Welcome to the weekly roundup of news from the war in Ukraine you probably did not hear about for the week of Sunday 23rd to Saturday 29th August 2026

All reports are linked to their sources so you can read the original if you’d like to. If you have any questions, detect errors and omissions, or need more detail, just let me know.

By the way, today is Day 1,648 of Putin’s 3-Day Special Military Operation.

HEADLINES THAT NEVER WERE
(BUT SHOULD HAVE BEEN)

As ever, welcome to The Under Reported War

Russia Threatens Attacks on UK

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STORM SHADOW/SCALP EG TO BE MANUFACTURED IN UKRAINE

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[Background]: Once again, Peter Pomeranstev’s famous saying that; “In Russia nothing is true and anything is possible,” is proved accurate. Apparently conducting a radioactive assassination that contaminated sites across London, using the nerve agent Novichok in another attempt that killed British citizens, funding the Conservative Party, influencing the Brexit vote, and committing arson attacks on the Prime Minister do not count as attacks already and are not reasons why British governments should return the favour to Putin and the Kremlin.

France has already okayed Ukraine setting up Storm Shadow/SCALP-EG cruise missile production. And so has Italy. Right now, the cruise missile deal is more demonstrative than of immediate practical benefit. It will take several years for a production line to start rolling. It is claimed the AI data mining should yield results almost immediately.

• Storm Shadow Cruise Missile Production Is Coming To Ukraine
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  “Britain is releasing classified data to enable local Storm Shadow production, which opens the door to a slew of advantages for Ukraine… So far, missiles that have been delivered to Ukraine have either been donated directly from the stocks of Italy, France or the UK, or delivered from MBDA’s recently reopened production lines.
  
  This announcement will ensure that Ukraine will be able to make the weapons it needs. .. Burnham’s announcement confirmed this plan, ensuring that the British owned half of MBDA Missile Systems can release its classified technical knowledge to the Ukrainians.”

Ukraine is sitting on a treasure trove of data it has collected through its integrated digital battle management software. Britain becomes the first nation to have access to it.

• Military AI: Ukraine and the UK Sign Cooperation Agreement
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  “Under this agreement, the United Kingdom will become the first international partner to access the Ukrainian platform Avengers AI Labs. This will enable the two countries to accelerate the development of artificial intelligence tools capable of influencing the course of military operations.
  
  Avengers Labs is a platform for training AI models for unmanned systems using real-world battlefield data.”

If Putin’s threat is carried out, I hope this triggers a greater pan-European response. He’s going to keep on doing this his until he understands that the backlash only makes things worse for him.

• Russia Threatens to Attack British Defence Plants Over Support for Ukraine
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  “Russia has threatened the United Kingdom with “paramilitary actions” and attacks on manufacturers of drones and missile components due to the transfer of military technology to Ukraine.”

Oil Giant Lukoil Ceases Production at its Major Russian Refineries

[BACKGROUND]: Lukoil is Russia’s third largest company and it second-largest gasoline producer. It is involved in oil extraction and refining not just in Russia but also across Africa, the Middle East, and South America. However, it’s main presence is in Russia.

• All major Lukoil refineries offline
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  “Russia’s second-largest gasoline producer is offline as Moscow orders fuel redistribution and regional authorities tighten sales limits… Ukraine’s General Staff said it had struck the Nizhegorodnefteorgsintez (NORSI) refinery in Kstovo, Nizhny Novgorod Oblast, where a fire subsequently broke out. It said the refinery helps supply Russia’s armed forces… The latest attack produced the plant’s fifth drone-related shutdown in less than five months… NORSI can process ​around 15 million metric tons ​of ⁠crude a year and produce about 5 million tons of gasoline, more than 5 ⁠million ​tons of diesel, 2 million ​tons of fuel oil.
  
  All of Lukoil’s major Russian refineries are now offline. Its Perm refinery halted operations after an ​August 21 ​drone ⁠attack, while the Volgograd refinery suspended processing on July 31.”

Radars Stripped From Russia’s Finnish Border

[BACKGROUND]: Russian info warfare has been encouraging its Western dupes to talk about the supposed threat to NATO members from its not-so-invincible war machine. It’s all an illusion. Building barracks and military roads does not mean there are any soldiers or vehicles filling them. Quite the opposite. Russia has gutted its specialist Arctic warfare units by feeding their soldiers plus all their fancy gear into Ukraine’s meat grinder. It is doing the same with its northern air defence radars too.

• What continues to fly under the radar is Ukraine’s systematic campaign against Russian radar networks
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  “Unlike high-profile S-400 or Pantsir [missile] systems, these low-altitude radars serve as the early-warning backbone that detects incoming drones and cruise missiles.
  
  The Kasta-2E2 features a mast-mounted antenna that gives it superior low-altitude coverage against systems like the FP-1, FP-2, and especially the FP-5 Flamingo cruise missile. Its lower operating frequency further enhances its ability to pick up smaller targets… Because these units are relatively scarce and replacement production is slow, every loss creates a permanent blind spot. Russian air defenses are forced to rely on less capable sensors, drastically delaying target acquisition.

• Ukrainian forces struck multiple targets including a Kasta radar in Crimea
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• Most radar bases near Finland and also near Ust-Luga Oil Export Terminal are empty
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  “One of the reason Ukraine’s [St.Petersburg] attacks are successful is that Russia cut its radar defense. Most radar bases [near] Finland and also near Ust-Luga [oil export Terminal. St.Petersburg] are empty with radars presumably moved to Ukraine.”
  
  That delay yields a cascading effect: less time to cue interceptors or deploy electronic warfare directly converts into higher survivability for incoming strikes. Hence holes appear [and a] drone highway [is created with] predictable results.”

NEWS FROM THE FRONTLINE

GOODS NEWS BUT NOTHING TO GET REALLY EXCITED ABOUT

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• Ukraine’s secret counteroffensive is more successful than thought
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  “The Ukrainian 3rd Army Corps has cut across a dangerous Russian salient in the east. All without telling anyone… It’s possible that, in the sector just north of the town of Lyman in eastern Ukraine’s Donetsk Oblast, the Ukrainian 3rd Army Corps is just a few kilometres short of encircling two Russian regiments.
  
  Russian forces are fighting against time to close a pincer around the last free cities in eastern Ukraine. The deadline: the coming winter, which will strip the leaves from the trees and leave any attacking force exposed to overhead surveillance and attack..
  
  With admirable operational security, or OPSEC, a clutch of Ukrainian brigades under the 3rd Army Corps hasn’t just blunted the advance of the Russian Center Group of Forces—it has pushed the Russians back.
  
  This Ukrainian counterattack along the axis through the town of Lyman, ongoing since May, has largely escaped widespread notice.”

[BACKGROUND]: I need to stress this is not a major breakthrough, but a slow steady pushback on an important but small Russian advance on Sloviansk. It is a series of local counter-attacks, calling it a ‘“counteroffensive” is far too grandiose.

There is no scale on the map below. Lack of one is a blight on so many maps published during this war. However, since you can count the individual fields, you can get the sense that this is very small-scale. The blue arrows mark the Ukrainian advances. It is not the size of the counter-attack that is significant but that it has disrupted Russia’s plan (since 2023) to seize the whole of the Donbas ”by the end of the year.”

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TOS TOASTER JUST GOT A TIN BOX

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[BACKGROUND]: Russia’s thermobaric rocket launchers, the TOS-1 and TOS-2, are fearsome weapons. They are army group level resources: doled out to be used in only the most critical attacks. Their rocket barrage spreads an inflammable gas cloud above the target. It then detonates creating enormous pressure which flattens and burns everything beneath.

Whenever they are spotted by surveillence ISR) drones, FPVs and Baba Yaga bombers are launched to take them out. They make the most satisfying ’toasty’ explosion when attacked successfully. Russia is now trying to protect The TOS-1’s vulnerable rocket launch tubes with a steel box.

• Russia’s thermobaric launchers used to just drive up and fire. Now they move one at a time, in steel boxes
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  “Ukraine has knocked out at least 36 of them. Twenty-seven burned outright.”

The story has the wrong total. There are 38 verified kills. There will have been more.

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UKRAINE’S LATEST DRONE LOCKS ON TARGETS FROM 2KM AWAY

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Once locked on to its target, a drone cannot be jammed. The new Baton drone has just increased the range at which a target i locked in by a huge distance.

• The semi-autonomous fixed-wing Baton is built to cut Russian supply lines behind frontline
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  “The new fixed-wing Baton is designed to hit firing positions, supply routes, and other targets at tactical depth, out to 90 kilometres.
  
  The drone locks onto a target and flies to it automatically from up to 2 kilometres away and at altitudes up to 500 meters That final stretch is where Russian jamming would otherwise break the link.”

Note that if a stated range for a drone is 90km, then that’s how far it can fly in a straight line with no time to circle a target or take evasive measures. It would be waste of a useful weapon to use it like that. The Baton is designed to be able to hunt targets just behind Russia’s frontline and a lot of that 90km would be used hunting and stalking targets.

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MAN PORTABLE DRONE KIT REPLACES FRONTLINE MORTARS

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[BACKGROUND]: Inside the Drone Wall, mortars have become an endangered species. Easy to identify and attack, they are a death sentence for the infantrymen who crew them. To replace mortars, Ukrainian drone manufacturer F-Drones has devised a compact short-range unjammable FPV drone for frontline operations.

• Ukrainian drone maker is pitching its new five-inch strike FPV as assault squad’s mortar
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  “F-Drones says its F5 carries a one kilogram [warhead], fits several to a rucksack, and flies six kilometres on[ fibre optic control].
  
  The Ukrainian drone maker is pitching [it as a] weapon that works like a mortar, not a drone. The F5 is a compact five-inch strike FPV built for assault units working treelines, built-up areas, and position support at short range.
  
  F-Drones calls the fiber version fully invulnerable to electronic warfare. Fiber-optic control does defeat jamming because the drone emits no radio signal.”

ROBOT WARS

TERMIT GOES THERMOBARIC

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• Thermobaric Rockets To Be Installed on Ukrainian TerMIT 2.0 UGV
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  “The system combines a tracked platform with a unit capable of firing 93-mm thermobaric munitions.
  
  The system is designed to remotely engage enemy personnel in bunkers, urban areas, and confined spaces, as well as light vehicles and fortifications.
  The module’s design allows for both single shots and salvo fire.”

Regular readers will recall this robot is now being used in the thousands. It already carries out casualty rescue, cargo, and surveillance roles on the battlefield.

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UKRAINE’S ROBOTS COMPLETE 100K MISSIONS

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• Ukraine’s ground robotic systems completed nearly 20,000 missions in July
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  “Ukraine’s ground robotic systems completed nearly 20,000 missions in July, up from 7,500 in January, according to MLU. Since the start of 2026, they have completed more than 100,000 missions, delivering ammunition, water and food while also evacuating wounded troops.”

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TOO LIGHTLY ARMOURED FOR HUMANS? TURN IT INTO A UGV

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• Kyiv Is Turning Soviet-Era Armor Into Robotic Combat Vehicles
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  “In another effort to advance robotic warfare, Ukraine is working to turn Soviet-era BRDM-2 armored reconnaissance vehicles into remotely controlled systems. The move comes as uncrewed ground vehicles (UGVs) are playing an increasing role on both sides of the conflict as movement along the front lines has been highly contested by the ubiquity of aerial drones.
  
  Unlike having to build a totally new vehicle, this project aims to take advantage of the large supply of [obsolete] BRDM-2s Ukraine has in storage... The [MBU-1 combat module has] a 12.7 mm Browning machine gun. There is a 3 km rangefinder, and the cameras are thermal imaging and day/night.”

RUSSIA’S ‘INVINCIBLE’ WAR MACHINE

RUSSIA”S SKY-ROCKETING CASUALTY RATES

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• Russian deserter says 90% of the barely trained men in his unit killed or seriously wounded
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  “A Russian deserter says that 90% of the barely trained men in his unit were killed or seriously wounded within a year, while ‘unneeded’ men were used as expendable scouts. After being tortured into joining the army, he was sent into assaults while badly wounded himself.
  
  He says that during his year of service, more than 100 of the 110 men in his unit were killed or seriously wounded. He was himself severely wounded twice by Ukrainian drone attack.”

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BOUNTY HUNTERS ENSLAVE DISABLED TO SELL TO ARMY

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• Disabled Russians are being rounded up by bounty-hunters, detained illegally, and ‘sold’ to the Russian army for profit
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  “It’s an example of how Russia’s persistent problems with modern slavery are colliding with the Russian army’s demands for manpower to fight in Ukraine. Enslaved people are being sold to the Russian army for up to 100,000 rubles ($1,240) each, according to anti-slavery campaigners…
  
  The suspects identified people unfit for service: disabled people, people with plates in their heads, missing fingers, epileptics…. This is being driven by the generous bonuses which the Russian Ministry of Defence offers to private individuals who recruit others to sign military contracts to go to war in Ukraine. The army is so desperate for manpower that victims are not allowed to go free even when identified.”

NEWS OF THE MIDDLE STRIKE

The Middle Strike logistics campaign continues with over three thousand trucks attacked this week. Here’s a roundup of other Middle Strike news:

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MIDDLE STRIKE ROUNDUP

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• Ukraine Strikes Russian Iskander Launcher
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  “Ukraine’s Defense Forces struck a Russian Iskander-M missile launcher in Russia.”

• Russian conscripts stationed in Crimea say suffering heavy casualties from [Middle Strike] campaign
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  “”A shitload of conscripts are dying. We have five 300s [wounded] here, guys, during my service. One guy died right in front of me, fuck, his fxxking arm was hanging by a thread, fxxk.”
  
  Their situation is exacerbated by severe logistical problems, including a lack of effective weapons or ammunition.
  
  “They issued us, fxxk. RPDs [7.62x39mm light machine guns], from 1951 ... I have the only barrel with a thermal imager, fxxk, and all the guys are shooting at my tracers. And I don’t have any tracers right now.”
  
  Meanwhile, FPV drone operators are being punished by being sent to die in assault squads if they lose drones:”The FPV guys themselves say: I lost five or six drones there—that’s it, off to the assault.””

• Ukraine’s drones hunt Russian spy drones far out over the Black Sea
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  “Interceptors now reach the Russian [reconnaissance] drones that guide strikes in the south.
  
  Russia’s nightly drone strikes on Ukrainian cities have turned air defense into a race to close every corridor Russia can fly through, over land first and now over the open sea… Southern units recently set three distance records with interceptors. [They] downed a Russian Orlan-30 reconnaissance drone 110 km out. It used a Wovkulaka Spitfire interceptor, the longest range kill on record for that system
  
  Recon drones are the priority target for a reason. Beyond spotting and confirming hits, they work as relays in a MESH network for a group of strike drones. In that setup, Russian crews can steer Shaheds by hand right up to the moment of impact.”

• Ukraine destroys depot that occupiers filled with generators, after Russian state TV filmed them
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  “Russian propagandists inadvertently filmed the target ’s [location]. [Ukraine then used the footage to] destroy the Russian logistics hub that occupation forces had set up inside a former Epicentr hardware store in occupied Melitopol
  
  Russia moved a large consignment of generators and other equipment into the building for military use. Russian state television broadcast footage of the delivery... ”A generator is what makes it possible to charge batteries for the unmanned [drones] that then flies at us,” [said Major Mykola Kolesnyk].”

UKRAINE’S LONG-RANGE WAR

REFINERY ROUNDUP

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• For the fourth time, long-range drones struck Astrakhan Gas Processing Plant on Monday. Its sulfur production is particularly important for fertiliser production. Under normal operating conditions, the plant produces roughly 60–63% of Russia’s total sulfur output. The attacks have had a major impact on Russia’s sulfur trade. The country went from being the world’s third-largest sulfur exporter, an important raw material for the chemical industry, to becoming a net importer.

• Drones attacked the Afipsky Oil Refinery in Russia’s Krasnodar Krai for the fifth time this year. NASA FIRMS satellite data confirmed widespread fires. It is one of the largest oil refineries in southern Russia, with an annual refining capacity of 6.25 million tonnes of crude oil, accounting for more than 2% of Russia’s total oil refining capacity.

• Novoshakhtinsk Oil Refinery halted operations after an overnight drone attack hit the main processing unit. The refinery is a key facility in Russia’s regional fuel infrastructure and plays an important role in supplying the occupation forces with fuel and lubricants. In the past it has been attacked by drones, Neptune, and Storm Shadow cruise missiles.

• On Tuesday night, the NORSI oil refinery in Kstovo was attacked successfully again. It is Russia’s fourth-largest refinery and second-largest gasoline producer. It has now suspended production. (See also the HEADLINES THAT NEVER WERE (BUT SHOULD HAVE BEEN sectio at the top of this issue.)

• Yaroslavl’s Slavneft-YANOS oil refinery took a hit on Friday morning. An eyewitness claimed fifty drones struck. That claim has not been verified. The refinery has capacity of 15 million tons of oil per year.

Follow-up on damage from last week’s Lukoil attacks:

• The LUKOIL-Permnefteorgsintez oil refinery in Perm suspended operations following last week’s Ukrainian drone strike. Its AVT-5 distillation tower which accounts for 40% of output was badly damaged. Other distillation towers are still out of action after previous attacks. Repair cranes are visible at AVT-5 and AVT-1.

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WILDBERRIES OZON ROUNDUP

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• Video of Sunday’s attack on the Ozon distribution hub in Orenburg.

• A satellite image of Enem outside Krasnodar where the Ozon warehouse was hit on Monday.

• Here’s the moment an FP-1 strike drone hits the Ozon logistics hub in Tyube, Dagestan. Another video shows the second drone attack (00:00) then a third strike (00:36) is followed by a fourth (01:04), and a fifth (01:12). You can also watch a useless air defence team firing wildly (02:05).

• Ukrainian strike drones attacked three Ozon logistics centers in Russia overnight on August 24: Tyube, Nevinnomyssk, Stavropol Krai, and Adygea, Krasnodar Krai.

But Wildberries has not been forgotten:

• The warehouse in Kotovsk,Tambov region was attacked for the second time, early Wedneday morning. The facility began operating in 2025 and, once fully operational, was expected to store up to 54 million items.

• The share price of Russia’s second-largest bank, VTB, crashed after it made a share offering intended to finance a Wildberries rescue plan. It currently stands at 40% below the issue price.

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ATTACKS ON MISSILE COMPONENT MANUFACTURERS CONTINUE

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• Drones Strike Kamensky Combined Rocket Fuel Plants Again
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  “The Kamenksy Combine plant is a Russian military-industrial enterprise that produces solid rocket propellant for the Uragan, Smerch, and Tornado-S multiple rocket launch systems, as well as for Iskander-M and Kinzhal ballistic missiles and intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs).”

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PETER POMERANTSEV IS RIGHT AGAIN

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“In Russia nothing is true and anything is possible.” If you want more proof, check this out:

• Report: Russian Government To Seize Commercial Infrastructure Left Unprotected From Drones
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  “Russia says companies need to buy their own air defenses to protect critical facilities, and those that haven’t will be [seized by the state].
  
  Beyond calling for increased defenses, the decree signed by Putin also warns that the government will take over facilities that don’t make needed repairs quickly enough once they have been hit.
  
  Back in May, Russian authorities authorized private companies “to purchase heavy weaponry to defend industrial facilities against drone attacks,” the RBC news website reported at the time, citing sources linked to the Defense Ministry.”

So the Kremlin won’t protect tax-paying Russian businesses. If those businesses don’t buy their own very expensive drone defences they will be seized by the state. If they are damaged and not repaired quickly enough they will also be seized by the state. Sounds like the kleptocrats want few more billions in assets.

SHADOW FLEET & OTHER NAVAL NEWS

JUMBO-SIZED FPV DRONE CARRIER LAUNCHED

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[BACKGROUND]: Using FPV drones to make unexpected attacks keeps Russia off-balance. The success of FPV-drone carriers launching strikes from the Black Sea against Russian targes has led to Ukraine’s largest marine drone yet entering service. Although FPV drones are tiny with even tinier warheads, their accuracy is invaluable. The winged Middle Strike drones appear difficult to fly precisely in windy conditions. There are many videos of attacks where you can see the drone overshoots, or just falls too short, or to either side because the communications latency between pilot and drone does not allow for quick enough course corrections. A FPV drone’s manoeuvrability can counter that problem.

• V11 Naval Drone Carrier Debuts – Largest Member of the MAGURA Family
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  “The V11 was designed and developed by UFORCE’s design and R&D bureau in Portugal, with international investment and a focus on meeting the operational needs of the Ukrainian Defense Forces.
  
  A key feature of the drone is its ability to launch a larger number of unmanned systems directly from its deck. This turns the platform into a mobile naval base for other unmanned systems.
  
  [With] an endurance of up to seven days, the platform is designed for reconnaissance, surveillance, support of amphibious operations, as well as the delivery of fuel and equipment to other unmanned surface vessels (USVs).”

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ISN’T TURKEY A NATO MEMBER?

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This is a question many have asked this week. No one has got a good answer yet.

• Russia’s first gasoline purchase from Turkey will be delivered by a shadow fleet tanker
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  “A batch of 200,000 barrels [of gasoline] will be delivered by the tanker Wendrix, which departed from the port of Mersin on Turkey’s Mediterranean coast. The gasoline’s manufacturer is unknown.
  
  The delivery marks the fifth known gasoline shipment to Russia since the start of July. Analysts estimate the total volume of seaborne gasoline deliveries to Russia during this period at more than 1 million barrels.”

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BELLINGCAT TRACKS SANCTIONED CARGO VESSEL

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Bellingcat tells the story of a sanctioned Russian ro-ro cargo ship, the 5,825 ton ‘PATRIA’, and its role in supplying Russia’s ‘Afrika Corps’ in Mali.

• Tracking a Sanctioned Russian Vessel’s West African Odyssey
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  “A sanctioned vessel that was previously reported to have transported weapons destined for Russian mercenaries has been traversing ports on the west coast of Africa since March, exhibiting what experts told Bellingcat was an unusual set of movements and behaviours.”

RUSSIA’S LONG-RANGE WAR

CANOEIST SALVAGES ‘HUMPBACK’ GERBERA OFF ODESA

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• Beachgoer in Odesa pulls a Russian Gerbera decoy drone from the sea
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  “Apparently [the kamikaze drone was] fitted with an enlarged fuel tank, visible as the black hump on top.
  
  [This} is actually a bad idea since Gerbera drones are not always harmless decoys and can also be fitted with explosive warheads.”

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DEELY BOPPER ANTENNAE JAM UKRAINIAN INTERCEPTORS

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• Russia Equips Geran Kamikaze Drones with EW Systems to Counter Interceptors
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  “The EW system found on the Shahed detects the video transmitter signal of a Ukrainian interceptor drone as it approaches. The system’s receiver identifies the interceptor’s operating frequency and instructs the EW transmitter to generate interference in the same frequency band.”

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RUSSIA CONVERTS AIR DEFENCES INTO NEW BALLISTIC MISSILE LAUNCHERS

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• Russia has converted up to 17 S-400 launchers for strikes on Ukraine with RM-48U missiles
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  “Russia has about 400 missiles in stock and plans to produce up to 500 in 2026. Use surged from about 15 per month in January-June to 46 in the first 20 days of July.”

You have to wonder about the long-term wisdom of Russia doing this just as Ukraine’s three ballistic missiles are about to enter service. Those S-400s launchers might be sorely missed.

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UKRAINE SURPRISES RUSSIA WITH NEW SUPPLY OF PATRIOT MISSILES

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• Ukraine Resumes Intercepting Russian Iskander-M/KN-23 Missiles
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  “On the night of August 27, Ukrainian air defenses shot down seven Iskander-M/KN-23 ballistic missiles.
  
  Volodymyr Zelensky noted a few days ago that Ukraine had received additional missiles for the Patriot air defense system.”

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ROBOT FIRE FIGHTERS

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• After Russian Double-Tap Attacks on Rescuers, Fire Fighting Robots Enter Service
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  “Ukrainian ground drones are now being used by the State Emergency Service of Ukraine to help extinguish fires.”

PETROL QUEUES & OTHER RUSSIAN NEWS

• Tempers fraying in Russia as gasoline runs out in a fresh wave of the ongoing fuel crisis
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  “Many filling stations now only have diesel available, and long queues have formed in many parts of the country. Formal fuel rationing now looks possible.”

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BOATS NOW FACE FUEL RATIONING

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• Ordinary Russians are facing gasoline shortages on the water
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  “ Dozens of motorboats and vessels queued up at a floating gas station in Yakutsk. Due to fuel shortages, strict restrictions are in place: a limit of no more than 30 litres per boat, with a total ban on filling canisters.”

UKRAINE CORRUPTION SCANDALS

It’s grim.

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SENIOR BANKERS FIRED AT TROUBLED SENSE BANK

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• Ukraine fires state bank chair after alleged $3.3 million bail-laundering scheme
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  “Ukraine has dismissed Mykola Hladyshenko as chair of the supervisory board of state-owned Sense Bank after NABU released recordings that it says show the bank was used to launder 150 million hryvnias ($3.3 million) to post bail for a former minister.”

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MP CHARGED IN HALUSHCHENKO CORRUPTION CASE FLEES ABROAD

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• Ukrainian MP charged in graft case involving President’s Office flees abroad
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  “[Pro-Russian] MP Vadym Stolar fled abroad more than a month ago and faces the charges of organized crime, embezzlement, corporate raiding, forgery, and hacking, two law enforcement sources familiar with the investigation told the Kyiv Independent.
  
  Under former President Petro Poroshenko, Ukrainian media labeled Stolar the “de facto mayor of Kyiv” due to his influence in the city.”

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SUPREME COURT CHIEF JUSTICE PLEA DEAL

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• Former Supreme Court Chief’s Plea Deal Could Set Precedent in Ukraine’s Anti-Corruption Cases
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  “ Former Chief Justice of Ukraine’s Supreme Court Vsevolod Kniaziev has entered into a plea agreement in a landmark corruption case involving a $2.7 million bribe. Under the agreement, Kniaziev will serve five years in prison, return the bribe and donate an additional $1 million to Ukraine’s Armed Forces. The case could become a precedent for future plea agreements in high-level corruption investigations, as NABU continues to pursue cases involving senior officials and lawmakers.
  
  Vsevolod Kniaziev served as Chief Justice of Ukraine’s Supreme Court, the country’s highest judicial authority, from 2021 to 2023…
  
  At the time, he was declared to have an impeccable reputation, and influential anti-corruption civil society organizations raised no objections.
  
  However, in 2023, detectives from the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) detained him in [this] record-breaking bribery case.”

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PROSECUTORS SEEK SEIZURE OF MINISTER’S PROPERTY

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• Prosectors file lawsuit to confiscate property of sitting minister of community and territorial development, Oleksiy Kuleba.
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  “Prosecutors claim that his family’s official income was not enough to buy an apartment and a parking space in Kyiv, which were purchased in stages during 2021-23 with the help of Kuleba’s sister and driver.
  
  Kuleba said he has not concealed his income, property, or any other information subject to declaration throughout his entire public career.”

SABOTAGE, FALSE FLAGS, ACTIVE MEASURES, AND ASSASSINATIONS

YET ANOTHER RUSSIA-LINKED ARSON ATTACK

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• Slovakia Prevents Arson Attack on Ukrainian Drone Factory
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  “Slovak police thwarted a planned arson attack on a Skyeton production facility in the eastern part of the country, where drones are manufactured… Slovak police detained two suspects, and the investigator has requested that they be remanded in custody. Authorities detained a third suspect in Germany under a European Arrest Warrant.
  
  During the operation, police seized incendiary substances, tools, mobile phones, an action camera, and a hand-drawn plan.
  
  According to a preliminary assessment by the Police Forensic and Expert Institute, the seized mixture consisted of gasoline and polystyrene – a substance commonly referred to as napalm.”

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THIRD FPV DRONE FOUND AT LEIPZIG/HALLE AIRPORT

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• Third defective drone with traces of suspected military explosive found near Leipzig/Halle Airport
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  “Investigators found another defective drone and traces of suspected military explosive RDX near Leipzig/Halle Airport after the failed August 4 attack targeting a Ukrainian Antonov cargo aircraft. German security authorities believe Russia was likely behind the attempted attack.”

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AFTER DRONE OVERFLIGHTS, NORWAY INSTALL DEFENCES

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• Norway’s Air Force anti-drone system enters service at fighter base
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  “Norway’s Air Force has put its first counter-drone system into service at Ørland, the country’s only F-35 base… The system can detect a drone, identify it, and shoot it down [or jam it]—a capability the base did not have when lights appeared over it last autumn.
  
  Since Russia’s full-scale invasion, European states have logged drone sightings over airports and bases, airspace violations, sabotage, and arrests for espionage, much of it attributed to Moscow, which denies involvement. This month, a suspected case turned physical: an explosive drone struck a Ukrainian cargo plane at a German airport but failed to detonate.”

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SWEDEN WANTS TO SEIZE RUSSIAN ESTATE NEAR VITAL BASE

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• Swedish military seeks to take over Russian-owned estate near Muskö Naval Base and National Command Center
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  “Sweden’s armed forces have asked the government to expropriate a Russia-owned property near a naval base on security grounds. The military requested the seizure of the beach plot near Muskö base in Stockholm archipelago, citing “the threat from Russian drones and the ownership situation of the property”.”
  
  The Swedish Fortifications Agency, which submitted the application on behalf of the Armed Forces, said the property is located on one of the approaches to the Muskö naval base.”

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LEAST SURPRISING NEWS OF THE WEEK

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• Russia Used ChatGPT to Build Propaganda Network
  link
  “Russian operators used ChatGPT to conduct a covert influence campaign aimed at promoting pro-Russian narratives and creating the perception of an independent expert community. OpenAI reported this after identifying and blocking several ChatGPT accounts that likely originated in Russia.
  
  The operators used VPNs to access the service because OpenAI does not provide access to its models from Russia. The main focus of the campaign was [creating] the Burke Institute (IBI), a self-proclaimed “expert community” that presented itself as an organization from Israel. It used AI to generate fake profiles, plagiarized research, and carefully constructed lies dressed up as legitimate scholarship.
  
  Using ChatGPT, the operators [then] created posts and comments to promote IBI materials on X, LinkedIn, Facebook, and Telegram. Most of the content was generated in English, while the models were also instructed to conceal any signs of the authors’ Russian origins.
  
  Alongside the IBI, other fake outlets were created, including ‘American Observer’. [This was] one of the US-focused channels, posing as an American outlet, featured a bio that included multiple indicators of non-native language.”

FOREIGN AID & INVESTMENT IN UKRAINE

CO-PRODUCTION NEWS

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• Three Joint Finnish-Ukrainian Drone Production Deals
  link1
  link2
  “Finland’s Patria and Ukraine’s General Cherry plan intend to jointly produce drones in Finland for the needs of Ukraine and Europe. Although Patria’s core business is armored vehicle production, the company also has a small drone portfolio following its acquisition of Finnish company Nordic Drones, which had been developing UAVs and training operators for more than a decade.
  
  Ukrainian drone maker Airlogix and Finnish technology company Innokas signed a letter of intent to establish joint drone manufacturing. TAF Industries and Finnish company Summa Defence had signed a similar agreement earlier under the same initiative… 90% of the output is supplied to Ukraine, and 10% stays in Finland.”

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NORWAY KEEPS ON GIVING

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• Norway Pledges $9.2 Billion to Ukraine for 2027
  link
  “The sum matches Norway’s 2026 allocation and marks the third consecutive year Oslo has committed 85 billion kroner to Ukraine, on top of the bilateral aid Ukraine receives from other partners.”

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ZELENSKY ANNOUNCES ARRIVAL OF UNKNOWN NUMBER OF PATRIOT MISSILES

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• Ukraine Will Receive AIM air-to-air missiles and additional missiles for Patriot air defence systems plus New Crotale Air Defence Systems
  link
  “[President Zelensky said] Ukraine has received confirmation of the delivery of several French-made Crotale air defense systems and missiles, though he did not specify the exact country of origin. The head of state also noted that Ukraine has received a new batch of AIM air-to-air missiles, as well as additional missiles for the Patriot air defense systems.”

EUROPE & CANADA REARM

COALITION OF THE WILLING MOVES CLOSER TO UKRAINE

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[BACKGROUND]: The Coalition of the Willing was founded in March 2025 in London. It originally consisted of fifteen European NATO members and Canada, plus the EU and NATO. It has since expanded to thirty-four nations. Its members pledges readiness to supply peacekeeping forces in Ukraine.

• Coalition of the Willing to Conduct Large-Scale Military Exercises in Poland This Fall
  link
  “The exercises are intended to demonstrate the coalition countries’ readiness to fulfil their future security commitments to Ukraine. Approximately 1,500 military personnel from the United Kingdom and France are expected to arrive in the country in September. According to the Polish [government], the exercises will primarily focus on the deployment of troops and military equipment.
  
  The Coalition of the Willing called on Russia to agree to a complete, immediate, and unconditional ceasefire. At the same time, they reaffirmed Ukraine’s right to defend itself against Russian aggression in accordance with international law and Article 51 of the UN Charter.”

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LOYAL WINGMAN NEWS

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I should have waited a week. Sweden’s stealthy loyal wingman drone now has a name.

• Saab Unveils the A3 Supersonic Stealth Drone Concept
  link1
  link2
  “Saab has unveiled a full-scale model of the Saab A3, a prospective supersonic stealth uncrewed aircraft designed to operate alongside fighter jets as part of an integrated system.”
  
  “Saab has made it clear that the development of a Swedish unmanned fighter jet to operate alongside the Gripen will depend on funding from the Swedish government. This funding can be provided if the Swedish government not only recognizes the field of unmanned fighter jets as promising and secures a corresponding order, but also prioritizes domestic development over the purchase of a ready-made solution.”

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NEW LITHUANIAN AIR DEFENCE INSTALLED AROUND VILNIUS

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• Lithuania Boosts Air Defence Around Capital
  link
  “The Lithuanian Armed Forces [announced they] have deployed medium-range NASAMS air defense systems around Vilnius..
  
  Lithuania currently has two [Norwegian] NASAMS batteries, with a third expected to arrive in the country in 2028. The air defense upgrades come amid reports from Lithuania’s military intelligence that Russia is using captured Ukrainian drones to attack critical infrastructure in the Baltic country.
  
  NASAMS systems operated by the Ukrainian Air Force have destroyed around 900 aerial targets, 60% of which were cruise missiles.”

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SWEDEN CREATES CRUISE MISSILE TURBOJET IN LESS THAN ONE YEAR

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• Sweden Develops 3D-Printed, ITAR-Free, 1,000-km Cruise Missile Engine in Less Than a Year
  link
  “Swedish aerospace company GKN Aerospace has developed a compact, ITAR-free turbojet engine for Project Otto, a long-range UAV demonstrator capable of carrying up to 300 kg over 600 km or 100 kg over 1,000 km.
  
  The first flight is expected no later than early 2027.
  
  Although GKN Aerospace is headquartered in the United Kingdom, the project brings together expertise from several companies within its group. Swedish Volvo Aero contributed to the development of the propulsion system, while Dutch Fokker was involved in the aircraft itself. This industrial structure allows Sweden to combine domestic aerospace expertise with capabilities from across GKN Aerospace’s European network.
  
  By 3D-printing engine components, GKN Aerospace can simplify production, reduce manufacturing time and potentially make it easier to scale the production of compact turbojet engines. The company also emphasizes that the engine contains no U.S. components or technologies, making it ITAR-free and therefore less dependent on U.S. export-control restrictions.”

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NETHERLANDS EQUIPS NAVY WITH INTERCEPTOR DRONES

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• Dutch Navy to Carry Interceptor Drones, Also Chooses French Torpedo Over American
  link
  “The Destinus Hornet B2 interceptor drone is launched from a sealed transport-launch container using a rocket booster. After launch, the drone deploys its wings and transitions to controlled flight using an electric motor.
  
  The Hornet B2 uses electro-optical and infrared sensors, as well as artificial intelligence algorithms for terminal guidance. The system is designed to destroy reconnaissance and strike drones.”

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AUSTRIAN ARMY MODERNISATION BEGINS

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• Austria Receives First Upgraded Leopard 2A4Ö Tanks and Ulan IFVs
  link
  “The Leopard 2A4Ö modernization covers a fleet of 58 Austrian tanks, with KNDS Deutschland performing the work. Due to budget constraints, the procurement of new tanks was canceled in favor of upgrading the existing fleet.
  
  The Ulan NV program provides life extension for all 112 Austrian infantry fighting vehicles produced under the joint Spanish-Austrian ASCOD program. GDELS-Steyr is carrying out the work.”

That’s all for now. See you next week. Feel free to post and errors, omission, or other comments.

Welcome to a weekly roundup of news from the war in Ukraine you probably did not hear about for the week from Sunday 16th to Saturday 22nd August 2026.

Why The Under Reported War Exists

This Substack won’t cover missile attacks on Ukrainian cities and infrastructure. Nor the occasional drone going astray into neighbouring countries. Why not? Because they are reported widely. However, other than those attacks, you are very unlikely to have heard much else this week. Yet there have been, as always, many important stories that the western media ignores.

Why is this War Under Reported?

The answer is complicated and incomplete. It’s because there are not enough professional journalists any more. Because there are even fewer journalists with a military background let alone experience of war. There are frightened war correspondents who only ever report what is going on in the city they are based in. I don’t blame them, this is perhaps the most dangerous frontline in history. Nowhere is safe. Then there are bored, disinterested new editors. Laziness too. Plus incompetence through lack of experience. That’s just inside free Ukraine. Reporting from Russia is even worse, embarrassingly so. There’s bound to be more reasons too. Like I said, it is very complicated.

What makes this lack of competent journalism unforgivable is that it has never been easier to do a great job. Every week I see dozens of stories that could be reported widely by any journalistic outlet and you do not even have to venture anywhere near the fighting to do so. There is almost always authentic, often dramatic accompanying video despite the Russian police state’s clampdown on citizens filming with their phones. These images and reports are out there on the internet and… nothing. Save for the Ukrainian press and a few others, there are no stories filed, just tumbleweed. This is by far the most visual war in history but you see or hear very few of these dramatic, engaging, concerning and, above all, important news stories. For visuals in this week’s issue you might choose to watch short videos of:

• Multiple drones diving into an attack on a Russian oil refinery (including a Russian air defence missile exploding but missing a drone).

• A queue for gas in Russia that goes past one empty gas station and on to the next.

• A ground robot that has an undetonated Russian drone jammed onto it then being rescued by a heavy drone bomber with a grapnel hook.

• Some truly incompetent Russian gunnery in a convoy of trucks running the gauntlet in the Middle Strike.

• Russian holidaymakers in the Crimean war zone gawking as Ukrainian drones attack a missile position near their beach (four were killed in a similar attack two weeks ago). They seem to be in complete denial.

• A delighted North Korean teenager as she poses in front of a burning Wildberries warehouse where she and scores of other young North Korean girls were shipped in to work assembling FPV attack drones. Delighted? Because she is cannot to be forced to work there anymore now it has burned down.

How could any competent news editor resist such material?

There are some western mainstream outlets that cover this war on a spectrum from okay to very well. The BBC, The Telegraph, Forbes magazine, Reuters, DW, Bloomberg, and The insider are all good examples. However, most of my news comes from Ukraine’s press corps plus exiled Russian journalists all of whom work exceptionally hard and stick to high journalistic standards. They shame the rest of the western press. My main sources are the Kyiv Post, The Kyiv Independent, Defense Express, Miltarnyi, Meduza, and Euromaidan Press, plus a huge number of OSINT (open source intelligence) researchers and bloggers .

In this issue, all reports are linked to their source so you can read or watch the original if you’d like to. If you have any questions, detect errors and omissions, or need more detail, just let me know.

If you are reading this on a web browser, Substack provides a simple (almost hidden) index to this issue’s various sections on the left hand side of this page.

By the way, today is Day 1,642 of Putin’s 3-Day Special Military Operation.

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

“We will not win this competition in a war of attrition. We have this illusion that everything there will collapse. It has not collapsed, and it will not. Our costs are growing.”
“Andrei Klepach, chief economist at Russian state development corporation VEB.RF on the state of Ukraine and Russia’s economies.
(Btw, he was, of course, fired immediately)

(For more see the PETROL QUEUES & OTHER RUSSIAN NEWS section)

HEADLINES THAT NEVER WERE
(BUT SHOULD HAVE BEEN)

As ever, welcome to The Under Reported War

FIRE POINT BALLISTIC MISSILE FACTORY FINDS DANISH HOME

[BACKGROUND]: Going back to the days of the USSR, Ukraine has a long history of missile design and manufacture. Some key ballistic missile design bureaus were based in the country. It is no surprise that Ukraine retains the know-how to design not one but three ballistic missiles.

Perhaps the most important of those missiles is Fire Point’s short-to-medium range FP-7 ballistic missile. That’s because it is also being used to create the multi-national Freya ballistic missile defence system. Ukraine supplies the rocket and its mobile launcher, other nations are providing the mobile radars, control vehicles, and seeker heads that make interception by the rocket possible.

A lot rides on this system because of the global shortage of interceptor missiles. Ukraine is moving fast. With ground already broken last December on a site for rocket fuel production in Denmark, it was decided to establish the FP-7 assembly plant there as well. All the missile’s components and its fuel can now be manufactured abroad, safe from Russian attack. It is located inside the heavily defended Skrydstrup Air Base in southern Denmark. This is already the home of Denmark’s F-35 5th Generation fighters.

• Fire Point is building its ballistic missile production facility outside Ukraine
  link
  link2
  link3
  “The plant in Denmark will produce FP-7 and FP-7.X missiles and boosters for the Flamingo, with production planned by the end of 2027.
  
  Danish authorities had previously taken an unusual step in September 2025 [of] temporarily suspending more than twenty regulatory provisions to accelerate the project.
  
  The production site is designed as a multi-stage industrial complex. The first phase, expected to come online in 2026, will focus on establishing core manufacturing capabilities, while the main production phase is projected for 2027. The plant will not only produce solid rocket fuel but also manufacture engine casings, structural interfaces, and integrate propulsion systems. This vertical integration reduces dependency on external suppliers and shortens production cycles, a constraint that the Ukrainian industry has faced since the beginning of the full-scale war.
  
  The facility is being built at Skrydstrup Air Base in southern Denmark, which hosts the Royal Danish Air Force’s fleet of F-35 fighter aircraft. The location is considered strategically relevant due to its proximity to established military infrastructure and logistics networks. “

Fire Point has already designed and built the bespoke machine tools required for mass production of ballistic missiles. This is why it says the plant will come online so quickly.

• Fire Point Unveils Machine Tools for Rocket Engine Production
  link
  “According to Denis Shtilerman, the company’s chief designer and co-owner, the team was forced to develop its own equipment because purchasing ready-made machinery proved too costly and time-consuming.
  
  He added that 90% of the machines used in the production of FP rockets are Ukrainian-designed machines, a significant portion of which the company manufactures in-house together with contractors… allowing for rapid scaling of production.”

It is not clear if the longer-range FP-9 ballistic missile will also be manufactured at this site.

GAS QUEUES ARE BACK

(THEY NEVER WENT AWAY)

[BACKGROUND]: Despite credulous western journalists falling for Russian information warfare saying the Kremlin had dealt with the fuel crisis, rationing never fully went away. That’s because Russia cannot import enough petroleum from India and Morocco to make up for its shortfall. The relentless campaign against Russia’s continues. As soon as refineries are repaired, they are attacked again (see the weekly REFINERY ROUNDUP in the UKRAINE’S LONG-RANGE WAR section). Now rationing is spreading again, and engine oil supply is also threatened.

• Russia’s second fuel crisis this summer: prices climbing, rationing in 59 regions, and now a motor oil shortage
  link
  “Gasoline prices rose in 40 Russian regions between August 11 and 17, according to Russia’s state statistics agency, Rosstat… The problem isn’t just what gasoline costs. It’s finding any to buy… Russian news outlets say this second major wave of the fuel crisis is hitting the country unevenly…
  
  Motor oil supplies have also been disrupted amid the new wave of the crisis. There’s no outright shortage yet, but some product lines have disappeared from the market, delivery times have lengthened, and prices in some segments have jumped 40%.”

Btw, oil industry statistics are some of the few reliable Russian government data sources. That’s because they have to come clean to the rest of the global oil industry. It would quickly spot if Russia fudges the figures.

TRUMP DEMANDS OBEDIENCE NOT ALLIES

[BACKGROUND]: If you ever wondered why Europe and Canada are turning away from purchasing American weapons, and view the USA and its leadership with distaste from an ever-increasing distance, then it might be a good idea to read the story. It lays bare the ignorance and foolishness of Trump and his minions are as they try to turn a defensive alliance into a tool of their overseas aggression. It won’t work, and it will only make things worse for America.

I want to remind everyone that this is not unexpected. In November last year, the US government published its ‘National Security Strategy’. You can read it here. It allies America officially with Far-Right, Russia-supporting parties across Europe and stands against European democracies by “Cultivating resistance to Europe’s current trajectory within European nations.” America’s hostility towards its fellow NATO members could not be more explicit.

• U.S. Sends NATO Allies Questionnaire on Loyalty Amid European Troop Cuts
  link1
  link2
  link3
  “The administration of U.S. President Donald Trump has sent NATO allies a special questionnaire to assess their alignment with U.S. foreign policy… A significant portion of the questionnaire focuses on defense procurement and allies’ defense spending. The United States wants to know whether countries purchase weapons from U.S. contractors and whether they have opposed “‘Made in Europe’ regulations” that restrict contracts with U.S. companies.
  
  NATO allies reacted negatively to the demands, viewing them as an attempt to exert pressure and use security guarantees as leverage in exchange for political subordination.”

In other related news, Trumps wants South Korea to hire the US forces based there. However, they will have no operational control over them. It clearly signals America cannot be relied upon if North Korea attacks.

• Trump Wants South Korea to Pay $10 Billion a Year for U.S. Troop Presence
  link
  “Trump criticized Seoul, recalling details of a conversation with the South Korea’s president when he had asked for assistance in the war with Iran but was turned down.
  
  According to him, there are about 39,000 U.S. military personnel in South Korea who are “protecting you from Kim Jong-un” (from North Korea).
  
  After that, Trump questioned whether the U.S. should continue to assist South Korea, given that defending the country costs the U.S. billions of dollars.”

The dimbo does not even understand that North Korea’s ballistic missiles are aimed not at South Korea, but at the continental United States. Hmm, or maybe he does, but he is scared by that threat. Either is possible.

ANOTHER TEST OF PUTIN’S TROUBLED WUNDERWAFFEN MAY BE IMMINENT

[BACKGROUND]: You may recall that back in 2018 , Putin terrified may people around the world when he unveiled animations of a new arsenal of as yet unbuilt hypersonic Wunderwaffen that he claimed were undetectable and impossible to intercept. The Zircon cruise missile has entered service. It is regularly shot down or deflected off course by Ukrainian jamming. The Kinzhal aeroballistic missile also turned out to be far from invincible. The Sarmat ICBM keeps blowing up on the launchpad.

The nuclear-powered Burevestnik (Skyfall) cruise missile has had a similarly troubled development. Most notably, five senior scientists on the design team died from radiation poisoning after a failed test led to an attempt to recover its reactor from the Barents Sea.

_______________________

There is evidence Burevestnik’s latest test may soon happen. OSINT researcher AviVector has spotted a buildup of air transport, airborne command, control, and monitoring aircraft being prepositioned in the Arctic wastes of Yuzny Island, Novaya Zemlya close to the Burevestnik test site. There are no roads to the site. Everything has to be either flown in or transported by sea.

Btw, the Burevestnik with its long, dirty plume of radioactive contamination is far from undetectable. It will be easily observed from space by remote sensing satellites no matter how low it flies. Did Putin really think spewing out intense radioactive waste could be hidden?

• Russia may be preparing to test its Burevestnik Wunderwaffen
  link
  “Russia may be preparing to test its nuclear-powered Burevestnik cruise missile at the Pankovo test range on Novaya Zemlya.
  
  A satellite images of Rogachevo Air Base, Yuzny Island as of [Tuesday] August 19, 08:50 UTC [showed] the air base housed 1 A-50U AWACS (Mainstay-B), 1 Il-976 SKIP (Mainstay-C) telemetry and communications relay aircraft, 1 An-72 or An-74 (Coaler-C) transport, 4 An-26 (Curl) transport, 2 Mi-8 (Hip), and 2 Ka-27 (Helix-A) helicopters.”

NEWS FROM THE FRONTLINE

UKRAINIAN FRONTLINE UNITS CAN NOW ORDER CUSTOMISED DRONES

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Okay, here’s a little background because this is not known widely. One of Ukraine’s most important innovations has been the revolutionary Brave1 online market. Ukraine has a frontline of more than 1300km and the types of drones required by individual units can vary wildly along its length. By giving each unit a procurement budget and permitting to it to customise its drone order, it is hoped this will give Ukraine an edge over Russia.

• Ukraine’s top military marketplace has processed $235 million in orders. Now it goes further, letting units spec a custom drone across 17 characteristics
  link
  “Ukrainian units can now tell drone makers exactly what they need and have it built. A new tool on the state defense-technology marketplace Brave1 Market lets military units order custom drones with defined specifications for specific battlefield needs, not only serial model.”

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RUSSIAN FPV STRIKES GROUND ROBOT, DOES NOT EXPLODE, GETS STUCK, HEAVY AERIAL DRONE RESCUES ROBOT USING GRAPNEL HOOK

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Er, I guess that sums it up nicely.

• Baba Yaga Drone Rescues Ukrainian Ground Robot Hit by FPV that Does Not Detonate
  link
  “ To avoid risking an explosion during unloading, the unit sent a bomber drone carrying a grappling hook on a rope to pull the unexploded FPV out.”

Here is the full saga in photo novella form:

The UGV completed its resupply mission.

RUSSIA’S ‘INVINCIBLE’ WAR MACHINE

Ah, that mighty Russian war machine, so powerful, so overwhelming. so desperately short of manpower it needs 20,000 North Korean soldiers.

NORTH KOREANS RETURN TO THE WAR

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• Claims that Russia to Free Up Manpower by Replacing Border Troops With North Korean Soldiers
  link
  “Serhiy Bratchuk, the spokesperson for the Ukrainian Volunteer Army, said on television that up to 20,000 “combat-ready” Russian troops on the border might be transferred to the “hottest destinations,” with their positions replaced by North Korean troops.”

This begs a question. Why have none of Ukraine’s allies been saying that if North Koreans are releasing Russian soldiers in its rear echelons to fight in the “hottest destinations” (they’re going to be real happy about that), then that ally’s troops and equipment will help defend Ukraine’s infrastructure and cities?

NEWS OF THE MIDDLE STRIKE

CONVOY DUTY

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• Russian convoys face new hazards Part 1: terrified civilian truck drivers pushing into them to gain protection
  link
  “”When a car or truck gets in, it slows down the convoy and stretches the formation. When overtaking or driving parallel, civilian vehicles end up directly in the firing arc. And since the drone is flying low, the escort crew physically cannot open fire while civilians are in the arc.”

However, not every mobile fire escort got that memo.

• Russian convoys face new hazards Part 2: The infamous gunnery skills of Russian mobile fire groups [video]
  link

Reckless gunnery is part of the deal with the underpaid (if at all), frequently drunk mobile fire groups assigned to protect trucks in the Middle Zone (and Russia’s cities too).

Some pundits appear to think they are effective. Where that idea came from I have no idea. They are demonstrably very bad at their job (both gunners and pundits). Don’t forget this was a video these idiots were allowed to upload. Here are three basic errors this guy makes:

1. Machine guns on automatic do not shoot laser-straight. Recoil and vibration means bullets spray out in a cone. Those trucks behind are in more peril than the drone.

2. Bullets do not disappear by magic. He is recklessly shooting above two lines of traffic on a very straight road. Those bullets are going to keep on going until they hit something further down the road: a truck or a car.

3. This gunner does not know how to lead a moving target when aiming. With shooting like this he will miss every time.

This animated GIF from June tells you everything you need to now about the discipline and expertise of these mobile fire group clowns. I find watching this hypnotic

• Russian mobile fire group training spins out of control [video]
  link

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One truck driver had a very lucky escape. A Ukrainian FPV drone smashed into his windshield and did not explode. You can see that it was not carrying a warhead. Most likely it was a spotter for other drones, ran out of battery power, and its pilot decided to have a go anyway.

• FPV Drone Hits Russian Truck Head-On [video]
  link
  “Russians keep treating foreign plates like some magical “do not strike” shield. The ban exists for a reason. This driver ignored it, got what he earned, and somehow walked away alive. Next one probably will “

UKRAINE’S LONG-RANGE WAR

There has been no let up in attacks on oil refineries and other infrastructure. Ukraine launched repeat attacks on already damaged sites. Elsewhere, Ukraine destroyed Moscow’s two Wildberries (WB) warehouses. It seems to have run out of WB targets, so Ukraine appears to be moving on the their rival, Ozon.

REFINERY ROUNDUP

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• Drones attacked the Tamangazneft oil terminal in Krasnodar Krai.

• Drones struck Bashneft-UNPZ refinery in Ufa on Wednesday.

• On Thursday, air defences missed a drone attacking the TANECO Oil Refinery in Nizhnekamsk, Tatarstan. At least three drones were filmed hitting their target. [video] TANECO can process up to 16 million tons annually.

• Attack drones struck the Perm Oil Refinery again on Friday morning, setting the facility ablaze. Locals reported multiple explosions and columns of smoke. The refinery has processing capacity of about 226,000-260,000 barrels per day, equivalent to roughly 13-13.1 million tons annually.

• Overnight Friday, Ukrainian deep strikes again hit the Novokuybyshevsk refinery in the Samara Region, 1,000 km from the frontline. The plant processes more than 1 million metric tons of raw materials per year. Its product range includes more than 30–50 types of products, including liquefied gases, MTBE, benzene, phenol, acetone, alpha-methylstyrene, and olefins.

• Early Saturday, drones struck fuel and lubricant storage tanks at the Yeysk oil terminal in Krasnodar region.

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WILDBERRIES ROUNDUP

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• The Wildberries logistics hub in Koledino, Moscow, was still burning through the night, a full day after the attack.

• A simultaneous attack on the Wildberries Domodedovo logistics hub in Moscow set it ablaze.

• Attacks have begun to shift to Wildberries’s rival Ozon. Its distribution center in Chapayevsk, Samara Oblast was set ablaze on Friday after multiple drone strikes. It is among the chain’s biggest at about 135,000 m². Ozon runs 50 fulfilment centers and 150+ hubs, over 5 million m² total, and the Moscow region cluster tops 900,000 m².

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WHY DO WILDBERRIES BURN SO EASILY?

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• Why did the Wildberries warehouses burn so well?
  link1
  link2
  “Both zones of the warehouse complexes are oversaturated with combustible materials, which required the designers to create fire barriers to prevent the spread of flames, as well as active and passive fire protection systems.
  
  What was saved on?
  
  An analysis of photographs of the interior of the complexes shows the absence of fire partitions inside the functional zones, as well as walls dividing the warehouses into corresponding fire compartments, which was most likely done to reduce the construction budget.
  
  Numerous videos do not show external pumping stations and fire water supply tanks, which usually serve automatic sprinkler systems of warehouse complexes of this scale.”

But, wait, there’s more. There’s explosives too.

• Russia uses Wildberries as army depots
  link1
  link2
  “Fuel is stored in approx 50 gal drums & WB delivery vehicles [are] used for distribution. Teenage girls assembling grenade-dropping drones in the warehouse [were] relieved [by their] timely evacuation. [They] said the arms were stored beside their assembly area.”

Why is this young woman so happy? She was not the only one posting happy images, some young women were even dancing. WildWoodsGirl, a blogger on BlueSky wondered why too. So she asked them. Here’s what she found out:

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ROCKET AND MISSILE FUEL MANUFACTURER DAMAGED

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• Ukrainian Navy Strikes Iskander Missile Fuel Production Plant with Neptune Missiles
  link1
  link2
  link3
  link4
  “The Ukrainian Navy struck the Russian defense plant Kamensky Combine plant with Neptune cruise missiles. The facility produces solid rocket propellant, in particular for 9M723 Iskander-M ballistic missiles. …Its products are used to manufacture rockets for the Uragan, Smerch and Tornado-S multiple launch rocket systems (MLRS), as well as for a number of other missile systems and air-launched weapons.
  
  Based on satellite imagery, at least five production buildings at the facility were damaged.”
  
  Exilenova+ analysts also identified signs of a fire at the position of one of the air-defense systems, which they assessed as likely being a Pantsir-S1. They also reported signs of fire at positions associated with the fire-control radars of Russia’s S-300/S-400 systems.
  
  Notably, the production buildings were additionally protected by earth berms and anti-drone nets. However, judging by the imagery, the nets failed to provide adequate protection: some buildings show roof penetrations and torn anti-drone nets.”

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BRITISH STEALTH DRONES JOINED REFINERY CAMPAIGN MONTHS AGO

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Since 2023, Ukraine famously uses the British medium-range Storm Shadow cruise missile against Russian command bunkers and other high value targets. But what is not recognised is that a wide variety of British drones have been and are used by Ukrainian armed forces for years: from T150 heavy lift quadcopters to the Nyan stealth drone and another still un-named attack drones that are being used to strike long-range targets.

• British drones have been used to strike targets on the Russian mainland for the first time
  link1
  link2
  “Nyan drones have been in service with the Ukrainian Defense Forces for some time… The weapons include BAE Systems’ jet-powered Nyan and another unnamed drone. British systems reportedly hit oil refineries near Moscow, Yaroslavl and Volgograd over the past six months.
  
  In late June 2024, a [Nyan] drone was found on Russian territory. At the time, it was mistakenly identified as a new Ukrainian kamikaze drone.
  
  The first British unit to receive these drones was the 26th Regiment Royal Artillery, part of the 3rd Division. The British military uses Nyan as a long-range strike system and to complement the artillery capabilities of its units.”

The UK is supplying Ukraine with 150,000 drones this year. Three new British cruise missiles designed for Ukraine are due to enter service by the end of the year. A hypersonic ballistic missile is scheduled for production in 2027.

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ULTRA LONG RANGE DRONE ENTERS SERVICE IN UKRAINE

——————————————

• Ukraine has approved the domestically produced Dovbush T40 strategic [drone] for military use
  link
  “With a range exceeding 2,000 km and endurance of more than 24 hours, it can conduct deep reconnaissance, fire correction and precision strikes against targets as far as Russia’s Siberia”

SHADOW FLEET NEWS

UKRAINE IGNORES VANCE, RESUMES ATTACKS ON SHADOW FLEET TANKERS

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• Four Grain Carriers, One Suezmax-class Tanker, and a Bulk Carrier Attacked Near Russia’s Black Sea Ports
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  “Among the damaged vessels was the bulk carrier Victoria V under the Russian flag, which was attacked near Novorossiysk after arriving at the port to load wheat. he Fehu, flying the Marshall Islands flag, was struck after leaving that same port with a cargo of wheat, but was able to continue its voyage.
  
  The Malta-flagged bulk carrier Elina B was attacked after loading around 56,000 tons of wheat in Novorossiysk. Following the incident, it continued its way toward the Bosphorus.
  
  Another damaged grain carrier was Necibe, sailing under the San Marino flag. It was attacked by UAVs in the port of Tuapse, where the vessel was scheduled to load around 20,000 tons of wheat.
  
  The fifth incident occurred on Monday. The Liberia-flagged Greek-operated bulk carrier Anna S was en route to Novorossiysk, where it was scheduled to load barley. After a five-drone strike, a fire broke out on board, and the vessel was unable to continue its voyage due to the damage it sustained.
  
  [On Sunday] a tanker [was] hit after loading Russian oil at the Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC) terminal near Novorossiysk… The Greek-operated Suezmax-class tanker Skiros, which can carry about 1 million barrels of oil, was [the target]. It was the first such attack after a nearly three-week pause.”

RUSSIA’S LONG-RANGE WAR

WITH JET-POWERED KAMIKAZE DRONES, RUSSIA HAS GONE UP A LEVEL

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• Will Russia’s Gamble On Jet-Powered Drones Pay Off?
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  “Russia has carried out its strategic air campaign against Ukraine with traditional ballistic and cruise missiles and increasing numbers of small, low-cost attack drones. Now the drones are changing, with fewer of the propeller-driven types and more fast jet-powered drones.
  
  The jet drones are too fast for helicopters to catch, and they can outpace the small electric interceptor drones which typically have a top speed of less than 220 mph… Shooting down Geran-4s may use up air defence missiles which would otherwise be saved for cruise missiles and other, bigger threats… Success depends on scaling up before Ukraine can develop effective counters.
  
  The strategic drone war is evolving rapidly. We can expect to see more significant changes in the next year, but what these will look like is anyone’s guess.”

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AND UKRAINE ALREADY HAS AN ANSWER

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• Ukraine’s First Interceptor to Counter Russian Jet-Powered Shahed Drones Enters Service
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  “The UAV, called Alexa Spatium, has been developed to strengthen Ukraine’s ability to engage increasingly fast Russian one-way Shahed UAVs… The interceptor’s main advantages are its high maximum speed, substantial operating altitude, dynamic maneuverability… an extended operational range, and the capability to operate at low and medium altitudes. Babel says it can take down Geran-3, Geran-4, Geran-5 and Shahed-131 drones.
  
  Ilaunches from a mobile catapult in minutes, then can return for reuse. The interceptor can also be employed against reconnaissance UAVs and helicopters.
  
  The UAV is equipped with a turbojet engine and features a high service ceiling, an extended operational range, and the capability to operate at low and medium altitudes.”

Performance details are classified.

PETROL QUEUES & OTHER RUSSIAN NEWS

YOU CAN’T EVEN PULL INTO THE FIRST GAS STATION IN THIS QUEUE

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• Multi kilometre-long gas queue in Gelendzhik with an empty petrols station halfway along [video]
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DO NOT FLY IN A RUSSIAN AIRLINER THIS WINTER

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• Russia Seeks to Lower Jet Fuel Standards Following Strikes on Oil Refineries
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  “The Ministry of Transport of the Russian Federation is proposing to allow the use of jet fuel with a freezing point of up to –50 °C instead of the current –60 °C.
  
  The intelligence report notes that at cruising altitude, temperatures outside the aircraft can drop below –50°C. If the jet fuel begins to crystallize, the resulting particles could clog the fuel system and cut off the fuel supply to the engine, potentially causing its failure.”

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CRIMEAN HOLIDAY DEATH WISH CONTINUES

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Why would you go on holiday to a war zone? On the one hand Russians clearly understand war is being waged. On the other hand they make a conscious decision to believe the soothing lies the state media tells them about this war, whilst knowing all along they are being lied to.

And so you have holiday-makers on a beach in a war zone, staring at smoke rising from a nearby exploding anti-air missile battery then just kinda shrugging and getting on with their vacations. Never a thought that stray munitions might come their way because that would mean accepting that the war they don’t want to know about is disconcertingly real.

As Peter Pomeranstev said so tellingly; “In Russia nothing is true and everything is possible.”

• Ukraine struck Russian air-defense positions near Feodosia in Crimea [beach video]
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  “NASA FIRMS detected fires near a radar site and S-300/S-400 positions, while footage from the area likely shows the Russian air-defense positions burning after the attack. “

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SOME RUSSIANS DO KNOW HOW BADLY THE WAR IS GOING

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Despite the Iran war oil price boom , even Russia’s giant hydrocarbon producers are suffering steep drops in their share prices.

• Vote with your ruble: The Russian stock market is rejecting Putin’s official optimism
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  “Russian stock indexes have plunged 30% over the past three months, approaching their lowest level since the start of the war. Under conditions of higher taxes, arbitrary property confiscations, falling investment, increasing war damage, and high interest rates, the value of Russian companies will continue to decline.”

As Ruth Ben-Ghiat points out repeatedly in her studies of autocracies and dictatorships: change seems impossible until suddenly it is not.

• “A social crisis will come when no one expects it” Chief economist at key Russian state development bank reportedly fired after warning of economic defeat to West
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  “Andrei Klepach, the chief economist at Russian state development corporation VEB.RF, was reportedly fired on Aug. 16, a day after Russian media widely circulated his warnings that Russia was losing its economic and technological competition with the West.
  
  “We are falling behind. We are losing both the technological and economic competition in the world. And, as I have already said, we are losing it not only to China and the United States — in some respects, we are losing it to Ukraine,” Klepach said. “A social crisis will come when no one expects it””

CORRUPTION SCANDALS

ANTI-CORRUPTION COPS ARREST FOUR MORE IN HALUSHCHENKO CASE

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• Major corruption probe hits Zelensky’s office, as investigators charge his deputy chief of staff with money laundering
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  “The National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) searched the premises of Iryna Mudra, a presidential deputy chief of staff, and Vadym Stolar, a pro-Russian member of parliament.
  
  Four suspects are accused of laundering Hr 150 million ($3.4 million) and transferring the funds through Sense Bank to post bail for former Justice and Energy Minister Herman Halushchenko.
  
  Halushchenko has been charged with money laundering and organized crime in a separate case centered around state nuclear power utility Energoatom — the largest corruption investigation of Zelensky’s tenure.”

NABU is the highly effective investigation unit that Zelensky tried to abolish earlier this year, only for street protests to force a U-turn. This spreading investigation has ensnared many of Zelensky’s inner circle including Fire Point co-founder Timur Mindich and former Chief of Staff Andriy Yermak.

If only every nation had their own NABU.

WAR CRIME NEWS

ANOTHER BUCHA WAR CRIMINAL RECEIVES ROUGH JUSTICE

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• Footage shows a Hornet drone striking the vehicle of Colonel Dmitry Shabaev, commander of Russia’s 64th Separate Motorized Rifle Brigade
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  “Shabaev, was wounded on August 19 while inspecting a brigade command post near Huliaipole in Zaporizhzhia region. He was evacuated, while his condition remains unclear... The brigade took part in atrocities in Bucha in 2022.”

FOREIGN AID & INVESTMENT IN UKRAINE

GERMANY TO INCREASE UKRAINE AID

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• Germany Plans to Increase Aid to Ukraine by More Than €744 Million
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  “According to the draft budget, the German government plans to increase military aid to Ukraine to a record level in 2027. Funding for Ukraine is set to increase by more than €744 million…. [to] €9.05 billion.
  
  Germany’s Ministry of Defense plans to allocate [another] €538 million to the Enable and Enhance Ukraine initiative. The German Foreign Office is expected to provide an additional €180 million.
  
  Around €649 million is planned to be allocated to support Ukraine through the European Peace Facility. The funds will be used, among other things, to purchase military equipment and train Ukrainian troops. The total also includes €25 million for the [medical] treatment of Ukrainian servicemen in Germany.”

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JOINT PRODUCTION NEWS

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TAF Industries is one of the leading FPV drones manufacturers in Ukraine. It builds a variety of first Person View (FPV) drones, interceptor drones, repeater drones, and fixed wing UAVs. It already has a a drone factory in Poland in partnership with PGZ.

• TAF Industries Signs Memorandum With Denmark’s Upteko to Jointly Produce Drones
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  “Upteko is a Danish technology company founded in 2018 that develops unmanned solutions for the maritime and industrial sectors. Its activities include developing comprehensive drone systems using technologies in the fields of UAVs, electronics, software, and hardware development.”

• Finland to Produce Drones Using Ukrainian Airlogix Technologies
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  “The partnership is being carried out as part of the Build with Ukraine program. Its main goal is to establish additional production facilities in Europe to support Ukraine’s Defense Forces.
  
  The technologies and engineering solutions will remain Ukrainian, while the Finnish side will provide production scaling and localization capabilities… Airlogix’s main product is the Gor tactical reconnaissance UAV, designed to support artillery fire and detect enemy targets at operational depth. The company also produces Anubis strike drones.“

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UKRAINE CLOSER TO SELF-RELIANCE IN ARTILLERY SHELLS

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Rheinmetall and others have built munitions production lines in Ukraine and that effort has reduced Ukraine’s dependancy on overseas donations: a dependancy exposed when the US republicans ceased supplies two years ago. At Ukraine’s request, most European donors have switched to supplying expensive extended range artillery shells.

• 80% of Ukraine’s Artillery Shells Are Made in Ukraine
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  “Arsen Zhumadilov, head of Ukraine’s Defence Procurement Agency, announced this during the agency’s report on its performance in the first half of 2026. A Militarnyi correspondent attended the briefing.
  
  Most of the domestically produced shells are long-range 155 mm rounds.”

EUROPE & CANADA REARM

POLAND LOOKS TO BUILD ITS OWN MISSILES

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• Poland Begins Developing Long-Range Strike Capabilities Beyond 1,000 km
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  “Brigadier General Grzegorz Potrzuski, Head of the Planning and Programming Directorate for the Development of the Polish Armed Forces, said Poland aims to develop the capability to conduct precision strikes against targets more than 1,000 kilometres away.
  
  The country is considering strike drones, cruise missiles, and ballistic missiles as potential weapons. The country may pursue these projects independently or in cooperation with foreign allies.”

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NORWAY REINFORCES ITS BORDER WITH RUSSIA

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• Norway Expands Finnmark Brigade With Artillery and Air Defence
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  “The Norwegian Army says the accelerated formation of the brigade is linked, among other factors, to the deteriorating security situation in Europe. The new structure is intended to strengthen Norway’s military presence in Finnmark, the country’s northernmost [border region with Russia].
  
  Norway has established three new units within the Finnmark Brigade: an artillery battalion, a combat air defense battery and a communications company.
  
  The Finnmark Brigade’s artillery battalion is being equipped with K9 VIDAR self-propelled howitzers, Norway’s version of the South Korean K9 Thunder…
  
  Late last year, Norway announced plans to significantly strengthen its 198-kilometer border with Russia. The plans included new fencing, modern surveillance systems and drones for aerial monitoring.”

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THE NEW GERMAN MILITARY IS TAKING SHAPE

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After the end of the Cod War, Germany let its armed forces run down to shockingly low levels of manpower, equipment and munitions. In 2022, it started an ever-accelerating rebuilding program. It might soon have the most powerful military in Europe.

• German Armed Forces Reach Highest Personnel Level in 13 Years
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  “One factor behind the increase was the introduction of a new military recruitment system. Since the beginning of 2026, 18-year-old German citizens have been sent questionnaires asking whether they are willing to complete six months of military service voluntarily. Filling out the questionnaire is mandatory for men and voluntary for women.
  
  Priority is being given to voluntary military service. If the required personnel level cannot be reached through voluntary recruitment, Germany could introduce mandatory military service.”

• Germany’s KNDS to Assemble Finnish Patria APCs for the Bundeswehr
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  “Joint production is being launched at facilities in Germany, where the equipment will be fitted with specialized components and undergo final assembly.
  
  Serial deliveries to the Bundeswehr will begin in early 2027, along with a gradual expansion of local German production through the transfer of technology and manufacturing expertise.”

• Germany Invests €12 Billion in Its Own Cruise and Hypersonic Missiles
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  “The main goal is to deter potential Russian aggression… With these new weapons, Germany aims to gain the capability to strike military targets deep behind enemy lines. These include command posts, airfields, launchers, and logistics hubs.
  
  The plan is divided into four phases and encompasses several types of weapons: from low-cost cruise missiles to American Tomahawks and promising hypersonic weapons.
  
  The fastest-moving part of the program is the development of a low-cost cruise missile, with mass deliveries to the military scheduled to begin as early as 2027. To this end, Germany is considering designs from the U.S.-Israeli company Covenant Industries and two Ukrainian manufacturers.
  
  The third and fourth parts of the plan call for the joint development with the United Kingdom of a cruise missile and a hypersonic munition with a range of over 2,000 km. The joint project with the United Kingdom is the most expensive component of the program.“

• Lockheed Martin Completes Assembly of First F-35 for Germany
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  “The aircraft will undergo painting and the application of stealth coatings, and will remain in the United States for some time to train pilots before being handed over to Germany.
  
  Germany officially ordered 35 5th-generation Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning II fighter aircraft on December 14, 2022. The primary purpose of the procurement is to replace the aging Panavia Tornado fighter-bombers, which Germany plans to fully retire by 2030.”

• Germany’s Cobra 600 Jet Drone Completes First Flight
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  “Armed with an IRIS-T missile, [this is a stealthy] reusable fighter drone..i with wheeled landing gear.
  
  Th Cobra 600’s first flight occurred recently, in the second half of August 202. The flew 20 kilometres… Its takeoff mass is 600 kilograms, and the flight was performed without a payload that would simulate the IRIS-T missile.
  
  The first IRIS-T integration tests [are] planned within months.”

The developers—Diehl Defence and POLARIS Raumflugzeuge—emphasise its simplicity and low-cost. Its stealthy design allows swarms of Cobra 600s to be forward-deployed in contested airspace.

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SWEDISH MODERNISATION CONTINUES

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The Taurus cruise missile is the same class as the StormShadow/SCALP-EG cruise missile but carries a heavier warhead designed to penetrate bunkers and destroy bridges.

• Sweden Conducted Its First Test Launch of Taurus Missile From Gripen C Fighter Jet
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  “Major General Jonas Wikman, Commander of the Swedish Air Force, stated that work is progressing significantly faster than originally scheduled, and that operational readiness is expected to be achieved before 2028.
  
  The Taurus KEPD 350 is a German-Swedish long-range air-to-surface cruise missile.”

Germany has long refused to supply the Taurus to Ukraine, citing, in part, the missile’s incompatibility with Ukraine’s jets. However, political hesitation was clearly the main reason. It may or may not be significant that Sweden is phasing out the Gripen C for the newest Model E, and is donating many of them to Ukraine, but at the same time has put the effort into equipped the Model C with Taurus.

• Saab Unveils [Loyal wingman Drone] for Joint Operations with Gripen
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  “​For its unmanned CCA (Collaborative Combat Aircraft) fighter drone, Saab focused heavily on reducing radar visibility and implemented a bold solution... The unmanned fighter jet, whose name has not yet been announced, features a tailless design with a delta wing and no leading-edge horizontal stabilizer. Most notably, Saab has opted to do without a vertical tail stabilizer.
  
  Saab has scheduled the first flight of the demonstrator for 2027.”

• Sweden Orders Strike Drones for Its Army for the First Time
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  “ The Swedish Defence Materiel Administration has awarded a contract to Danish company Nordic Wing to supply the systems. The package consist of the Astero ISR drone and Raptor 2 strike drones. They operate [together] through shared software.
  
  The reconnaissance drone is intended to detect targets, after which one or more strike drones can engage them. The decision to order strike drones is also linked to lessons from the war in Ukraine, which the Swedish military is closely monitoring.”

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MEANWHILE US DISBANDS DEDICATED DRONE DEVELOPMENT UNIT

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You might have noticed in recent issues that there has been a lot of news about European and other nations testing or ordering war-fighting drones. Increasingly they are establishing new doctrine and military drone units in the light of lessons learned from Ukraine. [See the German and Swedish sections above for yet more evidence.]

Well, it appears the Trumpian US Army just shot itself in the foot and is disbanding the 3rd Battalion of the 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment, its only unit dedicated to developing and learning drone warfare.

• New Drone Unit to Be Phased Out as Hegseth’s Army Pick Makes His Mark
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  “Gen. Christopher LaNeve takes aim at a cutting-edge drone unit, one of several moves he has made since taking over the Army.”

That’s all for now. See you next week. Feel free to post and errors, omission, or other comments.

All reports are linked to their sources so you can read the original if you’d like to. If you have any questions, detect errors and omissions, or need more detail, just let me know.

In the week from Sunday 9th to Saturday 15th August 2026, ballistic missile, drone, and cruise missile attacks on the Ukrainian cities western reporters live in continue to be reported, as does the rare successful incursion into Moscow airspace. Other than that you are very unlikely to have heard much else. However, there’s been some great reporting of important stories this week. Sadly, very little of it was picked up by mainstream reporters and their editors.

By the way, today is Day 1,635 of Putin’s 3-Day Special Military Operation.

Here are some of the things you probably did not hear about the war in Ukraine.

HEADLINES THAT NEVER WERE
(BUT SHOULD HAVE BEEN)

As ever, welcome to The Under Reported War

COORDINATED ATTACK DEVASTATES BLACK SEA FLEET’S LAST REFUGE

Forced out of Crimea by Ukraine’s missiles and drones, Russia’s Black Sea Fleet retreated to the naval base in the major oil and grain port of Novorossiysk. Since then, Ukraine attacked the heavily defended port again and again using naval drones, submarine drones, aerial drones, and cruise missiles. But each attack was always limited in scope. Until now.

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IT BEGAN LIKE THIS….

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Last weekend, Ukraine targeted air defence systems along the coast of the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov. Notably a highly dangerous S-400 missile system in Gelendzhik was destroyed. Ukrainian news releases emphasised it was close to Putin’s notorious shoddily constructed palace outside Sochi: a city made famous by the drug-ridden 2014 Winter Olympics.

• Ukrainian drones strike S-400 system near Putin’s Palace and multiple Russian targets on Black Sea coast
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  “Ukrainian drones overnight from Saturday to Sunday, August 9, struck a position of the S-400 “Triumf” surface-to-air missile system near the so-called “Putin’s Palace” outside Gelendzhik on Russia’s Black Sea coast.
  
  Robert Brovdi, commander of the Ukrainian Armed Forces’ Unmanned Systems Forces, also claimed Ukrainian drones hit four additional Russian air defense targets: a “Tor” missile system in Pudov, Rostov region; a “Pantsir-S1” missile and gun system in Yeysk, Krasnodar region; as well as two radar stations- a Podlet-K1 in Golovatovka, Rostov region, and a Kasta 2E2 in Latonovo, Rostov region.”

What Ukraine did not mention was that the S-400 was part of the defences of the nearby naval base and port of Novorossiysk. It preferred to let the world think Putin’s Palace might be targeted.

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THEN IN NOT UNCONNECTED NEWS…

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It was revealed that one of Russia’s rare and expensive Starlink jamming systems, also in Gelendzhik, had been obliterated, ironically by the very weapons it is designed to jam.

• Ukraine’s Defense Forces Destroy Starlink-Jamming Volna Kupol Garant Electronic Warfare System in Gelendzhik
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  “Satellite imagery has revealed that Ukraine’s Defense Forces destroyed a Russian Volna Kupol Garant electronic warfare system, designed to jam Starlink satellite communications, in Gelendzhik, Russia.”

Finally, with two of the biggest threats to strike drones and cruise missiles removed, this happened on Wednesday night:

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SEA DRONES, JET DRONES, AND NEPTUNE MISSILES HIT NOVOROSSIYSK IN LARGEST ATTACK YET

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• At least four Russian warships damaged in coordinated overnight strike on Novorossiysk
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  “Ukraine combined 15 domestically produced weapons in a coordinated strike on Novorossiysk, hitting Russian warships and prompting authorities to declare a state of emergency in the Black Sea port city… Russian air defenses and electronic warfare were heavily active.
  
  The damaged ships are:
  - the cruise missile frigates Admiral Makarov and Admiral Essen
  - a Buyan M missile corvette
  - the patrol ship Vasily Bykov
  - an unnamed Project 266M minesweeper
  - the test vessel Viktor Cherokov
  - the reconnaissance ship Priazovye.
  
  A 30N6E radar from a S-300 air defense system was also hit, along with several port berths and the tunnel portal linking the Grushovaya oil depot with the Sheskharis terminal.
  
  The attack involved Neptune cruise missiles, Palianytsia jet drones, and [first-person view drones (FPVs)] launched from naval [carrier drones].
  
  NASA FIRMS data shows multiple fire hotspots across the port area this morning, including its oil terminals, grain port, and the naval base where much of the Russian Black Sea Fleet is currently concentrated.

• All three grain terminals at Novorossiysk have now suspended operations after Ukraine’s August 12 attack
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  “KSK, the largest grain terminal in Russia’s Black Sea region, handled 7.37 million tonnes in 2025... [In the] aftermath of the Ukrainian strike on Novorossiysk’s grain terminal: one overpass collapsed and fires hit the complex. The facility has 300,000 tonnes of grain storage capacity and can handle vessels up to 72,000 DWT. Any suspension would interrupt grain loading and export operations.”

UKRAINE BLASTS RUSSIAN SPACE ROCKET PLANT

Having been blocked from using Starlink in Ukraine, Russia has begun launching its own Rassvet satellite communications constellation. This attack on the (undefended, what a surprise) Soyuz-2 manufacturing site in Samara is clearly an attempt to block Rassvet from becoming fully operational.

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• Ukraine [Attempts an] End to All Russian Space Military Programs by Striking at Progress Plant in Samara with Two FP-5 Flamingo Missiles
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  “The Progress Rocket and Space Centre produces the Soyuz-2 rocket which are used to launch not only the Russian Rassvet satellites, an analogue of Starlink, but also the vast majority of other military satellites...
  
  The blow fell on a key production area, in the western part of the complex, where the final stages of production take place. This means that possibly not only the production [line with] unique production equipment and tools, but also all Soyuz launch vehicles that were in the middle and final stages of production could have been destroyed.”

Defense Express geolocated the location of the explosion site from multiple videos posted on social media. It shows the cruise missiles were likely dead on target. Further OSINT research using other video footage of the smoke plume by Falcon Insight Map confirmed the location. Further OSINT research by CyberBoroshno reports the Flamingoes hit Building 106 which assembles electronics and control systems for Soyuz-2 rockets. The main assembly hall is next door and may also have been damaged.

US ARMOURED BRIGADE ‘DESTROYED’ BY UKRAINE’S DRONE PILOTS

Since 2024, it has become de rigeur to invite Ukrainian drone pilots to take on NATO units in exercises. British, Estonian, German, and Swedish brigades plus an American unit have all been bested in large-scale exercises by mere handfuls of experienced pilots.

The UK and Poland seem to have learned their lesson and are now re-shaping their armies so they can be the ‘trouncers’ rather than the ‘trounced’. The US Army does have scattered units specialising in drone warfare, however, it appears to have learned little despite drone-equipped units participating in this year’s Combined Resolve 26.

• Ukrainian Drone Operators “Destroyed” U.S. Brigade During NATO Exercise in Germany
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  “Ukrainian drone units overwhelmed a US armored brigade during large-scale exercises in Germany early 2026. “The Wall Street Journal reported that the exercise, together with U.S. losses in Iran, demonstrated the vulnerability of American forces to drones — years after the United States made unmanned systems an integral part of modern warfare. Ukrainian operators quickly found US equipment and simulated strikes with explosive and FPV drones so effectively that American units had to repeatedly “reset.”
  
  The Pentagon has recently spent billions of dollars acquiring new drone technologies and counter-drone systems, as well as establishing specialized units to operate them.
  
  In addition, midway through the exercise, the Ukrainian troops switched sides and helped the Americans use unmanned systems more effectively during offensive operations.”

MUSK BLOCKS STARLINK AGAIN, TRUMP PUTS TARIFFS ON IMPORTED UKRAINIAN DRONES

You’d almost think these two apartheid fans have something against Ukraine.

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• Musk Refuses Starlink for Ukrainian Strikes in Russia
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  “Former Ukrainian Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov has also been attempting to sway the billionaire. Two of Fedorov’s close associates in Kyiv told The Atlantic that he has been using informal backchannels to reach out to Musk since stepping down from his post.
  
  Despite these efforts, Musk remains unwilling to yield.
  
  “At the moment, there is no positive decision,” one of Fedorov’s associates said on Wednesday.
  
  Musk reportedly continues to argue with Fedorov over the potential risks of Russian escalation if the Starlink network is used to facilitate deep strikes. According to the associate, Musk repeatedly tells Ukrainian officials that “it is time to make a deal” to end the war.

Three years ago, Musk refused to permit Ukraine’s Starlink equipped naval drones to attack Russian missile launching ships moored in Crimea because he was certain, on the basis of no hard evidence whatsoever (and plenty to the contrary), that Putin would retaliate with nuclear weapons. The fool believed Putin. Ukraine knew otherwise, attacked anyway and did extensive but unfortunately not decisive damage. No nuclear bombs were dropped. Russia built naval drone defences. Countless Ukrainian civilians have died from cruise missiles launched by the surviving vessels.

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• Trump imposes tariffs of up to 100% on imported drones and components, including from allied countries
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  “Rates range from 10% to 100%, with the White House citing national security and the goal of reducing dependence on foreign suppliers while boosting domestic drone production.”

Ukraine is the undisputed world leader in military drone technology. Britain, Germany, France, Japan, The Netherlands, all the Baltic nations, and more are learning from and using Ukrainian drone technology to develop their own weapons. It seems President Trump, having just lost a major war to another drone pioneering nation, thinks the USA does not need any outside help.

China dominates the market for drone components and drone manufacturing so it is not unreasonable to reduce dependancy upon it. The best way to proceed might be what Ukraine and other European nations are doing: finding or building their own alternative sources whilst still using Chinese components for the time being.

NEWS FROM THE FRONTLINE

The good news continues for Ukraine. Russian advances are stalled as the Drone Wall wreaks havoc. Ukraine continues to liberate territory, and Drapatyi’s reforms proceed.

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YET ANOTHER RUSSIAN VEHICLE COLUMN LAID WASTE

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• FPV drones destroy Russian military transport column nearly 20 km behind the line of contact
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  “The strike shows Ukrainian drone reach extending deeper into the rear, where Russian forces had apparently expected greater safety. “

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DRAPATYI’S ARMY REFORMS CONTINUE

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Two of the most serious criticisms of Drapatyi’s predecessor was that Gen.Syrskyi tore apart experienced regiments and brigades into their constituent batallions then dispatched those individually to different hot spots of fighting along the 1300km frontline as ‘fire-fighters’. They would lose cohesion and often be forced to fight alongside similarly weakened units they had no familiarity with. It led to unnecessary high casualties.

Syrskyi then established new assault regiments independent of the army corps structure to do the ‘fire-fighting’ job. But he filled them (often to a bloated size) with troops transferred from other brigades thus weakening those units’s combat effectiveness and duplicating the problem all over again. One of Drapatyi’s most urgent tasks is to unravel this organisational mess. It was made worse by a few of the new assault regiments becoming a law unto themselves with horrific consequences for the soldiers in those commands.

• Scandal-hit Skelia assault regiment to fight under Azov Corps command as Drapatyi’s reforms gain momentum
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  “The 425th ‘Skelia’ Separate Assault Regiment will remain independent but [will] operate as part of 1st National Guard ‘Azov’ Corps command, with its scattered units gradually being brought together on the same section of the front…
  
  The move comes amid scrutiny of Skelia following an investigation into dozens of non-combat deaths among its recruits and ongoing criminal proceedings over alleged abuse.
  
  Skelia [was] also criticized for its allegedly reckless approach to the lives of its soldiers when conducting assault operations, with some prominent Ukrainian volunteers, ex-commanders and thought leaders comparing the unit’s tactics to those of Russian forces.”

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RUSSIAN OBSESSION WITH GAS PIPELINES CONTINUES

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• Captured Russian soldier describes 27km crawl that killed most of his group before reaching Ukrainian lines
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  “Russian assault troops spent [three] days crawling through a 27 kilometre pipe to reach Ukrainian lines...
  
  When the group emerged onto open ground, Ukrainian [drones and] troops hit them… The wounded were abandoned by their own side. Russian command was in no hurry to evacuate them, and despite wounds and Ukrainian drone strikes, the assault troops were ordered only to keep moving forward…
  
  Of the 16 Russians who set out, only about 8 reached the forest, and later, just 4 survived and ultimately surrendered [to] Ukraine’s 71st Separate Air Assault Brigade.”

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UKRAINE LIBERATES OVER 745 SQUARE KILOMETRES IN JUNE-JULY

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• Ukraine Claims Heavy Russian Losses, Successful Counteroffensive in South
  link
  “The Russian army suffered some of its heaviest personnel losses of the war in July, while Kyiv’s forces made their largest territorial gains in more than a year, according to Ukrainian official statements released this week.”

• Ukraine’s Defense Forces Liberate 26 Settlements in Oleksandrivka Sector
  link
  “Ukrainian forces reportedly liberated approximately 745 square kilometers (288 square miles), retaking 26 settlements along a 60-kilometer (37-mile) front and placing them under full Ukrainian control.
  
  Of the liberated settlements, 12 are located in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, 10 in the Donetsk region, and four in the Zaporizhzhia region. In addition, Ukrainian forces cleared more than 300 square kilometers of rear areas occupied by enemy forces.”

NEWS OF THE MIDDLE STRIKE

As always, there are umpteen video compilations showing the relentless pace of Ukraine’s Middle Strike campaign against Russian logistics. Attacks on Crimean supplies, power infrastructure, and military bases also continue at a high tempo.

Here are a few of the more unusual incidents this week, including perhaps the first deep fake video of a Middle Strike attack.

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RUSSIAN TRUCK RECEIVES UNWANTED HOOD ORNAMENT

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• A very lucky Russian military truck after being hit by a Ukrainian Anubis strike drone
  link
  “The drone failed to detonate, leaving its warhead lodged in the radiator. The white cylindrical warhead, weighing several dozen kilograms, can be seen [rammed into] the truck’s [radiator].”

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DEEP FAKED FUEL TANKER EXPLOSION?

——————————————

• Russian trucks and fuel tankers are being massively burned on the Simferopol–Novoazovsk highway [video]
  link
  “Running through Melitopol, Berdyansk, and Mariupol, this key land corridor to occupied Crimea is the main supply artery for Putin’s army to move troops, fuel, and ammunition.”

Normally, a video clip like this would be the ‘BOOM OF THE WEEK’, but it looks highly suspicious.

I could be wrong, but I’m pretty certain this really is a deep fake. An explosion this size would generate a visible shock wave ahead of the fireball and that is missing. Also the explosion is too clean, too ‘Hollywood CGI’, when compared to the video quality in the rest of the frame. Plus the two people roadside in the middle distance don’t react as you would to such a massive fireball nearby. Finally, on such a busy road, you would expect to see multiple dashboard camera videos of such a dramatic explosion. None have been posted online. It’s all just not quite right.

Let me know what you think. More and more deep fake videos are popping up. It’s pathetic because it only breeds mistrust and allows tankies to cry “Deep fake propaganda” about real videos they dislike.

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FPVS IN THE MIDDLE STRIKE - PART II

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Last week, I discussed why launching first-person view (FPV) drones carrying small warheads from naval drones close to shore is so effective. They are harder to shoot down, harder to detect, and are less likely to be blown off course by winds, allowing precision strikes on heavily defended high value targets.

This week, Magura naval drone carriers again demonstrated their worth. The cost-benefit ratio of these attacks is off the scale.

• Launched from a naval drone, FPV drones struck two Russian S-400 missile launchers [video]
  link1
  link2
  “To strike the high-value Russian targets, Magura multipurpose maritime [drones] equipped with FPV drones [were used]. The estimated losses of the Russian army resulting from the operation could reach tens of millions of dollars… A drone control antenna [was also destroyed]”

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SHAHED NAVIGATIONAL BEACON ON CRIMEA TAKEN OUT

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• Russia steers its long-range Shahed drones from ground towers—Kyiv says it hit one in occupied Crimea
  link
  “Ukraine struck a Russian drone-control relay station used to control Geran and Gerbera attack drones near Olenivka in occupied Crimea.… Russia launches its attack drones at Ukraine from sites inside Russia and across occupied territory every day, and relay stations let it steer those drones over long distances…
  
  Occupied Crimea has three villages named Olenivka, and the General Staff did not say which one it meant. The likeliest is in the Yevpatoria district, at the tip of the Tarkhankut peninsula—Crimea’s westernmost cape and its closest point across the Black Sea to mainland Ukraine’s Odesa Oblast, a frequent target of Russian drones launched from the peninsula.”

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BUKS GO BOOM

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It always makes me happy to see one of the missile systems that was used to murder the passengers and crew of Malaysian Airline Flight MH-17 in 2014 be blown to pieces. This week, I count four Buks reported destroyed. Here are the two of them:

• Ukrainian Drones Destroy Buk-M2 and Buk-M3 Air Defense Systems (Video)
  link
  “Ukrainian drone operators struck two key elements of Russia’s layered air defense network, destroying Buk-M2 and Buk-M3 surface-to-air missile systems.”

UKRAINE’S LONG-RANGE WAR

This week, Ukraine has expanded the scope of its attacks on the petrochemical industry. It has also begun attacking multiple targets in the same city at the same time. A great idea.

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UKRAINIAN ATTACKS EXPAND TO INCLUDE TO NATURAL GAS CONDENSATES

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• Ukrainian UAVs reached Tobolsk in Russia’s Tyumen region for the first time
  link1
  link2
  link3
  link4
  “Explosions at Russia’s massive petrochemical and gas-fractionation complex in Tobolsk, Tyumen Oblast, followed by a fire…. ZapSibNeftekhim is Russia’s largest petrochemical complex, owned by the SIBUR holding company. The facility processes up to 8 million tonnes of natural gas liquids annually and is located roughly 2,150 km from the frontline. The [plant] processes 6.6 million tons of feedstock annually and produces materials considered critical to Russia’s military-industrial complex.
  
  Satellite analysis of the strike on the ZapSibNeftekhim/SIBUR complex showed the disabled CGFU-1 unit was badly damaged. The unit handles around 3.8 million tonnes of feedstock annually, 51% of the plant’s capacity. ZapSibNeftekhim subsequently halted production.”

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RUSSIAN REFINERIES ROUNDUP

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• A major fire broke out at Russia’s Komsomolsk oil refinery in Khabarovsk Krai, roughly 6,500 km from Ukraine. The Rosneft refinery has a design capacity of about 8.5 million tonnes of crude oil per year.

• The Orsk oil refinery in Orenburg Oblast was attacked by drones overnight Monday. The refinery has a processing capacity of about 6.6 million tonnes of crude oil per year and is located roughly 1,450 km from the front line. All four atmospheric-vacuum distillation (AVT) towers were hit and all production was halted.

• Drones attacked the Taneco refinery, Nizhnekamsk, Republic of Tatarstan, early Tuesday morning.

• The Salavat oil refinery in Russia’s Bashkortostan is burning following an early morning strike, Thursday. The refinery has a design capacity of around 10 million tonnes of crude oil per year and is located roughly 1,300 km from the Ukrainian border.

• On Friday, the Ust-Luga port and refinery outside St.Petersburg were attacked gain. Satellite images show damage to NOVATEK Ust-Luga’s gas-condensate fractionation unit and a combined hydrocracking unit. The complex processes condensate into higher-value products including jet fuel, gasoil, marine fuel components and LPG.

——————————————

ORSK MUNITIONS PLANT ALSO ATTACKED

——————————————

In addition to the attack that crippled the Orsk oil refinery (see above), another priority target nearby was attacked simultaneously.

• Ukrainian drones also hit Orsk Mechanical Plant, around 1,500 km from Ukraine
  link
  “The Rostec-linked plant supplies artillery cartridge cases and components for multiple-launch rocket systems”.

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WILDBERRIES ROUNDUP

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• Wildberries logistics hub in Voronezh was burning after a drone attack. The massive complex covers 156,000 square meters. It is capable of storing over 90 million items. Up to 1.8 million goods pass through the hub daily.

• In the Tver region, a drone attack damaged the Wildberries warehouse in the Kalinin district for the second time.

• Drones attacked a rented Wildberries hub in Bashkortostan. Here is video of three drones striking the warehouse.

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• Is a fifth or well over half of Wildberries gone—or can both counts be right?
  link
  “Estimates of how much of Wildberries Ukraine has burned run from a fifth of the network to well over half. Which is right depends on what you count. And some of the loudest claims don’t survive a check.”

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MYSTERIOUS (AND VERY SUCCESSFUL) UKRAINIAN DRONE NAMED

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• Shahed-Like UAV That Attacked Targets in Russia Identified as Ukrainian MICH 2000
  link
  “These drones attacked the Russian strategic aviation base Engels-2 in the Saratov region on the night of July 16.
  
  Satellite imagery later confirmed the destruction of a Russian Tu-95MS strategic bomber-missile carrier. The strike completely destroyed the aircraft’s rear section, making it beyond repair
  
  On July 4, MICH 2000 drones attacked an optical-mechanical [defence] plant in the city of Azov, Rostov region.
  
  The largest known use of the drones occurred during a strike on the [oil-export] port of Ust-Luga, when more than 20 UAVs reached their targets simultaneously.”

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SAVASLEIKA AIRFIELD ATTACKED AGAIN

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This airforce base is the home of the Mig-31 Knzhal hypersonic missile carriers. By air-launching ballistic missile, Ukrainian defences have little tie to react to it. And time to track accurately on radar is essential to successful intercepts of ballistic missiles.

• Ukraine Attacked the Savasleika Airfield, Where MiG-31Ks—Carriers of Kinzhal [Hypersonic] Missiles—Are Stationed
  link
  “The airfield is home to various modifications of the MiG-31 fighter jet, including the MiG-31K, which carries the air-launched Kh-47M2 Kinzhal ballistic missiles.”

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RUSSIA WILL SOON FACE A DIFFICULT CHOICE

——————————————

As predicted last week, Russia may soon regret using expensive S-400 missiles to attack Ukraine’s cities instead of stock-piling them for their intended purpose. Ukraine is very bullish about the speed at which its new FP-7 and FP-9 ballistic missiles are preparing for mass production. And there is also the Freya ballistic missile interceptor variant of the FP-7 being fast-tracked with a consortium of ten European nations.

• Ukraine’s new ballistic missiles would make Russia choose: bomb Kyiv or defend Moscow
  link
  “Russia uses its S-400 air defence missiles in a surface strike mode. Once Ukrainian ballistic missiles start raining down, this may no longer be an option.”

PETROL QUEUES & OTHER RUSSIAN NEWS

FUEL SHORTAGES BITE DEEP IN RUSSIA

——————————————

As ever, The Insider delivered another superbly sourced story this week. If they can do it, the far better resourced mainstream news outlets could. But they don’t. Of course they don’t. Because this is the Under-Reported War.

• “Many won’t make it through the year”: Fuel shortages are hitting businesses across Russia
  link
  “After Ukraine intensified its campaign of drone attacks against Russian fuel infrastructure in late June, gasoline and diesel shortages began affecting a wide range of economic sectors across the country, including agriculture, tourism, and small businesses.”

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AFTER A THREE WEEK LULL, PETROL QUEUES REAPPEAR

——————————————

The Kremlin needs those shipments of Moroccan gasoline real bad.
(See ISSUE 46: MIGHTY OIL PRODUCER REDUCED TO IMPORTING MORE GASOLINE)

• Fuel queues appear again across Russia [video]
  link
  “Footage from recent days shows lines at gas stations in Moscow, Tula, Orsk, Gelendzhik, Sochi and Adler, as well as occupied Crimea. Reports from the Moscow region say 95-octane gasoline is in short supply, after a brief period of stability.”

• “So, the ‘gas apocalypse’ has arrived in Sochi” [video]
  link
  “Fuel shortages have reached Sochi in Russia’s Krasnodar Krai… “Well, anyway, we’ve been at the gas station for about 12 hours now.””

• Video shows a two kilometre queue at a gas station in Adler, Krasnodar Krai [video]
  link
  “The first massive gas station queues are already appearing in the new wave of Russia’s fuel crisis.”

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A RUSSIAN RETREATS TO THE 19TH CENTURY

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• Queue-jumping on horseback [video]
  link
  “A Russian from Smolensk ironizes while filming the gas station lines in his city. Russia’s fuel crisis spreads across regions despite imports from “friendly countries,” with queues at stations in at least 19 regions and some limiting sales to 30 litres per car.”

——————————————

OIL BONANZA GONE, KREMLIN TURNS TO UNPOPULAR TAXES

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• Russia’s oil money is drying up—so its own people are paying for the war
  link
  “Moscow will not run out of cash soon, but it is running out of politically affordable ways to raise it… Fresh figures show the Iran oil windfall came and went—and Russia, further behind than before, is now reaching for pensions and paychecks.”

RUSSIA’S LONG-RANGE WAR

Lots of positive news for Ukraine this week. Skynex shows its prowess. Lots of new specialist interceptors can now take down the fastest Russian kamikaze drones, high flying drones, and surveillance drones. And one drone manufacturer’s drones took down 16,000 Russian drones in July.

——————————————

SKYNEX IN ACTION

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• Ukrainian Air Force 35mm Skynex anti-aircraft gun in action [video]
  link
  “[The video shows] the interception of a pair of Russian Shahed drones and a cruise missile, either a Kalibr or Iskander-K.”

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UPDATED LIVTAR+ INTERCEPTOR ACHIEVES 400KM/H

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• Higher Speed LITAVR+ Interceptor Drones Can Kill Jet-Powered Shaheds
  link
  “F-Drones has unveiled an updated version of the LITAVR+ interceptor drone, designed to take down jet-powered Shaheds, which flies at speeds exceeding 400 km/h... The developer notes that the drone has its own navigation system that does not rely on GPS, as well as target-tracking capabilities (last mile or pixel lock).”

——————————————

HIGH ALTITUDE INTERCEPTOR UNVEILED

——————————————

• Ukraine Unveils Last Shadow T200 Drone Interceptor With Video [Jamming] Protection
  link
  “The drone is designed to protect cities and operate along the line of contact, including intercepting enemy targets such as Shahed/Geran, Gerbera and Molniya drones. The [drone] has a stated maximum speed of 300 km/h and a practical ceiling of 5 km. It has an endurance of one hour at cruising speed and about 40 minutes at higher speeds.
  
  The aircraft features a movable camera that can be lowered and raised to improve target search, as well as a system for switching between video channels and frequency bands to counter the Russian Shtora image-spoofing system”

——————————————

FPV TRANSFORMED INTO FRONTLINE RECON DRONE HUNTER

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• Jam-Resistant FPV drone repurposed to hunt Russian recon drones
  link
  “The Kolibri-i10 came from an improvised solution that worked. The idea grew from using the FPV drone Kolibri 10 to intercept Russian fixed-wing drones, and combat experience showed the approach was so effective that TAF built a new, specialized interceptor rather than modifying the existing model.
  
  Its job is hunting Russian reconnaissance and strike drones. The Kolibri-i10 is designed to destroy Molniya, Orlan, and Zala drones, preventing attacks on Ukrainian positions and covering operations and rear-area sites.”

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16,000 SUCCESSFUL FILLS IN ONE MONTH

——————————————

• General Cherry Interceptor Drones Took Out Over 16,000 Aerial Targets in July, Day and Night
  link
  “In July, drones manufactured by General Cherry struck over 16,000 aerial targets. The majority of the targets hit were enemy winged drones — more than 13,000. Another 3,000-plus were various types of copter drones.”

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NEW EFFECTIVE RUSSIAN ONBOARD JAMMERS

——————————————

And the spiral of innovation followed by counter-innovation continues. However, this jamming won’t stop semi-autonomous interceptors with machine recognition targeting. This will only speed up the wider adoption of that technology.

• Upgraded Shahed drones now use onboard electronic warfare to disrupt Ukrainian interceptor FPV drones [video]
  link
  “Ukrainian military expert Serhii “Flash” published footage he said showed an interceptor’s video feed being overwhelmed by interference as it approached a Shahed. “

SHADOW FLEET NEWS

WHAT IS THE SHADOW FLEET?

——————————————

This week, the Kyiv Independent publishes a good overview of what the Russian Shadow Fleet is, and of the hunt for Shadow Fleet tankers.

• How Russia’s shadow fleet forced Europe back to sea
  link
  “Europe’s campaign to choke off Russia’s ability to finance its war in Ukraine through oil revenues began with sanctions, legislation, and price caps. But as hundreds of ships helped Moscow evade those restrictions, Western governments increasingly backed those measures with aggressive maritime enforcement — deploying naval power and pirate-like tactics to disrupt the shadow fleet.
  
  As of May 2026, a Ukrainian government register has identified 1,404 vessels belonging to Russia’s so-called shadow fleet. Those ships are almost always dangerously old, uninsured, and registered in third countries where there are fewer laws to follow, so-called flags of convenience.
  
  Moscow coordinates them to carry mostly oil, but also other sanctioned products like grain illegally taken from occupied territory in southern Ukraine”

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PUTIN ACCIDENTALLY CONFIRMS SHADOW FLEET TANKERS ARE RUSSIAN

——————————————

Officially, Russia denies the existence of the Shadow Fleet. t least, it did until Putin opened his mouth this week.

• Putin threatens retaliation if European countries seize Russian commercial vessels
  link
  “Putin said Moscow would respond “in kind” and not necessarily in the same waters where Russian ships are targeted. He called potential EU seizures and sales of Russian vessels and property “piracy.””

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RUSSIA EXPANDS LIQUIFIED NATURAL GAS SHADOW FLEET TO BEAT BAN

——————————————

• ​Why Is Russia Suddenly Buying Up Old LNG Carriers?
  link
  “Russia is urgently expanding what it calls a shadow fleet of liquefied natural gas (LNG) carriers ahead of the European Union’s planned ban on Russian LNG imports, according to Ukraine’s Foreign Intelligence Service.
  
  The EU embargo is set to take effect on January 1, 2027, prompting Moscow to prepare for the loss of access to one of its key LNG markets. According to Ukrainian intelligence, Russia is attempting to build up its own fleet of vessels that could keep its LNG exports moving despite the restrictions.
  
  Unlike oil tankers, LNG carriers are significantly more expensive and technically complex. A new LNG carrier can cost up to $300 million and requires specialized cryogenic systems capable of keeping liquefied gas at around -162°C. This makes rapidly building a new fleet difficult for Russia.”

SABOTAGE, FALSE FLAGS, ACTIVE MEASURES, AND ASSASSINATIONS

RUSSIAN ‘GOOGLE MAPS’ SPY SENTENCED

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• Ukrainian railway engineer spied on Lyman’s defenses for Russia using Google Maps
  link
  “A Ukrainian court sentenced the former chief engineer of Lyman’s locomotive depot to 15 years in prison with property confiscation for helping Russia target the frontline city, Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) said on 11 August.
  
  Investigators report he sent a Russian handler the locations of Ukrainian positions intended for guided-bomb and artillery strikes… According to the SBU, the former engineer traveled around Lyman and its outskirts to record Ukrainian military bases. He marked possible targets on Google Maps, then sent screenshots to a handler in Russia through a messaging app.”

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RUSSIAN MATRYOSHKA BOTS TARGET GERMAN ELECTIONS

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Previously, the Kremlin’s Social Design Agency (SDA) and GRU used the Matryoshka bot network to target the French 2027 elections, this year’s Hungarian election, terrorist scare stories in Germany, and Germany’s Chancellor Merz.

• German counterintelligence warns of Russian Matryoshka bot campaign before September’s state and local elections
  link
  “This campaign is characterized by short English-language videos that mimic the layout of well-known German media outlets. Using sensationalist headlines and biased claims, it spreads narratives aimed at polarizing East and West Germany, stirring up anti-federal sentiment, and discrediting state and local politicians,” Germany’s Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV) said.”

WAR CRIME NEWS

UKRAINIAN PRISONERS OF WAR EXECUTED RISES TO MORE THAN 345

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• “They laid down their weapons, raised their hands”: Russia has executed at least 345 surrendered Ukrainian soldiers on the ground
  link
  “The figure is the latest point on a documented and rising curve of a systematic war crime. Ukraine’s prosecutors and international monitors have tracked these killings from 268 confirmed by July 2025 to over 330 by March 2026. Financial Times investigation found the executions appear to be systematic military policy directed from Russian command, with intercepted orders to “shoot prisoners on the spot.””

INTENTIONALLY HILARIOUS MOMENT OF THE WEEK

MOLDOVAN DEFENCE MINISTER REFUSES TO REPLY IN RUSSIAN DESPITE SPEAKING RUSSIAN

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The national language of Moldova is, of course, Moldovan. However, it has Russian soldiers on its eastern border occupying the breakaway smuggler’s paradise of Transnistria which is Russian-speaking. Moldova wants them gone. At a press conference this week, Moldova’s Defence Minister Nosatîi handled a question asked in Russian with dignity and immaculate timing.

• “I don’t understand you.” [video]
  link
  “Anatolie Nosatîi, Moldova’s Minister of Defense, refused to listen to the Russian occupiers’s language during a briefing and interrupted a journalist who tried to ask him a question in Russian. Following this, the journalist immediately switched to the state language….
  
  The minister’s biography states that he speaks Russian and studied in Ukraine for four years, having completed a tactical intelligence course at the Kyiv Higher Combined Arms Command School and an infantry training course in Odesa.”

FOREIGN AID, COOPERATION, & INVESTMENT IN UKRAINE

UNDISCLOSED TRANSFER APPEARS ON FRONTLINE

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Increasingly, Sweden, Finland and other nations are only confirming military aid to Ukraine once it is in use.

• Azov Brigade Receives Finnish PMPV 6×6 MiSu Armoured Vehicle
  link
  “The transfer of the vehicle to Ukraine had not previously been publicly reported, making this the first confirmed appearance of this model in service with Ukraine’s Defence Forces… It is worth noting that although Finland has provided military aid to Ukraine, the contents of its aid packages are traditionally classified, so the exact number and types of equipment delivered are not disclosed. Judging by its camouflage pattern, the vehicle shown previously appears to have served with the Finnish Navy.
  
  Another such unexpected transfer was the RBS-15 coastal anti-ship missile system, which the Ukrainian Navy used in April to strike the Russian drilling platform Sivash.”

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JOINT PRODUCTION NEWS

——————————————

Another week, another deal to manufacture ammunition for Ukraine in the safety of a NATO member’s territory.

• Ukrainian Defense Firm DEMZ to Build Ammunition Plant in Lithuania
  link
  “Lithuania’s Ministry of Economy and Innovation has signed an agreement with the Ukrainian defense company DEMZ to establish an ammunition manufacturing plant in the country. The project involves operations in two locations both in Lithuania. A new manufacturing facility will be built in the Prienai district, while production will also take place at an existing site in Alytus.
  
  Construction of the new facility is scheduled to begin in autumn 2026, with production expected to launch by the end of 2027.”

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SOUTH KOREA’S SELF-CONTRADICTORY REFUSAL TO SELL WEAPONS TO UKRAINE

——————————————

Ukraine is in desperate need of air defence systems that can shoot down Russian ballistic missiles. South Korea’s medium range KM-SAM II missile system is armed with a proven hit-to-kill ballistic missile interceptor. The KM-SAM 2 is available to be sold around the world, but not, very specifically, to Ukraine despite repeated requests from President Zelensky.

• Seoul Will Not Provide Lethal Aid to Ukraine Despite Increased Cooperation Between North Korea and Russia
  link
  “Back in November 2022, Seoul had promised to provide Kyiv with artillery shells, but later reversed its decision and limited its assistance to non-lethal aid…. Seoul has offered Ukraine support in various areas, including energy, infrastructure, healthcare, and education.”

South Korea’s excuse is that it won’t sell weapons to Ukraine because it is at war. However, earlier this year, it sold a KM-SAM II system to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) despite the UAE’s enthusiastic participation in the Iran War.

So, if Ukraine’s wartime status is not the true reason, what is? The answer is, surprise, surprise, Russia.

Russia is exchanging advanced missile technology with North Korea. Just this month, North Korean soldiers are again fighting Ukraine. North Korean ballistic missiles are being used in the bombardment of Ukraine’s cities. You might think any of these were good reasons for South Korea to support Ukraine’s struggle. There might even soon come a time when the roles are reversed and South Korea needs the support of as many friends as possible.

Yet, in the name of maintaining good relations with Russia, South Korea refuses to act despite all the evidence that Russia is clearly not its friend, but the main backer of its most bitter enemy.

• South Korea Supplies KM-SAM II Air Defense Systems to UAE for Ballistic Defense While Ukraine Faces Refusal
  link
  “South Korea has delivered another KM-SAM II air defense system to the United Arab Emirates despite ongoing hostilities in the region. Notably, Ukraine has previously been denied access to this system due to its wartime status... South Korea has declined to supply such systems to Ukraine, citing domestic legislation that prohibits arms exports to countries at war. ”

EUROPE & CANADA REARM

LOYAL WINGMEN & 6TH GENERATION FIGHTER NEWS

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• India Seeks to Join Development of French FCAS Fighter
  link
  “India has begun official steps toward joining [Airbus’] Future Combat Air System (FCAS) sixth-generation fighter program….The Indian Air Force and Navy seek to avoid falling behind China, which already operates the J-20 and J-35 fighters and is testing sixth-generation fighter prototypes.
  
  India is also developing its own combat aircraft programs, including the fifth-generation AMCA fighter and the carrier-based TEDBF fighter. At the same time, participation in an international project could complement these programs and give the country access to emerging combat aviation technologies.”

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GERMAN PRODUCTION OF ATACMS MISSILES BEGINS NEXT YEAR

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Despite the wholesale shift away from US weapons by European nations, there are still plenty of deals in place for weapons which cannot be sourced elsewhere. The F-35 is the most obvious. The highly effective ATACMS short range missile is another.

• Rheinmetall Plans to Deliver First Batches of Its Own ATACMS Missiles in 2028
  link
  “The production line is scheduled to be deployed in 2027, and serial assembly is expected to begin at the end of that same year.
  
  It was previously reported that production of rocket engines and guided missile components at the German facility is planned to begin as early as 2027.
  
  As part of the project, the companies have established a joint venture with the support of the U.S. and German governments, which will serve as a European center for the production, integration, and maintenance of missile systems for the armed forces of NATO countries and allies.”

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GERMAN MILITARY RECOVERY CONTINUES

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• Germany to Reopen Five Former Military Bases
  link
  “The restoration of military infrastructure is linked to Germany’s plans to significantly increase the size of the Bundeswehr. By 2035, the country aims to increase the number of active-duty contract soldiers to at least 260,000, while expanding the reserve to 200,000 military personnel.
  
  A key element of the army’s expansion will be a new military service model. It is intended to train a larger number of service members and build up a significantly larger reserve.”

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NATO IMPLEMENTS ONE OF UKRAINE’S KEYS TO BATTLEFIELD SUCCESS

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• NATO Reshapes Eastern Flank Defence Based on Lessons From Ukraine War
  link
  “NATO is restructuring its approach to defending the eastern flank, taking into account Ukraine’s experience in the war with Russia… The alliance plans to integrate drones, satellites, sensors, and strike systems into a single network, designed to accelerate the detection and repulsion of potential Russian attacks…
  
  On the eastern flank—from Finland to the Black Sea—unmanned systems could eventually perform a significant portion of reconnaissance and target-identification tasks.”

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SOMETIMES THE BEST DEFENCES ARE THE SIMPLEST DEFENCES

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• Lithuania to Dig Trenches and Restore Wetlands Along Borders With Russia and Belarus
  link
  “The Lithuanian government has approved a decision to strengthen border defenses, including the construction of engineering barriers, the restoration of wetlands, and the digging of anti-tank trenches and ditches in case of an attack… In particular, along the border with Belarus and Russia’s Kaliningrad region, a 20-meter-wide strip of engineering obstacles will be established by the end of 2028. In key defense areas, it will be expanded to 150 meters.
  
  By the end of the year, legislation will require bridges, already at the design and renovation stages, to include structures for rapid demolition, as well as to restore defensive trenches and river channels… The approved measures are intended to make it as difficult as possible for enemy armored vehicles to move through the country by combining fortifications with natural obstacles.”

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STUNNING SPEED OF GRIPEN TURNAROUND TO INCREASE

——————————————

• Sweden Cuts Gripen Turnaround From 15 to 10 Minutes Including Hot Rearming
  link
  “Team of one officer and five conscripts does full refuel, rearm and relaunch... [New] measures are being implemented to reduce the standard [time] from 15 to 10 minutes, Swedish Air Force Commander Jonas Wikman said.
  
  Behind the speed stands [the] Bas 90 infrastructure system. It provides for not only creating backup runways throughout [the] country, only part of which are on highway sections, but also hundreds of kilometres of taxiways, hundreds of protected shelters for aircraft and ground equipment. Creating and proper storage of corresponding spare parts, equipment and weapons stocks at reserve sites. And also — proper personnel training.”

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SHAHED-LIKE DRONES USED FOR TARGET PRACTICE AT NATO EXERCISE

——————————————

• Drone Interceptors Tested Against Shahed-Like UAVs in NATO exercise
  link
  “During the NATO Baltic Trust 26 exercises at the “Selija” training ground in Latvia, counter-drone systems, including interceptor drones, were tested... [including] the interception of a ‘Shahed’ target drone.
  
  Approximately 650 personnel from Latvia, NATO member states, and partner nations, including Ukraine, Australia, and Japan, participated in the exercises. In the exercises, radars, sensors, cameras, electronic warfare systems, and other solutions designed to detect, track, and neutralize drones were tested.”

That’s all for now. See you next week. Feel free to post and errors, omission, or other comments.

All reports are linked to their sources so you can read the original if you’d like to. If you have any questions, detect errors and omissions, or need more detail, just let me know.

Here are some of the things you probably did not hear about for the week from Sunday 2nd to Saturday 8th August 2026:

By the way, today is Day 1,227 of Putin’s 3-Day Special Military Operation.

HEADLINES THAT NEVER WERE
(BUT SHOULD HAVE BEEN)

As ever, welcome to The Under Reported War.

Record Russian Casualties in July

• Russia Lost 42,860 Troops in July, More Than 30,000 Hit by Drones
  link
  “Russian forces suffered a record 42,860 personnel casualties in July, the highest monthly figure recorded since the beginning of the year.
  
  In the first seven months of 2026, Russian personnel losses, including both wounded and killed, totalled 238,650. July was also marked by a high intensity of combat operations.According to the Ukrainian General Staff, 7,922 combat engagements were recorded last month.”

This is the highest total in 2026 so far, and all for a minute gain of 37.85 square kilometres. That’s just over half area of the tiny Crown Dependency island of Guernsey in the English Channel. You might recall that some think tank experts and panicky journalists back in May were warning that two huge armoured offensives were going to break the Ukrainian army this summer. Embarrassing.

No Sale for Russia’s Dud Stealth Fighter

• India Rules Out Purchase of Russian Su-57 Fighters
  link
  “India’s Defense Minister announced that the country does not plan to purchase Russian Su-57E fighter jets and will instead focus on upgrading its existing fleet of Su-30MKI aircraft..
  
  New Delhi plans to upgrade some of its fleet of about 260 fourth-generation Su-30MKI fighters to the 4.5+ generation, turning them into combat platforms equipped with Indian radars and long-range precision weapons.”

Danes Plan ‘Maritime Fortress’ to Save Ukraine Grain Exports

Russia’s campaign against Ukraine’s grain exports has brought shipping to a halt. That has huge implications for the global food supply. Ukraine has no defence in depth against Shahed drones if they attack from the Black Sea. Many are still shot down, but there is no attrition along their flight path until they get close to Odesa. A novel drone-based solution is going to be put in place in an attempt to shoot down more Shaheds over the sea.

• A swarm of naval drones against “Shaheds”: Denmark prepares a €12m defense for Odesa
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  “Danish defense company BlueShadow expects Ukraine’s Defence Ministry to certify its BlueDragon maritime air defence system by late 2026, with deployment planned for Spring 2027. The company says the [missile-firing linked sea-going drones] will intercept Russian Shahed drones over the Black Sea before they reach Odesa and other ports.
  
  It involves a swarm of autonomous unmanned boats capable of operating at a distance of approximately 10-20 kilometres from the shore. The swarm is intended to operate as a single network. The boats will exchange data in real time, each sharing information from their own sensors and with Ukrainian command systems, after which the software will determine which drone should move to intercept an aerial target.”

Patriot Replacement: Ukraine’s missile, Europe’s sensors

Like a well-aimed custard pie, the Law of Unintended Consequences hits Putin in his face again. He is potentially going to be facing the whole of Europe armed with the Freyja ballistic missile interceptor whose supply is not dependent on the whims of fickle American presidents.

• Freyja enters active development on an early-2027 clock
  link
  “Ten countries are combining Ukrainian missiles and launchers with European radars and sensors as Russia exposes a widening gap in Ukraine’s air defenses.
  
  Each Freyja missile costs about $700,000, compared with roughly $4 million for a PAC-3 interceptor. However, FREYJA is not a one-for-one Patriot equivalent and has not yet demonstrated a ballistic-missile interception. The lower price could matter if Ukraine can manufacture it at scale.”

NEWS FROM THE FRONTLINE

UKRAINIAN DRONES NETS ENEMY DRONE

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Interceptors equipped with nets have been around for a couple of years. This video is an excellent example of how they work. Their big advantage is that the interceptor FPV is not destroyed in the attack. It can be reloaded with a new net and go hunting again.

• Russian fibre-optic FPV drone taken down by a net from a FPV drone [video]
  link

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DRAPATYI STARTS TO REFORM ARMY

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Former Chief Sergeant Valerii Markus is not just a strong leader on the battlefield, he is also not afraid to stand up to incompetent officers who endanger their troops unnecessarily. Three years ago he resigned out of frustration at the slow pace of change and the side-lining of chief master sergeants (sergeant-majors) by Soviet-era senior officers. The introduction of the rank of chief sergeant was meant to be a key step in modernising Ukraine’s army to NATO standards.

Now Markus could be back.

• Valerii Markus is reportedly under consideration to become chief sergeant of Ukraine’s Armed Forces
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  “Markus, former chief master sergeant of the 47th Mechanized Brigade. He became a prominent advocate for a professional NCO corps, stronger sergeant authority and reform of Soviet-style command practices….
  
  The role would focus on army reform and building the NCO corps into a full institution. Markus previously criticized the former military leadership, including Oleksandr Syrskyi.”

RUSSIA’S ‘INVINCIBLE’ WAR MACHINE

A weekly roundup of reports about the corruption, incompetence, and decline of Russia’s once-feared but now shambolic military and its suppliers.

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FROM RUSSIA CHINA WITH LOVE

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• Drone manufacturer caught red-handed passing off Chinese-made drones as Russian
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  “Yet another import substitution scandal has highlighted a persistent weakness in drone manufacture: economies of scale dictate Chinese dominance of components…
  
  An ongoing investigation into fraud at the drone manufacturer Transport of the Future has reportedly found that the company was relabelling imported Chinese drones as its own products. Its CEO, Yuro Kostarenko, was arrested in May.”

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RUSSIA FORCES POWS TO FIGHT FOR THEM

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This is yet another sign of how desperate Russia has become.

• In Violation of the Geneva Convention, Russia Forms New Unit from Ukrainian Prisoners of War
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  “Russian Telegram channels claim that the new unit was formed from Ukrainian prisoners of war, despite the fact that the use of prisoners of war in combat operations constitutes a war crime.”

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‘TANKIES’ CAN NOW DIE IN A RUSSIAN TANK

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Western fans of Putin and his police state are called ‘tankies’ because of their obsession with Russian tanks rolling over all opposition even thought these days they are mostly blown up.

• A new Comintern: How the Kremlin lures Western “socialists” into the Russian army
  link
  “Russia has built a network linking socialist and anti-globalist groups abroad under the banner of support for left-wing causes.
  
  The effort often starts with seemingly benign events such as community cleanups and discussion clubs before developing into street protests, disinformation campaigns, sabotage operations in Western countries, and even recruitment for Russia’s war in Ukraine.
  
  The Insider has identified several British and U.S. citizens who were recruited to fight for Russia with the help of “communists” and far-left activists.”

The irony is, of course, that the kleptocratic, ultra capitalist secret police state of Russia is about as far from communism and socialism as you can get, but still the ‘tankies’ cheer on the Kremlin.

NEWS OF THE MIDDLE STRIKE

For news of Middle Strike attacks on Russian shipping see the’ SHADOW FLEET NEWS’ section.

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LOGISTICS BURNING

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As ever, the Middle Strike campaign against military logistics and fuel continues. Here are a couple of video compilations that give a sense of the scale of this operation.

• A section of Russia’s land logistics corridor to Crimea [video]
  link
  “A freshly burned convoy and vehicles diverting around a damaged bridge across the river.”

• Signum unit strikes Russian rear-area logistics routes [video]
  link
  

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RUSSIAN KAMIKAZE DRONE BASE HEAVILY DAMAGED

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Drone storage bunkers were attacked and NASA FIRMS imagery confirms large fires broke out in Bryansk, Russia. Ukraine has not confirmed what ground-penetrating weapon was used to attack the bunkers.

• Underground Storage Facilities for Fuel and Warheads for Shahed Drones Were Struck in the Bryansk Region
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  “Satellite images released show craters and signs of fire at the site of three underground storage facilities containing fuel and munitions for Shahed/Geran-2 and Gerbera UAVs near Navlya in the Bryansk region.”

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UNIVERSITY HOCKEY STADIUM CONVERTED TO DRONE PILOT TRAINING COURSE DESTROYED

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• Ukrainian Drones Strike FPV Operator Training Ground in Belgorod
  link
  “Ukrainian drones attacked a building at Belgorod State Technological University, where the Russians had set up drone production and FPV operator training.
  
  “The university hockey stadium was used as an obstacle course “To train FPV operators, with nets, rings, and other obstacles.”

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ANOTHER VALUABLE S-400 MISSILE LAUNCHER HIT

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• High-End S-400 Missile Launcher Struck in Crimea [video]
  link
  “Footage claimed to show an FP-2 strike drone hitting Russian S-400 positions near Kerch, filmed by Russian troops at the site.”

There is a secondary explosion, so probably not a dummy.

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NAVAL DRONE CARRIERS LAUNCHES AERIAL ATTACK ON CRIMEA

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Footage of a naval drone carrier (see previous issues) launching first person view (FPV) drones in July at targets in Crimea has just been released. Why use FPVs when Middle Strike drones with larger warhead could be used? Because FPVs have very precise control. The winged Middle Strike drones are lightweight and vulnerable to even light eddies of wind pushing them off target. FPVs guarantee a precision attack.

• Naval drone carries launches FPV attack on Crimean radars [video]
  link
  “Ukraine’s latest Magura maritime platforms, equipped to launch FPV drones, struck two Russian radar assets in occupied Crimea in late July: a command vehicle from a Podlyot radar complex and a Parol-4 identification-friend-or-foe interrogator.”

UKRAINE’S LONG-RANGE WAR

REFINERY ROUNDUP

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• The Ufa oil-refining complex has now been hit for two consecutive weeks. Its three Bashneft refineries with a combined annual capacity of around 23.5 million tonnes of crude oil.

• Saratov oil refinery was ablaze once more following a massive drone attack.

• Volgograd Refinery halts crude processing.

• A strike on the Slavneft-YANOS refinery in Yaroslavl damaged the refinery’s key ELOU-1 and AVT-3 processing units, and four RVS-2000 crude oil tanks. With a processing capacity of around 15 million tonnes of crude oil annually, it is one of the five largest in the country.

• Three storage tanks, pipelines damaged in Unmanned Systems Forces and SSU strike on Tamanneftegaz Oil Terminal.

• The Syzran oil refinery was set ablaze again. At least three strikes hit the plant’s AVT unit and oil tanks. The plant has an annual processing capacity of roughly 7 to 8.9 million tonnes of oil.

• The Ilsky refinery in Krasnodar region was also hit on Friday night.
  

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• Russian oil refining fell to 3.6 million barrels per day in July
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  “[Production is] down 150,000 barrels per day (bpd) from June, according to Bloomberg. The report says this is Russia’s lowest monthly refining rate since May 2002. For comparison, July 2021 averaged 5.59 million bpd.
  
  Large Russian refineries and oil tankers, as well as sea and major pipeline infrastructure, were hit at least 30 times last month, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.”

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WILDBERRIES ROUNDUP

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• The Wildberries logistics hub in Aleksin can now be considered completely destroyed.

• The Wildberries logistics hub in Novosemeykino, Samara region burned and completely collapsed. Video of drone strike.

• The brand new 175,000-square-metre Wildberries’ Khryastovo logistics hub near Vladimir sustained significant damage after FP-1 drone strikes (video).

• On Wednesday, another Wildberries logistics hub in the Tula region was added to the list of destroyed facilities.

• Video of three Liutyi kamikaze drones striking the Wildberries logistics hub outside Yekaterinburg.

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• According to preliminary data, up to 28% of Wildberries’ logistics infrastructure has been damaged or destroyed (5th Aug)
  link
  The data is from 5th August. It is aready out of gate.

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SUBS DIVE TO ESCAPE DRONES

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Let’s hope they forget to close their hatches. (Btw, that has happened before.)

• Russia submerges subs during drone attacks
  link
  “Russia has begun submerging its submarines at the Novorossiysk naval base while leaving anti-drone protective structures mounted above them during Ukrainian drone attacks”

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UKRAINE’S DEEP STRIKE DRONE DEBUTS

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• Ukraine’s new Bravo drone is a cousin to America’s stealth bombers. It reaches Ufa in three hours
  link
  “Ukraine’s newest strike drone has a unique shape, with a blended wing and body… The shape confers greater efficiency, and thus greater range and payload, at certain speeds. And that helps it range deep inside Russia, faster, and with a heavier payload.
  
  Everything that has reached that deep into Russia until now has been propeller-driven, plodding along at less than 200 km/hr. A jet Bravo cruising at 600 km/hr covers the same 1,700 km in under three hours instead of nine and a half.“

PETROL QUEUES & OTHER RUSSIAN NEWS

BURDENED BY DEBT, RUSSIA’S RAILWAYS APPROACH BREAKING POINT

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• Russia’s Railways, Backbone of Its War Logistics, Are Sliding Into Crisis
  link
  “Burdened by mounting debt, declining freight volumes, and an emerging diesel fuel shortage, the Russian Railways (RZD) is once again raising prices in an effort to stabilize its finances.”
  
  The price hike came as RZD’s financial burden continues to grow. The company’s debt has approached 4 trillion rubles, while freight volumes continue to decline. Last year, the railway network transported only 1.1 billion tons of cargo, the lowest annual figure since 2009.
  
  Russia’s railway network remains the primary means of transporting heavy military equipment, ammunition, fuel, and industrial products across the country’s vast territory. Any deterioration in its financial position directly affects one of the key pillars supporting Russia’s war effort.

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PUTIN SCARED TO TRAVEL WEST

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• Putin Avoids Travel to Western Russia Amid Rising Drone Threat
  link
  “Since resuming domestic travel in June, Russian President Vladimir Putin has predominantly chosen destinations in Siberia and the Far East, reportedly to avoid regions further west that are frequently targeted by Ukrainian drones. He is expected to visit the Novosibirsk region next week.”

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KGB’S SUCCESSOR IN CRACKDOWN INSIDE RUSSIA

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• Putin Looks to FSB Hardliners to Keep Wartime Elite in Line
  link
  “Many of Russia’s elite fear the Federal Security Service (FSB) is out of control as President Vladimir Putin tasks the agency with maintaining his grip on power amid growing unease over the war in Ukraine.
  
  The FSB has been given free rein to investigate anyone with little or no accountability, and is behind the push to charge billionaire Pavel Durov with terrorism as part of efforts to restrict Telegram.
  
  Business tycoons are also being targeted by investigators and prosecutors amid a sweeping wartime asset grab that’s redistributing properties to people close to or loyal to the [Kremlin].
  
  “People are all scared, because no one knows who they’ll come for,” sociologist Ella Paneyakh said.”

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MIGHTY OIL PRODUCER REDUCED TO IMPORTING MORE GASOLINE

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First India, now Morocco.

• Russia to import gasoline from Morocco
  link
  “Ukrainian strikes have cut Russian refining to a two-decade low, forcing one of the world’ largest oil producers to buy finished fuel abroad—first from India, now from Morocco, shipped to the Arctic.”

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PUTIN SUBSIDISES STATE GAS STATIONS, LETS PRIVATE ONES SUFFER

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• Kremlin is squeezing independent gas stations out of its fuel market
  link
  “Russia cannot make more fuel. So it’s handing the market to the state-linked majors, and the independent ones are being cut out.”

RUSSIA’S LONG-RANGE WAR

Attacks continue almost nightly against cities and ports. You possibly heard about them. What you almost certainly won’y have heard is how brutal the attacks targeting civilians are.

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RUSSIA USES CLUSTER MUNITIONS AGAINST KYIV CIVILIANS

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Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second city, has been bombarded with ballistic missiles carrying cluster munitions since 2022. Kyiv’s civilian population is suffering the same attack.

• Russia Strikes Kyiv with Cluster-Warhead Ballistic Missile
  link
  “Footage shows numerous submunitions detonating almost simultaneously after the missile impact, a pattern consistent with the deployment of a cluster warhead.
  
  This pattern of impact is characteristic of cluster warheads, which disperse dozens of submunitions over the target after detonation.
  
  These submunitions are designed to engage personnel as well as lightly armored and unarmored vehicles across a designated area.”

MOBILISATION NEWS

UKRAINE INVESTIGATES ILLEGAL DRAFT EXEMPTIONS

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Memories are short. There hasn’t been a military in history where reluctant draftees did not go into hiding to avoid the draft. Even Nelson’s Royal Navy, arguably the most effective military force in history, relied upon press gangs to make up the numbers of its crews.

• Draft officers searched in Zakarpattia amid allegations of over 1,000 illegal exemptions, media reports
  link
  “Staff of the Ukrainian military’s draft offices and military medical commissions in the city of Mukachevo in Zakarpattia were allegedly searched on Aug. 6 by law enforcement in connection with over 1,000 alleged cases of men taken illegally off the draft register, Ukrainian media reported.
  
  The alleged searches reflect persistent problems in Ukraine’s strained mobilization system, where draft offices and medical commissions accept bribes from military-eligible men to provide exemption documents or remove them from the register entirely.”

SABOTAGE, FALSE FLAGS, ACTIVE MEASURES, AND ASSASSINATIONS

It’s been a busy week with failed Russian sabotage and assassinations in Germany and Ukraine. Ukraine’s successfully killed two more Russian generals in a Moscow restaurant. There are warnings of Russian false flag drone attacks in the Baltics. And Russia is accused of stirring up fears across Europe after the Ceuta incident.

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FIFTY PLUS ASSASSINATION ATTEMPTS, ZERO RUSSIAN SUCCESS

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• Over 50 Russian Assassination Attempts on Military Personnel via Honey Traps Foiled Since the Start of the Year
  link
  “Enemy agents use dating sites and themed chat rooms in messaging apps, where they use fake accounts to befriend military personnel and lure them into staged dates. The soldiers are then invited to prearranged locations where the assassination attempt takes place.
  
  Most often, Russian intelligence services use homemade explosive devices planted at the site of a planned attack to attempt to eliminate Ukrainian defenders. They also use lethal poisons synthesized from narcotic, psychotropic, and other chemical substances.
  
  In late July, the SSU reported the detention of FSB agents who attempted to eliminate several dozen Ukrainian soldiers by organizing a “charity” party for them.”

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GERMAN AIRPORT BUS DRIVER FOILS DRONE ATTACK WITH A KICK

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I suspect this guy was very lucky to survive.

• Explosive Drone Found Near Ukrainian An-124 in Germany
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  “A [FPV] drone carrying explosives was found near a Ukrainian An-124 Ruslan transport aircraft at Leipzig Airport in Germany during the night of August 5… The airport is a major NATO and cargo logistics hub.
  
  [A bus driver standing on the tarmac] spotted the drone flying low while he was working at Leipzig/Halle airport late on Tuesday, then kicked out at it. It crashed nearby.
  
  There are reports the transport was carrying ammunition but not necessarily to Ukraine.”

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TWO RUSSIAN AGENTS ARRESTED, ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT FOILED

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• Germany Thwarts Russian Plot to Assassinate Executive of Drone Supplier to Ukraine
  link
  “German authorities have thwarted a Russian intelligence operation to assassinate executives of defense companies supplying weapons to the Ukrainian military. One of the main targets was Stefan Thumann, an executive at German startup Donaustahl.
  
  Investigators have not ruled out that Russia was preparing another assassination attempt against a senior defense industry executive in Bavaria. This possibility was indicated by the discovery of explosives on June 11 at the Serbian-Hungarian border in a truck heading to the German region.
  
  Serbian police arrested two men in connection with the case — Danilo B. and Slobodan D. During checks of their mobile phones, investigators found direct contacts with Russian intelligence representatives.”

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TWO MORE RUSSIAN GENERALS KILLED IN RESTAURANT BOMBING

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I have lost count of the number of Russian generals killed in this war. It is definitely more than twenty but I don’t have the precise figure. Ukraine has lost none.

• Armed security forces have sealed off access to Moscow’s Balzi Rossi restaurant after bombing
  link
  “Seventeen people are reported to be in serious condition in Moscow hospitals. Between three and five dead. The venue had been closed today for a private banquet… A witness told ASTRA that a general’s birthday was being celebrated inside, with numerous military-plated vehicles and a Rosgvardiya bus parked nearby.”

• Two Russian Generals Die After Restaurant Bombing
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  Two senior Russian military officers have died under ‘unknown circumstance’s – Lieutenant General Igor Yerusalimov and an unidentified major general..”
  
  A funeral for an unidentified major general was held under tight secrecy at Moscow’s Troyekurovskoye Cemetery. According to one account, the officer may have been a close associate of Aleksandr Chaiko, the commander of Russia’s Aerospace Forces, who was reportedly present at the major general’s 55th birthday celebration.
  
  From early morning, officers from Russia’s Federal Protective Service were deployed at the cemetery, while several buses carrying Rosgvardia (National Guard) personnel were brought to the site.”

Btw, under the Russian system of ranks a lieutenant-general is of higher rank than a major-general.

• BREAKING: New information indicates that Russian Major General Valery Plokhotnyuk, a former deputy commander of the 49th Combined Arms Army, was among those killed in the 1 August bombing at Moscow’s Balzi Rossi restaurant.

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DANES WARN OF RUSSIAN CUETA INFOWARS

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• Denmark Accuses Russia of Hybrid Aggression Against the EU Linked to the Migration Crisis in Ceuta
  link
  “According to data from the Danish Ministry of Immigration and Integration, presented at an emergency meeting of EU ministers on the migration crisis in Spain, 2,000 fake articles and more than 6,000 fake social media posts originated from Russian actors and concern the situation in Ceuta and Morocco.”

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LITHUANIA WARNS OF RUSSIAN FLASE FLAG DRONE ATTACK

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• Russia May Attack the Baltic States with Ukrainian Drones – Lithuanian Intelligence
  link
  “Russia may use captured Ukrainian drones to attack critical infrastructure in the Baltic states… Through such actions, the Russians may be attempting to create uncertainty regarding the origin of the attack and deny responsibility for strikes on NATO territory. Lithuanian Defense Minister Robertas Kaunas confirmed the intelligence agency’s assessment.
  
  The incident in Moldova on June 8, 2026, [supports] this theory. During a massive Russian attack on Ukraine, one of the drones crossed the border and exploded on Moldovan territory. Local residents noticed Ukrainian inscriptions on the wreckage, and the Moldovan Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that the UAV was most likely of Ukrainian origin.
  
  The Russians may have obtained the drones after they were forced to land due to electronic warfare (EW) measures or crashed due to technical malfunctions… [They then] could have repaired, reprogrammed, or used the surviving drones to create copies.”

SHADOW FLEET NEWS

UKRAINE TO RECEIVE SHADOW FLEET TANKER

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• Sweden’s Supreme Court upheld the transfer to Ukraine of Shadow Fleet Tanker
  link
  “Sweden’s Supreme Court upheld the transfer to Ukraine of Caffa, a Russian shadow-fleet vessel accused of carrying grain from occupied Ukrainian territory. In June, a Swedish court seized the ship at Ukraine’s request in a Russian war-crimes investigation, the first such ruling in Sweden.”

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SANCTIONS WORK. WHO KNEW?

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• Georgia’s sanctioned Kulevi refinery is shifting away from Russian crude
  link
  “[It has been] processing Kazakh oil since July. Operator BSP expects a Libyan cargo in late August and says the refinery plans to use entirely non-Russian feedstock from August-September 2026.”

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SHADOW FLEET LOSSES EXCEED TWO HUNDRED

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• Ukraine claims it hit 12 more shadow fleet ships this week [video]
  link
  “Operation MoLoCHka’s total [rose] to 218 vessels [attacked] since July 6th. The Kerch Strait has been blocked for 30 straight days. Ship traffic in the Azov Sea dropped 90% in a month, from 134 vessels on July 6th to just 14 on August 6th.”

BOOM OF THE WEEK

I have two booms for you this week.

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BM-21 GRAD MLRS GOES BOOM!

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The officers in command of Russia’s feared multiple rocket launchers (MLRS) continue to display a lack of understanding that this year Ukraine’s drones now reach a lot further than previously.

• The 63rd Brigade found a fully loaded Russian Grad MLRS in the forest
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  “Capable of firing a salvo of 40 rockets in seconds, the Grad BM-21 is designed to saturate large areas with explosive fire and has been extensively employed throughout the war against Ukrainian military positions and civilian settlements near the front line…
  
  The impact ignited the rockets stored on board, producing a chain reaction that resulted in a catastrophic detonation… only a single wheel [was] reportedly left intact after the blast.”

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VALUABLE URAGAN MLRS GOES BOOM TOO!

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• ​Ukrainian Drones Destroy Loaded Uragan MLRS Before It Could Open Fire (Video)
  link
  “Ukrainian National Guard drone operators destroyed a fully loaded Russian BM-27 Uragan long-range MLRS before it could launch a rocket barrage, triggering a massive chain of ammunition detonations.”

FOREIGN AID & INVESTMENT IN UKRAINE

THE GIFT THAT KEEPS ON GIVING

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Russia continues to fund Ukraine’s war effort.

• The EU will provide Ukraine with another €1.4 billion from proceeds generated by frozen Russian assets
  link
  “The funding will strengthen Ukraine’s defense and national resilience as Russia continues its attacks.”

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INTERCEPTOR DRONES GET FRENCH ‘AI’ GUIDANCE

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• French firm teaches Ukraine’s interceptor to see its target without GPS
  link
  “Ukraine’s “General Cherry” unit signed with French firm Alta Ares to integrate AI guidance into its [successful] BULLET anti-Shahed interceptor….”
  
  The AI [actually just an algorithm] keeps the target locked without GPS… that matters against Russia’s jamming. An interceptor that tracks its target by vision rather than radio or satellite signal cannot be defeated by the electronic warfare Russia uses to break the control links of guided drones, which is the core problem in shooting down fast, evasive Shaheds.”
  
  

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TURKISH HIMARS DESTINED FOR UKRAINE

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As NATO members rushed to upgrade in 2022 and 2023, it’s meant that Ukraine still receives a steady flow of weapons when those new upgrades arrive three or four years later. Better yet, it’s no longer obsolete equipment from the 1960s but, in this case, Ukraine has bought from Turkey twelve tracked HIMARS launchers plus seventy ATACMS missiles to go with them. There is now a wait for US permission for the sale.

• Ukraine to Receive 70 M39 ATACMS Missiles and 12 M270 HIMARS Launchers from Turkey
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  “The package combines additional M270 launch capacity with more than 2,500 M26 rockets, increasing Ukraine’s ability to mass rocket fire while keeping launchers mobile and dispersed against Russian counter-battery threats.
  
  [However,] U.S. authorization is required before the American-origin systems can be delivered.”

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DESPITE TENSIONS, POLAND STILL SUPPORTS UKRAINE

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• Poland Is Preparing Its 50th Military Aid Package for Ukraine
  link
  “Following the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion, Poland provided substantial defense assistance to Ukraine. This support has included the transfer of weapons and military equipment, the establishment of logistical infrastructure for the delivery of international aid, the training of Ukrainian military personnel, and the repair and maintenance of weapons.”

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ENERGY FUND BUILT TO SUSTAIN UKRAINE IN WINTER

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• Luxembourg adds €8 million to Ukraine’s energy fund
  link
  “Fourth contribution from a country of 660,000 people arrives as the fund races to close a €650 million gap before winter.”

• Serbia will provide Ukraine with €2 million for energy sector support and medical needs
  link
  “Both sides also discussed joint projects in economics, logistics and Danube corridor development.”

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ESTONIA UPGRADES AIR DEFENCE, DRONES, TRANSPORT, AND AMMUNITION

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• Estonia to Use SAFE Funds for Air Defence, Ammunition, and Aid to Ukraine
  link
  “Under an agreement with the European Commission, Estonia will receive a long-term loan of up to €2.34 billion to strengthen its defence capabilities.
  
  The SAFE program funds will be used to strengthen Estonia’s air defence system, procure military transport vehicles, artillery shells, and other ammunition. Part of the funding will also be allocated to military assistance for Ukraine through the supply of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), or drones”

EUROPE & CANADA REARM

This week there is more news of America’s slow withdrawal of influence in Europe. Of various nations continuing with advanced projects instead of buying American. Of a new Czech-owned ammunition plant in Germany. And of Denmark reintroducing conscription as a response to Trump’s Greenland fantasies.

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SINGAPORE INTERESTED IN GCAP FIGHTER

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• Singapore Seeks to Join Sixth-Generation GCAP Fighter Program
  link
  “GCAP currently comprises the United Kingdom, Italy, and Japan, while Canada joined as an observer on July 21.
  
  Considering GCAP alongside the introduction of the F-35 indicates long-term planning for the structure of Singapore’s armed forces rather than an immediate replacement of its fighter fleet.”

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GERMANY PRESSES ON WITH OWN LOYAL WINGMAN DRONE

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Yet another advanced American weapons sale is out on hold by a NATO country.

• Britain’s Rolls-Royce Builds Separate Engine for German “Loyal Wingman”
  link
  “The British engine manufacturer Rolls-Royce is currently working on a concept for a new family of engines that could be used in a German Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) design also known as a loyal wingman combat drone.
  
  Also this confirms German intention to [pause] buying the US-made MQ-28 Ghost Bat CCA from Boeing.”

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GERMANY UPGRADES ITS FIELD HOSPITALS

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Early in the war, Germany rushed a couple of state-of-the-art field hospitals to Ukraine.

• Tested in Ukraine: The Bundeswehr Ordered 149 Mobile Medical Stations from Rheinmetall
  link
  “The German Army has ordered 149 mobile medical stations from Rheinmetall, which Ukraine has been using since 2023… Rheinmetall received an order for two field surgical stations for Ukraine in June of that year.
  
  Of the 149 stabilization stations currently ordered, 112 units will be purchased in a version with ballistic protection, while the rest will be unarmored.”

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€100 EURO INVESTMENT IN AMMUNITION PLANT

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One of NATO’s big weaknesses prior to the 2022 invasion was the manufacturing of explosives, gun barrels, and ammunition. Stocks were shockingly low and the industrial base to replenish them was small and ageing, if not non-existent for some categories. Since then, across Europe, new plants and foundries have opened. This news is just the latest of many moves to rebuild.

• Czechoslovak Group Acquires German Site for Nitroglycerin and Ammunition Production
  link
  “The company will invest more than €100 million in the first phase of the project’s development. The investment will be used to establish production of nitroglycerin and nitroglycerin-based products, as well as to launch the manufacture of ammunition and ammunition components.
  
  The company expects to build the new production capacity within the next two years.”

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AMERICA TAKES ANOTHER STEP AWAY FROM EUROPE

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• U.S. to Cede European Command to Unnamed NATO Country
  link
  “The U.S. government has directed U.S. European Command (USEUCOM) to oversee the reorganization of the Security Assistance Group–Ukraine (SAG-U) and the transfer of its functions and responsibilities to an unnamed NATO member state.”

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MEMO TO TRUMP: DON’T TAKE ON A VIKING NATION

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• Denmark Begun Conscripting 1,600 Citizens into Army — Both Men and Women
  lihk
  “The Danish Armed Forces have launched an expanded conscription of young people amid actions by the United States and Russia... It is reported that 1,600 Danes have been drafted under the new program for a term of 11 months.
  
  Denmark had previously announced that, starting in 2026, it would expand conscription to include women and increase the standard term of service from four to 11 months. By 2033, the number of conscripts is expected to rise from 5,000 to 7,500 annually.”

That’s all for now. See you next week.

All reports are linked to their sources so you can read the original if you’d like to. If you have any questions, detect errors and omissions, or need more detail, just let me know.

You will have heard of the continuing missile attacks on Ukraine’s cities this week. Possibly you did not hear of much else from this under-reported war, not even the continuing Wildberries attacks.So here are some of the things you probably did not hear about for the week from Sunday 26th July to Saturday 1st August 2026:

By the way, today is Day 1,620 of Putin’s 3-Day Special Military Operation. According to the head of the UN Department of Political Affairs, since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion, at least 16,141 Ukrainian civilians, including 803 children, have been confirmed killed, while 48,613 people, including 2,960 children, have been injured.

HEADLINES THAT NEVER WERE
(BUT SHOULD HAVE BEEN)

As ever, welcome to The Under Reported War.

Putin Wants Half of Ukraine

If you have any doubts about Russia’s true intentions, please pay attention to what Putin says. He really means it.

• Vladimir Putin said entire eastern half of Ukraine should belong to Russia
  link
  “He foresees a future in which western Ukraine is also annexed by its neighbours.
  
  In a meeting with sailors in St Petersburg to mark Navy Day today, Putin extensively discussed Russia’s historical rights over Ukraine, highlighting in the process his obsession with Russian and Ukrainian history and his dubious reading of it.”

By the way, after four and a half years of war, Russia still occupies less territory (~19%) than it did in the second month of the invasion in 2022 (~27%). Oh, and take a look at these two maps (below) of the frontline one year apart. Can you tell the difference between the two? You probably need a magnifying glass to pick out where Russia has advanced.

So much for Putin winning the war, let alone occupying all of Ukraine east of Kyiv.

Trump Breaks His Word, Who Knew?

• US President Trump said the US has not decided whether to license Ukraine to produce Patriot interceptors
  link
  “US President Trump said the US has not decided whether to license Ukraine to produce Patriot interceptor missiles, calling the weapon extraordinary and saying Washington must be careful about who receives production rights. He added that the US is seeking peace and an end to the war.”

This has to be the least surprising news of the week. It’s a shame that outside Ukraine, almost no news media covered this. They will repeat his lies, but never report them as such.

Frontline Commanders Sacked for Doing Their Jobs Reinstated

There are early signs that newly appointed commander-in-chief of the army, General Drapatyi is moving rapidly to keep in post experienced officers who show initiative rather than firing them.

• Drapatyi Halts Dismissal Papers Prepared UnderSyrskyi
  link
  “Ukraine’s 93rd Kholodnyi Yar Brigade commander, Shamil Krutkov, will remain in post, Mykhailo Drapatyi halted dismissal papers prepared under General Syrskyi… Yevhen Lasiychuk may also retain command of the 7th Rapid Response Corps.”…
  
  The formal reason for Krutkov’s suspension was that he did not change the soldiers of the unit subordinate to him in time (according to Syrskyi’s order, fighters should not be on the positions for more than 60 days)…. It is worth noting that almost everywhere there are fighters who have been in positions for more than 60 days, because rotations in good weather are a very bad idea.“

NEWS FROM THE FRONTLINE

MOTORBIKE MADNESS

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In defiance of all evidence to the contrary, Russia has shown a weird faith in the power of motorbikes to defeat the Drone Wall. It is no wonder they experience such a high percentage of deaths. Last week, a retro 2023-style armoured column was defeated on this stretch of the frontline. This week they are going for an old-fashioned 2024 Mad Max motorbike look. I guess next week will be a 2025-style Crutch Battalion.

• Russia is massing for Dobropillia again using quad bikes and motorcycles
  link
  “[Ukraine’s Rubizh Brigade] reports the enemy clearing mines and flying drones to move small storming groups toward the town north of the ruins of Pokrovsk.
  
  Those groups [use] quad bikes—four-wheeled all-terrain vehicles—and motorcycles. This kind of transport will likely become one of the main ways the enemy tries to break the defense, the brigade said.”

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BANDWIDTH-AGILE RUSSIN DRONES APPEAR

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Thy are not boomerangs. Seriously. It is just a name. Which is a pity because if they were boomerangs then they would fly right back to hit their pilots.

• Russian Boomerang FPV Drones Shifted To Frequencies Unavailable To Most Detectors
  link
  “The Boomerang is a serial quadcopter-type FPV drone primarily designed to strike ground targets. Russia’s Ministry of Defense first publicly demonstrated it in March 2023...
  
  It now has the ability to operate on frequencies of up to 7.2 GHz, which are not covered by most drone detectors.”

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MAP-COLOURING GOES AI

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• Russian commander caught using AI to fake flag-sticking events to conceal his territorial losses
  link
  “A Russian commander has reportedly come up with a novel form of ‘flag-sticking’, the practice of planting flags in Ukrainian-held territory to falsely report advances...
  
  “The commander of one of the Southern Military District’s units had long been concealing the loss of square kilometres of territory and reporting to his superiors via videos showing the raising of flags over an ever-increasing number of settlements and territories.
  
  He let his guard down and was caught out by a video where the soldier holding the flag barely had his feet touching the ground.””

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FUEL RATIONING AT FRONTLINE

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• Russian soldiers say they are facing a “catastrophic shortage” of fuel at the front lines due to Ukrainian drone strikes on refineries
  link
  “Soldiers interviewed by the independent Russian news site Verska says that a “catastrophic shortage” has made the situation “a complete mess”. Just like civilians, the military is now being rationed to only 20 litres of gasoline per vehicle per day.”

This is catastrophic for Russian units because so many rely for transport upon civilian vehicles bought by donors. The figure is up to 80% in some units. But they do not qualify for fuel rations and so sit idle. If they are transferred to military control, they are usually stolen by senior officers. Which means that donors won’t donate any more because it is now pointless. Lose:lose:lose. Couldn’t happen to a nicer army of war criminals.

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DRONE WALL FORCES RUSSIA’S ROCKET LAUNCHERS OUT OF RANGE

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• ​Why Russian Grad Rocket Launchers Are Disappearing from Front Line
  link
  “Ukrainian drone pressure has forced Russian forces to pull their heavy artillery farther into the rear, leaving long-range Msta-S self-propelled guns as one of the few systems still regularly supporting frontline troops.”

Russia does have some rocket launchers that can fire from much further back. However, it merely puts them in range of Ukraine’s Middle Strike drones.

• Azov Scores First Confirmed Strike on Russia’s “New” Sarma MLRS
  link
  “During the repulsion of a large-scale Russian mechanized assault, troops of the 1st Corps of the National Guard of Ukraine (Azov) successfully struck Russia’s Sarma 300 mm multiple launch rocket system (MLRS) for the first time. Until now, this system had not been documented operating on the battlefield.”

ROBOT WARS

NEW TWIN GUN ROBOT TURRET

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At first the heaviest possible calibre machine guns were installed on unmanned ground vehicles (UGVs), but they are slow-firing and quickly run out of ammunition. It looks like someone has realised that fire suppression by lighter, larger capacity automatic rifles is as important, if not more, than the heavier alternative.

• Ukraine’s new UGV turret trades heavy machine gun for twin AK-74s and relies on Starlink when signal drops
  link
  “Ukraine’s Roboneers codified the “ShaBlya K-2,” a remote-controlled turret pairing two AK-74 rifles in one mount to double fire density for covering infantry at close range.”

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THIN-SKINNED M113 FINDS A NEW ROLE

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Early in the invasion, Ukraine was gifted hundreds of obsolete M113 armoured personnel carriers (APCs) by donor nations. Highly vulnerable to automatic cannon fire, mines, and drones they are a rare sight on the frontline these days. One of Ukraine’s army corps, the 2nd National Guard “Khartiia”, has found a new use for theirs.

• Ukraine’s newest mine-clearing robot is a 1960s-design APC
  link
  “Allies have shipped Ukraine more than 1,700 M113s. Khartia’s engineers just showed what one looks like with nobody inside.
  
  The Khartiia Corps took one of its 12-ton M113s, added external cameras, control servos, and a radio-based command system and fitted it with anti-drone armor and a front-mounted mine flail.”

MOBILISATION NEWS

MORE MASS MOBILISATION PREPARATIONS

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• Putin Grants Defense Ministry Access to Civil Registry Data for Military Registration
  link
  “Under the pretext of simplifying support for military personnel and their families, Russian dictator Vladimir Putin has granted the Russian Ministry of Defense and the Russian National Guard access to civil registry data for military registration purposes.”

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MASS MOBILISATION STIRS FEARS

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• A massive new mobilisation in Russia this fall is increasingly being forecast by Russian warbloggers
  link
  “They are, however, cautious about this prospect given the strains on the Russian economy and the chaos that accompanied the 2022 mobilisation.”

• With rumours of a new mobilisation in the fall sweeping the Russian blogosphere, one warblogger wonders: what’s the point?
  link
  “He points out that the land that Russia has seized is essentially worthless, having been destroyed, depopulated, and strewn with mines.”

NEWS FROM THE MIDDLE STRIKE

Trucks, road tankers, railway tankers, and bridges continue to be attacked in huge numbers inside the Middle Strike. For news of attacks on shipping, see the ‘SHADOW FLEET NEWS ‘further down.

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CRIMEA ROUNDUP

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Meanwhile, the pressure on Crimea continues to intensify. Expensive air defences and electronic warfare equipment have been hit hard particularly this week.

• Drones struck a Russian S-400 launcher and its 96L6 radar in occupied Crime
  link

• Ukraine Strikes Crimean Fast Boat Base and Multiple Military Logistics Targets
  link
  “One of the primary targets was a base for the Black Sea Fleet high-speed boats and naval drones near the settlement of Mizhvodne in temporarily occupied Crimea. The facility reportedly serves as a maintenance and support hub for naval drones and vessels involved in coastal patrol missions and military logistics.”

• Russia parked a 5,000-kilometre range jamming station in Crimea—Ukraine parked a drone on top of it
  link
  “The hit came near Cape Fiolent overnight, another Russian high-value asset lost on a peninsula Ukraine keeps working to cut off.”

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BUK GOES BOOM! …AND MORE

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