid for soldiers (bandages, tourniquets, etc.). I don't get the revenue. It goes to buy medical supplies from UnitewithUkraine.com. Use this link: https://www.saintjavelin.com/en-us?utm_source=YouTube&utm_medium=Social&utm_campaign=Gerdes

🇺🇸 This is the absolute CHEAPEST THING YOU CAN DO to support Ukraine (This is NOT MY SITE) https://amzn.to/4aPtwQr - Just support the war effort somehow.

🇺🇦 I wrote a book about Ukraine's president Zelenskyy which I have updated for the first 4-5 months of the war in Ukraine: It is free if you have Amazon Kindle Unlimited or $9.99 otherwise: https://amzn.to/3Q2wnyE

🇺🇦 If you cannot give or buy, you can like, share, and pray for the people of Ukraine.

🇺🇸 Please leave comments and tell me how I can help you gain more perspective. You can contact me @Dr_Gerdes on Twitter or email [email protected]

#UKRAINE #UKRAINERUSSIAWAR #UKRAINEWAR

I examine Russia’s alleged September 5–8 truce with Ukraine during the planned visits of Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner—and why air-raid alarms, Shahed-type drones, an Iskander missile, and strikes near Boryspil quickly called its credibility into question.

I also assess Russia’s attacks on Kyiv, Kamianske steel production, and Odesa food warehouses; Ukraine’s reported restraint on strikes inside Russia; refinery pressure and fuel shortages in Crimea; Magura naval-drone launches of Sting interceptors; battlefield trends after Russian Starlink access was curtailed; and Ukraine’s future air-force transition through F-16s, Mirage 2000s, and Gripen fighters. The strategic issue is not outrage but whether Moscow can use a truce to shape perceptions while continuing coercion against Ukraine’s civilians and infrastructure.

00:00 The Truce That Lasted Nine Minutes

01:51 Ukraine’s Military Posture and Naval Drone Innovation

03:45 Russian Fuel Pressure and Refinery Strikes

08:17 Strikes on Industry, Airports, and Food Logistics

11:16 Battlefield Trends and Ukraine’s Air Force Future

14:02 Life Under Occupation and the Human Cost of War

16:56 Truce Credibility and Putin’s Strategic Calculation

19:20 Summer Strength Campaign

#UkraineRussiaWar #Kyiv #Boryspil #Putin #Russia #Ukraine

Facts over noise. Context over headlines. Truth over talking points. Principle over partisanship.

Fundraisers video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BMTs6amkGUg and Here is the direct link to the Ukraine Support Bridge: https://ukrainesupportbridge.com/ - Ukrainian Refugee M's Room and Board is covered for this year. It is not for the rest of her time at CSU. I will be pushing on the other fundraisers for now, but if you still wish to give to make that whole (Aprox 48K total), here is the direct link: https://www.gofundme.com/f/support-ms-journey-at-charleston-southern-university?attribution_id=sl:2708fb35-6c96-49b9-a5f9-6b7567483de6&lang=en_US&ts=1786462653&utm_campaign=fp_sharesheet&utm_content=amp30-treatment-3&utm_medium=customer&utm_source=copy_link

***** To support me as as I provide Ukraine war context: *****

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/ProfessorGerdesExplains

Buy Me A Coffee: https://buymeacoffee.com/professorgerdes

Paypal: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/professorgerdes

YouTube Channel Membership: https://www.youtube.com/@Professor-Gerdes/membership

🇺🇸 Contact the White House to express your support for Ukraine

https://www.whitehouse.gov/contact/

*****IF YOU WISH TO PROVIDE DIRECT AID TO UKRAINE: *****

🇺🇦 I have partnered with Greg Terry for all donations to Ukraine. He has raised and delivered more than a quarter of a million dollars of aid to date. To directly support this effort of delivering necessary provisions to the front lines, click on these links (and then watch him give your donations to soldiers on the front lines on his channel): https://www.youtube.com/@GregTerryExperience

Amazon Shopping List USA/North America (Shop and send to UKRAINE AID c/o Bethel Life's Gift Registry Address)

https://a.co/iodWsUK

Amazon Shopping List for EU/UK

https://www.amazon.de/hz/wishlist/ls/...

Direct Link for Financial Giving via our 501(c)(3) Tax-Deductible in the USA

https://www.gregterry.org/donate.html

Link for Greg's 501(c)(3) EIN Information

https://www.gregterry.org/donate.html

🇺🇸 Alternatively, you may choose to donate to Samaritan’s Purse:

https://www.samaritanspurse.org/our-ministry/ukraine-response/?utm_source=FY22UkraineResponseVanityURL&utm_medium=direct&utm_campaign=m_YUKR-22L3&utm_content=Ukraine-Response-Redirect%20%20

🇺🇦 If you wish to support the Ukrainian Army, give directly to United 24. Follow this link: https://u24.gov.ua/

***BUY SOMETHING TO SHOW YOUR SUPPORT FOR UKRAINE ***

🇺🇦 If you purchase from Saint Javelin with my link below, a cut of the proceeds will go directly to humanitarian aid for soldiers (bandages, tourniquets, etc.). I don't get the revenue. It goes to buy medical supplies from UnitewithUkraine.com. Use this link: https://www.saintjavelin.com/en-us?utm_source=YouTube&utm_medium=Social&utm_campaign=Gerdes

🇺🇸 This is the absolute CHEAPEST THING YOU CAN DO to support Ukraine (This is NOT MY SITE) https://amzn.to/4aPtwQr - Just support the war effort somehow.

🇺🇦 I wrote a book about Ukraine's president Zelenskyy which I have updated for the first 4-5 months of the war in Ukraine: It is free if you have Amazon Kindle Unlimited or $9.99 otherwise: https://amzn.to/3Q2wnyE

🇺🇦 If you cannot give or buy, you can like, share, and pray for the people of Ukraine.

🇺🇸 Please leave comments and tell me how I can help you gain more perspective. You can contact me @Dr_Gerdes on Twitter or email [email protected]

#UKRAINE #UKRAINERUSSIAWAR #UKRAINEWAR

Fundraisers video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BMTs6amkGUg and Here is the direct link to the Ukraine Support Bridge: https://ukrainesupportbridge.com/ - Ukrainian Refugee M's Room and Board is covered for this year. It is not for the rest of her time at CSU. I will be pushing on the other fundraisers for now, but if you still wish to give to make that whole (Aprox 48K total), here is the direct link: https://www.gofundme.com/f/support-ms-journey-at-charleston-southern-university?attribution_id=sl:2708fb35-6c96-49b9-a5f9-6b7567483de6&lang=en_US&ts=1786462653&utm_campaign=fp_sharesheet&utm_content=amp30-treatment-3&utm_medium=customer&utm_source=copy_link

***** To support me as as I provide Ukraine war context: *****

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/ProfessorGerdesExplains

Buy Me A Coffee: https://buymeacoffee.com/professorgerdes

Paypal: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/professorgerdes

YouTube Channel Membership: https://www.youtube.com/@Professor-Gerdes/membership

🇺🇸 Contact the White House to express your support for Ukraine

https://www.whitehouse.gov/contact/

*****IF YOU WISH TO PROVIDE DIRECT AID TO UKRAINE: *****

🇺🇦 I have partnered with Greg Terry for all donations to Ukraine. He has raised and delivered more than a quarter of a million dollars of aid to date. To directly support this effort of delivering necessary provisions to the front lines, click on these links (and then watch him give your donations to soldiers on the front lines on his channel): https://www.youtube.com/@GregTerryExperience

Amazon Shopping List USA/North America (Shop and send to UKRAINE AID c/o Bethel Life's Gift Registry Address)

https://a.co/iodWsUK

Amazon Shopping List for EU/UK

https://www.amazon.de/hz/wishlist/ls/...

Direct Link for Financial Giving via our 501(c)(3) Tax-Deductible in the USA

https://www.gregterry.org/donate.html

Link for Greg's 501(c)(3) EIN Information

https://www.gregterry.org/donate.html

🇺🇸 Alternatively, you may choose to donate to Samaritan’s Purse:

https://www.samaritanspurse.org/our-ministry/ukraine-response/?utm_source=FY22UkraineResponseVanityURL&utm_medium=direct&utm_campaign=m_YUKR-22L3&utm_content=Ukraine-Response-Redirect%20%20

🇺🇦 If you wish to support the Ukrainian Army, give directly to United 24. Follow this link: https://u24.gov.ua/

***BUY SOMETHING TO SHOW YOUR SUPPORT FOR UKRAINE ***

🇺🇦 If you purchase from Saint Javelin with my link below, a cut of the proceeds will go directly to humanitarian aid for soldiers (bandages, tourniquets, etc.). I don't get the revenue. It goes to buy medical supplies from UnitewithUkraine.com. Use this link: https://www.saintjavelin.com/en-us?utm_source=YouTube&utm_medium=Social&utm_campaign=Gerdes

🇺🇸 This is the absolute CHEAPEST THING YOU CAN DO to support Ukraine (This is NOT MY SITE) https://amzn.to/4aPtwQr - Just support the war effort somehow.

🇺🇦 I wrote a book about Ukraine's president Zelenskyy which I have updated for the first 4-5 months of the war in Ukraine: It is free if you have Amazon Kindle Unlimited or $9.99 otherwise: https://amzn.to/3Q2wnyE

🇺🇦 If you cannot give or buy, you can like, share, and pray for the people of Ukraine.

🇺🇸 Please leave comments and tell me how I can help you gain more perspective. You can contact me @Dr_Gerdes on Twitter or email [email protected]

#UKRAINE #UKRAINERUSSIAWAR #UKRAINEWAR

I examine Ukraine’s reported overnight drone and missile strikes on Sochi and Adler, including an oil depot fire and claimed damage to S-300/S-400 air defenses. I also assess the pressure on Moscow-bound air traffic, the reported strike on the Sterlitamak petrochemical plant in Bashkortostan, and Ukraine’s continuing campaign against Russian military infrastructure in Crimea.

I then compare these operations with Russia’s continuing Shahed and jet-drone attacks on Odesa, Kyiv, Kharkiv, Kramatorsk, and Kherson. The strategic question is whether low-cost drones, air-defense attrition, and deep strikes can impose costs on Russia’s war effort while Russia continues to accept heavy casualties for limited ground gains.

00:00 Overnight Ukrainian strikes across Russia

01:37 Sochi and Adler: oil depot and air-defense claims

05:06 Deep strike on Bashkortostan and Crimea

06:31 Russia’s overnight drone campaign against Ukraine

10:02 Battlefield losses and Russia’s August casualty costs

12:27 FPV drones and the economics of battlefield attrition

14:07 Crimea, Moscow airports, and strategic pressure

15:51 Where Ukraine’s deep-strike campaign goes next

#UkraineRussiaWar #Sochi #Moscow #Crimea #S400 #DroneWarfare

Facts over noise. Context over headlines. Truth over talking points. Principle over partisanship.

Fundraisers video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BMTs6amkGUg and Here is the direct link to the Ukraine Support Bridge: https://ukrainesupportbridge.com/ - Ukrainian Refugee M's Room and Board is covered for this year. It is not for the rest of her time at CSU. I will be pushing on the other fundraisers for now, but if you still wish to give to make that whole (Aprox 48K total), here is the direct link: https://www.gofundme.com/f/support-ms-journey-at-charleston-southern-university?attribution_id=sl:2708fb35-6c96-49b9-a5f9-6b7567483de6&lang=en_US&ts=1786462653&utm_campaign=fp_sharesheet&utm_content=amp30-treatment-3&utm_medium=customer&utm_source=copy_link

***** To support me as as I provide Ukraine war context: *****

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/ProfessorGerdesExplains

Buy Me A Coffee: https://buymeacoffee.com/professorgerdes

Paypal: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/professorgerdes

YouTube Channel Membership: https://www.youtube.com/@Professor-Gerdes/membership

🇺🇸 Contact the White House to express your support for Ukraine

https://www.whitehouse.gov/contact/

*****IF YOU WISH TO PROVIDE DIRECT AID TO UKRAINE: *****

🇺🇦 I have partnered with Greg Terry for all donations to Ukraine. He has raised and delivered more than a quarter of a million dollars of aid to date. To directly support this effort of delivering necessary provisions to the front lines, click on these links (and then watch him give your donations to soldiers on the front lines on his channel): https://www.youtube.com/@GregTerryExperience

Amazon Shopping List USA/North America (Shop and send to UKRAINE AID c/o Bethel Life's Gift Registry Address)

https://a.co/iodWsUK

Amazon Shopping List for EU/UK

https://www.amazon.de/hz/wishlist/ls/...

Direct Link for Financial Giving via our 501(c)(3) Tax-Deductible in the USA

https://www.gregterry.org/donate.html

Link for Greg's 501(c)(3) EIN Information

https://www.gregterry.org/donate.html

🇺🇸 Alternatively, you may choose to donate to Samaritan’s Purse:

https://www.samaritanspurse.org/our-ministry/ukraine-response/?utm_source=FY22UkraineResponseVanityURL&utm_medium=direct&utm_campaign=m_YUKR-22L3&utm_content=Ukraine-Response-Redirect%20%20

🇺🇦 If you wish to support the Ukrainian Army, give directly to United 24. Follow this link: https://u24.gov.ua/

***BUY SOMETHING TO SHOW YOUR SUPPORT FOR UKRAINE ***

🇺🇦 If you purchase from Saint Javelin with my link below, a cut of the proceeds will go directly to humanitarian aid for soldiers (bandages, tourniquets, etc.). I don't get the revenue. It goes to buy medical supplies from UnitewithUkraine.com. Use this link: https://www.saintjavelin.com/en-us?utm_source=YouTube&utm_medium=Social&utm_campaign=Gerdes

🇺🇸 This is the absolute CHEAPEST THING YOU CAN DO to support Ukraine (This is NOT MY SITE) https://amzn.to/4aPtwQr - Just support the war effort somehow.

🇺🇦 I wrote a book about Ukraine's president Zelenskyy which I have updated for the first 4-5 months of the war in Ukraine: It is free if you have Amazon Kindle Unlimited or $9.99 otherwise: https://amzn.to/3Q2wnyE

🇺🇦 If you cannot give or buy, you can like, share, and pray for the people of Ukraine.

🇺🇸 Please leave comments and tell me how I can help you gain more perspective. You can contact me @Dr_Gerdes on Twitter or email [email protected]

#UKRAINE #UKRAINERUSSIAWAR #UKRAINEWAR

I examine Ukraine’s reported “Operation M&M” campaign against Moscow-area airports, including flight cancellations at Vnukovo, Sheremetyevo, and Domodedovo and Kyiv’s warning that Russian airspace is unsafe for civilian aviation. The strategic question is whether sustained drone pressure can impose costs on Russia without targeting civilians—and whether it affects Putin’s negotiating posture.

I also assess reported sabotage threats and attacks in Germany and Denmark, German energy and air-defense support for Ukraine, Norway’s seizure of the Russian-owned Professor Molchanov vessel over Crimea-related compensation, and Putin’s latest claims on peace, mobilization, Donbas, and Ukrainian airspace. Finally, I consider NATO deterrence, Russia’s hybrid pressure on Europe, and the leadership debate surrounding Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.

00:00 Operation M&M and Moscow Airport Disruptions

02:09 Ukraine’s Warning on Russian Civil Aviation

05:01 Hybrid Pressure Across Europe

08:27 Norway Seizes a Russian Vessel Over Crimea Assets

12:43 Russian Mobilization, Donbas Claims, and War Sustainability

15:45 US Defense Leadership and NATO Deterrence

19:58 Reading TASS Narratives and Supporting Ukrainian Units

#UkraineRussiaWar #MoscowAirports #RussianDrones #NATODeterrence #Putin #UkraineSupport

Facts over noise. Context over headlines. Truth over talking points. Principle over partisanship.

Fundraisers video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BMTs6amkGUg and Here is the direct link to the Ukraine Support Bridge: https://ukrainesupportbridge.com/ - Ukrainian Refugee M's Room and Board is covered for this year. It is not for the rest of her time at CSU. I will be pushing on the other fundraisers for now, but if you still wish to give to make that whole (Aprox 48K total), here is the direct link: https://www.gofundme.com/f/support-ms-journey-at-charleston-southern-university?attribution_id=sl:2708fb35-6c96-49b9-a5f9-6b7567483de6&lang=en_US&ts=1786462653&utm_campaign=fp_sharesheet&utm_content=amp30-treatment-3&utm_medium=customer&utm_source=copy_link

***** To support me as as I provide Ukraine war context: *****

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/ProfessorGerdesExplains

Buy Me A Coffee: https://buymeacoffee.com/professorgerdes

Paypal: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/professorgerdes

YouTube Channel Membership: https://www.youtube.com/@Professor-Gerdes/membership

🇺🇸 Contact the White House to express your support for Ukraine

https://www.whitehouse.gov/contact/

*****IF YOU WISH TO PROVIDE DIRECT AID TO UKRAINE: *****

🇺🇦 I have partnered with Greg Terry for all donations to Ukraine. He has raised and delivered more than a quarter of a million dollars of aid to date. To directly support this effort of delivering necessary provisions to the front lines, click on these links (and then watch him give your donations to soldiers on the front lines on his channel): https://www.youtube.com/@GregTerryExperience

Amazon Shopping List USA/North America (Shop and send to UKRAINE AID c/o Bethel Life's Gift Registry Address)

https://a.co/iodWsUK

Amazon Shopping List for EU/UK

https://www.amazon.de/hz/wishlist/ls/...

Direct Link for Financial Giving via our 501(c)(3) Tax-Deductible in the USA

https://www.gregterry.org/donate.html

Link for Greg's 501(c)(3) EIN Information

https://www.gregterry.org/donate.html

🇺🇸 Alternatively, you may choose to donate to Samaritan’s Purse:

https://www.samaritanspurse.org/our-ministry/ukraine-response/?utm_source=FY22UkraineResponseVanityURL&utm_medium=direct&utm_campaign=m_YUKR-22L3&utm_content=Ukraine-Response-Redirect%20%20

🇺🇦 If you wish to support the Ukrainian Army, give directly to United 24. Follow this link: https://u24.gov.ua/

***BUY SOMETHING TO SHOW YOUR SUPPORT FOR UKRAINE ***

🇺🇦 If you purchase from Saint Javelin with my link below, a cut of the proceeds will go directly to humanitarian aid for soldiers (bandages, tourniquets, etc.). I don't get the revenue. It goes to buy medical supplies from UnitewithUkraine.com. Use this link: https://www.saintjavelin.com/en-us?utm_source=YouTube&utm_medium=Social&utm_campaign=Gerdes

🇺🇸 This is the absolute CHEAPEST THING YOU CAN DO to support Ukraine (This is NOT MY SITE) https://amzn.to/4aPtwQr - Just support the war effort somehow.

🇺🇦 I wrote a book about Ukraine's president Zelenskyy which I have updated for the first 4-5 months of the war in Ukraine: It is free if you have Amazon Kindle Unlimited or $9.99 otherwise: https://amzn.to/3Q2wnyE

🇺🇦 If you cannot give or buy, you can like, share, and pray for the people of Ukraine.

🇺🇸 Please leave comments and tell me how I can help you gain more perspective. You can contact me @Dr_Gerdes on Twitter or email [email protected]

#UKRAINE #UKRAINERUSSIAWAR #UKRAINEWAR

I examine what can—and cannot—be verified about the reported shooting of Major General Nikolai Varpakovich, commander of Russia’s 22nd Heavy Bomber Aviation Division, near Engels in Saratov Oblast. Reports say he was critically wounded and transferred to Moscow; accounts differ on the precise location and circumstances of the attack.

I also assess Ukraine’s war-crime allegations tied to strikes on civilian, energy, and hospital targets, including attacks in Uman, Kyiv, and Odesa. Finally, I clarify the reported SBU-GUR confrontation in Kyiv and explain why OSINT claims, drone-route maps, and early reports require disciplined sourcing before firm conclusions are drawn.

00:00 Reported Shooting of a Russian Bomber General

01:14 Early Verification and Conflicting Accounts

03:08 Engels Air Base and War-Crime Allegations

04:44 What Russian and International Reporting Confirms

07:15 Why Corrections and Verification Matter

09:32 How to Read OSINT Drone-Route Maps

10:45 What We Know—and What Remains Unclear

#UkraineRussiaWar #Russia #EngelsAirBase #OSINT #WarCrimes #MilitaryAviation

Facts over noise. Context over headlines. Truth over talking points. Principle over partisanship.

Fundraisers video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BMTs6amkGUg and Here is the direct link to the Ukraine Support Bridge: https://ukrainesupportbridge.com/ - Ukrainian Refugee M's Room and Board is covered for this year. It is not for the rest of her time at CSU. I will be pushing on the other fundraisers for now, but if you still wish to give to make that whole (Aprox 48K total), here is the direct link: https://www.gofundme.com/f/support-ms-journey-at-charleston-southern-university?attribution_id=sl:2708fb35-6c96-49b9-a5f9-6b7567483de6&lang=en_US&ts=1786462653&utm_campaign=fp_sharesheet&utm_content=amp30-treatment-3&utm_medium=customer&utm_source=copy_link

***** To support me as as I provide Ukraine war context: *****

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/ProfessorGerdesExplains

Buy Me A Coffee: https://buymeacoffee.com/professorgerdes

Paypal: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/professorgerdes

YouTube Channel Membership: https://www.youtube.com/@Professor-Gerdes/membership

🇺🇸 Contact the White House to express your support for Ukraine

https://www.whitehouse.gov/contact/

*****IF YOU WISH TO PROVIDE DIRECT AID TO UKRAINE: *****

🇺🇦 I have partnered with Greg Terry for all donations to Ukraine. He has raised and delivered more than a quarter of a million dollars of aid to date. To directly support this effort of delivering necessary provisions to the front lines, click on these links (and then watch him give your donations to soldiers on the front lines on his channel): https://www.youtube.com/@GregTerryExperience

Amazon Shopping List USA/North America (Shop and send to UKRAINE AID c/o Bethel Life's Gift Registry Address)

https://a.co/iodWsUK

Amazon Shopping List for EU/UK

https://www.amazon.de/hz/wishlist/ls/...

Direct Link for Financial Giving via our 501(c)(3) Tax-Deductible in the USA

https://www.gregterry.org/donate.html

Link for Greg's 501(c)(3) EIN Information

https://www.gregterry.org/donate.html

🇺🇸 Alternatively, you may choose to donate to Samaritan’s Purse:

https://www.samaritanspurse.org/our-ministry/ukraine-response/?utm_source=FY22UkraineResponseVanityURL&utm_medium=direct&utm_campaign=m_YUKR-22L3&utm_content=Ukraine-Response-Redirect%20%20

🇺🇦 If you wish to support the Ukrainian Army, give directly to United 24. Follow this link: https://u24.gov.ua/

***BUY SOMETHING TO SHOW YOUR SUPPORT FOR UKRAINE ***

🇺🇦 If you purchase from Saint Javelin with my link below, a cut of the proceeds will go directly to humanitarian aid for soldiers (bandages, tourniquets, etc.). I don't get the revenue. It goes to buy medical supplies from UnitewithUkraine.com. Use this link: https://www.saintjavelin.com/en-us?utm_source=YouTube&utm_medium=Social&utm_campaign=Gerdes

🇺🇸 This is the absolute CHEAPEST THING YOU CAN DO to support Ukraine (This is NOT MY SITE) https://amzn.to/4aPtwQr - Just support the war effort somehow.

🇺🇦 I wrote a book about Ukraine's president Zelenskyy which I have updated for the first 4-5 months of the war in Ukraine: It is free if you have Amazon Kindle Unlimited or $9.99 otherwise: https://amzn.to/3Q2wnyE

🇺🇦 If you cannot give or buy, you can like, share, and pray for the people of Ukraine.

🇺🇸 Please leave comments and tell me how I can help you gain more perspective. You can contact me @Dr_Gerdes on Twitter or email [email protected]

#UKRAINE #UKRAINERUSSIAWAR #UKRAINEWAR

I examine reported Ukrainian drone and naval-drone operations reaching Moscow, Sochi, Novorossiysk and Russia’s energy infrastructure. The reported strike on the offshore support vessel Nefrit in Sochi highlights how Ukraine is testing Black Sea port defenses far beyond its own coastline, while drone activity again disrupted Moscow airports.

I also assess reported refinery damage at Novatek’s Ust-Luga facility and the wider pressure on Russian gasoline supply, alongside Russia’s escalating attacks on Ukrainian cities. Russia’s faster Geran jet drones, strikes on pharmaceutical and postal logistics facilities, and the growing need for systems such as the British Rapid Ranger all illustrate the strategic contest between deep strike, air defense and civilian resilience.

00:00 Ukrainian Drone Pressure on Moscow

01:39 Naval Drone Raid on Sochi

04:29 Deep Strikes on Russian Energy Infrastructure

07:01 Refinery Losses and Russia’s Fuel Supply

08:53 Russia’s Drone Campaign Against Ukraine

11:53 Battlefield Losses and Electronic Warfare

14:43 Air Defense Systems and Russian Repression

16:03 Fog of War, Corrections and Strategic Lessons

#UkraineRussiaWar #Sochi #Moscow #BlackSea #DroneWarfare #AirDefense

Facts over noise. Context over headlines. Truth over talking points. Principle over partisanship.

Fundraisers video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BMTs6amkGUg and Here is the direct link to the Ukraine Support Bridge: https://ukrainesupportbridge.com/ - Ukrainian Refugee M's Room and Board is covered for this year. It is not for the rest of her time at CSU. I will be pushing on the other fundraisers for now, but if you still wish to give to make that whole (Aprox 48K total), here is the direct link: https://www.gofundme.com/f/support-ms-journey-at-charleston-southern-university?attribution_id=sl:2708fb35-6c96-49b9-a5f9-6b7567483de6&lang=en_US&ts=1786462653&utm_campaign=fp_sharesheet&utm_content=amp30-treatment-3&utm_medium=customer&utm_source=copy_link

***** To support me as as I provide Ukraine war context: *****

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/ProfessorGerdesExplains

Buy Me A Coffee: https://buymeacoffee.com/professorgerdes

Paypal: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/professorgerdes

YouTube Channel Membership: https://www.youtube.com/@Professor-Gerdes/membership

🇺🇸 Contact the White House to express your support for Ukraine

https://www.whitehouse.gov/contact/

*****IF YOU WISH TO PROVIDE DIRECT AID TO UKRAINE: *****

🇺🇦 I have partnered with Greg Terry for all donations to Ukraine. He has raised and delivered more than a quarter of a million dollars of aid to date. To directly support this effort of delivering necessary provisions to the front lines, click on these links (and then watch him give your donations to soldiers on the front lines on his channel): https://www.youtube.com/@GregTerryExperience

Amazon Shopping List USA/North America (Shop and send to UKRAINE AID c/o Bethel Life's Gift Registry Address)

https://a.co/iodWsUK

Amazon Shopping List for EU/UK

https://www.amazon.de/hz/wishlist/ls/...

Direct Link for Financial Giving via our 501(c)(3) Tax-Deductible in the USA

https://www.gregterry.org/donate.html

Link for Greg's 501(c)(3) EIN Information

https://www.gregterry.org/donate.html

🇺🇸 Alternatively, you may choose to donate to Samaritan’s Purse:

https://www.samaritanspurse.org/our-ministry/ukraine-response/?utm_source=FY22UkraineResponseVanityURL&utm_medium=direct&utm_campaign=m_YUKR-22L3&utm_content=Ukraine-Response-Redirect%20%20

🇺🇦 If you wish to support the Ukrainian Army, give directly to United 24. Follow this link: https://u24.gov.ua/

***BUY SOMETHING TO SHOW YOUR SUPPORT FOR UKRAINE ***

🇺🇦 If you purchase from Saint Javelin with my link below, a cut of the proceeds will go directly to humanitarian aid for soldiers (bandages, tourniquets, etc.). I don't get the revenue. It goes to buy medical supplies from UnitewithUkraine.com. Use this link: https://www.saintjavelin.com/en-us?utm_source=YouTube&utm_medium=Social&utm_campaign=Gerdes

🇺🇸 This is the absolute CHEAPEST THING YOU CAN DO to support Ukraine (This is NOT MY SITE) https://amzn.to/4aPtwQr - Just support the war effort somehow.

🇺🇦 I wrote a book about Ukraine's president Zelenskyy which I have updated for the first 4-5 months of the war in Ukraine: It is free if you have Amazon Kindle Unlimited or $9.99 otherwise: https://amzn.to/3Q2wnyE

🇺🇦 If you cannot give or buy, you can like, share, and pray for the people of Ukraine.

🇺🇸 Please leave comments and tell me how I can help you gain more perspective. You can contact me @Dr_Gerdes on Twitter or email [email protected]

#UKRAINE #UKRAINERUSSIAWAR #UKRAINEWAR

I examine Vladimir Putin’s shifting claims about Russian progress toward Sumy and the unusual public pushback from Rybar, a prominent Russian military blogger. Rybar’s assessment challenges the idea of a collapsing Ukrainian front, citing Ukrainian counterattacks, drone operations, Starlink-enabled communications, and the long road to Slovyansk, Liman, and Kramatorsk.

I also consider Putin’s denial of renewed mobilization ahead of elections, Russia’s stated terms for any settlement, his meeting with Xi Jinping, the Vladivostok security display, and Moscow’s outreach to Iran. The central strategic question is whether Putin can freeze the front without appearing weak at home—and what that constraint means for Ukraine and the war’s trajectory.

00:00 Putin’s Changing Claims on Sumy

01:54 Russian Bloggers Challenge Kremlin Narratives

03:40 Rybar on the Front Line and Ukrainian Adaptation

05:48 Why Putin Cannot Freeze the War

07:00 Vladivostok Security and the Orca Analogy

09:25 Mobilization Denial and Russia’s War Terms

10:40 Moscow’s Outreach to Iran and the United States

12:28 What Putin’s Contradictions May Reveal

#UkraineWar #Russia #Putin #Rybar #Sumy #XiJinping

Facts over noise. Context over headlines. Truth over talking points. Principle over partisanship.

Fundraisers video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BMTs6amkGUg and Here is the direct link to the Ukraine Support Bridge: https://ukrainesupportbridge.com/ - Ukrainian Refugee M's Room and Board is covered for this year. It is not for the rest of her time at CSU. I will be pushing on the other fundraisers for now, but if you still wish to give to make that whole (Aprox 48K total), here is the direct link: https://www.gofundme.com/f/support-ms-journey-at-charleston-southern-university?attribution_id=sl:2708fb35-6c96-49b9-a5f9-6b7567483de6&lang=en_US&ts=1786462653&utm_campaign=fp_sharesheet&utm_content=amp30-treatment-3&utm_medium=customer&utm_source=copy_link

***** To support me as as I provide Ukraine war context: *****

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/ProfessorGerdesExplains

Buy Me A Coffee: https://buymeacoffee.com/professorgerdes

Paypal: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/professorgerdes

YouTube Channel Membership: https://www.youtube.com/@Professor-Gerdes/membership

🇺🇸 Contact the White House to express your support for Ukraine

https://www.whitehouse.gov/contact/

*****IF YOU WISH TO PROVIDE DIRECT AID TO UKRAINE: *****

🇺🇦 I have partnered with Greg Terry for all donations to Ukraine. He has raised and delivered more than a quarter of a million dollars of aid to date. To directly support this effort of delivering necessary provisions to the front lines, click on these links (and then watch him give your donations to soldiers on the front lines on his channel): https://www.youtube.com/@GregTerryExperience

Amazon Shopping List USA/North America (Shop and send to UKRAINE AID c/o Bethel Life's Gift Registry Address)

https://a.co/iodWsUK

Amazon Shopping List for EU/UK

https://www.amazon.de/hz/wishlist/ls/...

Direct Link for Financial Giving via our 501(c)(3) Tax-Deductible in the USA

https://www.gregterry.org/donate.html

Link for Greg's 501(c)(3) EIN Information

https://www.gregterry.org/donate.html

🇺🇸 Alternatively, you may choose to donate to Samaritan’s Purse:

https://www.samaritanspurse.org/our-ministry/ukraine-response/?utm_source=FY22UkraineResponseVanityURL&utm_medium=direct&utm_campaign=m_YUKR-22L3&utm_content=Ukraine-Response-Redirect%20%20

🇺🇦 If you wish to support the Ukrainian Army, give directly to United 24. Follow this link: https://u24.gov.ua/

***BUY SOMETHING TO SHOW YOUR SUPPORT FOR UKRAINE ***

🇺🇦 If you purchase from Saint Javelin with my link below, a cut of the proceeds will go directly to humanitarian aid for soldiers (bandages, tourniquets, etc.). I don't get the revenue. It goes to buy medical supplies from UnitewithUkraine.com. Use this link: https://www.saintjavelin.com/en-us?utm_source=YouTube&utm_medium=Social&utm_campaign=Gerdes

🇺🇸 This is the absolute CHEAPEST THING YOU CAN DO to support Ukraine (This is NOT MY SITE) https://amzn.to/4aPtwQr - Just support the war effort somehow.

🇺🇦 I wrote a book about Ukraine's president Zelenskyy which I have updated for the first 4-5 months of the war in Ukraine: It is free if you have Amazon Kindle Unlimited or $9.99 otherwise: https://amzn.to/3Q2wnyE

🇺🇦 If you cannot give or buy, you can like, share, and pray for the people of Ukraine.

🇺🇸 Please leave comments and tell me how I can help you gain more perspective. You can contact me @Dr_Gerdes on Twitter or email [email protected]

#UKRAINE #UKRAINERUSSIAWAR #UKRAINEWAR