Yesterday, Francis Louie C. Añiga reported that,
Moscow responded within hours of the announcement. In a press briefing, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said the action crossed a critical line." (International Business Times: 24 August 2026) (my emphasis)
"French President Emmanuel Macron (left) has announced that France will provide Ukraine with additional interceptor missiles following a deadly Russian drone attack on Kryvyi Rih, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s hometown.
Ukrainian authorities said Russian forces launched two waves of drone attacks on the central Ukrainian city on Friday, killing at least 16 people and injuring 130 others, including 23 children." (Firstpost: 22 August 2026) (my emphasis)
"British factories manufacturing drones for Ukraine could face targeting by "unknown sources", a Kremlin adviser has warned, after the UK agreed to share long-range missile blueprints with the nation." (The Independent on Yahoo News: 25 August 2026) (my emphasis)
.... [a]sked [on a BBC Newsnight interview], what a semi-military response might involve, he said: “For example, something might happen with enterprises, with factories which are producing drones for Ukraine, etc, etc.” (UK Defence Journal: 25 August 2026) (my emphasis)
Furthermore,
"Fedorov said pressure was building on Putin to act against the United Kingdom, telling the programme: “There’s a very serious political and public pressure on President Putin today, to undertake certain measures against UK, because he is considering UK as part of the war in Ukraine, and assistance from the UK is considered as a direct involvement of UK in this war.” (ibid Richard Booth)
No doubt this pressure from Putin's 'siloviki' is also in no small part due to the fact that,
"Ukraine's Crimea, which Putin invaded, annexed, and incorporated into the Russian Federation in 2014, his 'Crown Jewel' in his war with Ukraine, is collapsing economically and strategically, and is bereft of water, fuel, food, and power.
Mass Migration by Russians from Crimea
His 12-year attempt at the 'Russification' and 'occupation' of Ukraine's Crimea is coming to an abrupt end as the imported Russians are now beginning to flee back to Russia over his 'crippled' Kerch Strait bridge.
Let us recall that in my blog entry of 2 May 2022 I wrote that,
"With a losing war against Ukraine, and an economy entering the economic doldrums of collapse Putin, it would seem, is hammering in the final nails of the coffin of what used to be the USSR." (blog entry: 22 May 2022) (my emphasis)
"Already, at the very outset of Putin's invasion of Ukraine, it was apparent that his demented "Novorossiya" enterprise was doomed to failure."
"Russian president Vladimir Putin said Ukraine has opened, "a Pandora's box" by hitting economic targets in Russia." (DW News: 23 August 2026; YouTube) (my emphasis)
In his current demented state, and fearful for his life, Putin is beyond scraping the bottom of the political barrel.
Putin is hammering in the final nails of the coffin of his 'demented' dreams to resuscitate the USSR with his now puny threats to escalate the war beyond Ukraine.
Putin is beyond redeeming the power he wielded over the Russian people for the last 26 years.
UPDATE: 26 August 2026: GMT 08:42
In my blog post of 23 August 2023 I reported that,
"It is now flooding the internet ether that the "Privileged Apartheid Reared South African (PARSA)", Elon Musk,
" ... considered [last year] pulling Starlink satellite internet from Ukraine after having a “great conversation with Putin,” according to a former Pentagon official" (Josh Salisbury: Evening Standard: 22 August 2023) (my emphasis) (cf also: Kate Nicholson: Huffington Post : 22 August 2023)."
We now have sacked Ukraine Minister of Defence, Mykhailo Fedorov, embracing "PARSA" Musk, who prevented the armed forces of Ukraine from attacking Putin's invading army in Crimea.
"We have a history of relations with him, Space X owner Musk. You cannot simply pass this on to someone or send a telephone number on Signal. It's about building trust over time.
And I'll be more than happy if other projects will go ahead with Musk, even without me." (DRM News: 25 August 2026: YouTube)
The "trust" that Fedorov has built between himself and Musk, that 'simply cannot be passed on to someone, no doubt played no small part in Zelensky removing him from Ukraine's Ministry of Defence.
Underlining Zelensky's concerns about Fedorov, Ryan Mancini now reports that,
"Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Sunday that holding elections amid Russia's war with Ukraine would "destroy" the country.
"I believe that if we want to destroy the country, then we can move towards elections during this kind of war," Zelensky told reporters.
The president said elections "in general pose major risks," noting that holding an election "right now would be a tsunami for the state, one that would divide Ukraine," Politico reported.
"That's why my strategy is to steer the country toward an ending of the war and to preserve an independent and sovereign state," he added." (The Hill on Yahoo News: 24 August 2026) (my emphasis)
Interviewer: It's reported that you're going to make a visit to the United States of America. Is that true?
Fedorov: Yes ... Yes ...
Interviewer: Are you hoping to meet Elon Musk.
Fedorov: That would be great.
Interviewer: What would be the purpose of meeting him. What are your requests to him.
Fedorov: It is not a secret now that if you switch on the Starlink over the territory of Russia for Ukrainian drones we'll be able to protect our country as we will be able to destroy all the ballistic launchers inside Russia. Erich Schmid, Microsoft, Google .. And I need to stay in touch with them ... regardless of my position" (BBC News: 25 August 2026: YouTube)
"While there are enormous logistical challenges to holding wartime elections, Fedorov said that Ukraine would find innovative solutions. However, he said it was too early to say if he would run for the presidency.
In the meantime, Fedorov plans to split his time between his push to restore Ukraine's elections and ventures focused on innovative military technologies (i.e. AI), including an investment fund for which he plans to raise capital during an upcoming trip to the U.S." (Reuters: 25 August 2026) (my emphasis)
This dangerous BEDAZZLEMENT of Fedorov by Silicon Valley titans such as Elon Musk, or what Gill Duran defines as 'The Nerd Reich', raises serious red flags.
Does he really believe that the titans of Silicon Valley can win Ukraine's war against Russia? That their products will end Putin's demented war with Ukraine?
Hiding behind the fig-leaf of 'democracy ... democracy', whilst setting up investment funds in Silicon Valley (?), simply underscores Fedorov's bedazzlement with what Gill Duran calls 'The Nerd Reich'.
