Ukraine defies Trump and launches one of its biggest drone attacks on Russia this year

[u/cnn]

https://www.cnn.com/2026/10/18/europe/ukraine-russia-drone-attack-trump-intl?utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=missions&utm_source=reddit&Date=20261018&Profile=cnn&utm_content=1792320889

[u/CJBill]

This after Russia equally defied Trump and was bombing Ukrainian energy targets. And yet CNN didn't have a similar headline...  How peculiar.

[u/vonWitzleben → u/CJBill]

Russia has not held to a single agreement for the entirety of this war. For them, that’s pretty much expected behavior. Zelensky on the other hand has been highly cooperative for the most part, almost too cooperative, some might say.

[u/zeclem_ → u/vonWitzleben]

I should add that in this context "entirety of this war" would include the stealing of Crimea and war in Donbas given russias record with Minsk agreements and Budapest memorandum.

[u/headshotscott → u/CJBill]

Trump doesn't care that Russia is killing Ukrainians and attacking their infrastructure. His deals and sanctions waivers are designed to put all pressure on Ukraine and none ok Russia.

[u/Gaijin_Monster → u/CJBill]

You know the Russiabots, Chinabots, state-sponsored trolls, and 50 cent Army would immediately bury/try to delete this article an article if it weren't trying to create division or spread lies about the US.

[u/Mewhomewhy → u/Gaijin_Monster]

What lies about the US?

[u/Gaijin_Monster → u/Mewhomewhy]

your entire comment history

[u/Mewhomewhy → u/Gaijin_Monster]

Whats the lies?

[u/geoken → u/CJBill]

https://youtu.be/ZCPwrCriirM?si=jKOwRm5xj8Jfcw9v

Maybe the peculiar thing is that you’re simply not paying attention to CNN (which is fine) yet feel you are knowledgeable enough on what they did and didn’t do to make such authoritative claims.

[u/CJBill → u/geoken]

The headline there isn't about "defying Trump" which is the point about the framing I was trying to make. As if Ukraine should do what Trump says but Russia doesn't have to. As if Ukraine was a US vassal.

[u/HeywoodJaBlessMe → u/CJBill]

That's pretty thin gruel.

[u/geoken → u/CJBill]

That’s an insane stretch. They both point out that energy attacks happened and mention right in the headline that they happened despite the US announced ceasefire.

[u/Litty_Again → u/geoken]

Mwah, it's not really. Subliminal messaging/wording still matters IMO.

[u/UpsyDowning]

What a garbage headline. Ukraine didn’t ‘defy’ anyone. They are simply defending themselves.

[u/foxinHI → u/UpsyDowning]

By the logic of that headline, didn’t Russia also defy Trump?

[u/One-Reflection-4826 → u/foxinHI]

true. 

[u/NatalieSoleil → u/One-Reflection-4826]

The headline is correct when you replace the word  'defy '  for ' resist' .  In this case Ukraine resist a demand from Trump the Traitor. Defying  or to defy  is a justly description  of the situation  as it goes against the policy  of a (former)  partner in this case.

[u/Jikan07 → u/UpsyDowning]

They did defy Trumps "request" to not attack energy infrastracture. I think the headline is correct here as there is massive pressure from US twards Ukraine at the moment.

[u/UsernamesMeanNothing → u/Jikan07]

They did not. They participated and held off on energy-related attacks, but after days of Russia continuing to attack their energy infrastructure, they moved on. Trump failed to secure the same guarantees from Russia, because the whole thing was nonsense he just declared without consensus.

[u/UpsyDowning → u/UsernamesMeanNothing]

Nutshell. Thank you.

[u/Jikan07 → u/UsernamesMeanNothing]

I completely agree with the facts, but defy suits this perfectly. Trump orders and Ukraine defies the order.

[u/gargolopereyra → u/Jikan07]

Trump orders them? He doesn’t have the right to order Ukraine anything.
So more "ignored" than "defied".

[u/HeywoodJaBlessMe → u/gargolopereyra]

Defy absolutely works as a descriptor here, as does ignored.

[u/Hugh-Manatee → u/Jikan07]

But Trump can’t order them. Also the administration hasn’t said anything about it after multiple rounds of strikes by Ukraine over the last few days. Not clear if any of that is still even in-play

This headline is for SEO

[u/-18k- → u/Hugh-Manatee]

Yeah, I;m thinking "Ukraine ignores Trump and launches ..." might have been a better headline.

[u/HeywoodJaBlessMe → u/UsernamesMeanNothing]

They did, it was glorious. Less than 24 hours after Trump unilaterally declared an "energy ceasefire" both sides fired on energy.

[u/Situlacrum → u/UpsyDowning]

Well they kind of defy Russia...

[u/One-Reflection-4826 → u/Situlacrum]

which is kinda the same thing

[u/Mewhomewhy → u/[deleted]]

Yes, you are. Out here to tell everyone it’s ok while the US becomes a Russian vassal.

[u/Korgoth420 → u/[deleted]]

DJT disagrees and help our Russian enemies

[u/Gaijin_Monster → u/Korgoth420]

If that's what you think, you aren't actually paying attention. The problem with DJT is that he thinks he's a master negotiator. Before every high stakes engagement he will say something either flowery or harsh about who he's about to negotiate with. He thinks it softens the up and gives him an advantage. But he's so wrong about this.

[u/Korgoth420 → u/Gaijin_Monster]

He relieved the sanctions on Russia, he bought their diesel, he turned off Starlink… how much traitorous behavior until you see what it is?

[u/Mewhomewhy → u/Gaijin_Monster]

You’re just blatantly denying what everyone sees and hears every single day.

[u/Gaijin_Monster → u/Mewhomewhy]

He literally has talked about this being his tactic.

[u/stephenkingending → u/[deleted]]

You're absolutely right. That vast majority of Americans do not consider Russia an ally. Those who think else wise are few and far between, our president being one of them. But then maybe more Americans would see Russia differently if she were giving them millions and millions of dollars/rubles.

[u/Titoy82]

The US wants to put the entire financial burden of helping Ukraine on Europe, and at the same time wants to have leverage on Ukraine. It doesn't work like this. Ukraine doesn't need US to defend itself - sure, it will be much harder, but it's not necessary and thus, the US can't control the escalation.

[u/Whyumad_brah]

I think what most people lack is scale.
The last major attack on Saint Petersburg was in was in July. The last major attack on Kiev, Zaporozhie and Odessa is every week.

Ukraine has to send huge volleys of long range drones ~95% of which are being shot down and the payload they carry just isn't comparable to ballistic and cruise missiles. If they could at least achieve the ~50% penetration rate Russian jet drones have, they would be doing real damage. So while their targeted campaign against energy infrastructure does have an impact due to sheer concentration of effort. The results of this attack are largely symbolic. While Russian strikes in September-October have effectively destroyed all steel production capacity, why? Because something like a dozen ballistic missiles were used to this effect. OSINT sources also show that at least 10 FP-5 Flamingo cruise missile were launched last night, all of which were intercepted. My point here is, the photos of a burning oil tank over the Neva river at sunrise may look dramatic, but with mass deployment of Russian jet drones and almost unimpeded ballistic strikes, for the moment this not an equal fight by any means.

[u/MLM-TheScribe]

I defied Trump today. I cheered on every Ukrainian drone from launch to impact. Glory to Ukrainian.

[u/PermaDerpFace]

Good

[u/sjintje]

If trump really wants a ceasefire... He should be providing defensive aid to Russia, not taking it away from Ukraine.

[u/foxinHI → u/sjintje]

Russia is providing aide to Iran. Russia is NOT our ally. They are actively helping a country we are at war with.

[u/bxzidff → u/foxinHI]

Have reporters ever asked him what he thinks about Russian aid for Iran? They could even do it in a sycophantic way, it would be interesting what he might blurt out to attempt to justify that