Russia is testing limits in the air, on the ground, and in the political arena—and this episode of The Restricted Handling Podcast breaks it all down with energy, edge, and clarity. RH 9.29.25 | Russia Strikes Kyiv, Violates NATO Skies, Moldova Defies Kremlin, Tomahawks Loom, Oil Fades delivers a deep dive into one of the most volatile weeks of the war so far.

We start with Russia’s massive overnight assault on Ukraine—nearly 650 drones and missiles fired in one of the biggest attacks of the war. Kyiv endured more than 12 hours of bombardment, killing civilians and knocking out power and gas for thousands. Ukrainian defenses intercepted most of the barrage, but the scale of the strike shows Moscow is still willing to burn through resources to terrorize and intimidate.

Then we shift to NATO, where Russian aircraft and drones have been buzzing through allied airspace like it’s the Wild West. Poland, Estonia, Denmark, and Norway have all reported violations this month. NATO scrambled jets, closed airspace, and even invoked Article 4 consultations—twice in two weeks, something almost unheard of. The Kremlin claims it’s all overblown, but Moscow’s top diplomat Sergei Lavrov is out at the UN warning of “decisive responses” if NATO downs Russian planes. That’s Cold War chest-thumping at its finest, designed to rattle the alliance.

Meanwhile, Moldova just handed Russia a major political defeat. The pro-European Party of Action and Solidarity crushed Kremlin-backed opponents in parliamentary elections, winning nearly half the vote despite cyberattacks, bomb threats, and disinformation campaigns. This result puts Moldova on a fast track to EU integration and deals a blow to Putin’s regional influence.

Back in Washington, the Tomahawk missile debate is heating up. Ukraine wants the long-range cruise missiles to strike deep inside Russia. Vice President JD Vance confirmed the request is under review, and Trump himself will make the final call. With a 2,500-kilometer range, Tomahawks would be a true game-changer for Ukraine’s military.

And while all this plays out, Russia’s oil industry—the backbone of its war economy—is slowly collapsing under sanctions, resource depletion, and labor shortages. The golden era of Siberian oil is fading, and the Kremlin knows it.

From drone swarms over Kyiv to NATO airspace violations, Moldovan resilience, U.S. weapons debates, and the decline of Russia’s energy empire, this episode packs in everything you need to know. Serious geopolitics, delivered with some heat and energy—because the stakes couldn’t be higher.