The election is over — now Putin is selling it as a mandate to continue the war
Putin directly addressed Russian troops: “This vote is for you. People believe in you, they believe in our victory.”
According to preliminary results, United Russia won around 58% of the party-list vote and prevailed in most single-member constituencies. If the current trend holds, it will take 355 of the 450 seats in the State Duma, giving it its largest parliamentary faction ever.
The Kremlin can now use the result as an argument for maintaining its current wartime course.
Analysts have pointed to possible steps including higher military and defense-industry spending, new restrictions and other unpopular measures. Speculation about another round of mobilization has not disappeared either.
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— @nexta_tv Sep 23, 2026
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Russia-Ukraine Conflict News Review – Gemini thenewsandtimes.blogspot.com…
— Michael Novakhov (@mikenov) Sep 23, 2026
From the DISPATCH on the Russian assassination plot in the US: “Sean Wiswesser, a former senior operations officer with the CIA and author of Tradecraft, Tactics, and Dirty Tricks: Russian Intelligence and Putin’s Secret War, told the Dispatch that the disrupted assassination plot is a failure of deterrence:
“We project weakness when we don’t respond to aggression like the Leipzig drone incident—armed drones poised to attack a key NATO logistics hub. Or for the United States, the GRU parcel bomb plot,” he said.
(Wiswesser) Referring to several incidents in which Russia sent explosive devices through European DHL shipping hubs with the possibility that they could be loaded onto planes headed to the United States [reported on by the NYT, among others].⚠️”This emboldens the Russians to keep trying more and more escalatory actions, because they feel they have not met any threshold, not yet.”
🙏🏻Kudos to @markbsawyer and the Dispatch for this good reporting on an important lack of deterrence!
— @Wiswesser Sep 23, 2026
CIA’s Insectothopter | The Story Behind The Dragonfly Spy Device | 365 News
#CIA #Insectothopter #SpyTechnology #IntelligenceHistory #DragonflyDrone #365News
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— @365dotNews Sep 23, 2026
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#CIA #FBI #Mossad UKRAINE WAR
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UKRAINE WAR
x.com/mikenov/status/2102744…Michael Novakhov (@mikenov) #Russia #Ukraine #News
Russia-Ukraine Conflict News Review – Gemini
share.gemini.google/JrHldRrG…
Here is a review of the key developments in the Russia-Ukraine war for today, September 23, 2026:
Aerial Warfare and Battlefield Developments
Daylight Strikes on Kyiv: Russia launched daytime drone attacks on the Ukrainian capital hours before President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s scheduled address to the UN General Assembly. The strikes hit a business center and other facilities, killing at least two people and wounding 23.Black Sea Cargo Ship Attacked: Russian forces attacked a cargo vessel sailing under the flag of Antigua and Barbuda in the Black Sea. The attack killed the ship’s captain, a Ukrainian citizen, and sparked a fire, forcing the crew to evacuate.
Ukrainian Strikes on Russian Energy: Ukraine continued its campaign against Russian energy infrastructure. Ukrainian special forces reported successful overnight strikes on oil refineries in Russia’s Samara (Kuibyshev) and Bashkortostan regions. Additionally, Ukraine’s Unmanned Systems Forces claimed to have hit 38 electrical substations in Russia and occupied territories under “Operation Crimean Switch Off”.
Frontline Clashes: The Ukrainian General Staff reported 247 combat engagements over the past 24 hours, noting that the fiercest fighting remains concentrated in the Pokrovsk and Kostiantynivka sectors.
Diplomatic Front at the UN General Assembly
Zelenskyy Meets Trump: President Zelenskyy met with US President Donald Trump in New York ahead of the UN General Assembly. Zelenskyy is seeking stronger commitments to secure Black Sea grain shipments and is requesting more US-made Patriot air defense systems to shield against ongoing bombardment. Reports indicate Trump provided no concrete answer regarding the provision of additional Patriot systems, which are currently in short supply due to competing global conflicts.Japanese Support: Zelenskyy also held talks with Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, securing reaffirmations of Japan’s continued support for Ukraine amid the ongoing conflict.
Broader Geopolitics and Sanctions
New US Sanctions on Russian Energy: President Trump signed the “Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026” into law. The legislation grants the US administration the authority to impose tariffs of up to 100% on countries that are top purchasers of Russian oil and gas, potentially putting major buyers like India and China in the crosshairs.Russia-Iran Strategic Planning: A leaked non-public Russian government document revealed efforts by Moscow to build a broad, sanctions-proof economic partnership with Iran. The roadmap outlines plans to bypass Western financial networks by expanding trade in national currencies, developing central bank digital currencies, and creating independent financial messaging systems.— https://x.com/mikenov/status/2102744743486660874
— Michael Novakhov (@mikenov) Sep 23, 2026
#Russia #Ukraine #News
Russia-Ukraine Conflict News Review – Gemini
share.gemini.google/JrHldRrG…
Here is a review of the key developments in the Russia-Ukraine war for today, September 23, 2026:
Aerial Warfare and Battlefield Developments
Daylight Strikes on Kyiv: Russia launched daytime drone attacks on the Ukrainian capital hours before President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s scheduled address to the UN General Assembly. The strikes hit a business center and other facilities, killing at least two people and wounding 23.Black Sea Cargo Ship Attacked: Russian forces attacked a cargo vessel sailing under the flag of Antigua and Barbuda in the Black Sea. The attack killed the ship’s captain, a Ukrainian citizen, and sparked a fire, forcing the crew to evacuate.
Ukrainian Strikes on Russian Energy: Ukraine continued its campaign against Russian energy infrastructure. Ukrainian special forces reported successful overnight strikes on oil refineries in Russia’s Samara (Kuibyshev) and Bashkortostan regions. Additionally, Ukraine’s Unmanned Systems Forces claimed to have hit 38 electrical substations in Russia and occupied territories under “Operation Crimean Switch Off”.
Frontline Clashes: The Ukrainian General Staff reported 247 combat engagements over the past 24 hours, noting that the fiercest fighting remains concentrated in the Pokrovsk and Kostiantynivka sectors.
Diplomatic Front at the UN General Assembly
Zelenskyy Meets Trump: President Zelenskyy met with US President Donald Trump in New York ahead of the UN General Assembly. Zelenskyy is seeking stronger commitments to secure Black Sea grain shipments and is requesting more US-made Patriot air defense systems to shield against ongoing bombardment. Reports indicate Trump provided no concrete answer regarding the provision of additional Patriot systems, which are currently in short supply due to competing global conflicts.Japanese Support: Zelenskyy also held talks with Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, securing reaffirmations of Japan’s continued support for Ukraine amid the ongoing conflict.
Broader Geopolitics and Sanctions
New US Sanctions on Russian Energy: President Trump signed the “Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026” into law. The legislation grants the US administration the authority to impose tariffs of up to 100% on countries that are top purchasers of Russian oil and gas, potentially putting major buyers like India and China in the crosshairs.Russia-Iran Strategic Planning: A leaked non-public Russian government document revealed efforts by Moscow to build a broad, sanctions-proof economic partnership with Iran. The roadmap outlines plans to bypass Western financial networks by expanding trade in national currencies, developing central bank digital currencies, and creating independent financial messaging systems.
— Michael Novakhov (@mikenov) Sep 23, 2026
Here is a review of the key developments in the Russia-Ukraine war for today, September 23, 2026:Aerial Warfare and Battlefield DevelopmentsDaylight Strikes on Kyiv: Russia launched daytime drone attacks on the Ukrainian capital hours before President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s scheduled address to the U
BREAKING | 🇷🇺🇵🇱‼️ A Russian Armed Forces Mi-8 helicopter violated Polish airspace today near the heavily militarized Kaliningrad region, prompting Poland to scramble fighter jets.
According to the Polish Armed Forces Operational Command, the helicopter entered Polish airspace north of Braniewo at 11:08, penetrating approximately 300 meters across the border and remaining there for 42 seconds. Polish radar systems tracked the aircraft throughout the incident, while ground forces and air-defense assets were placed on alert.
The Polish military says the nature of the incident indicates that Russia is once again testing the readiness of Poland’s air defenses. The extremely short and shallow incursion nevertheless triggered an immediate military response, highlighting the sensitivity of NATO airspace along the Kaliningrad border.
See the latest updates with us: @visionergeo
— @visionergeo Sep 23, 2026
Nato jets are scrambled as Russian military helicopter flies 1,000ft into Polish airspace ‘to test alliance defences’ trib.al/ue23Uqe
— @DailyMail Sep 23, 2026
Global News and Market Updates share.gemini.google/eRDOJQac…
— Michael Novakhov (@mikenov) Sep 23, 2026