Kupiansk Secured By Ukraine Forces As Russians Face Pull Back To Oskil River

After months of threatened assaults, Ukrainian forces have secured Kupiansk and its outskirts, forcing the Russians to worry about having to pull back to the Oskil River to avoid being cut off. 

This is part of a larger resurgence by Ukrainian troops across the front as the Russians deplete their reserves, supplies and weaponry. JL

Espreso Global reports:

Ukraine's defense forces are consolidating their positions in Kupiansk and its outskirts. They have brought under fire control and gas distribution pipeline that Russian troops have been trying to use to enter the town. "The pipeline and approaches to Kupiansk are fully controlled by the Defense Forces. We don’t need to completely close it off, because it is easy to eliminate the enemy there. The Russians are now worried about being hit with a counterattack and forced back to the Oskil River."

Ukraine Has Now Encircled 3 Separate Russian Forces At Pokrovsk

The first two Russian groups have been isolated for several weeks, slowing being picked off by Ukrainian drones, artillery and infantry. 

The third, and now largest, group has recently been encircled while attempting to help rescue the previous two but their fate has been sealed by their commanders' unwillingness to permit retreat as the drones close in. JL

Euromaidan Press reports:

Russia’s habit of denying surrounded soldiers the permission to withdraw, have now produced a third pocket of trapped Russian troops in the largest encirclement to date, left without supplies or a way out. Ukrainian forces are pressing hard in the Dobropillia sector, carving up Russian lines and closing behind now isolated groups. With hundreds of Ukrainian drones in the air, a third pocket of Russian forces has formed, larger than the other two combined. Ukrainian forces continue their tactic of starving them out before moving in for the kill. Time is running out for the Russian soldiers still trapped inside.

As AI Use Grows, Its Unverified "Workslop" Causes Productivity, Trust Issues

Workslop is the name being given to the literal descendent of email 'reply all.' It is a form of wasting colleagues' time with easy to copy and paste AI 'insights' that are too frequently unverifiable, obvious or just plain wrong. 

It comes from the easy accessibility of a powerful new tool whose accuracy, uses and implications are not yet well enough understood. The result, as captured in new studies, is a decline in productivity - and a loss of trust as those too quick to share without editing and/or verifying become known for their profligate waste of everyone else's time. JL

Alex Daniel reports in Quartz:

As companies accelerate investment in generative AI, the number of firms with AI-led processes nearly doubled last year, and workplace use of the technology has also doubled since 2023. Yet research from MIT found 95% of firms see no measurable return on their AI spending. A new study from Stanford University and BetterUp Labs says as tools become more accessible, employees can quickly generate slides, reports, and emails that look convincing but lack substance. “Workslop - AI generated content - may feel effortless to create but exacts a toll on the organization” undermining both productivity and trust at work.

The Reason Ukraine Is Planning Localized Counteroffensives Now

Ukrainian forces are taking advantage of Russian disarray - reinforcement problems, logistics failures, leadership inadequacies - to destabilize and disrupt the Kremlin's plans while solidifying their own positions. JL

New Voice of Ukraine reports:

President Trump has been briefed on a planned Ukrainian counteroffensive that would require support from American intelligence, (but) "what’s being called a counteroffensive is actually what we’re already doing in Sumy Oblast and what we did on the Pokrovsk front and in certain other sectors: localized actions that disrupt Russia’s plans, freeze the line of contact and create factual stabilization."

How Ukraine Is Executing Its Plan To Starve the Kremlin's War Machine

Putin can only continue to pursue his increasingly desperate war in Ukraine by generating enough income to fund it. China and North Korea have been helpful, but do not want to assume the full burden of what is obviously a faltering venture. So the Kremlin must rely on oil exports. 

But this has not escaped Ukraine's notice, which is why it has exponentially increased its long range drone and missile attacks - now almost exclusively made in Ukraine - on Russian oil refineries, pipelines and weapons manufacturing facilities. And they have done so with such success that 20% of Russian refining capacity is now disabled. Further, NATO countries are increasingly interdicting the Russian 'shadow fleet' of aging tanker ships, making it even harder for the Russians to export. The result is that Putin is edging closer to the moment when he will have to decide between the threat to his rule of ending the war without a victory versus the threat of the faltering economy causing a coup. JL

 

Anne Applebaum reports in The Atlantic:

The Russians "don’t care about soldiers' lives.” (But) they need money to fund their oligarchy, as well as bribe their soldiers to fight: "so we reduce the money available to them." The Ukrainians are using drones to hit targets deep inside Russia, and lately they are hitting so many military objects, refineries, and pipelines that some believe they can do enough damage to force the Russians to end the war. As a result of new technology and expanded capacity, Ukraine’s long-range-drone units now launch several dozen strikes on Russia every night. A fifth of Russian refining capacity has been destroyed. “The most effective sanctions—the ones that work the fastest—are the fires at Russia’s oil refineries, its terminals, oil depots.”

Ukraine Tricks Russians At Kupiansk, Trapping "Advance' In A Cauldron

For the third time - in the last month! -  at Dobropillia, Sumy and now most recently at Kupiansk, Ukrainian forces have trapped Russian units which thought they were advancing. The Ukrainian strategy has been to let the Russians gain limited ground, as Kremlin commanders believe they are pushing the 'undermanned' Ukrainians back. 

In reality, the Ukrainians have encouraged the Russians, then closed a trap around them, creating an encirclement or 'cauldron,' which the Ukrainians can then decimate at their leisure using drones, artillery, armor and infantry. The headlines about Ukrainian positions at Kupiansk have been threatening in recent weeks so it is amusing to then learn that such narratives were part of the trap into which the Russians have fallen. JL

Decimus reports in Daily Kos:

With Russia’s forces committed to the assault on Kupiansk, Ukraine redeployed the battle-hardened 3rd Assault Brigade (the “Azov battalion”) to join the 10th Corps and the 429th to dismantle the Russian salient. The 3rd Assault and the 10th Corps launched their drive at the top of the Russian salient, flanking and pushing east to pin the Russians against the Oskil River, the obstacle they spent a year crossing with great difficulty. This drive traps any Russians who made it into Kupiansk. Just like in Sumy and Dobropillyia, the Russians have “advanced”  into a salient which the Ukrainians have then cut apart and crushed with huge losses to the Russian occupanty.

The Significance Of the Trump Narrative Shift On Russia Losing, Ukraine Winning

Putin finally overplayed his hand. While needing to keep up the strong man role for domestic Russian consumption, he seems to have believed that nothing would affect Trump's admiration for him and willingness to support his position. So he has rebuffed numerous US peace feelers, subtly but clearly insulted Trump during the Alaska summit - and then purposely struck civilian targets in Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities despite the distaste Trump voiced about that sort of action. 

But as a reflexive watcher of media narratives, Trump evidently began to perceive that in the eyes of the world, Putin was disrespecting him. And as someone who aspires to be seen as the most powerful global leader, such repeat behavior was unacceptable. Yesterday, for the first time, the US president said that Ukraine could win and take back its territories, while NATO countries could should hit Russian drone and jet provocations. Although Moscow feigned indifference, expect a resulting, massive Putin charm offensive to try to rekindle the bromance as the Russian military falters at Pokrovsk, oil exports shrink, the economy teeters and Chinese overlorship becomes more oppressive. JL

Phillips O'Brien reports in his substack:

Yesterday Trump trashed the narrative he has stuck too since January that Ukraine has “no cards”, while Russia is so much stronger than Ukraine.' That argument will be much harder to make—even if Trump changes his tune again. For the first time he said clearly that Ukraine can win the war, can liberate its territory, and Russia is a vastly overrated power; a “paper tiger” with an increasingly weakening economy due to the Ukrainian attacks on Russian oil production. The intelligence circulating in Washington now seems very different, and supports the idea that while Ukraine is showing the resilience of a country that can win, the idea that Russia is some unstoppable, victorious steamroller lies in ruin.

Ukraine's Systemic Attacks On Russian Air Defenses Create 300 Mile Deep Kill Zone

Ukraine's success in thwarting Russian offensives across the front, but especially around Pokrovsk, have received prominent coverage, as has its long range strikes on the Kremlin's military manufacturing, oil production and distribution assets which have seriously disrupted the Russian economy. 

What has received less attention is the systematic Ukrainian campaign to destroy Russian air defenses, which have have contributed significantly to making the other successes possible. The Ukrainians have targeted not just the air defense weaponry, but the web of interconnected communications systems that make coordinated defense against fast moving attacks possible. The result has created substantial vulnerabilities in Russian air defense capability, which give Ukraine the ability to identify and prioritize optimal targets. JL

RFU News reports:

Ukrainian forces are systematically striking Russian air defense systems, creating a kill zone up to 300 kilometers deep in Russian-controlled territories. By knocking out early warning radars and coordination, Ukraine creates time gaps in detection and response, blinding connected missile sites. By destroying intercept launchers with radar and control built in such as the Pantsir or Buk, they undermine Russia’s ability to patch holes in layered defenses. And by targeting systems which coordinate radar data, firing orders, and even external assets, they sever the command structure of the Russian network to work together. The more fragmented Russia’s air defense grid becomes, the more exposed its rear area is to follow-up strikes from Ukrainian bombers, drones, or cruise missiles.

Why Nvidia's New Stake In OpenAI Raises Questions About Startup AI Investment

Nvidia can afford to invest $100 billion in OpenAI. Microsoft, Google, Meta and one or two others may also have that capacity. But for the dozens, maybe hundreds of smaller AI startups and their VC, private equity or individual investors, to keep up means taking on significant debt. And all of those commitments are based on the assumption that AI is going to deliver here-to-for, other-worldly returns.

But some analysts, corporate executives and investors are starting to ponder the fact that, at least so far, those candyland expectations are proving difficult to realize. So what if that continues for longer than the lenders are willing to tolerate - or what if the eventual returns are good but insufficient to cover the mind-numbing sums required to build out the data centers, pay the AI talent and related expenses? Nvidia will probably be ok no matter what happens, but lesser beings can not be criticized for questioning whether its OpenAI gambit is a vote of confidence in the future - or a market top. JL

Tripp Mickle and Cade Metz report in the New York Times:

Nvidia's investment of $100 billion in OpenAI is part of a wider effort among tech companies to spend $325 billion on AI data centers around the world by the end of this year. Tech giants, which pull in tens of billions of dollars in profits yearly, have been able to finance this with money they have in the bank. But as newer, smaller companies have built facilities, they have been forced to raise or borrow tens of billions of dollars. The investments have raised questions about whether Nvidia is overstating the health of its business by investing in companies that then buy its products. This has led to worry that if A.I. technologies are not adopted as quickly as these companies believe they will be, aggressive spending could put companies in a precarious situation. Many could find themselves shouldering big debts without having sufficient sales to cover their costs. 

In Past 24 Hrs, Ukraine Recaptured 1.3Km At Dobropillia, Adding To 165Km Total

Adding to their previous gains on the Pokrovsk front, Ukrainian forces have taken an additional 1.3 kilometers from the Russians. 

The total of 165Km retaken and 180Km cleared is an extraordinary amount of territory given the size of the Russian force around Pokrovsk. It suggests that the Russians are not nearly as numerous nor as effectively supplied and supported as Kremlin propaganda claims. JL

Oleksandr Shumilin reports in Ukraine Pravda:

Over the past 24 hours, Ukraine’s defense forces have regained control over 1.3 sq km of territory occupied by Russian troops on the Dobropillia (Pokrovsk) front. A search-and-destroy operation against enemy forces has taken place over (a further) 2.1 sq km in Pokrovsk. 43 Russian soldiers were killed in the fighting, bringing total Russian losses up to 65. The commander-in-chief reported that as of 22 September, 164.5 sq km have been liberated on this front and 180.8 sq km cleared of Russian sabotage and reconnaissance groups (SRGs).

Putin Can't Let Ukraine Prosper Because It Reveals His Rule Has Been A Disaster

As the Russian army falters yet again in its latest 'offensive,' the reasons for Putin's intransigence become more apparent. 

The latest economic data show that the former Soviet colonies which have been free of its rule for two generations have significantly higher GDPs than does Russia itself. A free and independent Ukraine is a living rebuke to the failure of Putin's rule. JL

Michael Tory reports in the Wall Street Journal:

A free and thriving Ukraine makes it undeniable that Putin's rule has been a disaster for Russia. The most serious threat to Putin’s regime is the vast disparity in prosperity between Russia and the nations on its periphery that have escaped Moscow’s rule. In 1990, the Russian GDP was twice the combined GDP of the new EU countries ($500 billion versus about $250 billion). Today the combined GDP of the new EU countries is $2.4 trillion compared with $2.2 trillion for Russia. In a generation, the economic weight of countries that escaped Russia’s orbit now exceeds that of Russia, a stunning reversal of fortunes. Such disparate economic performance among nations linked by history and geography invariably leads to resentment.

Ukraine "Possesses Initiative" At Pokrovsk, As They Funnel Russians Into Kill Zones

Ukrainian forces are now widely credited with 'possessing the initiative' at Pokrovsk, as Ukraine has adapted more quickly and effectively to both threats and opportunities especially as drones have expanded the 'gray zone' where no one is in complete control and the battle lines are less clear. 

The Ukrainians, having studied the latest Russian military manuals, are now using that information to funnel ever more Russian units into disguised kill zones where they are destroyed by pre-sighted drone and artillery. The Russian inability to adapt - evident since the first days of the invasion - remains a lethal advantage for Ukrainian forces at this latest charnel house battlefield. JL

David Axe reports in Trench Art:

The Ukrainians have mostly destroyed the 132nd Motor Rifle Brigade and carved up the Russian salient. Ukrainian forces “possess the initiative here.” According to the definitive The Russian Way of War, Russian regiments construct fortifications to “protect the forward edge of the defense and canalize the enemy into fire sacs within the defense.” It is especially formidable given Russian commanders’ inability to adapt quickly—and find a safer route for their beleaguered troops. The Russian aren’t deterred by the nearby hulks of numerous destroyed armored vehicles. This strategy, repeatedly used by Ukraine, funnels enemies into kill zones where they are destroyed with concentrated firepower.

Russians' Demand For Drone Strike Insurance Is "Going Through the Roof..."

The increase in Ukrainian drone attacks on Russia is causing a surge in demand for insurance policies that cover the damage from such strikes. 

But those seeking drone insurance policies in Russia are urged to 'read the fine print' as the Kremlin frequently labels drone attacks as 'terrorism' in an attempt to downplay the threat, but which also means policy holders cannot receive reimbursement. JL

The Kyiv Post reports:

Russian insurance companies recorded a significant increase in inquiries for separate property insurance against the risk from drone attacks. The demand is driven by the higher profile given by the media to the upsurge in Ukrainian drone attacks increasing the fear among residents and that the authorities declare such attacks to be an act of terrorism which is excluded from coverage. The “drone insurance market” has seen a seven-fold increase in 2025 and could be worth as much as 25 billion rubles ($240 million) from a total value of policies this year of around 58 billion ($690 million).

Why Ukraine's Defeat of Russia At Dobropillia/Pokrovsk Is War's Most Revealing

Almost six weeks ago, Russian forces around Pokrovsk - evidently to their surprise - succeeded in infiltrating some Ukrainian lines at Dobropillia. What they did not and could not do was exploit it. In fact, they succeeded only in giving the far more nimble, adaptive and intelligent Ukrainians an opportunity not just to choke off the gain, but to turn it into a stinging defeat that affected another of the Kremlin's looming failed offensives. 

The reality, increasingly is that the Russian military in Ukraine is a spent force without the logistics, troop strength, armor, air power or leadership to win. They are hanging on by paying a huge price in blood in hopes that Putin will be able to convince President Trump to let him have his way. But Trump does not like losing or failing. He only wants to be seen backing winners. And his hand-picked Joint Chiefs of Staff Chair is telling him the Russians aren't winning. This may not be enough for the US president to abandon Putin, whom he evidently admires, but neither is he willing to back a lost cause like the Russian military in Ukraine. Which is why Ukraine's speedy and victorious recovery - and Russia's fumble - were so revealing. JL

Phillips O'Brien reports in his substack:

The Ukrainians have done remarkably this summer. The Russians have not taken a town of any size. Pokrovsk, Chasiv Yar, even Toretsk - scenes of fighting for over a year - are still in Ukrainian hands. The Russians on August 11 infiltrated Ukraine's lines. (But) the response ended up being the important story. The Ukrainian military remains far more nimble. The Russians had not prepared for success. They had neither the forces or logistics with which to exploit the surprise and stopped dead. The Ukrainians assembled a force in just a few days, deployed it to a new region, launched assaults and carved up the Russian salient—all while the Russians were frozen. The Ukrainians were more nimble, reacting quickly to the unexpected. By last week, there were Ukrainian counterattacks across the front.

Google Laid Off 100s Of AI Contractors Who Complained About Pay, AI Replacement

Those AI Overviews that pop up on your screen unbidden in response to an inquiry are being edited and trained by American tech contractors hired by an Hitachi subsidiary - all of whom must have a masters or PhD degree - but who are paid only $18-22 an hour. 

While the risk of being replaced by AI is extant for any tech worker now, some of these Google AI contractors complained to each other online about their pay, lack of benefits and general job insecurity. As a result, hundreds were suddenly laid off in recent actions. The message is clear: big tech intends to dominate the AI field, has no interest in sharing the financial benefits with most mere workers - and will brook no complaints. It is prudent to assume that this will be the approach Google, Meta, OpenAI, Microsoft and others will take to consumers and voters, as well. JL

 

Varsha Bansal reports in Wired:

More than 200 contractors who worked on evaluating and improving Google’s AI products have been laid off without warning in two rounds amid an ongoing fight over pay and working conditions. Google outsourced AI rating work - evaluating, editing, or rewriting the Gemini chatbot’s response to make it sound more human and “intelligent.” Contractors employed by Hitachi-owned GlobalLogic and other companies are based in the US and deal with English-language content to teach chatbots and other AI products, including Google’s search summaries called AI Overviews. These workers had to have a master’s or a PhD to join the program (but) were paid $18 to $22 an hour without benefits. GlobalLogic is using human raters to train Google AI, with the aim of replacing them with AI. Some contractors attempted to unionize this year but those efforts were quashed.