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On Monday, 13 July, Ukraine attacked Moscow with waves of drones for the second day in a row. The attack is part of a 40-day pressure campaign or “influence operation” announced at the end of June by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. These intense and sustained attacks are aimed at degrading Russia’s military logistics and economic stability by destroying critical infrastructure targets deep behind the front lines.

But in parallel, Kyiv is also fighting a war of nerves against Russian President Vladimir Putin and the elites around him.

Marine Corps veteran and entrepreneur Jerry Shaffer was attending a veterans’ social in Clearwater, Florida. Among the dozens of people at the event was Michelle, a woman from the Bronx, who told him that her husband spent 24 years in the Army and retired in nearby Tampa. Four years later, he took his own life, leaving her alone with twins.
Also Read: Reports show a military spouse commits suicide every 8 days
Five years after his suicide, she still hadn’t talked to anyone about it.
Michelle didn’t know what benefits she or her children might be entitled to.

Ukraine’s Drone Assault Is Making Targets Russia Can’t Defend: Ukraine keeps on expanding its long-range drone and missile campaign, graduating from occasional successful raids that served as a proof of concept into a full-scale, constant barrage of drones and missiles inside Russian territory. Russia is now feeling the pressure with its fuel distribution logistics and refineries under constant assault, leaving Moscow to defend a growing number of targets stretching from Siberia to the Sea of Azov.

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.

The Iran War is back on again, it seems. Over the weekend, the United States pummeled nearly 200 Iranian targets across the massive country. Iran retaliated by hitting US military facilities throughout the Gulf Arab states. All this came after US President Donald J. Trump declared that his temporary ceasefire, which lasted barely 18 days, was “over.” He referred to the Islamic Republic as “scum.”

Since then, the war has resumed–with Trump insisting that the United States will take full control over the contested Strait of Hormuz (SoH).

The International Energy Agency (IEA) warns that renewed fighting between the United States and Iran could prolong the global energy crisis after hopes of recovery under last month’s ceasefire unraveled. The central issue remains the Strait of Hormuz, through which roughly one-fifth of the world’s oil and LNG exports normally transit. The fighting has once again disrupted shipping—threatening energy supplies, fueling inflation, and undermining the world’s broader economic stability.

Fuel Production in Russia Is Only 65 Percent of Demand: Russian gasoline production fell to a level equivalent to only around 65 percent of the seasonal average consumption after Ukrainian drone attacks led to stoppages at large oil refineries, according to a report from Reuters.

The daily deficit of 40,000 to 45,000 metric tons is causing long lines at gas stations and fuel shortages across the country.

U.S.

Ukraine carried out another large-scale drone and missile attack against Russia overnight into Monday, July 13, hitting targets throughout the country. Strikes were reported in the Moscow region and in Russia’s southern regions, proving that Kyiv’s ongoing long-range strike strategy is working as intended.

The attacks reportedly killed three people in the Moscow region and injured at least five others.

There is a specific kind of optimism that makes people sick, one that echoes through eternity. At any time in human history, you can hear someone say, “Just drink the water, it looks fine.”
You are miles from the trailhead, your bottle has been empty for an hour, and there is a clear, burbling stream right there, looking like a commercial for itself. The water looks fine.
Read Next: The US military’s drinking water was the worst water you’ve ever loved
That, dear friend, is exactly the problem.

The Power Struggle Over The Strait Of Hormuz: The United States and Iran each say they control the Strait of Hormuz after attacks over the weekend stretching across the wider Middle East, which places the prospects of a lasting peace deal in jeopardy.

The Iranian decision to fire at and strike three commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz, disabling one of the ships in response to its use of the southern Omani side of the Strait, prompted the regime to declare the vital waterway closed.

F-15C Pilot National Security Journal Photo. Image Credit: Brent M.