It’s always about the money, unfortunately US/Russian money. The war will end when Russia leaves. And crony capitalism will be all the more wealthier.
It's so bad that a European ally shared evidence of the planned business deals. A must-read.
details how U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, a real estate developer and Trump ally, met with Russia's Kirill Dmitriev and Jared Kushner to outline a Ukraine peace plan.
The talks reportedly aimed to reconnect Russia's $2 trillion economy to global markets after sanctions, giving American companies an edge over European ones. The White House stressed gathering input from both sides to end the war, while European leaders like Poland's Donald Tusk voiced concerns it prioritizes business over peace. Critics see corruption; supporters view it as pragmatic steps toward stability.
“Dmitriev & Witkoff meanwhile were chatting regularly by phone about increasingly ambitious proposals. The U.S. and Russia were discussing major agreements on oil-and-gas exploration & Arctic transportation, Dmitriev told the Journal.”
The Ukrainian Air Force reported on the overnight combined missile and drone attack. Shot down: 558/596 Shahed and other type drones; 1/5 Kh-47M2 Kinzhal aeroballistic missiles; 12/23 Kh-101/Iskander-K cruise missiles; 4/4 Iskander-M ballistic missiles; 2/4 Kh-59/69 cruise missiles
Russia launched another combined missile and drone strike primarily targeting Ukrainian energy infrastructure in Kyiv Oblast overnight on November 28 and 29, killing at least three civilians and injuring at least 52.[4] The Ukrainian Air Force reported that Russian forces launched 36 missiles — five Kinzhal and four Iskander-M ballistic missiles, and 23 Kh-101/Iskander-K and four Kh-59/69 cruise missiles — and 596 Shahed-type, Gerbera-type, and other strike drones.[5] The Ukrainian Air Force reported that Ukrainian forces shot down or suppressed 558 drones and one Kinzhal missile; 12 Kh-101/Iskander-K, four Iskander-M, and two Kh-59/69 missiles — but that 35 Russian drones and an unspecified number of missiles struck 22 locations. The Ukrainian Air Force added that debris of intercepted missiles and drones fell in 17 locations. Ukrainian officials, including Ukraine’s Ministry of Energy, stated that Russian forces struck energy infrastructure facilities in Kyiv, Chernihiv, Sumy, Poltava, and Kharkiv oblasts, leaving over 500,000 energy customers in Kyiv City, 100,000 in Kyiv Oblast, and nearly 8,000 in Kharkiv Oblast without power.[6] Kyiv City and Kyiv Oblast officials reported that Russian strikes against civilian infrastructure killed at least three people and injured at least 52, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated that Russian strikes aim to undermine Ukrainian energy infrastructure ahead of Winter 2025 to 2026.[8]
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Russian forces are supporting offensive operations along the frontlines and appear to be targeting Ukrainian aircraft involved in air defense operations with modified Shahed (Geran) drones…. Ukrainian Deputy Defense Minister for Innovation Lieutenant Colonel Yurii Myronenko told the Business Insider in an article published on November 27 that Russian forces recently started using operator-controlled Shahed drones, which communicate via antennas in occupied Ukraine, in strikes near the frontlines (as opposed to Shahed drones with preplanned routes and targets that Russian forces have historically used in strikes against Ukraine’s deep rear areas).[10] Myronenko stated that it is more challenging for Ukrainian forces to counter these Shaheds because Russian drone operators can quickly react and engage with Ukrainian fixed-wing aircraft or helicopters, which Ukrainian forces have been using to shoot down Russian drones. Business Insider noted that there have been no confirmed instances of Russian Shahed drones intercepting Ukrainian aircraft at this time. A serviceman of the Ukrainian 4th Special Purpose Regiment told Business Insider that increased Russian Shahed production rates are enabling Russian forces to increasingly use Shaheds to support offensive operations along the frontline. Ukraine’s Main Military Intelligence Directorate (GUR) also reported that Russian forces are actively using the new Iranian-produced Shahed-107 drones on the battlefield in Ukraine.[11] ISW reported that Russian forces augmented their offensive operations against Pokrovsk with Shahed drone strikes over Spring-Summer 2025 and began to pursue moving targets, such as trains, with modified Shahed drones as early as October 2025.[12]
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a Kushner-Witkoff grift resembles a 2018 "Marshall Plan" grift
The real story may lie in the (2018) so-called “Trump/Putin Middle East Marshall Plan Concept,” a plan pushed by an American company with ties to Michael Flynn that became an immediate and major priority of the Trump White House. It was the kind of deal that would be central to any quid pro quo relating to Russia’s election interference and sanctions relief, and large enough to pull in the Gulf states too.
(2018) The “Middle East Marshall Plan” backed by Michael Flynn.
There has been intense speculation around a mysterious meeting in the Seychelles between representatives of the Trump administration and Russia. Right before Trump’s inauguration, Erik Prince, a prominent Trump backer and founder of the Blackwater private security company, met with:
- UAE Crown Prince Mohamed Bin Zayed (MbZ)
- George Nader, a lobbyist for the UAE who is now cooperating with the Mueller investigation, and
- Kirill Dmitriev, the head of the Russia Direct Investment Fund (RDIF), Russia’s sovereign wealth fund.
The Washington Post reported in March that, according to people familiar with the matter, this meeting “was an effort to establish a back channel between the incoming administration and the Kremlin.” The backchannel explanation certainly fits an established pattern — Jared Kushner just a month earlier had suggested one to Russia’s ambassador using their Washington embassy.
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Setting up a back channel might have been an objective of this meeting, but it seems doubtful it was the objective. In fact, the New York Times just reported that the meeting was “brokered in part to explore the possibility of a back channel.” So what was the other part? One possibility is that they were there to cut a deal.
Similar plans had been floating around for years and had been pitched to the Obama administration State Department, where they were non-starters, particularly after Russia’s seizure of Crimea and subsequent US sanctions. However, with Trump, the idea came back to life.
The Plan and its Backers
The so-called Middle East Marshall Plan was a convoluted idea that brought the US and Russia together to build nuclear power plants in the Middle East, possibly in conjunction with Ukrainian, Israeli, and French interests. The Russians would manufacture much of the nuclear equipment, while the US would provide certain nuclear technology as well as security for the plants to limit the proliferation risk. Hundreds of billions of dollars in funding for the scheme would come from the Gulf States, particularly the UAE and Saudi Arabia. Thus, the three critical players in this scheme would be the US, Russia, and a wealthy Gulf state (or states) — perfectly mirroring the representatives at the Seychelles meeting.
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- Russian state media is leveraging Russian President Vladimir Putin’s recent statements to intensify the false narrative that the frontline in Ukraine will imminently collapse, likely in an effort to coerce the West and Ukraine into capitulating to Russian demands that Russia cannot secure itself militarily. ISW continues to assess that the frontline in Ukraine is not facing imminent collapse.
- Russia launched another combined missile and drone strike primarily targeting Ukrainian energy infrastructure in Kyiv Oblast overnight on November 28 and 29, killing at least three civilians and injuring at least 52.
- Ukrainian forces recently struck two Russian shadow fleet oil tankers in the Black Sea — the first time Ukrainian forces attacked shadow fleet vessels. Ukrainian forces also struck and a marine terminal with unmanned surface vehicles (USVs) amid continued drone strikes against Russian oil refineries and military infrastructure.
- The Russian economy continues to show signs of fracturing as Russia continues to prioritize its war time economy over stability.
- Balloons from Belarusian airspace continued incursions into NATO airspace in Lithuania overnight on November 28 to 29.
- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed that Ukrainian National Security and Defense Council Secretary Rustem Umerov is leading a Ukrainian delegation to the United States.
- Ukrainian forces recently advanced near Novopavlivka. Russian forces recently advanced in the Kostyantynivka-Druzhkivka tactical area and near Kupyansk.
https://t.co/J03nnuFYLf
**General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine**
*Operational information as of 22:00 on 29.11.2025 regarding the Russian invasion*
Since the beginning of the day, there have been 260 combat clashes.
The enemy launched one missile and 33 air strikes on the positions of our troops and populated areas, using 36 missiles and dropping 86 guided bombs, carried out 2,697 shellings and 2,509 strikes with kamikaze drones.
- - In the North Slobozhansky and Kursk directions, Ukrainian soldiers repelled two assault operations by the occupiers. In addition, the enemy carried out seven air strikes, dropping 15 guided bombs, and carried out 138 shelling attacks on the positions of our troops and populated areas, including six with multiple launch rocket systems.
- - In the South Slobozhanskyi direction, Ukrainian soldiers repelled nine attacks near the settlements of Vovchansk, Prylipka, Vovchanski Khutory, Kolodyazne, and in the direction of Kutkivka.
- - In the Kupiansk direction, the enemy made 11 attempts to dislodge our units from their positions near the settlements of Pishchane, Kolisnykivka, Novoplatonivka, and in the direction of Nova Kruhlyakivka, Hlushevka, and Petropavlivka.
- - In the Lyman direction, the enemy carried out 22 attacks, trying to advance in the areas of the settlements of Novoyegorivka, Kopanki, Novovodyane, Serednie, Karpivka, Derylove, Novoselivka, Kolodyazi, Zarichne, and in the direction of Stepove. Eight combat clashes are still ongoing.
- - In the Sloviansk direction, our soldiers repelled nine enemy attacks in the areas of the settlements of Yampil and Serebryanka.
- - In the Kramatorsk direction, the Defense Forces successfully stopped four enemy attempts to advance near Chasovoy Yar, Novomarkovka, and Vasyukivka.
- - The enemy made 23 attempts to break through our defenses in the Kostyantynivka direction in the areas of Oleksandro-Shultyne, Shcherbinivka, Pleshchiivka, Yablunivka, Rusyne Yar, and towards Sofiivka.
- - During the day, the aggressor carried out 76 assaults and offensive actions in the areas of the settlements of Volodymyrivka, Mayak, Chervonyi Lyman, Rodynske, Myrnohrad, Novoeekonomichne, Pokrovsk, Lysivka, Kotlyne, Udachne, Molodetsk, Novoserhiivka, and Filiya. Currently, fighting is ongoing in two locations.
- According to preliminary estimates, Ukrainian soldiers neutralized 142 occupiers in this direction, 108 of them irrevocably. Eight vehicles and eight unmanned aerial vehicles were destroyed. In addition, three vehicles were damaged, a UAV control point and three shelters for personnel were hit.
- - In the Oleksandrivka direction, our defenders stopped 44 enemy attacks in the areas of the settlements of Zelenyi Hai, Tovste, Sosnivka, Oleksandrograd, Sichneve, Vyshneve, Pryvillia, and Rybne.
- - In the Huliaipole direction, 15 combat clashes were recorded in the areas of the settlements of Pryvillia, Solodke, and in the direction of Huliaipole.
- - In the Orikhiv direction, since the beginning of the day, the enemy has carried out ten offensive actions near Stepnogorsk, Stepove, and in the direction of Mala Tokmachka and Novoandriivka.
- - In the Dnipro direction, no combat engagements have been recorded at this time.
Glory to Ukrainian soldiers!
Glory to Ukraine!
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Ukrainian forces recently struck two Russian shadow fleet oil tankers in the Black Sea — the first time Ukrainian forces attacked shadow fleet vessels. Ukrainian forces also struck a marine terminal with unmanned surface vehicles (USVs) amid continued drone strikes against Russian oil refineries and military infrastructure. A source in Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) told Ukrainian broadcaster Suspilne on November 29 that the SBU and the Ukrainian Navy conducted a joint strike against the KAIRO and VIRAT oil tankers — both of which are sanctioned as being part of Russia’s shadow fleet — in the Black Sea with modernized Sea Baby USVs.[13] The source shared footage showing the USVs striking the tankers and stated that the strike caused critical damage and effectively decommissioned the tankers. The source stated that the oil tankers were empty and were heading towards the port in Novorossiysk, Krasnodar Krai at the time of the strike. Geolocated footage published on November 28 and 29 shows the KAIRO tanker burning northeast of Istanbul in the Black Sea.[14] Türkiye’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) reported on November 29 that the Turkish General Directorate of Coastal Safety evacuated 25 personnel from the KAIROS tanker and that evacuation teams are waiting at a safe distance to begin rescue operations for personnel on the VIRAT tanker.[15] Russian milbloggers claimed that Ukrainian forces targeted Gambian-flagged tankers and accused Ukraine of violating an informal “non-aggression pact” with Russia for the grain corridor in the Black Sea in an effort to falsely portray Ukraine as an untrustworthy negotiator amidst the peace deal negotiations.[16] Russia formally withdrew from the Black Sea Grain Initiative on July 17, 2023, which allowed safe exports of grain through the Black Sea, not operations of the Russian shadow fleet.[17] Other Russian milbloggers criticized the Russian Black Sea Fleet command for failing to defend against Ukrainian recurrent USV strikes and for withdrawing vessels from ports in occupied Crimea.[18]
The Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC) international oil transportation initiative reported that Ukrainian USVs damaged one of the outrigger mooring devices at the CPC marine terminal near Novorossiysk on November 29.[19] The CPC reported that Novorossiysk suspended loading and other operations at the terminal and that the CPC towed tankers from the terminal. The CPC stated that emergency protection systems shut down oil pipelines and that no oil spilled into the Black Sea as a result of the strike.
The Ukrainian Unmanned Systems Forces (USF) reported that USF and Ukrainian Special Operations Forces (SSO) elements jointly struck the Afipsky Oil Refinery in Krasnodar Krai on the night of November 28 to 29.[20] The USF reported that Afipsky Oil Refinery is a key oil refining enterprise in southern Russia that has a refining capacity of 6.25 million tons of oil per year — or 2.1 percent of Russia’s total oil refining capacity. Geolocated footage published on November 29 shows a fire at the Afipsky Oil Refinery, and the USF reported that Ukraine is clarifying the outcome of the strike.[21] A local Krasnodar Krai source reported that Ukrainian drone strikes started a 250-square-meter fire at the refinery and damaged technical equipment but did not damage the fuel storage tanks.[22] The Ukrainian General Staff confirmed on November 29 that Ukrainian strikes destroyed a RV-5000 vertical tank at the Tuapse Marine Oil Terminal in Krasnodar Krai on November 25.[23]
The Ukrainian General Staff reported that Ukrainian forces also struck the Beriev Aircraft Repair Plant in Taganrog, Rostov Oblast overnight on November 29, causing a fire at the repair shop for the Tu-95 strategic bomber aircraft.[24] The Ukrainian General Staff reported that Russia uses the repair plant to modernize the Tu-95s and the A-50 airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) aircraft. Footage published on November 28 also shows the storage facility for Shahed batteries on fire at the Alabuga Special Economic Zone, but the cause of the fire is unclear.[25]
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