"Putin may not need Russians to decide the outcome of the election – but the Kremlin desperately needs them to show up and play along.

As Russia prepares for the September State Duma elections, propaganda posters are telling Russians to worry about American elections instead of their own. But the distraction is becoming harder to sell. While the Kremlin shouts “What about America?”, Russians are asking a much more uncomfortable question: “What about us?” With drones attacking Russian cities, businesses burning, and frustration growing, many people say they have no desire to support Putin’s party or take part in what they see as an election circus.

Join Benjamin Lee in the new episode of Break the Fake to see why the Kremlin is working so hard to get Russians to the polls – even when the result is hardly in doubt. "

"I examine Volodymyr Zelensky’s warning that Ukrainian drones could make Russian airspace unsafe around Moscow, St. Petersburg, and other major airports—while distinguishing pressure on Russian infrastructure from risks to civilian aviation.

I also assess Ukraine’s drone-procurement controversies, EU efforts to secure expiring Patriot interceptors from Greece and Spain, suspected Russian sabotage in Poland and Germany, the Putin-Iran relationship at the SCO summit, Russia’s refinery fuel shortfall, and the troubled Rassvet satellite constellation. The strategic question is whether Ukraine can impose sustained costs on Russia while preserving the air-defense capacity needed to protect Ukrainian civilians."

"FACT CHECK: I examine the overnight exchange of strikes between Russia and Ukraine: Ukraine’s reported drone attacks on the Novatek oil terminal at Ust-Luga, targets in Samara, and Russian drone infrastructure, alongside Russia’s missile and drone attacks on Kyiv, Boryspil, Odesa, and Zaporizhzhia. I compare Russian claims about defense-industry targets with reported damage to homes, rail workers, first responders, and civilian infrastructure. I also assess refinery disruption, Ukraine’s interceptor shortfall, battlefield figures, and the growing role of AI-enabled drones in a war where air defense remains a decisive strategic constraint."

"Pfarrer also breaks down the tactical math behind the eastern front, explaining why Russian assaults are producing massive losses with little territorial gain, and why the much-hyped mobilization wave could become a political and military trap for Moscow. Brewer adds the bigger strategic frame: Ukraine cannot win alone, Russia cannot win outright, and the gap between those truths is where the war keeps grinding forward."

"He was once Russia's richest man. Mikhail Khodorkovsky was thrown in jail for urging democratic change in Russia and since getting out and leaving Russia more than a decade ago, he has continued the fight. He says he was hopeful for nearly imminent change in Russia before the war started, but now thinks it will be a good 20 years before we see that "Happy Russia of the Future" Alexei Navalny always dreamed about. And Khodorkovsky believes Ukraine has ALREADY won the war."

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"I examine Ukraine’s reported 400-drone operation into Russia, including strikes and attempted strikes near Moscow, Yekaterinburg, Belgorod, Oryol, and occupied Crimea. I assess the evidence surrounding the Wildberries logistics hub, Belgorod power infrastructure, Zhankoy Air Base, Pantsir-S1 systems, an S-400 command vehicle, and Russian drone-launch infrastructure.

I also look at Russia’s shift toward continuous jet-powered drone attacks on Kyiv, civilian casualties in Kherson and Slovyansk, and what these attacks reveal about military pressure, civilian protection, and the strategic reach of Ukraine’s long-range strike campaign. I close with battlefield indicators and a brief discussion of political tribalism and civic restraint."

"Estonia's spy chief Kaupo Rosin claims ‘Russia is in a very bad place’ and that a ‘revolution could come overnight’. Could Vladimir Putin really be overthrown? Keir Giles, Associate Fellow of the Russia and Eurasia Programme at Chatham House, joins James Hanson to discuss the growing questions within Russia about the war in Ukraine, Putin’s grip on power, and whether Russia could turn its attention to the UK."

"Vladimir Putin used a bizarre killer-whale-and-polar-bear analogy while speaking to students—and then connected that “food chain” directly to Russia’s war against Ukraine. But Putin’s rhetoric is only one part of a much larger warning emerging from Russia and Eastern Europe. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk says the next seven to eight months could be critical for Ukraine, Poland, and the entire region. He warns that Russia appears to be preparing for escalation and cites assessments that Moscow may seek to mobilize another 600,000 soldiers. At the same time, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov says there are no grounds for improved relations with NATO or the European Union and accuses Europe of mobilizing its military potential against Russia. We also examine the devastating explosion near Kyiv that killed 37 people. President Zelenskyy acknowledged that a major ammunition storage facility was located where it “definitely should not have been” and promised a full investigation. Finally, we look at Putin’s meeting with Alexander Lukashenko and a serious strategic problem facing Washington: reports that U.S. missile and air-defense inventories have been heavily depleted by transfers to the Middle East, potentially complicating American contingency planning in Europe and Asia."

"Long lines have reportedly returned to the Russian border with Georgia amid fears of a new military mobilization spreading across the country. Are Russians experiencing déjà vu from 2022? In this episode of World Talks, journalist and author Jason Corcoran discusses the latest wave of departures, the challenges facing Russians who oppose the war, and the difficult choices confronting Western governments. The conversation also explores the future of Russia's exiled opposition, the Kremlin's new measures targeting Russians abroad, and whether growing dissatisfaction could eventually challenge Putin's vision for Russia."

"Putin buys desperate men with promises—then traps them in a war they may never leave

Who is actually fighting Putin’s war in Ukraine? In this episode, Elvira Bary follows the fictional but thoroughly documented journey of Sergei, an ordinary Russian man drawn into the army by debt, shame, family obligations, and a signing bonus larger than anything he could earn at home. He believes he is accepting a one-year contract and a safer job as a driver. Instead, he enters a system that can change his assignment, deny him medical care, extort money for survival, and keep him in uniform indefinitely. From recruitment advertisements to drone-watched trenches and the anonymous lists of missing soldiers, this is the cold reality of Russia’s disposable army—and the moral price of accepting a criminal job because it appears to be the only way out."

"Why did the CIA director go to Moscow? What did Ukraine actually receive from its partners beyond words of support on Independence Day? And why is Russia raising the stakes as Ukraine hits back harder? TV Host Nataliia Lutsenko ‪‪‪@Notjustpolitics24‬ and Jonathan Fink, Silicon Curtain Podcast, expert on propaganda and disinformation, discussed the latest news surrounding the war in Ukraine."

"Russia has sharply escalated its attacks on Ukrainian businesses, striking supermarket distribution centers, postal facilities, gas stations, warehouses, railway infrastructure, industrial plants, and Black Sea ports. The Kyiv Independent’s Dominic Culverwell sits down with Hlib Vyshlinsky, executive director of the Kyiv-based Center for Economic Strategy, to discuss why Russia is increasingly targeting Ukraine’s civilian economy — and what the campaign could mean for businesses, consumers, and the country’s financial stability. The discussion examines how companies are adapting their supply chains, why some destroyed facilities may never be rebuilt during the war, and how attacks on ports are disrupting Ukrainian grain and iron ore exports. Vyshlinsky also explains the consequences for inflation, employment, tax revenue, and Ukraine’s GDP growth. As Russia’s invasion increasingly becomes a “war of economies,” Ukraine may need additional international financial assistance sooner than previously expected, Vyshlinsky said."

"Former 28-year CIA operations officer Sean Wiswesser breaks down the escalating threats posed by Russian hybrid warfare, drone incursions into NATO airspace, and covert intelligence operations. From testing air defense blind spots over Poland to mapping critical transatlantic undersea internet cables, White warns that Western democracies are repeating the historical mistakes of 1938 appeasement. Learn why NATO must move past half-measures in Ukraine and leverage its 80-year alliance to deter future global conflict."

"I examine Ukraine’s reported August 30 strikes on the Kirishi oil refinery in Russia’s Leningrad region, the Yeysk and Millerovo airfields, drone-launch infrastructure, and a Pantsir-S1 system. Kirishi processes about 20 million tons of oil annually, making damage there relevant to Russia’s military fuel supply and war budget.

I also assess the reported car bombing of Olenivka prison official Dmitry Nelyov in occupied Donetsk, Russia’s drone attacks on Kyiv and Ukrainian book warehouses, battlefield pressure near Kostyantynivka and Pokrovsk, and the intelligence warning of a possible Russian northern threat toward Chernihiv or Kyiv. Finally, I consider gasoline shortages and rising AI-95 prices across Russia—and what they may reveal about the strategic effects of long-range strikes."