Russia Mega Missile Strike Coming After 1400 Geran Strike Zelensky Demands PAC3s; China Backs Russia

Russian Strikes and Energy Infrastructure

Alexander Mercouris says roughly 1,400 Russian drones operated over Ukraine in about 36 hours, describing it as the war’s largest drone assault. He says many were jet-powered Geran-4 and Geran-5 models, and that attacks focused in part on substations and other energy infrastructure, causing outages, including in Kyiv.

Mercouris argues that repeated strikes, winter weather, and a global shortage of large transformers could make repairs increasingly difficult. He warns that damage to Ukraine’s power system may accumulate over the coming weeks, while acknowledging that the system has not yet been rendered impossible to repair.

He also says reports indicate Russian strategic bombers are being prepared with cruise missiles and predicts that a major missile attack could be imminent. He speculates it could involve Kh-101s, ballistic missiles, and Zircon hypersonic weapons, and mentions possible future use of an air-launched hypersonic missile, the Iskander-1000, and Oreshnik. These are presented as reports and forecasts, not confirmed outcomes.

Pressure on Ukraine’s Military Capacity

Mercouris says Ukrainian Air Force spokesman Yuriy Ignat has described the strain of using F-16s to pursue dispersed drone targets. Mercouris argues that drone swarms may also be intended to wear down Ukraine’s aircraft fleet.

He cites claims that major industrial facilities in Zaporizhzhia have closed and suggests that worker mobilization could further hamper defense production.

Weapons Programs and Water Infrastructure

Mercouris says the FP7 missile program has been cancelled, while its developers maintain that the larger FP9 is still progressing. He doubts the latter will prove effective.

On speculation that Russia may target Ukraine’s water system, Mercouris argues that a systematic attack would risk a humanitarian catastrophe and would be difficult to reconcile with Russia’s stated concern for civilians. He also reports a Ukrainian drone attack near Samara and Russian claims that Ukrainian missile launchers were destroyed.

Front Lines and Winter Conditions

Mercouris says muddy conditions are slowing movement but expects frost to enable renewed advances and heavier fighting in several areas, including Zaporizhzhia, Lyman, and Kupiansk.

He disputes Zelensky’s claims about Russian losses and Ukrainian territorial gains, arguing that such figures may be repeated in Western media despite, in his view, being unreliable.

Zelensky’s Demand for Patriot Missiles

Mercouris characterizes Zelensky’s position on Ukrainian attacks against Russian oil facilities as a demand for the United States to supply Ukraine with PAC-3 interceptors in return for stopping those strikes. He calls this an attempt to pressure Washington and argues that the United States has competing demands for the missiles.

European Support and Diplomacy

Mercouris criticizes UK, French, and German leaders for prioritizing support for Ukraine amid domestic political and economic troubles. He says Belgium and Bulgaria may resist further funding for Ukraine, while Serbia remains opposed to sanctions on Russia.

He also argues that proposed leader-level summits are unlikely to resolve the conflict without prolonged negotiations. According to Mercouris, China has signaled that it will not mediate in what it regards as a European problem.

Warning of Escalation

Mercouris predicts a difficult winter and argues that, if diplomacy stalls and Ukraine’s situation worsens, Western hardliners may press for escalation, including renewed calls for a NATO-enforced no-fly zone. He warns that such a move could bring European air forces into direct conflict with Russia.

Presenter and Contributors

Presenter: Alexander Mercouris. No guest contributors appear in the subtitles. Yuriy Ignat, Andriy Marochko, and Ben Harris are among those whose statements or analysis Mercouris discusses.