Day 1707 War for Ukraine

Good interview with Zelenskyy where he talks about Putin using nuclear weapons (22:30 mark) as scare items to pressure Western governments into making concessions and accommodations to Russia.

Georgian protesters hit the 700 day mark!

“Ukraine has officially gained access to NATO’s procurement system! Ukraine signed an agreement with the NATO Support and Procurement Agency (NSPA), opening access to NATO procurement mechanisms.”

Europe begins own program to defend against hypersonic missiles. Should be ready by 2030.

Estonia starts construction of 150 bunkers.

Budanov, head of Ukraine’s Presidential Office, speaks with Special Envoy Witkoff. Witkoff focused on plans where everyone would make money. Budanov replied that Ukraine wanted a Poland-style relationship with Russia, not a Belarus-style one. “An irritated Witkoff reportedly said: 'Accept this diesel deal and stop striking Russian oil refineries — you are putting the world at risk!'” Ukrainians didn't see money in the plan, they saw a dangerous dependence.

Putin praises Musk. Europe is trying to build a replacement for Starlink/Starshield.

After diesel deal with Russia, diesel price has actually risen by seven cents.

Zelenskyy has considerable trust among Ukrainians, 62% trust him. “Despite months of missile attacks and round-the-clock air alerts, more Kyiv residents than ever (76%) say they're 'willing to endure the war as long as necessary'"

Ukraine still hammering supply lines to Crimea. Locomotives and fuel tankers hit especially hard.

Publishing house in Kharkiv struck, burning over 300k books.

Lyman was a town of 20k. It's ruins now.

Russians will conduct a controlled reporting in Oleshky (been under siege since December of last year) that the Trump Administration will cooperate with. Oleshky residents will take what they can get.

Chasiv Yar, land that's been “liberated.”

Damage assessments to Russian war-making facilities.

https://balloon-juice.com/2026/10/28/war-for-ukraine-day-1707-a-brief-wednesday-night-update/

Day 1704 War for Ukraine

Orban had an extremely tight grip on Hungary. Nevertheless, his people voted him out of office. Trump wants him as UN Secretary-General, as do Russia and China. Can't think of a better reason to reject someone for that post!

Zelenskyy sets out conditions for a peace agreement between Ukraine and Russia.

Big turnout for the 697^th straight day of protest in Georgia.

“Vučić conceded defeat in Serbia’s parliamentary election”

“Germany is investigating whether Russian intelligence services are using mafia for sabotage”

Canada plans to replace Elon Musk's Starlink by early 2028.

The meeting in Anchorage between Trump and Putin was supposed to have led to Ukraine's surrender. Hasn't worked out that way.

A Ukrainian points out that Musk's sympathy for Russian soldiers isn't based on any real knowledge of what the motivations of Russians are.

A harsh winter is predicted at the same time Russia is bombarding the means for Ukrainians to keep warm. Housing gets more expensive as rent-payers decrease.

Epicenter home improvement stores and apartments are hit. Public buses are also struck.

Reporter Zarina Zabrisky warns us not to fall for Russian propaganda that Ukrainians have been targeting Oleshky.

Over 570 ships have been attacked in the Black Sea by both sides.

Russia's shadow fleet is using deceptive navigation that could lead to accidents. France provides patrol aircraft to protect shipping.

Putin decides to mix it up a little. Instead of a target “falling out of a window,” this latest fellow “shot himself while cleaning gun.”

Putin now has 50 air defense towers protecting his residence. Moscow has about 100.

Storm Shadow missiles hit Russian electronics and specialized battery plants.

https://balloon-juice.com/2026/10/25/war-for-ukraine-day-1704-a-brief-sunday-night-update/

Day 1698 War for Ukraine

Very cool! Drone carries wounded Ukrainian soldier back to front lines from exposed position.

“Trump: 'We've given a lot to Ukraine. They've given us nothing.'" Absolutely baffled by what Trump expected Ukraine to give us. Biden did not enter into helping Ukraine because he expected anything other than a free Ukraine.

US still isn't warning Ukraine about incoming ballistic missiles. Missiles simply start falling, so no one has time to get to shelter.

American intelligence community has a “Duty to Warn” of upcoming attacks.

Georgian officials feel insulted by something a journalist said, so it's back to prison for him.

Trump accuses Ukraine of not acting to achieve peace. Not true. It's Putin who keeps refusing to abide by cease-fires.

VP Vance talks %^$# about Ukraine.

US Is withholding Patriot missiles. SecDef Hegseth isn't signing Patriot contracts. This is crushing US defense industry. Industrial Keynesianism aaimed at producing for US allies keeps US economy afloat. Trump is killing the goose that lays the golden eggs.

That “liberal rag,” the National Review, comes out strongly for Ukraine. Lengthy, good piece!

“At an official event in Moscow, Russian Lieutenant Colonel Alexey Selivanov openly admitted their true goal is the total erasure of Ukrainian identity.”

Poll shows that Ukrainians would like a ceasefire, but will stick it out for as long as it takes.

Russia launches16 ballistic missiles at Kyiv.

Wow! There's a T-72 tank still remaining at this lat stage of the war.

Cosmo Multimall in Kyiv hit. Many other buildings hit. Russians trying to destroy basic infrastructure.

Good! Ukraine and Russia agree on evacuating civilians from Oleshky.

Russian oil tanks, logistics hub and a data center burned out in St. Petersburg.

https://balloon-juice.com/2026/10/19/war-for-ukraine-day-1698-russia-frankly-has-been-fine-on-ukraine-insert-sound-of-adam-endlessly-screaming-into-the-void-here/

Day 1694 War for Ukraine

Romanian ships hit. “One was in Romanian waters, the other just outside.” I very much understand the desire of Europeans to continue to wait for a big, splashy, Pearl Harbor-type attack from Russia, but what's the plan if they don't? What if Russia keeps slowly upping the attacks, kind of like the “frogs in increasingly hot water” metaphor (which doesn't actually happen, but it's a good metaphor for people who don't react until they absolutely have to).

The blogger shows how Stephen Miller has the power within the White House to issue such an order, concludes ultimately that Trump made it clear that he wanted Ukraine to suffer for not jumping to obey his commands. “Trump: 'Zelenskyy is not a good guy for us to deal with ...'”

Zelenskyy is determined to keep up the attack on Russia anyway.

By the way, where IS that Russian 300k tons of diesel, that stockpile that Russia promised? Russia: “Contract negotiations are underway.”

Alice Weidel of AfD tries to make a case to abandon Ukraine.

Zelenskyy attends EU meeting in Brussels. Air defense is a major topic for him.

In August Russia condemned Britain for providing Storm Shadow missiles to Ukraine. October, Britain provides them anyway.

Ukraine is now out of Patriot air defense missiles.

US suggests unfreezing some Russian assets. Europe says “No.”

Texas Senate candidate James Talarico comes out wholeheartedly in favor of Ukraine.

Kyiv suffers damage to infrastructure.

Private homes and apartments damaged in Kharkiv.

Supermarket in Odesa struck by Shahed jet-powered drone.

Air traffic in in Moscow shut down due to Ukrainian drones.

Six Russian jets destroyed on the ground by Ukrainian Navy.

https://balloon-juice.com/2026/10/15/war-for-ukraine-day-1694-the-finger-pointing-continues/

 

Dat 1693 War for Ukraine

 Peskov is 100% correct. It is unreasonable to hold Russia accountable for having failed to comply with Trump's unilaterally declared “energy truce” if Trump hasn't sat down with both parties and worked out with both of them exactly what means what. Such a discussion will never take place because that would mean Trump would have to devote time, attention and energy to the matter.

Elon Musk says the slowdown of Starlink isn't his fault, “White House officials told the Ukrainians they don’t have control over SpaceX,“ I tend to believe Musk here. When the government and a private company disagree, I find it difficult to believe that the government is helpless in the matter.

Zelenskyy feels betrayed by Trump.

The blogger points out that what the manipulation of Starlink does is to hurt the defense of civilians more than it hurts military offensives.

Hmm, I saw Trump's rant the other night. It' been deleted now. Trump probably felt his words incriminated him.

Blogger: “if Trump were actually a Russian asset, what would he be doing differently than he is doing. And the answer remains the same as the last however many times I’ve asked: nothing, he’d be doing nothing differently.”

Kushner and Witkoff have suggested that Russia's assets be unfrozen. Europe and Ukraine disagree.

Leader of a Georgian party prevented from attending a conference in Europe.

“In 2027, the EU plans to reallocate the 2 GHz spectrum band for satellite communications. Elon Musk's company is also laying claim to these frequencies.” There's a powerful reason to resolve this NOW! Why are they waiting until next year?

Britain hurries up deliveries of anti-jet drone missile.

Trump comes up with a good explanation for why he doesn't call Putin names Problem is, this restraint applies ONLY to Putin and other dictators!

No one knows why FBI Director Kash Patel visited Russia.

“All THREE of Kyiv’s combined heat and power plants were targeted overnight.”

How Ukraine's defense is being hampered.

Can Europe replace America's early warning system for Russian missiles? Ehh, probably not, as the system is very complex with lots of parts.

Russia hits a wholesale store and the Korsak Museum of Contemporary Ukrainian Art,

Anna Sotsenko went on a hunger strike to protest living under Russian occupation. She was abducted and held incommunicado, then charged with treason.

Ukrainian interceptor drone strikes Russian helicopter mid-air!

Russian military air base struck with los of damage.

Another data center struck.

https://balloon-juice.com/2026/10/14/war-for-ukraine-day-1693-when-you-point-one-finger-three-fingers-point-back-at-you/

Day 1690 War in Ukraine

A decade later, British politicians FINALLY admit it! The Brexit vote was rigged by Russia! I could tell there was something wrong when the British seemed surprised at the consequences of the vote. Europe showed no sympathy and wouldn't let then re-do the vote. Blogger says he was aware of the Russian influence from the start.

Correction: a ship did indeed make its way to the US shortly after Trump announced the diesel deal with Russia, but the ship is carrying urea, not diesel.

Turns out Trump's announcement was in error because neither Ukraine nor Russia had agreed to any such thing. Trump announced a nonexistent deal. Russia struck a thermal power plant right after Trump's announcement. Trump expected Ukraine to abide by the nonexistent agreement anyway, but the US has no negotiating leverage with Ukraine and hasn't had any for quite a while.

Also, Putin sent nuclear technicians to Iran to help them get their nuclear power plant working again and Russia's supplying missiles to Iran.

Assassination attempt on Prime Minister of Poland.

Again, Laura Loomer is absolutely correct. Loomer “Vladimir Putin has killed more white, Christian, European men and women than Al Baghdadi [ISIS] ever did.”

Seven senators object to the Trump-Putin diesel deal.

The company Fire Point has put together a new ballistic missile design in just two years, a process that usually take seven to 15 years.

Have Russian trolling operations fallen because Ukraine has bombed Russian data centers? Nah, but it makes for a good story.

Is there a chance Musk will shut off Starlink? Seems unlikely.

In one week, “Russia fired roughly 1,450 guided bombs, 75 missiles, and over 1,640 strike drones at Ukraine.” In response, Ukraine caused Russia to suffer 50k casualties, 28k fatalities.

Russia trikes in Kharkiv cause many civilian casualties.

A MANPADS in action, taking out aa Shahed drone.

Due to done activity, none of the Moscow airports can allow any takeoffs or landings.

Omsk oil refinery hit again. Omsk is roughly 3,500 km from Ukraine front lines. More damage done to Russian sites.

https://balloon-juice.com/2026/10/11/war-for-ukraine-day-1690-energy-ceasefire/

Day 1689 War in Ukraine

Fox & Friends co-host Rachel Campos-Duffy (seated on the couch) produces a “false equivalence.” She talks about how wonderful it would be to stop the war in Ukraine (that would indeed be a marvelous thing, but the details of the terms are extremely important) “We could stop killing a million kids on the Russian side, a million on the Ukraine side...” Have the Russians killed a million Ukrainian kids? That number is more likely in the hundreds of thousands as Ukrainians have bomb shelters all over, but yes, Russia regularly fire missiles and drones right into civilian areas. It is very unlikely on the Russian side as Ukraine tries to focus on military or dual-use targets.

“Trump: 'I think it’s time for Ukraine to get a new president'” Fortunately, the US no longer has the power over smaller countries that it did during the 50s and 60s.

Trump's talking points totally copy Putin's talking points.

Why did Zelenskyy ignore “half a dozen U.S. requests to stop attacking Russian oil refineries”? Negotiating 101. If you want an alleged ally to do or not do something, you offer something! There's zero indication from this piece that Trump offered Zelenskyy anything to unilaterally disarm and to stop bombing Russian oil refineries. The US wanted Ukraine to unilaterally stop doing something that was pressuring Russia. In return? Nothing. Just threats if Ukraine didn't agree.

Blogger wonders if the US would win a war against Ukraine. US has air superiority, but that's about it and that air superiority isn't doing much good against the Iranians or the Houthis.

Very, very interesting: “The first Russian diesel cargo heading for the US left St Petersburg on September 22, two weeks *before* Trump announced the deal with Putin, Windward reports.”

The deal that Russia dangled in front of Trump was allegedly worth $12 trillion.

A Georgian woman born in 1930 states her fondest wish: To greet her 100^th year “in a Georgia free of the Georgian Dream” (the party running Georgia right now).

Georgian Dream has banned 93 words and phrases from being used by TV news.

“Trump: 'It’s amazing. I can say the stupidest things, and you’ll clap and say, ‘We love you so much!'” Women behind him smile, laugh and clap.

Representative Brian Fitzpatrick (my Representative) wants to pass a bill to block purchasing Russian oil. Problem is that the House is out of session until after the midterm election.

Laura Loomer is 1005 correct!

Ukrainian drone blows up Russian fuel stockpile.

In the process of hitting Russian military truck, a drone causes a traffic accident.

Russia hits Kyiv with several ballistic missiles.

Woo-hoo! Russian ballistic missile shot down!

Apartment building ad hospital bombed.

Russian oil refineries being covered by anti-drone nets.

Moscow airports closed due to drones.

Ukraine hits oil-loading terminal in Rostov-on-Don. Ukraine hits machine-tool plant.

More data centers under attack.

Russia building drone production facility in Tatarstan, about 2k km from Kyiv.

https://balloon-juice.com/2026/10/10/war-for-ukraine-day-1689-trump-tries-to-twist-his-little-knife/