War Length:
 
Normally 6 years seems to be a typical war Length.
But with 100% external financial support, this 6 year time Length simply doesn’t apply.
 
At this stage, drones have taken over much of frontline infantry roles.
Along quiet sectors of the frontlines, one only needs drone coverage, with little to no infantry.
Luckily for Ukraine they no longer really need more infantry, just more drone operators.
I suspect with Starlink, many of Ukraine’s drone operators are now actually Nato drone operators, sitting safely in Nato countries.
 
I believe this is why Russia is greatly increasing the number of their own drone operators to offset the recent entry of remote Nato drone operators.
 
With drones and ground robots, there is no limit to how long this war can last.
 

Posted by: Blind Bridge Troll | May 6 2026 2:07 utc | 104

Russia hit oil storage tanks in Ukraine.  Russia hits oil storage tanks in Ukraine several times a week.  What the fuck is the new guy talking about, “Currently drones have shifted the war slightly back in Ukraine’s favor.”
 
Lookie here,  Russian drones hitting Ukrainian ships in the Black Sea.
 
Russia has used the S8000 for the first time.
 
Here’s  more puncturing of 2024 Ukrainian Kursk bullshit.
 
I don’t know where people get “Ukraine is winning,” “PUTIN, PUTIN, PUTIN isn’t doing anything” bullshit.  

Posted by: Nobody Special | May 6 2026 4:23 utc | 106

The Range Is Increasing.
 
What else does the Ukrainian Armed Forces have?
 
The Ukrainian attack on Cheboksary last night was carried out not only by long-range drones but also by the Flamingo cruise missile.
 
According to Ukrainian authorities, the missile’s performance characteristics reach 2,500 km, allowing it to reach even Siberia.
 
Given the missile threat introduced in the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug this night, the threat is assessed as real, and the Flamingo could reach these areas.
 
Furthermore, the Lyutyi drones have exceeded their maximum range of 1,600 km, indicating improved flight performance and an increased fuel tank.
 
Lyutyi drones were used in the Cheboksary strikes, and prior to that, there were raids on Perm and Yekaterinburg – also using drones of this type, and the strike radius covers the western part of the Russian Federation.
 
Furthermore, Ukraine announced the development of its own FP-9 ballistic missile, which can have a range of up to 855 km.
 
Development has been underway for a long time, and it’s possible that the Ukrainian Armed Forces could launch a strike on our territory with this missile during the May holidays.
 
Therefore, thinking that we’re fighting a weak adversary is futile. The Ukrainian Armed Forces have ample strike capabilities for attacks on rear areas. This must be taken into account and prepared accordingly.

Posted by: MiniMO | May 6 2026 4:42 utc | 108

Mark Sleboda explains the latest British story of a possible Putin coup. Shoigu can’t take any more of Putin’s piano playing…
 
Mark Sleboda | SHOCKING Truth Behind Putin Coup Conspiracy Revealed
 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OmTSMpl3TaQ

Posted by: unimperator | May 6 2026 7:50 utc | 110

Haven’t

Posted by: Avtonom | May 6 2026 8:04 utc | 112

https://tass.ru/politika/27316619 (in Russian but autotranslated for me)

Deputy Kolesnik: Russia is able to provide a convoy of its ships in the Baltic

This is how I interpret the news from the EUropean front:

• RF prepares for military action. They will not act first unless provoked which is possible. The above article mentions “blockade of  any region of Russia is a formal reason for the declaration of war”.
• From what we know about weapons production and use in Ukraine it’s clear that Russia is stockpiling missiles, drones and soldiers.
• Russia is, and has always been, slow to react. One part is principle, another is strategic size (by experience, attackers just don’t get far enough) but in this case, a third reason IMO is that time works well for them and against EU/NATO. Russia experiences losses (civilian casualties and drone attacks on infrastructure) but leadership seems to think that’s still acceptable, and the population seems to largely go along. As with Iran, it’s not on us to tell Russians what’s acceptable or not.
• I had to modify my opinion on this: real war in EUrope is not only possible but required. One indicator are the frightened noises from Estonia: Tallinn knows that if push comes to shove then it’ll be hit hard. Unlike Ukraine, there is no space to resist much. Not a problem for EU –to the contrary, it’d be excellent: Estonian flags in X profiles and on EUropean city squares– but a big problem for Estonian elites except the likes of Kaja Kallas who already deserted.
• I cannot say if NATO/Brussels *believe* a war against Russia can be “won”. I’m sure it’s categorically impossible and so I rationalise the warmongering differently: apart from the obvious wealth redistribution as par of the war preparation, the coming conflict with Russia is used (and will be used much more in the future) to turn EU from a bureocratic monster into a terror state. I think that’s the goal, and it makes a lot of sense to me. We are far along that path already, it’s not really a secret. How far it’ll go I cannot know, the sky is the limit. For EU, some form of military conflict with Russia (drones might suffice) is a necessity to survive. This war needs to happen even though it cannot be won. The USA is a good model: they’ve been not-winning their wars for a long time: seems to work well… for some.

Posted by: Konami | May 6 2026 9:00 utc | 114

I can only recommend today’s Anti-Spiegel articles, especially
 
https://anti-spiegel.ru/2026/wie-planmaessig-die-eu-in-den-krieg-mit-russland-getrieben-wird/
 
https://anti-spiegel.ru/2026/die-methodische-militarisierung-und-kriegsvorbereitung-der-eu/
 
If there’s interest, I can translate the most important points.

Posted by: Konami | May 6 2026 9:58 utc | 116

Posted by: scc | May 6 2026 11:14 utc | 117
 
Those who are not scared to death from using Google may easily use Google’s translator to translate anything including whole web pages. It may even help to improve their AI because I’m quite sure they use everything that goes through their filters and the more good leftist or “Russia friendly” stuff we send through their translator the better. 

Posted by: Avtonom | May 6 2026 11:56 utc | 118

Posted by: Englishman | May 6 2026 12:14 utc | 119
 
If you study the rail map of Ukraine, it’s obvious what the primary targets should be. Kowel and Lwow railyards are the main connection points between rest of Ukraine and Poland. Use something to create a 300 meter wide crater in the middle of them, is sufficient to block rail access, force transportation onto wheels and reduce transport efficiency for AFU and/or force higher costs on Nato using diesel it doesn’t have.

Posted by: unimperator | May 6 2026 12:29 utc | 120

*** Use something to create a 300 meter wide crater in the middle of them ***
Posted by: unimperator | May 6 2026 12:29 utc | 120
 
4 day repair job

Posted by: frithguild | May 6 2026 15:21 utc | 122

Cause:
RT 6 May, 2026 – “Trump has approved the potential sale of precision-guided bomb kits worth $373.6 million to Ukraine. The move was announced by the State Department on Tuesday, greenlighting a possible Foreign Military Sale of 1,532 JDAM-Extended Range (JDAM-ER) tail kits and related support equipment to Kiev. ”
 
Effect:
Medvy aka Russian Hegseth for RT 6 May, 2026 – “Russia must instill ‘animal fear’ in EU warmongers”

Posted by: rk | May 6 2026 17:30 utc | 124

The president of Colombia, Gustavo Petro, stated on X that there were more than 7,000 Colombian mercenaries fighting in Ukraine. This comes as a result of Ukraine launching a concentrated effort to recruit foreign fighters from Latin America. https://t.co/zPADmlz0so

Posted by: MiniMO | May 6 2026 17:55 utc | 126

Re: Nobody Special’s Replies #106 & #107 to Blind Bridge Troll’s #104 & #105 comments
 
Thank- You for your 2 replies.
Yes, sadly, I am a troll!
Mostly an “old” economic troll, who has even worked in Russia.
 
While not new to M of A, I occasionally pop in with some “economic” nonsense.
 
My observation is the shift to drones, has greatly reduced the costs for Nato to keep their proxy war against Russia going.
The good timing comes just when Nato has little military hardware and money left to give Ukraine.
The US has now nearly shifted 100% of the costs of keeping the Ukrainian war against Russia onto Europe.
The above are observable economic events.
 
Drones are cheap compared to tanks and planes.
No highly trained crews needed.
Less need for heavy military shipments, ammunition, fuel, and even manpower needs.
Less Nato sheep dipped boots in the Ukraine. 
 
What more could Nato ask for?
 
This cost shift in favor of Nato, however this has increased “domestic” (not neccessarily military) costs for Russia.
Russia will adjust as it always does!
 
Nato will continue their cheap remote control drone gorilla attacks on Russia’s domestic economic until these costs become too costly, thereby forcing Russia to finally attack Nato directly!
 
This will happen, “someday soon”, simply because Nato doesn’t know when to stop!
(Trump knows nothing can stop them.)
 
P. S. We all know Putin hasn’t lifted a finger to prepare Russia for this coming fight with Nato.
And Trump hasn’t prepared by starting to pull US troops out of Nato before this Nato/Russia war starts.
 
 

Posted by: Blind Bridge Troll | May 7 2026 0:43 utc | 128

Nepotism/diversity hire product madam Zakharova is concerned about potential future events, as usual, but why isn’t she concerned about this little event?
“A swarm of ten Ukrainian unmanned boats (…) heading toward the Crimean Bridge’s supports (…) eight are shot down (…) two broke through. Their attack was absorbed by the crew of the PSKA-300 Sokol boat (…) the boat exploded and sank in the strait”
( en.topwar.ru/282281-vosem-imen-v-kerchenskom-prolive.html )

Posted by: rk | May 7 2026 8:12 utc | 130

I was busy yesterday and I know everyone here is able to translate online but let me quote a few salient facts anyway. This is about the article “How Europe is methodically being pushed into war against Russia” by Denis Dubrovin, TASS correspondent from Brussels — this is not the personal opinion of Thomas Röper or of me (even though I do agree, as does Röper). Think of this as a mainstream Russion piece. German on Anti-Spiegel: https://anti-spiegel.ru/2026/wie-planmaessig-die-eu-in-den-krieg-mit-russland-getrieben-wird/
 

• EU militarization happens during an energy crisis, shrinking industry (civilian) production and attempts to finance the Ukraine war. All militarization efforts are paid by debt, so EUrope inevitably heads into the debt trap. Why, and what does it to get it out?Three answers: 1. Warfare will make people forget. 2. The winner takes all. 3. After us, deluge.
• average debt of EU countries is going to rise from 88% (2025) to 100% in the next years The EU seven-year plan 2028-2034 contains 131 billions € for military purposes. (For the current 2021-2027 period, that’s “only” 13 billions, most of which went into the “European Peace Facility” and was used up by 2022 for Ukraine’s weapons.)
• Total military budget of EU countries is 500 billions.
• Purpose of the EU billions: lever ten-fold as collateral: this would enable 1.3 trillions for militarization. Financial bottom line: Brussels will have enormous control over the EUropean military industry.
• Where could the 131 billions come from? Solution A: member states pay more to Brussels. Solution B: EU commission gets its own “financial sources”, i.e. some form of EU tax. Political bottom line: member states will lose political capital from increasing taxes and lowered social spending while losing control options over Brussels.
• War makes forget: no longer a taboo among Brussels bureocrats. Traditionally, wars in Europe have  led to the removal of old economic problems and hence to a restart. Despite enormous losses. the elite of the winning country could entrench its position and improve its midterm options by acquiring new resources.
• Last hurdle: EU still requires 100% agreement on decisions about domestic and security issues. But this is being eroded by von der Leyen / Commission right now, using the Hungarian government change. (Peter Magyar to be bribed / blackmailed with 17 billions withheld from Hungary under Orban.)
• This will finalise the process towards EU 3.0. The basic mechanisms of the new european empire are finished. Afterwards, they just need to be completed and perfected.
• Thanks for EU decay: economic decay and erosion of social stability does not frighten EU Commission — the weaker national elites are, the more likely they are to follow Brussels. Indeed, today’s european Atlanticists only want to replace Washington by Brussels as the overlord.
• destruction of EU car industry releases personnel, capital and production facilities for tanks, drones, missiles. Many car manufacturers can switch to weapons productions with just minimal modifications. [This process is well underway in Germany.]
• Militarization of the economy has two advantages: it can temporarily inject life into EU economy. It gives much tighter control over economy because demand will come from countries. [Fusion of political and economic control — Mussolini’s definition of fascism.]
• No social upheaval: cutting social spending has two benefits: saves money for military purposes and provides military-age humans willing to join the armed forces for lack of better options. Intense war propaganda coupled with slow decrease of living standards suppress social protests for a long time. This is true especially if no political power is willing to risk leading such protests. The EU elite agress that it can preserve its privileges only if their policies cause no uproar.
• EU in a few years: economically weak, growing poverty, social tensions, more crime, intense and ever-growing propaganda, rapid increase of military production, growing armies. Additionally, EU elites thirsting for revenge against Russia, ongoing lack of resources, rapid decay of financial system.In other words, there is no holding back and the necessary resources for a new attack in the east are collected. And they have to use them at once because such a system cannot exist for long.
  • In case someone forgot: Wehrmacht conquered Europe without problems. But in 1941 they weren’t sufficiently prepared for war against Soviet Union, lacking cold-restistant fuel for their tanks and winter clothing for the soldiers.Currently, Europe lacks both capacities and will power to fight against Russia. But what if at least part of the pessimistic scenario outlined above comes true? Facing that situation, will european leaders possess sufficient instinct of survival to avoid another great war?

Posted by: Konami | May 7 2026 8:24 utc | 132

RUAF could, during one of its large, multi-wave drone attacks send some AFU lookalike drones to fly over western Ukraine, Kowel area, over to the Baltic states and hit some more targets (something that causes a lot of pain). Since they don’t seem to be caring much.
 
Hit a few refineries, oil silos and LNG terminals here and there.

Posted by: unimperator | May 7 2026 9:01 utc | 134