Russia launches record mass drone attack on Ukraine
By: Ben Hall and Christopher Miller (Financial Times)
A war of attrition is fought with factories. Rosie the Riveter is on the front line.
While President Volodymyr Zelenskyy makes another call for the political will to sanction Russia into submission while seemly oblivious that would require the cooperation of over 40% of the world's population.
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
Russian forces launched the largest mass aerial attack on Ukraine since their full-scale invasion, firing more than 800 drones and a dozen missiles at targets across the country.
A building housing the cabinet of ministers in the centre of Kyiv was struck for the first time during the war, a rare hit on a government building that foreign minister Andriy Sybiha called “a serious escalation”. Two high-rise residential buildings were also damaged.
The attack during the early hours of Sunday morning killed four people and targeted the cities of Kryvyi Rih, Dnipro, Odesa, Zaporizhzhia and Kremenchuk.
Russia fired 805 Shahed one-way attack drones or decoy drones, nine cruise missiles and four ballistic missiles, Ukraine’s air force reported. Ukrainian air defence teams intercepted 747 drones and four of the cruise missiles.
Moscow has changed tactics this summer, firing missiles and drones on a much larger scale to try to overwhelm Ukraine’s air defences and deplete its stock of interceptors. Sunday morning’s attack was the seventh since June involving more than 400 drones.
The previous record for a drone attack was in early July, when Russia launched 539 in one night. Russia has also stepped up its strikes on energy facilities in a renewed attempt to cripple Ukraine’s electricity network in the run-up to winter.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has in recent weeks intensified appeals to western partners for more air defence equipment, as concern grows in Kyiv that it will run out of interceptors.
Zelenskyy on Sunday urged the US to dial up pressure on Moscow, which has been dragging its feet on peace talks with Kyiv.
“It has been repeatedly said in Washington that sanctions will follow a refusal to talk,” Zelenskyy said on Telegram.
“The world can force the Kremlin criminals to stop the killings,” he added. “All that is needed is political will.”
Kyiv has also stepped up its calls on European countries to end all remaining imports of Russian oil and gas.
“The Russian war machine runs on oil and gas revenues,” said Sybiha. “We urge our allies to defund it in order to end the war.”
Sybiha said Russia’s intensification of its attacks at the same time as rebuffing US diplomatic pressure was the “greatest cynicism”.
President Donald Trump has hinted that he is willing to impose further sanctions on Russia but has suggested that the EU should first terminate its purchases of Russian crude and gas.
The EU is drawing up plans to ban Russian oil and gas imports from 2028, but the plan is likely to face stiff opposition from Hungary and Slovakia, which still depend on the supplies.
European Council president António Costa reacted to the attack on social media. “Talking about peace while escalating bombings and targeting government buildings and homes — this is Putin’s version of “peace”, he wrote on X.
Costa said the bloc should stay the course on strengthening Ukraine’s defences and “step up pressure on Russia through additional sanctions, in close co-ordination with our allies and partners”.
Ukraine’s forces overnight again struck the Druzhba oil pipeline in Russia’s Bryansk region, according to Robert Brovdi, commander of Ukraine’s Unmanned Systems Forces. The pipeline carries oil from Russia to Hungary and Slovakia.
Brovdi published drone video purporting to show fire and smoke rising from what he said was a dispatch station. He said the attack had caused “comprehensive fire damage”.
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European politics suckered Ukraine into starting the war with an undemocratic coup in 2014. European politics enticed the United States into the quagmire they created. And now it seems only sacrifices by the United States can end this worthless brush war and save Europe's duplicitous butt.
What does the United States get out of this?
Do you agree with Putin that Ukraine should belong to Russia ?
I don't care. It's not important. The United States has its own reasons to fight Russia; we don't need Ukraine.
Europe wanted this war, let Europe fight it. European duplicity and Ukrainian politics started another European war. Why does the United States need to wade into that quagmire? Ukraine was suckered into wanting to join the EU. For what? Money? So, we're supposed to make sacrifices to save Ukrainians from their own greed and EU lies?
This is not World War II. The United States cannot outproduce it's enemies. US factories can't supply the world with arms to win a war. We don't have mines. We don't have the factories. We don't have the labor force. Americans don't want to do that kind of work. Today Americans would rather surrender to adversaries so they get cheap, disposable crap imported into the country. The United States can't even deal with the garbage generated by that imported crap. The United States can't house its people, can't clothe its people, can't feed its people. And we're expected to win another European war using a devalued currency, corrupt banking system, and a magic credit card?
Russia is not interested in the whole of Ukraine, only those Eastern territories..
Link?
So would it be correct to say that we should send a message to our friends and allies that they can't count on us?
We may say things that are supportive for a while-- but when ther're really hurting...we walk away?
(And if we do, do you really think other nations won't realize that?)
When did Ukraine become a friend and ally?
Worked for Lebanon, Iraq, Libya, Syria, and Afghanistan. We're so supportive of Taiwan that we can't acknowledge its existence for fear of upsetting China.
Well, there's some RT propaganda bullshit. You can take that lie and shove it right back where you pulled it from. Russia started this war with an unprovoked illegal attack on Ukraine, period. If you believe anything different then you're nothing but a Putin puppet regurgitating what the war criminal and short dickless dictator wants you to.
All the screeching about Russian propaganda is intended to obfuscate the simple fact that Ukraine is of no value to the United States. The United States does not need Ukraine for anything. NATO does not need Ukraine to defend Europe. The United States does not need Ukraine to defend itself or Europe.
The EU is interested in Ukraine for economic reasons. As we've seen, Ukraine was dependent upon imports of goods and energy. The Euromaidan protests in Kiev really were about overthrowing an elected government and joining the EU. The Ukrainians wanted trade relations with the EU, better incomes, more consumer goods, and the Euro to replace Ukraine's worthless currency. Ukrainians chose illiberal, undemocratic means to pursue greed.
Why should the United States make sacrifices in another European war that Europeans started over money? Why does victory in Ukraine depend solely upon the United States when we didn't start the war and we get no benefit from the war? How does the United States isolate over 40% of the world's population by itself?
Sounds like you been fooled by Putin?
Do you really think that nations that actually border Russia are so unimportant?
(Sounds to me like the former head of the KGB has a lot of people fooled, eh?)
The US gets the ability to exist in a future without a USSR v2.0.
Why does the United States need Ukraine for that?
Where in the world did you even get the idea that the US needs Ukraine? That is a completely ridiculous concept.
Apparently, some people think we can only defend an ally nation if there is profit to be made. They are a trading partner and a blossoming western democracy, and all western democracies should be standing up to the petulant little fuck fart Putin who started this unprovoked war. And yet, for some reason, those who lean far right and praise Putin as a strong man and applaud him for his strangle hold on a country that makes less than California annually. For some reason these useless appeasers who think Putin is to be praised and feared are desperate to get us out of the war and they claim its a financial motive, as if their fucking miniscule tax dollars are being thrown away on a losing war, because, how can anyone ever defeat the little piece of shit Putin? /s
From you. I asked what does the US get from supporting Ukraine. You explicitly stated the US gets the ability to exist without USSR 2.0.
So, why does the US need Ukraine to exist without a USSR 2.0? You say we do need Ukraine and we don't need Ukraine. Make up your mind.
When has Ukraine ever been an ally of the United States?
Ukraine's largest trading partner is China. Yes, the same China that is a trading partner for Russia. So the US should do what Ukraine and Europe are unwilling to do?
Who is praising Putin? Who is planning to give Europe to Putin? I don't see you praising Zelenskyy. Is hating Putin supposed to be praise for Zelenskyy? If the United States is supposed to fight Russia because we hate Putin, then we shouldn't be wasting resources on Ukraine. Even you do not mention Ukraine to hate Putin. Is Ukraine only an excuse? Why do we need an excuse to hate Putin?
No you did not!!! Your comment is just a few above this one, you can look for yourself.
Correct, and your reply asking why we need Ukraine is nonsensical. We don't need Ukraine and our assisting Ukraine has nothing to do with us obtaining Ukraine.
Putin has admitted that desire to rebuild a super nation like the former USSR. Regaining some/most/all the countries that seceded, are the steps to do so. If the US allows Putin to take over Ukraine, all or in part, will show Putin that he has the ability and that he won't be opposed by the US.
You are the one asking why we need Ukraine, I have never made that statement. There is no type of ownership of Ukraine that we are or should strive for. What we NEED is for Ukraine to not become part of Putin's Russia.
Putin has clearly stated a desire to restore imperial Russia. That's what the hours long history lesson prior to the 2022 invasion was about.
The USSR was about achieving a classless socio-economic order. From the socialist/communist perspective the Cold War was all about class warfare. Putin did not put forward any communist justifications for invading Ukraine in 2022. Putin has turned his back on the USSR. And it appears the hardliners in the Russia government are not interested in going back to the USSR.
That's correct, I've been asking why the United States needs Ukraine. You've said we do and don't need Ukraine.
Ukraine becoming part of Russia doesn't change anything. The NATO border doesn't change. The European duplicity won't change. The same tired obsolete tropes won't change. Ukraine is not relevant because nothing will change whatever happens to Ukraine.
What it was has absolutely nothing to do with what it may become under the dictatorship of Putin.
Please provide my quote where I said that the US "needs" Ukraine.
It sure the hell does!!!!!
We're not and never have been talking NATO. Stop trying to change the subject.
Once again trying to change the subject.
Bullshit. Ukraine is Putin putting his toes in the pool to see if it is too cold to jump fully in.
Then why continue to inject the USSR into the discussion? Was your claim that Putin wants USSR 2.0 only a red herring?
You have repeatedly claimed that Russia taking over Ukraine would be disastrous. But the US doesn't need Ukraine to avoid that disaster? You are making irrational arguments that contradict each other.
Jump into what? You make allusions without stating anything. What is Putin going to achieve by annexing Ukraine? What does Ukraine provide Russia that it doesn't have?
Why do we need the UK for that? Or France? Or Poland? Or any other NATO member for that?
Yeah, why do we? NATO has been an expensive hobby. What exactly did NATO do after invoking Article 5 following the Sept. 11 attacks?
You mean besides over 1,000 non-American NATO allies military killed?
Why do people buy insurance policies? They keep pouring money into insurance--- yet hope they'll never need it.
And that's what NATO is-- its an insurance policy.
Something you pay for-- hoping yopu'll never need it!
(The only reason we might not need that type of insurance would be if we were sure Putin would behave himself. And iran, And North Korea, And Hizb'Allah. etc)
I'm sorry, do you have problems reading what I write? Do I need to simplify it? I already told you this, you just can't come up with a defense against it so you're trying to deflect and deny.
Could be disastrous, or even probably would be.
You have yet to answer why you think we need Ukraine. I never made that statement and challenged you to provide my quote, which you have failed to do.....AGAIN.
I have made 1 argument which you are unwilling to read and comprehend. Your failure to does not make contradictions by me.
I am starting to think you haven't read anything I've written and are just trolling me. Jump into a full blown effort to recapture the countries that left the original USSR. Geeeze!!!!
You ARE trolling. I have already told you what he would achieve. I'm tired of repeating myself to someone who is demonstrating willful ignorance.