Russia just went all-in with the largest aerial assault of the entire war, and we’re breaking it all down on today’s episode of The Restricted Handling Podcast. Buckle up—because this one is packed with high-stakes moves, record-breaking drone swarms, oil refinery explosions, power blackouts, and sanctions talk that could actually change the game.

Overnight September 6th into 7th, Moscow launched more than 800 projectiles—Shahed drones, decoys, cruise missiles, ballistic rockets—you name it, they threw it. Ukrainian air defenses shot down hundreds, but saturation tactics worked: strikes landed in Kyiv, Zaporizhzhia, Odesa, Kryvyi Rih, Sumy, and beyond. And for the first time in the war, the Cabinet of Ministers building in the heart of Kyiv’s government district was hit, sending a chilling message: no place in the capital is safe. Fires, blackouts, and heartbreaking casualties—including a mother and baby—underscore the human toll of Russia’s latest show of force.

But Ukraine isn’t just taking punches—it’s throwing them too. Special Operations and resistance fighters lit up Russia’s Ilsky Oil Refinery in Krasnodar Krai, reportedly destroying its main refining unit, while another strike torched an oil pumping station in Bryansk linked to the Steel Horse pipeline. Ukrainian forces are hitting Moscow right where it hurts: energy infrastructure that fuels both the battlefield and Russia’s budget.

Meanwhile, Washington and Brussels are back in the spotlight. President Trump says he’s ready for “phase two” of sanctions, with his Treasury Secretary pressing Europe to step up with secondary tariffs on countries buying Russian oil. An EU sanctions envoy is in D.C. right now working on the 19th sanctions package, targeting Chinese banks and Indian refiners accused of helping Moscow dodge restrictions. The big question: will the West finally hit the Kremlin’s pocketbook hard enough to matter?

On the battlefield, Russia clawed for small gains in Kharkiv and Donetsk, but Ukraine continues to retake more ground overall. Elite Russian airborne and naval infantry units are being redeployed to Pokrovsk, burning manpower for limited results. At the same time, Moscow is tinkering with “mothership drones” that drop off FPVs to sneak behind Ukrainian lines—another attempt to outpace Kyiv’s defenses. And in a bizarre twist, reports say North Korean forces may have arrived near Kursk to bolster Russian border defenses.

This episode has it all: Russia’s biggest strike of the war, Ukraine’s counterpunches inside Russian territory, sanctions on the table, China’s fingerprints all over Moscow’s drone program, and the strange sight of Pyongyang stepping onto the stage.

If you want the most engaging breakdown of the biggest moves in the Russia-Ukraine war right now—with a little punch and personality—this is the episode you don’t want to miss.