re: Latest Updates: Russia-Ukraine Conflict.

kinetic sanctions update...

Drone Strike Halts Rosneft Oil Refinery Operations

By Charles Kennedy - Aug 11, 2025, 10:30 AM CDT

A Sunday drone attack on the Saratov refinery, owned by Russia’s oil giant Rosneft, prompted the facility to halt the intake of crude oil, a source with knowledge of the matter told Bloomberg on Monday.

The Saratov Refinery in the Volga region has the capacity to process 140,000 barrels per day (bpd) of crude, but it has now been forced offline due to Ukrainian drone strikes.

The Saratov refinery, which has been part of Rosneft since 2013, typically processes Russia’s flagship Urals crude oil and Saratovskoye field crude oil from the pipeline, as well as crude oil from the Orenburg fields shipped by rail.

The refinery has become the third Russian crude processing facility to have been damaged by Ukrainian drone strikes so far in August.

The halt to three major refineries would mean that Russia will see lower domestic gasoline and diesel supply while it will have more crude available for export as it doesn’t have too much storage for the unprocessed crude.

Last week, reports emerged that Russia is preparing to sharply increase crude oil exports this month after Ukrainian drone strikes disabled two major refineries, prompting a shift toward western port shipments.

OilPrice

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Ukraine could disrupt those supply lines if they hit them. Why they haven't been hitting those relentlessly already I have no idea. However, even if they did it all comes down to capabilities. Ukraine does not have the weapons or manpower to launch any type of sustained counter offensive.

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They don't need a counteroffensive if the Russians can get no ammo or food.
It also would be about timing and other factors, like weather... if I were planinng it, anyway. I wouldn't hit them and let them get used to repairing them piecemeal.

Looks like Miss Lindsey has been served a dose of reality. Different rhetoric from his Kiev visits. Miss Lindsey eating crow.

Yes I 100% expect the welchers in Europe and Z to kill any deal.

But Miss Lindsey has scaled his tone and rhetoric back. I bet that interview was tough to watch for the Ukraine Firsters.
But that is what you get when you put your hope in the charlatan Graham and a liar like DaNang Dick.

Google AI Mode summary of russian propaganda related to upcoming Putin - Trump meeting. Sounds familiar.

Ahead of a potential Putin-Trump meeting, Russian propaganda efforts are likely to focus on several key themes:

Discrediting Ukraine and minimizing its role in negotiations: Russian narratives will aim to portray Ukraine as unwilling to pursue peace, making unrealistic demands, and dependent on the US and Russia for its fate.

Undermining international solidarity: Propaganda may emphasize that only Moscow and Washington control European security and that Europe cannot act independently, seeking to create divisions between Kyiv, Washington, and the EU.

Promoting Russia's strength and equal standing with the US: The meeting may be used to convey that Putin is on par with Trump and that Russia is a major player in global security alongside the US.

Exploiting concerns about sanctions: Russian propaganda is likely to spread messages about the alleged ineffectiveness of sanctions and their negative impact on the US and EU economies.

Framing any territorial concessions as a "swap" rather than a loss: Despite occupying significant Ukrainian territory, Russia may attempt to portray any potential territorial changes as a mutually beneficial exchange.

These efforts aim to shape the narrative around the meeting, pressure Ukraine, sow discord within the international community, and reinforce Russia's perceived strength and legitimacy on the world stage.

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Might not matter. Z and his European handlers seem to be against any type of agreement where Russia gets to keep any territory.

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This is incorrect.

Zelensky and the Ukrainians have made clear that they are willing to give up the area the Russians are holding on to if they are given security guarantees assuring that the Russians don't start it all up all over again in five minutes, something that Russia is obviously planning on doing.

Keep in mind, the 'deal' the Russians are putting out there calls for a ceasefire - NOT THE END OF THE WAR, A CEASEFIRE - if the Ukrainians give up a huge chunk of land and agree to no security measures:

BULLSHITE RUSSIAN 'PEACE DEAL'

No damned fool on the planet would agree to this if it was their own country and if Z even floated the idea of agreeing to this nonsense his own country would probably hang him for treason.

So the fight goes on.

He literally said in a video address from his office in Kiev that any deal that requires Ukraine to give up any territory will not be accepted. That was 2 days ago. Essentially neither side is going to back down and because of that I don't see things getting any better for Ukraine moving forward.

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Google AI Mode summary

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The jokes write themselves

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He literally said in a video address from his office in Kiev that any deal that requires Ukraine to give up any territory will not be accepted. That was 2 days ago. Essentially neither side is going to back down and because of that I don't see things getting any better for Ukraine moving forward.

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You may be correct, but who in their right mind starts caving in before talks start? No one.

And it is more complicated than a land swap. There are other issues yo consider; like NATO, security assurances and who monitors the treaty.

I’m not optimistic either, but if there is a way Trump can pull it off he will. I believe he had a rough idea of where each side stands and he plans to mediate thing with a strong voice.

That maybe closer than most people think