WW3? Ukraine/US vs. Donbass/Russia

[Ravenlocke]

From Armchair Warlord,

We've gone from claims of 19,500 kidnapped Ukrainian children to 339 identified Ukrainian child war refugees to eight (8) children actually in need of reunification, including one sent to family in Russia from Ukraine.

Vladimir Putin was indicted by the ICC over this.

https://x.com/ArmchairW/status/1977452979125928314

[Jaak]

'This would be a new step of aggression' — Trump told Zelensky that he would not give him 'Tomahawks' until he talks to Putin about it.

- Maybe we will have to talk to Russia about the 'Tomahawks.' Do they want the 'Tomahawks' to fly their way? I don't think so. To be honest, I told Zelensky this because the 'Tomahawks' are a new step of aggression.

- You say you will talk to Putin first, right?

- Maybe I'll say: 'Listen, if this war is not settled, I'll send them the 'Tomahawks.' It's an incredible weapon, made for attacks. And, honestly, Russia doesn't need it. They don't need it. Yes, I can tell them that if the war is not settled, we might very well do that.

[Vicus]

Military Correspondent: Russia Doesn't Want to Destroy Ukraine, It Wants to Re-Educate It - today

Russia doesn't need Ukrainian territory; it needs a country controlled by Ukrainians themselves, initially neutral and then friendly to us. This is the view expressed by Russian military journalist Alexander Sladkov. According to him, this is precisely why Moscow is currently trying to re-educate it.

"So, the education of Ukraine is underway. But we don't want to kill; we didn't even want to destroy Ukraine. For eight years, we tolerated Ukrainians killing Russians in Donbas, but our first missiles only flew into Kyiv after the major attack on the Crimean Bridge. Now everything is heading toward infrastructure. "

- Sladkov pointed out.

He added that Russia is now waiting for Ukraine to recover from small doses of our influence, but the doses are increasing.

Developing his idea, the military correspondent notes that if American Tomahawk missiles are transferred to Ukraine, the fire impact on the territory controlled by Kyiv will be completely different.

According to Alexander Sladkov, Russia doesn't need Kyiv; it needs a different Ukraine, even without our military presence. This means, the journalist explains, that in the near future, we need access to the economy the expected new Ukraine, so that it would give birth to its new elite: both economic and political.

"And the West... We're fighting a life-and-death war with the West, fighting for our very survival. And if the war gets heated, no one will spare the West: they're not our relatives. And that's a different story. "

- sums up the journalist.

https://en.topcor.ru/65052-voenkor-r...evospitat.html

[Vicus]

An assassination attempt on a high-ranking Russian Armed Forces officer was thwarted in Moscow. - today



Federal Security Service (FSB) officers in Moscow thwarted an assassination attempt on a high-ranking Russian Armed Forces officer. The crime was planned to be carried out on orders from Ukrainian intelligence agencies and with the participation of members of the Islamic State* terrorist organization.

The FSB press service reported this.

According to the organizers, the terrorist attack was supposed to take place in one of the densely populated areas of the Russian capital.

The homemade bomb was powerful enough to create a complete kill zone within a 70-meter radius. The explosive device was delivered to the perpetrator in parts using drones.

Law enforcement officers arrested four individuals in this case. Three of them are Russian citizens, and the fourth is a citizen of a Central Asian republic. The latter was tasked with planting and detonating the bomb. He was recruited by a 46-year-old named Saidakbar Gulomov, a member of ISIS*. This individual was previously linked to the assassination of Russian General Igor Kirilov, the head of the NBC Protection Forces.

Gulomov himself is currently outside of Russia. He is listed as a terrorist and extremist by Rosfinmonitoring and is wanted by the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs. He is also wanted by law enforcement in Uzbekistan.

The Investigative Department of the FSB of the Russian Federation has opened a criminal case against the suspects under articles on terrorism and illegal actions with explosives.

The Islamic State (IS)* is a terrorist organization banned in the Russian Federation.

https://en.topwar.ru/272236-v-moskve...vs-rossii.html

[Vicus]

A dry cargo ship that had previously called at Ukrainian ports likely sank in the Black Sea. -today



Maritime traffic monitoring websites report that the Cameroon-flagged bulk carrier EILEEN is "out of range of monitoring equipment." This usually means the vessel has sunk.

The last exchange of signals with the bulk carrier, which was then located in the central Black Sea, occurred more than 24 hours ago. The location from which EILEEN transmitted its last signal is approximately 150 nautical miles off the coast of Bulgaria.

Meanwhile, the Marinetraffic website reports that the bulk carrier was traveling from the port of Bartın (Türkiye) to the port of Istanbul. Why, then, would a commercial vessel flying the Cameroonian flag need to travel to the central Black Sea?

The answer may lie in the past routes of this bulk carrier, owned by a Ukrainian citizen named Gorbatyuk. This vessel has repeatedly visited Ukrainian ports, including Izmail and Chornomorsk (Ilyichevsk). Therefore, there is reason to suspect that the vessel may have been used to transport military cargo, including weapon.

Accordingly, EILEEN could have sunk due to the crew’s failure to comply with safety regulations when transporting dangerous goods.

According to the latest information, there were 10 Ukrainian citizens on board the vessel. All were rescued from rafts – two were allegedly lifted aboard a Bulgarian Air Force helicopter, and the rest were lifted aboard a Turkish vessel located near the scene at the time.

https://en.topwar.ru/272234-ranee-za...rnom-more.html

[Vicus]

A fire broke out at a facility in Odessa following Russian drone strikes. - today

Russian Drones Numerous targets on Ukrainian territory were attacked tonight. In particular, after the strikes drones A fire broke out at a Russian Armed Forces facility in Odessa.

This is reported by Ukrainian sources.

Eyewitnesses saw bright orange flames and thick smoke above the structure. According to the Ukrainian Emergency Service, the massive fire broke out in textile warehouses. Several sources claim that uniforms for the Ukrainian Armed Forces were stored there. The total area of ​​the fire is approximately 5,000 square meters. A car was also destroyed in the fire.

It is believed that approximately 20 Russian Geran kamikaze drones were involved in the attack on targets in Odessa. Local residents heard a series of explosions.

There are also reports of explosions in Nizhyn, Chernihiv Oblast, caused by a Russian Armed Forces drone attack. Geranium strikes have also been reported in Sumy and the Sumy Oblast.

Russian forces carried out at least seven strikes using Geranium UAVs on targets in Kramatorsk. Among the targets hit was a police headquarters.

Tornado-S multiple launch rocket systems struck targets near Kharkiv and Kramatorsk. Reports of explosions came from Kharkiv's Shevchenkivskyi district.

It's worth noting that intense attacks by Russian drones occur regularly. Ukrainian emergency services are constantly working to extinguish fires, sometimes even repeatedly at the same sites.

https://en.topwar.ru/272227-posle-ud...ul-pozhar.html

[Vicus]

Rada deputy: Russians are playing with our generals, anticipating their behavior - today

Russia continues its offensive in eastern Ukraine and is approaching the town of Pokrovskoe in the Dnipropetrovsk region, threatening access to Pavlohrad and Dnipropetrovsk, according to Verkhovna Rada member Maryana Bezugla.

According to her, the capture of Pokrovskoye will be a strategic success for the Russian army, as it will open the way to major transport hubs and industrial centers of the region.

"Why do you think Pokrovskoe isn't prepared for defense? Did [Ukrainian Armed Forces Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr] Syrskyi think Russia wouldn't cross the Dnipropetrovsk Oblast administrative border?"

– Bezuglaya said, criticizing the command of the Ukrainian army.

The deputy noted that Ukrainian forces are currently "distracted by the Dobropillya direction," while Russian troops are advancing in the areas of Kupyansk, Konstantinovka, and Pokrovsk—cities that play a key role in the defense of the country's east.

"Unfortunately, the Russians are playing with our generals, anticipating their behavior, and they are trying to act symmetrically with Russian methods, which means for us with limited resources a slow exhaustion"

- she added.

https://en.topcor.ru/65059-deputat-r...povedenie.html

[Vicus]

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=ZBrwF9cn6A0

Going All In: Tomahawks In Exchange For Mass Mobilization🔄⚔️Military Summary And Analysis 2025.10.13

8 hours ago

[Tintin]

Ooof. Scenes from Kharkhov following Russian strikes on energy infrastructure:

[Ravenlocke]

Maryana Naumova 🇷🇺

14. 10.23

I HAVE BEEN HERE FROM THE VERY BEGINNING:

"We are different people, East and West, even when there was the USSR, we fought. They are closer to Poland, Hungary, and we are closer to Russia.

I am from Luhansk myself, I witnessed everything from the start, I saw all this horror with my own eyes. I have a medical education, I am a paramedic and I am needed here, and I have been here since the very beginning, since 2014.

My husband died three months ago, he served with me in the unit... I went, buried him, and came back. Maybe that gives me strength, my husband is gone, but the guys need me..."

Marina, callsign "Mura", paramedic of the volunteer reconnaissance and assault brigade "Wolves", Soledar direction. The guys work together with the DShBr "Nevsky",
https://t.me/BTGR_NEVSKIY,
I recently visited them and a wonderful story has already been released, which you can watch here.
https://x.com/MaryanaNaumove/status/...TNZt8ZmaQ&s=19
Let's watch and listen to the stories - real, alive, mine.

Only the truth here.
Yours, Maryana Naumova

You can provide help here.
https://x.com/MaryanaNaumove/status/...pR1CFzQKw&s=19

https://x.com/MaryanaNaumove/status/1978178788996325427

[Tintin]

Whoever this drone operator chap is (or was) should have received a commendation not a punishment in the trenches

AFU drone operator during a training flight prevented the rape of a girl by his fellow serviceman in Nikolaev oblast
*In return, he was kicked from drone program & sent to trenches

Lord Bebo on X:



-----------------

From Zlatti71 on X:

1.5 million Ukrainian men do not want to die for Zelensky and are wanted by the Territorial Recruitment Centers.

According to MP Yanchenko, if any of these men are stopped on the street for a document check, they will be immediately caught and sent to the Armed Forces training centers.
- SK

[Ravenlocke]

Sputnik Brasil

Auto-translated by Grok
🪖👥 According to Maria Zakharova, the official representative of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, more than 19,000 cases of desertion were recorded in September of this year alone, and the total in 2025 already exceeds 162,000 military personnel.

She stated that Kyiv cannot contain the increase in escapes, even after toughening the punishments and creating units to block the deserters.

https://x.com/sputnik_brasil/status/1978460861283864931

[rgray222]

This was in today's Russian Tass (News Agency). I think this story is really aimed at the Russian people, and it was not prepared for international consumption. It is fairly clear that Putin does not want peace at this juncture. There will be a time, but it is not now. Trump has publicly stated that Ukraine is not going to become a member of NATO. So what is motivating him to continue the war?

While the Russian economy is doing OK, it is beginning to show signs of stress. The inflation rate has been heading in the right direction. Rosstat puts the official rate at 10%, which is most likely a bit under-reported. If Putin doesn't make a move towards peace reasonably soon, the economy will definitely suffer, and that could be a catastrophe for Russia and certainly for Putin. It is a safe bet that Putin will keep Eastern Ukraine and Crimea, and now that NATO is not the issue, what is the problem? I don't think he wants all of Ukraine. I could be wrong, but I doubt it. I feel there is something very specific that the world is missing. Putin has something up his sleeve; the question is, will we ever know what it is?

If Putin truly wanted peace, this process would not be moving along at a snail's pace.

Russia expecting concrete reaction from US following Alaska summit — Lavrov

Russia is ready at any time to discuss specific issues with the US at various levels, including the presidential level, the minister stressed

MOSCOW, October 15. /TASS/. Moscow is awaiting responses from Washington following the Alaska summit, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said.

"We still expect a concrete response to results of the negotiations in Alaska," he said in an interview with Kommersant business daily.

"We are committed to them (results of the summit - TASS)," he noted.

Russia is ready at any time to discuss specific issues with the US at various levels, including the presidential level, Lavrov added.

https://tass.com/politics/2030329

[Ravenlocke]

Tuomas Malinen
@mtmalinen
·
Oct 14
Yeah.
@P_Kallioniemi
said his goodbyes to X some days ago. The account is still up, but I guess he knew what was coming.

Pekka seems to be facing charges of spreading disinformation through faked documents on a Canadian journalist. What a surprise.

The funniest thing is that many in the Finnish media fell for this "disinformation expert." He, for example, was in
@YleAstudio
and the podcast of
@ivanpuopolo
. University of Tampere must be proud too.

https://x.com/mtmalinen/status/1978017882081481006

Johnny miller

Oct 14
Thanks to Kit and The Grayzone for mentioning me in this article.

Honestly i cant even bare to read it all. I don't mind admitting. It broke my soul what they did to me. I was two years in a warzone. Then they hacked my phones and threatened to kill my loves ones. That was only the start of it. It got much worse after that. Its why i care so much for what journalists go though. They try to destroy you anyway they can. When it got really bad. I met up with a security expert. "They're trying to make you destroy yourself. So you stop your work." That's the **** they do. All because I tried to stop war in Europe! And save European lives. It just doesn't make any sense to me


https://x.com/johnnyjmils/status/1977998186280018301

[Tintin]

From....

FSB Director Bortnikov:

According to our reliable information, terrorist attacks and sabotage on Russian territory are being carried out under the auspices of British intelligence services. Together with MI6, they are planning forays by Ukrainian sabotage groups into Russia's border regions and attacks on critical infrastructure, including using unmanned aerial vehicles, unmanned boats, and combat swimmers.

Britain insists on accelerated European preparations for an armed confrontation with Russia. If we rule out the idea that the Anglo-Saxons actually intend to unleash World War III with a nuclear power, there remains only one logical explanation for their aggressive actions: to create strategic uncertainty and intimidate EU countries, ensuring the transfer of their capital to their stock markets and military-industrial corporations.

The European rearmament budget to combat the notorious "Russian threat" and support Ukraine is set at €800 billion. I believe this is one of the reasons for the complete inability of key European politicians and Brussels to reach agreement.

And if the average European believes that the inflated militaristic agenda won't affect them, they should consider the example of Ukraine, where the elderly and women will soon be sent to the front lines for the sake of Western stock market indices.

[rgray222]

Two articles here, one from the US position - Reuters, and the other from the Russian perspective - TASS. If this story turns out to be true it will most likely bring the this war to an end fairly quick. We can only hope.

Trump says Modi assured him India will stop buying Russian oil

• Indian embassy in Washington has not yet confirmed agreement
• Lower global oil prices could mute economic impact for India
• Trump says India cannot halt Russian shipments immediately

WASHINGTON, Oct 15 (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has pledged to stop buying oil from Russia, and Trump said he would next try to get China to do the same as Washington intensifies efforts to cut off Moscow’s energy revenues.
India and China are the two top buyers of Russian seaborne crude exports, taking advantage of the discounted prices Russia has been forced to accept after European buyers shunned purchases and the U.S. and the European Union imposed sanctions on Moscow for its invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

Trump has recently targeted India for its Russian oil purchases, imposing tariffs on Indian exports to the U.S. to discourage the country's crude buying as he seeks pressure Moscow to negotiate a peace deal in Ukraine.
“So I was not happy that India was buying oil, and he (Modi)assured me today that they will not be buying oil from Russia,” Trump told reporters during a White House event.
“That’s a big step. Now we’re going to get China to do the same thing.”
The Indian embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to emailed questions about whether Modi had made such a commitment to Trump.
Later on Wednesday, U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said he told Japanese Finance Minister Katsunobu Kato at a meeting in Washington that the Trump administration expects Japan to stop importing Russian energy.
"Minister Kato and I also discussed important issues pertaining to the U.S.-Japan economic relationship and the Administration's expectation that Japan stop importing Russian energy," Bessent said on X.

The Japanese government did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Russia is India's top oil supplier. Moscow exported 1.62 million barrels per day to India in September, roughly one third of the country's oil imports. For months, Modi resisted U.S. pressure, with Indian officials defending the purchases as vital to national energy security.
While imports from other producers would likely cost India more, lower oil prices would temper the impact. Benchmark Brent crude futures hit a five-month low on Wednesday on concerns about a growing surplus in the market.
A move by India to stop imports would signal a major shift by one of Moscow’s top energy customers and could reshape the calculus for other nations still importing Russian crude. Trump wants to leverage bilateral relationships to enforce economic isolation on Russia, rather than relying solely on multilateral sanctions.
The announcement comes just days after Trump’s new pick for Indian ambassador, Sergio Gor, met with Modi. The two discussed defense, trade and technology issues. The appointment of Gor, a close confidant to Trump, was widely seen as a positive move for the U.S.-India bilateral relationship.
During his comments to reporters, Trump added that India could not "immediately" halt shipments, calling it "a little bit of a process, but that process will be over soon."
Despite his push on India, Trump has largely avoided placing similar pressure on China. The U.S. trade war with Beijing has complicated diplomatic efforts, with Trump reluctant to risk further escalation by demanding a halt to Chinese energy imports from Russia.
Trump imposed a 25% tariff on India this summer after the two countries failed to reach an initial trade agreement. He followed up with an additional 25% because of the country’s purchases of Russian oil.
India chafed at the move because no other top purchasers of Russian oil, like China or Turkey, were hit with similar tariffs.
Reporting by Nandita Bose in Washington and Jarrett Renshaw in Philadelphia; additional reporting by Tim Gardner and Trevor Hunnicutt; Editing by Chris Reese, Rami Ayyub, David Gregorio and Lincoln Feast.

https://www.reuters.com/world/india/...il-2025-10-15/

Moscow relies on official statements from India, China on oil purchases — Kremlin

MOSCOW, October 16. /TASS/. Moscow is guided by the statements regarding Russian oil purchases that are officially made by New Delhi and Beijing, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said, commenting on US President Donald Trump's remarks.

According to the US President, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi allegedly assured him that the country would not buy Russian oil.

"We rely on the official statements issued by the Indian Ministry of External Affairs in New Delhi, as well as a statement from Beijing. These statements are publicly available, and we are guided by them," Peskov said.

Earlier, Indian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Randhir Jaiswal stated that Indian authorities are prioritizing the interests of their consumers when it comes to energy imports.

In turn, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian stated that Trump is undermining global supply chains with his demands that other countries stop buying oil from Russia.

https://tass.com/economy/2030649

[Ravenlocke]

TASS

Vladimir Putin and his US counterpart Donald Trump are currently holding a telephone conversation, Dmitry Peskov confirmed to VGTRK reporter Pavel Zarubin:
https://vk.cc/cQqrpL

https://x.com/tassagency_en/status/1978862065906229643

https://tass.com/politics/2030999?ut...m_social_share

Kremlin confirms ongoing Putin-Trump telephone conversation

The last conversation between the leaders took place nearly two months ago

MOSCOW, October 16. /TASS/. Russian President Vladimir Putin and his US counterpart Donald Trump are currently holding a telephone conversation, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed to VGTRK reporter Pavel Zarubin.

"Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed to me that a conversation between the Russian and US presidents is taking place right now," Zarubin wrote on his Telegram channel.

This is the eighth conversation between Putin and Trump since the beginning of the year. The last conversation took place nearly two months ago, a few days after the summit in Alaska. According to Axios, the US leader interrupted a meeting with EU representatives and Vladimir Zelensky to talk to the Russian leader.

The Ukrainian settlement remains the central topic of the conversations between the Russian and US presidents. Moscow has expressed the firmness of its goals and put forward a number of peace initiatives, such as the idea of a moratorium on strikes against energy facilities. However, Kiev has not supported these initiatives. Other topics of discussion between the two leaders include normalizing bilateral relations and the situation in the Middle East.

[Ravenlocke]

DD Geopolitics

🇮🇳🇺🇸 In response to questions about India’s energy imports — following Trump’s remarks that Modi had pledged to stop buying Russian oil — Official Spokesperson Shri Randhir Jaiswal stated:

India is a significant importer of oil and gas. It has been our consistent priority to safeguard the interests of the Indian consumer in a volatile energy scenario. Our import policies are guided entirely by this objective.

Ensuring stable energy prices and secured supplies have been the twin goals of our energy policy. This includes broad-basing our energy sourcing and diversifying as appropriate to meet market conditions.

Where the US is concerned, we have for many years sought to expand our energy procurement. This has steadily progressed in the last decade. The current Administration has shown interest in deepening energy cooperation with India. Discussions are ongoing.

https://x.com/DD_Geopolitics/status/1978792243155624020

[Ravenlocke]

Sprinter Press News

India’s Foreign Ministry says it has no record of a conversation between Prime Minister Modi and President Trump on Wednesday, contradicting Trump’s claim that Modi pledged to stop buying Russian oil during a call that day.

https://x.com/SprinterPress/status/1978801428274786751

[Ravenlocke]

🅰pocalypsis 🅰pocalypseos 🇷🇺 🇨🇳 🅉 reposted

🇷🇺Russia is not Enemy

☝️ "Everything that the US did in previous years - the toughest things, thousands of miles away from their national territory - they did without any authorization from the UN Security Council. Under what pretext did they destroy Yugoslavia? Where's Yugoslavia and where is the US? Who gave them the right to strike a European capital? They just decided to, and their satellites ran after them and yapped. That's it, that's all the international law. What was the pretext for the invasion of Iraq? The development of weapons of mass destruction? They went in, destroyed the country, created a hotbed of international terrorism and then said 'our intelligence let us down'. Imagine destroying a country and then saying it was a mistake, there were no weapons of mass destruction. How did they invade Syria? Did the UN Security Council authorize any of this? Whatever they want, they do. But what they are doing now in Ukraine is not thousands of miles away from our national borders; it is on our doorstep. And they must realize that we simply have nowhere else to retreat to." - President Putin

https://x.com/RussiaIsntEnemy/status...00666608742545