Friday 28 August 2026

UKRAINE: Former Defense Minister Fedorov

LIFE AND NEWS NOTES

· The Kremlin is using remarks made by ousted Ukrainian Defence Minister Mykhailo Fedorov to allege that Kyiv is consumed by intensifying political infighting.

· Fedorov told Reuters that Ukraine appeared to be losing the war against Russia. He complained about engrained corruption and patronage networks.

· Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters that “the Kyiv regime is collapsing from within.”

ARTICLE: Strupczewski, Jan (8/27/26) “Four EU countries seek to reopen debate on Russian frozen assets for Ukraine.” Reuters.

· “The Netherlands, Poland, Spain and Sweden called on Thursday for the European Union to reopen discussion on using Russia’s frozen assets for Ukraine as Moscow shows no signs of wanting to end its war there.”

ARTICLE: France 24 () “Khersonresidents urged to leave as Russian attacks threaten power and heating.” France 24.

· People of Kherson were urged to leave as Russians attacked risking cutting electricity and heating supplies for an extended period.

ARTICLE: Stonor, Joe (8/28/26) “Wheat soars to highest level in three years as Black Sea crisis deepens.” The Wall Street Journal.

· In one of the globe’s most important grain-growing regions wheat prices hit a three-year high. Together, Russia and Ukraine account for approximately a quarter of global wheat production. Prices increased as Russia refused a truce that would halt attacks against ships carrying gains through the Black Sea.

ARTICLE: Jovanovic, Dada (8/26/26) “Explosive drone at German airport linked to Russian military intelligence.” ABC News.

· The explosive drone found near a Ukrainian cargo aircraft at Leipzig airport in Germany earlier this month bore the hallmarks of devices typically employed by Russia’s military intelligence directorate. The Discovery. Of the small drone. Fitted with explosives and a detonator on August the 4th led to the temporary shutdown of Leipzig airport. The device failed. To explode because it’s triggering mechanism with disconnected.

· Leipzig Airport is a major cargo hub and is used by the US military and NATO allies to transport armaments to Ukraine. Investigators believe the explosive drone was designed to disable aircraft parked on the airfield in order to delay shipments to Ukraine and to send a warning to Germany about its continued support for the Ukrainian war effort.

ARTICLE: o’Connor, Tom () “The day Putin peaked. Newsweek.

· When Vladimir Putin left Alaska a little over a year ago, John Bolton who served in Trump’s first term, declared that “Putin clearly won,” having “achieved most of what he wanted” from the meeting without any concrete commitments.

· Moscos got what is often referred to in the Russian media as the “Spirit of Anchorage.” This means an agreement that Trump will retreat from global presence and focus o the Western Hemisphere. This is entirely in line with what Putin wants – i.e., a world divided into spheres of influence, where the U.S. sticks to its own back yard and gives Russia a free hand in what it considers to be its own backyard, specifically Europe and its central and eastern parts.

· The 28-point plan put forth by the White House inspired little confidence among Ukraine’s supporters.

· “It would see frontlines frozen, Ukraine effectively concede currently Russian held lands. Roughly 1/5 of Ukraine’s pre war territory, as well as Kyiv’s commitment to cap its armed forces and forgo long sought entry into NATO.”

· “Today, Ukraine’s disadvantages remain dire, but Russia’s failure to translate its upper hand into resolute success has weakened its hand as Ukraine and its European supporters campaigned ferociously to push back against a feared total US U-turn.”

· According to Olexiy Haran, professor at the National University of Kyiv: “There’s a lot of criticism regarding Trump…. But intelligence data continues to be supplied to Ukraine. That’s really, really important. And the Europeans are buying American weapons for Ukraine, so it’s not for free, but still it continues.’

· Ukraine secured a new $81 billion package in military and financial assistance from European nations and Canada.

· Next winter will be a lack of air defense munitions, the arrival of Norkth Korean ballistic missiles, the damage to the heating and power infrastructure…”

· Putin may be mobilizing up to half-million additional soldiers after the parliamentary elections next month.

· Bolton characterizes Ukraine as the “loser.”