Two Su-27s hit and presumably destroyed by Ukraine's SBU in a drone strike last night, the latest in a series of successful drone strikes on targets in occupied Crimea.
Full-scale invasion and national resilience, broadcasted live.
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Putin aide Dmitri Kozak and Ukraine war
Source: https://
nytimes.com/2025/12/18/wor
ld/europe/russia-putin-aide-dmitri-kozak-ukraine-war.html
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Resigned in 2025, Kozak’s system continues destroying Ukrainian cities
He resigned in September 2025. His analytical notes and pleas changed nothing. While Kozak silently traveled to Israel for treatment, the system he had built for 30 years continued to grind away human lives and destroy Ukrainian cities. 7X
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Kozak’s memo to Putin: stop war, negotiate, reform judiciary
Kozak later sent Putin a stunning memo proposing: stop the war, negotiate with Ukraine, make the judiciary independent of security services. He shared it outside the Kremlin, separating himself from Putin. 6/
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Kozak negotiated ceasefire with Ukraine; Putin demanded surrender only
On Feb 25, Kozak was negotiating a cease-fire with Ukrainian officials involving Russia withdrawing from all areas except Crimea and Donbas. Putin was furious, accused him of exceeding his mandate, and demanded he negotiate only surrender. 4/
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Kozak’s history with Putin: re-election, Olympics, Crimea, and Ukraine talks
Kozak had worked with Putin since the 1990s in St. Petersburg. He managed Putin's first re-election, oversaw the 2014 Olympics, and integrated Crimea. He was negotiating genuinely with Ukraine when Putin invaded. 3/
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Dmitri Kozak refused Putin’s orders, offered to be arrested or shot
Dmitri Kozak, ex Putin aide, refused the president's orders on day two of the Ukraine invasion, insisting he didn't know Russia's goals. He told Putin he was ready to be arrested or shot, — NYT. 1/
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Kozak warned Putin of Ukrainian resistance and NATO expansion
Days before the invasion, Kozak warned Putin at a Security Council meeting: Ukrainians will resist, sanctions will be severe, Russia's position will suffer. He drafted a memo predicting Sweden and Finland would join NATO, which came true. 2/
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Artem finally reaches Kyiv with volunteer support
Volunteers met Artem on the Ukrainian side. They fed him, gave him a SIM card, and offered support. That same day, he continued to Kyiv, finally reaching the city he had risked everything to get to. 11/
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Medical commission ignores kidney condition, Artem must serve or flee
At the medical commission, his kidney condition was ignored. The verdict: if you arrived on a motorcycle, you are fit for service. Artem realized the system would not let him opt out. The choice narrowed to two options: serve or run. 8/