The global chessboard just got a whole lot noisier, and we’re breaking it all down for you in this high-octane episode of The Restricted Handling Podcast. Buckle up—because today’s briefing dives deep into the newest moves from Moscow, the battlefield shakeups in Ukraine, and the escalating global tug-of-war that’s pulling in everyone from Athens to Beijing. 

Russia’s turning up the heat in Ukraine, shifting tactics from massed assaults to stealth infiltrations near Pokrovsk and Myrnohrad. We unpack how small, fog-shrouded infiltration teams are trying to choke off Ukrainian supply lines—while Ukraine fires back with next-gen unmanned vehicles and precision drone strikes. In the south, the fight for Hulyaipole is getting dangerously close to cutting key logistics corridors, threatening another pocket of resistance. 

But Ukraine isn’t staying quiet. We’ve got explosions at Russia’s Samara oil refinery, drone strikes hitting the Rubikon elite drone base in occupied Donetsk, and a temporary shutdown at the Novorossiysk oil port that sent shockwaves through global energy markets. Meanwhile, the Kremlin keeps pounding Ukraine’s infrastructure with missile and drone barrages—proving that this winter’s battle won’t just be fought in trenches but across the energy grid. 

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is juggling a war and a scandal—after a $100 million corruption probe rattled Ukraine’s state energy sector. He’s cleaning house, firing ministers, and racing across Europe to lock down new lifelines, including a deal with Greece to import U.S. liquefied natural gas through the winter. We’ve got details on his stops in Athens and Paris, where Zelenskyy’s securing Rafale jets and Aster-30 missiles from Macron to keep Ukraine’s skies alive. 

Back in Washington, Trump’s turning up the pressure with sweeping sanctions targeting any country doing business with Russia—while at home, his administration pushes hard to free the U.S. from China’s rare-earth grip. From the first U.S.-made magnet in 25 years to Pentagon-backed mines in California, we break down how this mineral arms race ties directly into America’s national security. 

And just when you think things couldn’t get tenser—the “third nuclear age” is here. China’s nuclear buildup, Russia’s new generation of “super weapons,” and the U.S. playing catch-up—it’s not Cold War 2.0; it’s something entirely more complicated. 

If you want the pulse of global power shifts—with sharp insight and a touch of dark humor—this is your sitrep. The Restricted Handling Podcast delivers the world’s most sensitive updates, unclassified for your ears. Tune in and get briefed.