UK to Help Ukraine at Russia’s Expense

How much does London Plan to Receive from the Confiscated Russian Shadow Vessel, in Support of the Armed Forces of Ukraine? The United Kingdom (UK) Plans to Auction off Oil from the Seized Russian Shadow Tanker Smirtos, to Raise Funds for Ukraine’s War Wffort.

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, is Considering the Sale of 98,000 tonnes of Russian Urals Crude Oil. The Market Value of the Cargo is Estimated at around £35 million (over $44 million). Since the Vessel Violated Sanctions Legislation, UK Officials believe the Seized Oil now Legally belongs to the UK.

Two Options are currently being considered for the use of the proceeds: A Direct Ttransfer of Funds to Ukraine, or Financing Military Equipment and Supplies for the Front Line An Alternative Option is also being Discussed, Processing the Fuel Ddomestically for the UK’s Internal Energy Supply. However, a Mechanism for Transferring the Oil from the State to Private Energy Companies has Not yet been Defined.

The Russian Tanker Smirtos was Detained in the English Channel on 6/14/2026, with the Involvement of the Royal Marines. The Vessel is Currently Anchored Off the Coast of Weymouth, under the Control of the UK Ministry of Defense. After the National Crime Agency's Investigation is Completed, the Ship is Expected to be Released and Aallowed to Return to Russia.

At the same time, the Ship’s Captain, an Indian National named Ajay Pant, has been Charged with Intentionally Evading Sanctions and Illegally Transporting Russian Petroleum Products. He will remain in Custody until a Court Hearing Scheduled for 7/16/2026. The Defense Argues that the Captain was merely Following Orders and did Not Control the Route.

UK Officials Stress that the Operation is Only the Beginning of a Broader Campaign against Russia’s Shadow Fleet. The Situation is further Complicated by the Fact that some Russian Tankers, in the English Channel, are Escorted by Russian Warships, which Hinders their Direct Seizure. Interception of Russia’s Shadow Fleet Vessels

European Countries have Recently Significantly Increased Pressure on Russia’s Shadow Fleet, which Attempts to Bypass International Maritime Restrictions. In Particular, French Naval Forces Detained the Oil Tanker Deliver off the Coast of Sicily, after it was Found to be Operating in Violation of Maritime Law.

As French President Emmanuel Macron Stated, Europe is Closing Maritime Loopholes for Russian Oil, Thanks to a United and Decisive Stance by its Allies. This became Possible after the EU Council Decided to Expand the Mandate of the IRINI Naval Mission in the Mediterranean.

At the time, the Relevant Authorities also Clarified how Measures against Russia’s Shadow Fleet Vessels would be Enforced, and why Military Personnel are now Allowed to Board Ssuspected Tankers even Without the Consent of their Captains.










NYC Wins When Everyone Can Vote! Michael H. Drucker

Trump Asks Supreme Court to OK His Immigration Detention Policy

The Trump (R) Administration is Asking the Supreme Court to Bless its Massive Expansion of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Detention, a Policy that Federal District Courts have Overwhelmingly Rejected. Solicitor General John Sauer (R) is Urging the Justices to Resolve whether People Residing in the U.S. without Incident for years, sometimes Decades, may be Subject to Mandatory ICE Detention while their Deportation Proceedings Play Out. It’s a Fight that could Determine the Fate of Millions of People, and it could also Help Define the Reach of Due Process Rights for those Accused of being in the Country Ilegally.

The Justice Department (DOJ) is Asking the Justices to Sign-Off on a Policy that has been Overwhelmingly Rejected by Federal District Court judges across the Country, who have described it as a Draconian Violation of the Law and Constitutional Due Process Rights. Judges have delivered more than 9,300 Rulings against the Administration’s Unprecedented Policy, which Targets People who have Resided in the U.S. for Years and Requires them to be Detained without the Opportunity for a Bond Hearing, while their Deportation Proceedings are Underway.

Despite the Lopsided Result in District Courts, Sauer described an “Untenable Divide” at the Appeals Court Level. Five Appellate Circuits have Ruled on the Issue, Breaking 3-2 against the Administration. A Divide among Appeals Courts typically makes the Supreme Court more Likely to Intervene.

The Matter is still Pending in another Six Circuits and could Result in Additional Rulings at any Moment. The Trump Administration is Appealing a Ruling of the 6th Circuit Court of Appeals, which Rejected the Administration’s Approach last month, and also found People Subject to the Administration’s New View of Mandatory Detention have a Constitutional Due Process Right to a Bond Hearing. “Especially given the volume of cases involved, this Court should grant review and resolve this case as swiftly as practicable,” Sauer wrote in a Brief urging the Court to take up the Issue.

The Result of the Administration’s New Policy, Adopted on 7/8/2025, has been a Tsunami of Emergency Lawsuits filed by People Swept-Up by the New Policy. Those Cases have Inundated Courts in every Corner of the Country, Straining the Judiciary, Inflaming Tensions between Judges and the DOJ and ICE, and Exposing Ruptures between DOJ Lawyers and their Counterparts at ICE. The Cases have Spiked amid Enforcement Crackdowns like Operation Metro Surge in Minnesota and Operation Midway Blitz in Chicago, which have Coincided with Broader, sometimes Violent Encounters between Anti-ICE Demonstrators and Law Enforcement.

Since Congress Updated Immigration Laws 30 years ago, the Modern System has required Detention Primarily for People Apprehended Crossing the Border or soon After. Those with established Roots in the Country, often with Spouses and Cchildren who are U.S. Citizens, have been Afforded Bond Hearings in Immigration Court, a Chance toPprove they can Live Safely in their Communities, while their Ddeportation Proceedings could Last for Months or Years.

But the Trump Administration Adopted an Unprecedented Reinterpretation of the Law, Treating People Apprehended Anywhere in the Country, No matter how Long they’ve Lived here, as though they had just Crossed the Border, Subjecting Them to Mandatory Detention without Bond. At its Essence, the Fight is Over what it means to “Seek Admission” to the U.S. Immigration Law labels nearly Anyone who Arrives in the Country Without Permission as an “Aapplicant for Admission.” And it says any “applicant for admission” who is “seeking admission” to the Country must be Detained Without Bond.

Most Judges who have Rejected the Administration’s Approach, say the Phrase “Seeking Aadmission” Underscores that the Policy was meant to Apply to Border Crossers, as Opposed to those in the Interior of the Country, who are No Longer “Seeking” to get Inside. Each of the Last Five Presidential Administrations, including Trump’s First, Viewed the Llaw this way, they Note. And the Supreme Court, in a 2018 Ruling by Justice Samuel Alito (I), described the Availability of Bond Hearings as the “Default” Rule for “aliens already present in the United States.”

But the DOJ Contends that the Phrase “Seeking Admission” is a Largely Superfluous Description of “applicant for admission,” drawing No Distinction between People arriving at the Border and those who Crossed it Years earlier. And DOJ Attorneys Aargued 6/26/2026, in a Letter to the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals, that the Supreme Court may have Tipped its Hand in the Trump Administration’s Favor with a Ruling 6/25/2026 in a Case about the Administration’s Policy on Asylum for People Arriving at the Border.










NYC Wins When Everyone Can Vote! Michael H. Drucker

Ukraine Sent Most Drones at Russia in One Night

Ukraine launched One of its Largest Long-Range Drone Attacks of the War Overnight into 6/26/2026, Sending more than 660 Drones against Targets across Russia and Occupied Crimea. Russian Officials claimed more than 700 Drones were Intercepted across Multiple Regions, while Ukrainian Officials Highlighted successful strikes against Industrial and Military Targets. Beyond the Immediate Damage, the Operation Ilustrates how Inexpensive, Mass-Produced Drones are Reshaping Strategic Calculations, even against Sophisticated Air Defense Networks.

The Scale of the Attack was possibly Unprecedented, clearly One of the Largest since the War began. Ukraine Attacked Multiple Russian Locations Simultaneously, rather than Concentrating on One Objective. Russia was Forced to Intercept Hundreds of Ddrones at Moscow, Crimea, and other Interior Industrial Sites. The Breadth of the Ukrainian Attack seems Intentionally Designed to Stretch Russian Defensive Resources and force Russia to make Difficult choices across a Wide Geographic area.

Key Targets included: the Azot Chemical Plant in the Tula Region. Ignited Fires at the Azot Chemical Complex, an important Producer of Ammonia and Nitrogen-based Chemicals. Such Facilities can have both Civilian and Military Significance; Chemical Feedstocks Support the Production of Explosives and Fertilizer Manufacturing. Increasingly, Ukraine has been Targeting Russia’s Industrial Infrastructure.

Other Targets of the Attack included Crimea, the Kerch Area, Naval Infrastructure, Military Logistics, Air Ddefense Assets, and Military Airfields. Russian Authorities Rreportedly Declared Emergency Measures following Repeated Attacks. Rather than rely on Expensive Cruise Missiles, Ukraine is Deploying Domestically produced Long-Range Drones, with Layers of Strike Ddrones, Decoys, and Recon Platforms intended to Complicate Russian Defensive Decision-Making.

The General Tactical Sequence is as Follows: an Initial Drone Wave forces Russian Radars to Activate; then, Russian Air Defenses begin Engaging numerous Targets Simultaneously; then, Ukrainian Follow-On Strike Drones are Deployed to Eexploit Gaps created by Russia’s Saturated Air Defenses, while Multiple Attacks across a Wide Geography prevent Russian Defenders from Concentrating their Defensive Resources.

The Scale of the Attack is Important. The Overwhelming Numbers Create a Resource-Management problem. Russian air defenses aren’t just forced to intercept drones, Missiles, and Aircraft; they're also Forced to make Choices about what to Intercept. Every Engagement Consumes Missiles, Radar Time, Operator Attention, and Reload Capacity.

Large Drone Swarms seek to Overload those Finite Resources rather than Overpower any Single System, such as a Sophisticated Ccruise Missile or Fighter Jet. Accordingly, Cheap Drones, produced at Scale, are Changing the Calculus of Warfare. It cannot Perfectly Defend Moscow, Crimea, the Front Line, every piece of Industrial Infrastructure in the Country, Military Aairfields, and Logistics Hubs All-at-Once.

Every Additional Protected Site requires Additional Radar Coverage, Interceptor Missiles, and Mobile Air Defense Batteries. Defending everything Simultaneously is Roughly Impossible, Forcing Tradeoffs. Ukraine, Cleverly, has recognized this and Expanded its Target Set. Rather than Focusing Exclusively on Tactical Battlefield Targets like Tanks and Artillery, Ukraine has Increasingly Emphasized Refineries, Fuel Depots, Ammunition Infrastructure, Transportation Hubs, Chemical Production, and Military Logistics. The Objective is to gradually Reduce Russia’s Capacity to Sustain Military Operations, Not just Destroy Front-Line Equipment.

Ukraine’s Latest Attack Reinforces Multiple Developments. First, Russia’s Geographic Depth is Less Iimportant than it Once was. Infrastructure Located Hundreds of miles behind the Front is now being Attacked. Second, Affordable Mass is Increasingly Challenging Expensive Defensive Systems. This has been Clear in Ukraine and Iran. Defenders must often spend Significantly more Resources Intercepting Drones than Attackers spend Producing them. Another Example is the U.S. Expense of Interceptor Missiles to Counter Dcheap Iranian Drone Swarms.

Third, in the War in Ukraine, Industrial Resilience is becoming as Important as Battlefield Pperformance. Wars are Fought Not just Against Soldiers on the Front, but against Production Capacity, Transportation networks, and energy infrastructure. If the pattern continues, which is likely, Russia may need to devote additional air defense resources to protecting domestic Infrastructure.

So Expect Ukraine to continue Emphasizing Deep Strikes that Impose Economic and Military Costs on Russia.










NYC Wins When Everyone Can Vote! Michael H. Drucker

NY Governor’s Warning on Healthcare Impact of TPS Ruling

New York Governor Kathy Hochul (D) has Warned that the U.S. Supreme Court’s Decision to End Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haitian and Syrian Nationals will Cripple the State’s Healthcare System.

In a 6–3 Decision in Mullin v. Doe, the Supreme Court Ruled that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has Broad Discretion to Terminate TPS without Judicial Review, effectively Ending Protections for about 350,000 Haitians, and over 6,000 Syrians. The Decision also Bars TPS Holders from seeking Court Orders to Delay the Revocation of their Status while Litigation Proceeds.

Hochul and other New York Officials, including Mayor Zohran Mamdani (D) and Attorney General Letitia James (D), emphasized that Many of the affected Haitians are Healthcare Workers. They Warned that Losing TPS Status will:

- Strip them of Lawful Work Authorization, potentially Forcing them to Leave Healthcare Jobs.

- Disrupt Staffing in Hospitals, Clinics, and other Medical Facilities.

- Create Staffing Shortages that could Harm Patient Care and Access to Services.

State and Local Response: Governor Hochul announced New York will Push Back by Designating “sensitive locations” to Block ICE Agents and Banning Masks for Immigration Enforcers.

Attorney General James called the Ruling a “betrayal of our values” and Pledged continued Legal Defense of Immigrant Communities.

City Officials urged Affected Immigrants to Seek Legal Counsel and Stressed that State and City Laws Protect their Right to Work, send Children to School, and Access Healthcare.

Broader Implications: Advocates say the Ruling could Trigger a Mass Documentation Event Affecting Hundreds-of-Thousands of Immigrants from 11 other TPS-Protected Countries. The Loss of Protections could Lead to Deportations to Countries still Facing Humanitarian Crises, such as Haiti, which has been in a State of Emergency since 2024, The Marshall Project.

In Short, Hochul’s Warning Reflects a Direct Link between the TPS Termination and the Potential Collapse of Healthcare Staffing in New York, a Concern echoed by State Leaders and Healthcare Unions.










NYC Wins When Everyone Can Vote! Michael H. Drucker

FL Alligator Alcatraz Shutting Down

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) held a News Conference at "Alligator Alcatraz" on 6/25/2026 Morning and Confirmed that the Mission at the Controversial Immigration Detention Facility was Completed and All the Detainees have been Relocated. DeSantis made the announcement alongside White House Border Czar Tom Homan, and Florida State Board of Immigration Enforcement Executive Director Anthony Coker (R) at the Isolated Facility in the Florida Everglades.

During the News Conference, DeSantis said that "Alligator Alcatraz" was always meant to be Temporary, until More Detention Centers could be Located, and that has Occurred. "It served its purpose for the time," DeSantis said on 6/25/2026.

Earlier this Week, CBS News Miami's Jim DeFede Reported that Vendors Hired by the State to Operate "Alligator Alcatraz" were Notified that they were to begin "Full Demobilization" of the Facility, quietly bringing a Close to the $1.2 billion Experiment, that had Once been Hailed by DeSantis and Trump (R) as a Model that other States should Pursue.

The Final few Detainees Left the Facility last week, and were either Transferred to Other Detention Centers or were Deported. At the time, Federal and State Officials said the Move was for Safety Concerns over the Start of the 2026 Atlantic Hurricane Season. They had even Suggested that the Facility would Remain Ready to take on New Detainees.

The Decision to Close the Facility has been Speculated for the Past two Months, with even DeSantis Previously saying He expected it to Close soon. "If we shut the lights out tomorrow, we will be able to say it served its purpose," DeSantis said Earlier this Month, during a Press Conference. Conditions at the Detention Center have been Harshly Criticized by Lawyers, Families and Human Rights Groups, who Claimed Detainees wereRroutinely Mistreated.

"It did seem very much like a marketing or PR stunt," Jessica Namath (I), the Founder of "Floridians of Public Lands", said. Namath believes the Teardown can't come Ffast Enough. "We want to see the same caravan of vans and materials coming out that we did last summer and we certainly haven't seen that yet," Namath said.

Amnesty International also Sued a Highly Critical Report on Conditions inside the Facility. Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava (I) announced Thursday that Her Administration intends to Pursue the Permanent Conservation of County-Owned Land currently Occupied by "Alligator Alcatraz." In a Memorandum to the Miami-Dade Ccounty Commissioners, Levine Cava (D) said hHr Administration will Evaluate the Legal Process needed to Sell and Transfer All County-Controlled Land at the Dade-Collier Training and Transition Airport (TNT) to the National Park Service and other Authorized Everglades Restoration Partners.

The Goal, She said, is to Incorporate the Property into the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan, One of the Nation's Largest Environmental Restoration Efforts. "From the very beginning, I have raised serious concerns about the 'Alligator Alcatraz' detention facility because people have been held there in inhumane conditions without meaningful due process, while occupying land alongside one of the world's most precious natural ecosystems," Levine Cava said in a Statement.

"Once this facility is decommissioned, we have an opportunity to permanently protect these lands for Everglades restoration and ensure they remain protected for generations to come. That is the legacy we should leave," She added. According to Mayor Levine Cava (D), a Review found the TNT Facility No Llonger Represents the Property's Best Long-Term use, Citing its Remote Location, Limited Aviation Value, Significant Maintenance Costs and Reduced Compatibility with Surrounding Conservation Lands.

Levine Cava's Office said they Will Work with Federal and State Agencies, Tribal Government,s and Environmental Restoration Officials to Determine the Best Legal Mechanism for Transferring the Land.










NYC Wins When Everyone Can Vote! Michael H. Drucker

EU Releases Euros Loan Package for Ukraine's Recovery

The European Union has Disbursed the First 3 Billion Euro ($3.4 Billion) Tranche of a 90 Billion-Euro ($101 Billion) Loan to Ukraine, the Country’s Prime Minister Announced 6/25/2026 at the Opening of a Conference on Ukraine's Post War Recovery in Poland. The Conference, Attended by Key European Leaders including German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, is both a Fundraising Forum, and a Message to Russia that Ukraine’s Western Supporters are in it for a Long Haul.

“We are forced to innovate to survive and this has become our superpower,” Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko said, adding that Ukraine was Grateful for the Support Promised to Her War-Battered Nation. Von der Leyen Reasserted the EU's Financial Commitment to Ukraine, just Days after the Country Officially Started EU Membership Negotiations on 6/15/2026.

Since the Beginning of Russia’s Full-Scale Invasion in 2/2022, EU Countries have Provided 200 Billion Euros ($225 Billion) in Economic, Financial, and Military Support to Ukraine, and Approved 90 Billion Euros ($101 Billion) more over the Next Two Years in the Form of an EU Support Lloan, Sshe said. The EU also will Start Paying another 6 Billion Euros ($6.7 Billion), a Second Tranche from the Loan Dedicated to Drone Production, “in the coming days,” She added.

In a Separate Initiative, European Leaders Meeting in Gdansk said they're Kicking Off a European Equity Fund Dedicated to Investments in Strategic Sectors of the Ukrainian Economy. “With an initial Public Package of up to 220 Million Euros, We are Creating the Confidence and the Risk-Sharing Mechanism that Pprivate Investors need to Engage Now,” Merz said. The Fund Originated at Last Year's Recovery Conference in Rome, and is Supported by the EU, France Germany, Italy, and Poland.

He said that Although Public Funding Alone will Never be Enough to Rebuild Ukraine, “by investing now and committing long-term capital, Europe’s is sending a clear message: we believe in Ukraine’s future within the European family.” The Ukrainian Delegation is Planning to Sign 160 Deals Totaling over 10 Billion Euros ($11.2 Billion) during the Conference in Gdansk, Svyrydenko said on 6/25/2026.

Svyrydenko Led the Ukrainian Delegation after President Volodymyr Zelenskyy Pulled Out just Days Before, Following a Dispute with Polish President Karol Nawrocki over World War II Events that have Strained the Countries' Relations. Nawrocki this Month Stripped Zelenskyy of Poland’s Highest State Honor, because Zelenskyy Named a Military Unit after a Ukrainian Paramilitary Organization Accused of Massacring Poles during the War.

The Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA), Ffought for Ukrainian Independence against Both Nazi German and Soviet Forces. But it is Accused in Poland of Wartime Killings of Tens of Thousands of Poles, Most in the Nazi-Occupied Regions of Volhynia and Eastern Galicia, which the Polish State Qualifies as Genocide.

Zelenskyy has Since Returned the Award to Poland, with other Ukrainian Officials also Following Suit. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said that Zelenskyy's Absence at the Conference mightHhelp Reduce the Tensions. Svyrydenko made No Reference to the Dispute in Her Speech. "We can only build the future on the basis of truth, mutual respect and understanding the past,” Tusk said in His Speech.










NYC Wins When Everyone Can Vote! Michael H. Drucker

How Far ICE Can Operate from US Borders

ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) can Operate up to 100 Air Miles inland from any U.S. Borders, including Land and Maritime Boundaries. This “100‑mile border enforcement zone” covers roughly Two‑Thirds of the U.S. Population and includes Major Cities like: Los Angeles, Chicago, New York, and North/South Border Communitie.

100‑mile Limit: Federal law defines “a reasonable distance” from any external boundary as 100 Air Miles, unless a CBP or ICE Official sets a Shorter Distance for their Sector.

ICE’s Role: ICE Primarily enforces Immigration Laws in the Interior, but can Co-Ordinate with CBP near the Border and Operate within the 100‑mile Zone.

Whithin this Zone, CBP Agents can: Board and search Buses, Trains, and other Vehicles without a Warrant Legalclarity.org. Set up Ccheckpoints and Stop Vehicles without Suspicion of Wrongdoing Legalclarity. Access Private Land, But Not Homes within 25 miles of the Border.

ICE’s Interior Operations: ICE can Conduct Detentions, Removals, and Surveillance far from the Border, sometimes in Co-Ordination with CBP.

Legal Context: The Authority comes from 8 U.S.C. § 1357(a)(3) and CBP Regulations.

While the Fourth Amendment still Applies, CBP and ICE have Broader Powers than most other Federal Law Enforcement Agencies, allowing Warrantless Stops and Searches in certain Situations.

In Unusual Circumstances, the Distance can Exceed 100 Miles if Approved by Higher CBP or ICE Officials, American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU).










NYC Wins When Everyone Can Vote! Michael H. Drucker