(Image by NEIVANMADE)
Russia has been striking civilian targets in Kharkiv for the past several hours.
❗️Russia struck Kharkiv with eight drones, and the attack continues! Some areas of the city were left without electricity.
— Iryna Voichuk (@irynavoichuk.bsky.social) September 23, 2025 at 3:39 PM
Russian attack on Kharkiv just now.
Bastards.— Kate from Kharkiv (@kateinkharkiv.bsky.social) September 23, 2025 at 5:09 PM
More after the jump.
The Zelenskyys had a very busy day in New York.
Both First Lady Zelenska and President Zelenskyy addressed the International Coalition for the Return of Ukrainian Children Summit.
Here is First Lady Zelenska’s address. There is no posted transcript.
And here is President Zelenskyy’s address. Video below, English transcript after the jump.
Address by the President to the Participants of the International Coalition for the Return of Ukrainian Children Summit at the Leaders’ Level
23 September 2025 – 19:54
Thank you very much!
Dear friends!
Dear Mark – Prime Minister of Canada, Madam First Lady of Canada!
Olena!
All the leaders, all the representatives!
Excellencies, our friends, Your Majesties!
Thank you for bringing the Coalition for the Return of Children to the level of leaders’ work. And this is a very good sign. And thank you, thanks Canada, thank you, Mark, for your strong leadership. More than 30 delegations are here with us now, taking part in the Coalition. And thank you all, this is truly important. Today, we are in New York, on a global stage. The next such summit, we expect to hold in Brussels – under the co-leadership of Ukraine and the European Commission, thank you, Ursula.
Hope this format will bring progress in solving this very, very sensitive issue – the fate of Ukrainian children. Thousands and thousands of our children are victims of Russia’s double crime. Russia first abducted them and deported them, and now it tries to steal everything they have inside – their culture, their character, their bond with family, and their identity.
Thank you very much!
Dear friends!
Dear Mark – Prime Minister of Canada, Madam First Lady of Canada!
Olena!
All the leaders, all the representatives!
Excellencies, our friends, Your Majesties!
Thank you for bringing the Coalition for the Return of Children to the level of leaders’ work. And this is a very good sign. And thank you, thanks Canada, thank you, Mark, for your strong leadership. More than 30 delegations are here with us now, taking part in the Coalition. And thank you all, this is truly important. Today, we are in New York, on a global stage. The next such summit, we expect to hold in Brussels – under the co-leadership of Ukraine and the European Commission, thank you, Ursula.
Hope this format will bring progress in solving this very, very sensitive issue – the fate of Ukrainian children. Thousands and thousands of our children are victims of Russia’s double crime. Russia first abducted them and deported them, and now it tries to steal everything they have inside – their culture, their character, their bond with family, and their identity.
Dear friends!
In Türkiye, we gave Russia’s representatives an initial list of 339 children. Clear data. Just a small, small part of the thousands we must save.
So far, Russia has done almost nothing – not even given real information about these children. They refuse to give real information – neither to us, nor to international organizations.
Please let the result of this Coalition meeting be support for initiatives to find, return, and reintegrate our children, and real pressure on Russia through sanctions. We must turn attention into action. We need your support and the support of partners in the General Assembly. And this year, we’ll introduce a resolution condemning the abduction and deportation of children. Forcibly taking children from one nation and trying to re-educate them for the benefit of another is an obvious crime. The UN must say this clearly once again.
So the crime must be stopped. The felons must be held accountable. Ukrainian children must be brought home.
Thank you to all the countries standing with us, with our families, with Ukrainians, with our Ukrainian children.
Glory to Ukraine!
President Zelenskyy also spoke with President Trump. Here’s the video of their press gaggle:
And here’s the video of his post meeting press conference. Notice the look on his face:
Georgia:
Day 300 of daily protests in Georgia! For 300 days, people have gathered in 8+ cities. Today we march from the monument to the 300 Aragvians, who died defending Tbilisi in 1795. 🇬🇪
— Rusudan Djakeli (@rusudandjakeli.bsky.social) September 23, 2025 at 12:25 PM
Day 300 of daily protests in Georgia! For 300 days, people have gathered in 8+ cities. Today we march from the monument to the 300 Aragvians, who died defending Tbilisi in 1795. 🇬🇪
— Rusudan Djakeli (@rusudandjakeli.bsky.social) September 23, 2025 at 12:25 PM
“Putin Khuylo!”
This is day 300 of uninterrupted, nationwide protests in Georgia. 🇬🇪
— Rusudan Djakeli (@rusudandjakeli.bsky.social) September 23, 2025 at 12:44 PM
Whenever we pass a restaurant packed with people who seem to be Russian tourists, we chant “Putin Khuylo” and “Slava Ukraini.” 🇺🇦
Day 300 of uninterrupted, nationwide protests in Georgia. 🇬🇪
— Rusudan Djakeli (@rusudandjakeli.bsky.social) September 23, 2025 at 1:06 PM
Day 300: Rustaveli Avenue once again belongs to the people. ✊🇬🇪
For 300 days straight, Georgians have occupied streets in 8+ cities—marching, chanting, resisting.
The illegitimate, pro-Russian regime must collapse.
— Rusudan Djakeli (@rusudandjakeli.bsky.social) September 23, 2025 at 1:31 PM
Here, on day 300 of daily protests in Georgia, demonstrators are watching a film about visa-free travel with Europe—now under threat.
The film shreds GD’s narrative that visa-free travel is merely a “comfort” and ridicules the claim that Europe is “forcing Georgia to legalize gay marriage.”
— Rusudan Djakeli (@rusudandjakeli.bsky.social) September 23, 2025 at 1:46 PM
Police arbitrarily arrested Isako Devidze, a young Georgian activist, on the 300th day of #GeorgiaProtests.
— Anna Gvarishvili (@annagvarish.bsky.social) September 23, 2025 at 4:13 PM
Once again, the current struggle of the people of Georgia is multi-faceted: yes, it is first and foremost against the hostile takeover, freedom, democracy, and Georgia’s European future;
But it is also against the rampant injustice and inequality before the law. 1/
📷 @rusudandjakeli.bsky.social
— Marika Mikiashvili 🇬🇪🇺🇦🇪🇺 (@marikamikiashvili.bsky.social) September 23, 2025 at 2:09 PM
Many betrayed protesters: virtually all businesses since they are all scared, silent, or outright interested in maintaining the corrupt, criminal regime; banks – for a similar reason; a part of the political spectrum; those who disengaged and want the victory without personal contribution… 2/
— Marika Mikiashvili 🇬🇪🇺🇦🇪🇺 (@marikamikiashvili.bsky.social) September 23, 2025 at 2:09 PM
Yet the public is determined, and they have support from a large part of the democratic parties and CSOs, themselves under a judicial and financial crackdown now.
Other countries have the luxury of a gradual change. 3/
— Marika Mikiashvili 🇬🇪🇺🇦🇪🇺 (@marikamikiashvili.bsky.social) September 23, 2025 at 2:09 PM
Due to tragic fate & even more tragic geography, we can never afford to be gradual, it seems. We always have to walk on the edge. It has to be a dramatic all-or-nothing.
Well, it will be all.
And it will flush away all the post-Soviet cartel-crony elites & Russian propaganda pillars overnight. 4/
— Marika Mikiashvili 🇬🇪🇺🇦🇪🇺 (@marikamikiashvili.bsky.social) September 23, 2025 at 2:09 PM
Georgians will no longer be dragged down by an artificial chokehold against their aspirations.
Day 300 of #GeorgiaProtests 5/5.
— Marika Mikiashvili 🇬🇪🇺🇦🇪🇺 (@marikamikiashvili.bsky.social) September 23, 2025 at 2:09 PM
An average Georgian protester in January: I wore a medical mask in protest of the anti-mask law, I hope I’m not fined.
An average Georgian protester now: well, jail me under the Criminal Code if that’s what it takes, what can I do?!
— Marika Mikiashvili 🇬🇪🇺🇦🇪🇺 (@marikamikiashvili.bsky.social) September 23, 2025 at 4:06 PM
“There’s no revolutionary sentiment in Georgia.”
* proceeds to install those Chinese security cameras inside the Parliament yard. *
— Marika Mikiashvili 🇬🇪🇺🇦🇪🇺 (@marikamikiashvili.bsky.social) September 23, 2025 at 4:51 PM
🟥On the 255th day of her unlawful detention, Mzia Amaglobeli was nominated for #SakharovPrize
🟥Nomination “Mzia Amaglobeli and Georgia’s Pro-Democracy Protest Movement,” was initiated by Rasa Juknevičienė, Tobias Cremer, Petras Austrevicius, Sergey Lagodinsky, and co-signed by 66 MEPs from 5 groups
— Batumelebi&Netgazeti (@netgazeti.org) September 23, 2025 at 11:05 AM
🗣️”Sakharov Prize for Mzia Amaglobeli and the Georgia’s pro-Democracy Protest Movement would be more than just a symbolic award… for a country like #Georgia it can make a real difference!”, – said
@rjukneviciene.bsky.social#FreeMzia #GeorgiaProtests
— Batumelebi&Netgazeti (@netgazeti.org) September 23, 2025 at 11:05 AM
NATO:
Defense Express reports that Shaheds could attack not only Italy and Germany, but also reach Spain if launch sites were deployed in Belarus.
defence-ua.com/army_and_war…
— WarTranslated (Dmitri) (@wartranslated.bsky.social) September 23, 2025 at 11:02 AM
We may or may not grow a pair. We haven’t decided yet – Rutte, probably.
— Kate from Kharkiv (@kateinkharkiv.bsky.social) September 23, 2025 at 9:50 AM
We would be far better off if the NATO Secretary General was Kaja Kallas, Gabrielius Lansbergis, Petr Pavel, or Andrezj Duda.
Denmark:
Danish police suspect civilian vessels passing by Copenhagen of organizing the launch of drones that circled over the capital’s airport on September 22. nyheder.tv2.dk/live/krimi/2…
— 🦋Special Kherson Cat🐈🇺🇦 (@specialkhersoncat.bsky.social) September 23, 2025 at 2:45 PM
Danish police say drones over Copenhagen Airport were flown by “skilled operators.” Neither drones nor pilots were found. Witnesses insist they saw objects. Denmark and Norway will work together to see if incidents in Oslo and Copenhagen are linked.
www.theguardian.com/world/2025/s…— WarTranslated (Dmitri) (@wartranslated.bsky.social) September 23, 2025 at 7:19 AM
The US:
A reporter asks if Trump still trusts Putin.
Trump: I’ll let you know in about a month from now.— 🦋Special Kherson Cat🐈🇺🇦 (@specialkhersoncat.bsky.social) September 23, 2025 at 1:52 PM
Am I dreaming?? He actually said that Ukraine can WIN!
WOW‼️— Kate from Kharkiv (@kateinkharkiv.bsky.social) September 23, 2025 at 3:01 PM
This’ll last till his next call with Putin. Also, there is no way he wrote that.
Back to Ukraine.
“The Armed Forces of Ukraine have liberated 360 km² and captured around 1,000 occupiers over the past few weeks.” – Zelensky.
— WarTranslated (Dmitri) (@wartranslated.bsky.social) September 23, 2025 at 3:03 PM
Zelenskyy listening to Trump’s speech at UN. We are all a little bit Zelenskyy 😁
— Kate from Kharkiv (@kateinkharkiv.bsky.social) September 23, 2025 at 11:51 AM
— Mira of Kyiv 🇺🇦 (@reshetz.bsky.social) September 23, 2025 at 5:40 PM
We thank HUR’s latest special operation ‘Appendix’ on extracting the tape from a bunker in Siberia
— Mira of Kyiv 🇺🇦 (@reshetz.bsky.social) September 23, 2025 at 5:42 PM
Face of a man who has the tapes
— Mira of Kyiv 🇺🇦 (@reshetz.bsky.social) September 23, 2025 at 5:50 PM
🔥 “It seems to be the most effective campaign that Ukraine has carried out so far.”
Ukraine’s drone strike campaign against Russia’s oil refineries has left Russian fuel exports approaching their lowest level since 2020, disrupting a key source of revenue for the Kremlin. www.ft.com/content/8f8c…
— Christopher Miller (@christopherjm.ft.com) September 23, 2025 at 7:44 AM
From The Financial Times:
Ukraine’s drone strikes on Russian oil refineries have disrupted domestic supplies and pushed Russia’s diesel exports towards their lowest levels since 2020.
Sixteen of Russia’s 38 refineries have been hit since the start of August, some of them multiple times, including one of Russia’s largest fuel-processing facilities, the 340,000 barrel-a-day plant at Ryazan, close to Moscow.
The strikes have disrupted more than 1mn barrels a day of Russia’s refining capacity, according to Energy Aspects, a research group. Diesel exports, if they maintain the current rate, will fall to the lowest monthly total in September since 2020, according to both OilX and Vortexa, which track cargoes.
“It seems to be the most effective campaign that Ukraine has carried out so far,” said Benedict George, head of European petroleum products pricing at Argus, which reports commodity prices.
Russia is the second-largest diesel exporter in the world, with about half its cargoes going to Turkey, followed by other markets in west and north Africa and Brazil — as the EU and UK do not directly import the Russian fuel. While Moscow has imposed export bans on Russian gasoline for the most part of this year, its diesel sales abroad have so far been unrestricted.
George said Turkey had turned to India and Saudi Arabia to make up for the shortfall, and that premiums for diesel have risen this month to about $25 to $30 a barrel over the price of benchmark Brent crude oil. This is the highest level since summer, when Israel’s war with Iran sent prices to a 15-month high over supply fears.
Amrita Sen, co-founder of Energy Aspects, said the impact of the attacks had taken time to be reflected on the markets, given Russia’s size. “You have a refinery going down, but it might take three weeks between that refinery producing and that diesel getting to the port,” she said.
Uncertainty over supplies of both diesel and crude is helping to prop up prices at a time when many analysts have predicted prices would start to fall.
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is expected to urge US President Donald Trump to back tougher sanctions against Moscow when they meet at the UN General Assembly on Tuesday. But the Ukrainian leader earlier this month pointed to the success of the drone strikes, saying that “the most effective sanctions — the ones that work the fastest — are the fires at Russia’s oil refineries, its terminals, oil depots”.
Last week, Zelenskyy told reporters, including the Financial Times, that Ukraine was increasing its long-range drone production and intensifying its strikes on Russia’s energy infrastructure to bring the war closer to the Kremlin.
“Once the number of drones matches the Russians’, they will feel the fuel shortage and loss,” he said. “We already see this increasingly. More drones are reaching targets.”
More at the link.
Russian infantryman attempted to cross a water obstacle to sneak into the rear, but his plans were thwarted by a drone with a big grenade.
— 🦋Special Kherson Cat🐈🇺🇦 (@specialkhersoncat.bsky.social) September 23, 2025 at 3:48 PM
Drone operators of the “NEMESIS” unit struck two Russian Tor-M2 air defence systems.
P.S: Similar drones are well known for their active use by HUR’s ‘Prymary’ unit and especially for strikes on Russian targets in Crimea. Now we see that other units have also began adopting similar type of drones.
— 🦋Special Kherson Cat🐈🇺🇦 (@specialkhersoncat.bsky.social) September 23, 2025 at 11:11 AM
Spectacular demolition of Rusian positions by drone dropped TM-62 antitank mines.
— 🦋Special Kherson Cat🐈🇺🇦 (@specialkhersoncat.bsky.social) September 23, 2025 at 9:02 AM
A Ukrainian anti-aircraft UAV set a new speed record in Ukraine and Europe, accelerating an FPV to 423 km/h. According to the developer company Defender, that’s 110 meters per second.
— WarTranslated (Dmitri) (@wartranslated.bsky.social) September 23, 2025 at 6:48 AM
Kharkiv:
Again explosion in Kharkiv ‼️ Russian drone attack on our city continues. This was number 27 or 18.
— Kate from Kharkiv (@kateinkharkiv.bsky.social) September 23, 2025 at 4:04 PM
That should be 28 not 18
It’s such a madness in here! Russian drones are buzzing and exploding, dogs are barking, air defense is firing. All because Russia decided to murder tonight
— Kate from Kharkiv (@kateinkharkiv.bsky.social) September 23, 2025 at 3:35 PM
Zaporizhzhia Oblast:
The moment three russian jet-powered UAVs strike Zaporizhzhia. Bastards. 🤬
— Kate from Kharkiv (@kateinkharkiv.bsky.social) September 23, 2025 at 9:26 AM
Russia struck Zaporizhzhia with multiple drones. At least one person is known to be killed‼️
— Kate from Kharkiv (@kateinkharkiv.bsky.social) September 23, 2025 at 9:11 AM
Russians are attacking Zaporizhzhia for the second night in a row.
— WarTranslated (Dmitri) (@wartranslated.bsky.social) September 23, 2025 at 5:56 AM
Kherson Oblast:
Russians are using North Korean cluster munitions to shell Kherson. t.me/kherson_non_…
— 🦋Special Kherson Cat🐈🇺🇦 (@specialkhersoncat.bsky.social) September 23, 2025 at 5:03 PM
Kupyansk:
At night near Kupiansk, the 14th Brigade took out two Russian “bukhankas” (UAZ-452 van) and a motorcycle.
www.instagram.com/14ombr/— WarTranslated (Dmitri) (@wartranslated.bsky.social) September 23, 2025 at 11:53 AM
Pokrovsk:
In Pokrovsk, border guards captured a Russian ex-crane operator who signed a “contract” expecting to run an excavator. After a stroke in August, he was sent to storm positions by September.
t.me/c/1323012452…— WarTranslated (Dmitri) (@wartranslated.bsky.social) September 23, 2025 at 9:54 AM
The Ukrainians just saved this man’s life.
Russian occupied portions of Ukraine and Russia:
Mysterious balloons seen over Russian cities, claimed to have explosive devices hanging from them. Reported in Moscow, Yaroslavl, Tatarstan, Ryazan, Tula, and a dozen other locations, Ukrainian Telegram channels claim.
— Euan MacDonald (@euanmacdonald.bsky.social) September 23, 2025 at 9:28 AM
Russian sources claim some of the mysterious balloons that have been floating over parts of fascist Russia and Russian-occupied Ukraine, including Crimea, have been dropping containers with homing beacons that could be used to guide missiles and drones.
— Euan MacDonald (@euanmacdonald.bsky.social) September 23, 2025 at 4:16 PM
Belgorod, Russia:
At least the attack worked both ways. Belgorod is on fire.
— Kate from Kharkiv (@kateinkharkiv.bsky.social) September 23, 2025 at 3:50 PM
The gas crisis in Russia is spreading. Several more regions have joined the list, including frontline Belgorod.
— Kate from Kharkiv (@kateinkharkiv.bsky.social) September 23, 2025 at 9:20 AM
Krasnodar Oblast, Russia:
Ukraine delivered a powerful strike against russian Iskander missile launchers. Several of them were destroyed, and a Pantsir-S1 air defense system was damaged, according to russian media.
— Kate from Kharkiv (@kateinkharkiv.bsky.social) September 23, 2025 at 10:34 AM
The photo shows the aftermath of the attack on the Molkino training ground in Russia’s Krasnodar region. At the end of August 2025.
— Kate from Kharkiv (@kateinkharkiv.bsky.social) September 23, 2025 at 10:34 AM
Taganrog, Rostov Oblast, Russia:
Taganrog, Russia. Strikes are being carried out at the location from which Russian air defense is firing.
— 🦋Special Kherson Cat🐈🇺🇦 (@specialkhersoncat.bsky.social) September 23, 2025 at 3:31 PM
Astrakhan Oblast, Russia:
(Reuters) – Russia’s Astrakhan gas processing plant, controlled by Gazprom halted production of motor fuel on September 22 after a Ukrainian drone attack.
Blaze had engulfed a condensate production unit with a capacity of 3 million metric tons per year. It produces gasoline and diesel.
— 🦋Special Kherson Cat🐈🇺🇦 (@specialkhersoncat.bsky.social) September 23, 2025 at 12:00 PM
Moscow Oblast, Russia:
A huge hole in the ceiling was made by Russian air defense in the Moscow region — a rocket booster created a “window to a bright future” for a Muscovite.
— WarTranslated (Dmitri) (@wartranslated.bsky.social) September 23, 2025 at 1:38 PM
That’s enough for tonight.
Your daily Patron!
There are no new Patron skeets or videos tonight. Here is some adjacent material.
A Ukrainian Kozak captures an orc transport……
The Donkey looks quite happy that it’s with Ukrainians now.— Джейсон Петровуч Семерко Jason Semerko 🇺🇦 (@jasonsemerko.bsky.social) September 22, 2025 at 7:51 PM
Animals are smart, they can sense who the good people are. Which is why Ukrainian OHP’s (Over Head Protection) bunkers have become miniature zoos, with Ukrainian Warriors and animals cram into them.
Seen videos from deer, foxes, racoons, wolves, cats dogs seeking out Ukrainian Warriors
— Джейсон Петровуч Семерко Jason Semerko 🇺🇦 (@jasonsemerko.bsky.social) September 22, 2025 at 10:56 PM
Open thread!
In Case You Missed It: Zoom Links for the Wedding Go Out Tomorrow
Westyny
Thank you, Adam!
Adam L Silverman
@Westyny: You’re welcome.
J. Arthur Crank
Days since being embarrassed by our president: 0
Regarding the video of President Zelenskyy’s press conference, there were no subtitles, but I would imagine the English translation would be something like “Christ, what an asshole!”.
Gin & Tonic
@J. Arthur Crank: It’s a little funny, because Z is clearly speaking in English, but the voice-over and the closed captions are in Ukrainian.
I haven’t listened to the whole thing, but he is being very positive and complimentary, saying that he believes that Trump now more clearly understands the situation on the ground, and that that’s the primary thing that he (Z) was hoping to get out of this meeting.
Chief Oshkosh
@Gin & Tonic: First, thank you Adam for keeping on keeping on. Second, thank you G&T for the continued participation (don’t know if that’s the right word) in these discussions. You both have insights that I appreciate.
As for Z’s statements, I assume he’s just trying to keep the toddler positively engaged.
Adam L Silverman
@J. Arthur Crank: I have the English closed captioning turned on for all four videos.
Adam L Silverman
@Chief Oshkosh: You’re welcome.
Carlo Graziani
Great work, Adam.
Adam L Silverman
@Carlo Graziani: You’re only saying that because there’s a substantial bit on the attack the Russian petroleum industry stuff.//
And you’re most welcome.
Sally
I have lamented since Rutte was chosen and Kallas stepped out that Kallas wasn’t chosen to head up NATO. World needs a clear eyed understanding of Russia. Which only the Eastern Europeans appear to have at this stage.
I understood at the time that they (whoever “they” were) believed they needed a (tall, white) man to work with trump. But that’s worked out about as well as I thought it would.
The rest of the world needed* Kallas. Europe needed* Kallas.
*Needs.
AlaskaReader
Thanks Adam
Adam L Silverman
@AlaskaReader: You’re welcome.
Carlo Graziani
The Ukrainian Oil Plan is achieving truly remarkable results in a very short time. It is putting a considerable and increasing strain on the Russian economy, while ripping away the last pretences of domestic “normalcy,” so prized by Putin’s government.
We should be prepared for a serious backlash. More incursions of Western borders, more threats, more terror bombings. Possibly renewed nuclear threats. The Russians are insufferable when winning, but at their ugliest when cornered and despairing. Seeing things through until Ukraine (!) forces a Russian admission that their war aims are unattainable will require stout hearts in Europe. No idea where our mercurial cretin of a president will land, but he is notorious for not wanting to back “losers”. Perhaps Z’s genius for dogged diplomacy will bring him around to the idea of “mediating” a peace on terms Ukrainian arms have made achievable.
The other forseeable consequence is that Russia is certain to make major investments in upgrading its strategic air defense system, and inevitably this will mean that the early easy successes of the Ukrainian drone program will decline over time. The Ukrainian drone program will certainly evolve in its turn. An arms race is in progress, with the same sort of game-changing impact on modern warfare that railroads had on the US Civil War, and on the wars of German unification. No doubt, General Staffs the world over are watching in fascination and concern.
Carlo Graziani
@Adam L Silverman: Got it in one.
Searcher
I know it’s not anywhere in the top 286 hardships and tragedies facing the Zelenskys, but it still seems unfair that they almost certainly can’t enjoy NYC while here for the UN. Between optics and security they’re presumably just shuttling between meetings and hotels, no going to restaurants, no shopping, no shows, no museums. Here they are in a place of ease and comfort thousands of miles from war, but not actually able to cross the last few feet to participate.
Gin & Tonic
@Chief Oshkosh: Thanks, but Adam deserves the credit for the yeoman’s work he puts in. I just pop in from time to time as circumstances permit.
Gin & Tonic
@Adam L Silverman: Remember when he was all about the railroads? Now it’s all refineries.
Gin & Tonic
@Carlo Graziani:
Will continue to evolve. It has been evolving rapidly since 2022, and shows no sign of slowing down.
It’s funny, I was talking to a friend today, an aerospace engineer from Seattle who’s headed to UA on a consulting gig next week. He’s spent months there over the last two years.
Adam L Silverman
@Gin & Tonic: He’s working his way through the infrastructure that starts with r.
Aziz, light!
is our preznit learning? Doubtful.
Zelenskyy’s workload and the massive weight on his shoulders have aged him ten years.
hotshoe
@Aziz, light!:
One of the amazing stories of our century is how Zelenskyy went from his comic TV show (about government) to being the true leader of the free world.
Quite a learning experience for him and his team, and so many ways it could have gone wrong.
I don’t believe in any gods but sometimes I have to think that there has been some kind of … guardian angel … watching over Zelenskyy just to make it this far.
Jay
As always, thank you, Adam.
Adam L Silverman
@Jay: You’re welcome.
Sister Inspired Revolver of Freedom
It’s nice to see Zelensky so upbeat.
I guess the rescued donkey and stroke victim make up, a little for the death of that beautiful horse 🐎, but only a little.
I realise that Ukraine has a strategy and a plan, but I wish they could gather say, one day’s drone/missile production and unleash them on the mofos who continue to attack Kherson and Kharkiv. Or Transnistria. Whichever.
Thank you Adam. Happy Rosh Hashanah! It’s wonderfully ironic, don’t you think, that Cole and Joelle are getting married during Jewish New Year. I like to think it’s a good omen.😌
Sister Inspired Revolver of Freedom
@Aziz, light!: Yes, it has. He’s trimmed his beard, but in some of the nightly addresses, you can see the grey and the white.
Carlo Graziani
@Gin & Tonic: Guilty as charged, but unrepentant.
I like to look for big pictures. My eyesight isn’t better than anyone else’s, and often I miss important parts. But I think the main thing is looking, and discussing the patterns here. I don’t need to be the person who is right, I just want to see what’s going on at the macro level.
I’m on a tear about the Oil Plan because for the first time in over 3 years I can see a way forward for Ukraine that is not contingent on aid or allies, unlike the high hopes we entertained about ground counter-offensives that went nowhere after the end of 2022. I actually feel dumb about all the time that we wasted bullshitting about ATACMS and similar irrelevant crap, when the Iranian example of domestic long-range drone development was right in front of us all along. I’d be pretty proud of myself if I’d made that prediction as late as, say, 2024, and in retrospect it is pretty fucking obvious. I just missed it completely.
With all that said, this Big Picture hangs together pretty well. The evidence of serious damage to Russian state revenues and to domestic transportation and heating fuel supply is very clear. For the first time in the war, Ukraine is inflicting damage on Russia that breaks through the Russian capacity to ignore damage. That changes the war.
I’m pretty sure, anyway.
NotoriousJRT
@J. Arthur Crank: I had the same reaction!
Thank you, Adam!