Russia

In 1914 Russia decided to prohibit vodka to stop alcoholism. It was a disastrous decision

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Exists A legend (not confirmed) that said that, when the final surrender of Nazi Germany was known in World War II, the jubilation with which it was held in the Soviet Union is counted as one of the drunkenness more epic in the history of ethyl celebrations. The myth did not stay there, since the story said the Victory Day It led to the closest to a “national alcoholic blackout”, leaving the nation Without vodka in just 24 hours. The truth is that, whether or not, it makes all the meaning of the world. They came from a prohibition that had resulted. An ancestral relationship. Counted in an extensive Report The Atlantic that the Russian inclination towards alcohol has religious and political roots. In 988, the Prince Vladimir chose orthodox Christianity in part for not prohibiting Alcohol consumption, unlike Islam. During the 16th century, Ivan the terrible established the first state taverns (the calls Kabaks) that they became Fiscal monopolies. In less than a century, a third of Russian men I was indebted With these drink houses. Already in the 18th century, Pedro the Great consolidated that institutional dependence: not only tolerated the alcoholism of his subjects, but punished wives They tried to get their husbands out of the taverns, and recruited ethyl debtors for the army. Arrived at the nineteenth century, the State obtained almost half of its income from the sale of vodka. Far from being an externality of the system, alcohol would be said that it became its collection engine. In this context, the Tsar was going to make a decision of Ajundia. Imperial abstinence. According to Timethe history of the Russian prohibition not only precedes the famous Dry American Lawbut it constitutes one of the most transcendental (and fatal) decisions of the Tsar Nicolás II. It happened in September 1914, when a few days after the death in combat of his cousin, the prince Oleg Romanovthe Tsar sent a telegram to his uncle Konstantin Konstantinovich announcing the definitive suppression of the state sale of vodka in Russia. That gesture, which apparently responded to a moral conviction and a personal loss, dismantled one of the pillars Economics of the Empire: For centuries, the State had maintained a lucrative monopoly on alcohol, generating up to a third of its income thanks to sales to the peasantry. When renouncing that source of financing just at the threshold of World War I, Nicolás not only unleashed a deep fiscal crisis, but also fragile social contract between the throne and its people. Nicolás II Catastrophic consequences. The problem was not only economic. The measure was adopted at a time when the empire tried Revict your prestige After the defeat in the Russian-Japanese war of 1905, where alcoholism among soldiers was indicated as a decisive factor of military collapse. Collective drunkenness during mobilizations and the front had been so notorious that even the Káiser Guillermo II He came to declare that in the next conflict he would win the nation that he least drank. Under that impulse, the ban seemed a strategic decision, aimed at disciplining the army and facilitating mobilization. And, indeed, Russia initially deploy troops quickly and obtain some early victories. However, the price was elevated: by suddenly depriving millions of people of their usual consumption in full war and without social compensation mechanisms, a deep resentment Between peasants, workers and soldiers, amplifying the distance between imperial power and masses. Logistic collapse The Tsar appointed the reformist Peter Bark as Minister of Finance with the difficult task of disconnecting the treasury of alcohol, but the budget vacuum became unsustainable. Given the loss of hundreds of millions of rubles, the solution was the most precarious: Print moneyaccelerating hyperinflation and eroding even more the economy of war. The fiction that national productivity had improved without vodka was sustained with falsified reports and grandiloquent statements, while citizens suffered the consequences of shortage and monetary depreciation. At the logistics level, chaos was equally shocking: the wagons that had to transport grain and supplies to the front were occupied by Aristocratic distillators That, prevented from selling within the country, tried to export their vodka to France, Japan or any port available, saturating the already weak Russian rail networks. From Tsarism to Bolshevism. Paradoxically, the prohibitionist policyborn within the Tsarist conservative regime, was one of the few who survived the tumultuous change of governments that Russia shook Between 1917 and 1924. Neither the provisional government nor Lenin’s Bolsheviks revoked the measure. The communist leader, in fact, defended it as a Ethical and ideological principlewarning that a socialism based on the sale of alcohol was a betrayal of the revolutionary ideal. During the civil war, discipline, sobriety and consumption control were seen as essential components of the new order. Of course, after Lenin’s deaththe logic of state benefit imposed once again: Stalin The monopoly reestablished of vodka (now decorated with the Hoz and the hammer), restoring the practices of the old empire under a new clothing ideological. In terms of fiscal consumption and profitability, the prohibitionist stage It was erased almost completely. Moral experiment. That’s how it ended A movement That did not go as expected, much less. Beyond its symbolism, the Russian prohibition embodies a singular case where a moral decision, taken from power, precipitated the collapse of a regime whole. Time told That, in the context of a devastating war, a broken economy and a desperate population, the elimination of one of the few social exhaust valves ended up exacerbating all the latent tensions of the system. The Zar tried to save the soul of the Russian people removing alcohol, but ended up losing the throne. Thus, the vodka veto not only marked the start of the end of The Romanovbut left a enduring lesson about the risks of moralizing governance in times of crisis. Now, that legend of the end of World War II and the greater ethyl celebration It charges all the meaning of the world, because, sometimes, drunkenness can be more … Read more

An US Army has reached the happiest country in the world. His immense border with Russia has changed the panorama of Finland

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Finland lives A paradox. The nation became for the eighth consecutive year in the happiest country in the world, according to the World Happiness Report 2025 of the University of Oxford and the United Nations. However, and no matter how happy the lives of its citizens are, its geography has changed the geopolitical situation. While the country was crowned with such virtue, an United States army had come to prepare for “the worst.” Happiness. With an average score 7,736 out of 10the Nordic country maintained its leadership in a ranking based on the evaluation that people make of their own lives, through surveys that cover three years and measure subjective perception, social ties and trust. They accompany him in the top positions other nations of the North European Like Denmark, Iceland and Sweden, consolidating a pattern that highlights the virtues of strong social systems, access to nature, community cohesion and collective well -being as pillars of a satisfactory life. Harvard said that Finland’s persistent success was not noisy, nor depended on advertising campaigns, nor a national identity built on exceptionality. Rather, rather, on a Silent and robust balance between nature, social protection, free time, daily civism and an extended perception of security and mutual trust. Almost the same could be said of the rest of the “north” nations, the same whose geography could change the status quo. A new front. Almost along with New York Times counted A scene that had occurred in another area of ​​the nation. In mid -February, an emergency fictional message sent by Finland’s defense forces activated a large -scale military exercise: an enemy invasion required immediate assistance. Dozens of American soldiers, members of the newly created Arctic Division of the American Armythey left from Fairbanks, Alaska, and crossed the northern pole to land in Rovaniemi, north of Finland. Equipped with M-4 rifles, machine guns and rocket launchers, they were deployed in snowy forests, dresses with special white uniforms and steam waterproof boots. Although It was a drillthe geopolitical and climatic background endowed it with the most disturbing gravity: with the melting of the Arctic ice, this inaccessible region is inaccessible has now returned strategiccausing powers such as Russia, China, the United States and various European nations They actively train for a possible conflict in extreme conditions. The new Arctic centrality. According to Canadian General Robert McBridethe world’s armies have left behind the era of the “war on terror” to focus Your attention in the Arctica territory that, like We have been countinghas acquired prominence for its strategic value, natural resources and emerging transport routes. In that context, cooperation between Finland and the United States It has intensifiedespecially since Finland joined NATObecoming the country of the alliance with the most extensive border with Russia: 1,340 kilometers. The historical past (Finland He fought against The Soviet Union in World War II) reinforces the defensive nature of this relationship. “Russia will take everything that is not nailed to the wall,” recalled a said Finn -cited by Janne Kuusela, defense official, to the Times. Despite recent political changes and Trump’s verbal approach to Moscowin the icy field, cooperation between the two countries seems solid and determined. The United States Army displaced to the area Ice war. What’s doubt, put on the worst stage, the Arctic War It presents unique challenges. “It’s like operating in space. No one will come to help you. And the environment can kill you,” summarized the American colonel Christopher Brawley. The cardinal rule: stay dry. Finnish soldiers must pass An extreme test It consists of throwing themselves, with all the equipment on, in an open hole on an icy river, going quickly and changing clothes before suffering freezing, what they should do with the help of their classmates, since their hands stop responding in seconds. Jackson Crites Videman, a conscript of dual Finnish and American nationality, lived at 36 degrees below zero. We remember that Finland is one of the few democratic countries with conscriptionand before the latent threat of the east, ha Increased your budget In defense. Although the war in Ukraine has significantly reduced the Russian presence in the border region, the Finns calculate that it will only take between five and ten years to establish a tangible danger again. Preparations: Winter war. The designation in 2022 of the 11th Airborne Division of Alaska as the first and unique Arctic Division of the United States marked A doctrinal change. The US army tested new uniforms, combat skis and vehicles with caterpillars capable of climbing frost pending. During the drill in Finland, they showed a New transport model that climbs on the snow efficiently. Plus: Special rations For cold weather, with high caloric content, they reflected in the tests the amount of energy that simply demands to stay hot in that environment. And if winter imposes its rules, summer also does not offer relief in the enclave: with perpetual sun and without night, disappears The advantage of glasses Night vision, and when ice melts, the earth becomes an impassable lodazal of dense forests, rivers, lakes and marshes. No name, but with coordinates. Had the New York Times That, during the maneuvers, the troops took advantage of frozen rivers as improvised highways. With their rifles behind the back, they slipped quickly on the ice, in an environment that demands physical resistance and strategic clarity. Result? The exercise was finally considered a success For the commanders. Before the question of whether the proximity in recent times between Trump and Russia was a reason for concern, Finnish General Sami-Antti Takamaa was blunt to the middle: “It doesn’t worry me at all. The American airborne division has just arrived from Alaska. That is what matters to me.” Finland and NATO. Thus, and while the global geopolitical balance seems to stagger between tense alliances and resurgent threats, Finland, the happiest country in the world For eighth time With its 5.6 million inhabitants and an extreme geography, it emerges as one of the Defensive bastions more strategic in Europe. … Read more

Europe is caught in gas contracts with Russia. Now look for a way to break them without paying the price

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This winter has ended with an alarming fact for gas in Europe: German reserves are practically empty, 7% of their capacity. Energy expert Javier Blas He explained That the winter of 2024-25 has left the very low gas inventories, and the cost to fill the natural reservoir of Rehden amounts to almost 2,000 million euros. In addition, the continent has entered the discount timesince the European Union has demanded that the deposits be filled at 90% before November 1. However, the European Union has made a decision to close the door forever to the dependence of Russian gas. Close the tap to Russia. From Brussels different legal routes are being explored so that European companies can terminate long -term Russian gas contracts without paying large fines to Moscow. According to Financial Timesthe European Commission has been studying the possibility of declaring force majeure to terminate contractual obligations and not have to pay additional rates. The Russian supply. After three years of war that still persists, this situation has caused a great energy crisis in Europe, reducing its dependence on Russian gas. Currently, the Kremlin supply represents 11% of the block compared to almost two fifths at the beginning of the conflict, such as They have detailed in the British environment. From a more economical vision, the EU paid 21.9 billion euros Russia for oil and gas between February 2024 and February 2025, According to the Clean Energy and Air Research Center. And they continue to depend. Russian liquefied natural gas volumes (LNG) They have increased significantly In the last three years. In addition, Russia has continued to export gas disguised under azeri flag or through relations with two member countries, Hungary and Slovakiawhich has generated tensions within the EU. As He has pointed out The Financial Times, there are important ports such as those of France, Spain and Belgium that continue to receive loads of Russian LNG, showing the complexity of cutting energy ties immediately. Until two years. The European Commission has promised a final roadmap to completely cut energy ties with Russia before 2027. Although its publication has already been delayed twice, the document is expected for May 6, According to Reuters. This delay responds to the conversations reactivated by the United States about the future of the Nordstream gas pipeline, which connects Germany and Russia. The project has gained importance amid the efforts of the Trump administration, since they want look for an approach that implies them in gas transmission. Exploring alternatives … The commission, that He has denied To comment to the Financial Times, you are looking for new supplies. United States, which It takes time exporting LNG to Europehas been profiled as the largest supplier and is seen as a viable replacement. However, with the tariff war in dispute Everything will be to see. But there is an unexpected exit. Continuing with the tariffs, which have been intensified in A bilateral war Between China and the United States. The Asian giant He has found A strategic opportunity: take advantage of contracts signed with American gas to resell it to Europe. This phenomenon has exposed how the global mechanisms of energy trade do not respond to political strategies, but to market logics. An uncertain future. Although the date is marked in 2027, the road map has already suffered several delays and remains surrounded by political and commercial unknowns. In addition, the growing tension with the United States and The lack of a really solid energy plan they leave a European Union corrula, reacting too late before the agency with Russia. Image | Brian Cantoni Xataka | The price of gas has already reached 2022 levels. Now the European industry depends on one thing: that the cold does not return

China and Russia work in “Starlink Killers” to be able to deactivate them

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At the end of February, a heated discussion before the cameras between Volodimir Zelenski and Donald Trump changed the situation in Ukraine, Warning to the European Union. One of the immediate concerns was that Ukraine lost access to Starlinkwho has had a key role in war. But while Europe is looking for alternatives To the constellation of Spacex satellites, Russia and China are developing, separately, electronic and military countermeasures. Starlink is a strategic asset. Both in Its military version, called Starshieldas in its commercial version. When Russia left conventional communication satellite networks (VIASAT, Iridium, Immarsat…), Starlink gave a crucial advantage to Ukraine. The commercial company led by Elon Musk not only had the capacity to send more terminals and antennas to the front, but proved to be more resistant to “Jamming”Russian cyber attacks based on electronic interference. Spacex internally manufactures satellites, antennas and partially reusable rockets, a vertical integration that has put it decades away from the competition. Starlink has more than 7,000 satellites in the low orbit. At this altitude, they complete a return to the earth every 90 minutes, so different satellites are going through the sky to serve a certain area. Cybeards and Jamming are more effective with companies that have a few geostationary satellites, which remain fixed at 36,000 km of altitude. In search of the Killer Starlink. The use of the Spacex Satellites Network in military conflicts has led Russia and China to reinforce its countermeasures. A Recent report De Secure World Foundation stressed that Starlink was a kremlin priority objective after having demonstrated its usefulness in the Ukraine War. Russia has been developing the Kalinka system, Nicknamed the “Starlink Killer”to detect and interfere with protected military communications of the Constellation “Starshield”launched by Spacex and operated by the number. According to Ukrainian sources, Ukraine military forces suffer from Starlink interruptions since May 2024, which is attributed to Russian experimentation in advanced electronic war methods, which not only affect military communications, but also the use of drones. Russia uses the Tobol system to interfere with satellite signals. It is believed that there are at least ten Tobol devices distributed in Russian territory, and one of them could be located in the Russian base of Kalinningradbetween Lithuania and Poland. Tobol has also been used to try to block the satellite transmissions that Ukraine uses in its operations. Members of the European Union, such as Finland, Poland and Sweden, have noticed GPS failures during use. Strange maneuvers in the land low orbit. China advances in parallel to Russia in its spatial developments against Starlink, according to US sources cited by the report. The United States Space Force has observed several Chinese satellites in Coordinated proximity maneuvers. Although these operations in flight could be used for peaceful purposes, such as naves maintenance or space garbage withdrawal, the United States believes that they are being tested to disable or capture rival satellites in case of conflict. Chinese maneuvers, together with the increase of Chinese satellites dedicated to intelligence work, They have put the pentagon on alertalthough the United States is not far behind in military deployments in space. Even Russia has had advances in this defensive development: recently, they demonstrated how some Russian satellites could surround and isolate another ship in low orbit. The definitive and definitely illegal weapon. The Pentagon believes that Moscow is at the same time chasing the idea of ​​placing nuclear weapons in space capable of Generate electromagnetic pulses (EMP), which would be devastating against satellite constellations. In turn, they could trigger a catastrophic collisions waterfall known as Kessler’s syndrome, by the astrophysicist who predicted it. The Treaty on the Ultra -Site Space of 1967 prohibits the placement of weapons of mass destruction in orbit, but it is an increasingly questioned document by both sides. The last affront the agreement was released by Elon Musk in a political rally, when he declared that Mars would be part of the United Statesviolating another of the key points of the treaty, that the celestial bodies are not subject to demands of sovereignty. Image | Spacex In Xataka | Eutelsat, the “European Starlink”, shot in the stock market. The reality is that no European company can match Starlink right now

If China wants to dodge US tariffs, Russia can teach you a shortcut: Kyrgyzstan

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In the middle of chaos that have generated United States tariffs, a theory as absurd as feasible Start circular. If in a few weeks we begin to hear that, for example, the Kyrgyzstan nation is shooting its exports suddenly and unexpectedly to the United States, it should not surprise us so much. It does not have to be Kyrgyzstan, of course, but, coincidences of a world more and more globalizedthe nation has become the protagonist for Russia … and China. Boom. To understand how a site like Kyrguistan It can be an important actor in a commercial war we must go back to the beginning of the War in Ukraine. Kyrgyzan’s economic panorama changed radically from March 2022. In a matter of months, country imports from traditional business partners They began to growhighlighting the case of China, whose exports almost tripled. However, the most striking phenomenon was the sudden rise of trade with countries with which Kyrguistan barely had previous economic ties. From different points of the European Union (such as Poland, Czech Republic and the Baltic States) began to register A wave of goods. In some cases, the increases were so extraordinary that it was difficult to assimilate. Data from the Institute of International Finance revealed that, between March 2022 and October 2023, German car exports and pieces towards Kyrguistan increased 5,500%. What the hell had happened? The Ukraine War. The date, obviously, was not trivial. Despite the striking of growth, the origin and destination of many of these goods was diffuse. On numerous occasions, the products are classified as coming from an “unknown” country and with equally “unknown” destination, which generated enormous opacity in commercial statistics. However, for researchers and analysts There was no doubt What is the true destiny: Russia. Far from representing a genuine boom of the Kyrgyse economy, that phenomenon was interpreted as proof of the efficacy of the Kremlin to avoid the international sanctions imposed after its large -scale invasion of Ukraine. According to the researcher Erica Marathassociated professor at the National Defense University of Washington DC, these commercial flows are part of a mechanism which facilitates the evasion of sanctions by Moscow, a mechanism that has been skillfully adopted throughout the region. Parallel imports. In May 2022, Russia promulgated legislation that institutionalized what it called “parallel imports“. This regulation allows the entry of sanctioned products through third countries, without requiring the permission of brand owners. It was enough to import products to another country (such as Kyrgyzstan) and then redirect them to Russian territory. The system was adopted quickly by Russian and foreign companies. In addition to conventional supplies, it also included “double -use” products: appliances, electronic components and other civil goods that can be de -slasamed and reused for military purposes. Between May and December 2022, Russia admitted to having imported 2.4 million tons of goods by a Value of 20 billion dollars Through this scheme. Kyrgyzstan map Kyrgyzistan, the epicenter. No doubt, the nation’s exports to Russia went from 393 million dollars in 2021 to More than 1,070 million in 2022. Not just that. The figures could be underestimated, since many countries (including Kyrgyzstan) classify large volumes of trade as appropriate or with “unknown” destination, using this emptiness as a legal loophole to channel goods towards Russia without raising formal suspicions. This practice, according to marath, It is not considered illegaland therefore the authorities feel comfortable ignoring it while receiving economic benefits. Plus: Kyrguistan is not the only country that facilitates the evasion of sanctions, but possesses particular characteristics that make it an ideal transit point. He is a member of the Eurasian economic union (EAEU), a block founded in 2015 that also includes Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan and Russia. This block guarantees the free movement of goods and services among its members, which significantly reduces The bureaucratic load For trade between them. The Chinese friend ”. And what does China look in all this? As we said at the beginning, coincidences of a world globalized And in the midst of a commercial war marked by the tariffs of the United States, China has also noticed Kyrguistan, although From another perspective. I told it This week The Economist: Although Beijing proclaims a cooperation relationship “back with back, shoulder shoulder” with Russia, in practice it is taking distance in a crucial aspect: the safety of its export routes to Europe. Yes, despite its geopolitical alliance with Moscow, China prefers not to depend on Russia to maintain the flow of its assets to the European continent, especially in a context marked by conflicts and sanctions. Solution? In December, the construction of an ambitious began officially Railway project that is going through Kyrguistan and Uzbekistan, with the aim of creating a direct route towards Europe that avoids the Russian territory. This new connection becomes more relevant to a possible intensification of the commercial war with the United States and the growing importance of the European market (China already exports more than America). The impulse. Although the railway project had almost three decades under discussion, its materialization only It was completed after the invasion Russian to Ukraine in February 2022. Before the conflict, the main railway routes to Europe passed through Russia, many times via Kazajistan. The war, however, raised security risks, triggered insurance costs and weakened the Russian rail infrastructure due to sanctions, forcing transport companies to look for alternatives. As a result, they began to deviate towards the call “transpian route“Or” Medium Corridor “, which is going through Kazakhstan and the Caspian Sea. Connecting the Chinese Railway Net A 520 km line that will consolidate this strategic option. Commercial Resilience. It is not the end of any “alliance”, because as The Economist toldChina continues to consider Russia as a pillar of its ambitious global infrastructure project (the Strip and the Route initiative, launched in 2013 by Xi Jinping), its current enthusiasm by the middle corridor responds rather to economic interests. China’s growth, increasingly dependent on exports, has lost impulse, and guaranteeing stable roads … Read more

The US has detected an object in space with strange behavior. The source that released it has also located: Russia

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Last year there was a fact that formalized the rhetoric of the “spatial war” It was a fact. It was known, in some cases it was intuited, that the United States, Russia and China had transferred their confrontations hundreds of kilometers from the earth through their satellites. However, in December any glimpse of doubt was cleared: United States He designed the bases of a war attack in space. Now they have detected something unusual, and their source comes from Moscow. First was surveillance. In March, The CNN counted that the Pentagon had intensified the surveillance of the spatial activities of Russia and China in the face of growing evidence that both powers are testing New capabilities Offensive in orbit. As American defense officials then said, Russia had carried out coordinated satellite exercises that simulate attack and defense tactics, including maneuvers in which several satellites surround and isolate another, demonstrating a possible scenario of neutralization of enemy ships. China, meanwhile, had executed similar maneuversincluding the closed formation of satellites and offensive approach practices, actions that reinforce suspicions about the growing militarization of outer space. Three satellites and a stranger. Thus we arrive at the news of these days. Russia has launched space three highly secret satellites (Kosmos 2581, 2582 and 2583) that have revived concerns about a possible preparation for space war. On February 2, the satellites were sent to orbit aboard a Soyuz rocket, without Moscow revealing details about their purpose. Not just that. To the unusual maneuvers they have performed since their deployment, the recent appearance of A mysterious objectpossibly released by the Kosmos 2583 satellite on March 18, whose strange draw Observe with concern. The United States’s space force has already cataloged the new object, while some speculation suggests that these satellites could be practicing “attack and defense” tactics orbital, designed to isolate or neutralize enemy satellites in case of a future conflict. Trajectory of the object detected Theories Although astrophysicist Jonathan McDowell, from Harvard-Smithsonian Center, nuanced interpretations Alarmists when considering that the observed maneuvers can simply be due to similar orbits, recent history also reinforces skepticism. In 2022, Russia had already launched the Kosmos 2558 in the same orbital trajectory as an American military satellite, which was interpreted as an act of spatial espionage. The geopolitical context and the background of the Kremlin in the matter of covert technologies They raise suspicions that this new satellite trio may be carrying out surveillance missions, interception or testing tests Antisatellite technologiesalthough for now there are no conclusive evidence of hostile actions. The “conquest” of space. We said it at the beginning. The maneuvers attributed to satellites Kosmos 2581-2583 They are framed in a broader scenario in which both Russia and China would be exploring New combat capabilities orbital. The Recent CNN reports They quote officials of the United States Department of Defense, who say that both countries are carrying out military training in low orbits, a key zone for their proximity to land and its frequent use for communication, recognition and intelligence satellites. This trend reinforces the fear that space will be consolidated as a new confrontation field Strategic, one where powers develop technologies to deactivate, interfere or even destroy enemy space assets. Uncertainty and surveillance. So far we write, the nature or function of the object released in March has not been determined with certainty, which increases the tension around this satellite trio. McDowell explained That between February 25 and March 14, proximity operations were registered between the satellites, and that two of them passed near Kosmos 2583 on March 7, although it could not be confirmed if there was an attempt at offensive coordination. Even so, the US spatial force maintains close surveillance on the orbital movements and patterns of these artifacts, given the possibility that it is covert tests of new military capacities in space, a dimension that is no longer purely scientific or commercial, but also tactic. The challenge of “interpreting.” In the background, a problem that until now had not taken place in space, that of the opacity of the nations with respect to the missions of their satellites and the repeated use of covert technologies in their space operations that make it difficult to obtain certainty. In an environment where the simple fact of sharing orbits or making approaches between satellites can have both harmless and aggressive aims, analysts, in this case of the United States, must move between caution and prevention. As We already explainedwhile the calls multiply to establish clear international standards on behavior in space, Washington and its allies already consider spatial domain as a Active strategic theaterand each new mysterious object, such as the newly released by Kosmos 2583, adds one more tension layer to technological and military rivalry in orbit. Image | POT In Xataka | The space is no longer a two thing with the arrival of China, so the US has devised a war plan just in case: “Space fire” In Xataka | Satellites with missiles from Earth is ended up: the United States takes the first step to end the practice

The last tactic of Ukraine is a drone that seeks to catch him. When Russia opens it displays its threat: a virus

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The Russian invasion in Ukraine has led to two very different lines of development in kyiv. On the one hand, and in the face of investment in sophisticated and expensive armament, Ukraine has shown that systems relatively simple and low costas The mounted shotguns In drones, they can be equal or more decisive in asymmetric combat scenarios. On the other, and given the adversity, the creation of one of the most powerful industries From the planet: national combat drones. The last one is a surprise. Technology on the battlefield. We have gone counting months ago. The war between Russia and Ukraine, marked from the beginning by intensive use of New technologieshe has seen in the drones one of his more decisive instruments. However, a recent video Shared in social networks of Russian origin warns about a new and worrying front: Malware use by Ukraine embedded in drones capable of infecting Russian systems. Although these computer threats have been considered lower so far (mainly because they do not attack complete networks, but individual devices such as computers or the captured drones themselves) their appearance represents a more than significant change in the cyber dimension of the conflict. Ukrainian malware. Apparently, Forbes counted that the malware detected in Ukrainian drones has Specific functions: physically damage USB ports, prevent the Reflasso of the system, block the reprogramming of the drone or even very important, allow Ukraine to locate the new Russian operators if the drone is reused by Moscow. As? These malicious codes are designed to sabotage any reuse attempt by the enemy, disabled the electronics of the devices or creating vulnerabilities They can be remotely exploited. In a context in which both countries face resource restrictions, limiting the ability to have enemy drones represents a crucial strategic advantage for Ukraine. Operational impact and consequences. No doubt, the use of malware has immediate tactical implications. Russia depends on the detailed analysis of the enemy drones captured for Adapt your systems of countermeasures, which requires manipulating its components and studying its software. If these drones are protected with code that disables or compromises their systems when connecting them, the reverse engineering process becomes slower, complex and, ultimately, risky. Thus, Ukraine manages to extend the useful life cycle of its drones before Moscow develops an effective countermelted, something vital in an environment where technological innovation translates into direct tactical advantage. “Human” talent. Development looks in the form achieved with the Double cannon or with The optical fiber. The success of these strategies lies in the force of Ukrainian technological sectorthat before the war already stood out for its dynamism and human talent. With a robust base of software engineers and cybersecurity experts, Ukraine has managed to transfer civil abilities to the military, generating asymmetric tools that do not require great physical resources, but a high degree of technical sophistication. The development of malware in drones allows maximizing the impact of available resources, hindering Russian work without increasing the number of devices deployed. A new cyber career in the theater. Not just that. The introduction of malware also marks the beginning of a new phase in the struggle for technological superiority. If Ukraine has begun to use malware with limited but effective functions, it is reasonable to anticipate that Russia will respond with Your own developments Similar offensives, as has happened with previous innovations of both sides. In this way, a climbing cycle is opened: more advanced malware will require better defenses, which in turn will be target of more sophisticated versions. In a short time, it is assumed that both parties could implement specific antivirus protection in drones, harden managerial device management protocols and use new malicious software variants that attack command and control networks or even open rear doors for intelligence operations. Technological consequences. In the last three years, both Russia and Ukraine have converted their respective scientific ecosystems into Weapons at the service of war effort. The Ukrainian decision to integrate malware into its drones not only slows the Russian reusing, but redefines the battle for Technological supremacy In the conflict. In addition, the strategy can be extended perfectly to other electronic devices, including smart weapons, communications sensors or systems. What began as an innovative tactic could be consolidated as a digital war doctrine, influencing the design, use and protection of all military equipment from now on. If you want also, the deployment of malware in Ukrainian drones shows how modern war has moved towards the scope of the code, where only a small script can have effects comparable to a certain shot … without the need for a single bullet. Image | Rawpixel In Xataka | To hunt Russian drones, Ukraine is resorting to a revolutionary technique … from World War I In Xataka | A Russian drone has opened one of the greatest engineering works. The problem: it was the sarcophagus of Chernobil reactor 4

The key is called Giuk and gives China and Russia to the east of the US

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In January it sounded strongly and since then there is no week that the idea is not reproduced: United States Groenland wants. We explain that we are not really new, and that when Trump said wanting to take control of the enclave it was The fifth time in the history that the United States “touched” at the door of the island. However, there is now a difference with respect to other attempts. Greenland has something that makes it a strategic zone “for what can happen.” Russian and Chinese threat. Greenland has become A critical point For the national security of the United States, and although much has been commented, it is not mainly for economic or symbolic reasons, but for Its strategic position in the fight against the progress of Russian or eventually Chinese submarines. In fact, this has been confirmed through General Christopher G. Cavoli, Supreme Commander of NATO in Europe and head of the US European command. The man declared before the Senate Armed Services Committee that access to the airspace and maritime of Greenlandia It is fundamental To detect and follow the track of the Russian submarines before they are lost in the depths of the Atlantic Ocean. The island is part of the western edge of the Giuk gap (Greenland-Islandia-Reinian Reino), a vital corridor through which the Russian underwater fleet from Murmansk, home of the most advanced naves of the Kremlin, such as class submersibles, such as class submersibles, such as class submersible Yasen-mequipped with long -range cruise missiles. The giuk gap. This corridor is a strangulation point Maritime that, if not properly watched, allows Russian or Chinese submarines operate without being detected In the North Atlantic. Once they cross the gap, its location becomes extremely difficult, both because of the acoustic conditions of the underwater terrain and by the oceanic vastness. Thus, from these hidden positions they can launch missile attacks against strategic objectives On the east coast of the American continent. In fact and in response to this, the United States formed in 2021 the so -called Task Group Greyhounda specialized group of anti -submarine destroyers Designed to counteract This specific threat. The American navy itself warned at the time that the east coast of the country already It was not a safe shelterunderlining the urgency of establishing surveillance and defense points in key areas such as Greenland. Map of the Giuk Via of the Cold War (still relevant) The Russian answer. For their part, they counted the The War Zone analysts that Russia has proven to know very well the value of this corridor. In 2019, he organized his greatest naval exercise since the Cold War, sending at least ten submarines through the completely submerged Giuk gap, with the aim of reaching the Atlantic without being intercepted. According to Norwegian mediathe intention was clear: to prove the capacity of the West to detect movements of his fleet and demonstrate that he could project power to the US coast. These exercises also fulfill a fund growing territorial presence. Advanced control point. The island of Goenland, with only 320 km of separation from Iceland, constitutes a natural bottleneck inside the Giuk. This proximity allows its use as an advanced basis for anti -submarine operations. Although the United States already has the base of the space force In Pituffik (Antigua Thule), equipped with early alert radars against ballistic attacks, General Cavoli suggests that it would be strategically advantageous to expand military capabilities in other areas of the island. Under this prism, the simple possibility that Russia or China can establish military facilities in Greenland represents an unacceptable risk: from there, they could deploy weapons of intercontinental reach only 2,000 km from the US territory. A Yasen-M class Diplomatic tension With this context we arrive at the news of these days. General Cavoli’s statements occur in a political high voltage environment between the United States and Denmark, Sovereign Nation on Greenland. The renewed Donald Trump’s insistence In acquiring the island, it has revived a diplomatic conflict dating from its first mandate. Plus: the Recent visit of vice president JD Vance to Island caused a strong rejection by local and Danish authorities, who met to stage your unit Faced with US desires for annexation. At the same time, Secretary of State Marco Rubio moved to Denmark to calm the situation and reaffirm the strength of the bilateral relationship, although tensions remain latent. One More Thing. While the persecution of Russian submarines is the central axis of the strategy, there is much more. To begin with, Greenland also offers other military advantages: its radar infrastructure It allows early detection of ballistic releases, which gives the US government additional time to respond to an attack. In addition, its position at the northwest of the Atlantic makes it a crucial logistics point within the framework of any Arctic or Intercontinental conflict. Although Iceland already houses American anti -submarine aircraft squads that cover the Giuk gap, Greenland could offer redundancy, extended reach and greater operational flexibility. Geopolitics in the ice. So things, and while the debate persists on whether the United States really needs Acquire Greenland Or simply reinforce its presence in the area, the truth is that the island has ceased to be a remote block of ice to become a strategic focus of the first order. The growing Arctic militarizationthe resurgence of Russian naval power and The global competition For the control of polar routes they place Greenland in the center of a new geopolitical board. Its value does not reside in its demography, economy or tourist attraction, but in its ability to influence the balance of power between rival powers. In times of submarine cold war, every kilometer of coast vigilated is worth its weight in gold, and Greenland, today more than ever, he tells much. Image | PicrylRussian Navy, миноборонloy In Xataka | It is the fifth time that the US wants to buy Greenland from Denmark. If they asked on the island they would have it … Read more

Russia and North Korea

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A few days ago, Donald Trump set up in anger, or at least that seemed like face the public. The president showed his anger with Putin for the obstacles in the negotiations of a high fire in Ukraine. The apparent initial closeness for this agreement with the Russian leader, where he even seemed to blame him for the war, gave way to a threat: to impose secondary tariffs up to 50% About Russian oil. Today, and after knowing each other An almost universal list Of tariffs by Washington, we lack two nations: Russia and North Korea. Indulgence to adversaries. It We count this morningto. In a new and unknown phase of his commercial war, President Donald Trump imposed high tariffs on some of the closest allies and partners in the United States, a list where we find Japan (24%), South Korea (25%), India (26%) or Taiwan (32%). Territories were also included tiny and remote like Tokelau (New Zealand) and Svalbard (Norway), However, it seems that it exempts from rates to adversary nations such as Russia, North Korea, Belarus and even Iran, a country to which only applied 10%less than Israel Tax (17%), its historic ally. Background: a policy that aligns with Trump’s strategy In his second term, one characterized by punishing allied countries, threatening them even with military actions, and showing themselves, although with asterisks, with traditional adversaries from Washington. The official position. The White House has left the step giving A justification. The total absence of tariffs to Moscow, together with countries such as Cuba, Belarus and North Korea, is due to the fact that “these nations already face sanctions and rates so high that they limit their trade with the United States.” However, the data show that, despite the sanctions, Russia still maintains commercial exchanges significant. Privileged relationship. They remembered a key In Firstpost To understand what is happening. Trump had formalized your affinity With Russian President Vladimir Putin, seeking to transform Russia as an adversary to partnerand this despite the fact that Moscow has not yielded in its aggression to Ukraine or has moderated its position towards the West. Despite the official justification from the White House that Russia, North Korea and others are already subject to sanctionsthe truth is that commerce with these countries is nothing less null. Namely: in 2024, the United States maintained exchanges with Russia by value of 3.5 billion dollars (yes, in 2021 the bilateral trade was from 35,000 billion of dollars), including US exports of Medical supplies and essential pharmacists. Even North Korea and Iran, under sanctions, maintain Reduced commercial flowsbut existing, in sectors such as pharmaceutical products, chemicals (and even works of art in the case of Iran). Meanwhile, allies as Ukraine (In full war) they also entered that 10% of tariffs, contradicting the logic that policy seeks to protect strategic partners. The validity of Russia. Moreover, like They explained in Axiosin practice, the United States trades more with Russia than with many of the countries sanctioned by new rates, evidencing a contradiction in the official justification. Karoline Leavittspokesman for the White House, he reiterated that Russia could face “new and strong sanctions” in the future, especially after Trump expressed that public discomfort towards Putin for his recent statements about Ukraine and threatened Impose secondary rates to Russian oil. Stagnant negotiations. Russia, on the other hand, has asked the Trump administration Partial withdrawal of sanctions As a key to negotiations for a fire in Ukraine, a process that remains practically frozen. Meanwhile, Trump seems to have chosen to hit traditional partners and smaller economies before Russia, maintaining that pattern that seems to characterize its foreign policy: hardness towards allies and flexibility, or At least containmenttowards strategic adversaries. The Israel-Iran case. We said it at the beginning. Especially striking is The case of Israelwhich recently eliminated its tariffs on American products as a gesture of good will, waiting for the exclusion of sanctions. It has not been so, and finally Trump has not only imposed a 17% tariff to Israelbut has applied a minor one, only 10%, to Iran, country considered declared enemy both from the United States and Israel and “sponsor” of hostile groups to both. What’s doubt, the decision has caused outrage at Tel Aviv And it has been interpreted as a sign that Trump’s commercial policy in his second term does not distinguish between strategic friends and enemies. Controversial turn. What seems clear is that the choice of some and the exclusion of others in the list is not due to random (not with other micro territories and uninhabited spaces). As a result, the strategy has generated bewilderment between Washington experts and allies, seeing how the country hardens its treatment with historical partners and, at the same time, softens your measures Against geopolitical rivals. Far from being only an economic measure, the pattern seems to reaffirm the Trump approach to destabilize traditional alliances in favor of direct relations, although inconsistent, with adversaries, even if they have not offered diplomatic or commercial concessions in return. Image | Office of the President of The Russian Federation In Xataka | The most surreal victims of US tariffs: remote islands, islets only inhabited by penguins and a secret base

Elon Musk has fired thousands of US officials. China and Russia want to offer them a new job: spies

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Since Donald Trump put Elon Musk at the head of Doge, the officials have been at his point look. Instead of considering them as public employees who were hired to do a job in the administration, the millionaire first used a derogatory language towards them, for later dismiss them in bad ways. Now, China, Russia, North Korea and other enemies of the US seek to approach these officials dismissed to take advantage of their anger who has fired them to offer them a new job: informant. Fishing in a scrambled river. According to published CBS Newsaround 100,000 federal officials leave their jobs every year, either by retirement, search for new opportunities or changes in their professional career. However, the recent wave of layoffs, marked by indiscriminately dismissed more than 113,361 federal employees, has generated resentment and discontent with the government. Such and as he published CNN citing sources from the CIA, that can become a breeding ground for Russia, China, North Korea or other US adversary countries Take the opportunity to try to recruit to some of those federal employees that had access to sensitive information. “It does not need much imagination to see that these marginalized federal workers with a wealth of institutional knowledge represent amazingly attractive objectives for the intelligence services of our competitors and adversaries,” the American media told the US medium close to the government. LinkedIn: A job bag for spies. Intelligence sources told CNN that both Russia and China are focusing their efforts on those federal ex -employed who had access to confidential information, such as those of the Department of Energy, the Pentagon or the US trade office, whose information could weaken the security and strategies of the country. “This information is extremely valuable, and should not surprise that Russia, China and other organizations – as, for example, criminal organizations – are aggressively recruiting government employees,” said Theresa Payton, former information director of the White House during the presidency of George W. Bush to CBS News. As published CNNAt least two countries have already created recruitment websites and have begun to actively capture federal employees in LinkedIn, two sources indicated. John Schindler, former counterintelligence official, says it is currently very easy to locate these employees “enter LinkedIn, you see someone who ‘before was in the Department of Defense and is now looking for work’ and you think: ‘Bingo’,” said Schindler. Before, Soviet intelligence officers had to wait for a former resentful employee to contact them. Now they are announced on LinkedIn. False employment offers. As CBS News pointed out, one of the simplest ways to approach one of these ex -employed employees is to contact him through LinkedIn and offer them a job interview for false job. In the interview, the agent would discover if he had access to relevant information and could hire him as “consultants” of a cover company and receive a payment for his experience, without even knowing that he is providing information to an enemy. ANDS say, their new company could use them to obtain information discreetly without the former officials being aware of it. Fire with chainsaw. One of the problems of dismissing massively in certain strategic departments, is that they do not adopt mitigation measures. According to experts, the probability that an ex -employed angry will contact a foreign power increases as many federal employees are left without work. According to CNN sources, when an official leaves his job, he undergoes an exit interview designed to avoid the presence of moles or informantsand to remind outgoing employees their duty to preserve secrets and warn them of the security risks they face. However, Doge’s layoffs have not occurred in those terms. The spies are rubbing their hands. According to published The New York Timesthe accelerated rhythm that Elon Musk has imposed on Doge to achieve its cut goals, could have already left exposed to CIA agents and workers. In an effort to comply with the executive order of Donald Trump to reduce the template of officials, the CIA sent an email to the White House with the list of all the new employees who had been in the agency for two years or less, including CIA officers who were preparing to operate undercover, through an unqualified email server. Something that Senator Mark Warner for Virginia, a higher rank member in the Congress Intelligence Committee He described how“A disastrous event for national security.” In Xataka | Elon Musk fired hundreds of employees and now he has to hire them again: they were experts in nuclear weapons Image | Flickr (The White House. Νεα δημοκρατια)

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