L Todd Wood and Pete Blaber lay out the infighting between rival gangs of the Ukrainian regime.
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With the war in the Middle East now in its sixth consecutive month, a new reality is beginning to set in among the once-peaceful Gulf states, one in which this war continues indefinitely.

Nations like the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Oman have borne the brunt of America’s war with Iran, as traffic to many Gulf ports near Hormuz has slowed to a crawl.

The amphibious assault ship USS Wasp (LHD 1) sails in the Philippine Sea Aug. 26, 2018 during a Passing Exercise (PASSEX) with the Japan Maritime Self Defense Force.

On Tuesday, following the Houthis’ attack on oil infrastructure in Saudi Arabia, the price of oil surged, with Brent Crude going as high as $99 before trading at around $98.5 a barrel as of Tuesday afternoon. It’s the first time oil has reached that mark since July.

This has already been reflected in U.S. gas prices, with GasBuddy stating in its weekly report that while average gas prices had dropped a couple of cents from a week before, they had reached $4.09 per gallon, which represented a 10.6-cent increase from a month earlier and 90.8 cents per gallon from a year ago.

For a limited time, our listeners get 50% off F

Ukraine Needs Patriot Missiles, Fast – Russia resumed its long-range, large-scale missile and drone strikes across Ukraine overnight into Tuesday, September 8, killing at least five people and injuring dozens more just as Kyiv presented allies with a request for hundreds more air defense interceptors intended to counter Russian attacks.

Ukraine: We Need More Patriot Missiles 
The fresh missile and drone bombardment followed a brief, three-day pause in attacks on Kyiv while U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner traveled to Moscow and the Ukrainian capital.

The American military’s underwater drone that Iran claimed to capture near the Strait of Hormuz on Tuesday was an older Anduril Dive-LD model that was “defective and malfunctioning well before” the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps announced its so-called seizure, according to a source at U.S. Central Command.
“The drone was essentially dead in the water for more than a day,” Centcom spokesperson Navy Capt. Tim Hawkins told DefenseScoop.

Could THIS be the SA80’s replacement?

The Defense Innovation Unit and its industry partner Honeywell Aerospace recently flight-tested quantum sensing technology as the Pentagon pursues new navigation capabilities that aren’t dependent on GPS.
According to a Sept. 4 announcement, the test involved a magnetic navigation (MagNav) system that was installed on an Embraer 170 jet that made a round-trip journey over the Pacific Ocean between Seattle’s Puget Sound and southern Alaska.

Over the weekend, U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner visited Russia and Ukraine, and their visit to Kyiv on Sunday marked their first trip to Ukraine since Russia’s 2022 invasion.

According to Al Jazeera, Kushner and Witkoff met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to try to kickstart stalled peace talks.

Vladimir Putin in Murmansk (2025-03-27). Image Credit: Creative Commons.

Putin November 2022. Image Credit: Creative Commons.

“It is very important that the delegation has arrived to see us.

A Navy-Russia standoff. A board game.

Welcome to The Ukraine Compass, a weekly digest of Ukrainian commentary and analysis from across the political spectrum, only for War on the Rocks members. Each Monday, we bring you a curated selection of articles from Ukrainian media offering insight into how Ukrainians themselves debate the issues shaping their country.American coverage often narrows the view to the battlefield — these pieces widen it, revealing the texture of daily life, politics, and public argument in a nation at war.

Ukraine’s Patriot Problem Eased But Not Solved – Ukraine is still grappling with a shortage of missile interceptors capable of stopping Russian ballistic attacks, but supplies are being replenished — at least at a slow rate. But at least supplies are moving, with new commitments announced on Tuesday, September 8.

Germany announced on Tuesday that it will urgently transfer additional Patriot PAC-2 interceptor missiles directly from its Bundeswehr stock. Britain also pledged an additional £100 million for Ukrainian air defenses, including U.S.-made equipment.

Last week, the U.S. sent special envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Whitkoff to Moscow and Kyiv to try to restart diplomatic talks between Russia and Ukraine.

According to both sides, the meeting with the U.S. representatives went well, with both Zelenskyy and Putin asserting their willingness to bring the war to a diplomatic end.

Russian President Putin. Image Credit: Creative Commons.

Putin in 2021. Image Credit: Creative Commons.

Despite the positive feelings, however, neither Russia nor Ukraine shows meaningful signs that they are willing to end the war.

The Houthis, an Iran-backed terror proxy, targeted four cities in southern Saudi Arabia with missiles and drones on Tuesday.

73 Injured in Saudi Arabia

U.S. Air Force Capt. Nick “Laz” Le Tourneau, pilot and commander of the F-22 Raptor Aerial Demonstration Team, performs an aerial demonstration during the 52nd Annual SUN ‘n FUN Aerospace Expo in Lakeland, Florida, April 18, 2026. Capt. Le Tourneau showcased the unmatched capabilities of the F-22 to the SUN ‘n FUN crowds by performing multiple series of combat maneuvers. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt.

Watch US Marines unleash a barrage from the fli

Since the United States and Israel launched joint strikes on Iran on February 28, 2026, killing Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and about 40 of his top advisors, and touching off what is now widely called the 2026 Iran conflict, the conflict has cycled through ceasefires, collapses, and renewed strikes rather than settling into either victory or peace.

As of early September 2026, the pattern is maddeningly familiar: U.S. strikes on Iranian tankers and military sites, Iranian missile and drone retaliation against U.S. bases and shipping, and a Strait of Hormuz that remains a live flashpoint.

In what CNN described as a “major regional escalation,” the Houthi rebels in Yemen this week launched an attack on oil and other infrastructure in southwestern Saudi Arabia, near the Houthis’ stronghold in Western Yemen.

The move by the Iranian-backed militia, the analysis said, “risks widening the region’s conflicts and adding further pressure to crude prices.” Indeed, Brent Crude rose to $98 a barrel on Tuesday before dipping below that level, marking the highest level reported since July.

Russia can continue funding its full-scale invasion of Ukraine until at least 2028, according to Ukrainian military intelligence chief Oleh Ivashchenko.

The Russian economy has been weakened during the conflict, as Moscow seeks to fund a four-and-a-half-year war it originally believed would be completed within weeks.

Putin in 2023. Image Credit: Creative Commons.

Putin in 2022. Image Credit: Creative Commons.

Maybe you read the comics. Maybe you watched the Ryan Reynolds film, “Green Lantern” (insert wincing face emoji). Maybe you’re going in blind. The consensus is that “Lanterns” is awesome—or at least it was until Episode 3 when audiences diverged.
Let’s start with a spoiler-free description of the series. Rather than beginning with Hal Jordan’s Green Lantern origin story, “Lanterns” starts about three decades into Hal’s service as Space Sector 2814’s Green Lantern—and Earth’s (and humanity’s) first Green Lantern.

REACT Disaster Response’s (@ReactDisaster

Seven months after the February 2026 strikes that killed Iran’s Supreme Leader and shattered much of its nuclear infrastructure, the United States finds itself locked in a different kind of standoff: keeping the Strait of Hormuz open.

The question now dividing Washington is whether that fight for the world’s most important oil chokepoint has crowded out the original goal of the conflict, ensuring that Iran never builds a nuclear weapon.

NORFOLK, Va. (May 16, 2026) USS Gerald R.

Last night, following a brief three-day ceasefire on each other’s capitals, Russia launched another large-scale attack on Kyiv.

Both Russia and Ukraine agreed to cease long-range attacks against each other’s capital cities while American envoys Steve Whitkoff and Jared Kushner traveled to Moscow and Kyiv for diplomatic talks.

Putin Back in 2021 Creative Commons Image

Putin at Valdai Club in 2013. Image Credit: Creative Commons.

Although President Zelenskyy attempted to implement a front-wide ceasefire, the Russians agreed only to halt attacks on Kyiv city for three days.

MOD confirms that the British Army is officiall

Russia Launches Massive Attack on Kyiv After Three-Day Pause – Russia launched fresh missile and drone strikes against Kyiv on Tuesday, September 8, killing five people and injuring dozens of others just hours after a temporary pause implemented for American peace negotiators came to an end.

The attacks followed visits by U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner to Moscow and Kyiv as the Trump administration made new efforts to restart negotiations and bring the war to an end.

A Georgia National Guardsman assigned to the Washington, D.C. mission is facing felony charges after multiple witnesses said he drew his weapon and aimed it at another guardsman. Multiple guardsmen told police that it escalated over an argument about Army grooming regulations, court documents show.
Spc. Zion Mitchell, 21, was charged with assault with a dangerous weapon and possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, according to an arrest affidavit filed in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia.

The fourth anniversary for the King’s rei

What options might SIG Sauer put forward to rep

Five Killed as Strikes on Kyiv Resume – Five people have been killed in Kyiv as part of a major overnight Russian attack on Ukraine.

Russia reportedly targeted 29 locations across the country, launching drones, ballistic missiles and cruise missiles into Ukraine.

Ukraine War TOS-2. Image Credit: X Screenshot.

It marks the first strikes on the Ukrainian capital since a three-day temporary ceasefire was agreed, preventing attacks on Kyiv and Moscow during a weekend-long visit by United States envoys.

Iran Threatens U.S. With Retaliatory Blockade – Iran has threatened to respond to the U.S. blockade with its own maritime restrictions.

The threats came after a new round of U.S.-Iranian exchanges and a Houthi attack on Saudi Arabia that wounded 73 people and set energy facilities ablaze. On Tuesday, Brent crude surged above $99 a barrel as markets scrambled to react to attacks on energy sites.

(Dec. 01, 2020) – The guided-missile destroyer USS Chafee (DDG 90) launches a Block V Tomahawk, the weapon’s newest variant, during a missile exercise.

Is the Strait of Hormuz blockade working? – The United States has been operating a blockade of the Strait of Hormuz since April, a few months into the war. In recent months, President Donald Trump has touted the blockade’s success in many social media posts, even asserting that the U.S. now has full control of the Strait of Hormuz.

Along with that, the U.S. last month launched a campaign of new sanctions, aimed at countries that continue to do business with Iran, as well as occasional military strikes.

North Korean Missiles Are Reshaping Russia’s Assault on Ukraine – More than four years into Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, one of the most consequential shifts in the conflict has been the deepening integration of North Korea into Moscow’s war effort.

Soldiers from 3 Rifles have been competing agai

Iran Has a New Missile, And a New Doctrine – Iran is reportedly pursuing a new doctrine following the unveiling of an improved ballistic missile.

Speaking to Iranian state TV, Iran’s Supreme National Security Council chief Mohsen Rezaei said that the country’s armed forces “will take action against any threat, even before it is carried out,” demonstrating a new approach from Tehran.

The Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Fitzgerald (DDG 62), while participating in Exercise Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) 2024, fires the first naval strike missile from a U.S.

U.S. Clears Iranian Mines in Strait of Hormuz – U.S. Navy SEALs spent four months secretly clearing Iranian mines from the Strait of Hormuz. They carried out bold nighttime missions with divers, unmanned vessels, and underwater robots as Washington sought to reopen the key shipping route.

The operation began around April and continued for months without being publicly disclosed, according to the Financial Times, which reported that small teams of Navy personnel worked from rigid-hull inflatable boats while unmanned surface vessels and submersibles equipped with sonar searched for mines.

FORGED UNDER PRESSURE | Military Motivation
✓

The Ukrainian military’s ability to hit targets anywhere in Russia — no matter how far away from the border that might be —has reached the point where it has even spooked visiting Chinese dignitaries. Reports yesterday note that during the recent 1-4 September Eastern Economic Forum, headlined by Russian President Vladimir Putin, the senior official present from the People’s Republic of China (PRC) made a special request of – all countries – Ukraine.

Sweden will acquire the US-made HIMARS MLRS from Lockheed Martin for $733m, with initial deliveries expected next year.

The Indonesian Army has received new Russian Mi-35M helicopter gunships, with images circulated on social media on September 3 providing a first look at the new aircraft. The Army currently operates the Mi-35P, an older variant of the aircraft, which has long formed the core of its combat aviation capabilities. The Mi-35M is one of the most extensively modernised derivatives of the Mi-24 family.

Since the start of Operation Epic Fury, Iranian drones and missiles have struck a stunning list of U.S. assets, including missile defense radars, logistics hubs, runways, early warning aircraft, command and communications infrastructure, and aerial refueling tankers. Iran has also shot down 45 MQ-9 drones, an F-15E fighter, and an A-10 attack jet, and threatened commercial ships in the Strait of Hormuz for months.
How is this possible? The U.S. and Israel destroyed much of Iran’s conventional air force and high-end missile defenses in the year leading up to the war and in its opening days.

Russia’s Latest Assault on Kyiv Exposes the Limits of US Diplomacy – Overnight into September 8, 2026, Russian forces launched a fresh wave of missiles and drones at Kyiv, shattering a three-day truce that had briefly quieted the skies over both capitals.

Ukraine’s military said on Tuesday it had downed 142 drones, 31 of 32 cruise missiles, and two ballistic missiles launched by Russia in the attack.

Exercise Artemis Strike is a German-led tactical live fire exercise with live Patriot and Stinger missiles at the NATO Missile Firing Installation in Chania, Greece from Oct. 31-Nov.

Zelenskyy: No Peace by Winter – The Russia-Ukraine war is likely to continue into the coming winter months, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Sunday.

Zelenskyy’s observation came after he met with Steve Witkoff and Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner. The talks marked the pair’s inaugural visit to the Ukrainian capital since Russia began its full-scale invasion back in February 2022.

Zelensky Speaking in UK Ukraine Government Photo

The pair had spent more than three hours with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow the day prior.

A new agreement between Volkswagen, the State of Lower Saxony, and Aurelius Capital could see the Volkswagen Osnabrück car factory transition into a production hub for security and defence solutions.

Roger Staubach considers it one of the best performances ever on a football field.
It did not come during any of the 131 regular-season games that Staubach played during 11 seasons with the Dallas Cowboys. Nor was Staubach thinking about his NFL postseason career, which included 20 total games and two Super Bowl victories.
No, Staubach referenced the 1962 Army-Navy Game in Philadelphia. The Midshipmen’s 34-14 triumph against the Black Knights served as Staubach’s national coming-out party. With President John F.

United States envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner have returned from a weekend-long trip to Moscow and Kyiv in a bid to find a permanent peace solution between the two warring states.

The pair met with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Saturday, 5th September, before visiting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky the following day.

Donald Trump Creative Commons Photograph

President Donald J. Trump delivers remarks at the Mack Trucks facility in Macungie, Pennsylvania, Tuesday, June 23, 2026.

Iran Threatens to Strike Gulf Energy Sites Again – Iran says it could soon strike U.S.-linked energy infrastructure in the Persian Gulf if Washington strikes further Iranian assets in the region.

‘Strike and Get Struck’: Iran Issues a Warning

Members of the F-22 Raptor Aerial Demonstration Team perform at FIDAE 2024, Santiago, Chile, April 4th, 2024. The F-22 Raptor Aerial Demonstration showcases the unmatched maneuverability of the airframe by executing a series of combat maneuvers to inspire Americans and their allies, and deter foreign adversaries. (U.S.

These will be the first Military Executions since 1961

It has been almost 17 years since U.S. Army Major Nidal Hasan killed 13 and wounded 32 unarmed, defenseless victims at Ft. Hood, Texas.
In March 2025, the United States Supreme Court denied Hasan’s final petition for a review of his trial, which cleared the way for his execution.
There are actually three other military members awaiting execution.
They are:
Hasan Akbar who threw four hand grenades into three tents and fired his rifle at fellow soldiers in 2003 in Kuwait. Two were killed, 14 were wounded.

This video describes the military situation in

The Strait of Hormuz and Persian Gulf — now under threat of an Iranian maritime exclusion zone. Photo: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
Iran is finalizing plans to declare a Maritime Exclusion Zone stretching across the Persian Gulf from the U.S. Navy’s existing blockade line — a move that would formally codify Tehran’s claim to control a vast swath of Gulf waters and place any vessel transiting the zone on an Iranian sanctions list.

This video describes the military situation in

WarZone
With a sleek airframe the size of an A-5 Vigilante, its silhouette drew immediate attention from local aviation photographers who had never seen anything like it there