During a recent visit to Ukraine, I had the privilege of addressing the National Prayer Breakfast and events commemorating the 35th anniversary of Ukraine’s independence from the former Soviet Union, and I was deeply moved by the faith and resolve of their people.
Traveling by plane and a dead-of-night train ride from Poland, one might have expected to find a nation weary after more than four years of Putin’s brutal and bloody war and the daily pummeling of their capital city by the Russian war machine in the days before we arrived.
Instead, on my third visit since the outset of the war in 2022, I found a Ukrainian people hardened and even more determined to win a victory for freedom no matter the odds.
While some Americans have grown callous to grim headlines describing an unmoving and grinding stalemate, President Zelensky and the Ukrainian people have only become more resolved. With many of the loudest and least informed voices in our country on the Left and the Right arguing that Ukraine’s cause is hopeless or that the time has come to negotiate away its future, nothing I saw in Kyiv last week supports that conclusion.
By every measure that truly matters, Ukraine is winning this war. Ukraine remains free. Its government stands. Its soldiers have taken the fight directly into the heart of Russia with unprecedented drone warfare. Its people are unbowed and refuse to surrender. And the blue and yellow flag still flies defiantly over Kyiv.
The Ukrainian people are not asking the free world to fight their war. They are fighting it themselves, through extraordinary courage and sacrifice. They only ask of the free world: that America and our allies continue providing the support they need to repel Putin’s unprovoked invasion and return his aspirations for a new Russian empire to the ash heap of history.
Thirty-five years ago, the Soviet Union collapsed beneath the weight of Communism and its own corruption. The Iron Curtain fell, and captive nations like Ukraine reclaimed their freedom and embraced the Free World, unshackled from the chains of Communism.
Today, Vladimir Putin is trying to reverse history&#8217;s verdict. His invasion is not merely another territorial dispute between neighboring states. It is an attempt to resurrect an empire that deserved to die. Like the Soviet despots before him, Putin believes he can erase a distinct nation, language, culture, and people through fear and violence.
He cannot.
Vladimir Putin set out to conquer Ukraine in days, topple its democratically elected government, install a puppet regime, extinguish Ukrainian independence, and break the proud Ukrainian people. More than four years later, he has accomplished none of those objectives.
Russia has paid an enormous price in blood, treasure, and international isolation simply to gain small pieces of territory it cannot hold without constant reinforcement. That is not what victory looks like.
Unable to break Ukraine’s determination on the battlefield, the Kremlin has increasingly turned to terror from the skies, targeting innocent children and civilians. In recent days, Russia has unleashed wave after desperate wave of long-range drones and missiles against Kyiv and other civilian population centers. More than 1,500 attack drones were launched over just four days, as the Kremlin struggles in vain to break the spirit of the Ukrainian people.
The price of stopping dictators always rises when free nations hesitate. Putin will either be stopped in Ukraine or further west. The choice is ours, not his.
Ronald Reagan understood this when he warned, “No Western nation, including the United States, can hope to win its own battle for freedom and survival by sacrificing brave comrades to the politics of international expediency.”
For America and her allies, supporting Ukraine is not an act of charity. Giving Ukraine the means to defeat and repel the Russian war machine serves the vital national interests of the United States of America.
Every dollar invested in helping Ukrainians defeat Russian aggression today reduces the likelihood that American servicemen and women will one day have to confront that aggression themselves under our NATO commitments. This investment also rebuilds our own industrial base, providing jobs and ensuring our own security as the world becomes an increasingly dangerous place.
And more must be done right now.
Congress should act without delay to pass the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia Act. Every additional sanction further isolates the Kremlin, weakens Putin’s ability to finance his war machine, and brings Ukraine one step closer to justice, peace, and victory.
Congress must also ensure that Ukraine continues to receive the military resources it needs to defend its people, protect its skies, and finish this fight.
Thirty-five years ago, Ukrainians reclaimed their freedom from one empire. Today they are ensuring that the dead empire is never resurrected.
Every generation will be tasked to defend freedom. This generation of Ukrainians has done so with extraordinary courage. They deserve more than our admiration. With the steadfast support of every free nation on earth and the arsenal of democracy, Ukraine can win a victory for freedom, for their people, and for freedom-loving people around the world.
***
Mike Pence served as the 48th Vice President of the United States. He is founder of Advancing American Freedom and author of “What Conservatives Believe: Rediscovering the Conservative Conscience.”

People holding Ukrainian flag and protesting against Russian invasion in Ukraine in streets.

Mike Pence: Why Supporting Ukraine Is An Investment In Freedom, Not Charity

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Russian President Vladimir Putin reportedly fears that ending the war in Ukraine without securing a victory could cost him his life, with Kremlin insiders claiming he has warned that he could be “hanged” if Russia fails to achieve its objectives.
The explosive claim was reported by the <a href="https://www.economist.com/europe/2026/08/30/cornered-vladimir-putin-plans-to-escalate-his-war">Economist</a>, which cited sources close to the Kremlin as saying Putin believes he cannot safely end the nearly five-year war without at least capturing all of Ukraine’s Donbas region. “They will hang me,” Putin reportedly told people close to him at some point during the war, according to one insider cited by the outlet. 
The reported fear could help explain why Putin appears increasingly committed to escalating the conflict rather than pursuing an end to the fighting. According to the Economist, Putin is preparing to send as many as 400,000 additional Russians to the battlefield. Russia’s September 2022 mobilization decree remains in effect, meaning Moscow can reportedly recruit additional troops without formally announcing another mass call-up. Regional authorities could be tasked with meeting recruitment quotas, allowing the Kremlin to spread the manpower costs across individual regions.
The reported escalation comes as Russia continues a <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2026/08/31/world/europe/ukraine-kyiv-drones-russia-sirens.html">massive aerial campaign against Ukraine</a>. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Russia launched nearly 1,500 drones over a four-day period, more than half of them jet-powered, as repeated strikes disrupted life in Kyiv.
Russian forces have also increasingly targeted Ukraine’s logistics and commercial infrastructure. Ukraine’s agriculture minister said roughly 90% of the food logistics infrastructure operated by major retail chains has been destroyed, but added that alternative delivery methods would prevent Ukrainians from being left without food.
Ukraine has meanwhile expanded its own long-range drone campaign against Russian oil, energy and logistics infrastructure.
The war is also reportedly becoming increasingly unpopular among parts of Russia’s elite. One insider told the Economist that the conflict has continued largely on “inertia,” imposing growing economic and political costs on Russia. Another argued that nearly five years of war increasingly makes the conflict appear to be a failure regardless of its eventual outcome.
Despite those concerns, Putin’s grip on power remains secure, according to the report. The danger may instead be what happens if he attempts to end the war without being able to claim a meaningful victory.
Putin has continued to publicly reject the idea that Russia is preparing to wind down its campaign. During an Aug. 22 address, he <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/putin-says-ukraine-opened-pandoras-box-with-strikes-economic-targets-2026-08-22/">accused</a> Ukraine of opening a “Pandora’s box” and threatened retaliation against what he called the country’s “most sensitive sectors.”
“The special military operation continues,” Putin told members of Russia’s ruling United Russia party. “We will move only forward.” The Kremlin has also increasingly <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/aug/27/britain-ukraine-war-russia">threatened</a> Ukraine’s Western supporters, including Britain, as Western governments expand military assistance to Kyiv.
The result is a war in which Putin may face pressure from multiple directions: growing costs at home, frustration among portions of the Russian elite and continued battlefield resistance from Ukraine. An exit without a clear victory could carry political consequences he reportedly fears could be even more severe.

Vladimir Putin

Putin Reportedly Fears That He’ll Be Hanged If He Loses Ukraine War

russian invasion of ukraine

The Senate overwhelmingly approved a bipartisan sanctions package targeting Russia and Iran on Tuesday, passing the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026 by an 86-12 vote just hours after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky met with lawmakers on Capitol Hill and attended the funeral of the bill&#8217;s namesake.
The legislation, named in honor of the late South Carolina GOP senator, represents one of the final initiatives Graham worked to secure before his unexpected death earlier this month. Graham had spent the days leading up to his passing negotiating the measure with the White House after returning from a trip to Ukraine.
The vote came after Zelensky personally lobbied senators during a closed-door meeting on Capitol Hill before final passage. Zelensky traveled to Washington both to attend Graham&#8217;s funeral and to press lawmakers to approve the sanctions package aimed at increasing pressure on Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Following the meeting, Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), one of the bill&#8217;s lead sponsors, <a href="https://www.c-span.org/program/news-conference/sens-blumenthal-britt-shaheen-wicker-risch-after-meeting-with-ukrainian-pres-zelensky/683470">said to reporters</a>, “This bill is the one that will pass. This bill is the one that the President will sign. We want a law, not just a bill.&#8221; Blumenthal added that “it sends a message to Putin: your days of war are numbered. You are on the losing side.&#8221;
The legislation would impose sweeping new sanctions on Russian political officials, oligarchs, financial institutions and the so-called Russian &#8220;shadow fleet&#8221; used to evade existing sanctions. It also authorizes secondary sanctions and tariff authority targeting countries that continue purchasing large quantities of Russian oil and gas, one of the Kremlin&#8217;s primary sources of wartime revenue.
In addition to Russia, the bill extends sanctions targeting Iran&#8217;s energy and weapons sectors through 2031, preserving restrictions that were otherwise set to expire this year. Senators agreed to combine the Russia and Iran sanctions into a single package after weeks of negotiations. 
Supporters described the measure as a fitting tribute to Graham, who was among the Senate&#8217;s most outspoken advocates for Ukraine throughout Russia&#8217;s invasion. &#8220;There is no greater way to honor Senator Graham&#8217;s legacy than to move forward with this bipartisan agreement,&#8221; the bill&#8217;s bipartisan sponsors said in a <a href="https://www.blumenthal.senate.gov/newsroom/press/release/bipartisan-group-of-senators-announce-agreement-to-move-forward-on-major-sanctions-legislation">joint statement</a> before Tuesday&#8217;s vote.
The measure drew opposition from a much smaller group of bipartisan senators.
Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY), who frequently opposes sanctions legislation on libertarian grounds, joined 11 Democrats voting against the bill. Democratic opponents cited concerns over the legislation&#8217;s tariff provisions rather than the sanctions themselves. &#8220;I support Zelensky,&#8221; Sen. Andy Kim (D-NJ) <a href="https://x.com/AndrewDesiderio/status/2082249948972617951">said</a> after voting no. &#8220;We&#8217;re all on board on the sanctions &#8230; But why do we need the tariff power in there right now?&#8221; 
Despite those objections, the legislation secured well above the 60 votes needed to pass, underscoring broad bipartisan support for increasing economic pressure on Russia as the war in Ukraine continues.
The House is not expected to consider the legislation until lawmakers return from the August recess. If approved there, the bill will head to President Donald Trump&#8217;s desk for his signature.

Briefing of US Senators Lindsey Graham and Richard Blumenthal in Kyiv

Senate Honors Lindsey Graham, Passes New Russia Sanctions

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Richard Blumenthal

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Ukrainian drones have recently struck vessels and other assets used in military cargo shipments between Iran and Russia across the Caspian Sea. The attacks expand Kyiv’s long-range drone campaign into waters more than 430 miles from Ukraine’s nearest border.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky claimed responsibility for the attacks on Saturday. “We also achieved very strong results with long‑range strikes in the Caspian Sea — including vessels used in military cargo shipments involving Iran, as well as a warship,” he wrote.
The Security Service of Ukraine said the strikes hit a Russian oil field, a Russian missile boat, and ships used to transport Iranian drones to Russia. The operation forms part of a wider campaign that has also reached oil refineries far inside Russia and contributed to an energy crisis in a country that remains one of the world’s largest petroleum producers.
Iran’s foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, blamed Zelensky on Sunday for a strike he said killed a sailor on an Iranian commercial vessel. Araghchi said that he contacted Russian and European Union leaders and stated that Kyiv’s actions could not go unanswered, and Iran summoned the Ukrainian chargé d’affaires in Tehran.
Analysts noted the strikes also allow Ukraine to signal alignment with the Trump administration on Iran. Hanna Notte of the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies said the attacks more closely link the European and Middle Eastern theaters.
&#8220;The more that Zelensky can signal to Trump that he’s on Trump’s side against Iran, the better,&#8221; she said.
The Caspian Sea attacks come as Zelensky arrives in Washington for talks with President Donald Trump. Zelensky is expected to press for firmer U.S. commitments on air defenses, including a license that would allow Ukraine to produce Patriot interceptor missiles. Russia has stepped up ballistic missile attacks on Kyiv in recent weeks, Zelensky has said interceptors are urgently needed, and a Raytheon delegation visited Kyiv last week. 
After the meeting with Zelensky, Trump is scheduled to see Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Both leaders are in Washington for the funeral of Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC).
The timing has highlighted the growing overlap between the two conflicts. Kyiv has called Iran a “direct accomplice to Russian aggression against Ukraine.” Zelensky said his country has evidence that Russia shared satellite imagery with Tehran to help it attack U.S. military facilities and Gulf states. Trump said he would ask Putin about the claim and that it had no impact even if true.
Iran has supplied Russia with Shahed one-way attack drones since the fall of 2022. Russia later began producing its own version of the drones, the Geran, at a factory 600 miles east of Moscow. Ukrainian forces targeted that plant as recently as last year. The Caspian Sea has served as a key route for the shipment of these drones, along with other military shipments. Russia has used shipping companies to move equipment from Iran to the Russian mainland, with some vessels continuing via rivers and canals to the Black Sea.
The sea gives Iran its most direct path to Russia and Central Asia. Nicole Grajewski, an assistant professor at Sciences Po who has written on the Russia-Iran partnership, described the route as “somewhat unfettered by any kind of interdiction by the United States or other partners.”
Trump paused U.S. strikes on Iran over the weekend while considering further action aimed at loosening Tehran’s control of the Strait of Hormuz. Iran’s southern ports remain more important economically, but the Caspian Sea offers a way around the blockade of its Persian Gulf and northern Arabian Sea facilities.
Israel targeted a naval outpost on Iran’s Caspian coast in March. Continued Ukrainian strikes there could pressure an economic link for both countries under sanctions. Hamidreza Azizi, a visiting fellow at the German Institute for International and Security Affairs, said Iran sees the attacks “in the context of this bigger picture of being under blockades from both the south and the north.”
Since the U.S. and Israeli campaign against Iran began in February, Tehran has used Shahed drones against commercial ships in the Strait of Hormuz, civilian airports and seaports, Gulf oil infrastructure, and American bases in the region.
The Ukrainian moves follow earlier U.S. efforts to isolate Iran’s key southern port. In mid-July, American forces struck bridges, railways, and other transport links around Bandar Abbas, the strategic city on the Strait of Hormuz that hosts Iran’s naval headquarters. Those <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/u-s-pounds-bridges-and-roads-to-cut-off-irans-strategic-port-city">strikes</a> were intended to cut the city off from the rest of the country while targeting maritime surveillance assets used by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
In Moscow, the mayor reported that more than 390 Ukrainian drones targeted the capital region overnight into Tuesday, with most intercepted. Damage was confirmed to a high-rise south of the city and a warehouse to the west. No casualties were reported.

Lviv, Ukraine

Ukraine Steps Up Attacks On Iranian-Linked Assets As Zelensky Visits Trump

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Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) reportedly joked hours before his sudden death that he couldn’t die because he had too many things to get done in the Senate. 
&#8220;I can&#8217;t die now. I still need to do the Russia sanctions, get Iran sorted out and do Israeli-Saudi normalization,” Graham said on Saturday after saying he felt poorly, <a href="https://www.axios.com/2026/07/12/lindsey-graham-israel-saudi-peace-iran">according</a> to a source who spoke to Axios. 
The source said that Graham agreed to see a doctor after a Sunday morning appearance on NBC’s “Meet the Press,” after being encouraged to get immediate medical attention. 
Initial tests by the Medical Examiner of Washington, District of Columbia, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/lindsey-graham-medical-examiner-releases-preliminary-cause-of-death?topStoryPosition=undefined&amp;author=Virginia+Kruta&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=2&amp;row=1&amp;rowHeadline=Top+Stories&amp;rowType=Top+Stories&amp;title=Lindsey+Graham%3A+Medical+Examiner+Releases+Preliminary+Cause+Of+Death">found</a> that Graham appears to have died from Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease (ASCVD), a condition in which plaque — made up of calcium, fatty deposits, and cholesterol — sticks to the interior walls of arteries. The condition can lead to high blood pressure, causing strokes and heart attacks. 
Graham made the comments shortly after a phone call with President Donald Trump. He asked the president to impose strict sanctions on Russia amid its war with Ukraine. The South Carolina Republican had recently returned from a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. 
Graham and Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), and Senator Roger Wicker (R-MS) recently reached an agreement with the Trump administration to move forward on a Russia sanctions package. 
Trump <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/trump-phone-call-lindsey-graham-death-save-act-rcna552732">detailed</a> his final call with Graham in an interview with NBC News. He said the two discussed getting the SAVE Act across the finish line, a proposal that would require photo ID to vote in federal elections. 
“He actually said he was tired, but he wanted to pass the SAVE America Act, and I said, ‘Well, we’re going to get it done, Lindsey. We’re going to get it done,’” Trump said. 
The president added that “other than being tired,” Graham seemed fine and described him as “like a member of the family to me.”
Trump announced Sunday that he had directed all American flags to be lowered until next Saturday in honor of Graham, calling him “a dear friend of mine” and “a truly great man.”

Iran Senate Briefing Pressers

The Eerie Joke Lindsey Graham Made Hours Before His Sudden Death

Lindsey Graham Said 'I Can't Die Now' Hours Before Sudden Death

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Russia hammered Ukraine with missiles and drones on Saturday, killing six people and inflicting damage across several regions of the country, Ukrainian officials said.
Five of the dead were in Kyiv region outside the capital, where President Volodymyr Zelensky said Russian forces targeted energy infrastructure, but also damaged residential buildings, schools and businesses. Fifteen people were injured.
Zelensky said the Sumy, Kharkiv, Dnipro and Mykolaiv regions were also targeted in an attack that included around 430 drones and 68 missiles, most of which were downed by air defences.
Later in the day, the governor of the southeastern region of Zaporizhzhia, Ivan Fedorov, said a residential area of the city of Zaporizhzhia had been hit by Russian-guided bombs, killing one person and injuring three.
Reuters Television footage showed emergency crews at work amid piles of rubble and twisted metal. Windows and frames on balconies were smashed.
&#8220;The second attack was strong. The kitchen window flew out, as did those in the living room and bedroom, everything went into a roar. I ran and got slightly injured,&#8221; Olha Kiyashko, 65, told Reuters.
&#8220;I&#8217;ve got no strength left. They took away our pension years — the years we could have lived on, the years we&#8217;d planned and counted on. All our health is gone.&#8221;
Saturday&#8217;s strikes come as the Iran conflict has distracted international attention from a U.S.-backed peace push in the four-year war, which Kyiv says Moscow has no interest in ending.
&#8220;Russia will try to exploit the war in the Middle East to cause even greater destruction here in Europe, in Ukraine,&#8221; Zelensky wrote on X.
He repeated his call for Kyiv&#8217;s partners to boost production of air-defense weapons, stocks of which have been diminishing as the U.S. and its allies in the Gulf have fended off Iranian strikes.
Russia&#8217;s winter attacks on Ukraine have left swathes of major cities without power or heating, part of a campaign to weaken resolve as Moscow&#8217;s troops press a battlefield offensive and demand Kyiv cede more territory in the east.
Ukraine&#8217;s forces have targeted Russian strategic infrastructure such as oil refineries, depots and terminals in long-range strikes.
Ukraine&#8217;s Energy Ministry said on Saturday that consumers in six regions were without electricity after the overnight strikes and Russian shelling of frontline areas.
&#8220;There&#8217;s no way Russia will stop,&#8221; said local resident Natalia Fetko, 57, whose building was damaged in the strike. &#8220;Nothing is enough for them.&#8221;
Damage was recorded in four districts outside the capital, according to regional military administrator Mykola Kalashnyk.
Saturday&#8217;s attack also prompted NATO member Poland to scramble jets to protect its airspace, but no violations were observed, Warsaw&#8217;s military said.
In Moldova, on Ukraine&#8217;s western border, the Foreign Ministry denounced what it said was an intrusion by a Russian drone into its airspace in a border district, saying Moscow&#8217;s actions undermined regional security and posed a danger to its citizens.
(Additional reporting by Yurii Kovalenko, Serhiy Chaliy and Alexander Tanas; Editing by Toby Chopra, Gareth Jones, Rod Nickel, Ron Popeski and Diane Craft)

Ukraine

Russia Launches 400+ Drones, Dozens Of Missiles In Ukraine Strike, Killing 6

Global Politics

President Donald Trump said Monday that U.S. munitions stockpiles have “never been higher or better,” but acknowledged they are “not where we want to be.”
“We have a virtually unlimited supply of these weapons. Wars can be fought ‘forever,’ and very successfully, using just these supplies (which are better than other countries finest arms!),” Trump <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/116163464520215003">posted</a> on Truth Social. “At the highest end, we have a good supply, but are not where we want to be. Much additional high grade weaponry is stored for us in outlying countries.”
Trump’s comments come amid reports that some Pentagon officials have raised concerns about the long-term supply of America’s munition stockpiles if the war with Iran drags on. 
The Wall Street Journal <a href="https://www.wsj.com/world/middle-east/u-s-races-to-accomplish-iran-mission-before-munitions-run-out-c014acbc?gaa_at=eafs&amp;gaa_n=AWEtsqcwKUIkoRJZi6Ok8b0iOYr3mIPqIBzfF51VY4XrGXJij0uIqCLixLcvkpZAnLA%3D&amp;gaa_ts=69a6d6b1&amp;gaa_sig=Kxdo4onPXgmNU8VhhRUKwHJxRdDi8NryVfW6NgHHS_jONKlb_z8p3OBNTtEwBBj9HSlLQ1x4P317GQe7farZ0g%3D%3D">reported</a> that Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Dan Caine <a href="https://www.wsj.com/politics/national-security/pentagon-flags-risks-of-a-major-operation-against-iran-1c7e9939?mod=article_inline">flagged</a> concerns over interceptor supplies before the attack was launched. The concerns center on whether the United States has sufficient interceptors to defend against Iranian drone and missile strikes. 
Trump appeared to dismiss those concerns and ripped into former President Joe Biden for sending weapons to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky during the war with Russia. 
“Sleepy Joe Biden spent all of his time, and our Country’s money, GIVING everything to P.T. Barnum (Zelenskyy!) of Ukraine &#8211; Hundreds of Billions of Dollars worth &#8211; And, while he gave so much of the super high end away (FREE!), he didn’t bother to replace it,” Trump wrote. “Fortunately, I rebuilt the military in my first term, and continue to do so. The United States is stocked, and ready to WIN, BIG!!!”
It remains unclear how long the operation targeting Iran will last, though Trump has estimated it could take four to five weeks. 
In a <a href="https://subscriber.politicopro.com/f/?id=0000019c-b080-d21a-af9e-b884c0330000">memo</a> to Congress, the White House said the length of the operation would ultimately be up to Trump.
“It’s his decision to make as the situation evolves, and the President intends to fully achieve the clear objectives he has laid out,” the memo said. 
The memo also said that the military had “more than enough ammunition – more than any country on the planet – to finish this operation without fail.”
On Monday, Trump said that the operation was ahead of schedule.
“We&#8217;re already substantially ahead of our time projections, but whatever the time is, it&#8217;s OK, whatever it takes, we will always, and we have right from the beginning, we projected four to five weeks, but we have capability to go far longer than that,&#8221; Trump said.

TOPSHOT-US-POLITICS-TRUMP

Trump Fires Back At Stockpile Doubts, Says U.S. Military Is ‘Stocked And Ready To WIN’

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Russia launched a massive air attack on Ukrainian energy facilities overnight on Saturday, targeting electricity generation and distribution, Kyiv said.
President Volodymyr Zelensky said the overnight attack involved more than 400 drones and some 40 missiles of various types, targeting the grid, generation facilities and distribution substations.
Nearly four years into the war that began with Russia&#8217;s full-scale invasion of its neighbor, Ukraine&#8217;s battered energy sector is crumbling under the Russian strikes, accumulated wartime damage and bitterly cold winter weather.
&#8220;Every day, Russia could choose real diplomacy, but it chooses new strikes,&#8221; Zelensky posted on X. &#8220;It is crucial that everyone who supports the trilateral negotiations respond to this. Moscow must be deprived of the ability to use the cold as leverage against Ukraine.&#8221;
Moscow did not immediately comment on the attacks.
Energy Minister Denys Shmyhal said the strikes hit two thermal power stations in Ukraine&#8217;s western regions and core elements of the Ukrainian electricity distribution system &#8211; substations and key electricity distribution lines.
&#8220;Russian criminals carried out another massive attack on Ukraine&#8217;s energy facilities,&#8221; Shmyhal said on the Telegram app. &#8220;Energy workers are ready to start repair works as soon as the security situation allows.&#8221;
The strikes were launched as temperatures began to drop and are forecast to fall to minus 14 degrees Celsius (7 degrees Fahrenheit) in the coming days.
The new Russian attacks on the energy system also come just days after the latest round of the U.S.-brokered talks between Ukraine and Russia on how to end the war.
Despite pressure from U.S. President Donald Trump&#8217;s administration and rounds of talks, diplomatic efforts have so far brought no tangible results.
Since autumn 2025, Moscow has intensified its attacks on the Ukrainian power grid and other energy infrastructure, forcing frequent blackouts across Ukraine and plunging millions into darkness for hours.
Ukrainian officials said that emergency power cuts were introduced across the country. Shmyhal said the government asked Poland for emergency power imports to help the Ukrainian grid.
Regional officials reported attacks across the country, including in the western regions of Khmelnytskyi, Rivne, Ternopil, Ivano-Frankivsk, and Lviv.
The Burshtyn and Dobrotvir thermal power plants in western Ukraine were hit, officials said.
DTEK, Ukraine&#8217;s largest private energy company, said that equipment was damaged significantly at its thermal power plants in different regions. DTEK said it was the 10th attack on its thermal power stations since October 2025.
&#8220;Since Russians have been targeting energy facilities in various regions of our country, power outages may last much longer,&#8221; said Maksym Kozytskyi, the Lviv regional governor.
He said air alerts lasted more than six hours in the western Lviv region, close to the Polish border.
Polish authorities said two airports in southeastern Poland were suspended from operations as a precaution due to Russian strikes on nearby Ukrainian territory. The airports in Poland later resumed operations.
(Reporting by Olena Harmash; Editing by)

Severely damaged Darnytska CHPP in Kyiv after massive Russian attack

Russia Launches Massive Attack On Ukraine’s Energy System, Zelensky Says

U.S. envoys met with Russian President Vladimir Putin for over three hours to discuss a potential deal aimed at ending the nearly four-year war in Ukraine.
Trump confidants Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, along with newly-appointed Board of Peace senior advisor Josh Greunbaum, met with Putin at midnight Thursday as the World Economic Forum in Davos comes to a close.
A video clip shared by the Kremlin on Telegram showed Putin, joined by his foreign policy aide, Yuri Ushakov, and special envoy, Kirill Dmitriev, shaking hands with the envoys prior to the meeting.
The group discussed the 20-point peace plan to end the Russian invasion, which has been held up due to key disagreements on Russian demands for land in Eastern Ukraine, much of which Ukraine has successfully defended at this point in the war.
The outcome of the meeting was unclear in the immediate aftermath of the talks, which were held shortly after President Trump said a deal was &#8220;reasonably close&#8221; and Witkoff <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/putin-meets-us-envoys-late-night-talks-ukraine-2026-01-22/">said</a> a deal hinged on one last issue, according to Reuters.
Trump met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky hours earlier at Davos, describing the conversation as &#8220;good&#8221; to reporters aboard Air Force One.
&#8220;We&#8217;re discussing things that have been discussed for six or seven months, and he [Zelensky] came, and he said he wants to make a deal because I wasn&#8217;t necessarily sure. I think he should want to make a deal,” Trump said. “President Putin would like to make a deal. I think that President Zelensky would like to make a deal.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
.<a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a> on his meeting with President Zelensky in Davos: &#8220;We&#8217;re discussing things that have been discussed for six or seven months and he came and he said he wants to make a deal because I wasn&#8217;t necessarily sure. I think he should want to make a deal.&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/89LxjlmJTs">pic.twitter.com/89LxjlmJTs</a>
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/2014494433190817922?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 23, 2026</a></blockquote>
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Zelensky blasted European leaders during his Davos speech on Thursday for what he called their inaction against Putin.
&#8220;Europe loves to discuss the future, but avoids taking action today,&#8221; Zelensky <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-01-22/putin-starts-kremlin-talks-with-us-envoys-witkoff-and-kushner">said</a>. &#8220;Where is the line of leaders who are ready to act?&#8221;

RUSSIA-UKRAINE-CONFLICT-US-DIPLOMACY

Trump Pushes Ukraine Peace Deal As Kushner, Witkoff Hold Talks With Putin

Davos

jared kushner

Steve Witkoff

Shortly after a private meeting with President Donald Trump in Davos on Thursday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky walked out onto the World Economic Forum stage and blasted European leaders for trying to &#8220;change&#8221; Trump instead of focusing on defending themselves from global threats such as Russia and China.
Zelensky <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L_SohZrJOKk">said</a> that Europe seems to be stuck in &#8220;Groundhog Day,&#8221; referring to the 1993 film featuring Bill Murray. He argued that European powers have been repeating the same actions &#8220;for weeks, months, and of course, for years,&#8221; adding, &#8220;Every forum like this one proves it.&#8221;
&#8220;Just last year, here in Davos, I ended my speech with the words, &#8216;Europe needs to know how to defend itself.&#8217; A year has passed, and nothing has changed,&#8221; Zelensky said.
“Instead of taking the lead in defending freedom worldwide, especially when America’s focus shifts elsewhere, Europe looks lost trying to convince the U.S. president to change,” the Ukrainian president continued, adding, &#8220;Europe still feels more like geography, history, a tradition, not a real political force, not a great power.&#8221;
Zelensky highlighted Trump&#8217;s capture of Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro and America&#8217;s seizure of sanctioned oil tankers linked to Venezuela and asked why European powers could not do the same with Russian oil tankers.
&#8220;Why can President Trump stop tankers from the shadow fleet and seize oil, but Europe doesn&#8217;t?&#8221; Zelensky asked. &#8220;Russian oil is being transported right along European shores. That oil funds the war against Ukraine. That oil helps destabilize Europe.&#8221;
Zelensky also mentioned Trump&#8217;s push for Greenland and criticized Europe&#8217;s response to the issue. Trump&#8217;s ramped-up effort to acquire Greenland has been a major focus of this year&#8217;s World Economic Forum as European leaders scramble to respond to the president&#8217;s plan. Many NATO countries deployed a small contingent of troops to Greenland to conduct military exercises as Trump discussed annexing the territory.
Zelensky slammed European leaders over the move.
“If you send 30 or 40 soldiers to Greenland, what is that for?&#8221; he asked. &#8220;What message does it send? What’s the message to Putin? To China? And even more importantly, what message does it send to Denmark? You either declare that European bases will protect the region from Russia and China &#8230; or you risk not being taken seriously, because 30 or 40 soldiers will not protect anything.”
The Ukrainian president then called on European countries to build up their fighting forces, and suggested that NATO is too reliant on the United States.
&#8220;Europe needs united armed forces that can truly defend Europe,&#8221; he said. &#8220;Today, Europe relies only on the belief that if danger comes, NATO will act, but no one has really seen the alliance in action.&#8221;
&#8220;Right now, NATO exists thanks to the belief that the United States will act, that it will not stand aside and will help,&#8221; Zelensky continued. &#8220;But what if it doesn&#8217;t?&#8221;

Volodymyr Zelensky

Zelensky Rips Europe For Trying To ‘Change’ Trump Instead Of Defending Itself Against Global Threats

europe

nato

Russia and Ukraine accused each other of targeting civilians over the New Year, with Moscow reporting a deadly strike on a hotel in territory it occupies in southern Ukraine while Kyiv said there had been another broad attack on its power supplies.
The reports coincide with intensive talks overseen by U.S. President Donald Trump and aimed at bringing an end to the nearly four-year-old war. Each country has said the other is doing all it can to influence his views and shape the outcome.
&#8220;On New Year, Russia deliberately brings war. Over 200 attack drones were launched onto Ukraine in the night,&#8221; Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky wrote on Telegram, saying energy infrastructure in seven regions across Ukraine had been targeted.
Russia accused Ukraine of killing at least 24 people, including a child, in a drone strike on a hotel and cafe where civilians were seeing in the New Year in a Russian-controlled part of the Kherson region in southern Ukraine.
Ukraine&#8217;s military, which has accused Russia of killing many civilians in its own attacks on Ukrainian cities, said it targeted strictly military and energy targets, but made no specific reference to accounts of the strike on the hotel.
Zelensky said that Russia&#8217;s holiday season attacks showed Ukraine could not afford delays in air defense supplies.
&#8220;(Our) allies have the names of equipment which we are lacking. We expect that everything agreed with the United States at the end of December for our defense will arrive on time,&#8221; he said, without clarifying further.
Vladimir Saldo, the Russian-installed governor of the region, said three Ukrainian drones had hit the celebrations in Khorly, a coastal village, in what he said was a &#8220;deliberate strike&#8221; against civilians. He said that many people had been burnt alive.
Russia&#8217;s Foreign Ministry said that as well as the 24 dead, 50 people had been injured.
It said the strike, as well as other drone attacks blamed on Ukraine, sought to &#8220;divert attention from the failures of the Ukrainian military at the front. The Kyiv regime is trying to prove its viability through terrorist acts.&#8221;
On Monday, Moscow accused Kyiv of trying to strike a residence of President Vladimir Putin. Ukrainian and European officials have said the incident did not happen and U.S. security officials were also reported to have found that Ukraine did not target the residence.
A senior Russian military chief handed to a U.S. military attache what he said was part of a Ukrainian drone containing data he said proved that the Ukrainian military had targeted the residence.
Reuters was not able to immediately verify the reported Kherson region attack or photographs of what Saldo&#8217;s press service said was the aftermath on Thursday. Saldo said he had briefed Putin on the details of the attack.
The images showed at least one dead body was visible beneath a white sheet. The building showed signs that a fire had raged and there were what looked like blood stains on the ground. Russia&#8217;s TASS news agency published video showing drone fragments, some with Ukrainian writing on them.
Ukrainian officials regularly report civilian deaths from Russian air attacks, including in the Ukrainian-held city of Kherson, which lies near the front line.
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The Ukrainian governor of Kherson region, Oleksandr Prokudin, said that one man had been killed and an 87-year-old woman injured in attacks on the city on Thursday.
Ukraine&#8217;s deputy prime minister Oleksiy Kuleba said rail facilities had been attacked in three regions.
The Russian Defence Ministry said on Thursday its strikes had hit military targets, as well as energy infrastructure which it claimed was being used to support Ukraine&#8217;s military.
Dmitry Medvedev, deputy chairman of Russia&#8217;s Security Council, told TASS that those who carried out the hotel attack and their commanders should be targeted.
Kherson is one of four regions in Ukraine which Russia claimed as its own in 2022, a move Kyiv and most Western countries denounced as an illegal land grab.
Moscow&#8217;s Mayor, Sergei Sobyanin, said Russian air defence units had downed 35 Ukrainian drones over the past 24 hours. He reported no casualties or damage.
(Reporting by Max Hunder and Reuters bureaux; writing by Philippa Fletcher; editing by Ros Russell and Ron Popeski)

Russia And Ukraine Trade Allegations Of Civilian Attacks On New Year’s Day

Editor’s note: This week, we’re reprinting some of our best stories from the past year. This piece features Daily Wire Editor Emeritus Ben Shapiro&#8217;s exchange with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on U.S. taxpayer dollars being spent in the war with Russia.
As taxpayers raise concerns about corruption in Ukraine, President Volodymyr Zelensky told Ben Shapiro he would be open to an audit into the use of American funds.
In a face-to-face exclusive interview with Shapiro in war-torn Kyiv, Zelensky said he is prepared to allow inspectors to review how the more than $174 billion in American aid has been used to support Ukraine’s war against Russia.
“We’re always ready for any audit,” Zelensky said. “There’s nothing to hide. We are absolutely open, transparent, and that is what’s happening.”
Zelensky said that U.S. inspectors have had oversight following Russia attempting to “undermine the support and assistance coming from the United States” through “fake news and other tools” at the start of the war.
Zelensky added that he is “grateful to all the U.S. taxpayers.”
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“We are grateful to the bipartisan support in Congress,” he said. “We are grateful to the unity around the fight of Ukraine for independence … and the great contribution of the United States in the defense of our people.”
He added that he has his own “internal audit” where his government is “documenting how much assistance was provided.”
According to Zelensky, Ukraine has received $104-$105 billion in assistance, most of which comes in the form of military support.
“The money was paid to the transportation of those weapons,” Zelensky said. “Ukrainian companies were not allowed to transport this money. That&#8217;s why we haven&#8217;t received it — not in the public, not in the private sector — the money for the transportation.”
According to the <a href="https://www.gao.gov/ukraine-oversight">U.S. Government Accountability Office</a>, Congress appropriated more than $174 billion for Ukraine. The funds have been used for security assistance and weaponry, or for economic and humanitarian assistance, including direct budget support for the Ukrainian government, aid for refugees, improving the health sector, and repairing infrastructure such as the energy grid.
Zelensky said he is not attempting to argue with the United States by claiming he is getting nearly $70 billion less than the United States government is reporting.
“It&#8217;s important that both countries and — the taxpayers know — where their money is,” he said. “In terms of the use of that money primarily, it was for the weapons that were used on the battlefield.”
In total, the Ukrainian government was directly given $22.9 billion by USAID for direct budget support, mostly for reimbursing salaries for teachers, civil servants, and health care workers, according to the GAO.
“We are very grateful for all that,” Zelensky said. “The United States has to know that they were not feeding our pensioners and our soldiers with regards to the salary or the compensation. Surely you&#8217;ve provided the most important aspects — that is the weapons.”
The GAO recommended several ways to improve oversight of funding in Ukraine, including tracking the unprecedented amount of military equipment given to the country, making training initiatives more efficient, properly assessing the value of assets given, and more.
The report also points out that the State Department does not have a “systematic, comprehensive approach to specifically track funding that federal agencies have provided for economic and humanitarian assistance to Ukraine.”
Zelensky argued that the United States benefited from providing financial support to Ukraine because it has received intel about weaponry, including drones being used in the current conflict.
Zelensky added that Ukraine is keeping Russia from invading NATO countries that would pull the United States into a much larger war.
“I’ve mentioned it many times before, the U.S. will have to protect the other NATO countries, because such an agreement exists, or the U.S. will have to leave NATO,” Zelensky said. “So as long as Russians are not in any single NATO member nation, your families are not facing this question. So that will be a major question for your families: Are they going to send your child to war?&#8221;

Ben Shapiro

Best Of 2025: Zelensky Tells Ben Shapiro He’s Open To An Audit On How Ukraine Spends U.S. Taxpayer Dollars

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