Tools Like Patriots and Tomahawks Can Help Lay a Long-term Foundation for Peace – Address by the President

15 October 2025 – 19:35

Dear Ukrainians!

Today, I held a Staff meeting. Several topics were on the agenda, but the most important was deep strikes – our long-range capabilities. The things that truly affect Russia’s war potential and noticeably reduce it. Today, we had both the manufacturers of our respective weapons – at the Staff meeting – and those who use these weapons: the Armed Forces, special services, and intelligence. The main task is to scale up our long-range Ukrainian sanctions capabilities. We have the capacity to do so, and a joint discussion of all parties together is very helpful.

We have also already prepared our part of the homework ahead of the meeting with President Trump – both the military component and the economic one. Every detail, everything is ready. The agenda of our meeting with the President of the United States is very substantive, and I thank everyone who is helping. This can truly bring the war closer to an end – it is the United States that can wield this kind of global influence, and we are doing everything to ensure that others around the world stand on our side in this effort.

Right now, our team – the Prime Minister of Ukraine, the Head of the Office of the President, the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, other Government officials, and the Ukrainian Ambassador – is already in Washington. They began holding meetings at their level and preparing the groundwork for the dialogue with the U.S. leader, as well as with American defense companies, including air defense manufacturers, and representatives of energy companies. Our representatives have already reported today – I thank them for this work.

Also today, the Head of Ukraine’s Foreign Intelligence Service delivered his report – a very thorough one – including on how global sanctions are affecting Russia and driving them precisely where we need them to be, so that they lose their aggressive potential there. We know how to increase pressure, and we will. We separately discussed Russia’s intentions regarding Belarus – the Russians have already stripped Belarus of its sovereignty, and now they want to exploit the country in their games to prolong the war. We will certainly warn our partners about this.

A few more things.

The Commander-in-Chief and the Chief of the General Staff reported on the front, the situation in the border area, and our responses to Russian assaults. It is perfectly clear where the toughest directions are right now, and it is important that our units, our warriors, are doing their utmost to defend our state. Every Ukrainian counteroffensive step on the frontline now strengthens our positions globally – and this also helps in dialogue with our key partners.

Today, we also continued our political work in the European direction. I spoke with the Prime Minister of Greece. I thanked him for his support, and we can take some significant steps together to strengthen our resilience. Among other things, we discussed opportunities for cooperation in the energy sector – including the possibility of supplying American gas. We agreed to meet with the Prime Minister and work through all the details.

We are also working with various partners in Central and Southern Europe regarding the PURL initiative, which enables us to purchase American weapons. It is crucial that countries join this initiative. There is already some good news from Northern European countries regarding this.

I also want to thank the United Kingdom today – there is a new UK sanctions package. It includes dozens of individuals who are helping Russia wage war, as well as the ships of the Russian oil‑transport fleet. We will make sure to synchronize this package within our jurisdiction and work with other partners to maintain equal pressure on Russia to bring the war to a real end. Putin’s revenues must be reduced, and that will increase global security. And tools like Patriots and Tomahawks can help lay a long-term foundation for peace. I thank everyone standing with Ukraine!

Glory to Ukraine!

And here is his address from yesterday. Video followed by the English transcript.

Odesa Deserves Greater Protection and Greater Support; This Can Be Done in the Format of a Military Administration – Address by the President

14 October 2025 – 19:19

Fellow Ukrainians!

A brief summary of the day. We are preparing thoroughly for our upcoming conversation with President Trump. I held a meeting today with the military, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Minister of Energy, the CEO of Naftogaz, and the Office team – every aspect of the conversation must be worked out to truly strengthen Ukraine. President Trump and I have already discussed certain matters – there are outlines of decisions that could help – on Patriots, on Tomahawks, which is very important, and some other types of weapons. It is important to discuss sensitive issues in person – not everything can be said over the phone. We have a clear vision of how the steps of America, Europe, our other partners, and our own steps here in Ukraine can bring the end of the war closer. The leadership of America – the leadership of President Trump – is crucial. We are also planning meetings with representatives of American defense and energy companies. Of course, our key objective is air defense, the resilience of our cities and communities, and forcing Russia into peace. There is now a very strong momentum for peace in the world – following the agreements reached for the Middle East. This is a global issue, and much has been done personally by the President of the United States and his team. Various other leaders were also involved, they helped a lot. And now the Middle East has a real chance to live without war. It shows that Russia, too, can indeed be pressured into ending its aggression. In fact, it is Russia that now remains the main source of global instability – the global source of war. That source must be shut off. We know how.

Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Andrii Sybiha also delivered a separate report today on the tasks to be carried out in the European direction. The diplomats of the Office also briefed on our defense agreements with one of the countries. We are preparing significant news for next week – with one of our partners in Europe.

I had a very substantive conversation this morning with the President of Finland. I am grateful that Finland and Mr. President personally always strongly support us. We discussed communication with the United States and coordinated our positions – this always helps. We also talked about our joint opportunities here in Europe to swiftly bolster our air defense.

Head of the Security Service of Ukraine Vasyl Maliuk reported today. I thank the Service for its strong work in defending Ukraine and countering Russian agent networks. We also discussed the situation in frontline communities and in the south of our country, particularly in Odesa. Odesa deserves greater protection and greater support. This can be done in the format of a military administration – too many security issues in Odesa have remained without an adequate response for far too long. All effective decisions will be made. I will appoint the head of the military administration shortly.

Thank you to everyone who stands with Ukraine. Thank you to everyone who defends our state and gives strength to our people.

Glory to Ukraine!

First Lady Zelenska met with Ukrainian veterans who have lost their sight today for international White Cane Day. Video below, followed by the write up.

On International White Cane Day, Olena Zelenska Visited a Rehabilitation Center and Met with Veterans Who Lost Their Sight

15 October 2025 – 17:45

On the occasion of the International White Cane Day, dedicated to protecting the rights of people with visual impairments, First Lady of Ukraine Olena Zelenska, together with the Minister for Veterans Affairs, Nataliia Kalmykova, and the Presidential Commissioner for Barrier-Free Environment, Tetiana Lomakina, visited Trinity Hub – a rehabilitation space for veterans who have lost their sight.

At the center, veterans work with orientation and mobility trainers, learn Braille, daily living skills, and how to operate gadgets and access information through specialized software, artificial intelligence, and voice assistants.

Trinity Hub uses ten types of sports as part of rehabilitation, which is an innovative approach for Ukraine. The center also provides psychological support and career guidance, as well as special programs for the families of military personnel.

“Russia’s aggression has deprived Ukrainians of so much – their health and opportunities. That is why today it is the special duty of our society to restore the quality of life to those who have defended our country and each of us,” the First Lady noted.

Georgia:

322nd day of the #GeorgiaProtests.

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— László Róbert Mézes (@laszlorobertmezes.bsky.social) October 15, 2025 at 5:11 PM

Protests continued for the 322nd day in a row in Tbilisi.

#GeorgiaProtests

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— EEBC (@eebc.bsky.social) October 15, 2025 at 5:08 PM

1/ GD continues to attack the EU.

After the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, Finnish Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen, attended the protest on Rustaveli Avenue, Irakli Kobakhidze refused to meet with her, citing her “participation in an illegal rally and making false statements.”

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— Publika.ge (@publikage.bsky.social) October 15, 2025 at 6:06 AM

2/ Earlier today, Elina Valtonen visited the occupation line. GD parliamentary chairman Shalva Papuashvili criticized her for this, saying, “What value is there in a statement of support for sovereignty in Odzisi when you yourself violate sovereignty on Rustaveli Avenue?”

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— Publika.ge (@publikage.bsky.social) October 15, 2025 at 6:06 AM

According to the Finnish publication Helsingin Sanomat, Elina Valtonen told them that she canceled the meeting with Irakli Kobakhidze herself, and not the other way around, as the Georgian Dream Prime Minister stated.

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— Publika.ge (@publikage.bsky.social) October 15, 2025 at 8:14 AM

What the Georgian Dream regime seems unlikely to pull off:

1. Killing people;
2. Jailing people massively over social media posts and likes;
3. Jailing regime prisoner relatives for protests and solidarity.

1/3

— Marika Mikiashvili 🇬🇪🇺🇦🇪🇺 (@marikamikiashvili.bsky.social) October 15, 2025 at 6:49 AM

However, the painful stalemate could last, and more innocent people could suffer.

The disproportionate resources and just plain suffocation of resistance of all financial funds makes any much-needed consolidation and public outreach of an alternative very difficult.

2/3

— Marika Mikiashvili 🇬🇪🇺🇦🇪🇺 (@marikamikiashvili.bsky.social) October 15, 2025 at 6:49 AM

The West must help with:

1. Aiding the continued operation of democratic parties, CSOs, & independent media;
2. Further targeted sanctions – it works!
3. Further regime isolation – it works!

Don’t forget that ignoring 🇬🇪 in 2008 is why we are all at war now.

#TerrorinGeorgia #GeorgiaProtests 3/3.

— Marika Mikiashvili 🇬🇪🇺🇦🇪🇺 (@marikamikiashvili.bsky.social) October 15, 2025 at 6:49 AM

JUST IN: UNM Chair Tina Bokuchava was deliberately refused exit from Georgia so that she’d miss boarding for the EPP Political Assembly in Vilnius.

The customs alleged she had an unpaid protest fine from April, although she had traveled multiple times recently without a problem. 1/3

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— Marika Mikiashvili 🇬🇪🇺🇦🇪🇺 (@marikamikiashvili.bsky.social) October 15, 2025 at 8:42 AM

They let her out at the very last call and only when Tina began live-streaming the incident, which made them nervous.

It’s the first indication that politicians and protesters might be refused exit from Georgia – at least those whom they cannot/do not jail. 2/3

— Marika Mikiashvili 🇬🇪🇺🇦🇪🇺 (@marikamikiashvili.bsky.social) October 15, 2025 at 8:42 AM

In Tina’s case, she has three minor children and the regime might be uncomfortable with jailing her.

It is also noteworthy that active citizens are also held for prolong periods at the entry back into Georgia, again over alleged fines.

#TerrorinGeorgia #GeorgiaProtests 3/3.

— Marika Mikiashvili 🇬🇪🇺🇦🇪🇺 (@marikamikiashvili.bsky.social) October 15, 2025 at 8:42 AM

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— Marika Mikiashvili 🇬🇪🇺🇦🇪🇺 (@marikamikiashvili.bsky.social) October 15, 2025 at 9:51 AM

The Georgian Dream PM Kobakhidze says that they’ll be banning “up to 10” parties.

You probably won’t be surprised when I say that this is the entirety of democratic opposition.

#TerrorinGeorgia #GeorgiaProtests

— Marika Mikiashvili 🇬🇪🇺🇦🇪🇺 (@marikamikiashvili.bsky.social) October 15, 2025 at 3:27 PM

There is no public protest whatsoever. The only public protest there is, it’s against the fact that 50 people keep closing the central avenue.” – GD PM Kobakhidze

In general, they call us Akatsuki for some reason. And he said that Elina Valtonen became the 51st Akatsuki.

— Marika Mikiashvili 🇬🇪🇺🇦🇪🇺 (@marikamikiashvili.bsky.social) October 15, 2025 at 4:09 PM

Germany:

German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius announced during the “Ramstein” format meeting that Berlin will allocate an additional €2 billion to Ukraine. According to him, the support package will include air-defense systems, including Patriot interceptors, radar complexes, artillery systems, missiles.

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— 🦋Special Kherson Cat🐈🇺🇦 (@specialkhersoncat.bsky.social) October 15, 2025 at 10:25 AM

/2. In addition, Germany plans to provide two more IRIS-T air-defense systems with a large number of guided missiles, man-portable air-defense systems, anti-tank weapons, modern communication equipment, and small arms. suspilne.media/amp/1139818-…

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— 🦋Special Kherson Cat🐈🇺🇦 (@specialkhersoncat.bsky.social) October 15, 2025 at 10:25 AM

Poland:

Polish Foreign Minister Sikorski stated that Ukraine is planning this war for three years — and that this is a sensible approach.

www.reuters.com/business/aer…

— WarTranslated (Dmitri) (@wartranslated.bsky.social) October 15, 2025 at 4:52 AM

From Reuters:

LONDON, Oct 14 (Reuters) – Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski warned on Tuesday Europe must be prepared for Russia to strike deep into the region, calling it “irresponsible” not to build defences such as a “drone wall” on its eastern flank.

In London to unveil an Iranian Shahed-136 drone downed in Ukraine, Sikorski urged European nations to “stay the course” in their support of Ukraine, saying he hoped U.S. President Donald Trump would make long-range Tomahawk missiles available to the country to bolster strikes against Russian infrastructure.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has described as “nonsense” the idea that his country would potentially target a NATO member.

Sikorski, a long-time and strident critic of Putin, urged Europe to also plan to support Ukraine for three more years, a timeframe, he said, Kyiv was also planning for.

“The Ukrainians are planning this war for three years, which is prudent,” he said. “And we need to convince Putin that we are ready to stay the course for at least those three years.”

Norway:

The Norwegian government has submitted a draft budget for 2026 to parliament, proposing about $8,5B in support for Ukraine, of which approx $7B is military aid. They recognize russian aggression against Ukraine as their biggest security challenge.

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— Olena Halushka (@halushka.bsky.social) October 15, 2025 at 7:40 AM

Finland:

Before the meeting of NATO defense ministers in Brussels, Finnish Defense Minister Antti Häkkänen announced that Finland will provide a new aid package for Ukraine this week. He also added that Finland will join the PURL initiative.

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— WarTranslated (Dmitri) (@wartranslated.bsky.social) October 15, 2025 at 4:11 AM

NATO:

Rutte: “Why would you shoot down a plane which is not posing a direct threat? That would be silly.”

Silly is refusing to defend your own airspace and choosing appeasement time and time again, despite its consistent failure.

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— Kate from Kharkiv (@kateinkharkiv.bsky.social) October 15, 2025 at 6:56 AM

Just go ahead and preemptively surrender already and save everyone the time and trouble!

The US:

Trump is still nostalgic about his good relationship with Putin and added that Putin should have won the war in three days — yet it’s almost four years now, and he doesn’t understand what Putin is even doing it for.

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— WarTranslated (Dmitri) (@wartranslated.bsky.social) October 15, 2025 at 3:48 AM

I know he won’t read the Presidential Daily Brief, but they have the ability to mock up a Fox News set and have someone pretend to be a Fox News host interviewing someone that would get him the information he needs.

Trump on Ukraine: “They want to go offensive. I’ll make a determination on that.”

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— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar.com) October 15, 2025 at 4:14 PM

First, Ukraine is already on the offensive, which is why they keep blowing up Russia’s petroleum sector facilities. Second, this is not up to Trump.

“If this war does not end, the United States, together with its allies, will take the necessary measures to make Russia pay the price for continuing its aggression.” – U.S. Defense Secretary Hegseth said.

So, will they roll out another red carpet?

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— WarTranslated (Dmitri) (@wartranslated.bsky.social) October 15, 2025 at 2:29 PM

Trump to Putin: “Stop killing Ukrainians and stop killing Russians.”

✋Vladimir, stop!

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— WarTranslated (Dmitri) (@wartranslated.bsky.social) October 15, 2025 at 5:05 PM

I’m sure that will definitely get Putin to stop.

I think it is important to note that the Trump administration, including Secretary Lethality, has made the US the weakest it has been in over a century. Our allies don’t trust us, our adversaries don’t fear us, everyone has figured out how to manipulate Trump to get what they want from him. We are, however, establishing dominance in the illegal killing of Venezuelan and other South American fisherman in the attempt to start a shooting war with Venezuela to provide the DOJ an actual justification as to why the Alien Enemies Act applies as the foundation for the Trump administration’s campaign against immigrants.

Back to Ukraine.

The impact from Ukrainian drone strikes will suppress Russia’s refinery processing rates until at least mid-2026 – Bloomberg

Good. Ukrainian sanctions must continue 💪

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— Kate from Kharkiv (@kateinkharkiv.bsky.social) October 15, 2025 at 8:45 AM

900 Russian air targets intercepted by STING anti-Shahed drones, developed by @wildhornets.bsky.social, since July 2025.

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— 🦋Special Kherson Cat🐈🇺🇦 (@specialkhersoncat.bsky.social) October 15, 2025 at 7:57 AM

“Russia would have long lost this war. With the help of its partners, Ukraine would have regained all the occupied territories if it weren’t for the Kremlin’s support from Moscow’s allies.” – Kyrylo Budanov, Head of the Main Intelligence Directorate of Ukraine’s Ministry of Defense.

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— WarTranslated (Dmitri) (@wartranslated.bsky.social) October 15, 2025 at 2:09 PM

“Ukraine is aware of Russia’s plans in Belarus and will inform the partners who may be affected. At this stage, we will not make this information public.” – Zelensky.

— WarTranslated (Dmitri) (@wartranslated.bsky.social) October 15, 2025 at 9:09 AM

Donetsk Oblast:

Russia killed two civilians and injured at least four in Donetsk Oblast.

Strikes hit Dobropillia, Kostiantynivka, Kramatorsk, Sloviansk, and other towns — homes, schools, infrastructure and businesses damaged.

The daily reality of russia’s war against civilians.

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— Iryna Voichuk (@irynavoichuk.bsky.social) October 15, 2025 at 3:59 AM

Kherson Oblast:

Russian attacks on Kherson and the region killed three civilians and wounded 15 others — including a six-week-old baby and his mother, who were injured during artillery shelling of the city.

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— Iryna Voichuk (@irynavoichuk.bsky.social) October 15, 2025 at 4:13 AM

Again, a permanent member of the UN Security Council deliberately targeted a UN humanitarian convoy and is openly bragging about it, while UN still refuses to name the aggressor.

This timeline makes no sense 😐

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— Kate from Kharkiv (@kateinkharkiv.bsky.social) October 15, 2025 at 9:20 AM

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— Kate from Kharkiv (@kateinkharkiv.bsky.social) October 15, 2025 at 9:25 AM

Chernihiv Oblast:

Russia struck a Nova Poshta terminal with drones and hit a residential building and civilian infrastructure in Nizhyn twice, according to the regional administration.

Two people were injured. Emergency services are working at the scene.

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— Kate from Kharkiv (@kateinkharkiv.bsky.social) October 15, 2025 at 2:24 PM

Russian occupied Crimea:

The oil depot in Feodosiya is still burning. The fourth day of fire will start in a couple of hours.

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— Kate from Kharkiv (@kateinkharkiv.bsky.social) October 15, 2025 at 3:06 PM

Four more days…

The Defense Forces of Ukraine have carried out another strike on an oil depot in the occupied city of Feodosia.

The General Staff of Ukraine reported that 16 fuel tanks, which had survived the previous attack, were damaged. A large-scale fire continues to rage at the facility.

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— WarTranslated (Dmitri) (@wartranslated.bsky.social) October 15, 2025 at 3:19 AM

The Pokrovsk front:

Destroyed Russian column of armoured vehicles on the Pokrovsk front. t.me/Radisnyi_93/…

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— 🦋Special Kherson Cat🐈🇺🇦 (@specialkhersoncat.bsky.social) October 14, 2025 at 4:09 PM

The Kremlin:

The Social Design Agency (SDA) is the Kremlin’s new social engineering contractor, replacing Prigozhin’s IRA. SDA is deeply tied to the Presidential Administration and runs ops like “Doppelganger” news counterfeiting. By @shekhovtsov.substack.com
shekhovtsov.substack.com/p/the-kremli…

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— Euan MacDonald (@euanmacdonald.bsky.social) October 15, 2025 at 3:08 AM

From the Towers of Europa:

Over the past two decades,1 Western state security and intelligence services have increasingly purchased information products from commercial organisations. Private firms provide rapid access to large volumes of open-source data, offer specialised expertise in areas such as cybersecurity, regional analysis, and information monitoring, and enable governments to expand capacity without permanently enlarging their own bureaucracies.

Information products acquired by state services include, but are not limited to, OSINT reports (analyses of social media activity, news monitoring, and trend assessments); satellite imagery and geospatial data; cybersecurity analyses (reports on malware, hacking campaigns, and vulnerabilities); access to financial records, shipping data, flight tracking, and telecommunications metadata; and market and risk assessments.

However, while private firms produce and supply information products, it is state security and intelligence services that evaluate, integrate, and act upon them within their broader decision-making and operational frameworks. Exceptions include private military and security companies, which may combine intelligence gathering with operational activities, and cybersecurity firms, which not only detect and analyse threats but can also mitigate them without direct requests from state agencies.

Since the start of the Russian-Ukrainian war in 2014, a similar trend can be observed in Russia’s political warfare against the West. The field of Russia’s early political warfare could be divided into two large sub-fields. The first was dominated by state-sponsored media outlets such as RT and Sputnik, and also encompassed efforts by Russian state officials to buy influence among Western politicians; tactics of weaponising energy supplies through state-controlled companies; attempts by Russian intelligence and counter-intelligence services to plant specific narratives in Western media; and other top-down measures designed to exert malign influence in the West.

The second sub-field was characterised by bottom-up initiatives, in which various Russian stakeholders with limited or no access to Kremlin-controlled resources launched their own projects to contribute to political warfare against the West, guided by their interpretations of what kinds of malign influence operations the Putin regime might reward if successful. Such initiatives included grassroots media projects like NewsFront and the DONi News Agency; attempts by businessman Konstantin Malofeev to build alliances between Russia and the Western far right; efforts by Russian entrepreneurs such as Andrey Nazarov to normalise and legitimise the occupation of Ukrainian regions among Western companies; and other measures, some of which would indeed be rewarded by the Kremlin, while many would fail to produce any effect that could be positively evaluated by Moscow.

The emergence of the Internet Research Agency (IRA, also known as a “troll factory”) in 2013, owned by the late Russian businessman Yevgeny Prigozhin, introduced a new trend in pro-Kremlin malign influence both domestically and internationally. Until the rise of the Wagner Group following the outbreak of the Russian-Ukrainian war, Prigozhin’s main enterprise was Concord Management and Consulting, a holding company comprising catering businesses, construction firms, and media outlets. Owing to his links with the Kremlin – his companies provided catering services to the Russian government, earning him the nickname “Putin’s chef” – and his personal political ambitions, Prigozhin established the IRA as a traditional political technology firm.

Following Andrew Wilson’s studies on political technology, it can be understood as the professional engineering and manipulation of political systems and processes, designed to shape or fake public demand and serve partisan interests. Methods of political technology range from media manipulation and the use of so-called trolls or bots online, to manufacturing public consent through fake campaigns, staged controversies, and selective information intended to distort how people perceive politics. Since the 1990s, political technology has become omnipresent in post-Soviet Russia as the collapse of Soviet total state control left a weak democracy that powerful interests quickly filled with managed elections, fake parties, and media manipulation, creating the illusion of democratic politics while maintaining control behind the scenes.

Political technology is nevertheless not exclusive to Russia, and can be found in the West too. However, while, in Russia, political technology scripts and controls the entire political system, Western democracies exhibit its subtler, market-based equivalents, seen in practices such as spin, dark-money campaigning, astroturf movements, and data-driven propaganda, which similarly manipulate perception, blur the line between real and manufactured politics, and weaken genuine democratic participation.

Prigozhin’s IRA was neither a state-controlled organisation nor was it created with the sole purpose of offering services to the Kremlin. During its existence from 2013 to 2023, the IRA remained an independent organisation serving Prigozhin’s interests – either purely private ones, or coinciding with the interests of the Kremlin.

This overlap could be explained by Prigozhin’s place and role within the Putin regime. As a stakeholder fully integrated into the system, his interests were naturally aligned with those of the regime, but he was also prepared to offer the IRA’s services in support of the Kremlin’s domestic and international agenda in exchange for specific financial rewards to his Concord Management and Consulting. For example, domestically, the IRA would be used to praise Putin and attack the now late Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, and, internationally, it would defend Bashar al-Assad’s regime in Syria and target Ukraine.

Prigozhin’s other projects functioned in a similar way. For example, in Africa, his Wagner Group initially operated as a private military contractor to secure his business interests, while the Association for Free Research and International Cooperation (AFRIC) provided support to African politicians and political forces considered useful to Prigozhin’s endeavours. At the same time, Prigozhin’s organisations operating in Africa directly contributed to enhancing Russia’s standing on the continent and advancing its broader foreign policy objectives.

In result, starting from 2014, Prigozhin’s Concord businesses “won” large Russian government food-service contracts with the military, schools, and other state institutions, generating revenues worth hundreds of billions of roubles and securing Prigozhin’s position as a key private contractor closely aligned with the Kremlin’s political and military structures.

In the early 2020s, yet another Russian political technology firm emerged on the market of Russian political warfare, Social Design Agency (SDA), run by Ilya Gambashidze. Before 2022, Gambashidze worked as a political technologist, managing election campaigns for regional politicians and serving as an adviser to Pyotr Tolstoy, vice chair of the State Duma (Russian “parliament”). His various companies received government contracts for public relations, media, and research projects. He also founded or co-owned firms involved in marketing, film production, and real estate, building a modest but diverse business network closely tied to Russia’s political establishment.

It was in 2022, or a little bit earlier, that the SDA, which was founded in 2017, became involved in propaganda operations outside of Russia, thus honing its political technology methods for political warfare objectives.

On 27 September 2022, EU DisinfoLab uncovered what it called “Operation Doppelganger”, a Russia-based influence campaign, which had been active since at least May 2022. The campaign cloned authentic European media outlets to spread fake articles, videos, and polls promoting Kremlin narratives, discrediting Ukraine, and sowing fear about the impact of sanctions on European citizens.

Most likely in coordination with EU DisinfoLab, Meta published the same day a report claiming that Facebook had taken down “a large network that originated in Russia and targeted primarily Germany, and also France, Italy, Ukraine and the United Kingdom with narratives focused on the war in Ukraine. The operation began in May of this year and centered around a sprawling network of over 60 websites carefully impersonating legitimate websites of news organizations in Europe, including Spiegel, The Guardian and Bild”. In December 2022, Meta published an update saying that the Russian network, which they had taken down, was linked to Structura National Technologies (SNT) and SDA.

In July 2023, the EU sanctioned both the SNT and SDA, as well as its founder Ilya Gambashidze, for being involved “in the Russian-led digital disinformation campaign […] aiming at manipulating information and sharing disinformation in support of the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine”. In December 2024, the EU also sanctioned the SNT’s head Nikolai Tupikin, as well as Sofia Zakharova, who had been involved in the “Operation Doppelganger” and worked directly with Gambashidze and Tupikin. (The UK went much further than the EU as, by summer 2025, it had sanctioned 17 members of the SDA, targeting all levels of the organisation.)

Zakharova is key to understanding the peculiar nature of the SDA as a political technology firm involved in political warfare. Not only is she a project manager at the SDA – she is also a chief advisor to the Presidential Administration’s Directorate for the Development of Information and Communication Technology and Communication Infrastructure. Thus, she is a bridge between a state body and a private firm, implying that the SDA sells its political warfare products specifically to the Presidential Administration.

It remains unclear how exactly Gambashidze’s SDA began working with the Russian Presidential Administration and became involved in Russia’s anti-Western political warfare.

On the one hand, Pyotr Tolstoy, for whom Gambashidze served as an advisor, occasionally engaged with European politicians to advance Russian malign influence in the West. For instance, in December 2016, Tolstoy attended the signing of the cooperation and coordination agreement between the ruling “United Russia” party and Austria’s far-right Freedom Party. In February 2017, he was among the Russian officials who met with a delegation from the far-right “Alternative for Germany” during their visit to Moscow. Theoretically, Tolstoy could have introduced Gambashidze to officials within the Presidential Administration, suggesting that Gambashidze’s SDA was capable of providing political warfare services to Moscow.

On the other hand, Sergey Kiriyenko, First Deputy Head of the Presidential Administration and overseer of various Russian propaganda projects within its remit, was himself a political technologist – and, in a sense, remains one, as the Kremlin’s chief political technologist.

However, due to his high-profile position within the Putin system, Kiriyenko delegates much of his political technology work to other “social engineers”. As Andrey Pertsev, one of the leading experts on Kremlin politics, suggests, this is precisely how Gambashidze and his SDA could have been recruited by the Presidential Administration.

One of the officials to whom Kiriyenko entrusts specific projects is Alexander Kharichev, head of the Presidential Directorate for Monitoring and Analysis of Social Processes, who then passes assignments down to rank-and-file political technologists like Gambashidze. Kharichev most likely first engaged Gambashidze for propaganda projects targeting domestic Russian audiences and later, when Kiriyenko began assigning tasks related to foreign influence operations, brought Gambashidze’s SDA into this new field.

Analysis of the SDA’s internal meeting protocols indicates that Kharichev participated in several of the agency’s meetings devoted to information operations against Ukraine. In these documents, he is referred to as “ADKh” (АДХ), an acronym derived from his full Russian name, Alexander Dmitrievich Kharichev. Some protocols also contain a reference to Kiriyenko – “SVK” (СВК, Sergey Vladilenovich Kiriyenko), thus further confirming the operational relationship between the SDA and the Presidential Administration.

Much more at the link!

Russia:

Russians have begun installing machine guns on light aircraft to intercept drones.

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— 🦋Special Kherson Cat🐈🇺🇦 (@specialkhersoncat.bsky.social) October 15, 2025 at 6:46 AM

The Republic of Bashkortostan, Russia:

Drones are reportedly attacking an oil refinery in Russian Ufa 👀

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— Kate from Kharkiv (@kateinkharkiv.bsky.social) October 15, 2025 at 6:44 AM

Where air defense?

A Ukrainian drone flies off to strike Bashneft refinery in Bashkortostan, 1,400 km from Ukraine-controlled territory, in broad daylight. Other videos from the location show the refinery on fire – again: It was last struck on Oct. 11.

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— Euan MacDonald (@euanmacdonald.bsky.social) October 15, 2025 at 5:21 AM

🔥🛢️ Just now, Russian oil refinery complex Bashneft in Ufa — 1,400 km from the frontline was targeted by drones.

Bashneft has a total capacity around 23-26 million tons per year. It is a complex of three oil refineries:
•Ufimsky refinery (UNPZ) – ~7.5mln
•Ufaneftekhim – ~9.5mln
•Novoil – ~7.1mln

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— 🦋Special Kherson Cat🐈🇺🇦 (@specialkhersoncat.bsky.social) October 15, 2025 at 3:31 AM

P.S: During the previous attack, on 11.10.2025, AVT-5 unit was hit on the territory of the Novoil.

— 🦋Special Kherson Cat🐈🇺🇦 (@specialkhersoncat.bsky.social) October 15, 2025 at 3:31 AM

Volgograd Oblast, Russia:

Locals report a successful strike on an oil refinery in russian Volgograd last night 👀

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— Kate from Kharkiv (@kateinkharkiv.bsky.social) October 15, 2025 at 9:02 AM

Chelyabinsk Oblast, Russia:

For the first time ever, an air raid alert was sounded in Chelyabinsk due to drones — the region is located approximately 1,800 kilometers away.

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— WarTranslated (Dmitri) (@wartranslated.bsky.social) October 15, 2025 at 6:14 AM

That’s enough for tonight.

Your daily Patron!

A new Patron video!

@patron__dsns

Ось такі summer randoms 🐶✨🛶 #песпатрон

♬ original sound – noahVelvey

 

Here’s the machine translation of the caption:

Here are some summer randoms 🐶✨🛶 #песпатрон 

Open thread!