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 | Unconditional Acceptance: Putin’s New Terms Stun Europe | Oct. 31, 2026

Source: The Duran youtube



Description: 

Putin's 90 minute call with Finland's Alexander Stubb and Norway's Jonas Gahr Støre went nowhere, and the Kremlin readout now demands unconditional acceptance of Russia's terms. In this episode we break down why Stubb is angling to become Europe's chief negotiator, why London spun a false Financial Times story, and why the push for a Ukraine ceasefire on current lines keeps hitting a wall. With Witkoff, Kushner and Dmitriev floating Arctic and energy deals, who is really stringing who along?

Timeline:
00:00:00 Putin's call with Stubb and Støre; Norway refutes the FT
00:01:16 UK sources working to block diplomacy
00:02:47 Frederiksen and EU hardliners furious over the call
00:03:47 Stubb and Støre refloat the old Donbas proposal
00:04:53 Putin demands unconditional acceptance of Russia's terms
00:06:06 Why the call happened; Finland's growing concerns
00:07:23 Stubb's bid to be Europe's chief negotiator
00:09:19 Is US intelligence backing Stubb?
00:11:17 Why Putin takes every call
00:12:12 Europe's nightmare: separate deals with Russia
00:15:57 The real goal: a ceasefire on current lines
00:18:57 Echoes of unconditional surrender
00:24:12 Why not von der Leyen or Kaja Kallas?
00:27:23 Arctic deals, energy talks and the sanctions reality
00:31:07 Who's stringing who along?

Alexander Mercouris | Ten US Jets Surge to Israel, Insane Iran War Plan Unfolds | Oct. 30, 2026

Source: Danny Haiphong youtube, Alexander Mercouris youtube, The Duran youtube



Description: 

Co-host of The Duran and geopolitical analyst Alexander Mercouris joins to discuss the massive escalation building up for another round of strikes by the US and Israel, and what impact midterm elections, Israeli elections, and Western emergency alert panic are having on the geopolitical landscape. Plus, a full deep dive into the news and analysis on the Middle East (West Asia), the Ukraine conflict, and much more!

The Duran | Ursula Pushes Canada as EU Associate; Colby Tells Baltics to Calm Down | Oct. 30, 2026

Source: The Duran youtube



Description: 

Alexander Mercouris and Alex Christoforou discuss Ursula von der Leyen pressing for Canada as an EU associate member, a large Russian missile strike, and Ukrainian attacks on refineries. They say Elbridge Colby told the Baltic states to calm their rhetoric toward Russia, and that US talk of de-escalation with Iran is cover for a return to war within weeks.

Alexander Mercouris | Zelensky Exits Kiev Prior Big Russian Strike All Ukraine Missile Projects Ended; Putin Hardens Line | Oct. 29, 2026

Source: Alexander Mercouris youtube



Description: 

Ukraine's flagship missile programs are finished, and Alexander explains why the Flamingo cruise missile and the FP7 and FP9 ballistic missiles were really cancelled as Zelensky leaves Kiev ahead of a massive Russian strike. He also covers the Russian advance near Orekhov and Dobropolye, the growing campaign against the Dnieper bridges, the stalled Freya air defense project, and the striking phrase in the Kremlin readout of Putin's call with Stubb and Store. Is Putin now signaling a demand that goes far beyond Istanbul plus?

Timeline:
00:00:00 Intro
00:00:31 Putin hosts African leaders in Moscow
00:01:51 Zelensky leaves Kiev for the Netherlands and UK
00:04:56 Big Russian missile and drone strike expected
00:07:25 Firepoint ends the Flamingo cruise missile
00:16:26 Why the Flamingo program really collapsed
00:18:24 FP7 and FP9 ballistic missiles cancelled
00:22:11 The S300 missile and the Taurus theory
00:27:10 Ukraine now depends on drones alone
00:30:40 Russian advance speeding up despite autumn rains
00:31:53 Ukrainian defenses north of Orekhov collapse
00:32:42 Dobropolye, Leman and Sumy fronts
00:35:43 Russian buildup near Aleshki and Kherson
00:39:08 The Freya air defense project delayed
00:44:36 Russia targets substations and Dnieper bridges
00:49:08 Iskander accuracy and the Rassvet satellite theory
00:53:22 Norway debunks the FT on the Putin call
00:57:52 Ushakov shuts Europe out of Abu Dhabi
00:59:48 Putin's "without any conditions" readout
01:07:28 Gordon Hahn on tougher Russian demands

The Duran | Putin’s Security Gamble; Musk, Starlink and CIA's Ukraine Conflict | Oct. 28, 2026

Source: The Duran youtube



Description: 

In this episode we break down a new Atlantic article confirming that CIA director John Ratcliffe is running Project Ukraine, while Elon Musk accuses Zelensky of violating Starlink's terms of service and draws a hard line between Starlink and the Pentagon's Starshield. As the Starlink fight exposes a deep power struggle inside the Trump administration, Putin keeps betting on Dmitriev, Witkoff and Kushner to deliver a new European security architecture that Rubio insists is only about Donbas. Who is really running Washington's Russia policy, and does Putin's unusual diplomacy stand any chance?

Timeline:
00:00:00 Atlantic article: CIA and Ratcliffe run Project Ukraine
00:01:57 Power struggle in Washington: CIA vs Musk
00:04:43 The Starlink Wars explained
00:06:48 Ratcliffe's close ties to Trump
00:09:06 Ratcliffe's Moscow trip and Putin message
00:11:16 Tulsi Gabbard sidelined and the neocon faction
00:12:47 Bessent, Vance and Musk on the other side
00:14:03 Starlink vs Starshield: civilian and military
00:16:31 Musk's X posts on Ukraine terms of service
00:20:10 Provisioning issue and Russian jamming risk
00:23:18 Did the CIA tell Ukraine to ignore the rules?
00:26:43 Ukraine caught between the CIA and Musk
00:28:38 Putin, Dmitriev, Witkoff and Kushner talks
00:31:08 Putin's push for a new European security architecture
00:35:56 Why Lavrov and Rubio sat out the talks

Alexander Mercouris | Huge Russian Kiev Strike; Missile Smashes Key Bridge; EU Blinks; Putin Unyielding When Leaders Call | Oct. 27, 2026

Source: Alexander Mercouris youtube



Description: 

Alexander Mercouris says last night's Russian strike on Kiev used about 20 ballistic missiles and hit the South Bridge, a road and rail crossing he calls the main logistics link for Ukrainian forces east of the Dnieper. He says photos show a hole in the railway that is enough to close the bridge, and that Norway's prime minister Jonas Gahr Støre and Finland's president Alexander Stubb then called Vladimir Putin to ask for a slowdown, which the Kremlin readout shows he refused.

Jeffrey Sachs | 4 point peace plan that could end the Ukraine conflict | Oct. 27, 2026

Source: The Duran youtube



Description:
Professor Jeffrey Sachs joins Alex Christoforou and Alexander Mercouris on The Duran to lay out a four point peace plan he believes could end the Ukraine conflict almost immediately. Sachs traces the crisis back to the 1990 NATO non expansion pledges made by Genscher, Baker and Kohl, then explains how an end to NATO enlargement, Ukrainian neutrality modeled on Austria and Ireland, a path to EU candidacy and a negotiated armistice line could restore inclusive security in Europe. If Europe's leaders already admit all of this in private, why won't a single one of them say it in public?

00:00:00 Introduction with Professor Jeffrey Sachs
00:01:51 Empty platitudes and the case for a real peace plan
00:04:21 The conflict began in 2014, not 2022
00:04:58 Inclusive security and the Helsinki Final Act
00:08:35 1990 pledges from Genscher, Baker and Kohl
00:12:08 Weakening Russia after 1991 and Brzezinski's vision
00:13:38 Point one: NATO must end eastward enlargement
00:16:55 Point two: Ukrainian neutrality
00:17:25 Point three: EU candidacy modeled on Austria and Ireland
00:20:33 Point four: The territorial question
00:24:30 Minsk II, Merkel and the South Tyrol model
00:30:27 An armistice line to stop the fighting
00:35:09 Mercouris: The West denied Russia agency in 1990
00:39:16 Why Germany and Merz must take responsibility
00:41:45 European leaders who whisper but won't say it publicly 

Alexander Mercouris | Protests Across Europe & End of the Ukraine Peace Talks? | Oct. 26, 2026

Source: Glenn Diesen youtube, Alexander Mercouris youtube, The Duran youtube



Description: 

Alexander Mercouris tells Glenn Diesen that Europe is under economic stress, with falling living standards in France and the same pressure in Britain and Germany, and that people are in the streets because they feel the political system no longer responds.

He says both sides have agreed to sit down, but Ukraine, the Europeans, and Marco Rubio treat the talks as being about Donbass and territory, while Russia says the subject is Europe's security architecture.

Timeline:
00:00:00 The State of Europe: Economic and Social Unrest
00:05:48 The Impact of War on European Stability
00:12:05 Diplomatic Dynamics: Russia, Ukraine, and the West
00:17:59 Revisiting Security Architecture in Europe
00:26:33 The Political Landscape of Ukraine
00:27:32 Demonization of Russia and European Unity
00:28:38 The Existential Threat of Peace
00:30:33 The American Influence on Ukraine
00:32:33 The Dynamics of U.S.-Ukraine Relations
00:36:23 Negotiation Challenges and Military Strategies
00:38:09 Shifts in the Battlefield
00:46:11 The Impact of Middle Eastern Conflicts on U.S. Strategy

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 

Alexander Mercouris | Putin slams EU protest response; CIA key Ukraine war role; study debunks big Russian losses claims | Oct. 25, 2026

Source: Alexander Mercouris youtube



Description:
A major article in The Atlantic confirms what The Duran has argued for years: the CIA sits at the center of Ukraine's intelligence, targeting and drone campaign, and that role has grown under Donald Trump and CIA Director John Ratcliffe. Alexander breaks down this admission alongside Elon Musk's statement that Ukraine's front line would collapse without Starlink, Putin's denial of any role in Europe's protests, and a National Defense University of Finland study that challenges Western claims about Russian and Ukrainian losses. If Washington is running the campaign and shaping the casualty numbers, how much of what the West believes about this conflict is actually true?

Episode 2058
0:00 Revelations from The Atlantic, Musk and Putin
0:40 Putin denies any role in Europe's protests
4:54 The Atlantic on the CIA's role in Ukraine
7:56 CIA support grew under Trump and Ratcliffe
9:45 Putin's 2024 warning on long range missiles
12:47 Storm Shadow and US guidance technology
16:32 Why the drone and missile offensive failed
18:36 Why The Atlantic article appears now
19:53 Russia's strike campaign across Ukraine
24:46 Recriminations in Washington and the sanctions parallel
30:55 Ratcliffe's growing influence over Trump
38:02 Musk says Ukraine misused Starlink
46:26 Musk admits Ukraine depends on Starlink
52:50 Could Washington end the conflict tomorrow
55:52 Can Western casualty figures be trusted
57:33 Finnish study challenges Russian losses claims
1:06:30 Doubts over Mediazona's numbers
1:16:48 Putin's reported aims east of the Dnieper
1:21:18 Why a Dnieper crossing is near impossible
1:25:29 Front line update

The Duran | Merz Fixated on Defeating Russia; CDU Eyes Wüst as AfD Weidel Rises | Oct. 25, 2026

Source: The Duran youtube



Description: 

German Chancellor Merz has made a startling admission: Russia, not the German economy, is his overriding priority. In this episode we break down how this revealing statement could hasten his replacement by Wüst, while Alice Weidel and the AfD gain traction by accusing Merz of acting like the chancellor of Ukraine. Is Weidel on a Thatcher style path to power, and will Germany's establishment move to stop her?

Timeline:
00:00:00 Merz says only Russia matters
00:01:58 A rare frank admission from Merz
00:03:12 Germans losing jobs while Merz looks east
00:05:27 Will the CDU push Merz out
00:07:18 Germany's political class and Russia
00:09:32 Hendrik Wüst waiting in the wings
00:11:55 Can Germany survive without Russian resources
00:14:54 Alice Weidel dominates the Bundestag
00:16:31 Divisions inside the AfD
00:19:26 Is Weidel Germany's Margaret Thatcher

The Duran | Let's Talks About Some News (Live) | Oct. 23, 2026

Source: The Duran youtube



Description:
The Duran discusses: Let's Talks About Some News (Live) - Oct. 23. 

Alexander Mercouris | Russia Tells US No Concessions Restates Full Demands; Massively Hits Kiev; South Bridge Hit; Orekhov | Oct. 22, 2026

Source: Alexander Mercouris youtube



Description: 

Russia has made it clear there will be no concessions, with Sergei Ryabkov saying any deal must reflect the realities on the ground, Russia's constitution and a binding guarantee that Ukraine never joins NATO. Alexander explains why the Donbass for NATO trade is dead, why Moscow is playing for time before the Abu Dhabi talks, and what the strike on Kiev's South Bridge, the empty air defenses and the advances around Orekhov and Lyman reveal about where the conflict is heading. Is Washington even listening to what Putin told Witkoff?

Timeline:
00:00:00 Recap of the Putin Witkoff meeting
00:01:59 Ryabkov explains the St Petersburg talks
00:04:56 Changed realities and constitutional realities
00:09:40 No Donbass for NATO trade
00:15:44 Why talks are set for November 10
00:18:05 Does Witkoff grasp Putin's message
00:20:42 Trump's plan for Iran, APEC and peace by December
00:23:42 Lavrov on promises that bind no successor
00:29:02 The missing security guarantees document
00:35:52 Russia wants a binding neutrality treaty
00:39:20 Why Russia keeps negotiating
00:46:40 Telegraph admits time favors Russia
00:48:40 Why amateur diplomacy keeps failing
00:55:05 Massive Kiev strike hits the South Bridge
00:57:43 Poland admits it has no air defenses left
01:01:40 Surovikin and the cat and mouse strategy
01:06:46 The campaign against the Dnieper bridges
01:09:03 Kiev energy crisis and the substations
01:12:12 Zaporozhye, Orekhov and Lyman advances
01:18:16 Izium shelling, Iran strike and Abu Dhabi doubts

Alexander Mercouris | Putin Trashes EU/Kiev Offer In Witkoff Meeting; No Truce November Talks; Russia To Bomb Kiev Bridge | Oct. 21, 2026

Source: Alexander Mercouris youtube



Description: 

Vladimir Putin has dismissed the Oslo plan Steve Witkoff carried to St Petersburg, telling him the European and Kiev proposals offered little useful for ending the Ukraine conflict. Alexander explains why forcing Russia to choose between Donbas and Ukraine staying out of NATO was always doomed, why the November 10 trilateral talks will come with no ceasefire, and why recent Russian glide bomb strikes near the Kiev and Dnipro bridges look like rehearsals for something bigger as forces close in on Zaporozhye. With Zelensky refusing every concession and Biletsky now running the Donbas battle, is a negotiated settlement still possible at all?

Timeline:
00:00:00 Intro and the latest US push
00:01:40 Putin rejects the Witkoff proposals
00:03:09 How we got here: Anchorage and the drone offensive
00:07:43 Russia's air campaign cripples Ukraine
00:08:38 Glide bombs near the Kiev and Dnipro bridges
00:12:20 Europe asks Washington to reopen talks
00:15:10 The Trump Zelensky diesel dispute
00:19:57 Why Zelensky refuses every concession
00:25:22 Oslo meeting and the Donbas or NATO plan
00:28:55 Ushakov's readout of the St Petersburg talks
00:33:14 Talks set for November 10 with no ceasefire
00:37:46 A new European security architecture?
00:40:25 Lavrov on reversible US concessions
00:42:34 Why the meeting lasted three hours
00:44:46 Hubbard, diesel, Middle East and the APEC idea
00:47:01 Li Qiang in St Petersburg and the China factor
00:50:06 Kaja Kallas and the endless conflict option
00:52:16 Why Russia will return for the Kiev bridges
00:59:35 Zaporozhye front: Kamianske and Malokaterynivka
01:05:24 ISW numbers, Operation Vivaldi and Biletsky

The Duran | France and the hollowing out of Europe | Oct. 21, 2026

Source: The Duran youtube



Description:
France is in flames and Macron has left the country, but in this episode we argue this is not just a French crisis, it is a European one rooted in a Brussels center that now controls borders, migration, the euro, foreign policy and Project Ukraine. From Orban and Georgescu to Meloni, Le Pen, Merz and the AfD, we explain why national governments can no longer answer to their own voters, and why Macron may already have his eyes on the European Central Bank as Lagarde moves on. Will the EU outlive the very nations it was built on?

The Duran: Episode 2654
00:00:00 France protests spread across Europe
00:01:00 Why France is the flash point again
00:02:16 Migration, economics and fear of conflict
00:03:53 Weak governments under a Brussels center
00:07:14 France under pressure from EU policy
00:09:38 There is no France without sovereignty
00:10:26 Orban, Georgescu and the price of dissent
00:11:43 Meloni falls in line, Le Pen softens
00:14:28 The EU will destroy member states first
00:17:27 Five years of meetings about Ukraine money
00:19:34 Macron's speech and his exit to the Middle East
00:22:47 Macron's next move: the European Central Bank?
00:26:00 Project Ukraine as the test of loyalty
00:29:08 Burning of the town hall and cultural violence
00:32:32 Europe's future: tourism and the military
00:34:12 Germany's AfD split, east versus west
00:38:04 Britain, Brexit and the London establishment
00:41:14 What is the EU? Treaties and Aztec gods
00:44:16 Mercouris on the France he loves 

The Duran | Desperate Maneuvers To Get Russia To Stop | Oct. 20, 2026

Source: The Duran youtube



Description: 

Europe and Washington are quietly drafting a new offer for Moscow, and Russia is almost certain to say no. In this episode we break down the Financial Times report on Europe's two option plan, Witkoff's Oslo talks, the rumored Trump Putin Xi meeting at APEC, and why the public Trump Zelensky feud may be cover for coordinated escalation through Starlink and Star Shield. Is the West setting up Russia's rejection as the excuse for one last big round of escalation?

Timeline:
00:00:00 Russia grinding Ukraine down as Western diplomacy turns chaotic
00:00:48 Rumored Trump Xi Putin meeting at APEC in China
00:01:16 Witkoff in Oslo and a possible trip to Moscow
00:01:42 Financial Times reveals Europe's two option plan
00:02:59 Endgame since September and the West's push for a freeze
00:04:16 Ratcliffe threats and Witkoff Kushner offers rejected
00:06:47 Was the tripartite summit really Putin's idea?
00:09:07 Trump links the meeting to denuclearization
00:10:39 Why China won't want a three way meeting
00:12:30 Rassvet, Oreshnik and Ukraine's financial crisis
00:14:49 Trump Zelensky feud versus quiet US Europe coordination
00:18:46 Starlink, Star Shield and the intelligence sharing confusion
00:21:08 Kellogg plan, the summer drone offensive and Vietnam parallels
00:26:10 Zelensky lobbies US senators against Trump
00:32:05 Through the fog: Russia will say no

The Duran | Graham 500% sanctions collapse; Zelensky wants €155 billion | Oct. 19, 2026

Source: The Duran youtube



Description:
Donald Trump has waived Lindsey Graham's sanctions, shelving the 500% penalties on Russian oil. The episode argues the Graham-Blumenthal bill was a trap ahead of the midterms, while Zelensky arrives in Brussels asking for more money and warning of 20 million refugees. It also asks how the EU funded its 90 billion euro Ukraine loan, and whether Russia's frozen assets in Euroclear are being used as collateral.

The Duran, episode 2652.

0:00 Trump waives Lindsey Graham's sanctions
0:58 Why 500% sanctions on Russian oil was always a bad idea
3:11 Strait of Hormuz, Red Sea and the global energy crunch
4:13 Trump's waiver authority and why it is rational
5:12 Why did Trump let this bill get so far?
7:13 A neocon setup for a Putin puppet narrative
9:40 The tariff trap after the Supreme Court ruling
12:47 Blumenthal and Congress react with fury
14:27 Midterms, investigations and impeachment talk
16:32 Zelensky in Brussels asks for another 70 billion euros
18:30 Who is funding the 90 billion euro loan?
21:02 Merz and Sikorski refuse to hand frozen assets to the US
23:52 Are frozen assets being used as collateral?
26:05 How the asset freeze backfired on Europe
28:45 Zelensky warns of 20 million Ukrainian refugees 

The Duran | Dobropillia Falls; Kramatorsk Cauldron Looms; Ukraine Out of Air Defense | Oct. 18, 2026

Source: The Duran youtube



Description: 

The Duran on Dobropillia falling and Russia moving to encircle Kramatorsk and Slavyansk. The episode covers Gerasimov's battlefield update, the collapse of Ukraine's Operation Vivaldi near Liman, Putin's signal that talks with Zelensky are off the table, and depleted Patriot and THAAD stockpiles.

The Duran: Episode 2651

Timeline:
00:00:00 Dobropillia captured, Kramatorsk and Slavyansk next
00:01:37 Gerasimov confirms the fall of Dobropillia
00:03:35 Azov commander sacked, Aleksandrovka captured
00:05:02 Kharkov pocket cleared and Operation Vivaldi fails
00:06:52 Energy and Dnieper bridge strikes, Putin's orders
00:07:26 Putin and Peskov signal no negotiations with Zelensky
00:08:33 Ukraine without air defense and the Rassvet system
00:12:04 Russia outproduces the collective West
00:14:53 US Patriot and THAAD stockpiles depleted until 2030
00:17:31 Storm Shadows, Greek and Spanish Patriots, Trump's question

Alexander Mercouris | Putin Tells Generals Keep Striking Ukraine Russia Takes Dobropilia Key Towns; Trump Waives Sanctions | Oct. 17, 2026

Source: Alexander Mercouris youtube



Description: 

Episode 2052. Alexander breaks down General Gerasimov's briefing to Putin, confirming the fall of Dobropillia, the capture of Oleksiievo Druzhkivka and Russian troops entering Druzhkivka as the pincers close around Kramatorsk and Sloviansk. He explains why the sacking of Azov commander Prokopenko, the stalled Operation Vivaldi and Putin's order to keep up strikes on bridges, rail and energy point to a deepening crisis for Ukraine, while Zelensky asks the EU for 155 billion euros and Trump waives Lindsey Graham's bone crushing sanctions. Is the battle for Kramatorsk about to begin?

Timeline:
00:00:00 A dramatic 24 hours in Ukraine
00:01:43 Gerasimov briefs Putin
00:02:53 Is Gerasimov credible?
00:05:10 Dobropillia falls
00:07:12 Why no flags in parts of Dobropillia
00:11:34 Oleksiievo Druzhkivka captured
00:14:11 Russians enter Druzhkivka
00:16:11 Azov commander Prokopenko sacked
00:17:39 Rybar: Biletsky rushed south
00:20:09 Operation Vivaldi stalls
00:23:30 Biletsky and Prokopenko outmatched
00:29:23 Velyka Mykhailivka and Serhiivka
00:33:10 Malokaterynivka, 5 km from Zaporizhzhia?
00:38:54 Kharkov cauldron cleared
00:42:11 Air campaign on bridges, rail and energy
00:43:53 Putin: strikes must continue
00:48:47 Geran drones, Rassvet and Musk
00:54:59 Zelensky asks EU for 155 billion
01:00:42 Zelensky's 20 million refugee warning
01:07:21 Trump waives Graham sanctions