Zelensky says Putin still wants to continue the war.
“The mood in Moscow, Putin’s mood, needs to be appropriate — a mood to end the war, not to fight,” the Ukrainian president said.
Zelensky said Ukrainian and allied intelligence signals indicate that Putin personally wants the war to continue, even though most Russians would accept ending it along the current front line.
“September could change a lot,” he added.
Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff are expected to visit Ukraine in September after Trump’s envoys travel to Russia.
Photo: Volodymyr Zelensky
— @KyivPost Aug 31, 2026
Author: wawiimuy
Why did CIA director John Ratcliffe fly to Moscow last week? It may be that Ratcliffe’s trip was merely a Trumpian gesture, a misdirection play to consume the media in speculation. If true, he has succeeded!
— @AmbJohnBolton Aug 31, 2026
Don’t write off Russia’s defence industry yet ft.trib.al/JTAUzh7
— @FT Aug 31, 2026
⚡️ JUST IN: Backchannel negotiations to end the war have begun
American media reported that US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent is meeting with a Russian delegation to discuss Trump’s peace plan.
Shortly before that, the CIA director traveled to Moscow.
Today, the leader of Russia’s friendly superpower ally — India — openly and publicly called on Putin to end the war.
In response, the Russian dictator said that “Russia is moving toward ending the Ukrainian conflict.”NEXTA (@nexta_tv)Backchannel diplomacy with the Kremlin no longer works
John Ratcliffe’s visit to Moscow once again highlighted the problem: even behind closed doors, Russian authorities continue to speak the language of propaganda rather than look for compromise, writes Alexander Baunov, a senior fellow at the Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center in Berlin.
According to him, Moscow spent years convincing the West that, publicly, it was forced to observe diplomatic etiquette, while behind the scenes it was supposedly ready for an honest and pragmatic dialogue.
But after the full-scale war began, the opposite turned out to be true — Putin and his inner circle barely distinguish between their public and private rhetoric.
Something similar had happened before. During a five-hour meeting with Emmanuel Macron shortly before the invasion, Putin did not discuss how to prevent war, instead launching into historical lectures and complaints about the West.
US diplomats also said before the invasion that Russian officials would literally read out pre-prepared talking points and barely engage in substantive dialogue.
That’s why a secret meeting with the Kremlin does not, by itself, mean that peace is any closer. According to Baunov, Moscow can use closed-door talks to issue warnings or resolve specific issues such as prisoner exchanges, but on the main question — ending the war — it is increasingly difficult for it to offer anything other than its own demands.
“Backchannel diplomacy” doesn’t fail because the West is unwilling to listen to Russia. The problem is that behind closed doors, the Kremlin is increasingly saying the same things it says in front of the TV cameras.— https://x.com/nexta_tv/status/2094440083130847522
— @nexta_tv Aug 31, 2026
Ukraine’s former defense minister Mykhailo Fedorov is offering the US a trade
Ukrainian drone expertise in exchange for Patriot interceptors for Ukraine, as he seeks American investment for a new defense technology fund.
Fedorov wants US venture capital to back companies developing battlefield robots, interceptor drones designed to counter Russia’s jet-powered Shahed drones, and missiles using AI. The proposed fund would go beyond a traditional venture fund by creating companies itself as well as investing in existing Ukrainian startups.
“I’m ready to make that trade,” Fedorov said.
🔗 euromaidanpress.com/2026/08/…
— @EuromaidanPress Aug 31, 2026
#CIA #DIA #Mossad
x.com/mikenov/status/2094437…Michael Novakhov (@mikenov) #Russia #Ukraine #News
Russia-Ukraine war news today – AI ModeRussia’s Ministry of Defense has announced plans to launch “massive strikes” against Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, escalating tensions following the war’s deadliest single attack of the year. The upcoming operations are described by Moscow as a direct retaliation for ongoing Ukrainian drone attacks on Russian civil and energy assets.
Death Toll Rises in Kyiv Ammunition Depot Strike
Casualties Mount: The death toll from a devastating Russian strike hitting west of Kyiv has risen to 38 people, with four individuals still reported missing. [2]
Secondary Detonations: A prolonged 28-hour Russian drone and missile barrage struck an ammunition warehouse in the village of Myla. It triggered catastrophic secondary explosions of stored shells, mines, and drones. [2, 3, 4, 5]
Investigation Launched: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy condemned the event, citing “terrible negligence” by those who authorized storing military explosives immediately adjacent to civilian residential areas. [2]Battlefield Developments & Territorial Pressure
Russian Advances: Russian forces have expanded front-line pressure, claiming the capture of seven settlements over the past week across the Sumy, Donetsk, and Zaporizhzhia regions. [6]
Front-line Gridlock: Despite these localized advances, broader independent assessments show Russia’s net territorial gains have remained tightly constrained, totaling only about 68 square miles since June 1. [7]
Missing Border Guards: Russian state media claims that a detachment of Ukrainian border guards has gone missing near Vovchansk in Kharkiv Oblast, though these reports remain unverified by Kyiv. [8]Economic and Infrastructure Warfare
Ukraine’s Drone Campaign: Ukraine continues to step up its long-range aerial operations. President Zelenskyy recently ordered the military to triple its long-range drone strikes inside Russia to 1,000 per day. [9]
Russian Fuel Crises: Domestic strain is mounting within Russia due to persistent Ukrainian strikes targeting oil refineries and major online retail warehouses in Rostov. Russia’s domestic gasoline production plummeted to roughly 70% of local consumption levels by late August, forcing Moscow to extend its fuel export ban. [4, 9, 10]
Supply Chain Disruptions: In Ukraine, intensive Russian aerial bombardments have reportedly destroyed up to 90% of food logistics networks for major retailers. Meanwhile, a regional state of emergency was declared in Russia’s Rostov region due to Black Sea port disruptions blocking agricultural navigation. [9]Would you like me to set up an information agent to track this developing story and notify you of any new military updates, statements from Zelenskyy, or impending infrastructure strikes?
[1] aljazeera.com
[2] cnbc.com
[3] youtube.com
[4] understandingwar.org
[5] youtube.com
[6] youtube.com
[7] nytimes.com
[8] youtube.com
[9] theguardian.com
[10] aljazeera.comPic.:
youtube.com/watch?v=8AyL-hmG…— https://x.com/mikenov/status/2094437017094340975— Michael Novakhov (@mikenov) Aug 31, 2026
#Russia #Ukraine #News
Russia-Ukraine war news today – AI ModeRussia’s Ministry of Defense has announced plans to launch “massive strikes” against Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, escalating tensions following the war’s deadliest single attack of the year. The upcoming operations are described by Moscow as a direct retaliation for ongoing Ukrainian drone attacks on Russian civil and energy assets.
Death Toll Rises in Kyiv Ammunition Depot Strike
Casualties Mount: The death toll from a devastating Russian strike hitting west of Kyiv has risen to 38 people, with four individuals still reported missing. [2]
Secondary Detonations: A prolonged 28-hour Russian drone and missile barrage struck an ammunition warehouse in the village of Myla. It triggered catastrophic secondary explosions of stored shells, mines, and drones. [2, 3, 4, 5]
Investigation Launched: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy condemned the event, citing “terrible negligence” by those who authorized storing military explosives immediately adjacent to civilian residential areas. [2]Battlefield Developments & Territorial Pressure
Russian Advances: Russian forces have expanded front-line pressure, claiming the capture of seven settlements over the past week across the Sumy, Donetsk, and Zaporizhzhia regions. [6]
Front-line Gridlock: Despite these localized advances, broader independent assessments show Russia’s net territorial gains have remained tightly constrained, totaling only about 68 square miles since June 1. [7]
Missing Border Guards: Russian state media claims that a detachment of Ukrainian border guards has gone missing near Vovchansk in Kharkiv Oblast, though these reports remain unverified by Kyiv. [8]Economic and Infrastructure Warfare
Ukraine’s Drone Campaign: Ukraine continues to step up its long-range aerial operations. President Zelenskyy recently ordered the military to triple its long-range drone strikes inside Russia to 1,000 per day. [9]
Russian Fuel Crises: Domestic strain is mounting within Russia due to persistent Ukrainian strikes targeting oil refineries and major online retail warehouses in Rostov. Russia’s domestic gasoline production plummeted to roughly 70% of local consumption levels by late August, forcing Moscow to extend its fuel export ban. [4, 9, 10]
Supply Chain Disruptions: In Ukraine, intensive Russian aerial bombardments have reportedly destroyed up to 90% of food logistics networks for major retailers. Meanwhile, a regional state of emergency was declared in Russia’s Rostov region due to Black Sea port disruptions blocking agricultural navigation. [9]Would you like me to set up an information agent to track this developing story and notify you of any new military updates, statements from Zelenskyy, or impending infrastructure strikes?
[1] aljazeera.com
[2] cnbc.com
[3] youtube.com
[4] understandingwar.org
[5] youtube.com
[6] youtube.com
[7] nytimes.com
[8] youtube.com
[9] theguardian.com
[10] aljazeera.comPic.:
youtube.com/watch?v=8AyL-hmG…— Michael Novakhov (@mikenov) Aug 31, 2026
Breaking:
France says NATO cannot go against Israel if it starts war with any member of NATO.
— @_MegaPolitics Aug 31, 2026
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August 31, 2026, 08:50 AM
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A man walks through Red Square in Moscow, Russia, on Aug. 27, 2026. (Photo: REUTERS/Ramil Sitdikov)
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August 31, 2026, 08:50 AM
75
A man walks through Red Square in Moscow, Russia, on Aug. 27, 2026. (Photo: REUTERS/Ramil Sitdikov)
As the war
against Ukraine drags on, the Kremlin has found it necessary to adopt a
more aggressive strategy to control both potential opponents and ordinary
Russians. But governing through spy hunts and paranoia carries serious
consequences.
Foreign
Affairs examines how Russian dictator Vladimir Putin’s paranoia is
paralyzing Russia.
The article’s authors note that since Russia launched its
full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the Kremlin has steadily tightened its control
over Russian society. For Russians, the new measures stand in sharp contrast to
the limited freedoms they had before February 2022.
Less obvious, however, is a fundamental shift in Russia’s
domestic security doctrine, Foreign Affairs writes. The Federal Security
Service, or FSB, is now focused on hunting spies. Using tactics tested during
the Soviet era, it has carried out a campaign to root out any threats to the
regime. This has allowed the FSB to extend its reach deeper into society,
private companies and government institutions.
But governing through spy hunts and paranoia carries
significant costs, the authors argue.
Government agencies and private businesses, fearing FSB
repression, conceal accurate data, avoid making decisions and increasingly
operate in survival mode. Among ordinary Russians and civil servants, tighter
social controls and treason prosecutions have created a pervasive atmosphere of
distrust and deepened the sense of paralysis.
Ultimately, the Kremlin’s ability to govern the country
could be undermined, the authors believe.
In seeking to turn any perceived political threat into a
potential act of treason, Moscow relies not on legal standards but on secret
FSB assessments. Against that backdrop, Russian officials, members of the elite
and private organizations are increasingly reluctant to disclose information
about facts or developments that could prove politically unpopular.
The situation is further complicated by Russian industry’s
ties to the military, Foreign Affairs notes. Private companies involved in
military projects are subject to counterintelligence scrutiny. Cost overruns or
delays can bring the threat of treason charges.
Russian research institutions are also reluctant to share
information. Even innocuous data, such as technical findings, research results
or statistics, are now treated as potential security threats.
Strict oversight by the security services has also sharply
restricted the publication of even routine statistics.
The Kremlin has achieved its immediate political goals, but
at a high cost. Officials fail to report problems before they grow into crises.
Regional authorities avoid taking initiative until they receive direct orders.
Researchers, statistical agencies and businesses withhold information that
could be useful to the authorities. Civil servants across government delay
effective decisions while waiting for instructions “from above,” the
publication writes.
For the Kremlin, the risk of elite paralysis is real and is
spreading among senior officials and managers both in Moscow and the regions.
By dismantling channels of feedback, Putin’s regime is becoming increasingly
unable to understand the true state of affairs in the country, the authors
conclude. Over the long term, that could leave Putin significantly more
vulnerable to a serious political crisis.
On Aug. 7, Bloomberg reported that concern was growing among
members of Russia’s elite that the FSB
had spun out of control, as Russian dictator Vladimir Putin relies on the
agency to preserve his rule.
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