Deadliest Months of Deadliest Year of the War! (video commentary)

10/13/2026

I examine a dangerous convergence in Russia’s war against Ukraine: July through September have been the deadliest months of what is now the deadliest year of the five-year war, while Russia continues large-scale attacks on Ukrainian cities. On October 13, Ukraine reported five ballistic missiles, 108 drones, and loitering munitions in an overnight assault that killed and injured civilians, including at sites in Kharkiv, Rivne, and Dnipro.

I also assess President Zelensky’s statement that Ukraine received no advance warning from partners before the attack. That does not prove that U.S. intelligence sharing was fully cut off—Ukraine’s foreign minister said intelligence was still being received—but ballistic-missile launch warnings can save lives. Meanwhile, Ukraine reports strikes on an Iskander-M repair facility, a 96L6 radar supporting S-300/S-400 systems, and other military targets. I separate those claims from TASS’s poorly corroborated report that 604 Ukrainian drones targeted Russia, including 417 toward Moscow.

00:00 TASS claims a major Moscow drone attack
02:24 Ukraine’s reported strikes on Russian military targets
04:09 Russia’s overnight strikes on Ukrainian cities
06:38 Jet-powered drones and Ukraine’s air-defense challenge
10:46 Battlefield activity and reported Russian losses
12:33 The deadliest year and deadliest months of the war
14:06 Russian offensive capacity and strategic consequences