Ukraine launched an immense drone attack at Russia – Google Search google.com/search?q=Ukraine+…
— Michael Novakhov (@mikenov) Oct 20, 2026
Ukraine launched an immense drone attack at Russia – Google Search
Ukraine has launched one of its largest long-range aerial assaults of the war, sending more than 1,000 drones deep into Russian territory. The massive coordinated barrage primarily targeted critical state-owned energy infrastructure and logistics networks, setting several major oil facilities ablaze and knocking out power to tens of thousands of residents. [1, 2, 3]
Key Targets and Impact
According to updates from Al Jazeera and local officials, the overnight strike spread across 15 Russian regions, as well as the annexed peninsula of Crimea and the Black Sea. The operations caused extensive disruptions: [1]
St. Petersburg Facilities: Drones heavily struck the St. Petersburg oil terminal—one of Russia’s primary oil shipment points—alongside the Ruchi oil depot, igniting massive fires. An e-commerce logistics hub belonging to Ozon also caught fire. [1, 2, 3]
Data Centers: A data facility in the broader Leningrad region managed by the internet firm VK was targeted, though the company reported that consumer operations remained stable. [1]
Power Grid Failures: Leningrad Governor Alexander Drozdenko stated that the strikes left approximately 20,000 civilians without electricity. [1]
Casualties and Transit Closures: At least one person was killed and five others were injured. St. Petersburg’s main airport temporarily restricted flights and halted ground operations for safety reasons. [1]Geopolitical Friction with the US
The scale of the attack marks a direct defiance of pressure from US President Donald Trump, who has actively urged Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to halt strikes on Russian energy grids to protect global diesel and oil markets. Just prior to the attack, the Trump administration had been moving to ease certain energy sanctions on Moscow to keep Russia at the negotiating table for upcoming peace talks in the United Arab Emirates. [1, 2, 3, 4]
Zelenskyy has continuously maintained that degrading Russia’s oil refining capacity is essential to drying up the Kremlin’s primary source of war revenue. [1, 2]Strategic Context
This drone swarm follows a brutal multi-day campaign by Russia, which pummeled more than 20 regions of Ukraine’s energy grid with nearly 2,700 attack drones and dozens of ballistic missiles. Military analysts note that while Russia frequently hits grid assets to cut off heat and electricity to Ukrainian civilians during freezing temperatures, Kyiv’s retaliatory strategy centers strictly on targeting state budgets and infrastructure inside wealthy Russian population hubs to directly impact the state’s capability to finance the war. [1, 2, 3]
Watch a detailed news report outlining the physical damage inside Russia and the resulting friction between Kyiv and the White House:— Michael Novakhov (@mikenov) Oct 20, 2026
👇🇺🇦🇳🇴🇺🇸 More Arm Twisting
“Zelensky prepares for Oslo talks with US envoys as Rubio denies withholding intelligence”
#Zelensky #Oslo #Witkoff #Kushner
bbc.com/news/articles/ck9qzn…— @thorchrs Oct 20, 2026
#Putin #Russia #FSB
Putin Russia FSB
x.com/mikenov/status/2111828…Michael Novakhov (@mikenov)A false-flag operation?
In September 1999, a wave of coordinated time-bomb explosions targeted residential apartment buildings across Russia, killing over 300 people, injuring more than 1,000, and sparking the Second Chechen War. [1, 2]Timeline of the September 1999 Bombings
September 4, 1999 (Buynaksk): A truck bomb exploded outside a five-story apartment building housing families of Russian military personnel in Buynaksk (Dagestan), killing 64 people. [1]
September 9, 1999 (Moscow, Guryanov Street): A powerful bomb planted on the ground floor of a nine-story apartment building on Guryanov Street detonated, destroying the structure and killing over 100 people in their sleep. [1, 2, 3]
September 13, 1999 (Moscow, Kashirskoye Highway): A massive bomb ripped through a nine-story apartment building on Kashirskoye Shosse, killing 119 people. [1, 2, 3]
September 16, 1999 (Volgodonsk): A truck bomb exploded near a nine-story residential building in Volgodonsk, killing 17 people and damaging surrounding structures. [1]
September 22, 1999 (Ryazan): Residents in a Ryazan apartment building spotted suspicious bags being carried into the basement. Police discovered bags containing an explosive substance (analyzed to have RDX vapors) and a detonator. The Federal Security Service (FSB) later claimed the event was a local civil defense “training exercise” using bags of sugar. [1, 2, 3]Political Aftermath and Controversy
Official Attribution: The Russian government officially blamed Chechen and Dagestani separatists for the campaign of terror, using the crisis as the primary justification to launch the Second Chechen War. [1, 2, 3]
Rise of Vladimir Putin: Then-Prime Minister Vladimir Putin used the crisis and a hardline response (“wipe out terrorists in the outhouse”) to dramatically surge in popularity, laying the groundwork for his election as Russian president in 2000. [1, 2, 3]
False-Flag Allegations: Independent journalists, investigators (such as Alexander Litvinenko and David Satter), and critics have alleged that the bombings were a false-flag operation orchestrated by the FSB to engineer public support for the war and consolidate political power. [1, 2, 3]Russian apartment buildings in September 1999 – Google Search google.com/search?q=Russian+…— https://x.com/mikenov/status/2111828509194662355
— Michael Novakhov (@mikenov) Oct 20, 2026
#Russia #Patrushev #FSB
Russia Patrushev FSB
x.com/mikenov/status/2111936…Michael Novakhov (@mikenov)Director of FSB (1999–2008)
On 9 August 1999, a decree by President Boris Yeltsin promoted him to director, replacing his close friend Vladimir Putin.In September 1999, a series of explosions hit four apartment blocks in three Russian cities, killing more than 300. The bombings, together with the Invasion of Dagestan, triggered the Second Chechen War. The handling of the crisis by Vladimir Putin, who was prime minister at the time, boosted his popularity greatly and helped him attain the presidency within a few months.[11] A suspicious device resembling those used in the bombings was found and defused in an apartment block in the Russian city of Ryazan on 22 September 1999.[12] On 23 September, Vladimir Putin praised the vigilance of the inhabitants of Ryazan and ordered the air bombing of Grozny, which marked the beginning of the Second Chechen War.[13] Three FSB agents who had planted the devices at Ryazan were arrested by the local police.[14] The next day, Patrushev announced that the incident in Ryazan had been an anti-terror drill and the device found there contained only sugar, and freed the FSB agents involved.[15] FSB also issued a public apology about the incident.[16]
Although the bombings were widely blamed on Chechen rebels, their guilt was never conclusively proven. A number of historians and investigative journalists have instead called the bombings a false flag attack perpetrated by the FSB to win public support for a new war in Chechnya and to boost the popularity of Vladimir Putin, the former head of the FSB, prior to the upcoming presidential elections.[14]
Former FSB agent Alexander Litvinenko, who blamed the FSB for the bombings and was a critic of Putin, was assassinated in London in 2006. The United Kingdom public inquiry into the poisoning of Litvinenko found that “the FSB operation to kill Mr Litvinenko was probably approved by Mr Patrushev and also by President Putin.”[17]
Nikolai Patrushev – Wikipedia en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nikola…— https://x.com/mikenov/status/2111936074725384256
— Michael Novakhov (@mikenov) Oct 20, 2026
#CIA CIA #FBI FBI #Mossad Mossad
Putin – Bush
x.com/mikenov/status/2112185…Michael Novakhov (@mikenov)Bush family financial interests and Putin – Google Search google.com/search?q=Bush+fam…— https://x.com/mikenov/status/2112185594004849053— Michael Novakhov (@mikenov) Oct 20, 2026
#CIA CIA #FBI FBI #Mossad Mossad
Hanning and Patrushev2000: As active BND chief, Hanning visited the war-torn Chechen cities of Grozny and Gudermes alongside Russian intelligence officials. [1]
August Hanning and Nikolai Patrushev are at the center of Europe’s largest post-Cold War espionage scandal following Hanning’s arrest on October 6, 2026, by German law enforcement. Reports from the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (FAZ) revealed that Hanning, the former chief of Germany’s Federal Intelligence Service (BND), maintained deep, confidential, and informal ties with Patrushev—one of Vladimir Putin’s closest security confidants and the former Secretary of the Russian Security Council—for over two decades. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]
The Core Individuals
August Hanning: He served as the head of Germany’s BND from 1998 to 2005 before becoming a State Secretary in the Ministry of the Interior, eventually retiring from public service in 2009 to work as a private corporate intelligence consultant. [1, 2]
Nikolai Patrushev: A long-time Russian security hawk, Patrushev succeeded Vladimir Putin as the head of the FSB in 1999 and served as the highly influential Secretary of the Security Council of the Russian Federation from 2008 until May 2024. [1]Timeline of Documented Connections
According to investigation details reported by FAZ and highlighted by security analysts on X (formerly Twitter), Hanning’s high-level access to Patrushev persisted well past his retirement and through major geopolitical crises: [1, 2]
2000: As active BND chief, Hanning visited the war-torn Chechen cities of Grozny and Gudermes alongside Russian intelligence officials. [1]
2014: Shortly after Russia’s illegal annexation of Crimea, Hanning met privately with Patrushev. Hanning’s lawyer stated this was an attempt to warn Moscow of “negative consequences,” but the contact bypassed frozen official channels. [1, 2]
2016: Hanning attended a Moscow security conference opened by Patrushev, where he openly criticized Western sanctions and advocated for counter-terrorism cooperation with Russia. [1]
2019: Hanning traveled to Russia three separate times. Most notably, he was a guest of honor at an Arctic Council meeting chaired by Patrushev. Photographed evidence from a visit to the Valaam Island monastery shows Hanning repeatedly positioned directly next to Patrushev in places of honor. [1, 2, 3, 4]Context of the 2026 Espionage Arrest
German prosecutors suspect Hanning was driven by severe financial pressure to monetize his intelligence access, facing up to €4 million in debt liabilities following the 2019 collapse of the Latvian lender PNB Banka. [1, 2]
While German authorities discovered nearly 2,000 compromised, classified state files in Hanning’s possession, current intelligence findings indicate that Russia may not have been the direct recipient of those specific stolen files. Investigators are primarily looking into other foreign clients, including suspected links to Azerbaijan and China. Nevertheless, Hanning’s prolonged, unmonitored proximity to Patrushev remains a core focal point as Western intelligence agencies evaluate the full depth of the security breach. [1, 2]AI Overview
The Connection: Investigative reports (including disclosures from FAZ and leaked documents) revealed that Hanning maintained years of post-retirement contact and private meetings with Patrushev, spanning key geopolitical events:
2014: Meeting shortly after Russia’s annexation of Crimea, framed by Hanning’s lawyer as an attempt to warn of negative consequences.
x.com/mikenov/status/2112254…Michael Novakhov (@mikenov) #Hanning #Patrushev #Germany
Hanning and Patrushev – Google Search google.com/search?q=Hanning+…
August Hanning: Former head of Germany’s foreign intelligence service (BND) from 1998 to 2005, later serving as State Secretary of the Ministry of the Interior. He was arrested and placed under investigation by Germany’s Federal Prosecutor’s Office in October 2026 on suspicion of espionage and high treason. [1, 2, 3, 4]
Nikolai Patrushev: Vladimir Putin’s longtime security confidant, former director of the FSB (1999–2008), and former Secretary of the Security Council of the Russian Federation (2008–2024). [1]
The Connection: Investigative reports (including disclosures from FAZ and leaked documents) revealed that Hanning maintained years of post-retirement contact and private meetings with Patrushev, spanning key geopolitical events:2014: Meeting shortly after Russia’s annexation of Crimea, framed by Hanning’s lawyer as an attempt to warn of negative consequences.
2016: Attendance at a Moscow security conference opened by Patrushev, where Hanning advocated for counter-terrorism cooperation with Russia and criticized sanctions.
2019: Participation in an Arctic Council-related event led by Patrushev, which included a visit to the Valaam Island monastery where Hanning was placed in a position of honor directly beside Patrushev in group photographs. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6]Current Status: Hanning’s sustained, multi-year proximity and private communications with a top Kremlin security official are a central focus of German authorities investigating alleged intelligence leaks and ties to Russian influence operations, as detailed in coverage by Politico and Ground News. [1, 2, 3, 4]— https://x.com/mikenov/status/2112254054831214720
— Michael Novakhov (@mikenov) Oct 20, 2026
Trump is Krasnov for #Putin.
#TrumpIsARussianAsset #TrumpIsATraitor
#FuckTrump— @MysticalShaman Oct 20, 2026
#Putin Putin
#CIA CIA #FBI FBI #Mossad Mossad
Putin responds: Yes, it is a sport for me.
For me and for many others.
So what?
kremlin.ru/events/president/…
Встреча с Министром спорта Михаилом Дегтярёвым
x.com/mikenov/status/2111863…
x.com/mikenov/status/2112259…Michael Novakhov (@mikenov) #CIA CIA #FBI FBI #Mossad Mossad
The Mastermind
Selected Tweets thenewsandtimes.blogspot.com…— https://x.com/mikenov/status/2112259503995466154— Michael Novakhov (@mikenov) Oct 20, 2026
🖌 Yannis Tsarouchis (🇬🇷 1910-1989)
La Garde oubliée, 1955/1957, huile sur toile, Collection privée
“La véritable tradition (…) n’est point de refaire ce que les autres ont fait, mais de retrouver l’esprit qui a fait ces grandes choses et qui en ferait de tout autre
— @alainf55 Oct 20, 2026