Katie Zacharia claimed Trump was standing up for Americans by making a deal with Putin. But his hostility to Zelensky and Ukraine could backfire on him in the midterms. This week's Russia Report is free - but subscribe! therussiareport.substack.com…

BREAKING: Ukraine has carried out the world’s first medical evacuation of a human via a drone from the battlefield the 30th mechanised brigade of Ukraine managed to save their injured comrade from a minefield. Just absolutely insane.

Donald Trump says the Russian sanctions waiver is to help negotiate peace. But one Russian paper today writes: “We will make a deal with Ukraine entirely on our terms.” Another paper: “Russia’s borders, as we know, do not end anywhere.” #ReadingRussia

Russia launched a ballistic missile strike on Kyiv, killing one person, Ukraine’s emergency service said. Mayor Vitali Klitschko said the victim was a 21-year-old woman. Eight others were injured. Damage was reported in at least three districts of the city, including a metro station shown in the footage. Video: Ukrinform

Apt.

What a corrupt and depraved liar.

The trend this year continues – since the start of fall, our warriors have liberated more territory than the Russians have managed to capture. The same was true at other points this year. We continue to press the Russians at the front. Dobropillia, Kostiantynivka, Oleksiievo-Druzhkivka, Orikhiv, Novopavlivka, Novoandriivka, and Velykomykhailivka are all under Ukrainian control. We are also defending the areas near Kramatorsk and destroying Russian forces 20 kilometers from Zaporizhzhia, not 5, as someone over there in Russia is snowing Putin. Our front is strong, and I thank every warrior and every one of our units that is carrying out its tasks in full.

Had a conversation with the American President’s envoys, Steve Witkoff @SEPeaceMissions and Jared Kushner @jaredkushner. Peace comes only through strength and cooperation built on trust. We are doing everything on our part to make this happen, and to ensure that America’s position is strong and helps bring peace closer. Peace that everyone, except Russia, has been waiting for over the past four and a half years. In particular, we discussed the results of our teams’ meeting in Florida. Our teams maintain virtually nonstop communication. We are also preparing the next steps in diplomacy. We constantly inform our partners about the real situation with Russian strikes, which do not cease for a single minute, and about air defense issues. A lot here depends precisely on America’s position. Ukraine remains ready to work constructively, honestly, and toward a real result. I thank everyone in America who supports Ukraine and this particular approach.

"Let's give Russia some money to murder more Ukrainians while achieving no diesel price relief" is some serious outside-the-box thinking, it's so far outside the box that it's actually inside the asylum.

Odesa at this very moment. Russia is attacking residential buildings with drones.

A Russian Ozon seller is whining again about another marketplace warehouse getting hit, this time in St. Petersburg. Ozon has already canceled insurance payouts.

Russia's terror campaign against Ukraine continues. ▪️ Russia launched two overnight strikes on Zaporizhzhia, killing a 27-year-old woman and injuring two people, including a child. Two apartment buildings, an educational institution, and 18 vehicles were damaged. ▪️ In Poltava, a Russian strike damaged private homes. One person was killed, and four others were injured. A separate strike also hit the territory of an enterprise in Poltava district. Regional authorities reported no casualties there. ▪️ In Kharkiv region, Russian attacks over the past 24 hours injured 12 people. Apartment buildings, a gas station, shops, a hotel, a civilian enterprise, and power lines were damaged or destroyed. ▪️ Russian forces attacked three districts of Dnipropetrovsk region more than 10 times with drones and artillery. Three people were injured, while infrastructure and vehicles were damaged in Dnipro. ▪️ In Vinnytsia region, the attack damaged critical infrastructure. Power supply remains unstable, emergency outages are in effect, and critical infrastructure has switched to backup power sources. ▪️ Civilian infrastructure was also hit in Rivne region. The resulting fires have been contained, and emergency services are working to eliminate the consequences.

Murdered by Russians, Elizaveta Sorochyshyna, age 6. Today a funeral was held, at which relatives and family friends placed toys in her coffin. She died along with 23 others in the same day as Russjans targeted apartment buildings in Zaporizhia.

And his Russia deal won't win him many votes anyway. He may even lose votes.

Since the American President announced the energy ceasefire a week ago, Russia has deliberately attacked Ukraine’s energy and oil and gas sectors 76 times. Last night alone, there were strikes on substations in the Vinnytsia, Zhytomyr, Khmelnytskyi, and Odesa regions. Tens of thousands of families remain without power. Energy workers and repair crews are working virtually around the clock to restore electricity supply. Overnight, the Russians also struck residential buildings in our regions. As of now, 12 people have been reported injured, including two children. Two people have been killed. My condolences to their families and loved ones. This morning, there was a strike on an agricultural enterprise in Volyn. All necessary services are working at the site. In total, over this past week, the Russians have attacked Ukraine with almost 2,700 attack drones, 1,700 aerial bombs, and 66 missiles, most of them ballistic. The main targets of these strikes are energy facilities – the Russians are trying to cause a blackout. And America should see that Russia is not taking any reciprocal steps in response to sanctions relief or agreements. On the contrary, they take every signal of an opportunity to make money as proof that their bet on war is paying off and they can keep fighting. It is because of this position of Russia’s that the war continues, not because Ukraine is rightfully defending itself. It is Russia that must face pressure for peace to have a chance. Thank you to everyone who understands this and helps.

Praising an indicted war criminal and dictator who bombs civilian sites and kidnaps children to destroy a neighboring democracy. This is deplorable.

A burning Ozon warehouse in St. Petersburg.

Russian propaganda is now showing Russia and the US attacking Europe together. I wonder what Americans are thinking about the side they’re now supposedly on.

Sanctions relief will continue. I think the diesel deal and the move regarding the Lindsey Graham Act are not the end of it. Unfortunately. It’s unfortunate because we all had great respect for Lindsey. He devoted his life to America. We had an excellent relationship with him. And shortly before the tragedy, Lindsey was in Ukraine. He always supported us very strongly and pushed for as much assistance to Ukraine as possible. It’s difficult without him, I’ll be honest. I want to thank both Democrats and Republicans who supported his bill. That was a major victory: this truly bipartisan support. And now, the decision to undo all of this, to block all of it, seems wrong to me. And it definitely helps only the Russians. It only fuels their satisfaction and their desire to keep killing people. This certainly does not stop the war. From answers to journalists’ questions. (1/3)

Russia sentences four Ukrainians to 25 years or life for partisan resistance after ‘torture so bad you’d confess to anything’ khpg.org/en/1608816139

Russia continues to strike Ukraine’s energy and civilian infrastructure. More than 15 critical electricity generation and transmission facilities were attacked in various regions of the country. Russian attacks are killing and injuring civilians every day. Each of the small clips in this video breaks my heart. How much suffering and pain Russia brings us. Russia feeds on blood and suffering, and at some point just Ukraine’s suffering may not be enough for it. ▪️ In Kherson, a 62-year-old ambulance driver who had arrived to help the injured was killed. Twenty-one people were injured, including three children and a paramedic. ▪️ Russians dropped FAB-250 guided bombs on a residential area of Sloviansk in Donetsk region, hitting two apartment buildings. One person was killed and 10 more injured. There may still be people trapped under the rubble. ▪️ Five people were injured, including a child, in Zaporizhzhia region. ▪️ Russians attacked Sumy region with guided aerial bombs. A residential area was hit, and at least two people were injured. A man was killed. ▪️ In Odesa region. Private houses, an energy facility and a household goods manufacturing plant were damaged. Four people were injured. ▪️ In Rivne region, two people were injured. An industrial facility was hit. ▪️ In Chernihiv region, a paramedic and midwife station, a cultural centre, a school and residential buildings were damaged. 📹: State Emergency Service of Ukraine