Robert Brovdi

Russia is planning to nearly triple the number of ballistic missiles it can launch at Ukraine in a single aerial attack, warned Robert Brovdi (call sign Madyar), commander of Ukraine's Unmanned Systems Forces, according to the Associated Press.

As Madyar explained, as of today, the Russian forces are capable of simultaneously launching a salvo of 77 ballistic missiles. However, the enemy's plans call for increasing this number to 200.

The commander of the Unmanned Systems Forces does not hide the fact that this is one of Ukraine's most vulnerable points, as the country is experiencing a shortage of interceptors for the American Patriot systems, the only system in Ukraine's arsenal capable of intercepting ballistic missiles.

This means that dozens of missiles launched by Russia during massive attacks reach their targets.

"Even if they only manage half of that, it will all be flying at us," Madyar warned.

He also explained that there is only one way to reduce the number of such missiles: to strike every facility involved in their production. This underscores the importance of Ukraine's long-range strikes deep inside Russian territory.

Russia plans to launch up to 200 ballistic missiles in single attack on Ukraine

The US has approved a plan allowing Turkey to transfer a major stockpile of weapons to Ukraine, including missile launchers, ballistic missiles and thousands of artillery rounds. The move would give Kyiv fresh firepower as its forces continue battling Russia’s invasion.

A huge weapons package is heading east

The shipment includes 12 multiple rocket launchers and 70 ballistic missiles, according to the Kyiv Post. It also contains 2,524 unguided cluster rockets and 47,000 artillery shells.

The sheer volume of ammunition could provide Ukrainian forces with a significant boost, particularly as sustained fighting continues to place heavy demands on frontline stocks.

Turkey clears old weapons as Ukraine gains firepower

For Ankara, the transfer also serves a wider military purpose. Turkey is seeking to clear older equipment from its arsenal and create room for newer systems as it modernises its armed forces.

Private defence companies from Turkey, Bulgaria and the United States are expected to handle the logistics, with the transfer due to begin after the congressional review period is completed.

Battle-tested launchers could move quickly into action

The equipment should not represent an entirely unfamiliar capability for Ukrainian troops. European allies have already supplied similar multiple rocket launchers, giving Ukrainian forces experience operating comparable systems.

That familiarity could allow the weapons to be integrated into battlefield operations without the lengthy adjustment period associated with completely new technology.

Ballistic missiles raise the pressure on Russia

The most significant element could be the 70 ballistic missiles. The launchers can fire both standard unguided rockets and guided ballistic missiles, giving commanders greater flexibility over targets and ranges.

The weapons are older variants of a tactical missile system, but they remain capable of striking targets such as military bases and fuel depots. For Ukraine, the transfer could help maintain pressure on Russian positions and supply networks from greater distances.

US approves transfer of Turkish missile systems to Ukraine

Yes, drones seems to be everything they have now. Anybody see those drones kill those Russian children on the beach? Disgusting what Ukraine is doing.

Ukrainian drones strike Russia's largest petrochemical complex over 2,000 km away

Ukrainian drones strike Russia's largest petrochemical complex over 2,000 km away© RBC-Ukraine (UK)

Following the attack, fires and damage were recorded on the site Ukrainian drones struck the ZapSibNeftekhim petrochemical complex in Tobolsk, Tyumen Region, Russia. The drones traveled more than 2,000 km to reach the target, according to the Special Operations Forces of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.

Deep Strike units of Ukraine’s Special Operations Forces, working with the Russian resistance movement Chyornaya Iskra, struck the ZapSibNeftekhim complex in Tobolsk.

According to the Special Operations Forces, fires and structural damage were reported at the facility following the strike.

ZapSibNeftekhim is Russia’s largest petrochemical complex and one of the country’s strategically important chemical industry facilities.

Why ZapSibNeftekhim is important

The Tobolsk complex produces basic raw materials used in a wide range of industrial products. Some of these materials are used in manufacturing linked to Russia’s defense industry.

Ukrainian drones strike Russia's largest petrochemical complex over 2,000 km away

Got to be some kind of record to send drones 6,500km and hit a refinery

That's like sending a drone across the country of Canada, lift off in Newfoundland and hit a refinery in BC

A Different refiner in Siberia

1 hour ago, Cave Johnson said:

Got to be some kind of record to send drones 6,500km and hit a refinery

That's like sending a drone across the country of Canada, lift off in Newfoundland and hit a refinery in BC

Probably not launched from Ukraine. Maybe they did something like ship the drones in a truck and launch from there, like when they destroyed a bunch of bombers a while back.

Ukraine destroys Russia's $100 million Nebo-U radar system

Nebo-U radar system (Russian media)© RBC-Ukraine (UK)

On the night of August 13, Ukraine’s Defence Forces struck Russian military targets in Russia and the occupied territories, including a Nebo-U radar system in Sevastopol, warehouses and a UAV command post, according to Ukraine’s General Staff.

Nebo-U radar system hit in Sevastopol.

According to the Defense Forces, a Russian Nebo-U radar system was struck in Sevastopol. It is a long-range, three-coordinate VHF-band radar designed to detect and track aerial targets, including aircraft, cruise missiles and ballistic missiles.

The destruction of the radar reduces the Russian military’s ability to monitor airspace and detect aerial targets in a timely manner.

What other targets were hit

Ukrainian forces also struck a UAV command post near Myrne in the Zaporizhzhia region, a fuel and lubricants depot near Dovzhansk in the Luhansk region, and an ammunition depot near Novyi Hai in the Zaporizhzhia region.

In addition, a logistics depot near Kalanchak in the Kherson region and a concentration of Russian troops near Butyrki in Russia’s Belgorod region came under attack.

According to the Defence Forces, operations against key enemy targets are continuing.

On August 12, Ukraine’s Defense Forces carried out a series of strikes on Russian military targets in temporarily occupied Crimea. A control tower at the Saky airfield was hit near Novofedorivka, while a control relay for attack drones was struck near Chornomorske.

Ukraine destroys Russia's $100 million Nebo-U radar system

Ukraine receives record military aid package, media reports

military aid for Ukraine (Volodymyr Zelenskyy's Telegram channel)© RBC-Ukraine (UK)

Ukraine received €7.2 billion in military aid from international partners in June, the highest monthly amount since US funding was halted, Euractiv reported.

Military aid surges

According to the Kiel Institute for the World Economy,the June total was the highest since April 2024, when Ukraine received €9.04 billion in military aid. The latest figure was also the third-largest monthly amount of military support since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion.

The increase was largely driven by new European Union funding. In May and June, EU institutions allocated €4.3 billion in military assistance under the EU's Ukraine Support Loan facility.

"The rapid launch of the Ukraine Support Loan sends a positive signal to Ukraine," said Taro Nishikawa, head of the Ukraine Support Tracker project.

In addition, Germany provided €700 million in support for Ukraine's armed forces, Denmark contributed €600 million, and the Netherlands allocated €500 million.

Long-term support remains lower

Before US funding was halted in February 2025, donors provided Ukraine with an average of €3.46 billion in military aid per month. Since then, the average has fallen to €2.94 billion.

At the same time, US-made weapons continue to play a critical role in Ukraine's defense. European countries are increasingly purchasing arms from US defense companies or relying on equipment supplied from US stockpiles.

"The United States remains a key supplier of systems such as Patriot, for which Europe has only limited alternatives at the moment," said Federico Mellase, an analyst with the Ukraine Support Tracker.

Despite the high level of military assistance, overall financial and humanitarian support for Ukraine declined noticeably during the first four months of 2026, while drone supplies have become increasingly important for Ukraine's partners.

Ukraine receives record military aid package, media reports

32 minutes ago, bannork said:

Ukraine receives record military aid package, media reports

military aid for Ukraine (Volodymyr Zelenskyy's Telegram channel)© RBC-Ukraine (UK)

Ukraine received €7.2 billion in military aid from international partners in June, the highest monthly amount since US funding was halted, Euractiv reported.

Military aid surges

According to the Kiel Institute for the World Economy,the June total was the highest since April 2024, when Ukraine received €9.04 billion in military aid. The latest figure was also the third-largest monthly amount of military support since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion.

The increase was largely driven by new European Union funding. In May and June, EU institutions allocated €4.3 billion in military assistance under the EU's Ukraine Support Loan facility.

"The rapid launch of the Ukraine Support Loan sends a positive signal to Ukraine," said Taro Nishikawa, head of the Ukraine Support Tracker project.

In addition, Germany provided €700 million in support for Ukraine's armed forces, Denmark contributed €600 million, and the Netherlands allocated €500 million.

Long-term support remains lower

Before US funding was halted in February 2025, donors provided Ukraine with an average of €3.46 billion in military aid per month. Since then, the average has fallen to €2.94 billion.

At the same time, US-made weapons continue to play a critical role in Ukraine's defense. European countries are increasingly purchasing arms from US defense companies or relying on equipment supplied from US stockpiles.

"The United States remains a key supplier of systems such as Patriot, for which Europe has only limited alternatives at the moment," said Federico Mellase, an analyst with the Ukraine Support Tracker.

Despite the high level of military assistance, overall financial and humanitarian support for Ukraine declined noticeably during the first four months of 2026, while drone supplies have become increasingly important for Ukraine's partners.

Ukraine receives record military aid package, media reports

It's a Drone vs Drone battle at the present time. Shotguns seem to be the answer.

Got to be some kind of record to send drones 6,500km

No, they didn't do that. They smuggled the drones in with trucks and launched them much closer than 6500 km obviously.

Ukraine’s General Staff said that its forces struck the Gazprom Neftekhim Salavat oil refining and petrochemical complex in Russia’s republic of Bashkortostan overnight, causing a fire at the facility.

Astora natural gas depot in Rehden

The complex, located southeast of Moscow about 1,300 kilometers (800 miles) from Ukraine’s border, is one of Russia’s largest oil refining and petrochemical facilities, the General Staff said in a Telegram post.

The plant processes up to 74 million barrels of oil annually, producing gasoline, diesel fuel and other products, it said.

Russia’s Bashkortostan governor, Radiy Khabirov, said only that a drone attack wounded two civilians and started a fire in an industrial zone of Salavat.

Wildberries, Russia’s biggest online retailer whose giant warehouses have repeatedly been struck by Ukrainian drones, said a fire started at one of its facilities in the Salavat industrial zone after the overnight attack. The company said the facility was evacuated but that goods were not being stored there.

The attack came a day after Ukrainian anti-ship missiles and drones blitzed a major Russian naval base on the Black Sea coast.

Elsewhere, four explosive experts from Russia’s Emergency Ministry and a security guard were killed Thursday after an unspecified Ukrainian weapon exploded in Sevastopol, a port city in illegally annexed Crimea, the Russian-installed governor of Sevastopol Mikhail Razvozhayev said.

They were inspecting the site of a Ukrainian attack when “an enemy weapon detonated,” he said.

Meanwhile, a Russian refinery in Orsk that was hit by Ukrainian drones earlier this week has suspended operations, Orenburg region Gov. Yevgeny Solntsev said Thursday.

He said that “key infrastructure, which cannot be restored at this time” was struck, including foreign equipment, and “taking (international) sanctions into account,” the repairs could take up to six months, Solntsev said in a rare public admission in Russia of the problems Ukrainian attacks are causing.

Ukraine’s General Staff had reported striking the Orsk refinery, in Russia’s Orenburg region near the border with Kazakhstan, on Tuesday.

Ukraine drones hit a major Russian refinery 800 miles from the border

Record since mobilization: 70% of Russians say situation in Russia is 'explosive'

The ongoing hostilities are the main source of discontent among Russians

The share of Russians who consider the political situation in the country tense or explosive has reached 70%. This is the highest level since September 2022, when Russia announced mobilization, according to the results of a survey by the Levada Center.

A majority of respondents — 57% — described the current situation in Russia as tense. Another 13% said they considered the situation critical and explosive.

Only 26% of respondents gave positive assessments, with 19% describing the situation as calm and 7% as favorable.

Sociologists noted that a comparable level of anxiety was recorded in September 2022 following the announcement of mobilization, when negative assessments reached 71%.

Pessimism has been rising since mid-2025. In particular, since May 2025, the share of respondents who see the situation as tense has increased by 10 percentage points, while the share describing it as "critical/explosive" has risen by 8 percentage points since September 2025.

Main reasons for fears and discontent

Respondents with a negative view of the situation cited a number of specific problems:

・45% — the ongoing fighting;

・21% — drone attacks and attacks on Russian territory;

・18% — fear for their own lives, their children and the future;

・10% — instability and uncertainty about the future;

・9% — the economic crisis and rising prices;

・7% — gasoline shortages;

・6% — distrust in government institutions, as well as problems with electricity, the internet and communications.

Recently, the Institute for the Study of War reported that Russians are showing growing interest in ending Russia’s war against Ukraine. Ukrainian attacks, which Russia’s air defenses have failed to protect the country from, have contributed to this shift.

It was also recently reported that approval of Russian leader Vladimir Putin’s performance among Russians has fallen to its lowest level since the beginning of the full-scale war against Ukraine.

Record since mobilization: 70% of Russians say situation in Russia is 'explosive'

Russia’s space industry comes under fire

Samara, Russia

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Ukrainian forces struck the Progress Rocket and Space Centre in Russia’s Samara region with FP-5 Flamingo cruise missiles.

He described the facility as one of Roscosmos’ key enterprises, involved in producing launch vehicles and electronics. Ukraine’s General Staff said the rockets made there are used to put Russian military, reconnaissance and communications satellites into orbit.

The strikes mark a significant expansion of Kyiv’s pressure on infrastructure supporting Russia’s military and strategic capabilities.

Kinzhal threat targeted at Savasleyka

Ukraine also reported a strike on Savasleyka air base in the Nizhny Novgorod region, which it says is used by MiG-31K fighter jets capable of carrying Russia’s Kinzhal ballistic missiles.

Kyiv’s General Staff said hits were recorded at the air base and fires broke out on the grounds. Zelenskyy released footage appearing to show towering columns of smoke and flames following the attacks.

The Ukrainian leader described the campaign as a strategy of “long-range sanctions” designed to reduce Russia’s ability to wage war.

Oil infrastructure also caught in the crosshairs

Another strike was reported at an oil facility in Ust-Luga, near Russia’s border with Estonia, reinforcing Kyiv’s focus on energy infrastructure that helps sustain Moscow’s economy.

Ukraine has repeatedly targeted refineries, terminals and fuel depots deep inside Russia, with Kyiv claiming the attacks are contributing to fuel shortages in some areas.

Moscow keeps up the pressure

The strikes came as Russia continued its own attacks across Ukraine. Kyiv said Russian forces launched 152 drones overnight, with air defences destroying or neutralising 124.

At least one child was killed and dozens of people were wounded in attacks across Dnipropetrovsk, Kherson, Sumy, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia and Kharkiv regions, according to Ukrainian officials.

The escalating exchange underlines Kyiv’s strategy: take the war deeper into Russia while Moscow continues pounding Ukrainian cities.

Ukraine says it has struck Russian rocket and space centre

2,400 Russian vehicles and pieces of equipment destroyed in one month

The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) claims to have destroyed a total of 2,400 transport, command, and staff vehicles over the past month. The SBU announced on social media that additional equipment was also damaged or destroyed during these operations. "Fighters from the Ukrainian Security Service's Alpha Special Operations Center are not only effectively targeting the Russian Federation's oil infrastructure and 'shadow fleet,'" the security service stated. "They are also systematically setting fire to the occupiers' transport vehicles along the battle lines and far beyond, thereby depriving the enemy of the ability to supply their units with fuel, ammunition, and personnel."

https://www.reddit.com/r/ukraine/s/YoEaqAiG6W

Extremely high value target, keep breaking all the higher tech that they have

I'm not sure they're really winning until they decapitate the ugly short guy at the top of the USSR Mafia. 👍

13 hours ago, SiSePuede419 said:

I'm not sure they're really winning until they decapitate the ugly short guy at the top of the USSR Mafia. 👍

Well, they're not losing. The closest Putin has been to being topped was Prigozhin's mutiny. He mutinied, not because he was against the war but because he and his men, felt it wasn't being prosecuted hard enough.

There was a rather limp wristed threat of a mutiny recently.

https://www.rferl.org/a/war-viral-post-putin-rebellion-threat-ukraine/33789561.html

Of course Ukraine is winning. What else would you expect?

Pro-Putin Ukrainian officer assassinated in Crimea blast

Robert Shagiev, the submarine commander who switched sides

A Ukrainian officer who switched allegiance to Russia after Moscow seized Crimea has been killed in a blast in occupied Sevastopol, according to reports from Russian and Ukrainian sources. Robert Shagiev, who later served in Russia’s Black Sea Fleet, was reportedly targeted in an explosion on August 13.

Deadly blast tears through Sevastopol

The explosion struck in the morning, with early reports saying a bomb had been concealed inside a rubbish bin. Shagiev was identified as the victim by Russian and Ukrainian Telegram channels, while the Ukrainian Truth outlet reported that his death had been confirmed by the Book of Executioners project.

The circumstances of the attack remain under investigation. Russian authorities reportedly arrested 32-year-old Margarita Reut, a woman from Sochi who works as a prostitute, in connection with the killing.

Suspect reportedly showed no remorse

According to reports cited by The Telegraph, Reut faces terrorism charges and told investigators she felt no remorse over the assassination. She had previously attracted police attention over her outspoken political views.

She was reportedly detained on a train following a Ukrainian drone strike after shouting: “You deserved it, Russians!”

A dramatic switch after Crimea fell

Shagiev’s military career began on the Ukrainian side. Born in Crimea in 1977, he served for years in Ukraine’s armed forces and had risen to commander by 2013.

He commanded the Zaporozhye, the only submarine in Ukraine’s fleet, before Russia seized Crimea in 2014. Ukrainian military leaders ordered him to move the submarine to the safety of Odesa, but he refused.

From Ukrainian commander to Russian officer

Instead, Shagiev remained in Crimea and signed a contract with the Russian military. He later rose to become a deputy commander in Russia’s Black Sea Fleet.

Kyiv subsequently regarded him as a deserter and accused him of high treason. His dramatic change of allegiance had turned a former Ukrainian officer into a figure viewed as a traitor by authorities in Kyiv.

Now his death has brought renewed attention to the personal risks facing military figures who switched sides after Russia’s annexation of Crimea.

Ukrainian officer who chose Putin's side assassinated: "You deserved it"

On 8/16/2026 at 9:45 PM, Roadsternut said:

Well, they're not losing. The closest Putin has been to being topped was Prigozhin's mutiny. He mutinied, not because he was against the war but because he and his men, felt it wasn't being prosecuted hard enough.

There was a rather limp wristed threat of a mutiny recently.

https://www.rferl.org/a/war-viral-post-putin-rebellion-threat-ukraine/33789561.html

Really?

Ukraine has a new ally.....

19 minutes ago, LosLobo said:

Ukraine has a new ally.....

What a load of old nonsense.

This is like sending a drone strike on NASA's assembly plant

One of one in existence and now it's broken

https://www.reddit.com/r/ukraine/s/QFKKP8pmq9

Ukraine is losing the war and killing children playing on a beach.

Embarrassing.

A drone hit a busy beach in southern Russia, killing seven people including three children, local authorities have said.

In social media footage verified by the BBC, a drone can be seen hurtling towards a cliffside before crashing into a fireball on the beach below as tourists look on from the shore and in the water.

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cr7kmnyrdn7o

The Kremlin has fired one of Russia’s most senior bankers after he warned that the country was falling behind economically and technologically — and could lose its economic war of attrition with Ukraine.

Andrey Klepach, chief economist at state-owned VEB, was reportedly dismissed at the behest of the authorities after comments he made at a roundtable in May surfaced publicly.

Banker breaks ranks with a stark warning

Klepach said Russia was “falling behind” globally and warned that Ukraine’s economy was continuing to survive despite the devastation caused by the war.

He also warned that the costs of the conflict were mounting inside Russia, pointing to worsening healthcare and rising inequality. A social crisis, he said, could emerge “at a moment when no one is really expecting it”.

His historical comparisons were particularly striking. Klepach cited the unexpected outbreak of the 1917 February Revolution and the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 as examples of upheaval that had not been considered inevitable.

His punishment exposes the Kremlin’s pressure point

Speaking critically about the war carries serious risks in Vladimir Putin’s Russia, where laws against alleged “fake news” about the military can bring lengthy prison sentences.

Klepach nevertheless appeared to avoid criminal charges, telling Vedomosti that he would “see what happens next”. His dismissal, however, sends a stark warning to other economists operating inside the system.

Russia’s numbers are starting to bite

The firing comes as pressure builds on the Russian economy. GDP grew by 1.3 per cent between April and June, but economists expect the rebound to be temporary, while the effects of Ukrainian strikes on Russian oil infrastructure have yet to fully appear in official data.

The central bank has cut its growth forecast for the year to up to 1 per cent, while the Kremlin faces soaring defence costs. Government procurement rose by almost 40 per cent between January and July compared with the same period last year.

The war is tightening the economic vice

Russia can silence a banker. It cannot easily silence the economic pressures he identified.

With defence spending surging, inflation still elevated and growth forecasts weakening, the longer the war continues, the harder those pressures are likely to become. Klepach may have been the first senior economist to say it so bluntly — but he is unlikely to be the last.

Firing a senior banker won’t save Putin’s faltering war economy

5 hours ago, jvs said:

Really?

I think you are answering the wrong post.

I said Ukraine aren't losing. The video doesn't contradict that statement. But the video is presented by some random tubby looking Youtuber going by the name "Business Basics YT", who is clearly trying to chase the algorithm for clicks.

5 years ago he was posting clickbait about how the CCP had just been overthrown. A year ago, he said WW3 had started. Since then, he's decided bull<deleted>ting about war is more lucrative. He recent video is full of the same crap I have heard for the last 4 years; some punched maps, a bit of colouring, and breathless claims about offences and strategies. And bitching Russian bloggers, who have always been moaning. No Russian division has dropped their rifles and walked home.

He bangs on about 745 square kms taken back by Ukraine. Maybe. Who knows. He says Ukrainian maps have been geolocated, verified. No they haven't. Neither have the Russian maps. He's American, so has no idea what a square km is. Probably talks about how many clicks he runs for 745 sq kms is 0.6% of occupied Ukraine. Zelensky stated this is the total area in the Oleksandrivka sector liberated since January 2026. That's 3 square kms a day. On the first day of the Somme, the British captured about 8 square Kms.

ISW assesses Russian gains in the same period as 627 square kms. So Ukrainians are net 100 square kms better off. Whoopee. Its a stalemate with the Ukraine more or less holding the line. They are not losing. They're not winning either.

This winter will be grim. Russian ballistic missile inventory might have been reduced, but they still have more than Ukraine. Ukraine has said they won't have enough of their powerplants working to heat homes this weekend. There will be more lobbing of missiles and drones at each other, with the Russians being a blunt instrument, and the Ukrainians, largely because of resources, being more surgical.

There is the threat though of the idiot. The idiot is the Russian who decides Russia must not lose and lobs a tactical nuke at a Ukrainian brigade. What happens then? Externally, nothing besides someone deciding a Rubicon has been crossed. Any pressure Russia feels from such an act is internal; will the Russian people be horrified by use of such a weapon. Possibly but probably not.

This war is not going to be decided on a battlefield, or in a barracks.

10 hours ago, Roadsternut said:

This war is not going to be decided on a battlefield, or in a barracks.

I don't agree with you Sir.

As soon as the Black Sea coast is in complete Russian control, there will be agreements. Progress in the Donbas is difficult for the Ruskies due to the Ukrainian being so well dug in. But 5 towns have been liberated in the last 7 days.

The SMO has gradually evolved into a war. And it seems like drones rule the roost.

10 hours ago, Roadsternut said:

The idiot is the Russian who decides Russia must not lose and lobs a tactical nuke at a Ukrainian brigade. What happens then?

Indeed, people forget that Russia could always use nuclear war on Ukraine.

Whilst it's understandable people who don't know better cheer on Ukraine, it begs the question how do the leaders of the EU and the US justify supporting Ukraine, when they should know that Ukraine can never win and if it were winning then it would precipitate a nuclear war?

The answer is that they cynically do not care either way, and merely want to weaken Russia by dragging it into war as long as possible. They too, most likely count on the fact that eventually a deal will be made before nuclear war appears on the table. But until then, the mantra is support Ukraine so that Russia is weakened.