It feels like we are at an absolutely critical stage in the war in Ukraine as both sides vie for a potentially winning edge before winter. First things first, US President Donald Trump seems to have again done the dirty on Ukraine by on the one hand at the recent NATO summit in Ankara promising Ukraine a license to make Patriot missile interceptors. But then on the other seeming take that offer away this week. Meanwhile, we are only now learning of the implications of Trump’s catastrophic failure in his war with Iran – one being that stocks of key US munitions, and particularly Patriot missiles, have been run down to threadbare levels. That sends a clear message to Russian President Vladimir Putin that: a) US support for Ukraine is parlous b) that Ukraine is not getting replenished with Patriot interceptor missiles any time soon. The cupboard is bare, and Ukraine near defenseless against Russian ballistic missile strikes.JOIN US ON TELEGRAMFollow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official. All that is a green light to Putin to rain hell on Ukraine now with ballistic missile attacks and to try and fast-track the destruction of Ukraine’s critical infrastructure before the winter. Time is also of the essence for Ukraine with Russian State Duma elections looming next month, and if it is going to change the political economy of this war it is now – to bring the war home to Russia and Russians by increasing the economic costs. Hence the unrelenting Ukrainian deep strike drone attacks on Russian refineries and distribution and logistics centers like Wildberry. Ukraine is also trying to take out ballistic missile production at source in Russia.