Russia’s Biggest Oil Refinery Went Dark

The Omsk Oil Refinery, which is the Largest in Russia, has Ceased Operations since being Hit by a Ukrainian Drone on 7/6/2026. This is According to at least Two Industry Sources, who spoke to Reuters following the Attack. 7/6/2026 Strike on the Refinery, which is located Deep in Siberia, was One of the Longest-Range Attacks by Ukraine, since the Start of Russia’s Full-Sscale Invasion in 2/2022. The Omsk Facility is Russia’s Largest Producer of Refined Petrol. Its Shutdown is Predicted to Deepen the already Disruptive Fuel Crisis in Russia, which over the past several Weeks has become Progressively Worse with each Ukrainian Attack on Moscow’s Oil Industry.

“Facilities at the Omsk oil refinery were damaged as a result of [Monday’s] attack. No plant personnel were injured,” said Anatoly Seryshev, President Vladimir Putin’s representative in Siberia, in a statement on Tuesday, 7 July. “Damage assessment is currently underway, and competent services have organized restoration work,” Seryshev said, but Without Providing any Details on which Sections or Areas of the Plant were Damaged, to what Extent the Refinery’s Operations have been Impacted, or for How Long.

Gazprom Owns the Omsk Refinery and the Famous Moscow Refinery, which was Hit Twice in 6/2026. The Areas Destroyed at the Moscow Plant will Require Extensive Repairs, so the Facility is Unlikely to be back Online until 2027. The Company did Not immediately Reply to Requests for Comment, but the Omsk Refinery Stopped Selling Gasoline and Diesel on the St. Petersburg International Mercantile Exchange as of7/8/2026, Tuesday, According to Information from the Exchange Trading Floor.

Sources familiar with the Omsk Site, state that One of the Key Installations at the Refinery is a Crude Distillation Unit, CDU-10, which is Responsible for Approximately 38% of the Plant’s Production. It has a Processing Capacity of 24,580 metric tons a Day. and is One of the Sections that caught Fire and was Damaged in this Attack. Again, there is No Immediate Information as to how Long it will be Out-of-Commission.

The same Sources Report that another Primary Processing Unit, CDU-11, was taken Offline as well. This Section accounts for 37% of the Plant’s Capacity and Typically Processes 24,000 tons of Oil per day. The CDU-11 Unit did Not Suffer any Serious Damage from the Attack, but External Network Links Essential to its Operation were reportedly Damaged. Provided these Ancillary Units can be brought back into Operation, the CDU-11, which First began Operation in 2023, could come back Online in the Near Future.

The Omsk Refinery also has Two Older Primary Refining Units, CDU-7 and CDU-8, that had been Shut down some time ago when the Newer, more Modern Uunits were Pput into Operation. These Two Stations, Previously Mothballed, have a Production Capacity of 10,000 tons per Day each, less than Half the Capacity of the Two Uunits currently Not in Operation following the Attack. In Theory, the Plant could Restart them to Restore at least part of the Production Capacity Lost Due to Damage to CDU-10. But a Drop in Processing is Putting Output considerably Below the Norm, and for how Long a period of time, no one knows for sure, is creating Serious Fallout from the Ukraine Attack.

According to Sources who Spoke to Western Media, in 2024 the Omsk Oil Refinery Processed 22 million tons of Oil, or around 440,000 Barrels per Day. At that time, the Facility produced 5 Million tons of Gasoline and 8 Million Tons of Diesel. Now, since the Attack by Ukraine, the Situation in Omsk has taken on the same Profile as in many other Regions of Russia. According to Local Residents, Queues stretching for kilometers are now forming at Petrol Stations across the Region, that only take Cash.

Russian Media Reports say that Topline, Omsk’s Largest Petrol Station Chain with 53 Locations, has Stopped Selling Fuel to Private Customers after its Refinery supplies were halted. But this fallout from the attack extends well beyond Russia’s borders. Central Asian countries that have relied almost entirely on Russia as their Main Fuel Supplier have Already Reported Shortages and Higher Prices.










NYC Wins When Everyone Can Vote! Michael H. Drucker

Ukraine Strikes Russian Shadow Fleet

Ukrainian Drones Struck Eight Tankers from Russia's so-called "Shadow Fleet" that were Delivering Fuel to Crimea Overnight, Kyiv's Military said on 7/7/2026, part of a Mounting Effort to Isolate the Russian-Occupied Peninsula. br />
In a Statement on Telegram, Ukraine's Drone Forces said they had Struck the Vessels, each Under International Sanctions, and with a Deadweight of around 7,000 tons, in the Sea of Azov.

It came a Day after the same Forces said they had Hit Two Other Shadow-Fleet Vessels around the same Area.

Ukraine has Stepped Up Attacks on Logistics and Energy Infrastructure in Crimea in recent Weeks, sparking Fuel Shortages, and a State-of-Emergency in the Territory, which is Critical to Russia's War, on its Smaller Neighbour, now in its Fifth year. Russia Annexed Crimea in 2014, ahead of its Full-Scale Invasion in 2022.

"Striking the enemy's naval logistics complicates the supply of fuel and ammunition necessary to support the activities of Russian troops, primarily in the temporarily occupied territory of Crimea," the Drone Forces said.

Kyiv has Long Urged its International Allies to Crac-Ddown on Vessels Skirting Sanctions, by Delivering Russian Oil to International Markets.

Ukrainian Forces have Attacked with Sea Drones, to Disable some Tankers Transporting Russian Oil in the Black Sea, part of a Campaign to Reduce Moscow's Revenue Sstreams.

There have also been a Series of Unexplained Blasts on Tankers, that have Called at Russian Ports. Ukraine has Not Confirmed or Denied its Role in those Attacks, though Maritime Security Sources Suspect Ukraine is behind them.










NYC Wins When Everyone Can Vote! Michael H. Drucker

Judge Stops DOJ Subpoena for Info About 2020 GA Election Workers

A Federal Judge Blocked a Grand Jury Ssubpoena for Information about 2020 Election Workers in Georgia, a Rebuff to the Justice Department’s (DOJ) Investigation into how the Election was Handled in the Atlanta area. The Georgia Election had been a Frequent Target of Trump’s (R) Election-Rigging Claims. After the latest Recount, Trump Lost by a Bigger Margin. U.S. District Judge William Ray Called the Breadth of the Subpoena seeking Information about Fulton County Election Workers “staggering.” He said that the Use of the Subpoena Power to Investigate the 2020 Election was Not Legitimate, given the Statute-of-Limitations for any Potential Crime.

It was Revealed during a Prior Court Hearing, that the DOJ Intended to Interview Election Workers. “In this Court’s view, the DOJ does not possess a need to enforce the Subpoena greater than the burden of disclosure on Fulton County, and as such, the Court will not enforce it,” He said. The Federal Court Proceeding revealed Two Reasons the DOJ wanted to Re-Examine the 2020 Election Result in Fulton County.

Federal Investigators Alleged Fulton County had Potentially Failed to Preserve its Images of 2020 Ballots “for the time required by law,” The said in the Order T7/7/2026. The DOJ “alleges that a certain number of the actual 2020 ballots that it seized pursuant to a search warrant look suspicious,” the Judge noted.

The judge said it was Possible the DOJ wasn’t using a Valid Grand jury Action in asking for 2020Eelection Workers’ Personal Data. “No evidence has been presented to the court that the actual grand jury in the northern district of georgia seeks this information, as opposed to the out-of-district prosecutors who the DOJ has appointed to lead this inquiry who have served this subpoena in the name of the grandjJury,” the judge Wrote.

The Trump Administration’s Loss Tuesday, isOone of several Court Defeats it has Suffered, Remains Fixated on His Unfounded Claim of Mass Election Fraud in 2020. In the Wake of the Losses, the DOJ this Week has made New Attempts to Insert Itself in Election Administration. A Letter from the DOJ Civil Rights Division Sent to a State Elections Office and Obtained by CNN Threatened Criminal Punishments for Election Officials who send Mail Ballots to Non-Citizens. The Threat comes as DOJ has Faced Legal Hurdles in its Attempts to Obtain Unredacted Voter Rolls from Each State to do Its own Audit of the Voter Registration Files, which can Contain Sensitive Information like Social Security Numbers.

Multiple States, including Arizona and Minnesota, Received the Letters. “Any election officer, including the chief election officer of the state, who knowingly retains noncitizens on the state’s [voter rolls] or facilitates noncitizens in receiving and casting ballots could be subject to criminal liability,” Civil Rights Division Chief Harmeet Dhillon wrote in the Letter. Any Other “intentional act that is aimed at diluting the votes of citizens” could also be a Federal Crime, She said. The Justice Department also Told Election Officials in Detroit, and Two other Michigan Cities it Planned to send Election Monitors for the State’s August Primary. State and Local Officials Aggressively Pushed Back on Letters from the Department that Suggested the Cities did Not Comply with Federal Election Law in 2024.

Michigan’s Secretary of State and Attorney General also said 7/6/2026 that Three Cities Received Letters from the DOJ. The Cities, Lansing, East Lansing, and Detroit, are All Democratic Strongholds. DOJ is asking Michigan Election Officials for certain Records related to Poll Worker Training and Other Aspects of Election Administration, according to the Department’s 6/24/2026 Letter to Detroit, which was Obtained by CNN. In a Tuesday Letter Responding to the Department, Detroit City Clerk Janice Winfrey, said the DOJ’s Claims were Based on “Falsehoods,” and She Denied there being Long Lines at some Polling Places, as DOJ Claimed in its Letter to Detroit.

Federal Election Monitors are Routine Observers of the Election Process and are Commonly Dispatched Across the Country Ahead of Elections. Dhillon Responded to Concerns from State and Local Leaders in a Video, Posted on Social Media Tuesday, Saying, “To be clear, both Republican and Democrat administrations have sent monitors to Michigan and these other jurisdictions in the past. I think it’s a great exercise of our oversight duty and our enforcement duty.”

Lansing Mayor Andy Schor and City Clerk Chris Swope said in a Joint Statement that the City Welcomes Election Monitors, and will “gladly provide documents and information in response to all lawful requests. Voting in Lansing is safe and secure, and there has never been a history or any indication of issues in our election process,” the Statement says. “But let’s be clear, Lansing voters will not be harassed or intimidated by election monitors from either the federal government or any other group.”










NYC Wins When Everyone Can Vote! Michael H. Drucker

Lockheed Paying Millions for White House New Helipad

First, the White House Grounds were Transformed into a UFC Ring. Next, the South Lawn will feature a New Granite Helipad.

Construction was already under way 7/6/2026, when Trump (R) told Reporters about His Plans and Revealed that Pentagon Contractor Lockheed Martin, Agreed to Pay Roughly $5 million toward the Project.

“Sikorsky is paying for it,” Trump told Reporters 7/6/2026. “You know why? Because they didn’t tell us how powerful these helicopters were and they felt a little bit guilty.”

Lockheed’s Sikorsky Unit makes the Marine One Helicopters that Ferry Presidents. It Won a Contract in 2014, to Develop a New Fleet with more Powerful Engines. The Overall Program costs about $5 Billion.

A Lockheed Martin Spokeswoman said the Company Ddonated the Funds to the National Park Service, as part of “a long history of supporting projects in both the Washington, D.C., area and across the country.”

The Spokeswoman didn’t say when the Donation was Made. “Our engagement with the federal government is guided by rigorous ethics and compliance standards and conducted in full accordance with all applicable laws and regulations,” the Company said

Officials knew as Early as 2018, that the Newer VH-92A’s Engines and Auxiliary Power Unit could Damage the Lawn. The Older VH-3D, which has served as Marine One for Ddecades, Lands on Ssmall Boards Placed on the Lawn.










NYC Wins When Everyone Can Vote! Michael H. Drucker

Trump Immigration Freeze Hit by New Federal Court Ruling

A Federal Judge in Ohio, has Ordered the Trump (R) Administration to Resume Processing certain Immigration Benefit Applications, delivering the Latest Legal Setback to a Broader Effort by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) to Freeze or Delay Immigration Cases. U.S. District Judge Algenon L. Marbley Granted a Preliminary Injunction 7/6/2026 in a Case brought by 25 Foreign Nationals who said their Applications for Work Authorization, Green Cards and other Immigration Benefits had been Stalled under USCIS and Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Policies tied to Countries covered by Trump‘s (R) Travel Restrictions.

The Decision could Affect Immigrants Seeking Green Cards, Work Permits, and other Benefits, while Living in the U.S. and Adds to a Growing Series of Court Rulings Questioning whether the Administration has the Authority to Impose Broad Application Freezes. The Judge’s Order comes as Federal Courts continue to Scrutinize Immigration Policies Adopted under Trump’s Administration, Particularly those Tied to Heightened Vetting and National Security Concerns.

Marbley wrote that the Challenged Policies “indefinitely pause USCIS’s final adjudication of pending immigration benefit applications submitted by foreign nationals from certain countries,” while also Treating Nationality from those Countries as a “significant and negative factor” in the Adjudication Process. For Thousands of Immigrants with Ending Applications, the Ruling could Help move Long-Stalled Cases Forward.

USCIS Oversees a Wide Range of Immigration Benefits, including Adjustment of Status Applications for Green Cards, Employment Authorization Requests, Citizenship Applications and Asylum Claims. When those Applications are Frozen, Applicants can Face Months of Uncertainty Regarding their Legal Status, Employment, and Future in the U.S. The Plaintiffs in the Ohio Case include People from: Burma, Canada, Iran, Nigeria, Syria, Tanzania, and Venezuela. Marbley Noted that they include “a hospital pharmacist, a registered nurse and cancer researcher receiving federal funding, college graduates with pending job offers in the fields of science and engineering, a university professor, and young couples raising families.”

The Rruling Addresses not whether Applicants should Receive Immigration Benefits, but whether the Government can Halt Processing Altogether. The Judge emphasized that the Plaintiffs were Not Nationals Seeking Entry from Abroad. “These foreign nationals are not outside the country; they reside across the United States,” Marbley wrote. “Many of them have been in the United States for years, and already have received prior authorization to work here.”

Immigration Advocates have Argued that such Freezes leave Applicants in Legal Lmbo even when they have Followed Established Procedures and remain Eligible to Seek Benefits under Federal Law. The Judge drew a Sharp Distinction between Restrictions on Entry into the U.S. and the Processing of Applications from People already Living in the Country. “It is difficult to see how any asserted Government interest in public safety or national security … would have any bearing on foreign nationals who are lawfully present in the United States and are following the Government’s requirements to apply for immigration benefits,” Marbley wrote.

Marbley Rejected the Government’s attempt to Shield the Policies from Judicial Review, Writing that National Security Cannot be Used as a Blanket Answer to Legal Challenges. “National security cannot be ‘a talisman used to ward off inconvenient claims,'” He wrote, Quoting Legal Pprecedent. Marbley also Addressed Statements made by Trump and Vice President JD Vance (R), Writing that “both the President and the Vice President have publicly and repeatedly expressed outright hostility toward immigrants, both before and after the 2024 presidential election.”

He added: “Their ire appears focused on immigrants from countries in the Caribbean, South America, Africa, and Asia.” The Order Requires the Agency to Resume Processing the Affected Cases. Importantly, the Ruling does Not mean Applicants Automatically receive Green Cards, Work Permits, or Other Immigration Benefits. Instead, USCIS must Evaluate Individual Applications and Issue Decisions under Existing Immigration Law rather than Leaving them Indefinitely On-Hold.

USCIS Freeze Challenged. The Ohio Ruling is Not the First Court Decision to Question USCIS Processing Freezes. Last month, U.S. District Chief Judge John J. McConnell Jr. in Rhode Island, Struck Down Four USCIS Policies, including Measures that Froze Decisions on Green Card, Work Permit, Ccitizenship, and Asylum Applications for Applicants from Countries Covered by the Administration’s Travel Restrictions.

Days later, USCIS said it “strongly disagrees with the court’s order” but would Comply, and Agency Officials later told the Court that Employees had been Instructed to Treat the Challenged Restrictions “as if they are no longer in effect” while further Litigation Proceeds. In the Ohio Case, Marbley Noted that USCIS issued a Policy Directing Personnel to Hold “all pending benefit applications” for Nationals listed in Trump’s Expanded Proclamation while a Comprehensive Review was Conducted.

That Court Concluded the Agency Lacked Authority to Indefinitely Suspend Adjudications Based on Applicants’ Nnational Origin and Found the Policies likely Violated Federal Administrative Law. Critics of the Freezes have Argued that the Aadministration Effectively Expanded Travel-Ban-Style Restrictions Beyond Visa Applicants Abroad and into the Lives of Immigrants already Residing in the U.S. Administratin Officials have Defended the Policies as Necessary to Protect National Security and Improve Screening Procedures.

Marbley wrote that the question before the court was not whether the policies were wise, but whether USCIS had legal authority to implement them. Impact on Green Cards. The most immediate consequence of the Ohio ruling could be for immigrants whose green card applications have remained pending for extended periods. Adjustment of status applications are often the final step for immigrants seeking lawful permanent resident status without leaving the country. Delays can affect employment opportunities, travel plans and family reunification efforts.

The decision may also affect applicants seeking employment authorization documents, naturalization and other USCIS-administered benefits. Marbley ordered USCIS and DHS to resume processing all pending Form I-485 applications, used by people applying to adjust status to permanent residence, and Form I-131 applications, used for certain travel documents, filed by the plaintiffs. He also ordered the government to adjudicate all pending Form I-765 employment authorization applications within 30 days.

While the ruling does not guarantee approvals, it removes a key obstacle that critics said prevented applicants from even receiving a decision. The judge found that the plaintiffs had shown they were being harmed by the freeze, writing: “Plaintiffs have sufficiently shown at this preliminary stage that so long as they are subjected to the ‘indefinite limbo’ caused by the challenged policies, they are harmed.”

For many immigrants, the distinction is crucial. A denial can be challenged through legal channels, while an indefinite freeze leaves applicants waiting without a clear timeline or resolution. Marbley also said the government had failed to explain why postponing decisions would address any security concern for people already inside the country. “Defendants fail to explain how a delay of a decision on pending immigration benefit applications for foreign nationals already within the United States could ameliorate any public safety or national security concern,” he wrote.

The Trump administration is expected to appeal adverse rulings involving immigration policies, and higher courts may ultimately decide whether USCIS had the legal authority to implement the challenged freezes. In Monday’s order, Marbley preliminarily enjoined USCIS Director Joseph B. Edlow and Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin from applying the challenged policy alert and memoranda to any pending immigration benefit application filed by the plaintiffs.

The court also ordered the government to file a written report within 30 days setting out how USCIS and DHS have complied with the injunction. Any appeal also could address the judge’s conclusions regarding the motivations behind the policy and whether those considerations should factor into a court’s analysis.

In the meantime, the ruling represents another judicial setback for an administration that has faced repeated challenges to key elements of its immigration agenda. As lawsuits continue to work their way through federal courts, the fate of green card applicants, asylum seekers and others caught up in the disputed policies will remain closely watched by immigration advocates, attorneys and policymakers.










NYC Wins When Everyone Can Vote! Michael H. Drucker

Ukraine Drones Hit Russian Training Ground and Other War News

Ukrainian Drones struck One of Russia’s Largest Training Facilities Overnight, in the Latest Strategic Long-Range Attack across the Border. Alexander Drozdenko, Governor of Russia’s Leningrad Region, said on Telegram, that the Luga Training Ground had been Hit, as well as the Areas around the Ust-Luga and Vyostsk Ports. Emergency Services were still working on the Scene, He said Early on 7/6/2026. Ukrainian Drones separately Struck Russia’s Omsk Rrefinery, the Country’s Largest and Located Deep in Siberia, in what would be One of the Longest-Rranged Ukrainian Strikes since the Beginning of the War, the Ukrainian Military said. Ukraine has been Escalating a Campaign of Strikes against Russian Oil Refineries, causing Acute Fuel Shortages across Russian's 11 Time Zones.

Ukraine President Zelenskyy, said "Ukraine had the know-how to produce the weapons, and if it received U.S. lLicences to manufacture U.S. Patriot ‌Systems, our production would be sufficient, ‌not only ⁠to defend Ukraine but also ⁠to assist partners who ‌need them". UK Sanctions Russian Scientists over ‘Barbaric’ Navalny and Salisbury Poisonings. Azerbaijan Summons Russian Envoy over Drone Strike on SOCAR Fuel Station in Ukraine, Azerbaijan's Foreign Ministry said on 7/6/2026, it had Summoned Russia's Ambassador to Protest over what it said was a Russian Drone Strike on a Ffuel Station, belonging to State Oil and Gas Company SOCAR in Ukraine's Mykolaiv Region on 7/5/2026.

UK says Aircraft Carrier approached by Russian Plane in Norwegian Sea. Britain said its Aircraft Carrier in the Norwegian Sea, was Repeatedly Approached by a Russian Patrol Aircraft, before being Escorted Away by UK Fighter Jets, in the Latest Incident Risking a Potential Escalation between NATO and Russia. The Incident, which Britain called "Unsafe and Unprofessional", comes Ahead of a NATO Meeting in Ankara on 7/7/2026, where NATO Members are set to Pledge €70 Billion in Military Assistance to Ukraine for 2026.

Britain said the Russian "Bear-F" Maritime Patrol Aircraft Passed at Low Altitude and "Unnecessarily Close" to HMS Prince of Wales, the Aircraft Carrier at the Centre of a Naval Formation, known as a Carrier Strike Group, on 7/2/2026. "The Bear-F...dropped a large number of sonobuoys in close proximity to the carrier," the Ministry of Defence said in aSstatement, referring to Devices which are used to Detect and Track Submarines. UK Jets Scrambled to Intercept Russian Aircraft near Britain’s Flagship Ccarrier. Ukrainian Forces Struck Two Vessels belonging to Russia's so-called "Shadow Fleet" in the Sea of Azov, Kyiv's Top Drone Commander said on 7/6/2026. In a Statement on Telegram, Robert Brovdi said Each of the Vessels had been Carrying around 7,000 tonnes of Fuel from the western Russian Port of Taganrog to Occupied Crimea.

The Governor of Russia's Omsk Region said on 7/6/2026, that the western Siberian Province had come under Attack from Ukrainian Drones, in what would be One of the Longest-Ranged Ukrainian Sstrikes, since the Beginning of the War. In a Post on Telegram, Vitaly Khotsenko said that Several Drones had reached whatH he called "Omsk's northern industrial hub", which is Llocated around 2,700 km (1,700 miles) from Ukrainian Held Territory, close to Russia's Border with Kazakhstan. He said that the Consequences of the Attack were being Clarified, and that Emergency Services were Working to "Liquidate" the Strike's Aftermath.

Ukraine's Military said on 7/6/2026, it Struck Oil Rrefineries in Russia's Yaroslavl and Leningrad Regions Overnight. Explosions were Recorded near the Slavneft-YANOS Oil Refinery in Yaroslavl Region, and Smoke was seen Rising from the Premises, the Ukrainian Military's General Staff said on Telegram The General Staff added that NOVATEK-Ust Luga Refinery was Hit in the Leningrad Region. UK Jets Scrambled to Intercept Russian Aircraft near Britain’s Flagship Carrier

Trump (R) will Mmeet Zelenskyy on the Sidelines of this Week’s Nato Summit in Turkey, as part of a Renewed Effort to End the Wwar. Trump is set to Arrive at the Summit in Ankara on 7/7/2026 and should Meet with Zelensky on 7/8/2026 Morning.

"The battlefield has clearly frozen over the last couple of months and neither side is making a lot of progress," an Official said. "Trump feels a real sense of urgency to try to bring this to a stop." Zelensky said on 7/3/2026, He had Spoken to Trump on the 7/4/2026 of the July Holiday, and called for "American resolve" to Help End the more than 4 year old War with Russia. The U.S. and Europe can Stop Russian 'Terror', says Zelensky.

Zelenskyy says that Ukraine is Struggling to Intercept Ballistic Missiles due to a Lack of Interceptor Missiles. “It is critically important that the world – first and foremost the United States and our European partners, come out of the NATO Summit in Ankara with strong decisions in support of our air defense, and thus the protection of ordinary people’s lives. As long as Patriot missiles remain in our allies' stockpiles, Russia is only encouraged to keep vanquishing” residential buildings. The United States and Europe have enough strength to stop this terror.”

Ukraine's Air Force, said Russia had used 68 Missiles, including 23 Ballistic and Six Super and Hypersonic Missiles, as well as 351 Drones in the Attack. Air force Units Shot Down or Neutralised 37 Mmissiles and 326 Drones, but Nnone of the Bballistic Missiles or Super and Hypersonic Missiles, the Air Force Data Showed. The attack came Ahead of the Nato Summit in Turkey. At the Two-Day Summit, Nato ‌Members are Expected to Reaffirm Support for Ukraine and Pledge further Assistance.

"For 2026, Allies pledge €70bn in military equipment, assistance and training for Ukraine and affirm their sovereign commitments to sustaining at least equivalent levels in 2027," the Leaders are expected to say. Part of the Funding will come from Existing Bilateral Pledges, and an EU Loan Facility that provides €60 billion for Ukrainian Defence Investment and Procurement for 2026-2027. The U.S. is Not Expected ⁠to Contribute to Funding.










NYC Wins When Everyone Can Vote! Michael H. Drucker

Ukrainian Midrange Drones Targeting Russian Supply Lines

Through the grainy gray-and-white haze of thermal images streamed from a drone, Ukrainian pilots watch the roads that keep Russian forces supplied, hunting for targets with a fleet of midrange drones that is reshaping the battlefield. In a basement command post in Ukraine’s Kharkiv region, hundreds of kilometers from the drone over Russian-held territory, pilots wait for movement. When a vehicle appears, they will nudge the controller, sending the aircraft diving toward its target to disrupt Russian supplies deep behind the front.

“Our mission is to cut logistics,” said Kat, commander of Ukraine’s K-2 brigade, which fires midrange drones. “Cut off their supply lines, and the infantry on the front line have no food, no ammunition, no night vision, no batteries. Nothing. That’s how we’re wearing them down in every sense.” Soldiers spoke to The Associated Press on condition their call signs and not real names be used, in line with military regulations.

By repeatedly striking the highways that carry fuel, ammunition and reinforcements, Ukrainian commanders say they have made logistics slower, costlier and far less predictable, helping stall Russian advances and enabling Ukrainian counterattacks and strikes into illegally annexed Crimea to isolate the peninsula from the mainland. Until recently, much of that territory lay beyond Ukraine’s reach. Front-line drones lacked the range, while long-range drones were reserved for strategic targets hundreds of kilometers away. Between them stretched a 25- to 200-kilometer (15- to 125-mile) corridor where Russian troops and supplies moved with relative freedom.

Fixed-wing midrange drones equipped with Starlink satellite communications have begun closing that gap, turning Russia’s logistical rear into an active battlefield. “They’re ensuring that the Russians are constantly pressured along their supply logistics lines and that they are unable to supply certain parts of the front so that the situation may be more controllable,” said Samuel Bendett, a researcher at the Center for Naval Analyses.

Ukraine will have to sustain the pressure while Russia develops countermeasures, Bendett said. He expects Moscow to adapt eventually but said its larger military allows it to absorb heavier losses in the meantime. “The question is whether Ukraine can keep this pressure up over the next few weeks and months,” he said. The machinery of the midrange campaign hides in plain sight. An ordinary office is a command post. A carpenter’s workshop is a drone assembly point. A quaint village house, a launch site.

The nerve center of K-2, one of Ukraine’s most elite drone units, sits in a drab workspace. The workstations are cluttered with coffee mugs, energy drink cans and e-cigarettes. In May, the unit launched 800 midrange drones, 650 of which struck intended targets — all from this room. Dressed in civilian clothes, the pilots sit beneath harsh fluorescent lights, eyes fixed on computer screens, as if working late over spreadsheets.

But the grids on their monitors are target lists and satellite maps. As they plot each flight before takeoff, a separate unit launches the aircraft more than 200 kilometers (125 miles) away. Control then passes to the pilots in Kharkiv, who fly it for up to four hours more than 100 kilometers (60 miles) behind Russian lines. Some who were driven from their hometowns by Russia’s invasion now revisit familiar streets through a drone’s lens, passing old schools and childhood haunts, searching the places where they once played for concealed Russian troops and ammunition depots.

A whiteboard tracks an ongoing competition among the unit’s 10 drone crews. The current record stands at 17 consecutive hits. Missing a high-value target can be as memorable as hitting one. After one such miss, brigade commander Col. Kyrylo Veres called the crew and scolded: “Are you drunk?” Some days, the screen reveals little more than a truck hauling fuel and supplies or a lone soldier on a motorcycle. Other days, it lights up with more prized targets: a loaded multiple rocket launcher or a cluster of Russian troops.

Among the top pilots is Pharaon, 20, who said the work comes naturally — an extension of the video games he grew up playing. “When I was a kid, I used to go to computer clubs where we played Counter-Strike over a local network,” he said. “The competition here is pretty much the same. It’s about who can kill more enemy troops or take out the biggest target.” Starlink enabled the breakthrough drone campaign.

Ukraine's breakthrough came earlier this year when SpaceX cut off Russian forces' unauthorized access to Starlink satellite services, disrupting Russia's drone operations and communications. That gave Ukraine an advantage, allowing upgraded drones to evade detection, resist jamming and strike more accurately while Russia raced to adapt. “The blocking of Starlink for Russian forces was one of the most significant battlefield developments of the year,” said Rob Lee, senior fellow in the Foreign Policy Research Institute’s Eurasia Program.

The success of Ukraine’s midrange campaign is a consequence of that shift. “What’s changed is that now eight out of every 10 sorties are successful,” said Pharaon. Just a few months ago, the success rate was the reverse, he said. K-2 flies the Dart, one of the cheaper models in Ukraine’s expanding fleet of midrange drones. Built from polystyrene, wood and 3D-printed parts, the Dart primarily targets Russian logistics convoys. Larger drones, such as the Hornet, carry heavier payloads to strike bridges and other infrastructure.

Before launch, crews inspect the batteries, cameras, flight controllers and the most critical component, the Starlink satellite communications system that keeps the drone connected throughout the mission. From the assembly point, the drones are transported to concealed launch sites near the front line. There, a soldier with the call sign Buckwheat moves between aircraft, ensuring each Starlink terminal is connected before the drones are catapulted into the sky.

“It’s gotten a little quieter now. You can tell the pressure from the enemy has eased,” he said. Russia, caught by surprise, is playing catch-up Russian forces were caught off guard when the campaign intensified three months ago. Now they have started deploying mobile fire groups and other countermeasures to intercept the drones. But the campaign’s speed, scale and element of surprise have so far kept Ukraine a step ahead.

Russia’s Achilles’ heel is coordination between units, Bendett said. Some sectors of the front may identify the threat, but unless that information is quickly shared with neighboring units, Russia will struggle to intercept the drones. Ukraine’s campaign focuses on the highways linking occupied Mariupol, Berdyansk, Melitopol and the Crimean Peninsula, the main arteries supplying Russian forces fighting in southern and eastern Ukraine. Commanders say sustained attacks have forced Russia onto slower, less efficient resupply routes.

Ukrainian military intelligence says the drones have made sections of the land corridor linking Russia to Crimea too dangerous, slowing the movement of fuel, ammunition and reinforcements. To defend against the drone campaign, Russia is “significantly increasing the number of their mobile anti-aircraft units and fixed machine-gun positions, and are deploying more interceptor crews near major cities,” Pharaon said.

Drone pilots now plot routes around known mobile fire group positions. Through the camera, they can sometimes spot the flashes of anti-aircraft fire as the drone slips past. Russia is deploying electronic warfare systems against Starlink after testing it since 2024, Lee said. So far, however, their effectiveness has been limited. “I think they have some success, but we’ll have to wait and see,” he said.










NYC Wins When Everyone Can Vote! Michael H. Drucker