Ukrainian Drone Hits Moscow Region's Largest Refinery

A Ukrainian Drone sparked a Fire and Damaged a Facility at Moscow Region's Largest Refinery on 6/16/2026 and Oil producer Tatneft, announced Nationwide Fuel Purchase Caps, signs of the widening Impact of Kyiv's campaign to Target Russian Wnergy infrastructure.

Seeking to Hit a Key source of Russia's War Funds, Ukraine's Attacks on Refineries have Doubled since the start of 2026, leading to Full or Partial Shutdowns of Oil Processing and a Decline in Gasoline, Diesel and Jet Fuel Output, according to Official Data, Social Media, and Reuters Calculations.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr ZelenskiyY said the Gazprom Neft Refinery was hit from aDdistance of 500 km (311 miles), illustrating the reach of Ukraine's Long-Range Strikes. "This is a just response to Russian strikes – and to the dragging out of a war that must be ended," He said on X.

Local Emergency Services said a Fire at the Refinery had been put Out and had Not affected Operations. Earlier, Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said a Facility at the Ssite had been Damaged.

The Plant, which has been Targeted multiple times, processed 11.6 million tons of Oil in 2024, producing 2.9 million tons of Petrol and 3.2 million Tons of Diesel.

Around a Dozen Russian Regions have seen some Fuel Supply Disruptions in recent weeks, but Central Authorities have so far described Issues as Localised Bottlenecks.

Recent Long Lines for Gasoline in Russian Controlled Crimea and the Southern Krasnodar Region, underscore the Sensitive Domestic Fallout from Ukraine's Strikes.

On 6/16/2026, Oil Producer Tatneft said it was introducing Restrictions on Fuel Purchases at its Hundreds of Stations across Russia, the First Retailer to Implement Nationwide Caps.

A Tatneft Station in Serpukhov District, South of Moscow, was Limiting Sales to 20 Litres of Gasoline per Car or 40 litres of Diesel and accepting only Cash, according to a Reuters witness.










NYC Wins When Everyone Can Vote! Michael H. Drucker

Lawmakers Fight to Stop Trump Dismantling Ocean Observatory Project

A group of Democratic senators and one Republican, as well as two Democratic House committees, sent letters Monday to the National Science Foundation asking it to reverse course on its plan to dismantle a sprawling ocean monitoring network, with House lawmakers going further and accusing the agency of acting illegally. The Ocean Observatories Initiative is a network of more than 900 ocean sensors built at a cost of $386 million. Over the last decade it has tracked ocean circulation, marine ecosystems, climate change and extreme weather, producing data freely available to the public and informing more than 500 scientific publications. The project was slated to run another 15 to 20 years.

The National Science Foundation had directed the removal of most of the system’s instruments from waters off Oregon, Washington, Alaska, North Carolina and Greenland by 2027 — a decision scientists said came with no warning and no scientific review. The independent federal agency, which was established by Congress, described the move not as a cancellation but as a “descoping” aligned with a strategy to prioritize “evolving scientific priorities and emerging technologies.” The Trump administration’s proposed 2026 budget had included a 55% cut to the agency.

“It just seems like this is supreme stupidity and a violation of the fundamental distribution of powers in our Constitution,” Democratic Sen. Jeff Merkley of Oregon told The Associated Press. “This program is authorized, it’s funded, and for the administration to shut it down without direction from Congress violates that vision in which the people’s representatives decide what’s done and funded, and the executive branch executes that vision.”

Merkley and Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska co-led the letter, which was also signed by Democratic Sens. Edward Markey and Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin, Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell of Washington, Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island, Chris Van Hollen of Maryland and Ron Wyden of Oregon. It urged the National Science Foundation, or NSF, to halt the dismantling of the Ocean Observatories Initiative and conduct a thorough review, including consultation with the marine science community, before any further action is taken.

“Eliminating most of this complex ocean monitoring system threatens the safety of our coastal communities while undermining our nation’s ability to monitor coastal environments, marine currents, and extreme weather events,” the senators wrote. In a sharper rebuke, Democrats from the House Science, Space and Technology Committee and the House Natural Resources Committee sent a joint letter demanding the agency “cease this expensive, destructive, and — crucially — illegal action at once.” The letter was led by Reps. Zoe Lofgren and Jared Huffman of California, the top Democrats on their respective committees, and was signed by 23 Democratic members from each panel.

In a June 3 statement, the NSF said its decision drew in part on a 2025 National Academies report on the future of ocean science. “NSF remains committed to ocean science and will continue working with the scientific community on high-priority research objectives,” it wrote. The ocean observatory cuts are part of a broader retreat from environmental and climate-related science under President Donald Trump's Republican administration, which has moved to scale back research programs, reduce staffing at agencies including the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the Environmental Protection Agency, and ease emissions regulations.

Federal appropriations law requires the NSF to notify the House and Senate Appropriations Committees at least 30 days in advance of any planned decommissioning of agency-owned facilities or assets valued at more than $2.5 million. The House letter said no such notification had been transmitted. Merkley said he learned of the dismantling through news reports. “It was like the alarm bells just went off,” he said. “None of us knew about this, and there didn’t appear to have been any consultation or any scientific commission or stakeholders that were leading to this.”

Merkley said his office is still confirming whether formal notification was given, but he added: “If there was no notification, this would appear to be illegal.” He and Murkowski planned to file legislation Monday that would prohibit the NSF from spending federal funds to decommission instruments until a thorough review has been completed. Scientists are scheduled to begin pulling the first buoy off the Oregon coast on Tuesday.

In their letter, the senators cited the approaching El Niño — a periodic Pacific warming that disrupts weather patterns and supercharges marine heat waves — as evidence the cuts are particularly ill timed. “The loss of this deep-water observation system would threaten our ability to prepare for and monitor future El Niño events,” they wrote, warning coastal communities, fishermen and emergency responders would be left without crucial information.

“Instead of paying for the valuable insights that can be gleaned from the 10-years-and-counting continuous monitoring, taxpayers are now paying for research vessels to span the ocean dredging up hundreds of pieces of instrumentation. This is pathetic,” the House letter states. “In a time of strained resources, the NSF is wasting time and money to destroy its own scientific infrastructure.”










NYC Wins When Everyone Can Vote! Michael H. Drucker

New Delhi New Political Party

Thousands of People gathered in India's Capital last week at a Rally of the fast growing Cockroach Janta Party.

The Gen Z movement started as an Online Parody less than a month ago, but it has quickly amassed Tens of Millions of Members to become a Force Challdenging the Hindu Nationalist Govnment of Narendra Modi.

The impetus was an Insult: India's Chief Justice said Young, Unemployed People Criticizing the Government were "Cockroaches."

That prompted Abhijeet Dipke, 30, who was seeking a job after recently completing a U.S. Graduate Drgree, to Post "What if all the cockroaches came together?"

After He got Thousands of Delighted Responses, HE Created the website for the Cockroach Janta Paerty, with the Tagline "Time to turn this tiny koke into a revolution."










NYC Wins When Everyone Can Vote! Michael H. Drucker

Kennedy Center New Trump Endowment

The Kennedy Center is Establishing a New Endowment in Trump’s (R) Name, after it Removed His Name from the Outside of the Building.

Roma Daravi, the Vice President of Public Relations at the Center, said the Trump Kennedy Center Fund “is intended to recognize Trump’s significant contributions and dedication to America’s premier cultural center, while furthering our founding mission like never before.”

Rep. Joyce Beatty (D-OH, 3rd District), an former Officio Board Member of the Center, Sued to Block the Renaming and Planned Two-year Closure of the Center, the latter of which was Set to Start on 7/5/2026 for Renovations.

The Endowment will raise additional Private Funds to Supplement the $257 million in Congressional Funding for the Facility, according to a Center Official.

The Official also Noted that the Fund is Separate from Existing Endowments, the Center touts Donations from a Lengthy List of Individuals and Foundations, ranging from more than $50,000 to more than $1 million.










NYC Wins When Everyone Can Vote! Michael H. Drucker

Ukraine’s Manpower Will Be Made Up from Abroad

On 6/12/2026, the Commander-in-Chief of Ukraine's Armed Forces, General Oleksandr Syrskyi, announced an Initiative to Aggressively Recruit Foreign Mercenaries for Kyiv’s Front-Line military Units. The Announcement, made on the Telegram Messaging Platform, states that the Uultimate Goal is for these Foreign, Contract-Paid Soldiers to make up 30% to 50% of All of Ukraine’s Assault and Infantry Units. Up to this Point, Foreign Fighters had Largely Enlisted in the Ukrainian Military by Volunteering with One of the Organizations Forming the International Legions Fighting against the Russians. But in a Major Policy Shift, Kyiv will now Actively Recruit Foreign Military Personnel into its Ranks, and there will reportedly also be Major Changes to how the Military Staffs its Combat Units.

Zelenskiy's Government had previously Announced in May, that it would Explore a Series of Measures to Iincrease the Number of Military Personnel. This Lack of Manpower has been a Perennial Problem for years now. But simply bringing in moreRrecruits is Not the Answer. As a Carnegie Endowment Study on the Issue from 3/2026 reads, “improving Ukraine’s mobilization policy will not be enough on its own to resolve the country’s persistent manning and readiness problems.”

“The government’s ability to deliver additional recruits is not the only factor underpinning the effectiveness and readiness of military units effective and sustainable force generation in Ukraine, depends on a strategic orce development approach based on a cCredible theory of victory, effective operating concepts, fast aadaptation, and robotization.” While the Endless Talent for Innovation and Adaptation shown by Ukraine’s Military in the use of Drones to compensate for the Country’s Disparity in Military Personnel vis-à-vis Russia is Evident, the Dilemma remains that many Ukrainian Soldiers Fight month after month without any Chance of Home Leave. This Eventually has Corrosive Effects on Unit Effectiveness.

The Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelenskiyy, had Reportedly Decided to take Measures to Significantly Augment the Number of Foreign Fighters in the Ranks after Negotiations on how to Eend the War with Russia made Zero Progress and had Become, as Several Western Media Outlets put it, a “Steve Witkoff-Kirill Dmitriev theatre.” Under Syrskyi's Plan, this Selection of Foreign Mmilitary Personnel will Now be Conducted by Private Recruiting Firms. The Candidates will be Screened, and the Selection will be made from those Deemed Suitable.

These Selected Foreign Fighters will be Transferred to Ukraine, with the Recruiting Firms then Receiving Payment for each Recruit who Joins Kyiv’s Military. The Decision to Prioritize Locating Suitable Candidates for these Front-Line Positions, According to Syrskyi, was made to Reinforce Front-Line Combat Units and Reduce Losses among Ukrainian Personnel.

“We are opening the market for the recruitment of foreigners to strengthen combat units and preserve the lives of Ukrainian troops,” He Wrote in His Telegram Announcement. Which is why “our goal is to fill up to 30% to 50% of assault and infantry positions with foreigners.” Syrskyi described this Recruitment Initiative as the First Stage towards what He Described as a Large-Scale Transformation. The Foreign Personnel Drive will then be followed by a Comprehensive Overhaul of Ukraine's Recruitment and Mobilization Processes.

“We are building an army with clear rules and respect for the soldier. Human life is the greatest value,” He added. He also emphasized Again that the Primary Objective of this Effort is to Preserve the Lives of Troops on the Front Line. Data on the Number of Foreign Recruits in Ukraine's Defense Forces remains Incomplete, and neither the Defense Ministry nor the Armed Forces Publishes any Comprehensive Registries of Foreign Service Personnel, Largely for Security Reasons.

What is known of the History of Foreign Military Personnel fighting in Ukraine is Summarized here: In 2022, the First year of the War, the Initial International Legion was Established, with Ukraine Reportedly Receiving more than 20,000 Applications from 52 Nations. However, that Number is only a Tally of those who Expressed Interest and Registered, Not the Final Count of those Who Traveled to Ukraine, Passed All Relevant Screening Processes, and Enlisted in Combat Units.

By the 2023–2024 Timeframe, the Number of Foreigners Actively Fighting in the International Legion, was Estimated at roughly 1,500-2,000 Personnel. At the same time, there was also a Greater Number of Foreigners Serving in other Pro-Ukrainian Military Organizations, Estimated at 3,000 to 4,000. In 2026, a more Comprehensive Assessment was Conducted across Aall Defense Structures, including Active Foreign Sservice Members and Veterans, with an Estimated Total of Approximately 20,000 People. This Current Plan for a Wider Recruitment Drive to Open-Up Service to more Foreign Recruits is also only One Element of Ukraine's First Comprehensive Overhaul of its Armed Forces since the War Began.

This Plan calls for a Ppackage of Reforms that Wwill Pair Changes to Recruitment Practices with Higher Pay for All Personnel, Ffixed-Term Contracts, and more clearly Defined Terms of Service.










NYC Wins When Everyone Can Vote! Michael H. Drucker

Trump Says FISA Extension Must Include Voting Bill

Trump (R) said on 6/14/2026 He Opposes any Renewal of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA), that does not include his Save America Act (H.R.7296), which would require Proof of-Citizenship for Voting.

The U.S. Congress on 6/11/2026 Rejected a Short-Term Extension of FISA Powers, amid a Standoff over Trump's Selection of an Inexperienced Loyalist, Bill Pulte (R), to Serve as the Acting Director of National Intelligence, although some Lawmakers also Oppose an Extension of FISA under any Circumstances.

"What kind of a deal is that," Trump posted Sunday on Truth Social. "Besides, I’m against FISA if it doesn’t come with The Save America Act (Full version!) firmly attached to it."

FISA, was enacted in 1978, establishes Procedures for the Surveillance and Collection of Foreign Intelligence on Domestic Soil. It Regulates certain Types of Foreign Intelligence Collection, including those that require Assistance from U.S. Telecommunications Companies

The U.S. House of Representatives and Senate each Voted on 6/12/2026 to Extend the Law for 10 days, after Failing to Secure a Long-Term Authorisation, Clean Extension, or add Trump's Demand.

The SAVE Act: Congress has pursued a Legislative Rroute through the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act (SAVE Act). The Bill would require Documentary Proof of Citizenship for All Federal Voter Registrations. The House Passed the Bill on 4/10/2025, and the Senate has Not Advanced it.










NYC Wins When Everyone Can Vote! Michael H. Drucker

Ukraine Force Russia to Disguise Fuel Trucks as Milk Vehicles

How consistently Ukraine’s Defense Forces are disrupting logistics on the route to Crimea, “quite systematically”.

So much so that the Russia is resorting to camouflage. It has reached the point where they are even building covers over fuel trucks, disguising them as civilian vehicles, and there is information that they have begun using vehicles that transport food products, such as milk, for this.”.

Russian Forces are Not using the Crimean Bridge to Transport Fuel Tankers. Ferries are also Unsuitable for such Shipments because of the Damage they have sSstained.

Still, fuel remains available on the occupied peninsula for military purposes.

Defense Forces struck an area near Dovzhansk in Luhansk Oblast, where a Russian military drone unit was concentrated. They also destroyed a drone production and repair workshop near Avdiivka in Donetsk Oblast.

The Ukrainian Navy earlier said, it carried out a Neptune missile strike on Striletska Bay in Sevastopol, destroying a military facility of Russia’s Black Sea Fleet.

The operational headquarters of Russia’s Krasnodar Krai said a fire broke out at the Afipsky oil refinery after a drone attack overnight on 6/11/2026.










NYC Wins When Everyone Can Vote! Michael H. Drucker