The war in Ukraine has entered a critical phase, marked by a drastic change in Russian aerial terror tactics and unexpected internal admissions in Moscow of a looming economic catastrophe.
While the Kremlin is betting on ultra-modern unmanned aviation, European allies are readjusting their strategies against the backdrop of serious internal challenges in Kiev.
The Terror Drone Jet: The New Reality on the Front
Russia has officially redirected a significant part of its military capabilities and is now producing more kamikaze drone jets than conventional aircraft with internal combustion engines. Data from the Ukrainian Military Intelligence (GUR), cited by the specialized portal "Military" (mil.in.ua), indicate that by August 2026, the Russian military-industrial complex will produce about 3,000 turbojet drones of the "Geran-4" and "Geran-5" models. monthly, surpassing the base model "Geran-2" (about 2,800 units). These new devices can reach speeds of up to 500 km/h and resemble cruise missiles.
In parallel, satellite images have revealed that Russian forces have fully completed 16 new launchers for jet drones at the large-scale "Tsimbulova" droneport in the Oryol region (about 180 km from the border). The facility is secured with huge fields of hundreds of solar panels to autonomously power the navigation systems against possible network failures, the news agency reports. data-processed="true" data-sfc-cp="" data-sfc-root="ep" jsaction="" jscontroller="tP2kf#s32ZS" jsuid="oxH2d_15">UNIAN (unian.net).
The real target of the Russian strikes: "The route of the burnt gas stations"
The German authoritative publication Der Spiegel (spiegel.de) has published a large-scale analysis that identifies attacks on civilian fuel infrastructure as a key priority for Moscow. The journalists describe the phenomenon of a "road of burnt gas stations" in Ukraine, where over 200 facilities have already been burned to the ground by Russian drones. According to the publication, the main goal of these strikes is not simply to cause a deficit, but to instill mass fear, paralyze logistics and economically exhaust the country.
Kremlin banker predicted defeat for Russia
Against this backdrop, serious concern is rising at the highest level in Russia itself. The chief economist of the state corporation VEB.RF (known as the "Kremlin banker") Andrei Klepach made a sensational statement during an economic forum, reported by The Moscow Times (themoscowtimes.com). He admitted that Russia is losing technological and economic competition in the world and cannot win the current "war of attrition" while the West supports Kiev. Klepach warned that the Russian economy has entered a decline in 2026, civilian industries are in recession, and the growing damage from Ukrainian strikes on refineries, ports and factories will lead to an inevitable and sudden "social crisis", comparable to December 1916 before the February Revolution.
Political upheavals in Europe: Poland and corruption in Kiev
Western allies also face complex dilemmas. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk made a key statement on the occasion of Polish Army Day, quoted by RBC-Ukraine (rbc.ua), in which he openly admitted why Warsaw is obliged to help Kiev. Tusk stressed that support for Ukraine is not a "favor" or a gesture of goodwill, but a direct and pragmatic investment in Poland's own security to keep the Russian threat away from their borders.
At the same time, the German daily newspaper Berliner Zeitung (berliner-zeitung.de) published a critical article, defining the widespread corruption in Volodymyr Zelensky's inner circle as a huge “problem for Europe“. The publication notes that the new corruption scandals in Kiev are intensifying the previously uncharacteristic impatience and skepticism in Berlin and Brussels, seriously undermining Ukraine's chances for rapid integration into the European Union.