Посещение Архангельского собора Московского Кремля • Президент России kremlin.ru/events/president/…
— Michael Novakhov (@mikenov) Aug 20, 2026
Month: August 2026
Putin is unlikely to return to talks before mid-March as he hopes winter will break Ukraine, official Sergiy Kyslytsya said.
He warned Moscow aims to fracture Ukrainian unity, as Kyiv seeks more air defense interceptors.
— @KyivPost Aug 20, 2026
Kaliningrad was built to be Russia’s grand “keep NATO out” fortress.
Now it looks more like NATO is spending its days practicing how to get in.
What’s happening around the enclave is far bigger than a few fighters passing by.
We’re talking AWACS, air‑to‑air refueling, electronic warfare, strike aircraft — the whole package.
Put the pieces together and you get something that looks suspiciously like a dress rehearsal for dealing with a sophisticated air‑defense network.It doesn’t mean NATO is planning an attack.
But it does mean the alliance is sharpening capabilities that would be absolutely decisive if Kaliningrad’s A2/AD system ever became a target in a conflict.And the map has changed completely.
With Sweden and Finland in NATO, the Baltic Sea is no longer a space Russia can dominate from Kaliningrad.The enclave is still heavily armed, but the more Russia stuffs into it, the more it concentrates everything in a tiny pocket that becomes nearly impossible to reinforce or supply if things go bad.
Kaliningrad was built to intimidate NATO. Now it’s starting to look like Russia’s most overloaded hostage.
— @jalle51 Aug 20, 2026
Shared Links – Audio Posts: Russian missile barrage kills at least 13 people in Ukraine’s Kyiv – AP … Russia launches deadly missile and drone attacks on Kyiv … Kaliningrad under the pressure of war … NATO High-Tech Aircraft Surge Near Kaliningrad and the Black Sea thenewsandtimes.blogspot.com…
— Michael Novakhov (@mikenov) Aug 20, 2026
 |
Michael_Novakhov shared this story . |
KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Russia pounded the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv and the surrounding region with scores of missiles and drones in a nighttime aerial attack that lasted for hours and killed at least 16 people, officials said Thursday.
Moscow’s forces have in recent months intensified their ballistic missile attacks on Kyiv, exploiting Ukraine’s chronic shortage of U.S.-made Patriot air defense interceptors, the sole weapon in its arsenal able to shoot down the missiles.
Large-scale Russian missile strikes have become a regular occurrence this summer. Just over two weeks ago, a Russian attack on Kyiv and its surrounding region killed 17 people, and nine were killed in the city two days before that. The United Nations said last week that Kyiv was one of the hardest hit cities in July, with at least 54 civilians killed and 202 injured.
At the same time, Ukraine has shifted the war onto Russian soil through long-range drone strikes on oil facilities that have caused fuel shortages across the country. It has also unsettled the Russian public by striking warehouses of Wildberries, the country’s biggest online retailer.
Zelenskyy repeats his appeals for more air defense
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has pleaded for countries to send more Patriot interceptors for defense, but international stockpiles are low amid the Iran war and Kyiv’s more than four-year fight against Russia’s all-out invasion.
Russia’s overnight barrage also included cruise missiles and jet-powered drones that further strain air defenses, Ukraine’s air force said.
Explosions boomed across Kyiv in the dark, but the air force said hits were recorded at 28 locations across the country. Emergency services said 15 people were killed in the capital, with another death in the wider Kyiv region. About 40 people were wounded, Zelenskyy said, as air raid warnings lasted until after dawn.
More than 38,000 people, including over 2,000 children, sheltered in Kyiv’s subway stations overnight, the system’s operator said.
“It was a massive attack,” Zelenskyy said on social media, adding that Russia “had been preparing (it) for a long time, combining different types of ballistic missiles, cruise missiles and drones, aiming to cause as much damage as possible to civilian infrastructure.”
The Russian Defense Ministry said it struck a Kyiv industrial site manufacturing components for Flamingo cruise missiles. Sites involved in the production and storage of drones, an ammunition depot and a logistics center were also hit, it said.
Sign up for Morning Wire:
Our flagship newsletter breaks down the biggest headlines of the day.
Russia is able to produce more than 200 cruise and ballistic missiles per month, Ukraine’s intelligence agency told news outlet Ukrainska Pravda in comments published Thursday. It has stockpiled more than 1,100 cruise missiles and about 130 Iskander-M ballistic missiles, as well as hundreds of missiles of other types, the agency was quoted as saying.
It was not possible to independently verify the report, and Russian officials do not routinely answer questions about the country’s arsenal.
Ukraine says it struck more Russian oil facilities
Russia and Ukraine have battered each other with drones and missiles as their armies struggle to gain the upper hand on the 1,250-kilometer (780-mile) front line.
Ukraine’s General Staff said its forces struck an oil refinery in Nizhnekamsk, in Russia’s Tatarstan region, starting a fire, and the Tamanneftegaz oil terminal in Volna, in Russia’s Krasnodar region, where there was also a blaze. Ukraine has hit both facilities in recent months as part of its campaign to disrupt Russia’s vital oil industry.
Tatarstan leader Rustam Minnikhanov confirmed there had been a “massive attack” in the region, state news agency Tass reported, citing his press service. Many of the drones targeted Nizhnekamsk’s Zakamsk economic area, disrupting production at industrial sites and damaging residential buildings, Tass quoted him as saying.
The Russian Defense Ministry said air defenses shot down 726 drones overnight over a number of Russian regions, annexed Crimea and the Black and Azov seas, in one of Ukraine’s biggest aerial attacks of the war.
Ukraine’s neighbors are on alert
Russia’s relentless onslaught has spooked other European countries, especially those bordering Ukraine, which fear spreading attacks from Moscow.
Amid the attack on Kyiv, the Polish Armed Forces Operational Command activated its military aviation operations, ground-based air defense systems and radar reconnaissance. Polish and other NATO military aircraft were deployed to monitor its airspace, Polish news agency PAP reported.
Romania’s Defense Ministry said an unidentified drone crashed and burned in an uninhabited area near the Ukrainian border. Two Spanish F-18 jets, deployed on a policing mission in Romania, were scrambled overnight to monitor a group of “air targets” near the border, the ministry said.
In addition, two Romanian F-16 fighter jets were deployed to destroy a naval drone seen near a major Black Sea gas project, Romania’s acting Defense Minister Radu Miruta said.
Moldova’s Defense Ministry also said its airspace was breached by at least one drone.
Russia “is increasingly testing the resolve of NATO and its partners, violating the sovereignty of neighboring states and deliberately expanding the risks posed by its war far beyond Ukraine,” Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said on social media.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen saw a broad threat to the European Union. “An escalating campaign of threats is underway, unsettling our citizens and seeking to divide our Union,” she said on X.
Explosions shatter windows and screams fill the air
Russia’s overnight strikes hit 12 locations across Kyiv’s Darnytskyi, Sviatoshynskyi and Solomianskyi districts, damaging 30 apartment blocks, a school, a children’s hospital and a kindergarten, Zelenskyy said.
Larysa Bondaruk, 60, sat on the ground, holding her cat, Chanel, which had been rescued by firefighters. With tears in her eyes, she said her neighbor’s grandson had been trapped by the rubble and died. Her apartment was badly damaged.
“A rocket hit the roof. It was incredibly loud. Immediately, debris and doors were blown out. There were columns of smoke, columns of fire, screams, crying and despair,” she said. “Two people were killed in our building, but the rescuers responded quickly and professionally. I am grateful to them for that.”
In Solomianskyi district, the top two floors of a nine-story residential building were destroyed and fires broke out on other floors. People were also trapped in two residential buildings and a school shelter.
___
AP reporters Vasilisa Stepanenko and Hanna Arhirova in Kyiv, Kirsten Grieshaber in Berlin and Stephen McGrath in Leamington Spa, England, contributed.
___
Follow the AP’s coverage of the war in Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine
news – Google Search
google.com/search?num=10&new…
apnews.com/article/russia-uk…— Michael Novakhov (@mikenov) Aug 20, 2026
Mossad chief, Syrian foreign minister discussed Turkish military – AI Mode
Mossad Chief Roman Gofman held a phone call with Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani on August 14, 2026, to discuss Israel’s concerns over Turkey’s expanding military presence in Syria, marking one of the highest-level contacts between the two nations since the fall of the Assad regime. [1, 2]
Four days after the diplomatic call, Israeli warplanes launched airstrikes targeting the Abu al-Duhur military airbase in northwestern Syria. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed the motivation behind the strike, stating that Israel will not tolerate a Turkish military entrenchment that threatens its security, claiming Damascus was on the verge of allowing Turkish troops to deploy at the facility. [1, 3, 4]
Core Details of the Discussion
According to exclusive reports from Reuters and other regional outlets, the conversation focused primarily on Ankara’s activities: [5, 6]Military Expansion: Israel raised sharp inquiries regarding Turkey’s increasing troop deployments within northern Syria. [1, 3]
Weapons & Technology: Mossad chief Gofman questioned Syria’s procurement of Turkish weapons, drone deliveries, and technical military provisions. [3, 7]
Strategic Training: The talks preceded warnings that Turkey is positioning itself to heavily train, advise, and integrate with the new Damascus administration led by President Ahmed al-Sharaa. [4, 7]Geopolitical Reactions
Syria: Foreign Minister al-Shaibani denied that a massive Turkish military buildup was underway at the base, stating that Turkish officers were only visiting the empty facility for routine training and cooperation. Syria remains open to U.S.-mediated de-escalation talks but condemned the strikes as a violation of sovereignty. [8]
Turkey: The Turkish presidency strongly rejected Israel’s allegations, calling them “untenable” pretexts used to legitimize unlawful airstrikes. Turkey affirmed it would continue legally cooperating with the Syrian government to maintain regional peace. [3]
United States: U.S. Envoy to Syria and Ambassador to Turkey Tom Barrack criticized the Israeli air assault as an “unnecessary escalation”. The U.S. announced it is actively working to establish a formal deconfliction mechanism involving Israel, Syria, and Turkey to prevent accidental military confrontations. [4, 6][1] themedialine.org
[2] jpost.com
[3] newarab.com
[4] ynetnews.com
[5] reuters.com
[6] instagram.com
[7] middleeasteye.net
[8] japantimes.co.jp— Michael Novakhov (@mikenov) Aug 20, 2026
Kaliningrad was built to be Russia’s grand “keep NATO out” fortress.
Now it looks more like NATO is spending its days practicing how to get in. What’s happening around the enclave is far bigger than a few fighters passing by.
We’re talking AWACS, air‑to‑air refueling, electronic warfare, strike aircraft — the whole package.
Put the pieces together and you get something that looks suspiciously like a dress rehearsal for dealing with a sophisticated air‑defense network.It doesn’t mean NATOis planning an attack. But it does mean the alliance is sharpening capabilities that would be absolutely decisive if Kaliningrad’s A2/AD system ever became a target in a conflict.
And the map has changed completely. With Sweden and Finland in NATO, the Baltic Sea is no longer a space Russia can dominate from Kaliningrad.
The enclave is still heavily armed, but the more Russia stuffs into it, the more it concentrates everything in a tiny pocket that becomes nearly impossible to reinforce or supply if things go bad.Kaliningrad was built to intimidate NATO. Now it’s starting to look like Russia’s most overloaded hostage.
— @jalle51 Aug 20, 2026
Russia has now received KN‑30 ballistic missiles from North Korea — yes, you read that correctly.
When you start importing rockets from Pyongyang, you’ve officially left the “great power” category and entered “customer at the world’s most sanctioned weapons shop.”
Ukraine’s defense intelligence says that in JulyRussia had around 50 Kinzhal missiles and roughly the same number of North Korean KN‑23, KN‑24, and KN‑30.
KN‑30 hasn’t been reported in the war before, so this is the first time it appears in Russian stockpiles.
The KN‑30 (Hwasong‑11C) is an upscaled short‑range ballistic missile with at least 600 km range, a fast‑burn motor, and mobile launch capability.
North Korea claims it can carry a 2.5‑ton warhead, which is… ambitious, but not independently confirmed.Meanwhile, Russia is sitting on a mountain of other missiles:
Iskander 9M723 — 130 units
S‑400 RM‑48U — 400 units
Oniks — 600 units
Kalibr — 450 units
Zircon — 120 units
Kh‑101 — 100 unitsAnd to top it off: according to Ukraine, North Korea has begun deploying a missile unit in the Voronezh region to fire ballistic missiles at Ukraine.
It’s like Moscow is outsourcing its own misile production to Kim Jong‑un.— @jalle51 Aug 20, 2026
Something is definitely happening. Crimea is being emptied militarily — and not just a little.
According to the information I’m getting, the peninsula has essentially been cleared of ballistic missiles for two months, and strategic war materiel has been moved out.
It’s as if Russia is packing up its “super‑base” and pretending it’s just a normal relocation.This is exactly the effect Ukraine’s systematic isolation of Crimea was designed to produce.
When you choke logistics, hit depots, ports, radar and transport routesCrimea stops being a military hub and becomes a liability.
Public analyses say the same thing: the blockade has severely weakened Crimea’s role as a Russian military and logistical node.— @jalle51 Aug 20, 2026