russia Has a HUGE Problem—and Budanov Knows Why (video commentary)

08/15/2026

Thank You for Standing With Ukraine https://ukrainesupport…

Ukraine’s long-range strike campaign is rolling again, but the most important warning in this update comes from Kyrylo Budanov: “The Kremlin never dominates. It manipulates.” His comments at the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra frame a much larger battle over Russian propaganda, history, and influence that he says will continue into the future.

We also look at more than 370 reported long-range Ukrainian weapons in the air, Fire Point’s publicly released footage of an FP-5 Flamingo launch, and growing geopolitical pressure involving China, Japan, Russia, Turkey, and the United States. China publicly backed Russia’s position on the Kuril Islands, while Moscow challenged U.S.-origin weapons reaching Ukraine through Turkey.

Then the information war comes directly into the American conversation. We examine President Donald Trump’s comments about Kim Jong Un and Tucker Carlson’s argument that attacks on Russian targets are intended to force Putin into escalation. I explain why I believe Budanov’s warning about Kremlin manipulation is the thread connecting these stories—and why understanding that influence matters for Ukraine and the West.