Tag: ukraine

Ukrainian Anti-Corruption Prosecutors Say Zelensky’s Right-Hand Man Yermak Turned to Fortune Teller To Cast Spells and ‘Eliminate Enemies’

Yermak sought the counsel of ‘Veronika Feng Shui’, who urged him to ‘eliminate his enemies’ while still in power.

It turns out that Volodymyr Zelensky’s right-hand man, Andriy Yermak, turned to a fortune teller amid the political turmoil that ended with him in pretrial arrest.

We first reported this story back in February, when Russian RT brought ‘a story that would have had all the markings of pure Moscow propaganda, if it were not brought by a Ukrainian source with knowledge of the inner workings of the Kiev regime’.

Former press secretary to Volodymyr Zelensky, Yulia Mendel, had claimed that Yermak sought help from witches of various stripes – shady occultists gathering ‘water from corpses’, burning herbs, and performing dark rituals – as you can read in: Former Ukrainian Official Denounces Regime Reliance on Witchcraft – Disgraced Gray Eminence Andriy Yermak Said To Mess With Corpses, Burned Herbs, and Perform Dark Rituals.

Many people may have dismissed this story as a fantasy by one disgruntled employee amplified by the Russian propaganda machine – but now, the reports have resurfaced, with iron-clad Ukrainian sources and copious amounts of evidence.

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With GOP Help, House Dems Force Vote To Give Another $1.3 Billion To Ukraine – Rep Dan Bacon Is Working For The Blob Agenda, Not America

In a rebellion defying the priorities of Speaker Mike Johnson, House Democrats have teamed up with two Republicans and an independent in a parliamentary maneuver that will force a vote on a bill that would give another $1.3 billion in military aid and other assistance to Ukraine, as that country continues to lose territory in its war with Russia.  

“We look forward to seeing the House pass this bill quickly and encourage the Senate to take it up without delay. The ​brave men and women of Ukraine ​are waiting,” said NY Rep. Gregory Meeks, ranking member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee and the author of the bill.  

All 215 House Democrats signed a discharge petition, a means by which representatives can bypass House leadership’s agenda-setting role and compel a vote on a bill. Seldom used over House history, discharge petitions are showing their potency in a House ruled by a narrow majority, as is the case today. Most famously, Republican Rep. Thomas Massie and Democratic Rep. Ro Khanna used the maneuver last year to compel a vote on forcing the release of the Epstein investigation files. For this Ukraine bill, the Democrats were joined by two Republicans — Pennsylvania Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick and Nebraska Rep. Don Bacon — along with California independent Kevin Kiley, who earlier this year left the GOP. 

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Zelensky’s Right-Hand Man Andriy Yermak Gets Pre-Trial Arrest in Corruption Probe, Bail Set at $3 Million 

Is Yermak taking the fall for ‘Vova’?

We have long been reporting on the fall of Volodymyr Zelensky’s right-hand man, Andriy Yermak, now officially charged with money laundering in the ‘Operation Midas’ corruption investigation.

And now, his prospects for fleeing Ukraine like Zelensky’s partner Timur Mindich have diminished, as he is arrested and surrenders his passports.

Reuters reported:

“Ukraine’s anti-corruption court ​on Thursday ordered ‌the arrest of Andriy Yermak, ​a close ​ally of President Volodymyr ⁠Zelenskiy and ​former head of ​his administration, on money-laundering charges.

The court ​also set ​bail at 140 million ‌hryvnias ($3.19 ⁠million), which would allow Yermak, who has denied ​the ​allegations ⁠against him, to be ​released pending ​a ⁠final ruling in his ⁠case.”

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Russia Launches Massive Drone And Missile Assault On Ukrainian Western Border Crossings Amid Escalation Signs. Pentagon Halts 4,000 Troop Deployment To Poland.

In one of the largest aerial assaults of the ongoing conflict, Russia on Wednesday unleashed hundreds of kamikaze drones and missiles targeting Ukrainian infrastructure, with a notable focus on border crossings to Western neighbors. Ukrainian officials and regional reports described the strikes as unprecedented in scale, raising concerns about efforts to isolate Ukraine economically and logistically from Europe.

According to Ukrainian Air Force data, Russian forces launched 753 strike drones—primarily Geran-2 (Shahed-type) models, along with decoys—between 08:00 and 18:30 local time. Air defenses reportedly neutralized or suppressed around 710 of them, though strikes caused damage in multiple regions, including western areas near NATO borders, reported Military.com.

At least 150 Geran-2 drones specifically targeted Ukraine-side border crossings with Poland, according to preliminary assessments. Slovakia temporarily closed all its border crossings with Ukraine for security reasons after Russian drones approached the Zakarpattia region and the city of Uzhhorod. Operations resumed after a brief suspension.

Drones were also spotted in Moldovan airspace during the assault. Moldovan authorities reported the incursion but took no interceptive action, observing the drones flying near the Romanian border, wrote Spectator.

The attacks included a significant missile component, with reports of hypersonic Kinzhal missiles among the strikes on targets across Ukraine.

Analysts and observers note that the emphasis on western border infrastructure suggests an intent to disrupt not only weapons flows but also cross-border trade and economic links. This comes as some describe the conflict shifting from Russia’s initial “special military operation” framing to a more conventional full-scale war.

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‘Zelensky thrives on war, why would he end it?’: Former press secretary exposes Ukraine’s posturing

Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky is prolonging his country’s conflict with Russia in order to enrich himself and his associates in his cabinet, former spokeswoman Yulia Mendel has claimed in an interview with Tucker Carlson.

Mendel, Zelensky’s press secretary from 2019 to 2021, launched a series of stinging allegations of corruption and drug use as Andrey Yermak, Zelensky’s former influential chief of staff, was named a suspect in a money laundering case. Zelensky’s longtime former business partner, Timur Mindich, fled the country last year to avoid arrest in connection with another major corruption scandal involving energy-sector kickbacks that has seen several other close associates of the Ukrainian leader placed under suspicion.

In an episode of the Tucker Carlson Show released on Monday, Mendel described her former boss as a “dictator” who has grown “detached from reality” and employed “thousands of talking heads” to craft a favorable image both at home and abroad.

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Trump Also Says That the Russia-Ukraine War Will End Very Soon

Is the war about to end?

The war between Russia and Ukraine entered its fifth year, and while the advances by Moscow troops is nowhere as fast as last year, the war is still ongoing, as brutal as ever.

People around the world were surprised, when on Sunday, after their ‘Victory Day’ parade, Russian President Vladimir Putin stated that he believed that the war in Ukraine was near the end.

Yesterday, this statement was reinforced by Kremlin’s spokesman Dmitri Peskov.

So, today, US President Donald J. Trump came to public to say the very same thing: the war is almost over.

Reuters reported:

“President Donald Trump said ​on Tuesday that ‌the war in Ukraine is very ​close to ​ending and he believes ⁠there will be ​a settlement between ​Russia and Ukraine.

‘The end of the war ​in Ukraine I ​really think it’s getting ‌very ⁠close’, Trump told reporters as he left the White ​House ​for ⁠a trip to China. ​Trump’s comments echoed those ​made ⁠by Russian President Vladimir Putin ⁠on ​Saturday.”

Putin has admitted that Trump is the only foreign head of state that truly wants to bring an end to the war between Russia and Ukraine.

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Tulsi Gabbard Launches Investigation on 120 US-Funded Biolabs – Dozens Located in Ukraine

Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard has launched an investigation of more than 120 biological laboratories overseas that have received U.S. tax dollars for decades.

Gabbard told the New York Post on Monday that her team is going to “identify where these labs are, what pathogens they contain and what ‘research’ is being conducted to end dangerous gain-of-function research that threatens the health and wellbeing of the American people and the world.”

“The COVID-19 pandemic revealed the catastrophic global impact research on dangerous pathogens in biolabs can have,” Gabbard said. “Yet despite these obvious dangers, politicians, so-called health professionals, like Dr. Fauci, and entities within the Biden administration’s national security team lied to the American people about the existence of these US-funded and supported biolabs and threatened those who attempted to expose the truth.”

In May of 2024, the National Institute of Health Principal Deputy Director Lawrence Tabak admitted to Congress that tax dollars funded gain-of-function research at the Wuhan Institute of Virology in China, making viruses 10,000 times more infectious.

According to officials within the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, the laboratories under review are spread across more than 30 countries.

Many reportedly received support through a Pentagon program which was originally established after the Cold War to secure or dismantle weapons-related materials and prevent the spread of biological and chemical threats.

The report said that more than 40 of the facilities being reviewed are located in Ukraine. Intelligence officials cited concerns that laboratories in active conflict zones could face risks of compromise or disruption due to the war in the country.

Arguments have been made that lax oversight of research funding often flowing through federal agencies to grantees and subawardees creates a quagmire that prevents Americans from knowing whether potentially dangerous experiments are being conducted on their dime without their consent.

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Zelensky Touts That 20 Countries Seek Ukraine Drone Deals

Ukraine is emerging as a global drone export powerhouse, coming fresh off vast experience gained in over four years of war with Russia – or at least that’s the image Kiev is seeking to present to the world.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Monday that nearly 20 countries are pursuing drone agreements with Ukraine, with four deals already finalized.

Agreements already confirmed include deals with Germany, Norway and the Netherlands, alongside ‌long-term security partnerships with Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates which were inked in late March as Zelensky personally toured the Gulf, even amid the ongoing Iran war, according to Reuters.

Zelensky has been offering Ukraine’s services and drone supplies to Gulf countries as a cheaper, effective alternative to dwindling and costly American-supplied anti-air defenses.

“Nearly 20 countries are currently involved at various stages: 4 agreements have already been signed, and the first contracts under these agreements are now being prepared,” Zelensky has newly proclaimed on X.

“Ukraine has ​already ⁠started to receive the necessary volume of fuel thanks to the agreements,” Zelensky also stated. Interestingly, he’s also of late been pitching being a supplier of battlefield robots, as we’ve detailed before.

Starting in April, Zelensky had hailed that Ukrainian personnel were able to help partners build effective air defenses using interceptor drones to combat Iranian Shaheds.

Low-cost interceptor drones deployed by Ukraine are among the most effective ways to combat the inexpensive $20,000 Shaheds, as a war of attrition makes little economic sense when interceptor missiles cost hundreds of thousands of dollars or more.

Ukraine has had four years to develop low-cost one-way attack drones and interceptors during its war with Russia. Now, this technology is clearly being exported across multiple theaters in Eurasia.

Zelensky did not identify the countries or the exact interceptor drones used in his comments at the time, but it is possible that Octopus-100 autonomous interceptor drones were deployed.

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Zelensky’s Former Right-Hand Man Andriy Yermak Charged by Anti-Corruption Bureau in Sprawling Graft Probe

Allegations of corruption, and even of witchcraft, have plagued Yermak.

We have been reporting throughout the last year about the rise and fall of Andriy Yermak, Volodymyr Zelensky’s grey eminence, and formerly the second most powerful man in Ukraine.

You can read here: KIEV REGIME INFIGHTING: Zelensky’s ‘Grey Eminence’ Yermak Is on a Power Grab, Trying To Replace Top Ukrainian Spy Budanov – White House Brands Him ‘A Liability’ Linked to Hunter Biden

In July of last year, Zelensky tried to strip the Ukrainian Anti-Corruption Agencies of power for investigating officials linked to Yermak, unleashing a wave of public popular protests for the first time during the war, so he had to backtrack.

TASS reported:

“The National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO) have brought charges against Andrey Yermak, the former head of Vladimir Zelensky’s office, according to posts on the Telegram channels of both agencies.

‘NABU and SAP have uncovered an organized group involved in the laundering of 460 million hryvnias (roughly 10.5 million dollars) in luxury construction projects near Kiev. Charges have been brought against one of the group’s members, former head of Vladimir Zelensky’s office’, the statement reads.”

The charges involve ‘laundering of property obtained through criminal means’, a crime with a penalty of 8 to 15 years, with confiscation of property.

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When one man, a civilian, controls the kill switch for military ops

In September 2022, Ukrainian forces prepared to launch a drone strike on the Russian naval fleet anchored off Crimea. The drones never arrived.

Elon Musk had decided, unilaterally, not to activate Starlink coverage over the region. But he wasn’t simply declining to help. SpaceX had already been managing battlefield access for both sides: restricting Russian use, imposing speed limits to prevent drone integration, and maintaining a verified whitelist with Ukraine’s Ministry of Defense. One private citizen, with no security clearance and no accountability to any electorate, was governing the battlefield connectivity of an active war.

The public debate treats this as a story about Elon Musk — his politics, his proximity to the White House, his X posts. That framing lets the actual problem off the hook. Replace Musk with the most patriotic, internationalist, apolitical CEO imaginable and the structural problem remains identical. The Pentagon has spent a decade building critical military functions on infrastructure it can’t legally compel, and the consequences are now arriving in real time.

A common reflex is to argue that private defense contractors have always been central to American military power. Lockheed Martin builds the F-35; Raytheon builds the Patriot. What’s different now is the control plane: who has real-time administrative control during use. When the government buys a tank, it owns it. The keys don’t expire. The manufacturer can’t disable it mid-mission or impose terms in combat. Software and AI are different. Vendors keep ongoing control — updates, access, and usage limits. They don’t sell a capability; they license access to one, and the license has conditions.

Those conditions have already collided with active operations. After months of failed negotiations, the Pentagon formally designated the AI firm Anthropic a supply-chain risk because of restrictions on how its model could be used. The Pentagon was explicit in its decision: “The military will not allow a vendor to insert itself into the chain of command.” Emil Michael, the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering, described the moment he fully grasped the vulnerability: Anthropic’s models were already embedded across combatant commands and intelligence agencies, wired into classified workflows. Anthropic retained the control plane inside the Pentagon’s cloud — able to update, restrict, or shut off access. When Michael raised hypothetical crisis scenarios, Dario Amodei, CEO of Anthropic, offered exceptions case by case. “Just call me if you need another exception,” Michael recalls him saying. In a genuine crisis, a commander can’t call a vendor to authorize military action, nor should he have to.

This isn’t about whether Anthropic’s rules are reasonable. They weren’t set by anyone accountable to the joint force, there’s no override mechanism, and the Pentagon had made itself dependent on systems it doesn’t control.

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