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The Duffel Brief · the free edition, Monday, Wednesday and Friday

Vol. 15 · No. 132 · Wednesday, 4 November 2026

Pentagon

Pentagon confident U.S. will be ready for 2027 war with China by 2035

Officials cite historically proven American strategy of entering wars completely unprepared

Hegseth wears Eisenhower's globe as Halloween costume

Spirit Halloween store to become pop-up ICE detention center

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Vol. 15 · No. 132

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Vol. 15 · No. 132 · Deployed worldwide

Wednesday

4 November 2026

1326 Zulu

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· Page 2

Russia claims Ukrainian border inexplicably jumped over its paratroopers

Filed · 1541

MOSCOW – In a surprising concession, the Kremlin announced Thursday that soldiers captured in Ukraine earlier this week were indeed from the elite First Airborne Division of the Russian Air-Landing Forces (VDV), but it was due to the Ukrainian border inexplicably jumping over them "out of nowhere," sources confirmed.

“This is all very simple misunderstanding comrades,” Defense Minister Pyotr Rurikid assured reporters at a televised press conference. “Ukraine is very unstable country, no? Event at Chernobyl was fault of lazy Ukrainian serfs at helm of complicated machinery. Ever since border between Russia and Ukraine been fluid. Question?”

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