A senior Russian general is fighting for his life after what Russian authorities are calling an “incident” inside a Moscow elevator. The details don’t add up—and the timing raises serious questions about internal power struggles within Russia’s security services. In today’s daily brief, we break down who Vladimir Alexeyev is, why his role inside the GRU matters, and how past decisions—from Syria to Mariupol—may have caught up with him. We then shift to the battlefield: missile strikes on Belgorod, a massive Russian drone and missile assault across Ukraine, infrastructure damage, and new Western aid. We also cover AI-driven drone warfare, Starlink restrictions disrupting Russian communications, a disturbing friendly-fire incident, and a rare moment of hope with the return of a POW long believed dead. This is not just about one man in an elevator—it’s about how power fractures inside authoritarian systems, and what that means for the war going forward. YouTube Chapters 00:00 – Intro: Three Major Headlines 00:35 – Breaking: General Vladimir Alexeyev Shot in Moscow 01:15 – Who is Alexeyev? GRU, Syria, and Wagner Origins 02:20 – The Mariupol Connection: Broken Promises and Azov Prisoners 03:45 – Internal Power Struggle? Why Alexeyev Was Targeted 05:00 – Missile Strike on Belgorod Power Plant 06:10 – Massive Russian Air Assault: Drones and Missiles 07:45 – Impact on Infrastructure: Zaporizhia and Herson 09:20 – International Aid: Netherlands, Estonia, and Canada 10:30 – Battlefield Tech: AI Drones and 60% Fire Damage 11:45 – The Starlink Crackdown: Russian Comms in Chaos 13:10 – Russian Friendly Fire: Drones Target Surrendering Soldiers 14:15 – Touching Return: POW Thought Dead Comes Home 15:00 – Closing Thoughts: Truth Over Talking Points #Ukraine #Russia #Putin #WarInUkraine #Geopolitics #MilitaryAnalysis Facts over noise. Context over headlines. Truth over talking points. ***** To support me as as I provide Ukraine war context: ***** Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/ProfessorGerdesExplains Buy Me A Coffee: https://buymeacoffee.com/professorgerdes Paypal: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/professorgerdes YouTube Channel Membership: https://www.youtube.com/@Professor-Gerdes/membership 🇺🇸 Contact the White House to express your support for Ukraine https://www.whitehouse.gov/contact/ *****IF YOU WISH TO PROVIDE DIRECT AID TO UKRAINE: ***** 🇺🇦 I have partnered with Greg Terry for all donations to Ukraine. He has raised and delivered more than a quarter of a million dollars of aid to date. To directly support this effort of delivering necessary provisions to the front lines, click on these links (and then watch him give your donations to soldiers on the front lines on his channel): https://www.youtube.com/@GregTerryExperience Amazon Shopping List USA/North America (Shop and send to UKRAINE AID c/o Bethel Life's Gift Registry Address) https://a.co/iodWsUK Amazon Shopping List for EU/UK https://www.amazon.de/hz/wishlist/ls/... Direct Link for Financial Giving via our 501(c)(3) Tax-Deductible in the USA https://www.gregterry.org/donate.html Link for Greg's 501(c)(3) EIN Information https://www.gregterry.org/donate.html 🇺🇸 Alternatively, you may choose to donate to Samaritan’s Purse: https://www.samaritanspurse.org/our-ministry/ukraine-response/?utm_source=FY22UkraineResponseVanityURL&utm_medium=direct&utm_campaign=m_YUKR-22L3&utm_content=Ukraine-Response-Redirect%20%20 🇺🇦 If you wish to support the Ukrainian Army, give directly to United 24. Follow this link: https://u24.gov.ua/ ***BUY SOMETHING TO SHOW YOUR SUPPORT FOR UKRAINE *** 🇺🇦 If you purchase from Saint Javelin with my link below, a cut of the proceeds will go directly to humanitarian aid for soldiers (bandages, tourniquets, etc.). I don't get the revenue. It goes to buy medical supplies from UnitewithUkraine.com. Use this link: https://www.saintjavelin.com/en-us?utm_source=YouTube&utm_medium=Social&utm_campaign=Gerdes 🇺🇸 This is the absolute CHEAPEST THING YOU CAN DO to support Ukraine (This is NOT MY SITE) https://amzn.to/4aPtwQr - Just support the war effort somehow. 🇺🇦 I wrote a book about Ukraine's president Zelenskyy which I have updated for the first 4-5 months of the war in Ukraine: It is free if you have Amazon Kindle Unlimited or $9.99 otherwise: https://amzn.to/3Q2wnyE 🇺🇦 If you cannot give or buy, you can like, share, and pray for the people of Ukraine. 🇺🇸 Please leave comments and tell me how I can help you gain more perspective. You can contact me @Dr_Gerdes on Twitter or email professorgerdesyt@gmail.com #UKRAINE #UKRAINERUSSIAWAR #UKRAINEWAR
