Everyone is being thrown into Kramatorsk! The Ukrainian Armed Forces’ losses are hellish – Dudkin

ПОСЛЕДНИЙ УЛЬТИМАТУМ ЗЕЛЕНСКОМУ! КИЕВ ОГОЛЕН: всех бросают в Краматорск! Потери ВСУ адские – Дудкин

Александр ШЕЛЕСТ 22 Feb 2026

Here is the English translation followed by a synopsis.

Alexander: I welcome you, dear friends, respected guests, subscribers to my channel. Many thanks to everyone for following the new episodes. And, of course, our meetings with Yuri Dudkin and Mona Svyazi. Irina Tulich, I welcome you.

Irina: Hello, Alexander.

Alexander: Hello. Irina Tulich, I want to start with the ultimatum from Slovakia. Fico will pull the plug, he says, “Don’t resume supplies, girlfriend, of oil.” Just like that, yes. Hungary is also blocking European aid and directly says, “No aid unless you unblock the ‘Druzhba’ (oil pipeline).”

Of course, the oil pipeline is a long-standing, serious obstacle and such a stumbling block in these relations between Europe and Ukraine. But without this aid—€90 billion—without the light from Fico, and from Orban, without diesel, the prospect of Ukraine’s further, continued resilience, at least in the current format of waging war, is completely unclear. And Zelenskyy says, “Get ready, we’ll fight for three years,” and then they’ll lose it all anyway.

In general, we paid attention to Zelenskyy’s behavior this week—such a powerful statement, a cry that we won’t surrender, won’t give anything up, “Geneva.” Many acknowledge it was in vain, although some kind of current, of course, keeps a flicker of hope alive for the next round. In general, everything is shaping up to be very, very alarming for Ukraine. And the main question, it seems to you, what is this connected with?

Irina: Well, don’t forget that Mr. Orban is a friend of Donald Trump. And this, in its own way, also comes from there, from across the ocean. Well, not everything, of course, but there is something. They are asking Orban, after all, to periodically exert pressure on that crazy, bearded, failed politician from Kryvyi Rih [derisive reference to Zelenskyy]. Well, as for the supplies? So, the “Druzhba” gas pipeline, which Ukraine blew up, has already been restored, but the valve is closed. That is, Hungary is waiting, “Guys, we really presented you with an ultimatum, as you correctly noted.”

And you, as they say, are playing with matches in a house where you’ve placed gas cans in every corner. And that little gasoline [affectionate/dismissive term]—fuel and lubricants—also come from Hungary. The main mass of diesel fuel, of course, comes from Romania, but Hungary also provides Ukraine with the fuel it so desperately needs. Especially today, when Ukraine is in an energy blackout and practically only in the capital city of Ukraine, Kyiv, 900 tons of diesel fuel are consumed per day. That’s just for the diesel generators that are everywhere in administrations, courts, and so on, we are similar to this.

Stolen, of course, nobody cares. Well, let me give you a few more such figures. Hungary provides about 40%, 40-42% of electricity imports to Ukraine. Well, that’s practically half. This is based on the results of 2025. Now Zelenskyy, through some diplomatic channels, is still asking the Hungarian government to increase energy supplies to Ukraine. But as you yourself understand, the issue is in a deep dead end.

The same goes for gas supplies. Nothing has been coming from the East to Ukraine for a long time, I mean gas. Well, in 2025, Hungary covered 45% of Ukraine’s natural gas imports. That is also a very substantial figure, with which Hungary, in these difficult conditions of diplomatic relations with Ukraine, can quite dictate terms, and not just dictate. Hungary can actually significantly worsen the situation inside Ukraine.

And somehow, I look at these guys on Bankova [street where presidential administration is located], they are not concerned about this at all, absolutely. That is, they travel abroad, “hamster” [slang for aggressively promoting/extracting something, possibly money or attention] whoever they want. They’re even “hamstering” their own people now. I understand when you’re “hamstering” Orban himself and throwing out flat insults in his address. But when you’re already “hamstering” the leaders of the European Union, then it’s some kind of, I don’t know, bordering on some kind of schizophrenia, some kind of insanity.

Therefore, the situation is difficult, really. If Ukraine is left without diesel fuel, the situation at the front will worsen even more. Or rather, yes, lower, when we move on to the situation at the front, I’ll dwell on this in more detail, by the way. Because there are already such prerequisites that the Ukrainian army today is very seriously experiencing a huge shortage of fuel and lubricants and diesel fuel.

Alexander: Yuri Yanovich, before we talk about the front, let’s talk about a rather serious revelation from Zelenskyy. “The US and Russia are pressuring me. The US and Russia are pressuring me, saying, ‘Leave Donbas and quickly end the war.'” Of course, no one could have thought that. Well, it seems that step by step, from statement to statement, Zelenskyy is only openly leaving something… and he doesn’t say, “Russia and the USA have an alliance against me, Europe is saving the day, what are you doing?” and, in general, not to raise a fuss and wail about this topic. Well, in my opinion, Zelenskyy has little left, although everyone understands it perfectly well.

Judging by the speech of Kaja Kallas, who says, “We will support, we have such a strategic line, in general, Russia needs to be weakened,” it seems the masks are off. But, based on the balance of power, what does this give us? Are we really going to observe now, well, very cardinal, let’s say, events, very serious, such turning points, sharp turns? Zaluzhnyi appeared, here European money is blocked, and here look there further, for example, corruption scandals that still await the main persons on tape, but they are not showing them yet. Nevertheless, such very mind-boggling things are happening.

Even, it would seem, somewhat comical in form, when the SBU [Security Service of Ukraine] wanted to kill Gordon. But, nevertheless, let’s say, even this is put into that piggy bank, “Look, Moldovan killers hired by the FSB were supposed to stalk Gordon. Look how cleverly we uncovered it.” It seems the whole approach to this war is changing, precisely in the informational and literally such sabotage sense. Regarding Gordon… there is one traditional phrase, you know it? Who are these people at all? What influence do they have on, say, the well-being of Ukraine, even the slightest? Well, honestly, it’s funny, funny and nothing more. But this is, let’s say, Gordon such a self-taught ideologist, homegrown, Ukrainian.

For a long time, by the way, let me remind our viewers where this “miracle” came from. Starting from his young years, with the help of the well-known Yan Tabachnik, People’s Artist of Ukraine, a truly very famous person, not only in Ukraine but also in the Russian Federation. A friend of Iosif Davydovich Kobzon. He [Tabachnik] promoted Gordon to Kobzon as, so to speak, a young, promising Ukrainian personality. Of course, this was back in the distant, memorable times, starting from Leonid Kuchma. So. And indeed, Gordon then settled in Moscow. He gave interviews, Iosif Davydovich Kobzon helped him—the one whose memory in Ukraine has long been defiled. Personally defiled by Gordon. He helped Gordon meet with famous people in the Russian Federation. These were artists, film actors, directors, scientists, well, and so on, writers, and so on and so forth. It was on this wave, precisely the Russian wave, that Gordon’s popularity spread across Ukraine. And so he really became recognizable. Well, and so on and so forth.

But these connections of his with the Ukrainian authorities began under Yushchenko. He very widely popularized Yushchenko’s coming to power in Ukraine through certain media outlets, Ukrainian TV channels. Then there was the Maidan, and Poroshenko, and so on and so forth. He really gained such fame in Ukraine as a witty, humorous journalist. But in reality, if you take the purely human qualities of this person, like many others, by the way, in the Ukrainian journalistic environment, corruption just oozes out. That is, he doesn’t even have his own opinion, but to please the authorities, he spoke and still speaks what the conjuncture dictates. It dictates. Maybe he does have a different opinion, because once Mr. Gordon was very loyal and had large, enormous real estate in Russia, worth billions of rubles, in Moscow, especially in the famous, luxurious Four Seasons Hotel in Moscow, where he bought himself an apartment. And today, naturally, he renounces it, and he’s such a, you know, well, a re-Banderite, anti-Russian, you know, straight out… well, where could he go? Honestly, I’m no longer surprised by this man, as with many others.

Alexander: But regarding other topics… we’ve dwelled in detail on this vile personality. Regarding other topics, yes? Indeed, Hungary, well, as was to be expected, actually, voted against allocating these €90 billion to Ukraine from the European Union, which they barely scraped together, got into some debts, the World Bank there allocated some portion of this money, the International Monetary Fund, and other banks, because the EU specifically, individual member states of the EU, have no free money today. And all because, precisely by refusing Russian energy, Russian gas and oil, they had to buy it all, they were forced to buy it all from the United States, 3-4 times more expensive. Therefore, everything is going to hell, business in Italy, France, Germany is telling the government serious things—very little is reported about this, both in Europe and even in the American press. But the business of these EU countries is telling the government that something needs to be done. We practically can’t even break even today, our income is falling sharply, and demand for our products is falling in the world. We will either move somewhere, or you start negotiations with the United States to ease these tariffs, sanctions, and so on and so forth.

Just yesterday, Trump imposes… well, this means… I would even say this is a challenge to the world, 10% tariffs on everything, so to speak, everything connected with the USA, both trade, things are listed. Although, again, the same Supreme Court of the United States canceled all, all, all the tariffs that Trump had started to impose on the states with which the United States trades. But nevertheless, Trump called his own Supreme Court “rabid dogs,” let’s say. He said, “I can wipe out… It’s astounding, before him, not a single US president, not one, not even the most Russophobic, anti-Soviet, Lyndon B. Johnson, not other presidents there, not even the same Biden who was before Trump, allowed themselves such things. ‘I can wipe any state off the face of the Earth.’ But this, excuse me, many are already saying, and lower-ranking politicians, famous people in the world, this is some kind of state of hopelessness. It’s unclear what will happen at all, what with Iran. They were supposed to strike Iran today. The unpredictable Trump, he’s rethinking it all, replaying it, having built up colossal military force there in the form of two American aircraft carrier groups from Cuba, and threatened, threatened, threatened, imposed an energy blockade. As soon as the Cuban Minister of Foreign Affairs arrived in the Kremlin, met with Vladimir Putin and Igor, and the head of Rosneft, I forgot his surname, the head of Rosneft [Igor Sechin], it’s clear what they were talking about. As soon as they conferred, it immediately became clear that Russia would supply Cuba with petroleum products and diesel fuel. That’s it, as they say, again in that same old… he threatened, regarding Cuba, everyone is silent now. True, they say there, some son of Raul Castro is holding separate negotiations with the USA, but I don’t believe in the success of these negotiations, because the situation has gone much deeper after all.

So. Therefore, what can I say, how can I answer your question, Alexander? Indeed, I’ll repeat myself, many are saying, some kind of, well, there is some kind of hopelessness in the soul. That is, it’s impossible to predict anything at all these days. You think about one thing, something completely different happens. They are trying, somehow, to enter some kind of normal course, I would say, the negotiation process on Ukraine, everything is failing. Everything is going into the deepest dead end. There are no, no common points of contact at all. As of today, regarding Ukraine, this is noted, by the way, by Trump himself—only on prisoner exchange and on the exchange of bodies between the sides. That’s it. Nothing else exists. That is, the demands put forward by the Russian Federation are unacceptable to Zelenskyy, contrary, by the way, to those, shall we say, provisions of the peace agreement project that the United States put forward. But nevertheless, again, Zelenskyy listened to his curators from London, as was the case before with Mr. Johnson. “No, we’re not going to give anything away, we will fight.” And what do you think? They are fighting. They are fighting. You understand? Just in heaps, the bodies of Ukrainian servicemen are piling up on the line of contact, in heaps. If that sounds crude, of course, but the casualty figures that the Ukrainian Armed Forces are suffering are off the charts. And about this, by the way, recently in an interview with the Krasnaya Zvezda newspaper, the head of the Main Operational Directorate of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, Army General Rudskoy, spoke. And there, of course, are figures, I would like to cite them, of course, that over the entire period of the conflict, the armed conflict in Ukraine, more than 1.5 million people have died on the Ukrainian side. The figure is terrible, isn’t it? This is irreversible. This is… it’s necessary to draw attention to this, to reconsider the tactics of waging war, if you’ve already decided to fight. But this is a crime.

Further, according to other data, for example, last year, the Russian army, according to Rudskoy’s report, well, liberated something, well, in ’25, liberated 300 settlements. Mostly in the Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia regions, of course. And that totals 6,700 square kilometers. In terms of losses, again, the figures for equipment are just horrifying. According to enemy territory, in equipment, over 2025, they lost about 6,700 tanks and armored fighting vehicles. I don’t know how you need to fight, right? It’s clear, drone warfare. This changes everything fundamentally, so, what was before, even five years ago. Everything is changing at the front. With the introduction of, so, tactics and strategy of waging war, drone warfare, the situation at the front changes everything. But, excuse me, as of today, when, in the Donetsk, Kramatorsk, and Slovyansk direction, the command is to remove two battalions of the elite from the Kyiv region and transfer them there. The capital is being left exposed. You understand? The capital is being left exposed.

Further, in the Kramatorsk direction, Leopard and Challenger tanks have finally appeared, which were also somewhere there, near Kyiv. Everything was aimed at the fact that, indeed, Russia could at any moment begin the encirclement of Kyiv from the north. Well, for now it’s calm in Kyiv, if one can put it that way, not including the complete energy blockade in the term “calm.” Blackout. So they transferred the tanks there. Well, so what, won’t they get burned? They’ll get burned. Well, again, I have no doubt about that.

So, if I also look regularly at all these meetings that Putin holds with the military, and the military themselves, who comment in Russia on the situation at the front. There is some kind of living thought there, because military science is a science, it must be improved. It’s like, you know, a scientist writes a dissertation, prepares for defense. The same in military affairs. You need to prepare for something new every day. So, in no case… they tell them, at least in approximate form. And prepare the country for the fact that things will get even worse, otherwise, start doing something. Well, I am in no way advocating… I am not advocating for anything, so that our viewers understand me correctly, otherwise they’ll start writing me some accusatory phrases again, “my address” [possibly a phrase meaning “here we go again” or “that’s my point”]. I’m just in no way… because while I still have a Ukrainian passport, but I hate this regime, which has brought the country to such a state. And this Ukrainian, Nazi regime continues to kill it. They ruined the negotiations, there is no success in the war, the country is without energy, in terrible cold, people are freezing, dying, in the social sphere, it’s terrible, killing their own citizens. Well, listen, I say again, there’s some kind of hopelessness, how can all this be influenced?

Alexander: You have provided very interesting data about the fact that they are being removed from near Kyiv and thrown forward. Here, so, the offensive of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the Zaporizhzhia direction. 30 kilometers, Zelenskyy said yesterday. An offensive is never announced. In a sound mind and bright heads of the military. An offensive is always unexpected. The element of surprise in an offensive. This is the first point of any science, especially military science. The element of surprise. Personally, in this context, what raises doubts for me is that 200 square kilometers were announced yesterday. But they are not on the maps. They are not there. Of course. How so? They are on paper. They are not there in reality. Yes. As the proverb goes: “It was smooth on paper, but they forgot about the ravines.” That’s where they have to go. So they are all on paper like that. In the media. They give interviews, these people. They tell where they will attack, where they will undertake something else. The Commander-in-Chief gives interviews. Well, I can hardly imagine that during the Great Patriotic War, Georgy Konstantinovich Zhukov gave anyone an interview. He was repeatedly in the most difficult situations during the war. His rate was as in the Supreme High Command. He was sent to various sectors of the front. The situation near Moscow was difficult in 1941. He was there. Near Leningrad. He was there. And then in the summer of ’42. Stalingrad, the same. Everywhere this man visited on all fronts. But it would never have occurred to anyone if the Marshal of the Soviet Union gave someone an interview. And here, I’m telling you, some lousy theater, some puppet, some interviews are given by former… they even participate in some elections… Maria, not that… It’s just laughable and a sin, honestly.

Therefore, all these announced idiotisms by Zelenskyy himself… It’s a function. A function for the West. He hasn’t been the President of Ukraine for a long time. Therefore, there’s no need to make round eyes now about something that’s already a joke. Because these people who seized power in Ukraine only think about how to preserve it. These, well, offensive impulses in the Ukrainian Armed Forces must have some goal. They removed the head of the National Guard, and he, so, plus or minus in a military way, like truisms that no one is surprised by anymore, says, “The military goal is the 1991 borders.” That is, this means victory. Victory for Ukraine is reaching the borders. This is an immutable military truth. It’s clear that it won’t happen. That is, it’s clear, this is like, in his military language, hinting that there will be no victory. But on the other hand, there is this passing of the buck, that the soldiers will carry out the order.

An interesting formulation, really interesting. Because if you apply logic and look at the reverse of this phrase, it turns out that there is a real fear or real information that if conditional Zelenskyy takes and orders a retreat from Donbas, they won’t carry it out. You understand, even in this perspective, we can look at this situation, although they assure us in interviews that no, everyone will carry it out. But that doesn’t make sense, because otherwise why wasn’t everything resolved earlier, if it’s just a matter of retreating without a fight? And they’d go, they’d go… That is, we spin this topic and see that we fought so much, laid down so many lives. In short, basically, we stand where we stand. And he assures us, he’s such a military man, he’s so needed, he’s so important. So it will turn out that in the end, excuse me, but it turns out that this war is being fought as long as Donbas, as long as the Slovyansk agglomeration is under Ukrainian control.

Irina: Well, then there’s the steppe, yes, that’s how it happens.

Alexander: Yes, exactly, if it goes that way, and this is most likely how it will be, the goals of Russia, which they are achieving so far, I think, will be achieved, the forces are too unequal. Therefore, with the fall of the Kramatorsk agglomeration and Slovyansk, the wide Ukrainian steppe opens up, where it’s impossible to hide anymore, digging ditches is useless, for drones it doesn’t matter. And then the scattered remnants of the retreating Ukrainian troops will be finished off.

Now, regarding what you said, it made me laugh a little, but don’t you pay attention, what does it mean “to carry out an order”? Well, in any army in the world, there is the principle of unity of command. An order is not discussed; if it is given to lower-level servicemen, they must carry it out. If servicemen do not carry it out, it means something is wrong in the structure of the armed forces. There are some internal reasons for that. Either, most likely, the moral and psychological state of the personnel does not allow them to carry out this order, and, in fact, nervous breakdowns among the military, which are occurring more and more often in the Ukrainian Armed Forces. Yes, there are, of course, motivated nationalist units, those two battalions I mentioned from near Kyiv. They are precisely sent there in order to at least to some extent delay the Russians, precisely to delay, not to attack, I emphasize. For an attack, you need forces exceeding the enemy by three or four times. You understand? That’s the point. There must be a superiority of forces, both in personnel and weapons. Well, Ukraine doesn’t have that. This is known even to any elderly Ukrainian housewife. Ukraine has no such forces today. Everything has been destroyed, scattered, bombed, and stolen, by the way. The fact that they steal at the front, I think it’s no secret to anyone, I’m not revealing a big secret. They steal just terribly and with terrible force. And it’s all written off as losses. Well, this is, of course, a catastrophe.

Alexander: Regarding, let’s say, your words about stealing, wait a minute. They steal like crazy. Well, this is direct: when a brigade commander buys himself an apartment in Bali, when cars, when expensive things, and all this, let’s say, is thrown out and displayed. One question arises: what, all of a sudden? Well, he probably didn’t share the loot with someone higher up.

Irina: That’s just one brigade commander, yes, one of the guys, that is, they are just empty… You remember correctly, Alexander: if a brigade commander, as you say, bought himself a house in Bali and light cars, he already has to kick up to his superior, and his superior kicks up even higher. Well, let’s not name names. This is a system of theft, constructively built over 30 years, it’s very difficult to change anything there, you only need to punish, mercilessly punish. That’s all. Otherwise, you can’t topple this system, you can’t eradicate it, it’s useless to convince, there are courts and to hold some… I’m talking about this, well, let’s put it this way. During the Great Patriotic War, there was a wall for those who engaged in such things. You understand? A wall, unequivocally. Of course, modern warfare with that, let’s say, European assistance that Ukraine has today cannot afford such a thing. What do you mean it can’t? Top officials of the state and those around them, close to top officials… a criminal case for corruption hasn’t been opened against the enemy yet [sarcastic reference to Yermak]. I mean Yermak, as you understand, and others with him. They found such a, you know, as they like to say, “scapegoat,” as they call Holushchenko. That’s it, they’ve locked him up for now, and we’ll see further, as they say. But the main thing is to show Washington: we are fighting corruption, be loyal to us, Mr. Trump. That’s it, they appointed one fall guy. If necessary, they’ll find another one. So therefore, everyone who is needed for Zelenskyy and his regime will remain more or less in a calm state, in a state of relative calm. Especially since, you yourself understand, the trail of friendship, cronyism stretches from the distant past. Therefore, as long as Zelenskyy is on Bankova, conditionally speaking, or more in Europe, of course, none of these characters, who simply by their own behavior, their position, yes, set an example for the brigade commanders in the Armed Forces of how to circumvent the law. By stealing, and stealing not hundreds of thousands of hryvnias, but millions of dollars. That’s how you can be invulnerable.

Alexander: It’s very interesting what is happening among ordinary people in the thick of these events. A horrifying picture, I showed it, when a little girl is pulled out of a doorway, she runs after her dad, tries, well, what can she do? In Valky, they beat her, and that’s it, she remains in the cold, barefoot, in the snow, the front door is closed. That is, all these moments. But also interesting things are happening. Every day we have some kind of… some 100 grenades explode, then someone shoots at a military enlistment office, then they are looking for some things. Today, a soldier, well, also from the military, yes, Bunyatov, there is such a one, writes: “In the Dnipropetrovsk region, a group of six people attacked servicemen of the Aidar unit, who were communicating among themselves on the streets, in the process, en route, en route to Nova Poshta. During the attack, one of the attackers, the one who was driving, used a firearm. The reasons for the attack are officially unknown yet.” In general, for his part, this soldier writes: “I sincerely wish the future stormtroopers to come and apologize. Aidar is not a TCC [Territorial Recruitment Center, military enlistment office]. The consequences will not be the same.” But so, as if he is threatening those who attack. Apparently, they confused them, that is, from the context of this message, we understand that they confused them with TCC workers, attacked, and another one, who shot whom. Heitzman came out today, his quote is being spread, that he says that’s it, we must, we cannot blame everything only on GPS jamming, Russian propaganda, and Russian sabotage, we must deal with this problem. Well, they’ve been talking about it for about a month now, because they must deal with this problem. But really, listen, they will provoke men into banding together into groups, into brigades, someone with a traumatic, someone with a firearm, and they will directly go, like TCC hunts people, and so, and people will hunt the TCC.

Irina: Alexander, well, you and I have been talking about this for a long time. I have repeatedly said that the Ukrainian people take a very long time to get moving, a very long time. Well, of course, if Victoria Nuland helps with money, then they run to the Maidan, smoke just billows, you understand? And when even their own relatives are killed, killed by their own, they take a very long time to get moving. This tolerance, yes, of the Ukrainian people, it, of course, deserves a separate narrative. By the way, it was the same during the Great Patriotic War. I love to recall history. This history is very… as many historians, real historians say, it’s not a teacher, it’s an overseer. And it punishes very cruelly for unlearned lessons. So, Ukrainians are already being punished for these unlearned lessons. When the police during the Great Patriotic War, auxiliary Sonderkommandos formed from OUN members, also tried to find the wives of commissars, wives of participants in hostilities in the Red Army, in general, hunted for them, and handed them over to the Gestapo. Those same wives, after some time, went into partisan detachments. Their younger children, 14-15 years old, went into the same partisan detachments. But it was so slow, for this, by the way, it is noteworthy. Of course, the Great Patriotic War is not the current war in Ukraine. This is something else, more, let’s say, patriotic. Moreover, it was not only in Ukraine, but as part of the Soviet Union, the war was waged against the German fascist invaders. So, underground groups were created in the rear. In every locality, starting from the village, town, and city, underground groups were created to coordinate the actions of those who wished to join the partisans and the subversive work in the territories where they were occupied by the Germans. Here, I say again, I am not calling for anything, absolutely. But I repeat, Ukrainians have weapons in their hands, unregistered. And the fact that they are not using them in massive numbers now is a question for the future. With this policy of mobilization by the Ukrainian authorities, it’s impossible. And the most interesting thing is, they can’t think of anything else besides grabbing, beating, and sometimes killing. That is, they haven’t introduced anything innovative in mobilization yet. And this, I’ll hint right away, so to speak, increasing salaries for the military, provisions, but for that you need resources. You need to feed the military normally. When people at the front go hungry for fifteen days, eat surrogates, whatever they catch, cook in those same pots over a primus stove, over fires to get infected, because drones will see. I don’t know what they eat at all. But when Ukrainian soldiers are captured, they are asked, why did you surrender, why didn’t you resist—not everyone resists, by the way. Especially those who were forcibly mobilized, they say, “It’s very cold and we are hungry.” Ukrainian soldiers say that. “It’s very cold and we want to eat.” And they are warmed and fed by Russian soldiers, who have everything, they also fight, and not just fight, they are advancing. Advancing is much harder than defending. Many times harder. But they have food, equipment, everything they need. In terms of communication, life, and so on. The Ukrainian soldier has nothing. They drove him there underground, where the earth crumbles from above, if it’s not frozen. Sit. And what’s the order? How long to sit? Sit until you’re told. So they sit. Until captivity. Until the first, let’s say, opportunity to raise a white rag. And if a drone sees them with a white rag, it tells them where to go so that their own side doesn’t kill them. That’s the situation.

Alexander: Well, that’s one thing. Listen, the situation is difficult, but the war continues, it doesn’t end. The front hasn’t collapsed, analysts report. Everything is holding. Moreover… Yes. Molodilovka [possibly a place name or slang for intense fighting] is, like, ongoing. Many people rightly note: completely. Fed, shod, dressed with all, let’s say, with all the elements. Yes, soldiers. And why can’t they, for some reason, capture territory from these hungry ones? The front is moving slowly. That’s also, rightly, a reproach then. From the same Ryud [possibly a reference], who looked into Lazar’s pocket and saw a lot of interesting things there. That is, it turns out that everything is completely, as if, a little bit being very corrected by these very ones.

Irina: And what do you mean, the front hasn’t collapsed? What are you talking about? What are you talking about? It will show you what a breakthrough is, some breakthroughs of 20-30-50 kilometers. I gave you the figures. I started, I gave you the figures.

Alexander: No, wait, there are breakthroughs. This year, in 2006 [slip of the tongue, meaning 2025 or 2026?], 600 square kilometers. The Russian Federation took under its control. 600 square kilometers. I gave you this data. How do you count that? Is that standing still? Do the Russians just sit there? And these kilometers of territory are added, yes? That doesn’t happen, Sasha. Let’s define then. What then constitutes a breakthrough of the front? What is not a breakthrough of the front? This way we can agree that taking 600 square kilometers in a month, calculated somehow, is already a breakthrough of the front. Well, isn’t it? That’s how it is? That’s how it is. If the Ukrainian army does not hold its positions, it doesn’t matter how much time has passed. Absolutely doesn’t matter. Leningrad was blockaded for 900 days and nights. In hunger, in cold. Without a sufficient amount of personnel and struggle. But they stood to the death. Children stood at machine tools, like at lathes. They turned shells and made cartridges in besieged Leningrad. Children 12-14 years old. Therefore, Leningrad survived. And it was surrounded not only by Germans, Finns, Czechs, and so on, and so forth. The same thing, as today. Europe also took an active part in the years of the Great Patriotic War. Not only Germany, Europe. And today, when I tell you that one and a half million Ukrainian soldiers have died, soldiers, already wounded, maimed, there is no count. Not to consider this a breakthrough of the Russian troops is, to say the least, illiterate. This is a breakthrough. Yes, it is lengthy, but it is a breakthrough. It’s one thing when in Belarus, in Operation Bagration, the direction of the main attack was on Poland, the Germans expected it in Northern Ukraine, but Stalin, together with Zhukov and Rokossovsky, worked out Operation Bagration, where it was a complete surprise for the Germans to concentrate large forces in the swamps and forests, and strike there. But that was a different time. Now it’s completely different. And, by the way, the Russian Federation spares human resources mercilessly. That’s why they are advancing so slowly. Do you think Russia lacks manpower? I also cited this data. 25 million reserves. Ally, the Korean People’s Democratic Republic. Yes, if it were necessary to take, like, urgently. And lay down thousands, hundreds of thousands of Russian soldiers there, this goal would have been achieved. But that is not Russia’s goal. To finish off Ukraine with small forces. With the small forces that exist. And with such forces, success is developing. Whatever success it is, Ukraine has no such success. Nowhere, believe me. And this, by the way, is very important. There’s this common phrase, “Well, if Russia is so strong, why is it marking time in the fourth year, four years, fifth year?” Yes, guys, but Russia has different goals. Here, please, they achieved their goal of blacking out Ukraine. Almost completely blacked out. And Ukraine’s energy system cannot be restored in two or three years. Many Ukrainian experts say this. Experts in the energy sector. Not armchair ones like me. It’s impossible. And everything that was attached to this depended on 20 years to restore all these thermal power plants and other objects of the Ukrainian energy system that were built under the Soviet Union. Ukraine didn’t build a damn thing in 30 years in the energy system. By all means, begging, benefits. Ukraine used what was built in Soviet Ukraine. That’s it. Therefore, to restore this, as many dream there. “Oh, we’ll restore the Darnytska TPP in two days and provide electricity.” I looked at these pictures from Ukraine. This is, by the way, not far from my home in Kyiv. Darnytska TPP. I looked at these pictures. By the way, they even brought Kateryna Yushchenko there [possibly a misstatement]. There is no stone left unturned there. What is there to restore?

Alexander: What are the prospects, Yuriy Yanovych? Well, here again. You always ask an interesting question, yes? Because judging by how Zelenskyy stubbornly continues, let’s say, judging by his rhetoric, either he is playing, and he is playing out the situation. Actually, I don’t believe that certain data are not available to the current de facto leadership of Ukraine, that there are military men who don’t know something there. You saw the scandal with that Zaluzhnyi, right? And what is the scandal about? Why is this scandal scandalous? First, because they wanted to kill him, send a Russian missile, leak coordinates, or there, the SBU, upon detention, there on the wiretap, that’s all, but he called Yermak there, they all vividly describe it. Now you too, I’m sure, you also watch this process with interest, and why it doesn’t stop, it will continue further. New episodes await us. Well, what’s the essence there? It’s: “I fought the way it was necessary to fight.” That is, I even remember my own figures, with various military analysts there, and very charged ones, biased ones, firstly, from every iron they shouted that they would cut this, what you were indignant about above in our program. They will cut a land corridor to Crimea, to the exit to the Azov Sea. Everyone shouted. Every single one. I, wherever I throw, wherever I look, excuse me. Everyone was cutting a land corridor. That’s firstly, secondly, they were making excuses and playing, juggling arguments in many different ways. And they said that they couldn’t give up Pakhmut. They had to cling, fight. Again, under the pretext of destroying as many Vagnerites, Russians as possible, and all that. It was very convenient there. Although the clear message was: “Guys, you can’t, gather your forces, take some kind of fist, ensure surprise, and strike either there at Berdyansk, or at Melitopol, in short.” And Zaluzhnyi, they say, “I wanted to do that, but Zelenskyy says no.” And this is why it is important in our case today. I’m trying now, well, to understand and overlay those circumstances on the entire current circumstance. Somehow it’s difficult. Won’t you help?

Irina: You know, in any war there is another very important factor, the factor of time. And you can’t plan and conduct any military operation ahead of time if it’s not ready. I emphasize: if it’s ready, you can, you can conduct it. As, for example, they took Kyiv. Stalin said, “By November 7th.” The anniversary of the Great October Socialist Revolution. Although Georgy Konstantinovich Zhukov reported to him that the operation would be ready by November 25th. But nevertheless, they struck earlier, because there were sufficient forces. And they stormed that eastern rampart, on which the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra is located. Well, not only there, it was along the entire right bank, there was this eastern rampart, fortified, armed, concreted, and so on and so forth. And the Soviet army was advancing from the left bank. And advancing successfully. Yes, there were colossal losses. That is already a historical fact. There’s nothing to hide here. This, by the way, is about what I’m talking about. You can, of course, throw yourself with all your weight. But the body can get big wounds, a big injury. A major injury. Therefore, today Russia is choosing a different tactic of waging war. I think it is correct, this tactic. To spare people. That’s Putin’s main idea in this war. As an Orthodox Christian. And not God knows who, on the other side. So the factor that you can start a military operation when it is ready earlier, you can. But by no means, not when there is nothing, excuse me for this expression. Incompetent chiefs give the order, and it all collapses over time. And this, already, let’s say, there is a very vivid example for this: the Kursk region. Why on earth was it necessary to kill 74 thousand? Sasha, here you go, please, an example of how you see breakthrough or no breakthrough. 74 thousand lives. Zelenskyy wasted. To report to the West: “See, I’m in Russia, I’m such a one, I’ve achieved what I wanted.” “And what did you achieve?” “And they didn’t use nukes.” “Ah, yes, yes. And they didn’t use nukes.” They were driven out with small forces, the Korean brothers helped, by the way. And they also helped with demining the Kursk border region, they did. Honor and praise to them for their combat brotherhood. Here are vivid examples for you, you see, when incompetence in the armed forces, well, basically, can only give interviews. And it hurts, it’s unbearably painful. Especially if the Supreme Commander-in-Chief is considered to be a showman. That’s all for me. I don’t believe in negotiations, nor in the fact that Trump, against the backdrop of all these now, now he also has problems, yes, with tariffs, duties, courts, you don’t believe in his success. My God, Sasha, there will be no success in this connection. Trump needs this. Even Zelenskyy doesn’t need this. I’m telling you. Zelenskyy doesn’t need this. He doesn’t give a damn about these negotiations. He mocks these negotiations. Isn’t that obvious? Moreover, he addresses his mockery, it’s clear, towards Russia. He tells stories from The Hague there, actually, talks all sorts of crap there. But in reality, Zelenskyy feels perfectly fine in such a situation. As long as the war goes on, his power is limitless. And popularity—for an artist, I repeat, probably for the hundredth time, for an artist, wherever he is—needs popularity. With ovations. Europe today bathes him in these ovations. What has he not done? What? Where has he not stolen something? You understand? But Europe has this point: Zelenskyy must be bathed in ovations. Kissed all over. Have you ever seen him being received with kisses in the European Union? Well, that’s like I’m even just at the level, I say again, of a theater of the absurd, you understand? So, well, what can I say, Sasha? Lord, we live where we live, we see what we see. And we draw our own, let’s say, conclusion that all this will not end soon. Again, I repeat this for maybe the tenth time. Why? Because I like… you know our Ukrainian politicians? Oh, I didn’t want to say it, but I can’t. When something bubbles up here [in his chest], I can’t restrain myself for long. Ukrainian politicians and many people’s deputies from various factions, officials and cabinet ministers who left for Russia, yes? Well, for the most part, they live in Moscow. That’s understandable. No one wants to live in Saratov, for example, or in Ulan-Ude. Everyone is in Moscow, closer to the Kremlin. You understand, right? So today they dream, they dream that the war will still end someday, sooner or later. And they will again stick their nose into these Ukrainian structures of power. I generally tell them, “Guys, do you even assess the situation as it is today, in the fifth year of the war? Do you assess today what is happening in Ukraine, what kind of, so, what kind of revolution in consciousness has occurred in the Russian authorities regarding Ukraine? What needs to be done so that, indeed, we all return to Ukraine?” The phrase sounds: “We need to dismantle the Nazi regime of Zelenskyy.” I say, “In what way to dismantle? Did you assemble it? With what to dismantle? With a crowbar and a shovel, or how? What do you want to do to dismantle the regime in Kyiv?” Silence. And these people, I’m just amazed, they, in fact, yes, when there was a state coup in Kyiv. By the way, today is a very interesting date. Yes, Heavenly Hundred. And I’m not celebrating it at all. That was the beginning of mass murders in Kyiv. This didn’t happen in all cities of Ukraine. But Kyiv was the catalyst for the state coup, which has led Ukraine to a state of war today. This is exactly this day today. In 2014. Why didn’t you defend Donetsk and Luhansk back then? Why did you allow this Nazi government of Turchynov and Poroshenko to exterminate your own citizens, your own citizens, with the most modern types of weapons? Where were you then? They hunted us. Take your rifles and go to the forest with your kids. Guys. Or go to jail. Because I, for example, didn’t have a weapon. If I had had it, I don’t know how I would have behaved. But I was in prison. For my point of view, which I always defended. And what are the walls of the SBU? I wouldn’t wish it on even my worst enemy. Therefore, all this Ukrainian politicking rhetoric regarding the war: “We will come, we will dismantle, and we will again occupy our own offices.” You won’t occupy them, guys. So, who will occupy them? And there, as of today, under the “Time of Heroes” program, it is happening in the Russian Federation, where they specially train participants, former participants, in the regions, using their own method, on how to govern the state. And these people, who are far from embezzlement, who are far from corruption, they will occupy their own offices in Ukraine, I assure you. Yes, a certain amount of time will pass. But former Ukrainian officials will never re-enter the same offices they sat in, warmed their seats. And applauded at every forum that we are so free, and we are so independent. This will not happen. It simply will not happen.

That is, they indirectly, not directly, agree with such a prominent political figure, Surkov’s former advisor [possibly a misstatement, referring to someone like Marat Gelman or similar] who also said, “If I had… well, I would have stayed a little, if the Maidan hadn’t won then, we would have been the second Belarus, and there wouldn’t be a similar war now.” I would only retort to him: aren’t you a scoundrel and a criminal? But there was a fight. This war would have been in Poland. And second. Who doesn’t see this today? Whoever doesn’t see this today is shortsighted. And can continue to believe in the indestructibility of the national Ukrainian idea, and everything else that brought misfortune to Ukraine. They are lying. You understand? I repeat, these scoundrels, Surkov’s [advisors], or others, can say whatever they want. I absolutely don’t care about them. And it’s not worth comparing my words with theirs. But that Nazi power that exists today, you don’t need to negotiate with it. It must be exterminated by physical methods. As it was with German Nazism. Exterminate. Judge and hang. Then there will be goodness and peace on earth. And all of humanity, regardless of nation or ethnicity, will live happily.

Alexander: Yuri Dudkin, you were our interlocutor today. Thank you for your time and thoughts.

Irina: Thank you, Alexander, all the best.

Alexander: Friends, take care of yourselves, write to dulu [presumably a contact/email].

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Clarification of Obscurities

• “Fico will pull the plug, he says, ‘Don’t resume supplies, girlfriend, of oil.'” This is sarcastic and mocking. It paraphrases Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico’s threat to cut off electricity or other aid to Ukraine, using the familiar/condescending term “подружби” (girlfriend/darling) to ridicule the relationship.
• “Hamster” (хомячить): Modern slang meaning to aggressively gather, hoard, or extract resources, money, or attention, often with a connotation of greed or desperation.
• “Bankova”: Metonym for the Ukrainian presidential administration, located on Bankova Street in Kyiv.
• “Re-Banderite” (Бандера-резбандераец): A derogatory and sarcastic term invented by the speaker to describe someone who has become an extreme, almost parodic follower of the nationalist ideology associated with Stepan Bandera, especially after previously having different views.
• “My address” (мой адрес): A phrase implying “that’s exactly my point” or “you’ve hit the nail on the head,” but here Irina uses it preemptively to head off accusations, suggesting that if viewers misread her, they will start writing her messages saying “that’s exactly what you’re calling for!”
• “TCC” (ТЦК): Territorial Recruitment Center, the Ukrainian military enlistment offices, which are widely despised for their aggressive and often violent mobilization tactics.
• “Heavenly Hundred”: Refers to the protesters killed in Kyiv in February 2014, an event that catalyzed the overthrow of President Yanukovych. Irina’s framing of it as “the beginning of mass murders” reflects the pro-Russian narrative that this was a violent, illegitimate coup rather than a popular uprising.
• “It was smooth on paper, but they forgot about the ravines”: A classic Russian proverb meaning a plan looked good on paper, but its creators overlooked the messy, difficult realities of implementation.
• “Time of Heroes” program: A real Russian program designed to train veterans of the Ukraine war for roles in state administration, positioning them as a new, uncorrupt political class.

Synopsis

In this dialogue, host Alexander and his guest, the vehemently anti-Kyiv pundit Yuriy Dudkin, discuss the dire situation facing Ukraine in early 2026. The core argument is that Ukraine’s position is deteriorating catastrophically on multiple fronts.

Key Themes:

1. Energy Warfare and European Leverage: Dudkin highlights that Slovakia and Hungary are using their energy supplies (oil, electricity, diesel) to pressure Ukraine. By threatening to cut off these resources—which Ukraine desperately needs, especially for generators amidst Russian strikes on its grid—they are effectively holding Ukraine’s economy and military logistics hostage. This leverage is linked to Viktor Orban’s relationship with Donald Trump and is framed as a major reason for blocking EU aid.
2. Manpower and Morale Crisis: The discussion pivots to the front lines. Dudkin claims Ukrainian forces are suffering massive losses (over 1.5 million dead), are critically short of fuel, and are demoralized. He contrasts hungry, cold Ukrainian soldiers with well-supplied Russian ones. The hosts analyze the confusing signals from Ukrainian leadership, seeing the public discussion of offensives as militarily illiterate and a sign of a dysfunctional command structure where orders might not be obeyed.
3. Political Theater and Corruption: The conversation mocks Ukrainian political and media figures. They specifically target journalist Dmytro Gordon, portraying him as a corrupt, opportunistic figure who built his career in Russia only to become a rabid nationalist. The hosts discuss high-level corruption, suggesting that the prosecution of minor figures is a show for Washington while the real thieves (like Andriy Yermak) remain untouchable.
4. Social Unrest: Dudkin and Alexander point to growing signs of internal collapse: citizens attacking military recruiters (TCC), vigilante violence, and a population on the verge of snapping. They draw historical parallels to partisan resistance in WWII, suggesting that if the state’s violence continues, armed resistance from within Ukrainian society is a future possibility.
5. Negotiations and Future Prospects: Both speakers agree that there is no realistic path to peace negotiations. Zelenskyy is portrayed as a puppet enjoying Western adulation and unwilling to give up his wartime powers. Russia is presented as a patient force, slowly grinding down Ukraine while conserving its own manpower, with the ultimate goal of completely dismantling the “Nazi regime” in Kyiv. Dudkin concludes that when this happens, a new class of uncorrupted Russian-trained administrators will replace the old Ukrainian elite, who will never be allowed to return to power. The overall tone is one of grim certainty about Ukraine’s impending defeat and internal disintegration.