A house burns after a Ukrainian drone attack in the village of Subbotino in the Moscow region, Russia, May 17, 2026
EA-Ukraine VideoCast: Kyiv’s Retaliation v. Russia’s Mass Killings
I joined Ukrainian journalist Daniel Tkiie on Monday for a 35-minute deep dive into the latest developments around Ukraine’s resistance of Russia’s invasion.
We focus on the military, political, and psychological effects of Ukraine’s counter-attacks inside Russia, including a mass drone assault on the Moscow region last Saturday.
While avoiding any framing of this as a “turning point”, I highlight the significance as Ukraine moves from resistance to strength and as the Kremlin shows concern over its stalled “special military operation”.
We look at the political and economic situation inside Russia, with Vladimir Putin failing to meet the “social contract” with his people. I reiteratre that he has not been able to deliver an advance on the frontlines, including the capture of the Donetsk region in eastern Ukraine.
Narratives matter. The narrative of a Russian breakthrough on the frontlines, and even of Russia breaking Ukraine with aerial attacks, has been replaced by “How much damage is Ukraine causing?”
When that narrative takes hold, then the Russians are on the defensive.
We also discuss whether Belarus will enter the war to help Moscow, and Donald Trump’s embrace of autocrats like Belarusian leader Aleksandr Lukashenko and Vladimir Putin.
And, speaking of autocrats, I explain how China’s Xi Jinping manipulated Trump in their summit in Beijing.
