bombs

bombs have turned dogs into other animals

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Wars were never limited to the front nor did they end when fighting ceased. Throughout history they have altered landscapes, cities, customs and even everyday behaviors in unexpected ways, leaving silent transformations that only become visible over time. Some of them do not appear in history books or official balance sheets, but they reveal the extent to which a conflict is capable of reordering life itself on its margins. Also from your animals. The war beyond humans. Various studies hrevealed in recent months that the Russian invasion of Ukraine has not only left a devastating mark on the civilian population, but is also quietly transforming to the animals who shared that human environment, especially domestic dogs, whose fate has changed radically since the beginning of the conflict. Many were abandoned during evacuations, others were trapped in occupied territories or combat zones, and in a very short time they went from being dependent pets. to forced survivors from an extreme environment, becoming a hybrid population between the domestic and the wild. A studio born on the front. The latest research, published in the journal Evolutionary Applicationsanalyzed data from 763 dogs in nine regions of Ukraine thanks to the joint work of shelters, veterinarians and volunteers, including dangerous areas near the front lines. A key part of the work was carried out by Ihor Dykyy, a zoologist at the Ivan Franko National University of Lviv, who collected observations while serving as a volunteer with the Ukrainian armed forces in Donetsk and near Kharkiv, where he lived with dogs injured, traumatized by explosions and dependent on the improvised care of soldiers. Abandonment and breaking of the human bond. According to the lead author of the study, Mariia Martsiv, from the University of Lviv, the start of the war caused a especially dramatic situation for pets: some owners managed to escape with them, but many animals were left at train stations or abandoned in occupied areas. Although the study focused on domestic dogs, a large part no longer living under the direct care of humans and had passed into what was closest to a wandering existence, marked by scarcity, constant danger and the need to adapt quickly. The brutal selection. The data reveals that, in a surprisingly short period, the front dogs began to look similar more to wild species such as wolves or dingoes than domestic breeds. Extreme snouts, heavier bodies, or light coats became less common, while specimens increased smaller in size, with erect ears, straight tails and fewer white spots. As the researchers explainwar has acted as a ruthless filter favoring traits that improve survival: lighter animals that set off fewer mines, hide better, and present a smaller target for shrapnel. It’s not evolution, it’s survival. Scientists emphasize that these changes do not represent accelerated biological evolution, since the time elapsed is insufficient for profound genetic alterations. In fact, what happens they say is more similar to an immediate selection: Dogs with less adapted characteristics simply do not survive. It was also detected that in combat zones there are fewer old, sick or injured animals, and that dogs they tend to group togethera typical strategy of wild species to increase the chances of resistance in hostile environments. Between feralization and dependency. The work indicates that, despite the increasingly “wild” appearance and behavior, the majority of dogs continue to depending in part of humans for food, supplementing their diet with plants, small animals or carrion, including remains of fallen soldiers, and many have been informally adopted by Ukrainian troops. However, the team from the University of Gdansk, led by Małgorzata Pilot, also observed clear cases of feralizationdogs that no longer depend on people and have returned to a completely independent life. War as an ecological disaster. Although the study focuses only on dogs, its conclusions point to a much larger problem. As ecologist Euan Ritchie, from Deakin University, warns, if a species as adaptable and mobile as the dog is being affected so profoundly, the consequences for less flexible animals can be devastating. War, beyond the brutal human tragedy, also emerges as an environmental disaster that reconfigures entire ecosystems and leaves invisible scars long after the guns fall silent. Even dogs stop being dogs. Image | Ivan Bandura, Jorge Franganillo In Xataka | If the question is what Russia is going to do after the war in Ukraine, Europe has found a disturbing clue: millions of projectiles In Xataka | We had seen everything in Ukraine, but this is unprecedented: Russia is not launching drones, it is launching “Frankensteins”

China is building a megastructure for deep-sea research. For whatever reason, resist nuclear bombs

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China is building a mega thing. It doesn’t matter when you read this: the Asian giant always has a mega dam underwayhe highest bridge in the world either an impossible road in the bag. However, one of the country’s latest projects is not a mega-construction, but a floating artificial “island,” which can navigate and designed to be self-sufficient. Oh, and most importantly: prepared for the end of the world. The “island”. Waiting for it to receive a somewhat more “commercial” name, in a report by South China Morning Post They refer to the facility as the “Deep-Sea All-Wather Resident Floating Research Facility.” It is a name that is equivalent to “what do you want this station to do” and the answer is “yes,” and it is basically a mix between a research center, command center and nuclear bunker. It will be a semi-submersible platform with a 78,000 ton twin hull design and considerable dimensions: 138 meters long. 85 meters wide. Main deck 45 meters from the waterline. Long duration missions. The project specifications show that the platform is projected to house almost 240 people for four months without the need for any replenishment. In addition, it can sail at a speed of up to 15 knots and something that gives us a clue to its colossal ambition is that the engines allow a displacement comparable to that of the Fujian, the brand new Chinese aircraft carrier of 80,000 tons. Bomb proof (nuclear). If you’re thinking about a fortress that could be worthy of a Marvel movie, here’s the shot. The structure will resist waves up to nine meters high and category 17 typhoons, the highest for this type of cyclone. But the most striking thing is that it will have special armor to resist nuclear explosions. Instead of conventional steel armorthe walls of the complex will be built with a design that converts the powerful shock waves of a nuclear explosion into ones that the structure can assimilate. As a “dissipator” of the power of the wave, wow. To do this, they have resorted to a metamaterial which, when subjected to pressure, compresses, creating a denser and stronger structure than much thicker steel panels. According to simulations, its walls resist more pressure than those of a submarine and four times more than those of a conventional ship, but with a plate thickness of only 60 mm. Back.To withstand these long periods at sea, and as describe from Shanghai Jiao Tong University (SJTU) in an article in which they talk about the superstructure, the installation contains critical compartments that guarantee emergency power, but also backup for communications and a navigation center equally protected against nuclear explosions. China is taking leaps and bounds in its fleet Strategy. The SJTU describes it as a research center and, although the project has been described as “civilian”, its specifications make it comply with the Chinese military standard GJB 1060.1-1991 against nuclear explosions. Therefore, although it can be used for deep-sea research, it could also operate in areas where warships could not be accessed (such as waters near diplomatically sensitive countries or territories). This is something that does not frighten a China that does not hesitate to deploy its ships in disputed territoriesand from SCMP they point out that the installation could function as a resilient command center, a logistics center or a surveillance station that, in addition, is less invasive than a fixed structure built on land. It’s not that far away. Although we now know of its existence, this station has been on the drawing board for a decade and is expected to reach operational status in 2028. Once completed, we will be able to see what it is capable of and, above all, what use it is given. Because therein lies its importance as a research center to support the “blue economy” (extraction of deep sea resources, renewable energies and marine research), but also its military component. The photo, by the way, is not of a real structure, but of an interpretation of the SJTU. Images | SJTU, 中国新闻社 In Xataka | China is immersed in a nuclear revolution and needs industrial quantities of uranium. His solution: “fish” it in the sea

The United States needs nuclear energy for AI and already knows where to find it: in dismantled atomic bombs

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The rivalry between China and the United States is not only freed in markets or The tariffs. It is also played In the field of energy. And, in full rise of artificial intelligence, Donald Trump has decided that the way to ensure abundant and stable electricity for military bases, laboratories and data centers will be through nuclear energy. His plan is as ambitious as controversial. An explosive plan. The Trump administration has sought to quadruple the nuclear production of the country. To do this, the White House wants the new reactors not to depend solely on fresh uranium, but also on recycled fuel from radioactive waste and the military plutonium surplus dismantled eyelets. As Washington Post explainedit is an “national security imperative.” The idea is simple: guarantee a stable supply for the most sensitive infrastructure, from military bases to AI data centers, without depending on the electricity or imported fuels. The recycling now an ally. THE ENERGY DEPARTMENT has identified in its inventories All uranium and useful plutonium to reconvert it in fuel. Among them is the plutonium from dismantled weapons, one of the most dangerous materials on the planet. To make it possible, startups like oklo and curio They work in piroprocessinga method that introduces fuel bars spent on molten salts and uses electricity to separate the usable components. Unlike the chemical processes used in the past, these companies ensure that the technique is safer, more economical and less polluting. In addition, Oklo, backed by Sam Altman, founder of Openai, has announced an investment of almost 1.7 billion dollars in an advanced fuel center in Oak Ridge (Tennessee), the same land where uranium was enriched The Manhattan project Eight decades ago. Only the tip of the iceberg. A couple of months ago, in one of the executive orders signed by Trump forced the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) To complete any reactor license in 18 months, when until now the process could take more than a decade. The White House also ordered to rewrite the rules of radiation exposure, considered “excessively cautious.” The official statement issued in May established specific deadlines: The Army must operate a reactor at a national base before September 2028, and the energy department will have to inaugurate at least one advanced reactor in any of its facilities in 30 months to supply AI data centers. To this is added the release of 20 tons of Haleu (high -rehearsal low enrichment uranium) for new reactors and the intention of signing 20 international nuclear cooperation agreements in the current congress. The depth of the matter. Despite political and business enthusiasm, the scientific community contrasts with reality. Ross Matzkin-Bridger, exassor of the Department of Energy, He pointed out that it is “The same technologies that developed and rejected decades ago”, with the same background problems. The MIT physicist and former secretary of Energy, Ernest Moniz, It was more blunt: recycling plutonium of arms not only makes nuclear energy more expensive, but also “threatens to create material that can be used in pumps.” Along the same lines, Matthew Bunn, from Harvard, considers it unrealistic to think that public opinion accepts reprocessing plants that would also require their own waste deposit. And Frank von Hippel, from Princeton, recalled that the US has already abandoned civil recycling at the time of Jimmy Carter, after India used that technology To manufacture your first bomb. Not everything is warnings. For the White House, nuclear recycling is a strategic tool. The official statement insists that AI data centers and military facilities need “Dense energy sources, safe and resistant. ” Also, defenders such as Bradley Williams, from the National Laboratory of Idaho, They argue that using recycled plutonium It could become a need to guarantee sufficient fuel. And startups ensure that new processes include safeguards that prevent reuse of that material for military purposes. The weight of waste. The matter is even broader because the country already accumulates about 90,000 metric tons of fuel spent, stored in containers in active and dismantled plants, According to The Washington Post. Recycling part of that material would relieve a dilemma that has been resolved decades. Meanwhile, the private sector tries to position itself. Oklo signed a contract with Switchdata centers operator, to build modular reactors that contribute up to 12 GW before 2044. The company promises to open its first reactor, Aurorain 2027, although the agreement is not binding and the NRC rejected its previous application in 2022. The idea of ​​recycling is not unique. More countries have found in this method in a way to find a more source without depending on other countries as the case of Francewhich does so through subsidies and strict security measures. For its part, Japan accumulate delays and cost overruns In its Rokkash Plant, which has not yet produced fuels after decades of development. At the opposite end, United Kingdom decided to abandon the idea of ​​recycling. With about 140 tons of stored civil plutonium, he has chosen to immobilize him in a solid and stable way to bury him in a deep geological warehouse in Sellafield. Something similar occurs in Spain, which has reactivated his plan For a deep geological warehouse, planned for 2073, and in the meantime use containers such as Hi-Storm FW for intermediate storage. The contrast is evident: while some countries try to give new life to waste, others bury them forever. Everyone looks for the same: prevent nuclear legacy from becoming an eternal problem. Forecasts. The United States is committed to resuscitating old nuclear recycling technologies to sustain its energy safety and the AI ​​career. The defenders see it as a historical opportunity to reduce foreign dependence and give new use to forgotten materials. Critics fear that the same failures and risks of half a century are repeated. The experience invites prudence: the last reactors connected in the USA, In the Vogtle (Georgia) plantthey arrived seven years late and 17,000 million dollars of extra cost. Image | Oklo and Kelly Michals Xataka | 60 years … Read more

The countries with more nuclear bombs in 2025, gathered in this graph with two protagonists: China and India

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In January 2007, the Watch of the Last Judgment remained at five minutes of the devastation. In January this year, I was barely 89 seconds of midnight. This clock represents, symbolically, if we are close to a nuclear devastation, and the data of 2025 was the most bleak in its 78 to those of history. Although the United States and Russia continue to dismantle nuclear arsenal, they are still the powers that more atomic bombs have. However, China is putting the batteries And another country wants to demonstrate that it has no qualms about arming: India. And this graph perfectly represents the situation of world nuclear arsenal in 2025. The photo in 2025. Prepared by Visual Capitalist From data from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, or Sipriin the graph we can eloquently see the state of the nuclear arsenal until January this year. The United States and Russia evidently dominated The world nuclear arsenal during the Cold War and, although they are still the two nations that have the most ojas in their possession, that arsenal has been diminishing. During the last months, it is estimated that the United States would have discharged eight eyes while Russia would have ‘retired’ another 71. France and the United Kingdom, which recently confirmed actions to combine their arsenalThey are maintained, like Pakistan, Israel and a North Korea that has a secret arsenal, but with an estimated 50 heads. As can be seen in the image, the US and Russia continue to dominate the segment incontestable, but there is a third country that, also evident, is taking leaps and accelerated to get a good arsenal. China. About a year ago, A SIPRI report He surprised everyone by showing that China was increasing its nuclear arsenal at a stupid speed. Now is in a position that allows Ask for both the US and its allies With nuclear arsenal and that Chinese expansion has been the perfect excuse for the “Rearme” that the Pentagon has asked for. Of the 500 estimated heads of China in 2024, we went to 600, which represents 20% more in a few months that allows to see in an evident way that the Asian giant has taken the renewal of its forces seriously. Nuclear weapons investment is not the only thing we have witnessed, since China boasts electromagnetic catapults of his new warships, of latest generationof New combat fighters and Even a huge poaching plane. India puts the batteries. Despite those 600 heads, it is estimated that they have less than 30 strategically deployed (those that are ready to launch). The United States and Russia have less than 2,000 deployed, France has almost all lists to launch and the United Kingdom half, more or less. The one estimated that it has zero deployed bombs is India, but the new SIPRI report shows that the country’s nuclear investment is paying off. In fact, and without knowing really how things are going in North Koreait would be the only country that has increased its arsenal, adding another eight heads in recent months. They have reached 180 and arrive just at a time of high voltage in the Indo-Pacific region, with continuous demonstrations of force As the other big in the contest does, China. New generation of bombs. The current situation is … complex. With the invasion of Russia to Ukraine the Fear of nuclear war. With the recent conflict between Israel and its neighbors, Those drums have sounded again And, meanwhile, China promotes pacts not to attack first with nuclear arsenal while the treaty expiration is approaching START III which limited the amount of strategic weapons deployed by nuclear powers. Russia se He disconnected of that treaty, directly, in 2022. We will see in a few years how graphics of this type evolve, since France confirmed In 2024 a program to produce Nuclear bombs New generation and more recently they bet on new Actions to consolidate your role as one of the pillars of nuclear deterrence in the West, something that blocks with the Objectives of Rearme launched by Europe. In Xataka | In the Cold War, China feared a Soviet nuclear attack: its response was the largest underground nuclear base on the planet

It is not that the US has warned Russia about Ukraine, is that it has just sent nuclear bombs up to 50 kilotons to Europe

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And, suddenly, Washington left slightly from the rhetoric that had prevailed in the last months in his conversations with Moscow. Trump raised the tone giving Putin a really short maximum period, 10 to 12 days, to agree on a High fire in Ukraine or “face more severe sanctions.” We would say that few people interpreted the message beyond an economic issue. However, the facts also speak of a nuclear movement. Satiety. Yes, Trump It hardened his position in front of Moscow by drastically shortening the deadline granted to Putin to agree on that alleged fire in Ukraine: of the 50 days initially announced to only 10 or 12, warning that, if an agreement is not reached, it will impose more harsh secondary sanctions that will hit Russia and the countries that buy their oil. From his resort in Scotland and together with the British prime minister Keir Starmer, the US president was “very disappointed” with Putin, ensuring that he no longer trusts his conversations, because as long as they speak “people die in missile attacks.” The turn reflects an evolution in your speech, more favorable to Zelenski From his encounter at the NATO Summit, and responds to the intensification of the Russian offensive in the Eastern Front and the increase in drone swarming attacks. But there is much more. Kilotones Actually, it is a confirmation of What we count Last week after the appearance of a military emblem that left little doubt. Now it has been Bloomberg The one that has put name and capabilities to action. We talk about the reappearance of nuclear weapons in the United States in British soilfor the first time Since 2008in an unequivocal gesture to Moscow in full climb of tensions. The episode was known thanks to a flight recorded on July 16, when A C-17 plane of the American Air Force, belonging to the Nuclear Prime Airlift Force (Specialized unit in the transport of nuclear weapons), moved from the base of Kirtland in New Mexico to Lakenheath, in eastern England. The remarkable thing is that he did it with The transpondent onallowing their route to be publicly observed, which Analysts interpret as A direct message Putin that Washington not only maintains its commitment to European security, but is willing to reinforce it visibly. Not even. Both the Pentagon and the British Ministry of Defense maintain the traditional policy of Do not confirm or deny The presence of these weapons, but the accumulated evidence, together with Budget documents that detail nuclear safety works in Lakenheath, it indicates that it is a very real transfer of Ojivas B61-12the latest generation of American thermonuclear bombs. Transport of a b61-12 pump The importance of B61-12. It We have counted These months. The armament in question, The B61-12it is a modernized free fall pump model with a variable load that goes from 0.3 to 50 kilotons and incorporates precision guidance systems, which makes it more flexible compared to previous versions. This adaptability allows us to use it both against specific military and urban areas, giving it an added strategic value. His deployment in the United Kingdom also reintroduces a nuclear mission for the Royal Air Force that had disappeared After the cold warwhen London withdrew their own nuclear aviation weapons. The British Ministry of Defense had already advanced that it will acquire at least twelve f-35a fighters, Specifically designed to carry this type of pumps, which places the RAF again in the center of NATO nuclear deterrence. Tighten the button. With Lakenheath They already add seven bases distributed in Six European countries that house American tactical nuclear weapons under the supreme command of Washington, since the use of these weapons, even deployed in allied territory, always requires the direct authorization of the president of the United States. Impact on NATO nuclear strategy. What doubt fits, the Nuclear Weapons Return British soil is not a simple symbolic gesture, but a sign that the Atlantic Alliance is adjusting its deterrent to respond to tactical nuclear imbalance With Russiawhich has a wide arsenal of short -range weapons. The introduction of the B61-12 offers NATO greater operational flexibility, expanding the response options and partially compensating for the Russian advantage in the European theater. Analysts as Sidharth Kaoushal They emphasize that this modernization constitutes a way of limiting the effects of Russian superiority on non -strategic nuclear armament, while experts as Hans Kristensen They insist that the movement confirms the real deployment of this new type of weapons in Europe, a step with deep consequences in the dynamics of deterrence. The political context. Plus: The transfer of these bombs coincides with a Turrous turn in Trump’s policy towards Putin. The US president, after weeks of friction, has approved New deliveries from Patriot missiles to Ukraine, presses Moscow with the threat of secondary sanctions and has unilaterally shortened the deadline for Russia to accept the fire. In this context, maintaining the lighting of the lighting flight acquires a sense of clear warning: The United States is not only withdrawing forces from Europe, but increases its nuclear response capacity in the region. In this way, Washington seeks to reaffirm both before Russia and before European allies that their commitment to nuclear deterrence is still firm and visible. Strategic implications. It is the last of the legs to analyze. The reintroduction of American nuclear weapons in the United Kingdom after more than a decade of absence it cannot be interpreted as an isolated event, but as part of a remodeling of European security architecture. It means returning to London a central role in NATO’s nuclear mission, reactivating the Air nuclear capacity of the RAF and increase the range of military options of the alliance against the growing Russian threat. The brand movement A substantial reinforcement of the transatlantic link in the field of nuclear defense and, at the same time, sends a warning calculated to Moscow: any perception of nuclear advantage In Europe it will be answered with new deployments and with a reaffirmation of … Read more

Its nuclear bombs return to Europe

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Belicist machinery is a plagued scenario of symbology. We do not talk about mere ornaments, it is our own language that serves to remember, to communicate intentions or even to sow messages both on the allied side and in the enemy. From the emblems in the Uniforms to the shields painted in the fuselages, passing by badges either Levadas flags In conquered territories, each symbol can condense centuries of history or project what is to come. The latter is what has revealed A simple currency. What hidden politics. A find in Visual culture of the United States Air Force has offered the clearest signal to the date that nuclear weapons have returned to Europe, specifically to the air base of RAF Lakenheathin England, after almost two decades of absence. THE KEY: THE NAME AS Challenge coinsalso known as “round metal objects” or RMO, a very important part of the culture and tradition of military aviation. These currencies include characteristics such as the designation of unity, colors, pet, nickname, slogans and slogans, symbology and references to their history and tradition. The symbol. The piece in question is A commemorative currency 493rd Fighter Generation Squadron (FGS), a unit reactivated in 2023 and part of the 48th Fighter Wingwhich shows unambiguously a B61 nuclear bomb and an atomic fungus, visual elements that unequivocally refer to an active nuclear mission. The capture of the currency It is Tony Osborneeditor of the European Defense Section in Aviation Week. The unit in question, which together with the 494th FGS constitutes one of the First maintenance squadrons Fifth generation in Europe, directly supports combat squads of F-35athe most advanced hunting of the West Arsenal and fully compatible with the most modern version of the B61 bomb: the B61-12. Since 2021, Lakenheath is also the first wing of the US Air Force outside the United States that operates these fighters. One of the currency faces (the other on the cover) Silent return of deterrence. Although the Pentagon maintains its traditional policy of “neither confirming or denying” the presence of nuclear weapons in specific locations, multiple indications converge on pointing out that the b61 bombs already They have been deployed or they are about to arrive at Lakenheath. Among them A flight stands out of C-17A RCH4574, detected For open source intelligence sources, which started from the Kirtland nuclear base, New Mexico, after a scale in Mcchord, and landed in Lakenheath on July 18. The aircraft belongs to 62nd Airlift Wing, the only certified unit to transport nuclear weapons routinely. This journey, together with the stay of the plane in the area of the Kirtland Nuclear Weapons Center, suggests an operational transfer rather than a logistics exercise. Inert test version of a B61 in an underground vault of the Arms Storage and Safety System (WS3) at the Volkel Air Base, Netherlands Other clues. Besides, Since 2022 HE has documented The modernization of 28 of the 33 aircraft shelters in Lakenheath, equipping them with WS3 underground vaults intended for safe nuclear weapons storage. These reforms are part of the NATO Safety Investment Program (NSIP), whose 2023 budget explicitly includes the United Kingdom for facilities of “special storage”. To this are added contracts of the Department of Defense They mention The “imminent nuclear mission” of the 48th Security Forces Squadron, as well as specific training for nuclear personnel, a cultivation broth confirming that the necessary infrastructure would already be operational. Lakenheath, strategic pivot in European deterrence. The possible permanent reintroduction of nuclear weapons in Lakenheath should not be understood as an isolated gesture, but as part of A strategic readjustment in the nuclear stance of the United States in Europe. The base could serve as much as permanent storage point as backup platform For other nuclear facilities already knownsuch as Kleine Brogel (Belgium), Büchel (Germany), Aviano and Ghedi (Italy), Volkel (Netherlands) and Incirlik (Türkiye). Of all of them, Lakenheath stands out not only for his renewed infrastructure, but also for his ability to OPERATE F-35Awhich positions it as a key node for the future doctrine of tactical nuclear deterrence in Europe. Lakenheath Air Base Why UK. Here it is important to highlight that the United Kingdom, although officially does not participate in the NATO nuclear distribution program, has expressed interest In acquiring F-35a (In addition to their Current F-35b short takeoff and vertical landing) and could eventually integrate into the use of B61-12 under bilateral agreements with the United States. This would open the possibility that British fighters armed with American nuclear weapons operate from Lakenheath in coordination with the American squads already deployed. B61-12 and F-35a: New nuclear power equation. As for the new B61-12 bomb, it represents A qualitative leap within the American nuclear tactical arsenal. Endowed with a Precision guidance system Through a tail with inertial navigation and stabilization rockets, it allows nuclear attacks with much greater accuracy than its predecessors. Combined with the poaching and penetration capacity of the F-35A, it makes this duo a strategic platform with flexible response capacity, ideal for dynamic deterrent scenarios on the east flank of NATO. It is estimated that about 100 b61-12 bombs American property is currently deployed in Europe, and their redistribution, with Lakenheath as a new headquarters, could reinforce the credibility of the United States nuclear umbrella. Shared deterred vs. nuclear autonomy. It We count A few days ago. Since Trump’s arrival to power, he has grown among European allies (especially France and the United Kingdom) The concern that Washington reduces or even cancels your commitment to the NATO nuclear cast program. This fear has revived debates about the need to build a European nuclear deterrence Autonomous. In that context, the possible Return of nuclear weapons British territory acts as a counterweight and reaffirmation of the American commitment, although it does not completely close the concerns on long -term sustainability of the current model. A clear sign. Be that as it may, the symbology of A commemorative currency It may seem anecdotal, but in this case condenses … Read more

In order for 125 airplanes and 14 bombs to arrive in Iran, the US used one of the oldest tactics of war: perfidy

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The baptized as Hammer operationhe greater furtive attack From the United States against several of Iran’s critical facilities, it was based on a highly sophisticated tactical architecture, one where, above any other trick, the key was the total surprise. To do this, the United States began with one of the most tactics old and effective of war. It all started 48 hours before the offensive, when Trump It gave two weeks To “avoid” the attack. Perfidy. Those two weeks They never existed in the head of the United States, and Israel knew and few more actors. In fact, most European allies were trying to Find a dialogue A few hours before knowing the operation that was underway. From the diplomatic and ethical point of view, Washington was carrying out a form of political perfidysince Iran was participating in conversations that the United States used for the secret offensive. The maneuver also followed a strategy of classical military deception, a series of lures and public messages that, as we will see, avoided any suspicion while secretly prepared one of the most brutal offensives that are remembered in the history of modern wars. The hammer operation. The aerial offensive launched by the United States against the main nuclear sites of Iran represents not only the greatest operational use in the history of the BB-2 Spirit bomberbut also a unprecedented sample of tactical coordination, strategic deception and technological capacity accumulated throughout years of preparation. The attack included use for the first time in combat of the GBU-57/B antibunker pump Massive Ordnance Penetrator (MOP), of 13,600 kilograms, specifically designed to destroy deeply buried and protected facilities Like Fordow. In total, 14 of these bombs were thrown on Fordow and Natanz, while more than two dozen Tomahawk cruise missiles They hit In Isfahánthrown from a submarine Ohio class nuclear positioned in the area of ​​operations of the US central command. The art of deception. It all started on Saturday morning, when flight observers They detected several bombers furtive B-2 Spirit taking off from the Whiteman Air Base, in Misuri, and heading Towards the Pacificwhich seemed to indicate a display towards Guam or missions related to Asia. However, this movement was a decoy: the true bombers in charge of the attack departed shortly after In the opposite directioneast, in mode completely stealthycrossing huge distances without being detected until you reach the Iranian airspace. Fordow after air attacks, seen in a satellite view of the underground complex, on June 22, 2025 The surprise. As we said, the key to operational success was the Deliberate deception: both the visible deployment towards the Pacific and Trump’s statements in the previous days, where he claimed that he would take up to two weeks to evaluate a possible intervention, created the false perception that there was still diplomatic margin. In fact, on Saturday morning, senior officials indicated that it had not been issued No order of attack, reinforcing that illusion. Then, on the afternoon of that same day, from his private club in New Jersey, Trump gave the final order. According to A senior official From the administration, the objective was precisely “to create a situation in which no one would expect.” A graph with details about the hammer operation that the Pentagon published in the last informative session The B2. The main actors were those seven bombers that left in stealth to the east from Misuri. Throughout a 18 -hour flight, with multiple repayings in the air, a profile of minimum communication. Synchronization with escorts, fourth and fifth generation fighters, intelligence aircraft, electronic warfare and air replacement It was millimeter: The fighters released preventive fire to neutralize Iranian air defense threats before the bombers cross the enemy airspace, without detecting hostile activity. The full air package exceeded 125 aircraftincluding platforms such as F-35, F-22, EA-18G Growler and possibly not revealed active. A view of the Iranian nuclear installation in Isfahán on June 22, 2025, after the attacks of the hammer operation Objectives achieved. Between 6:40 and 7:05 pm Washington time (2:10 to 2:35 am in Iran), all nuclear objectives FThey were shocked. The bombings on Fordow, Natanz and Isfahán used 75 precision weapons guided and achieved what the Pentagon described as “severe destruction” of infrastructure. The first satellite images Disseminated by Maxar Technologies showed craters of more than five meters, layers of bluish ash and tunnel entries blocked by landslides. Although Iran did not fire a single antialea defense or deployed fighters, the blow was deep and difficult to reverse in the short term, particularly in Fordow, buried under a mountain and considered so far impenetrable. Hidden cooperation. As we indicated, if someone knew what the United States had in hand, It was Israel. Before the attack, the United States shared with Israel a Systems list of air defense that wanted to neutralize, and the previous Israeli campaign facilitated the opening of the air corridor for the B-2. Coordination included the shared use of intelligence and operational synchronization (in that sense, The F-35 Israeliswith their ability to collect data, they played a key role in the collection of information on Iranian defenses). During the previous weeks, they were made Large -scale exercises that simulated similar missions, and They invested years in the development of technical capacities to integrate armament, sensors, furtive platforms and unified command in a single operating flow. Operation closed? It is one of the great unknowns. Despite the magnitude of the attack, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth emphasized that the operation does not mark the start of an open campaign, but A punctual action With a clear objective: neutralize Iranian nuclear capacity. Even so, he acknowledged that US forces remain on maximum alert to possible reprisals. In His words“This was not an attempt to change regime; it was a precise operation to defend our national interests and those of our allies.” For now, Iran has limited its responses to new attacks on Israel, but senior Iranian officials already They have declared your right to respond directly against … Read more

All their missiles, fighters and bombs need a mineral that China has vetoed them

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The news took place in April. So, the Chinese government He formalized his answer To tariffs approved by the United States adding to its list of export restrictions a series of metals that went unnoticed for the general public. However, when the United States and Europe have been made numbers To replenish their arsenal sent to Ukraine and the East, they have encountered a problem of difficult solution. Them A component is missing essential. And only China has it. The mastery of the samario. Yes, China has exposed a critical vulnerability in the Western Military Supply chain by imposing severe controls to export Samarioa strange metal for the manufacture of heat -resistant magnets used exclusively in military applications. These magnets, fundamental in components As missile engines, smart bombs and combat fighters, they are irreplaceable due to their ability to withstand extreme temperatures without losing magnetic strength. Since China produces the entire samarium of the world, and has stopped its export under a new licensing system claiming national security motifs, the United States and its European allies now face the real possibility of Not being able to replenish Its advanced armament reserves, especially and as we said, after its intensive deployment in Ukraine and East. Announced dependence. Had the New York Times That the agency of China is not new: since the 70s, the Western Armed Forces trusted a French plant that closed in 1994, unable to compete with the cheap and environmentally lax production of the Chinese city of Baotou, in the interior Mongolia. Despite decades of dispersed warnings and efforts, such as Mine reopening From Mountain Pass in California after the Chinese embargo on Japan in 2010, the United States never developed a viable production of samarium. Leaf, reactivated in 2014broke the following year for Chinese competition. MP Materials, its new owner, relaunched operations in 2018 and received pentagon funds to process samarium, but never installed The necessary equipment for lack of customers willing to cover high costs of the reduced market. Meanwhile, another project backed with federal funds (a Lynas plant in Texas) was never built after regulatory problems In Malaysia. The lost link. And here comes one of the keys to understanding the “problem” of these nations. The largest samarium user in the United States is … Lockheed Martinwhich uses around 23 kg for each F-35 plane. The new Chinese regulations not only stop the direct flow of samarium, but also requires based licenses In the final consumerwhich blocks indirect exports to military contractors. Although China has granted permits for certain magnets destined for the automotive industry (such as those used by disposses or terbio in brakes and addresses) has not given signs of releasing Samario’s supply, given its limited civil application. This hardening coincides with Chinese sanctions to US contractors linked to Weapons sales to Taiwanwhich reinforces the use of samario as a geopolitical pressure tool. An X-35A JSF performing flight tests at the Edwards Air Base in California Other critical applications. A few weeks ago Japan Times summed up Very well what rare metals consisted of and how they influenced the different industries. The seven metals restricted by China (Terbio, Itrio, Disposio, Gadolinio, Luthacio, Samario and Scandio) fulfill crucial functions in both civil and military industries, from the generation of clean energy to the advanced defense. The Terbiofor example, it provides thermal resistance to the magnets used in submarines and aircraft, but it is one of the most scarce elements even within the rare earth deposits themselves. The ititriumvital in treatments against cancer and superconductors, it has historically been extracted in the United States but must still be processed abroad. Disposioresistant to heat and key in the energy transition, is essential for magazine turbine and electric cars magnets, and also for nuclear reactor control bars. The majority of the supply of these three metals goes to Japan, South Korea and, to a lesser extent, to the United States. The nuclear spectrum. For its part, The gadolinio It is widely used in magnetic resonances due to its magnetic properties, but also appears in nuclear reactors and electronic components. The Luthaciodenser than other elements of this list, acts as a catalyst in oil refineries, while the samario, as we said, protagonist in recent blockages, forms magnets that resist extreme temperatures and that are essential in combat planes, turbines and advanced guide systems. Finally, The Scandioof marginal production for half a century, it has applications in military aviation, bicycles and tracers to detect leaks in pipelines, thanks to its resistance and radioactive properties. As We have counted other times, the lack of infrastructure to separate and process these materials in the United States or Europe aggravates their structural dependence on China, which already supplies More than 90% of American imports. Asterisk. Interestingly, China has not included in this round to the neodymium and the praseodimiumtwo of the rare metals most used in the manufacture of permanent magnet motors, essential for electric vehicles and wind turbines. These two elements are still produced in the Mountain Pass mine, in California. Even so, American production barely reaches a fraction of global demand, and China’s dependence is still critical. A strategic urgency. In short, in a context in which the United States and its allies try to accelerate the replacement of reduced arsenals and ensure deterrence, The bottleneck From the samario he highlights the risks of having subcontracted for decades the strategic inputs to China. The commercial conversations In London they seek to reactivate the flow of these metals, but the expectations that Beijing reversed their new licensing system are rather scarce. Meanwhile, the United States and Pentagon face the dilemma of how to reconstitute a national supply chain for an essential resource whose production, for its cost and limited scale, has proven to be commercially unfeasible No sustained subsidies and long -term political commitment. The samario, invisible to the general public, thus becomes a symbol of a new era of technological and military rivalry, where industrial sovereignty is again a … Read more

In 1971 the Soviet Union decided to end the droughts. So he started throwing nuclear bombs into the rivers

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The story took place in the 1970s, when the Soviet Union launched one of the most ambitious and far -fetched engineering projects in its history: diverting the course of the great Siberian rivers so that, instead of flowing towards the Arctic, they would transport its waters to the arid regions of the south, such as Central Asia and the south of Russia. The problem was the solution to achieve it: they turned to “Pacific” nuclear explosions To dig colossal channels. The impossible epic. As we said, to carry out such a plan, Soviet planners did not spare in extreme methods. The most emblematic episode was the experiment called Like “Taiga” of 1971, in which three equivalent nuclear devices To the Hiroshima bombs They triggered simultaneously underground to create a channel that connected the basins of the Ríos Pchora and Kama. What happened? That the only thing was the known today Like Nuclear Lakea body of still radioactive water in the middle of the boreal forest, and an ambitious dream that ended up being a monumental failure. Despite the use of low -fission explosives, The detonations They were detected until In Sweden and the United Statesunleashing international convictions for violate the treaty of partial prohibition of nuclear tests. Soviet logic. The idea of redirect rivers It was not really new: already at the end of the 19th century, thinkers as Igor Demchenko They dreamed of flooding the depressions of the Caspian and the Aral to improve the climate. Under Stalin and, later, during the Cold War, the project acquired A new impulse. For the Soviets, the immense water flow that flowed to the uninhabited north was an intolerable waste. On the other hand, taking it to the south could make Central Asia an agricultural vergel, save the dying Aral Sea and, incidentally, affirm the Soviet power over the Central Asian republics. With the support of almost 200 scientific institutes and dozens of thousands of peoplechannels of up to 1,500 km were planned to divert 10% of the water from the OB and Irtish rivers to Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan. Inspired by feats like Roman aqueducts and convinced that man had submit to naturethe leaders planned to complete the titanic work For the year 2000. The fall of the hydraulic myth. However, the magnitude of the project caused an unprecedented reaction. During the 80s, the opposition of scientists, writers and intellectuals became one of the First environmental campaigns massive in the history of the USSR. Figures like the hydrologist Serguéi Zalyguin They denounced not only the exorbitant cost and the low scientific support of the plan, but also the iEcological mpactos Catastrophic that would bring: climatic alterations, loss of unique habitats, flooding of cultural sites, and even possible changes in Siberian ice formation. The final blow came with the sadly famous Chernobyl disaster In 1986. The tragedy, which evidenced the risks of nuclear power Badly managed, he diverted resources and political attention, and just four months later, Mikhail Gorbachov formally canceled the river investment plan. For some, it was a response to environmental pressurebut for others, simply the recognition that the USSR already I couldn’t pay for it. Zombie idea. Although the project seemed buried together with the Soviet Union itself, The BBC counted that his spirit has persisted. Throughout the decades, figures such as former Moscow Yuri Luzhkov have advocated for retaking it. And in February 2025, two Russian scientists returned to Defend the idea In a National Journal, arguing that the current technical advances and the geopolitical reorientation of Moscow made Asia more viable. Some have even suggested that reducing the discharge of warm water to the Arctic could mitigate climate change, although studies such as The Oceanographer Tom Rippeth They warn otherwise: altering the flow of rivers could destabilize the stratification of the Arctic Ocean and accelerate the thaw. Resource as identity. If you want also, beyond its technical or ecological justifications, the river reversion project represents a vision deeply imperial: Russia as a power that dominates not only territories, but vital resources. The possibility of transferring water Towards Chinafor example, would fit with the extractivist model that has defined the country for centuries. As Historian Paul Josephson pointed outit was a form of internal colonization, to “modernize” Central Asia through public works and Slavic settlements, imposing the seal of the Soviet state into the landscape. That mentality lasts and, for some, Siberian water remains an underutilized treasure that must one day channel towards economic development and political power. Radioactive legacy. It is the last of the legs to analyze for the events that took place. Today, The nuclear lake It remains one of the few visible vestiges of this colossal hydraulic fantasy. Although radiation levels have decreased, some areas remain dangerous. The lake, surrounded by mounds of earth and oxidized warning signs, is visited by curious Like blogger Andrei Fadeevwhich described the BBC as “a beautiful place, apparently quiet, but with invisible scars.” As allegory, the landscape encapsulates the ambition out of context of the project: transform rivers with atomic pumps, fold the will of nature with underground explosions and turn water into a geopolitical domain tool. Surprisingly, half a century later, the idea has not died at all. Image | Dmitry TerekhovSentinel In Xataka | In 1958, the US wanted to simulate a nuclear attack against the USSR: he ended up releasing a bomb on the coast of one of his own cities In Xataka | In the 50s United Kingdom he had an idea to bend the pulse to the USSR: a nuclear bomb with live chickens

The digital attack that paralyzed a nuclear plant without bombs and without anyone seeing it

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More than a decade ago, the world discovered a new type of weapon. I had no eyes or soldiers. Only lines of code. It was called Stuxnet and was able to sabotage an Iranian nuclear complex without internet connection. A computer worm that destroyed centrifuging designed to enrich uranium. Without alerts. No explosions. Without anyone knowing, at first, what was happening. All that we tell in our New Xataka episode presentsAvailable in the Xataka YouTube channel. Our partner Jota García, who reconstructs step by step how an operation of this caliber is told. The story starts in Natanz, an underground installation, hidden under tons of concrete in full Iranian desert. “From the outside it seems not special (…) but underground, thousands of centrifuging work work in full performance,” he says. Who decided to act? And why wasn’t a direct military intervention chosen? Apparently, with Iraq’s precedent, that road was ruled out by the country that wanted to stop this Iranian project. The alternative was Develop malware With a concrete mission: destroy without being seen. “And if instead of attacking with soldiers, we attack a computer virus?” Jota says. The trick? Infiltrate a simple pendrive in a completely isolated network. Once inside, the worm camouflaged. I watched. I expected. And only if I found the right industrial controllers, I went to action. “He didn’t attack immediately. He moved silently, analyzing everything around him.” Thus he managed to sabotage about a thousand centrifugators without the technicians being able to explain what he was failing. But there was an error. Malware spread out of Iran and ended up arriving in the West. What happened then? Who discovered the code? And what did they find inside? In the video we review how an investigation of The New York Times connected Stuxnet with the NSA, the CIA and the Mossad. Also the clues that analysts found in malware. “Stuxnet exploded four 0-Day vulnerabilities at the same time. An irrefutable proof that there was not a group of normal hackers.” Since then, nothing has been the same. Stuxnet was the first great digital attack with physical consequences. “Stuxnet was the first notice. The first great warning that the next wars can be invisible. ” Today, security threats are still present. We see them in hospitals paralyzed by Ransomware, sabotaged pipelines, In bank malware that empties accounts. Even USB pendrives remain a real threat in many organizations. Did you know this story? To what extent do you think We are protected today? We invite you to give the play in our video and leave your comments. Images | Xataka In Xataka | This hacker began to collaborate with the secret service after being arrested. What nobody knew is that he kept stealing big

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