Alexander Mercouris | Russia Attacks Ships In NATO Waters; Tightens Black Sea Blockade; Dnipro Railway Dnieper Bridge Hit | Oct. 31, 2026

Source: Alexander Mercouris youtube



Description: 

Russia's Black Sea blockade has quietly expanded into the territorial waters of Romania and Bulgaria, with sea drones sinking cargo ships bound for Ukraine near Constanta and Varna while NATO stays silent. Alexander breaks down the strikes on the Dnipro bridge and railway station, the Starlink feud between Elon Musk and the US intelligence community, the 500 PAC 3 interceptors Ukraine will not see until 2030, and Lavrov's sharp exchange at the G20 in Atlanta. Has the Black Sea become a Russian lake while the West looks the other way?

Timeline:
00:00:00 Intro
00:00:35 Fresh Russian strikes on Kiev
00:01:07 Dnieper bridge in Dnipro hit
00:04:33 Kiev South Bridge and Zaporozhye bridge status
00:06:39 Dnipro railway station struck
00:11:00 Eleven cargo ships sunk in the Black Sea
00:14:28 Ships hit in Romanian and Bulgarian waters
00:15:28 The Bulgarian presidential election angle
00:18:44 Russian sea drones and the Turkish Straits
00:22:57 Black Sea becomes a Russian lake
00:27:08 Russian satellite over Kiev during the strike
00:30:43 Rassvet satellites and Iskander precision
00:35:45 Ukraine refinery strikes defy Trump
00:41:51 The Atlantic, Elon Musk and the Starlink fight
00:48:31 500 PAC 3 interceptors that do not exist yet
00:58:43 Lavrov at the G20 in Atlanta
01:03:32 Lavrov rebuffs Deutsche Welle on Putin and Zelensky
01:07:18 Oleshky ceasefire and front line advances
01:16:55 Europe far behind on diplomacy and Abu Dhabi
01:19:21 Iran island plans and the Snake Island lesson

The Duran | Lula stuns Bolsonaro; Serbia Student List defeats Vucic; Bulgaria elections | Oct. 26, 2026

Source: The Duran youtube



Description:
Lula has snatched a razor thin victory over Flavio Bolsonaro in Brazil's presidential runoff, while Serbia's snap parliamentary elections handed the Student List a stunning win over Vucic's party after 14 years in power. In this episode we break down Bolsonaro's refusal to concede, what Lula's win means for BRICS, Ursula von der Leyen's double celebration, and whether Serbia's new rulers will turn on Russia and Kosovo as Bulgaria swings the opposite way. Is Brussels winning in Belgrade just as it starts losing Sofia?

The Duran: Episode 2658
00:00:00 Election Sunday: Brazil and Serbia surprise results
00:01:17 Lula beats Bolsonaro in a razor thin runoff
00:04:32 Polls kept open and Bolsonaro refuses to concede
00:06:54 Ursula congratulates Lula on multilateralism
00:08:25 Lula, Moscow and the BRICS Trojan horse problem
00:09:28 Why Putin and Xi are relieved Brazil stays in BRICS
00:12:43 Did Trump's backing cost Bolsonaro the election
00:15:54 Was BRICS expansion a mistake
00:18:41 Lula at 80 and the real Lula
00:19:53 Brazil bucks Latin America's shift right and the Milei factor
00:21:33 Serbia: the Student List defeats Vucic's party
00:23:11 Color revolution influence inside the Student List
00:25:13 Vucic's 14 years of cynical balancing
00:28:50 Russia sanctions, Kosovo and Bosnia: what comes next
00:35:20 Bulgaria turns against Brussels but the euro limits it 

Paul Stonehill | Bulgarian Indiana Jones and The Mystery of the Missing Thracian King | June 25, 2025

Source: Paul Stonehill youtube

Description:
Georgi Kitov, dubbed the "Bulgarian Indiana Jones," was a Thracian archaeology expert who died in 2008. He led excavations in Bulgaria’s "Valley of the Kings," uncovering significant Thracian tombs despite government indifference and competition from treasure hunters.

In 2004, near Kazanlak, his team found a mid-5th-century BCE tomb with a gold mask, possibly of King Teres I, and treasures like armor, weapons, and 130 jewelry pieces. Another 2004 discovery was the intact tomb of King Seuthes III (290–275 BCE) at Goliamata Kosmatka, containing a golden wreath, kylix, bronze helmet, and a detailed bronze head of Seuthes, linked to Thracian Orphic rituals.

The tomb, the richest found, held 1 kg of gold and 90 artifacts, but only four teeth of Seuthes were found, leaving his fate a mystery. Seuthes III ruled Thrace under Macedonian dominance, rebelling unsuccessfully, and built the organized city of Seuthopolis. The report highlights Bulgaria’s archaeological wealth, Thrace’s harsh climate, and Kitov’s legacy, quoting his 2008 view on the importance of knowing the past.

Paul Stonehill | Intruiging Archeological Finds in Southeastern Europe | June 15, 2025

Source: Paul Stonehill youtube



Description:

In Plovdiv, Bulgaria, archaeologists uncovered a marble statue head of the Greek goddess Tyche, patroness of good fortune, at the Episcopal Basilica. Dating between the late 1st and mid-3rd century CE, it likely belonged to a 2.5-meter statue in a sanctuary predating the Christian basilica, reflecting the coexistence of pagan and Christian traditions in ancient Philippopolis.

The city, founded as a Thracian settlement, was later incorporated by Philip II, conquered by Romans, and became a key provincial capital. Further excavations may reveal additional artifacts.

In central Turkey, at the ancient Hittite city of Shapinuwa (modern Ortakoy), a 3,300-year-old bronze helmet from the 13th century BCE was found. This rare artifact, linked to the Hittite Empire, showcases their advanced metallurgy and chariot warfare.

Found on a sacrificial bench, it suggests a dual role in combat and religious rituals, possibly offered to the storm god. The helmet’s design, with rivets and protective flaps, mirrors depictions in Hittite art, indicating standardized military equipment.

Shapinuwa was a major military and religious center, and this find highlights the Hittites’ complex interplay of war, religion, and diplomacy, with similar helmets gifted to Egyptian pharaohs. The artifact is displayed at the Corum Museum.