Russia Vows Starobelsk Retaliation; NATO Says Russia Hijacking Kiev's Drones; MSM US Losing Iran War (Alexander Mercouris)

The Ukrainians struck a student dormitory, killing many young people, where there was no nearby military target. The Ukrainians appear to have launched this attack as a provocation, which is unsurprising. Attacks such as this one, and the one in Odessa back in 2014, frame the war, for many Russians, as one against an enemy that wants to wipe them out. It's an existential battle, one they know can't be settled with any peace deal. 

[Posted at the SpookyWeather2 blog, May 25, 2026.]