Russia

an F-35 squadron that does not belong to China, Russia or the United States

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In the month of January it was known America’s plan B in the Arctic once it seemed that “the Greenland thing” was not going to be so easy: a underwater cave in Norway. Two months later, eight icebreakers attested that Russia was there tooand in August, both nations looked with surprise at the arrival of five icebreakers with the flag of China. Now, at congregation a squadron of F-35s has been added… from a fourth contender. New strategic axis. we have been counting throughout the year. The Arctic has ceased to be a remote space and has become a central theater of power: a place where geography dictates the rules, meteorology sets human limits and the proximity between platforms The military turns every kilometer into a possible avenue of attack or surveillance. What was once a map and science is now state policy. From the Nunalik deck (a freighter that traveled thousands of km avoiding growlers and storms to deliver material to Canada’s northernmost intelligence network) brutal lessons emerge: presence in the north is not improvised, it is built with infrastructurespecialized logistics and sustained budgetary will. The fact that a delivery can be delayed for 48 hours because the dockworkers are closed for a weekend, or that a 2.5 ton anchor ends up dragging a 180 meter chain between icebergs, illustrates the basic arithmetic of the Arctic: distance and climate are permanent enemies of any defense project. Logistics and fragility. They remembered in The Wall Street Journal to maintain bases like Pituffik’s either Alert (the latter just 800 km from the North Pole) means dealing with very narrow seasonal windows: the sealifts (sea supply operations) are possible only four or five months a year, air transport must cover the invisible, and a single missing part can delay crucial work a whole year. Inuit communities, icy runways that require constant maintenance, satellite platforms and underwater cables make up a network in which any weak link puts the whole at risk. Thus, if creatures such as musk ox and polar bears are found on the coast, behind the tracks and radars there are also human lives that depend punctual suppliesand errors like 1991 plane crash that cost lives in the approach to the Alert base remind that Arctic logistics is not a technical variable but a matter of survival. View of Thule Air Base Russian advantage and western window. Geographically, Moscow starts with objective advantages: the Kola Peninsula is home to the Northern Fleetnuclear systems launchable by Arctic routes and a depth of deployment that the West took decades to erode. However, the weakening of part of the Russian ground forces after the war in Ukraine has opened a window for allies to rebuild capabilities in the north. The question is whether to take advantage of it quickly and consistently. Western allies face the task of recover strategic ground almost from scratch: the lessons learned in Afghanistan or the Sahel are not directly exportable to a region of polar darkness, snow storms and ice that makes even the best prepared ships creak. If these gaps are not closed, the russian advantage and/or the appearance of foreign actors They will make Western deterrence, more than a policy, an urgent technological requirement. Russian icebreaker Hypersonics, sensors and more. The challenge is not only to be present, but detect and anticipate. The hypersonic missiles (unpredictable trajectories and speeds of at least Mach 5) put traditional radar networks in check, and have pushed Ottawa to commit 6 billion of Canadian dollars (in collaboration with Australia) to far horizon radars and Washington to accelerate space sensors that track ballistic and hypersonic vectors from orbit. In other words: detection is a necessary condition to deter, and without early detection there is no response. The problem, they pointed out in the Journalis that technology is not the panacea: it requires logistics integration, data centers, resilient command posts and continuous maintenance that the polar climate makes prohibitively expensive if not planned for the long term. Denmark on the front line. And on that board where the flags of China, Russia and the United States are already found, the recent decision of Copenhagen is inscribed: 8.7 billion dollars to increase the fleet from F-35 to 43 devices and 4.2 billion expressly dedicated to reinforcing Arctic security, with a joint headquarters in Nuuk, two new ships, maritime patrol vessels, surveillance aircraft and units in the polar territory. Denmark mixes the purchase of American technology with the will to act as regional guarantordriven by both Allied pressure and the commotion caused for the idea (proclaimed by Trump in January) of “buy” Greenland. The package shows two things: the first, that European states are willing to spend considerable sums on advanced projection and detection systems. The second, that sovereignty and territorial presence have become in currency geopolitics, where the air force and naval capabilities are not only military but also diplomatic pieces. Local sovereignty and criticism. Not only that. The extension of the military presence in Greenland does not occur in a vacuum. Local voices, represented by figures such as Aleqa Hammond, former Greenlandic Prime Minister, they reproach Copenhagen to decide without sufficiently consulting the 57,000 people on the island, remembering that militarization affects ways of life and resources shared. Furthermore, the pressure on ecosystems fragile and the need to respect indigenous rights make it essential to combine security with listening and real compensation. If the Arctic is a strategic boardis also a home: decisions about bases, radars and icebreaker routes They must incorporate the social and environmental dimension or risk legitimizing internal tensions that erode any long-term military base. Costs, industries and alliances. Plus: building a presence in the north is not just about buying fighters and installing radars. I remembered the BBC which requires shipyards to manufacture icebreakers, polar cargo ships, maintenance lines for icy runways, contracts held with operators and, above all, the political will to sustain recurring spending. The NORAD modernizationcoordination between Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom … Read more

Europe has been working for three years to isolate itself from Russian gas. Two countries have decided to build a direct gas pipeline to Russia

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The European energy map is changing at a speed that few would have imagined just three years ago. The old gas pipelines that linked Siberia to the industrial heart of the EU have been sidelined, while new routes and alliances reconfigure the power table around gas. The old continent proclaims its purpose of isolating Moscow, but in the center of the continent it is drawn an exception that alters the planned script and that may change the balance of forces in the coming winters. A map in transformation. Yes, the European gas map has changed radically in a few years, to the point that this winter of 2025 is the first in decades in which Russian gas ceases to be decisive throughout the European Union. After the invasion of Ukraine in 2022 and the energy crisis that broke out between 2021 and 2023, Brussels urged urgently diversification of supplies, relying on imports liquefied natural gas (LNG), especially from the United States and Qatar, and in the fortress of norway as a stable partner. The great gas pipelines that for half a century linked the Siberian fields with the European industrial heart have been underutilizeddamaged or reduced to a secondary role, as energy security moves towards the global balance of the LNG market and towards the vulnerability of infrastructures increasingly exposed to cyber attacks and hybrid incidents. On this new board, each molecule counts, but not all of them weigh the same: there are some that define true European autonomy more than others. The two exceptions. Despite the EU’s declared desire to eliminate purchases from Moscow, two countries have kept the valve open: Hungary and Slovakia. In August 2025, according to the Center for Research on Energy and Clean Air, both added imports of Russian crude oil and gas by more than 690 million of euros, that is, the majority of the European total. In fact, they continue to receive oil through the gigantic Druzhba pipeline, which crosses Ukraine and Belarus from Russian fields to Central Europe, and have used temporary exception granted by Brussels to landlocked countries to justify their dependence. The contrast is evident: while countries like France, the Netherlands and Belgium have limited themselves to importing residual Russian LNG, Budapest and Bratislava continue buying crude oil and gas straight from Moscow, keeping alive the energy artery that the rest of Europe has tried to close. Hungary and Slovakia are investing in gas infrastructure and creating a gas block in the heart of Europe aimed at protecting against any risks USA, Brussels and pressure. The intransigence of Viktor Orbán and Robert Fico has not gone unnoticed. At the UN, Trump accused Europe of “financing the war against itself” and pointed out with their own name to the Central European partners that do business with the Kremlin. Brussels, for its part, debate sanctions growing: the nineteenth package included a ban on Russian LNG starting in 2026 and restrictions on giants such as Rosneft or Gazprom Neft, although it avoided imposing immediate vetoes on crude oil and gas by gas pipeline, fearing a head-on crash with Budapest and Bratislava. However, the Commission is already preparing specific tariffs against imports that are still They arrive through Druzhbaand requires all Member States to submit disconnection plans before 2027the year in which the final cut is expected. The discourse of dependency. Hungary insists that its economy would fall 4% immediately if they were closed russian flowsand both Orbán and Fico speak of “economic suicide” and “ideological impositions” from Brussels. However, experts and analysts dismantle many of these arguments: geography is no excuse in an integrated European market where other equally landlocked countries, such as Austria or the Czech Republic, have reduced drastically reduce its Russian imports. Alternative infrastructures there are. The Adria pipeline, which connects to the Adriatic in Croatia, could supply enough crude oil to Hungary and Slovakia, although the reliability of its capacity tests is disputed. The Croatian oil company JANAF itself assures which can supply both refineries (Százhalombatta in Hungary and Slovnaft in Bratislava) with up to 12.9 million tons per year. In gas, the interconnections with neighboring countries and the expected abundance of LNG after 2026 suggest that the cutoff of Russian flows would be more political than technical. Politics, benefits and a shadow. Budapest’s stubbornness also has an internal political and economic dimension. The MOL company, close to the Orbán Government and owner of the Slovak refinery, has reaped huge benefits thanks to the price difference between Russian Urals crude oil and Brent, which has allowed extraordinary income for both the company and the state budget itself through taxes. In parallel, the speech of the Hungarian Executive associates the continuity of supply russian with stability of its star program of subsidies on household energy bills, despite the fact that the prices that Budapest pays for Russian gas follow the same international references as for the rest of Europe. In Slovakia, Fico also protects contracts with Gazprom valid until 2034, although the national company SPP itself has flexible agreements with large Western companies that would allow demand to be met without Moscow. The new axis of the Black Sea. Be that as it may, the most revealing element of the new energy map is that Hungary and Slovakia not only resist cutting the Russian gas pipelines inherited from the Cold War, but are betting on new connections. The route that arrives through the TurkStream and enters from Türkiye towards central Europe through the Black Sea consolidates a direct link with Moscow at the same time that Brussels seeks to isolate it. Paradoxically, the two Central European countries are becoming the main russian corridor towards the heart of the EU, a role that openly contradicts the energy autonomy strategy and reinforces the structural dependence on a partner considered hostile. Europe contradicts itself. The dilemma is obvious. The European Union proclaims its purpose to end with Russian imports in just two years, but at the same time tolerates exceptions that feed … Read more

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

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

The electronic war is lying the technologies in Ukraine. So Russia has returned to World War II: horse soldiers

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In the month of June Some images They highlighted a dangerous evolution of assault tactics, one where the Russian army began to Use motorcycles as a main tool to move towards the Ukrainian lines, in an attempt to avoid the destruction of their armored Modern to the power of drones. Now, the electronic war in Ukraine has turned each technological innovation into a weapon with the days counted. Solution? The return of the cavalry. A symbolic return. Yes, the war in Ukraine, characterized by a massive deployment of drones, precision artillery and electronic war, has led the Russian army to explore solutions of archaic appearance: the Reintroduction of horses On the battlefield. What began as improvisations With donkeys and horses To transport supplies in the front, it has evolved towards formal training units mounted, according to The Kommersant newspaper. The idea greatly reflects the point of the dead to which modern technologies have reached a saturated front of electronic interference, where even the most sophisticated systems have been limited, forcing resort to basic methods that evoke the wars of the past. Training and tactics. In the Donetsk region, the commander of the “Storm” unit of the 9th Brigade has organized Horse training for assault troops. Exercises, video recorded and released in pro -government channels Like “Wargonzo”show soldiers galloping through open fields, some sharing a mount: one controls the animal and the other prepares to open fire. The approach is that, once the objective is achieved, both combatants dismantle and advance on foot against the enemy position. The tests also seek that horses get used to noise of shooting and explosions, minimizing the risk of being scared in combat. Its alleged advantages include the ability to move at night, accelerate without roads and, according to Russian controls, guide themselves by instinct to avoid mines. Limitations and symbolism. Despite these virtues, the use of horses raises important inconveniences: their weight can detonate antipersonnel mines, require constant food and care, and have a load capacity much lower than that of armored vehicles. Therefore, even Kommersant emphasizes that the cavalry will hardly be deployed on a large scale and that the measure is, above all, a symbolic gesture in a conflict that, despite being the scene of leading technologies, has forced the parties to also resort to rudimentary solutionsfrom analog telephone lines to cargo animals. The stamp of Russian soldiers on horseback contrasts with the official story of technological innovation and highlights the material and tactical wear of the campaign. Cavalry Brigade of the SS in Russia, 1941 The vintage resource. The resource for horses is not the first Russian attempt to use unconventional alternatives in the front. It We have counted before: units have been documented in motorcycles, quads, and even E-SCOOTERS AND MONOCICLOS electric, with unequal results. In particular, motorcyclist brigades destined to evade Ukrainian drones have suffered Massive casualties: The open field exposure and the absence of coverage made them easy blank, with most bikers eliminated before achieving their goals. The commitment to cavalry reflects the same logic: Quick and low -cost solutions to an enemy with technological advantage, although without guarantees of real effectiveness in combat. Military stagnation The context of this equine return is the stagnation of the Russian offensive. Between September 20 and 30, Moscow only achieved advance 29 square kmand although in the whole of the month he added 447, most of the profits occurred in little disputed rural areas. In Donetsk, where the “Storm” unit is concentrated, Russia barely He won 181 square kilometersone of its lowest records in a year. The front has been practically frozen for weeks, which has forced the Kremlin to resort to propaganda measures To show dynamism, while Ukraine recognizes difficulties, but maintains resistance in key nuclei such as Pokrovsk and Dobropillia. Echoes of the twentieth century. The return of horses to the battlefield is not an exclusive phenomenon of war in Ukraine. During World War II, both Germany and the Soviet Union They used cavalry In patrol operations and logistics support, while Poland was hard stigmatized by the famous riders of riders against tanks in 1939a partially exaggerated myth but showed the obsolescence of classical cavalry against mechanization. In the Soviet Union, however, mounted units are They used effectively In wooded environments and in the antipartisan struggle, where their mobility offered advantages that vehicles could not match. In subsequent conflicts, horses They reappeared in low intensity wars or in difficult access scenarios. Afghan resistance against Soviet invasion in the 1980s depended largely of horses and mules to transport weapons in mountainous terrain. Paradoxically, after 11-S, the US special forces deployed in Afghanistan They turned to horses To move with its local allies, an image that became a symbol of the clash between the technological war of the 21st century and the indomitable geography of the Hindu Kush. The paradox. The image of Russian soldiers galloping Between drones and artillery summarizes the paradox of the war in Ukraine: in a conflict turned into a showcase of military innovations (Drones swarms, artificial intelligence applied to combat, Hypersonic weapons and Electronic War), the fatigue of materials and the tactical blockade have returned to the battlefield tools typical of another era. While it is unlikely that modern cavalry changes the course of the contest, His mere reappearance It is a powerful symbol of to what extent the war in Ukraine has stressed the limits of technology and has forced to reimagine, even with primitive means, the way of fighting. Image | Wargonzo In Xataka | An AIM-9X missile cost a million dollars to tear down a Russian drone. Ukraine has found the solution for 2,000 dollars In Xataka | In a crucial Ukraine agreement he has given the US his best weapon. In return he has received something unpublished: a map to knock Russia

A map to lie to Russia

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Ukraine wore months imploring to the United States to leave rhetoric to go to action. The first sign that something was changing in Washington happened a few days ago, when it was airing that Trump was seriously thinking Send Tomahawk missiles To kyiv. Now, a budding agreement has given the most drastic turn that is remembered in the American postureand has the channel to change the contest. A strategic turn. The Trump administration has given A drastic change in his position towards war in Ukraine. After months of trying to negotiate the fire with Putin through economic incentives, the US president has Authorized for the first time The delivery of intelligence for KyIV Russian energy infrastructure attack with missiles and long -range drones. He objective is Hit refineries, pipelines and power plants to deprive the Kremlin of its main source of income, weakening both their economy and its ability to sustain the military offensive. This turn coincides With statements In which Trump assured that he is possible that Ukraine recovers all occupied territories, which marks a break with his initial rhetoric of territorial concessions. The long -range dilemma. It We count yesterday. Washington now studies whether to accompany that intelligence with armament much more powerful. The more striking option It is the delivery of Crucero Tomahawk, with a close range of up to 2,500 km and large destructive capacity. They are also considered cheaper and more modular alternatives, such as Anduril Barracuda or the new ones EXTENDED RANGE ATTACK MUNIONSalready approved in significant quantities. Germany, France, the United Kingdom and Italy They have sent own cruise missiles, while Berlin Keep blocked The Taurus despite the insistence of their military in which Ukraine must be able to attack in depth. Ukraine, meanwhile, advances with own projects Like Long Neptune and Flamingothe latter a cruise missile of enormous reach and explosive load that aims to produce on a large scale to further press Russian defenses. The Ukrainian “gift. The other great pillar of this new approach is unmanned technology. A Ukrainian delegation arrived in Washington to negotiate A historical agreement that will allow the United States to access kyiv’s experience in mass production of drones. A frame of up to 50,000 million dollars Five years, with the capacity to manufacture millions of units annually when the war ends. The Ukrainian drones (From cheap FPV to The Magura Navales capable of demolishing Russian fighters) have demonstrated be innovativeflexible and much cheaper than Western systems. United States, whose industry manufactures very sophisticated models, but in limited volumes, seeks with this pact catch up on In a capacity that Ukraine has taken much further. Implications The call “Drone Deal” would include technological transfer formulas, from royalties to the creation of subsidiaries on American soil. Ukraine would produce at much lower costs than those of the West, while the United States He would get proven systems in combat and ready to climb. In return, Kyiv expects compensation in the form of advanced weapons such as The patriotthe Himars launches, The attacms or even latest generation fighters. The agreement would also serve to strengthen the political relationship with Trump, which had sometimes shown doubts about the level of support for Ukraine but now seems to bow towards deeper strategic cooperation. A moving board. He American turn It is framed at a time when Russia intensifies attacks against Energy infrastructure Ukraine, anticipating a new winter of pressure on the civilian population. At the same time, Moscow complaint That NATO’s intelligence and resources are used directly against them, while observing with restlessness the possibility that western long -range missiles are delivered to Kyiv. In parallel, Europe reinforces your role: Some countries increase their investments in the Ukrainian military industry and others, Like Germanythey finance in depth attack capabilities. The combination of new intelligence, massive drones and potential long -range missiles indicates that the war could enter into a different phasewith Ukraine looking to hit in the most sensitive for Russia: the energy that feeds Its economy and finances its war effort. Image | National Police of Ukraine, Nara In Xataka | Something has gone out wrong in Ukraine. So much, that the drone war has reached the most unexpected place: Türkiye In Xataka | Ukraine has invoked what Russia vetoed since the beginning of the war. And he told the US to tighten the button: Tomahawk

Ukraine has invoked what Russia vetoed since the beginning of the war. And he told the US to tighten the button: Tomahawk

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Distances in modern wars are nuclear issues. In Ukraine it was very clear in November 2024, when the world held thinking that Putin finally had “tightened” the button. So, A few kilometers They were key for the Moscow missile not to activate all red lines. That is why also, since the invasion of 2022, a name that kyiv has just invoked as one of the greatest orders to Russia has rarely jumped to the fore. Tomahawks in Ukraine. USA Study seriously The request of the Ukrainian President Zelenski to incorporate cruise missiles Tomahawk To his arsenal, a step that would be an unprecedented escalation in the war. These missiles, with a range of between 1,500 and 2,500 kilometers according to the versions, would be able to reach Moscow and much of the Russian territory from Ukrainian soil, which would represent a qualitative change with respect to the current kyiv capacities, based mainly on long -range drones and the limited ones Atacms missiles previously authorized by Washington. The possibility of its delivery reflects the turn of the Donald Trump administration, which until recently was reluctant to extend the conflict, but now transmits a more belligerent speech: for its special envoy Keith Kellogg “There are no sanctuaries” and Ukraine should be able to hit Russia deeply to alter the dynamics of war. The Russian answer. From Moscow, the statements were received with an alarm and challenge mixture. Spokesman Dmitri Peskov recognized that the Kremlin was carrying out an “in -depth analysis” about the implications of an eventual supply of Tomahawks, raising questions about who would control its launch and the selection of objectives: if exclusively the Ukrainians or if there were American personnel involved, which would bring the scenario closer to a direct confrontation between powers. Besides, warned thateven if these missiles will be delivered, “there is no panacea” capable of rooting the situation on the front, where Russia claims to be constantly moving forward. The implicit message is that, even before a technological leap, Moscow would maintain the military initiative and not give in western blackmail. Reprisals and a shadow. The Russian political class went further in their warnings. The president of the Parliament Defense Committee, Andrei Kartapolov, said that any US military specialist who participated in operations with Tomahawks would become reprisal objective direct, “and no one can protect them, neither Trump nor Kellogg nor anyone else.” Similarly, Putin He has repeated On previous occasions that Russia reserves The right to attack military facilities in third European countries if attacks against their territory are facilitated. The threat is not less: it would make NATO base white, with an obvious risk of climbing towards a direct conflict of greater size. Even Dmitri Medvedev, in his usual tone, He warned that Europe “It cannot afford a war with Russia”, but that “the risk of a fatal accident always exists”, in reference to the possible trigger for a greater confrontation from an error of calculation or a crossing of red lines. Tomahawk Change of American course. No doubt, the reconsideration of the supply of Tomahawks to Ukraine symbolizes a Turn in the strategy United States. During the presidency of Biden, Washington was extremely cautious, Limiting to reluctant The use of Atacms within the Russian territory and fearing to trigger an uncontrolled escalation. Under Trump, however, the speech has mutated: he starts talking about Ukraine as Able to win the warRussia is qualified as “paper tiger” and Multiply the pressure For European allies to also contribute with long -range missiles, such as German bullfighting. Former Lithuanian Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis He stressed That these weapons would not only give Ukraine greater control, but also allow “marking the tone” of the climb, instead of letting it be Moscow who unilaterally decides the depth of the attacks. Atacms Military Comparison: Atacms. The debate on which long -range missiles should receive Ukraine is not only political, but deeply technical and strategicbecause each system offers different possibilities on the battlefield. In front of Tomahawk, the Atacms, already used by Ukraine, is a tactical ballistic missile launched since Himars systems either M270. Its most widespread versions can reach 300 km. HE They use above all to hit deposits of ammunition, aerodromes and troops concentrations behind the immediate lines of the front. Its impact has been remarkable by forcing Russia to displace its more logistics centers within, but its limited scope leaves most of the Russian strategic rear. For Moscow, the difference with a Tomahawk is abysmal: while the Atacms forces to retreat a few hundred kilometers, a Tomahawk would put all its military and political apparatus at risk. Taurus Kepd 350 Military comparative: Taurus Kepd 350. He Taurusjointly developed by Germany and Sweden, it is an aerial cruise missile launched from combat planes such as The Tornado or the Eurofighter. Its estimated scope is 500 km, with a penetration eyelet designed to destroy bunkers, landing clues and strongly protected objectives. His ultrabajo flight profile and his capacity for electronic evasion make it especially difficult to intercept. Ukraine has been claiming these missiles for some time, although Berlin He has shown reluctance for the risk of being used to attack on Russian soil. In case of reaching Kiev, they would give the Ukrainian Air Force the ability to attack with great precision key military facilities such as aerodromes, barracks or weapons deposits in areas that until now remained out of reach. Strategic implications. The essential difference is In the scope: Atacms offer a tactical radius limited to the immediate area of ​​the front, the Taurus would allow to hit deeply in the Russian operational rear, and the Tomahawk would open the possibility of strategic attacks to the entire interior of the country, including its large urban and military centers. This reach staircase translates into different levels of climbing: while the attacks are perceived as a weapon of containment and wear, the Taurus already touch the capacity for operational denial and the Tomahawk cross directly to the field of strategic deterrence, … Read more

Russia sent 75 mice to space in a Soviet design capsule. All have returned except 10

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A few days ago landed in the Russian steppe A capsule falls from the sky reminiscent of the dawn of the space race. It was the descent module of the Bion-M mission No. 2, launched a month before the space from the Baikonur cosmodrome. Its crew: cell cultures, seeds, 1,500 fruit flies and 75 male mice, of which 65 have survived. 30 days of polar orbit. The ship orbit the Earth from Pole to Polo to expose its passengers to the levels of cosmic radiation that the crew of the future Russian Space Station will receive. That is, 33% higher than those experienced by the International Space Station. The mice They were divided into groups: Some genetically modified, other treaties with a special medicine and a control group. The objective was to quantify the damage of radiation in its body and test countermeasures such as drugs or shields that could have direct applications both in the Earth’s orbit and in future trips to the Moon and Mars. The new Russian cosmonauts. They will not go down in history like the Laika dog, but the mice have played their role. The mission has been a success and the 10 specimens that died did so for reasons that the director of the Russian biomedical problems, Oleg Orlov, attributes that they were male miceaggressive and with “complex intragrupal conflicts.” Is it a success that 10 mice died? If we compare it with the previous mission, it is. In the first Bion-M, which took place in 2013, a failure in the life support systems caused the death of 29 of the 45 mice on board. That now 87% of animals have survived, and that deaths occur due to natural or behavioral causes, it is a great improvement. A capsule like Yuri Gagarin. Of course, the return of the mice has not been precisely quiet. As explained in detail Daniel Marín’s disseminator In its blog, the Bion-M spacecraft is a spherical capsule derived from the Vostok, the same that led Yuri Gagarin to space. This design does not allow maneuvers to soften the reentry, so landing is somewhat aggressive. For sample, the capsule caused a small fire in the ombourg steppe after impacting the ground. But the cause was not the impact, but the solid fuel retrocohetes located in the parachute lines. The fire was quickly controlled. And the flies? As we said, the biosatellite also transported a complete biological laboratory with fungi, lichens, seeds and about 1,500 fruit flies, part of a multigenerational experiment. According to the Russian Academy of Sciencesthe flies that traveled in the Bion-M No. 2 are the seventh generation of a line that originated in the International Space Station. During the 30 -day mission, the ninth and tenth generation were born. The plan is that, after a few more generations on Earth, their descendants are sent again to the International Space Station, continuing an insect lineage that has never known normal terrestrial gravity. Now, scientists have months of work analyzing recovered biological data and samples. The 65 surviving mice and their interplanetary travel companions are a valuable source of information that will help make the next space trips safer. Image | ROSCOSMOS In Xataka | The ruins of the Soviet space program in Kazakhstan: a hangar surrounded by death and fascination

Ukraine has struck Russia a blow to two “amphibious” relics of the cold war. And then he has shown it on video

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On October 18, 1960, from the Taganrog airfield, the Soviet Union presented the world with its first flight The Beriev Be-12an amphibious plane designed to perform underwater and maritime patrol missions that over time was expanding its abilities. In fact, Russia continued to keep several models used in the invasion of Ukraine. Until a few days ago. The attack against a relic. The scene took place September 21when Kamikaze drones Ukrainians reached the Kacha air base, in the Crimea occupied, attacking two of the very scarce be-12 amphibians of the Russian Navy and a MI-8 helicopter. The disseminated images By the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense they show the direct impact on one of these devices (identified With number 08) and reinforce the idea that it is the first confirmed attack against this type of aircraft, known In Russia as chaika (Gaviota) and by NATO with the name in a mail key. The action was claimed by the Special Unit “Ghost” of Ukrainian intelligence, underlining the increasingly relevant role of drones in the campaign against infrastructures and military assets in Crimea. The importance of B2-12. As we said at the beginning, the BE-12 was conceived in the sixties as an anti-submarine platform. Lost that main function decades ago, although kept in service in search and rescue configurations and, above all, as a maritime patrol to detect unmanned Ukrainian boats that Hostigan to the Black Sea fleet. With just Six registered devices In 2023 and only four or five in the operational state, the destruction or damage of two of them could mean the reduction to half of the active fleet. Although one of the specimens achieved could have already been out of service, even in that case it was valuable as a source of spare partsa critical resource to prolong the life of the model. The pressure in Crimea. Since the summer of 2022, the BE-12 have been frequently operating On the Crimea coastacting as support in the detection of unmanned vessels, recognition commands and Ukrainian special operations divers. The drone campaign of Ukraine surface, which began with suicidal models and has resulted in reusable platforms capable of launch FPV drones or even gunners, has weakened To the roller and forced fleet the construction of hardened shelters in air bases Like Belbek. The loss of specialized aerial patrols aggravates Russian vulnerability in this scenario, where early intelligence and detection are vital. The sunset of an airplane. The BE-12 has survived multiple stages of obsolescence, from the dissolution of the USSR to its Official withdrawal in 1992re -giving prominence after Crimea Annexation in 2014. However, without substantial modernizations, it lacks viability in an air environment disputed and can only perform secondary missions under conditions of Russian superiority. Its apparent final, precipitated by Ukrainian drones, symbolizes how a war marked by autonomous systems and precision attacks is dismantling the last vestiges of Soviet aviation in the region. Strategic consequences. If you want also, the attack against the BE-12 He fits the Ukrainian strategy to deprive Russia of surveillance and control capacities in the Black Sea, weakening the operating margin of the enclave fleet and undermine military logistics in the Peninsula. Beyond the tactical blow, the action reflects the War transition Towards a scenario in which cheap, autonomous and difficult to counteract systems are able to neutralize expensive and scarce platforms, accelerating Russian wear and questioning Moscow’s ability to keep an increasingly naval aviation operational relic dependent. Image | Commander, US Naval Forces Europe-Africa/US 6th FleetUkrainian Ministry of Defense In Xataka | Two hidden Russian soldiers wrote something unpublished to a drone. That day in Ukraine changed the rules of wars In Xataka | Italy, Germany, Sweden and Finland have done something that seemed unthinkable: throw their fighters in search of Russian airplanes

The threat of Russia is no longer drones, they are now combat airplanes violating airspace. And Europe has taken its fighters

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First it was a swarm of Russian drones entering Poland’s airspace. NATO He responded with fire. That first order of Moscow has had its continuation last Friday, when three Russian fighters did the same In Estonia. NATO response was overwhelmed again. However, threat and tension, far from lesseing, has increased a few hours ago About the Baltic Sea. Russian incursion in Estonia. As we said, the recent cross of three fighters MIG-31 Foxhound Russians in Estonia’s airspace All alarms In Eastern Europe and has tested the immediate response capacity of NATO. The intrusion, occurred on The island of Vaindloo In the Gulf of Finland, it was carried out without flight plans, with transponders off and without communication with the Sonian air control services, which makes it an act deliberately provocative. Given this, the new Eastern Sentry operationwith the takeoff of Italian F-35 fighters of the Baltic Air Police Detachment, to which devices were added Swedes Jas 39 flu and Finnish fighters to intercept and monitor intruders. The episode It is not isolated: It continues at the entrance of 19 Russian drones in Poland and Romania the previous week, of which several were demolished by Polish and Dutch forces, and others crashed into Polish territory. These incidents demonstrate a Russian pressure pattern that seeks to test the limits of the alliance. Reactions. The political response was swift. Estonia Foreign Minister He described the incursion of “unprecedented provocation” and demanded rapid measures of political and economic pressure. Prime Minister Estonia communicated directly with NATO general secretary, Mark Rutte, who reiterated the solidarity of the organization and the need for reinforce deterrence In the region. In addition, Estonia announced that he will convene for the first time in his 34 years as a member of the United Nations an emergency meeting of the Security Council. European diplomacy, in the voice of Kaja Kallas, He condemned the act As a “dangerous provocation” and stressed that it was already the third violation of community airspace in a few days, promising more support for the defense of the Baltic states. In parallel, voices in Lithuania They suggested that the alliance should be willing to demolish intruder planes, remembering the Turkish 2015 precedentwhen a Russian Su-24 was killed on the border with Syria. A Russian Mig 31 The legal framework. Given the situation, Estonia considers invoke article 4 of the North Atlantic Treaty, which forces allies to joint consultations provided that one of them feels threatened their safety, such as Poland already did After the intrusion of Russian drones. The activation of this mechanism reflects the severity with which the threat is perceived and the need to show cohesion against Moscow. The Eastern Sentry operation, launched days before, initially provides rapid reaction fighters and an anti -aircraft, with the perspective of extending from The Arctic to the Black Sea to cover the entire eastern flank of the alliance against drones, missiles and airplanes. General Alexus Grynkewich, Supreme Commander Allied in Europe, He stressed that this new frame will allow a more flexible and focused defense where it is required. A Russian IL-20m German interception. A few hours ago the tension It has increased. The output of Two German Eurofighter From the Rostock-Laage base to intercept a Russian IL-20M recognition plane on the Baltic Sea, it has placed the region again in the center of the climb between Moscow and NATO. Again, the Russian apparatus flew with the transposeor off, without responding to contact calls, an increasingly common pattern in incursions that are interpreted as acts of deliberate provocation. The incident came just days after the incursion of the three Russian Mig-31 fighters. The strategic pulse of Moscow. For Poland and Baltic states, incidents are not isolated, but part of a sequence of calculated steps of harassment. Just a few days ago and as we count, Warsaw denounced Lat the fall of 19 Russian drones In its territory, and its Foreign Minister described the Kremlin strategy as a series of incremental provocations, always on the edge, but without reaching the open conflict. The discovery of remains of a lure drone in a Polish forest reinforces the sensation constant trial of NATO defenses. Meanwhile, the Kremlin He denies responsibility and accuses the West, in particular to the United Kingdom, to lead an alleged “warmongering field” that prevents progress in the resolution of the war in Ukraine. The fissures of the West. One of the most disturbing elements in this context is the perception that the United States could be reducing its commitment in the defense of the eastern flank. Bloomberg cited Kremlin sources according to which Putin would have concluded, after his summit with Donald Trump in Alaska, that Washington will not significantly reinforce kyiv’s military capacity, which encourages Moscow to intensify its attacks to force Ukrainian capitulation. In parallel, The Guardian told that reports that the White House plans to reduce security assistance to Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia, despite being countries directly exposed to Russian pressure. Trump’s statement, stating that he would defend Europe but without deepening details, adds strategic ambiguity at a time of high voltage. Climbing risk. Baltic and Central European leaders agree that the situation is dangerously approaching A breakdown. The president of Latvia, Edgars Rinkēvičs, warned that, although Russia strives to clearly exceed red lines, erratic logic and incompetence at different levels of the Russian system could lead to a real clash, whose responsibility would fall on the Kremlin. From Prague, President Czech Peta Pavel He claimed an answer Firm and united from NATO, remembering that giving in to the aggression would be equivalent to “turning your back on evil.” The shadow of a greater conflict plans on the northeast European: each new air incursion or drone attack increases the probabilities of a calculation error that precipitates a direct confrontation. Ukraine and a way. Under this climate of growing hostility, President Zelensky declaredbefore traveling to the UN, who would be willing to meet with Putin, even with Trump, to explore A political exit. … Read more

This cyclist touched the world record through Eurasia. Then he arrived in Russia, and since then he cannot leave

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The history of sport is full of heroicities and records They seem impossible to beat. Also of moments of great cruelty, where the elite athlete “dies” on the shore, just a few seconds, meters or even centimeters of glory. Therefore, the story of a French cyclist who has been so close to being crowned with A historical deed It is being news these days. TO Sofiane Sehili44 years old, he only lacked Russia, and there it continues. An interrupted epic trip. As we said, Sofiane I was nothing to be crowned in the History books: Nothing less than a bicycle, without assistance, 17 countries from Cabo Dan Roca in Portugal to Vladivostok at the eastern end of Russia in just 62 days, which would have exceeded the 64 -day world record. After about 18,000 kilometers of inhospitable roads, storms, tremendous nights in Mongolian gas stations and China’s infinite steppes, he was at just 180 kilometers of your goal when He was arrested On September 2 by Russian border guards in the Irf region, accused of cross illegally From China despite having a valid visa. Your odyssey, narrated in videos They showed both the pain of pedaling with the feet sunk in mud and wet socks and the joy when contemplating wild horses and lonely landscapes, it has ended abruptly in a cell. The Euroasyatic labyrinth. The arrest occurred after VAryans frustrated attempts to cross the border between China and Russia. In official positions, the step was denied because only Chinese or Russian citizens can enter a bicycle, while in other steps only access by car, bus or train is admitted. After these rejections, Sehili tried to advance by a forest near Suifenhe and, by showing his passport to the Russian guards, It was arrested. Your partner, Fanny Bensussan, confirmed thatafter being rejected at the official crosses, he looked for alternative routes, which precipitated his arrest. The Ussuriysk court ordered its imprisonment until October 4 waiting for trial, without formal charges. From record to hostage. Sehili’s case cannot be separated of a pattern Increasingly evident in Moscow: the arrest of foreigners in what analysts and NGOs qualify as “hostage diplomacy.” Russia has accumulated notable history, such as the basketball player Brittney Grinerthe journalist of the Wall Street Journal Evan Gershkovich or the consultant Paul Whelanamong others, used as exchange sheets by Russians convicted in the West. French citizens have also suffered this policy, such as the researcher Laurent Vinatierconvicted of not registering as a “foreign agent” and recently accused of espionage at risk of Up to 20 years in jail. In this context, the imprisonment of a resistance athlete, although apparently the result of a border incident is also interpreted as a political movement of international pressure. The human dimension of the challenge. Beyond geopolitics, Sehili’s journey illustrates the hardness of the Ultra-resistance challenges. Throughout his journey, the man faced frozen nights in cement floors, hotels without minimal conditions, constant breakdowns, wind against and the wear of pedaling more than 270 kilometers a day. In his storiesmoments of absolute hopelessness were mixed (when he confessed not to want to move on) with moments of total serenityin which he recognized that these adventures made sense of his life. Human contact, such as the gesture of a Chinese woman who He offered hot food And he introduced his children after a rainy and cold day, worked as small reminders of the value of his trip. Disturbing precedent. That Russia has arrested a cyclist On the edge of a world record, it places resistance sport on unpublished field, where physical and personal challenges can collide with the political interests of the states. Sehili’s image, exhausted but determined to reach Vladivostok, contrasts with the reality of a converted border In political trap. His case, far from an anecdotal, emphasizes how even sports gestures can be trapped in a geopolitical scenario where governments They instrumentalize citizens foreigners to send forces of strength or to prepare future diplomatic exchanges. On the border between sports feat and repressive diplomacy, Sehili’s journey will remain as a symbol of the individual’s fragility in the face of power calculations. Image | Capture/ YouTube In Xataka | An hour, a bike and a cyclist: or how to break technological barriers in the record of the hour In Xataka | A 1978 day, Porsche tried to reach 240 km/h … with a bicycle. And ended up getting it

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