Ukraine Will Unblock the Strait of Hormuz

Ukraine’s Interceptor Drones are already Flying in the Gulf States. But Ukraine’s President, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, has been Dropping Hints. Ukraine is Gearing-Up to Release something Massive in the Strait of Hormuz. Blockade? What blockade? Iran can’t Stop what’s Coming, as Ukraine is Stepping-Up to Deliver the Exact thing that Iran’s Regime never Wanted to See in its Vital Waterway. Speaking at a Security Summit on the Strait of Hormuz, Zelenskyy said the Words that every Gulf State wanted to Hear. “Also, if we have our ‘drone deal’ with Middle Eastern countries, our sea drones are included in it. Therefore, anything can appear: we can join in on defense, we can help with convoys,” Zelenskyy told the gathered Delegates.

Zelenskyy established that Ukraine has gone from a Country that Relied on Others to Combat Russia’s War-of-Aggression, to a Powerful Military Nation that is Capable of Helping others in their time of need. Ukraine has already sent Drone Experts to the Middle East. Over 200 of its Best and Brightest are Working with the Gulf States to Help them figure out how to use Interceptor Drones to stop Iran’s Swooping Shaheds in their Tracks. Those Experts are even Directly Destroying Iran’s Shaheds, at least if Zelenskyy is to be Believed.

So, what we’re seeing here is a Step-Up. The Interceptors are already Flying. Now, the Naval Drones are Coming and, as you’ll soon find out, they can do a Lot more than take out the Vessels that Iran is Deploying into the Strait of Hormuz.

Zelenskyy’s Big Hint came during an Online Security Summit that was held in Advance of a Follow-Up Summit that the U.K. is set to Host in London. That Summit will involve 35 Nations, and is set to Cover how the Collective West, seemingly Minus the U.S., is going to move toward Securing the Strait of Hormuz, in the Wake of Operation Epic Fury. The U.K.’s Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, says that this Upcoming Summit will “assess all viable diplomatic and political measures we can take to restore freedom of navigation, guarantee the safety of trapped ships and seafarers, and to resume the movement of vital commodities.”

For Ukraine, this is an Opportunity. Zelenskyy has just told us Precisely how His Country intends to make Itself One of the Key Players in the Gulf Region. Ukraine’s President also mentioned the Decade-Long Deals with Gulf States, which will be the Route through which Ukraine’s Seaborne Drones make it into the Strait of Hormuz.

Those States have felt the Impact of Operation Epic Fury and the Strait of Hormuz Blockades in their Pocketbooks. According to Analyst Oguzhan Akyener, Daily Exports of Oil from: Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, United Arab Emirates, Iran, Iraq, and Kuwait, have already Dropped from 12.3 million Barrels to 7.8 million by the End of March. All told, the Cost to these Nations when combining Lost Oil and Gas Revenue with Damage Done to them, by Iran’s Missiles and Shahed Drones could exceed $50 billion by the time that the War is over.

Those Gulf States need an Ally who can Help them Defend their Ships and Infrastructure against Iran’s Drones. Ukraine has Stepped Up On 4/19/2026, just a Couple of Days before Zelenskyy Dropped the Biggest Hint yet that Sea Drones are on their way to the Gulf, Ukraine Oofficially reached Agreements on 10-year Defense Deals with: Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the UAE. Those Deals have been in the Works for some time. Now, Pen has been put to Paper, and Zelenskyy Suggests that this may be the Starting Point for something much Bigger. “We have agreed on ten-year contracts already with three key countries: Saudi Arabia, the Emirates, and Qatar. We already have Requests from 11 Countries, the Middle East, and the Gulf, and are also gradually looking toward the Caucasus,” Zelenskyy said when Announcing the Deals.

These deals are as Important for Ukraine as they are for the Gulf states. As Politico points out, Ukraine has used these Deals to Secure an Oil Lifeline following a Winter where Russia constantly Struck Ukraine’s Energy Grids and Iinfrastructure. Crude oil will be Ddelivered to EuropeanRrefineries to be Turned into Fuel that will Head to Ukraine, Zelenskyy says. In some Cases, the Gulf States will be providing Diesel directly. Financial Assistance and Missile Interceptors will also be coming Ukraine’s way, demonstrating that these Deals aren’t a Case of One-Way Traffic of Ukrainian Drones to the Gulf. Ukraine is being Treated as an Equal Partner. And that means it’s getting asGgood as it gives.

We also can’t ignore what this latest morsel of information from Zelenskyy means for Ukraine’s position with its Western partners. Ukraine’s president has smartly told the very people who have spent four years helping Ukraine to battle against Russian aggression that it’s ready to help. The U.K., at the very least, seems keen to see Ukraine’s naval drones enter the Strait of Hormuz. Starmer Labeled the Re-Opening of the Strait of Hormuz a “global responsibility” ahead of the Virtual Conference where Zelenskyy Dropped his Hint. “We must reassure commercial shipping and support mine clearance operations to ensure a return to global stability and security,” Starmer has Declared.

Part of Reassuring Commercial Shipping will be Ensuring that Non-Military Vessels have Protection against Future Iranian Shahed and Fast Boat Raids. Ukraine’s Naval Drones are Perfect for that Task. The U.K. Recognizes that Fact, and it has already said that Ukraine could Play a “useful” Role in the Re-Opening of the Strait of Hormuz.

That “useful” Role isn’t Limited to Providing Naval Drones and Interceptors. Ukraine has Experience in Dealing with Blockades, specifically the Ones that Russia tried to put in place in Ukraine’s Key Food Security Corridors in the Black Sea. Granted, Ukraine was Dealing with Russian Warships Operating as Part of the Black Sea Fleet, rather than the Drones and Fast Boats that Iran is using in the Strait of Hormuz. But many of the Weapons that it Used to Clear that Blockade, including the Naval Drones that now seem to be Heading to the Gulf, were Key in that Operation.

Ukraine has the Blueprint and, most Importantly, the Combat-Tested Expertise that Demonstrates its Drones will work in the Gulf. If the U.S. doesn’t want Ukraine’s Help in the Strait of Hormuz, then Ukraine won’t Chase. It will Bypass. That’s what the Decade-Long Defense Deals with Gulf Nations are really All about, as Ukraine is Setting itself up as the Supplier of Key Weapons to Nations that have been Impacted by American and Iranian Actions in the Strait of Hormuz.

Ukraine never stands still. It Innovates Constantly, and some recent Developments in the Sea Drone Space have taken these Weapons from being a “nice to have” in the Strait of Hormuz to potentially Blockade, Ending Assets that the Gulf States and the Western Nations that want to Reopen the Waterway could use. First, we go back to 3/17/2026. On that Date, Militarnyi Reported on a Remarkable Achievement made by One of Ukraine’s Magura V7 Drones. This achievement hadn’t been made Public until this point. It actually happened in 9/2025, when Ukraine was taking part in the NATO REPMUS and Dynamic Messenger Wxercises that were held off the Portuguese Coast.

Ukrainian Naval Drones are about to be Unleashed into the One Place where Iran doesn’t want to see them. The Regime can’t do a thing about what’s Coming. Ukraine’s Latest move just Adds to what it has already been doing in the Strait of Hormuz. We’ve touched on Interceptor Drones and 10-year Deals.










NYC Wins When Everyone Can Vote! Michael H. Drucker

Federal Judge Dismisses DOJ Lawsuit AZ Seeking Voter Data

A Federal Judge on 4/28/2026 Dismissed a U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) Lawsuit against Arizona seeking Access to the State's Detailed Voter Records, the Latest Legal Setback in a Nationwide Effort by the Trump Administration.

U.S. District Judge Susan Brnovich, a Trump (R) Appointee, wrote that Arizona's Statewide Voter Registration List is “not a document subject to request by the Attorney General" under Federal Law. The Judge Dismissed the Lawsuit with Prejudice because, She wrote, “Amendment would be Legally Futile.”

The Dismissal of the Arizona Lawsuit follows a String of other Rulings against the DOJ in Similar Cases in other States. The DOJ has Sued at least 30 States and the District of Columbia, seeking to Force Release of Detailed Voter Data, which includes Dates of Birth, Addresses, Driver’s License Numbers, and Partial Social Security Numbers.

In Addition to Arizona, Judges have Rejected those Attempts in: California, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Michigan, and Oregon. In Georgia, a Judge Dismissed a DOJ Lawsuit because it had been Filed in the Wrong City, Prompting the Government to Refile Elsewhere.

The DOJ Sued Arizona Secretary of State Adrian Fontes (D) in 1/2026 for Failing to Comply with its Request for the Detailed Voter Information. “This moment is a win for voter privacy,” Fontes said in a Statement. “I will never comply with illegal requests that put Arizona voters in harms way.”

At least 13 States have either Provided or Promised to Provide their Detailed Voter Registration Lists to the Department, according to the Brennan Center and Associated Press, reporting: Alaska, Arkansas, Indiana, Louisiana, Mississippi, Nebraska, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, and Wyoming.

Federal Officials say they need the Voter Ddata to Ensure that States are Complying with Federal Election Laws related to Maintaining Voter Registration Lists. In the Rhode Island Case, a Justice Department Attorney Acknowledged that the Department was seeking Unredacted Voter RRroll Information, so it could be Shared with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to Check Citizenship Status.

Democratic and some Republican Officials have Objected to the Requests, and said such a Demand Violates State and Federal Privacy Laws.










NYC Wins When Everyone Can Vote! Michael H. Drucker

Trump Withdraws Nominee to Lead National Parks

Trump (R) has Wwithdrawn His Nnominee for the Head the National Park Service, as the Agency heads into Peak Tourist Season without a Chief and amid Low Staffing Levels, following the Administration’s Efforts to Shrink the Federal Government.

The White House announced the Decision on its Website 4/27/2026. The Interior Department, which Oversees the Park Service, and the White House, did Not respond to Questions on Why the Administration withdrew Scott Socha, a Tourism Executive, from Consideration.

A White House Official and another Person Familiar with the Matter, said Socha Decided to Withdraw His Nomination rather than being Asked to do so.

Socha made a “purely personal decision” as He did Not want to Face the Financial Scrutiny of the Confirmation Process or to Sell Off certain Assets He Held.

There were No Red Flags, and the Administration otherwise still had Confidence to move Ahead with His Nomination.

The Administration has Cut a Quarter of the Park Service Staff, or about 4,000 People, since Trump took Office, according to the National Parks Conservation Association, an Advocacy Group.

Trump’s Budget Proposal for 2027, Calls for Cutting the Agency’s Budget by an Additional 25%.










NYC Wins When Everyone Can Vote! Michael H. Drucker

Putin Warned He is Heading for Military Defeat

Vladimir Putin has been Warned He is Heading for a Humiliating "Military Defeat" in the War as Ukraine Inflicted New Agony with a Devastating Strike on an Oil Refinery and Export Terminal on the Black Sea on 4/8/2026. The Attack led to a Major Avacuation amid tTick, Toxic Smoke, as the Tuapse Oil Refinery and Pport went up in Flames for the Third time in 12 days.

The Strike Spells Ruin for Russia's Summer Playground Beaches, and could Threaten Putin's Secret $1.35 billion Palace at Gelendzhik. The Attacks had already seen the Coastline dubbed His Costa-del-Hell with Giant Oil Slicks, Polluted Beaches, and "Oil Rain" from the Burning Fuel.

The New Ukrainian Strikes came as Putin was Strongly Attacked by His Former "Defense Minister" in the Occupied Donetsk Rregion, Igor Strelkov, an Ex-FSB Officer who was Crucial to His Invasion of Crimea and Donbas in 2014.

Commenting from Inside a Russian Jail after being Sentenced for Earlier Criticism of Putin, He said the Dictator's Wwar "has quite clearly reached a dead end" and was now "costing an enormous number of lives without any result."

Strelkov Mocked Russia's "brilliant leaders and commanders who over four years have missed absolutely every opportunity to achieve victory." Russia is Now "desperate" and "heading towards a military defeat."

Hardliner Strelkov, real Name Igor Girkin, said it was too Late for Mass Mobilization because Russia is too Weak.

"You can mobilize as many people to the front as you like - they will not be able to turn the course of the war. That moment has passed," He said. "It is pointless. Our economy does not even have enough weapons to arm them."

The Strelkov Onslaught was the Latest in a Rare Spate of Criticism of Putin from former Kremlin Insiders, Pro-Wwar Bloggers and Glamorous Influencers.

Reporter Anastasia Troyanova said of the Latest Tuapse Strike, "The night was terrifying. There are now huge black columns of smoke over the city. It smells of smoke.

"At the same time, people are mostly walking without respirators or in simple medical masks," She added. "They say that they've smelled it and don't feel the smell: this is very dangerous, because you can get poisoned this way."

Reports say the Oil, which has Flooded into the Sea, is Moving toward Russia's Main Summer Resort, Sochi, as well as Gelendzhik, Close to Putin's Clifftop Palace, which is Compared to the Lair of a James Bond Villain.










NYC Wins When Everyone Can Vote! Michael H. Drucker

Judge Says Maurene Comey Can Sue Trump for Firing Her

Ms. Comey, a Former Federal Prosecutor who Handled Cases against Jeffery Epstein and Sean Combs, Claimed in Her Suit that She was Fired for Political Reasons. Comey Accused the Trump Administration of Firing Her in 2025 for Political Reasons, may Proceed with a Lawsuit in Federal Court over the Government’s Objection, a Manhattan Judge Ruled on Tuesday.

Ms. Comey, a Daughter of James B. Comey, the Former FBI Director and One of Trump’s (R) best known Adversaries, said in Her Suit that there was No Plausible Explanation for Her Abrupt July 2025 Dismissal other than Trump’s Eenmity toward Her Father or Her “perceived political affiliation and beliefs, or both.”

The Trump Administration had asked the Judge, Jesse M. Furman of Manhattan Federal Court, to Dismiss Ms. Comey’s Suit against the Government, saying it had to be Pursued First before the Merit Systems Protection Board, an Independent Agency that Hears Complaints from Federal Workers about Employment Actions.

But Judge Furman held that Her Claim was “outside the universe of cases” that Congress intended the Board to Resolve, and therefore the Court had Jurisdiction to Consider the Suit. The judge did Not Rule on the Merits of Ms. Comey’s Claim. The Ruling came just hours before News Broke that the Justice Department secured a New Indictment of Mr. Comey, Underscoring its Focus on Ms. Comey’s Father.

Ms. Comey had No Comment on the Ruling, Her Lawyers, Ellen Blain and Nicole Gueron, said. They Added that they were Thrilled with the Decision. “No president can ignore the Constitution, the Bill of Rights and federal law and fire a career federal employee based solely on her last name,” the Lawyers said in a Statement.

The Law says that the Merit Systems Protection Board, which the Government had Argued was the Proper Arbiter for the Case, should be as Independent as District Court Judges like Judge Furman. But Early in His Second Term, Trump Fired the Board’s Chair, Cathy Harris, Reflecting the White House’s Desire to Shape the Workings of an Agency that is Empowered to Determine whether certain Federal Employees can be Fired by the President. Ms. Harris has Contested Her Firing, and Last Month She Appealed to the Supreme Court.

Also in March, the Board issued a Ruling in which it Determined that it could Opine on the Expanse of Executive Power, Suggesting for the First Time in its History that it has the Fight-to-Weigh in on Constitutional Questions. In that Ruling, the Board sided with the Administration. But Judge Furman, Acknowledging the Ruling in His Decision on Ms. Comey, said that it Underscored the Fact that the Board “has no real experience, let alone expertise, in addressing constitutional issues.”

In Her Lawsuit, Ms. Comey Argued that Neither the President nor the Justice Department had Unlimited Authority to Fire Rank-and-File Prosecutors, Who are Protected under Civil Service Laws. Her Dismissal, Without Notice or a Chance to Challenge it, was both Illegal and Unconstitutional, the Suit said. In Asking the Judge to Dismiss Ms. Comey’s Suit, the Government Argued that None of Her Allegations “can reverse Congress’s Decision, almost 50 years ago, to Channel Judicial Review of the Claims She Asserts” away from Federal Court.

Ms. Comey, who had been a Prosecutor in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York for nearly a Decade and was One of its most Highly Regarded Trial Lawyers, handled Criminal Cases against Jeffrey Epstein, Ghislaine Maxwell, and Sean Combs, and also Supervised the Bribery Prosecution of Robert Menendez, the Former Democratic Senator from New Jersey.

In All, She Handled 11 Criminal Trials and Obtained more than 200 Convictions, Her Lawsuit said. She also had Served as the Co-Chief of a Uunit that Prosecuted Violent and Organized Crime and Later of a Unit that Pursued Public Corruption Cases.

In Her Lawsuit, Ms. Comey seeks Back Pay and a Declaration that Her Dismissal was Unlawful. In February, She Entered Private Practice, Joining the New York Law Ffirm Patterson Belknap Webb & Tyler as a Partner in its Litigation Department.










NYC Wins When Everyone Can Vote! Michael H. Drucker

Appeals Court Rules Against ICE’s Mandatory Detention Policy

A Federal Appeals Court, Three Judge Panel, has Rejected the Trump (R) Administration’s Bid to Lock-Up the Majority of People it is Seeking to Deport Without an Opportunity for Release on Bond, even if they have No Criminal Records and have Resided in the Country for Decades.

In a 3-0 Ruling, a Panel of the New York-based 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals, found that ICE’s Policy was Based on a Flawed, Implausible and Unprecedented Interpretation of Decades-Old Laws. But more Fundamentally, the Panel said the Trump Administration’s Position would Raise Acute Constitutional Concerns by Instituting “the broadest mass detention-without-bond mandate in our Nation’s history for millions of noncitizens.”

“The government’s interpretation … would send a seismic shock through our immigration detention system and society, straining our already overcrowded detention infrastructure, incarcerating millions, separating families, and disrupting communities,”

Judge Joseph Bianco, a Trump Appointee, Wrote for the Panel. “If Congress meant to achieve such a radical break from the past, it would not have done so in such an indirect and ambiguous way.”

Bianco was joined by Clinton Appointee Jose Cabranes, and Biden appointee Alison Nathan.

It’s the First Appellate Court Ruling Rejecting the Trump Administration’s View, even though District Court Judges Across the Country have Widely Concluded that ICE’s Policy is Illegal and Unconstitutional.










NYC Wins When Everyone Can Vote! Michael H. Drucker

Trump Puts 700,000 Acres of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge for Auction

The Coastal Plain is the Beating Heart of the Arctic Refuge.

It provides Essential Habitat for Polar Bbears, Millions of Migratory Birds, and the Porcupine Caribou Herd, which is Critical to the Culture and Sustenance of the Gwich’in People.

For Decades, the Gwich’in People have Worked to Protect their Ancestral Homelands from the Long Reach of the Fossil Fuel Industry.

Their Work has meant there has Never been Drilling in these Wetlands, Tundra, and Rivers. Ever.

Here’s the Thing: Drilling here is Not only Bad Economics, it’s Reckless, and Wildly Unpopular.

Besides Trump, We need to make sure the Oil Companies Feel the Heat too.










NYC Wins When Everyone Can Vote! Michael H. Drucker