Notes and Essays -- John Brown

European leaders say Moscow's escalated “hybrid war” against Europe includes online disinformation, cyberattacks and threats to use nuclear weapons.  An E.U. flag flutters in front of the main government building in Kyiv on Sept. 8, 2025, the day after it was damaged in a Russian airstrike. (Genya Savilov/AFP/Getty Images) By Catherine Belton The Washington Post October 6, 2026 original article contains links As Ukraine’s European backers deal with myriad challenges at home — violent student protests in France, political upheaval in Germany and a mounting fuel crisis across the continent — Russian President Vladimir Putin is counting on a collapse of European support for Kyiv in the coming months, Russian and European officials and analysts say. The Russian economy is struggling under the weight of international sanctions, and the Kremlin is laboring to cover a yawning budget deficit. But after Putin’s party secured a scripted win in parliamentary elections last month and Russian ...

Moscow says its capture of the region is inevitable. But Kyiv has so far stymied Russian efforts to encircle Ukrainian “fortress belt” cities. At Least 20 People Killed Across Ukraine From Russian Airstrikes 0:52 At least 20 people were killed across Ukraine from Russian airstrikes on Wednesday, according to Ukrainian officials. Moscow has escalated its air war on Ukrainian cities as a ground advance stalls in the eastern Donbas region. Credit Credit... Genya Savilov for Getty Images By Marc Santora and Josh Holder The New York Times Oct. 7, 2026 Updated 4:12 p.m. ET   Original article contains very informative maps   The Russian president, Vladimir V. Putin, has repeatedly said that the fall of the Donbas region in eastern Ukraine is inevitable and will happen faster than Kyiv thinks. Recent trends on the battlefield paint a different picture. A monthslong Ukrainian counteroffensive in the northern part of the Donbas has thwarted Russian efforts to encircle the remaining Ukra...