army

The army wants to expand the military area of ​​a privileged corner of Mallorca. His neighbors have told him not so quickly

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Cap del Pinar is a postcard place from the north of the island of Mallorca. Cliffs, coves, trees and unique views of the Mediterranean. None of that has prevented that small strip of land from motivating an institutional ‘riffrafe’ between the Alcúdia City Council (21,000 residents), where the small peninsula is located, and the Ministry of Defense. The reason: Cap del Pinar is a privileged place for locals, but also an Area of ​​Interest for National Defense. The question is how compatible both uses are. What has happened? That the future of Cap del Pinara cape located north of the island of Mallorca, has caused an institutional clash between the Government and the Alcúdia Town Hallthe locality in which the spit of land is located. The reason? For the department headed by Margarita Robles, it is a space of “national interest” for defense. For the Consistory, however, it is something more: a space for “high heritage and natural value” which plays an important role in local traditions and cannot be stolen from neighbors. Where does the problem come from? To understand it you have to go back a few decades, in the early 40’swhen the Army initiated a file of forced expropriation of the lands of The Victory. Your goal, remember The Confidentialwas to install military batteries and auxiliary services in several strategic points on the Majorcan island: Cap del Pinar and Cap Gros. In 1947, the Alcúdia City Council (the town where the first one is located) accepted the transfer, although including a small print that clarified that it was granting the land temporarily and reserving certain rights. That was 79 years ago, but the area and especially its use has continued to make people talk. Why’s that? Because the presence of the Army marked the use of the environment, which began to focus on national defense. So much so that already entering the 21st century, the Alcúdia City Council and the Government came to an agreement to guarantee that residents could enjoy Cap del Pinar, although with certain conditions. As published in April 2009 Mallorca newspaper, The pact contemplated that people could visit the military base during the summer months and respecting a maximum daily quota of 50 people. Before, yes, they needed to request a special permit, which in practice deters to quite a few neighbors. The result is that locals have been able to continue enjoying the area, although with limitations. And what happens now? That the army wants to reinforce its presence in that small (and privileged) salient in the north of Mallorca. Recently the ministry communicated to the City Council that wants to declare a barracks located right on the Cape road “Area of ​​Interest for National Defense”. In other words, it wants to expand the area it already uses as a military maneuver and shooting range to 145 hectares. Although Margarita Robles’ department is still processing the Royal Decree that will allow it to expand the “area of ​​interest”, the notice has been enough to put the Balearic Council on guard, which was quick to make a move. What has he done? A few weeks ago the municipal plenary agreed to transfer to Defense a list of allegations. Basically, the City Council warns that the expansion “could condition local powers” in matters of urban planning and heritage, in addition to the use of the environment. Because if there is something that is worrying in Alcúdia, it is that its neighbors will lose access to a space of “high natural and heritage value”. “This is our main demand. We don’t want to have to ask for permits to climb,” explains the mayorFina Batlessa, a The Confidential. Why this concern? Because it is not just any area. Beyond your environmental protectionthe Cap del Pinar peninsula is a space of tradition and enjoyment for the neighbors. Very popular excursions are organized, not counting the coves (or paths to coves) that are distributed throughout the area. The big question is… If Defense decides to expand the military zone, how would that affect the use that locals make of the environment? After all, the neighbors already have experience of what happened with the land transferred in the 1940s. Hence, the City Council’s allegations clarify that one of its objectives be “maintain the hiking and hiking activity”, “guarantee access without prior authorization” and protect the popular festivals that are celebrated in Victòria. “It should not entail unjustified limitations on the rights of citizens and municipal autonomy. Alcúdia must preserve its environment and traditions,” summarizes Linares in Mallorca Diary. In its allegations the Consistory ask For example, the expansion of the military zone does not interfere with “hiking and hiking activities” nor does it represent a “reduction in the free movement of people” during the holidays. Hunters also have a license valid until 2028. What does Defense say? The issue has generated so much controversy that the Ministry of Defense has already come out to clarify that the expansion will not affect the enjoyment of the area. He has also clarified that he does not aspire to another 145 extra hectares, but that this will be the total area that he will manage after the change, including those that he has already controlled since the 1940s. To be more precise, the focus is on a 400-meter stretch of land that will leave a stretch of road and part of the surroundings under his management. Will that affect its public use? A few days ago the department of Robles guaranteed to Mallorca Diary that both hikers and hunters will be able to continue enjoying the area “without problem.” That has not prevented the debate has escalated even beyond local and regional politics, reaching Congress, where Sumar Més has registered several questions on the topic. Images | Wikipedia (Frank Vincentz) and Selvatgi (Flickr) In Xataka | Ibiza promised them happiness with its coves. Until luxury villas and beach clubs began to privatize them with hammocks

There are fewer and fewer North Koreans fighting with Russia in Ukraine. An army has arrived with an irrefutable promise: Cubans

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For months, reports about foreign fighters in Ukraine indicated to North Korea as the main source of soldiers sent to support Russia. Then there was official confirmation by both nations. Quietly, however, that balance is shifting in surprising ways. On the board of the war in Eastern Europe, another country begins to displace Pyongyang in the role of largest supplier of troops to Moscow, an unexpected turn that reveals both the fragility of Russia and the depth of its authoritarian alliances. The Cuban front. What began as a regional invasion has transformed into a global war, in which Russia not only faces Ukraine and its Western allies, but also mobilize a network of regimes to sustain the war effort. Among them, Cuba emerges as an unexpected actor: according to Ukrainian estimates, up to 25,000 Cubans They could join the Russian front, becoming the largest foreign force in Ukraine, above the North Korean contingents. For the Kremlin, the usefulness of this formula it is evident: The casualties of foreign fighters do not generate internal protests, do not require compensation to Russian families and reduce the political cost of the conflict. In a country with more than one million estimated casualtiesattract soldiers overseas It is also a matter of strategic survival. A formula that is difficult to reject. The main motivation for many Cuban recruits is simple: economic. On an island mired in one of the worst crises in recent decades, where the average salary barely exceeds 20 dollars a month, the promises of charge $2,000 a month They fight any ideological objection. Some accept the contracts convinced, others are deceived with job offers in construction or factories, to discover upon arriving in Russia that their destination is the battle front. Analysts like Cristina López-Gottardi they point out that the economic attraction is irresistible, but they also highlight the political dimension: Havana obtains income from remittances from combatants and consolidates its alignment with Moscow, presenting it as a gesture of “revolutionary loyalty” and, incidentally, a symbolic challenge to Washington. Experts point out that the regime seeks reinforce your narrative anti-American, presenting participation as an act of internationalist solidarity, although in practice it is a source of foreign currency in times of hardship. Mercenaries, coercion and globality. The Cuban presence is part of a broader trend: the growing Russian dependence on foreign fighters. According to intelligence data, in 2025 almost half of the prisoners captured in Ukraine They were not Russian citizenswhen in 2022 they barely represented 1%. From Africans recruited under threats of deportation, until deceived students With false job offers in “shampoo factories”, including North Koreans sent as cannon fodder, Moscow turns to a whole mosaic of forced soldiers or mercenaries. In this sense, the Cuban contribution not only strengthens the Russian lines, but also magnify the image of a war waged by an international authoritarian axis that includes Iran, Venezuela, North Korea and now Cuba, sharing weapons, technology and experience on a battlefield converted into a laboratory for modern warfare with drones, electronic warfare and new combat tactics. Cuba as a diplomatic target. Cuban involvement in Ukraine has not gone unnoticed by the United States. The Trump administration has decided to use it as a central argument in his diplomatic offensive against Havana at the UN. An internal State Department cable, dated October 2, instructed US delegations to pressure allies to vote against the traditional annual resolution demanding an end to the US embargo on Cuba. Year after year, the measure has had overwhelming support (in 2024, 187 countries voted in favor and only the United States and Israel against), although Washington hopes to reduce that margin by presenting evidence that the Miguel Díaz-Canel regime has become in active accomplice of Russian aggression, with between 1,000 and 5,000 fighters deployed on the front. In the documents is underlined that Cuba “has failed to protect its citizens from being used as pawns” in the war, and the regime is accused of “undermining democracy” in the region, particularly through its alliance with Venezuela. The embargo and sanctions. Washington’s strategy seeks to disarm the Havana narrative, which presents the embargo as the root of all their evils. The diplomatic cable instructs to highlight the corruption and incompetence of the Cuban government, in addition to highlighting that the economic problems do not derive from the sanctions, but from its mismanagement. Trump, upon his return to the presidency, has hardened the restrictions: has reinstated Cuba to the list of countries sponsoring terrorism, has further limited financial transactions and has sanctioned third countries that collaborate with Cuban doctors abroad. Faced with this pressure, the Cuban regime accuses Washington of seeking a pretext for aggression and even instrumentalizing the anti-drug fight in the Caribbean as an excuse to increase tension. That said, the backdrop seems different: the combination internal collapse and military alliance with Moscow places Cuba at the epicenter of the geopolitical struggle between Washington and the authoritarian bloc. Military school. Beyond the diplomatic balances, what worries many analysts is that the war in Ukraine has become an involuntary academy for allied armies of Russia. Every foreign contingent that steps on the front learn first hand the techniques of the first great drone war in history: from swarm operations to electronic warfare. As warns Bill Colefounder of Peace Through Strength Institute“the real danger is not the thousands of Cubans or North Koreans sent, but what they learn and then export to other conflicts in Latin America, Africa or Asia.” This transfer of war knowledge turns war into a multiplier of global instability, with authoritarian regimes absorbing tactics and adapting them to their own scenarios. The Cuban paradox. The participation of thousands of Cubans in the Ukrainian war also reveals a paradox: while for the Havana regime it represents both a source of foreign currency and a reaffirmation of its anti-American identity, for Moscow it is a cheap solution and politically comfortable to internal wear and tear, and for Washington an opportunity to intensify diplomatic pressure … Read more

Now the hunt is in charge of a lethal drone army

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It is no secret that Lockheed Martin’s F-35 summer was not the best of all. After the plane stranded for a month In India, the reverse from Spain to an order (to which they have added other countries), A second breakdown of a hunt, this time in Japan, and a report that questioned the plane and its sophisticated software Because of the iceyou could say that the storm has passed. In fact, the United States has a message: F-35 will be more Powerful that never. The technological commitment. Yes, Lockheed Martin has undertaken a decisive leap in the evolution of the F-35 Lightning II by incorporating advanced capabilities of Enjambres control of drones through artificial intelligence. With an investment of about 100 million dollars in programs such as The career projectthe company seeks to transform hunting not only into a versatile and furtive combat plane, but an authentic Air Command Center capable of directing unmanned vehicles in recognition, electronic warfare or coordinated attacks. The objective: maintain American aerial supremacy against increasingly complex threats, betting on synergy between manned aircraft and autonomous systems in a network combat ecosystem. Synergy Man -Machine and Remote Control. The integration of AI allows the F-35 to communicate In real time With drones, processing a lot of volumes of data and making instant decisions that extend their operational scope far beyond their own sensors. In recent tests It was checked That an F-35 could directly control a drone, which opens the door to operations in which the plane can “see” and attack objectives through intermediary platforms without putting the pilot at direct risk. Moreover, Lockheed proposes that F-35 itself have An optional mode not manned, which would reduce costs compared to the development of a sixth generation hunting from scratch and allowed to take advantage of the cells already produced with greater degree of autonomy. The autonomous era. The F-35 was born from the program Joint Strike Fighter which in 2001 granted the victory to Lockheed against Boeing. Since then it has evolved in three variants (F-35a of conventional takeoff, F-35b of short takeoff and vertical landing, and F-35c embarked) and has become a key piece of several branches of the US and Allied armed forces. This 2025 is expected to deliver Up to 190 unitswhich reflects the magnitude of the program and the confidence of the company in its long -term validity. However, the complexity of the system raises risks, as evidenced by the Incident in Alaska in which a pilot had to eject after almost an hour of solution attempts with Lockheed engineers, and that underlines the need for exhaustive tests before displaying large -scale autonomous capabilities. The integrated air dominance vision. The weight of these developments lies greatly in the Skunk Works division of Lockheed, which raises a concept of “Integrated air dominance” in which the F-35 will benefit from sixth generation technologies, including advanced autonomy, interoperability with swarms and improvements of furtiveness. Associated companies such as Northrop Grumman and BAE Systems strengthen the capacities in electronic warfare and surveillance, expanding the network of connected functions. Sector analysts interpret this strategy as A calculated movement in front of rivals like Boeing, especially after loss of a contract of new generation fighters, and as a way of presenting the F-35 as a bridge to completely autonomous fleets. DRON VECTIS The birth of Vectis. It is the device that explains the U-35 update. Skunk Works has presented these days DRON VECTISa large non -manned air combat system (Group 5) conceived under philosophy Agile Drone Framework. The framework prioritizes modularity, interoperability and rapid adaptability against changing threats, so that the vectis is not defined by a closed hardware, but by its ability to integrate Useful loads, control architectures and diverse missions according to the needs of each operator. The name, of Latin origin, refers to the “lever” that the system represents to multiply air power. Your first prototype is expected to fly in a two -year periodafter having surpassed Skunk Works his initial proposal “too sophisticated” that was out of the first phase of the program Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) of the United States Air Force. Furtive design The revealed images They show a drone without queue, air inlets mounted on the top, tilted nose line and an S duct that reduces the radar and infrared firm. Its exact dimensions have not been published, although it is known that it is less than an F-16 but greater than the CMMT missile drones of Lockheed herself. The Vectis is designed to operate from conventional clues, although with a view to a future in which it can adapt to austere environments or dispersed bases under concepts such as AGILE COMBAT EMPLOYMENT (ACE). Its architecture allows compact radars, infrared sensors, electronic war systems or retransmission packages to be installed, in addition to carrying air-air and air-surface missiles from internal wineries. In addition, it does not seek to reach supersonic speeds, but Prioritize rankinessresistance and multimisional flexibility. Accompanying hunting. As we said before, the vectis is fully integrated with fifth and sixth generation platforms, as the F-22 and F-35that they can exercise Control nodes To direct dwarfs. In fact, simulations already made show the ability to use it In air defense missionssuppression of anti -aircraft defenses, intelligence, surveillance and recognition. Its open mission architecture, aligned with Washington’s reference standards, allows compatibility with multinational systems and opens the door to use by US allies. Lockheed underlines The importance of intuitive control interfaces, such as touch screens, so that pilots can order maneuvers or armament throws without overloading their workload. The system is designed to fly daily in training, but also to be stored and deployed on demandwhich provides logistics and strategic flexibility. Challenges and the future. The development of an F-35 capable of Direct drone swarms advanced Like the Vectis Raise strategic and ethical questions about the level of acceptable autonomy in war operations. Meanwhile, the logic of the pentagon of moving towards the war in network supports the need … Read more

The Ukrainian army that is not afraid of Russia. They arrive as outdated machines and become robots for war

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The year 2025 has been a radical change in the Ukraine War. We had seen drones with shotguns of double cannonrobots Lanzaluelaunmanned vessels With missilesairplanes With shotguns or even devices with kilometer cables of optical fiber Looking for its goal through algorithms. However, in recent months a change in trend has been accelerated. Because soldiers are no longer recruited, they are recruited directly robots. Even if they are antiques. Improvising on the front line. It Forbes counted. In an abandoned Soviet warehouse in Donetsk, Ukrainian soldiers and engineers transform old vehicles into non -manned combat systems, the called UGV. Under the command of Oleksandr, head of the Robotic Unit of the Antares Battalion, the workshops work thanks to raffles, donations and volunteer networks that Finish pieces and spare parts. Robots arrive with analog communications vulnerable to Russian electronic war and are completely comforted: new chassis, digital systems, StarlinkLte or encrypted links. Each conversion costs Between 750 and 1,000 dollarswithout counting satellite equipment, and requires maintenance after each mission. Once ready, the UGV are mostly destined for tasks logistics and evacuationtransporting ammunition, food or injured under enemy fire, although some are equipped with turretsmortars or electronic war modules. The speed remains limited and unstable connectivity, which forces them to use them mainly at night or in discretion conditions to avoid Russian kamikaze drones. Robots against the death zone. The proliferation of drones in Ukraine has extended The Russian “Kill” More than 15 kilometers behind the front line, causing entering or leaving positions to be one of the most lethal maneuvers. In fact, up to a 80% of the casualties Russians are already attributed to unmanned systems, and losses of Ukrainian logistics vehicles have forced multiply the use of UGVS for supplies and evacuations. The need is so high that in December 2024 the first compound Ukrainian assault was documented entirely by robotsand in July 2025 the 3rd Assault Brigade achieved an operation with Russian surrender Without own casualties. However, the UGV follow being vulnerable: day they are easy prey of FPV drones, and any signal failure can leave a wounded in the open field. Given this, some units are used as suicidal vehicles, launched against trenches, bridges or mined fields to detonate loads and open path. Another UGV development An accelerated race. Both kyiv and Moscow They experience With fleets of terrestrial robots, aware that the future of combat will depend on the mass integration of autonomous systems. Ukraine aspires to deploy 15,000 UGV By the end of 2025, supported by The Brave1 programwhile Russia shows prototypes With thermobáric launchers in their state media. The analysts They point That kyiv maintains advantage thanks to a decentralized network of start-ups and creative brigades, while Russia still depends on fragmented and volunteer efforts. At the same time, other global actors Like China They observe carefully the Ukrainian innovations to incorporate them into their own war doctrines. The test terrain in Donbás is accelerating a cycle of military innovation that in peace times would have been. Of logistics to direct fire. Ukrainian brigades already work for prototypes that They go further of the simple delivery of supplies: anti -aircraft turrets, UGVs kamikaze with Starlink to attack tanks, and modular platforms that can be adapted according to the mission. The main challenge is to reduce costs and simplify the operation to massify its deployment. The 28th mechanized brigade even presented a UGV equipped with A manpads Iglacapable of folding drones or low -level helicopters keeping operators covered. The vision is clear: an army in which the machines do the most dangerous work and the soldiers are preserved for control and supervision missions. The role of civil innovation. The rapid evolution of this robotic war It would not be possible without the direct intervention of Civil engineers and entrepreneurswhich have created a unique ecosystem of warlike innovation. Organizations as dignitas Ukraine They drive the Victory Robots programThey train soldiers in the management of UGVs and spread best practices among brigades. These initiatives They seek to build a “technological shield” that reduces human casualties and accelerates the adoption of autonomous systems. The next phase, they anticipate, will be the integration of artificial intelligence into terrestrial robots, multiplying their autonomy and efficiency in the battlefield. A robotic army. The Ukrainian bet for the UGV is not conjunctural, but part of a long -term strategy to compensate for demographic inferiority against Russia. If they manage to industrialize their production and stabilize the supply chain, these robots could become In spine From a hybrid army in which humans and machines fight side by side. Thus, the perspective of a future where entire brigades are accompanied by swarms of aerial drones and autonomous land vehicles no longer belong to science fiction, but to everyday reality of the Ukrainian front. For kyiv, robotics is more than a tool: it is the key to resist for years in a wear war and, perhaps, to define what the wars of the 21st century will be. Image | TV Zvezda, Gopua In Xataka | Something unprecedented in Ukraine is happening: combat drones do not need humans to coordinate and attack In Xataka | We had seen the drones of Ukraine do everything, but this is new: they are arriving lost to countries outside the war

An army of robot dogs

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Hong Kong is preparing to combat the increase in cases of the Chikungunya virus, transmitted through mosquitoeswith a strategy taken from the Black Mirror series: with robots dogs. The authorities themselves They are already planning Deploy these four -legged robots equipped with insecticides to deal with the threat in difficult access areas. What is the ‘chikungunya’ disease. In summary, it is an infectious disease that is transmitted through mosquitoes that have the virus inside being the vectors of the disease. The symptoms generally begin four to eight days after the mosquito sting, and mainly will be accompanied by fever and joint pain. At the moment, there is no treatment because it is a virus, and the health system can only focus on treating symptoms. The problem is that the concern for the disease does not stop growing. Recently, nine imported cases have been registered this year and one significant out of the neighboring province of Guangdongwith more than 7,000 cases reported since June. The good news is that this is not a disease with a great mortality rate, being more dangerous only for pluripatological patients, which are normally those of older. The ‘war against mosquitoes’ will begin as a pilot plan. It will be From next month When the city will begin its strategy to fumigate slopes and other places that present difficulties for pest control equipment. In this way, eliminating mosquitoes (which act as virus vectors) can control the spread of the disease. This was confirmed by the Secretary of Environment and Ecology, Tse Chin-Wan, that he pointed out That the initiative seeks to relieve the load of first -line personnel, especially during the hottest months. And in the event that this first strategy works, many more robotic dogs can be deployed. Technology for difficult land. Robotic dogs, popularized by companies such as Boston Dynamics, are designed to operate and perform tasks on irregular land. Their agility makes them a viable solution to reach the habitats of mosquitoes in areas where humans cannot easily access. The potential of this technology goes beyond simple fumigation. By integrating AI, cameras and sensors, these robots can in the future detect stagnant watersmap mosquito hatcheries and send real -time updates to command centers. The AI ​​could also analyze the temperature data, rainfall and outbreaks to predict where mosquitoes are most likely to prolve, allowing preventive and more ecological action by reducing the use of chemicals. Alternatives and concerns. In addition to robots, the Hong Kong government is exploring other alternatives, such as A technique recommended by WHO which introduces a bacterium into Aedes mosquitoes to limit their reproduction capacity and virus transmission. Something that according to the authorities is already taking a result in Singapore. Robotic dogs are not free of controversies. The high cost is one of the problems that part of the population can see to this plan. In addition, there is concern that excessive dependence on technology can weaken basic preventive habits of the community, such as being careful with stagnant waters. Another critical point is The possible damage to other insects beneficial, such as bees and butterflies, which generates long -term environmental risks in pollination processes, for example. Robots begin to be present today. Apart from this idea with robotized dogs in the field of health, in China it is already organizing the Robotic Olympicsbut they are also using Robots to patrol the autonomous wind farms either even install solar parks. And having them at home is also possible Thanks to robots megatiendas that will arrive in November 2025. Images | Andrew Jephson In Xataka | China has gathered more than 150 humanoid robots in Shanghai. Your message is clear: this is no longer about ideas, it goes from industry

We believed to know what killed Napoleon’s army in Russia. The finding of a tooth has shown us something else

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In 1812 there is a moment that was going to be registered in the history books. The Russia invasion by Napoleon culminated in one of the greatest military tragedies: The great arméeformed by more than half a million men, was forced to a devastating withdrawal marked by hunger, cold and disease, a combination that cost the lives of hundreds of thousands of soldiers. Or we believed. Health catastrophe. In the summer of 1812, Napoleon Bonaparte gathered up to 600,000 soldiers for his campaign against Russiathe greatest force he had ever deployed. However, the burned land strategy of Tsar Alejandro iwhich involved Evacuar Moscow and deprive the supplier of supplies, forced the withdrawal of the French army to Poland during a brutal winter. Between October and December of that year, more than 300,000 men perishedvictims of hunger, the extreme cold and a wave of diseases that devastated to an already weakened force. For a long time, the testimonies of survivors and the first scientific analyzes pointed to the TIFUS and the trench fever as the main culprits, reinforcing the idea that the bad hygienic conditions had sealed the fate of the great Armée. The new findings. Now, research carried out In the Pasteur Institute in Paris they have contributed a more precise vision thanks to metagenomic techniques, capable of identifying genetic material of any pathogen present in human remains. Nicolás Rascovan’s team analyzed Thirteen soldiers Buried in Vilna (current Lithuania), epicenter of mortality during the withdrawal. The results did not detect traces of typhus or trenches fever, but they did reveal the presence of Salmonella Entericacause of paratyphoid fever, and Borrelia recurrentis, transmitted by lice and responsible for recurring fever. These diseases, although not always fatal, would have deeply weakened soldiers already exhausted by endless marches, lack of food and glacial temperatures. In that context, even pathologies that in other circumstances could have overcome became mortal. Napoleonic invasion in Russia Lethal combination He New scenario It suggests that defeat is not explained by a single infectious agent, but by a devastating combination: physical exhaustion, starvation, extreme cold and a set of diseases that, together, undermined the resistance of tens of thousands of men. The Parathyphoid fever It would have caused diarrhea and dehydration, while recurring fever progressively weakened with cyclical episodes of high fever. All this, added to the lack of hygiene, to the spread of lice and the impossibility of adequate medical care in the middle of the chaos of the withdrawal, turned the Napoleon army into a paid field For the disease. The magnitude of the health catastrophe even exceeded combat losses, and became one of the decisive factors that precipitated the collapse of the campaign. Historical and scientific implications. Although some experts warn that the amount of recovered DNA is reduced and that the results are not entirely conclusive, The study It marks an important advance in the use of modern tools to reinterpret historical episodes. Demonstrates the Metagenomics potential To trace diseases in ancient human remains and offers new perspectives on how biology, and not only military strategy, it can explain the collapse of whole armies and populations. Researchers They point That these techniques could also be applied to the study of communities in America and Australia after European contact, where the lack of reliable records and historical biases make it difficult to understand the true impact of epidemics. The defeat that sealed the empire. The Tragedy of 1812 It is still one of the most studied inflection points in military history. The collapse of the Great Armée Not only stopped the Napoleonic expansion, but triggered the offensive of his enemies and the beginning of the end of his empire. While the epic of the campaign has traditionally been narrated in the key of battles and strategic decisions, the New evidence They confirm that biology and disease played a central role in the debacle. The withdrawal of Russia was, ultimately, both a military disaster and an epidemiological catastrophe, and the DNA of a few teeth found in Vilna has allowed to illuminate more precisely the executioners invisible and tiny that decimated the soldiers of Napoleon in one of the most lethal winters in history, starting with an unexpected “army” of lice. Image | Jean-Louis-Ernest Meissonier, Blaue Max In Xataka | “Even if I told you, you would not believe me”: the mystery of what Napoleon saw when he slept in the great pyramid of Egypt In Xataka | ‘Napoleon’ is Ridley Scott’s most controversial film in years. Not among critics: among historians

Leave an army without internet in the middle of a battle

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In a war where drones are as crucial as ammunition, cutting Internet access is the equivalent of cutting supply lines. And that was exactly what, according to a new and explosive Reuters reportmade Elon Musk in Ukraine at the end of September 2022, paralyzing a key counteroffensive against Russian troops. It was not a technical failure, nor a Russian cyber attack. According to the agency, it was a direct order of the Musk itself that left the Ukrainian troops blind and showed that the richest man in the world has the power to change the course of a war from his office in California, thousands of kilometers away from the front. The story, which contradicts the public statements of the businessman, is based on the testimony of three people who know the decision of Elon Musk. The first direct proof that the tycoon interfered in the Ukraine War since Walter Isaacson told a similar case in his biography and then rectify. But the incident goes far beyond past controversies and places the tycoon in an unprecedented geopolitical power position for a particular citizen. A deliberate blackout in the front of Jersón. The events occurred during a key counteroffensive of the Ukrainian army to recover the strategic region of Jersón. The Ukrainian troops advanced and depended almost completely on the Starlink terminals for everything: coordinate attacks, point the long -range artillery and pilot the surveillance drones that gave them eyes on the Russian positions. It was then that Elon Musk gave the order to a Spacex engineer, Michael Nicolls, to cut the coverage in the counterattack areas. According to one of the sources, the order was blunt: “We have to do it.” In the Spacex offices, employees complied, seeing how a hundred hexagonal cells that represented Starlink’s coverage on the company’s internal map were turned off. The impact on the front was devastating. The communications were suddenly cut and the surveillance drones were left without a sign, leaving the isolated and vision units on the enemy forces. Artillery units, which are used for the precise geolocation of objectives, began to fail in their shots. The soldiers panic. According to a Ukrainian officer, the attempt to surround a Russian position in the city of Berislav failed after the blackout. Although Ukraine managed to release the area, Musk’s decision temporarily redrawed the front line. Walter Isaacson’s biography fell short. This new report on Jersón is more serious than the most famous controversy to date: the Crimea incident. In September 2023, Walter Isaacson published his biography of Elon Musk telling that the tycoon had ordered to turn off the Starlink connectivity in Crimea to frustrate a Ukrainian attack with submarine drones against the Russian fleet in Sevastopol. That statement caused a media earthquake, but was withdrawn by Isaacson himself in subsequent editions of the biography. According to Musk, what happened was actually that Ukraine had requested emergency activate Starlink’s coverage on Crimea, an area where he was not operational. Musk refused. Your reasoning, expressed in several publications in XIt was clear: doing so would have turned Spacex an accomplice of an act of war, violating the law. So why did you interfere in Jersón? Reuters research points to a reason that Magnate himself has expressed on other occasions: The fear that Ukrainian advances will cause nuclear retaliation by Russia. At that time, Vladimir Putin had threatened to use nuclear weapons if Russia’s “territorial integrity” was compromised. This fear, which according to the report was shared by senior US officials, seems to have been the trigger for Musk to decide that the Ukrainian counteroffensive had gone too far. In his biography, Isaacson collected this kind of existential anguish: “How am I in this war? Starlink was not conceived to be involved in wars. It was for people to see Netflix and relax, not for drone attacks.” The Ukrainian dependence of Starlink. “One of the main factors for which Ukraine was not overwhelmed by Russia is Starlink’s support that I provided, with great risk to spacex of cyber attacks and physical attacks by the Russian military forces,” Musk wrote in the late 2024. “Starlink is the backbone of Ukrainian military communications in the front.” Starlink is a constellation of thousands of satellites, much more difficult to block through interference than Other satellite Internet services. It also offers much larger bandwidth and latency much lower than other operators. This technological superiority has not only been crucial for Ukraine, but has given Elon Musk, the owner of Spacex (which is still a private company) an unprecedented power. Image | The White House In Xataka | China and Europe are investing a fortune in their own Starlink: the US advantage is too big to ignore it

recruit 40,000 adolescents a year in the army

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The mili, or military service, won a year ago, won Force in Europe With the advance of the War in Ukraine And a Putin strengthened. Lithuania, Latvia, France either Denmark They were some of the nations that put on the table the need to reinforce their recruitment. Many of them already looked at the call “Nordic model”and now it is Germany that seems determined to implement it. Or almost. The awakening of an army. I told this week The Financial Times. Germany prepares to take a radical turn to its defense policy with the launch of A new program of voluntary military service that aspires to recruit until 40,000 young people a yearin a commitment to revitalize armed forces that have been overcome by the new European strategic reality after the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Suspended in 2011, the former mandatory military service has been subject to intense debates In recent years, but the government has now opted for A voluntary model (inspired by the Swedish system) that combines economic incentives, professional training and a possible route to the professional army. This strategy seeks to solve both the shortage of troops and the need to create a massive and operational military reserve in the face of possible future crises. The road map. The proposal, which will be presented as bill Before the German Cabinet at the end of August, it contemplates a staggered process. In a first phase, it seeks to expand the number of places covered by the current voluntary program, going from 15,000 this year to annual increases in Between 3,000 and 5,000 young people until reaching 40,000 in 2031. The main objective is to strengthen the number of army reservists, automatically integrating those who have completed the voluntary service. But a percentage of these young people is also expected to opt for a professional military career. At the moment, The Bundeswehr It has about 182,000 professional troops, and the government intends to expand that figure Up to 260,000 for 2035. In parallel, the reservists body should multiply more than three times, from 60,000 to 200,000, which will require a deep transformation in the recruitment and training rhythms. Economic incentive. To achieve this, the plan contemplates a series of attractions designed to capture 18 -year -oldthe main group to which the initiative is directed. From 2026, all men who fulfill that age (about 300,000 a year) must fill out A mandatory questionnaire To evaluate its aptitude and availability for the service, while, in the case of women, participation will be voluntary. Those who register can receive a Net salary of about 2,000 euros Monthly, language courses, technical training, subsidies to obtain the driving card and the possibility of acquiring new useful labor skills beyond the military. The basic service will be six months, although it can be extended if the volunteer wishes. Then, from 2028, all 18 -year -old men must also recognize recognition Mandatory doctor, even if they do not want to enlist, in order to build an updated database on the potential reserve available for total war scenarios. 7th Army The new Merz doctrine. The program is framed in the vision of Chancellor Friedrich Merz, who He has promised make the German army conventional more powerful in Europe. His government, which has already allocated hundreds of billions of euros When rearmaconsiders that the new voluntary military service will not only serve to solve the chronic problem of lack of personnel in the armed forces, but also to reinforce Germany’s position within NATO and as a reference actor in continental security. In the background: The Russian threat, the setback of the pacifist strategic culture inherited from the postwar period and the growing global tensions have driven Berlin to redefine their military role with a decision that, although presented as voluntary, It contains clauses that would allow to reinstate the mandatory service if the current scheme fails to achieve its objectives. Volunteer with shadows. Yes, because the full return of the mandatory military service is discarded for now, the project includes mechanisms that, de facto, could lay the foundations for A future conscription If their figures fall short. Unlike the Swedish model, where the authorities select the recruits among the suitable citizens, in Germany only those who will be chosen Express your will to participate. However, the fact of demanding all 18 -year -old men and a medical checking points to the creation of a structured national evaluation system, one that It could be activated more easily if the situation requires it. In parallel, the legal text provides for A clause which would allow to restore the conscription formally, although without establishing a specific activation threshold. The model, therefore, is presented as a balance point between the German pacifist tradition and the need to respond to a new era of insecurity. European echo. Plus: Germany It is not the only in reconfigure Your approach to military service. In France, Macron He has defended The reactivation of the Voluntary National Service as a way to strengthen the reserve body, which aspires to duplicate in the next decade, although it has refused to return to forced recruitment. In Eastern Europe, countries like Poland, Lithuania or Finland are expanding their abilities military and reservists accelerated. The German model, for its scale and ambition, could become a reference For other Western democracies that seek to strengthen their defense without reintroducing the mandatory service directly. In a Europe that Rearmastructured volunteering (encouraged, but not forced) is emerging as A formula politically viable to strengthen military preparation without breaking social consensus. Margin of uncertainty. No doubt, the success of German plan It will depend not only on their ability to attract young people, but also on their logistics implementation, their social acceptance and their ability to adapt in a changing geopolitical context. Although they have been designed Attractive incentivesit is still uncertain if they will be enough to recruit tens of thousands every year, especially in a little familiar generation with the military. … Read more

North Korea is transforming its army into the Ukraine War. And the strangest thing is the response of South Korea

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Russia and North Korea confirmed In April an open secret: that Pyongyang It is cooperating With Moscow in the War of Ukraine at various levelsincluding from troops to military arsenal. In return, Russia is giving North Korea what longs for: a functional army and a military capacity that could represent a challenge to global strategic balance. Thus, the strangest thing is the position of South Korea. Seoul’s silence. I remembered this week The Guardian. Although South Korea reacted rapidly to condemn the launch of ballistic missiles by North Korea in May, his government kept absolute silence when a KN-23 missile North Korean (designed precisely to attack South Korean objectives) hit a residential building in kyiv, Killing 12 civilians. That omission was not an isolated case: there was no answer when Russia displayed An anti -aircraft system To protect Pyongyang, or when it was learned that Russian instructors They were training to North Korean drones operators in their own territory. All this points, According to analyststo a disturbing lack of understanding by Seoul about the scope of the military transformation that is experiencing North Korea, a fed transformation not (alone) into theoretical exercises, but in the real crucible of war in Ukraine. A metamorphosis. According to Ukrainian military intelligence, North Korea supplies 40% of ammunition that Russia uses in its offensive against Ukraine. In parallel, Pyongyang has accelerated its own arms production and has sent an initial contingent of 12,000 soldiers to the Russian region of Kursk, a figure that has grown with another 6,000 troopsmilitary engineers, bridge experts and railways, logistics staff, military police, electricians and even interpreters. Although officially these soldiers unfold in reconstruction tasks, the real gain for Kim Jong-un lies in what their troops They are learning: Modern War, Coordination of Combined Weapons, Management of Recognition and Attack Drones, Electronic War and Technological Systems unknown so far for its Army. And more. Moscow’s support has also been translated into Technology Transfersincluding improvements in the precision of KN-23 ballistic missilesalready used against urban centers such as Járkov. According to Ukrainian intelligence, North Korean soldiers captured They revealed such an extreme ideologization that they tried to commit suicide biting their own veins to avoid being interrogated. One of them proudly said would return to your country as a hero for having fought in a modern war. Political calculation It is the other leg that slides. While Zelenski warns directly To South Korea that the time to act is now, before thousands of North Korean missiles and improved drones begin to threaten Seoul or Tokyo, the South Korean authorities seem look. The posture, According to expert Yang Ukresponds to a delicate balance Between strategy, internal policy and economic considerations. The reason? Openly recognize the danger of North Korean rearmament and his experience in combat would imply have to answer With firm measures (including perhaps sending weapons to Ukraine), something deeply unpopular among the South Korean population. In addition, Lee Jae Myung’s government is committed to a pragmatic foreign policy focused on economic recovery, in a context where Russia was one of its main commercial partners before war. On the political level, the South Korean ideological division revolves around the position against the north: while the right insists on the rearme and the hardening of the defense, the left Defend the dialogue And he maintains that South Korea has no obligation with Ukraine. The recent political crisis derived from the attempt of declare martial law He has left many officials reluctant to expose themselves publicly or make decisions that may be subject to political attacks. Between ambiguity and paralysis. If you want, Seoul’s hermeticism can be understood as an extension of its traditional “strategic ambiguity”, an unwritten doctrine of not getting involved in international conflicts that may put their own relations with key actors such as China or Russia at risk. However, some analysts warn that this position is staying dangerously outdated Faced with threats that evolve in months while military bureaucracy continues to work with planning times that require years. Godzilla level. He told the Guardian The retired general Chun In-bum that South Korea faces a threat comparable to a “level 10, super Godzilla”, but his institutional apparatus still acts as if only saw a tiger. In his opinion, the South Korean military doctrine remains anchored in a paradigm prior to the era of drones and is not adapted to face an adversary that is assimilating, In real timethe lessons of the most brutal conflict of the 21st century. From its point of view, the country is in front of a train that approaches at full speed, and is still in time to move or prepare, but not for much more. Reconfigured future. In short, the Military cooperation Public between Russia and North Korea is already leaving a mark on the Asian power structure. Moscow is integrating Pyongyang into its logistics chain and long -term supplies, in an alliance that could alter regional military balance even after the war ends in Ukraine. Meanwhile, South Korea seems willing to Keep observing From the barrier, trapped between fear of conflict, economic calculation and a political class immobilized by polarization. The problem is that northern neighbors seem to be gaining experience, technology and internal prestige to full machine for his role in a real war. And in that scenario, the question no longer points to whether that experience will turn against Seoul, but rather when. Image | Morning Calm, Getharchive In Xataka | North Korea has been sending armament for months to Russia. In return, Russia is giving him what longs for her: a functional army In Xataka | Russia gave animals, artillery and raw to North Korea. His last gift places his army at another level: space

If the question is what China is giving Russia in the Ukraine War, we have news: a complete army

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At the beginning of July Bloomberg he took Some documents They showed how a little known firm based in Khabarovsk, at the eastern end of Russia, had emerged as one of the main drone manufacturers of the country. I did it thanks to a dense cooperation network Covering with Chinese companies. Now, Ukraine’s intelligence has shown something much bigger: Beijing is giving Moscow a 100% Made in China complete army. A new generation. The Ukraine Defense Intelligence Directorate (Gur) He has revealed The existence of a new type of Russian decoy drone manufactured entirely With Chinese componentsa disturbing milestone that shows the growing implication of Beijing in the Kremlin war machine. Although for years it is has documented the use of foreign pieces (including Chinese) in Russian arsenalthis would be the first time that an unmanned aerial system used in the Ukrainian front is completely built with technology from a single country: China. Chinese shahed. The drone, of the delta and reduced size, reminds superficially to the Shahed-136 Iranianbut it works mainly as a decoy to saturate Ukrainian aerial defenses, although it can also incorporate an explosive load of up to 15 kilos. The existence of this platform confirms that Russia has not only perfected its saturation tactics With drones, but has also consolidated new technological supply chains that avoid international sanctions. All the components and blocks of the drone are of Chinese origin Commercial components. Of the two drones recovered by the Gur, one of them contained exclusively Chinese pieceswhile the other included two still unidentified components. According to The investigationalmost half of the pieces of the first came from a single company: Cuav Technology Co., a Chinese firm based in Guangdong that It specializes in open source created systems. The components were flight controllers with autopilot functions, navigation modules, antennae and air speed sensors. The most notable is that this company, which in 2022 had publicly announced restrictions on the sale of products both to Russia and Ukraine to avoid its military use, has ended up starring in The technical nucleus of a new Russian weapon. The paradox. The contradiction is even more striking to know that Russia had previously presented a supposedly native vertical take -off drone that turned out to be a direct adaptation of a Cuav acquired product acquired Through Aliexpress. The fundamental difference with the new lure does not lies in the origin of its parts, but that it is now a Russian endogenous production based completely on Chinese technology, not a simple direct purchase. Some of the Chinese components found in a new Russian decoy drone AI and tactical expansion. Chinese involvement is not limited to passive electronics. Ukraine has documented The use of artificial intelligence in Russian drones as the V2Uwhich uses algorithms to Identify and select Objectives autonomously. This drone used a Chinese Leetop A203 minicomputer and a central processor with Jetson Orin de Nvidia module, which reveals a combination of Western and Chinese hardwareused by Russia to incorporate AI capacities in its operations. In addition, Beijing has contributed to the development of fiber optic drones long journey, allowing Russia to extend the scope of these platforms up to 50 kilometers. This technology offers immunity against electronic interference and signal blockages, in addition to overcoming geographical obstacles that limit control via radio frequency. Thus, Beijin has endowed Kremlin with key tools to maintain Your tactical advantageespecially in an increasingly conditioned conflict for The electronic war and the saturation of enemy sensor. Foreign pieces war. We had gone counting In the previous months. Actually, the drone lure manufactured in China is only one more piece within the vast Russian war gear assembled with foreign components. The Gur has recovered multiple Russian arms systems (such as Shahed-136 drones, cruise missiles S-8000 flagcommand vehicles with Radar 9S932-1attack helicopters KA-52 and missiles KH-101) that They contained pieces Native of the United StatesIran, Taiwan, Switzerland, Japan or South Korea. In all cases, the parties escaped the export controls and ended Integrated in armament deployed on Ukraine. Even complete systems have been detected, Like a laser of Chinese origin designed for Brink Ukrainian droneswhose presence in Russia was confirmed after circulating videos on social networks. This transfer, identical to systems already provided By China to Iranreinforces the hypothesis of an active and sustained collaboration between both authoritarian regimes in the development of sophisticated weapons. China and implications. Although Beijing claims to maintain a neutral position before the war in Ukraine, its behavior seems the opposite. Filtered statements This month in CNN they revealed that Foreign Minister Wang Yi confessed to a meeting with the EU Foreign Policy Head of Foreign Policy, Kaja Kallas, which Beijing “cannot accept a Russian defeat” because it would allow the United States to focus their attention on containing China. In private, admitted that a prolonged war could benefit Beijing by distracting Washington from their strategic interests in Asia. This geopolitical calculation does not seem trivial: it reflects that for China, Ukraine is not a secondary issue, but A key piece on the global power board. His strategy seems to focus on keeping Russia sufficiently strong to erode Western influence, without compromising enough to become target of direct sanctions. The axis and the transformation of the conflict. Plus: unlike North Korea support (focused on Artillery, missiles and troops), the Chinese contribution It aims to silently mold the technological architecture of the conflict. The supply of microelectronics, complete platforms, AI tools and critical components has allowed Russia reconfigure your economy In war code and adapt your military industry to resist in the long term. A pattern that suggests that the flow of Chinese technology will not only continue, but will probably intensify, extending, perhaps, throughout the Russian arsenal. With Moscow Diplomatically isolated and financially pressedthe convenience alliance with Beijing is emerging as one of the most decisive variables in the future of war. Image | Gur In Xataka | It is not that the war is asymmetric, is that Russia is attacking with … Read more

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