Europe has realized that the rearme must start on the roads. A Russian invasion would unleash a fatal congestion

In 2022 there was already talk of this: having a better army does not help much if it cannot be launched. That year was the beginning of many meetings in Europe with the Russian Ukraine Invasion as a fuse. Then there was talk of rearmebut attention also focused on something that Europe has just elevated in the priority list: the need to prepare roads, railways, ports and airports for the rapid movement of troops and tanks. Background: Russia. European military vulnerability. Had three years ago The political environment that the debate on the real capacity of Europe to resist an eventual Russian attack had put a fundamental aspect that usually is hidden behind rearmament ads: it is not enough to have more tanks or soldiers if the necessary infrastructure To move them quickly. Roads, railroads, ports and airports of the European Union show serious limitations when it comes to supporting the weight and volume of modern armored ones, or absorbing an intense military traffic in times of crisis. The east. As He warned then The American Lieutenant retired Ben Hodges, excommanting of the United States Army in Europe, the problem is aggravated the more advances east: bridges unable to support German, British or American combat cars and mountainous routes that hinder access to key countries such as Romania. In case of emergency, bottlenecks could delay the deployment of allied forces just at the points where they would be needed more urgently, such as the passage of Suwałki between Poland and Lithuania or the routes towards the Black Sea. The first mechanism. To deal with these shortcomings, The EU launched The mechanism connect Europe (CEF), an infrastructure fund that also covers military mobility. However, the budget for this mission was drastically reduced: of the 6,500 million euros initially proposed only 1.7 billionand that money, the commission ended up assigning 340 million to 22 projectsthe majority of small scale and focused on central Europe. Among them They highlighted the improvement of rail links between Antwerp and Germany, the modernization of two airports in Poland and the connection of the Military Tapa base in Estonia. Modest support were also included to large strategic projects Like Rail Balticathe railway corridor of 5.8 billion euros that will connect the Baltic countries with Poland, or Via Baltica, the road that crosses the region, which it received just 60 million of community support. The new warning. Back to the present, he counted this week The Financial Times That the European Transport Commissioner, Apostols Tzitzikostas, has re -launched a warning that shook the foundations of the European defense: the continent It is not prepared For a large -scale war against Russia because its roads, bridges and rail networks are inappropriate for rapid transfer of troops and armored. According to explainedmany bridges are Too closetoo old or directly non -existent, which would prevent the transit of tanks from, for example, 70 tons thought to operate in a matter of hours. In practice, moving military forces from west to east of Europe would take weeks or even months, an unacceptable lag in case of a sudden Russian offensive. The strategy. Solution? To correct this structural weakness, Brussels now work on a 17,000 million plan of euros that provides for the modernization of 500 critical projects along four major military corridors that will cross the continent. It is a design made in coordination with NATO and its military controls, whose details remain classified for security reasons. The idea is that troops and heavy equipment can move in a matter of hoursfar reducing the reaction time to an aggression. In addition to reinforcing bridges and adapting roads, it will be sought Eliminate bureaucratic obstacles To prevent military convoys from being held on European borders by customs protocols that, in times of war, would be a fatal ballast. The context of rearme and Russia. The new plan is enrolled in a broader effort of rearme Continental that We have been counting. The European Union studies a package of up to 800,000 million euros to reinforce its defensive autonomyin part in response to the pressures of Washington and the possibility of a substantial reduction of the US military presence in Europe. To this is added The warning The NATO Secretary General, Mark Rutte, who in June warned that Moscow could attack a member of the Alliance before 2030. The message of Tzitzikostas fits this urgency logic: without the ability to move troops agilely, any European defense plan would be on wet paper in front of Russian military machinery. The budget struggle. Although the European Commission has included military mobility in its proposal for the 2028-2034 budget, diplomats warn that the initial figure of 17,000 million It could be diluted In negotiations. This budget fragility is seen as a dangerous contradiction: While considering the expense in defense 5% of GDP (With 1.5% specifically intended for military infrastructure), some Member States (Spain at the head) They resist to assume the costs of such vast modernization. Tzitzikostas, meanwhile, insists in which Europe cannot afford to continue depending on others or be disarmed by its own bureaucratic slowness. The modernization of bridges, tunnels and railways is not just a matter of civil transport: it has become the backbone of the future European defense. One thing is clear for curator: an invasion would not wait for forms to be resolved or to reinforce a bridge. Image | 7th Army Training, US Army Europe, European Roads In Xataka | If Europe rearma we will find a problem that will affect us all: cars and trains In Xataka | The “rearme” in Europe has encountered an obstacle that neither US imagined: Spain

This motorcycle looks like a vespa, the motor roars like a tractor and the change is of a snow motorcycle. It’s Russian, of course

One of the most fascinating subcultures is that of ‘Dieselpunk‘. It is a Retrofuturist vision of the period between the First and Second World War which has the combustion engine at the center of all its technology. Films like ‘Sky Captain and the world of tomorrow‘They recreate aesthetics perfectly. In video games, we could talk about ‘Wolfenstein The New Order‘. And, in real life, there are those who have determined to create a Dieselpunk scooter that sounds like a tractor and shoots the Vespa design, but With Soviet influences. And its creator is Russian, of course. Dieselpunk Scooter. The creation of homemade vehicles is an art. On the one hand, we have the so -called ‘restomods’. These are projects that allow a classic car on the outside, but with current mechanics and electronics. One of the most used cars in these ‘mixtures’ is the Tesla Model 3which allows to give life to models such as This beautiful Mercedes-Benz 300sl. On the other hand, we have those who pull inventive to create something new. Russia is prolific in this work, this being Lada Vaz-2110 with a V16 engine based on chainsaws An example. But also the ‘scooter dieselpunk’ that crowns this article and that is Work of the Saint Peter’s Builds Workshop. They are enthusiasts who modify vehicles in artisanal projects and upload their work to networks. One of them was this Honda Super Cubbut with the Dieselpunk they promise to overcome. Soviet engine. The motor of the motorcycle is a 1,200 cc V4 diesel engine taken from a Zaz 968. This was a compact car that intended to become The “town car”, like Volkswagenbut in the Soviet Union. The engine was located in the back, getting a peculiar distribution of weights and, with a power of 50 hp, is chosen for dieselpunk. The original box was four marches, but to facilitate things on the motorcycle, from Saint Peter’s Builds they have decided to go further with Frankenstein’s monster: a CVT system (or continuous variable transmission change) that uses a pulley system instead of gear and that have taken out of a snow motorcycle. To connect the change to the engine, they have used combinations of axles and chains. The most incredible thing is that, after some failed tests, the engine is already snoring. Well, “snore” for saying something, since it sounds like a tractor: Vespa retrofuturista. The engine is the most complicated piece of this vehicle, but although it is an achievement that works as they want, there is a long way forward. In the video we can see the design, which is half Vespa of the rear to the handlebar, half tractor throughout the front. The engine appears on the sides, with the cylinders appearing as a couple on the sides and an artisanal escape. It is that elongated nose, the engine cylinders acting as fins and, above all, the decorative lines throughout the side what gives the motorcycle that Retrofuturist airas just taken from ‘Fallout‘. Anxious for the future. At the moment, as its creators claim, the first steps have already taken themselves and we will have to be attentive to see how they model the outside, on which chassis they mount everything and, above all, if one day they will end up finishing the project to delight us with another video in which we see them take a walk. What seems obvious is that this front of the engine and, above all, the nose, will imply a complex mass distribution that will affect both stability and the passage through curve. But well, the last thing to wait is to see this on the road on a day -to -day basis. Although who knows, it is Russia … In Xataka | The Chinese brands promised them very happy plagiarizing the design of the Vespa. They ran into a problem: it’s “art”

The war enters the field of science fiction. Ukraine has captured Russian soldiers without humans: the robots did it

In the last hours two unpublished facts have been known in the Ukraine War. The first of all occurred a few hours after Trump announced the Partial resumption of sending weapons to kyiv and criticize hard To Putin. Then Russia launched The biggest attack with long -range drones from the beginning of the war. The second goes directly to History booksbecause Ukraine has stopped Russian troops only through machines. Drones and robots on the front line. In an unparalleled event in modern military history, the 3rd separate assault brigade of Ukraine managed to capture Russian soldiers Without using infantry human, using exclusively aerial drones and terrestrial robotic platforms. The operation, announced on July 9 by official Ukrainian sources, represents a unprecedented milestone In the evolution of automated combat, marking the first time enemy soldiers surrender directly to unmanned systems. According to The statement of the brigade, the terrestrial drones were the immediate receptors of the surrender, an event that until now belonged to the science fiction and that has now materialized in the context of the war in Ukraine. Asymmetric technology and war. The operation took place in the Járkov region, northeast of the country, an area high intensity on the front from the beginning of the large -scale invasion by Russia. The Ukrainian unit deployed FPV drones and robotic platforms Kamikaze -type terrestrial to assault Russian fortifications that had resisted previous attacks from other units. These tools, developed as part of a national strategy to reduce human casualties and adapt to a saturated artillery and surveillance war theater, allowed Ukrainian forces to execute an offensive Without exposing directly to your soldiers. According to Brigade’s storythe drones destroyed several Russian positions, and as a terrestrial robot approached a partially damaged shelter, the Russian soldiers entrenched there chose to surrender, without there being human presence in the immediate vicinity. An automated capture. After the surrender, the prisoners were guided outside the fighting zone by The same drones Ukrainians, in a sequence more typical of fantastic literature that demonstrates not only the offensive capacity of these systems, but also their effectiveness to operate complex tasks such as custody and remote control of enemy movements rendered. Subsequently, the Russian soldiers were taken in custody by Ukrainian forces. The success of this maneuver, they tell, not only allowed capture without direct physical contact, but also facilitated the taking of the fortifications previously defended, as well as the control of a adjacent forest line of considerable tactical value. New military paradigm. No doubt, the episode not only shows the degree of sophistication achieved in Ukraine in the matter of Automated warbut also raises fundamental questions about the future of land combat. The Rendary against drones Terrestres is a radical turn in the psychological dynamics of the battlefield: the soldiers, in this case Russians, did not face visible, human enemies, but to silent machines that approached relentlessly, having destroyed all previous defenses. This type of deployment, which mixes destructive capacity with occupation and control functions, anticipates a new paradigm where direct human interaction could become exceptional even in capture operations. Russia attack in Ukraine An unprecedented offensive. But as we said, if the capture of Russian soldiers was a historical fact of modern wars, Russia’s attack It is not precedents From the beginning of the invasion. On one night that could redefine the limits of the unmanned air war, Russia unleashed the greatest drone attack, launching 728 Shahed drones (including lures) and 13 missiles, including feared Kinzhalagainst 741 objectives throughout the country. The epicenter of the attack was the city of Lutsk, in the Ukrainian northwest, a few kilometers From the border with Polandwhich caused the Polish and NATO Air Forces to be deployed in maximum alert. According to kyivmost of the projectiles were intercepted, especially thanks to electronic warfare systems, although hypersonic missiles managed to cause unspecified damage. War in the front and in court. While the sky becomes a network of autonomous swarms, the situation on land remains marked by intense fighting No significant advances. Russian troops They continue to press In Sumy, Járkov, Luhansk and Donetsk, although reports indicate that Ukraine has contained attacks on most of those fronts. In parallel, a Russian soldier belonging to a criminal battalion He denounced publicly Inhuman conditions and the lack of gunner support, describing suicidal assaults in improvised vehicles and without air backup. On the legal level, the European Court of Human Rights ruled that Russia has systematically violated human rights Since 2014including extrajudicial executions, torture, forced deportation of children and forced labor. The Kremlin, on the other hand, dismissed the ruling as “null and without effect.” Plans. They counted the Twz analysts that kyiv, anticipating a large -scale response, would be preparing a thousand drones long range against Russian objectives, including areas near Moscow. In addition, the Ukrainian Secret Service arrested Two Chinese citizens accused of trying to spy technologies of the Neptune missileused in the Moskva’s sinking and now adapted for long -range terrestrial attacks. On land, the proliferation of unmanned land vehicles, such as New UGV “Snail” Or improvised models with wheels made of mines, shows that automation not only dominates the heavens, but also advances on the mud and steel of the front. The war in Ukraine, ultimately, thus enters a phase every time More hybrid and technological of the traditional forms of combat. The contest, that already It had been a pioneer In use massive drones Of recognition and attack, another threshold has crossed, this time historical and unimaginable does not so much: the surrender of soldiers against machines. Image | Arx Robotics, Ukraine’s 3rd Separate Assault Brigade, Emergency Service of Ukraine In Xataka | The production of Russian drones was so huge that Ukraine has opened them looking for clues. The surprise is China In Xataka | We were accustomed to seeing strange things in Ukraine, but this is different: ships and bombers with no one behind the wheel

The production of Russian drones was so huge that Ukraine has opened them looking for clues. The surprise is China

The situation It is not new In Ukraine. In the past they have opened Russian Shahed and other intercepted models to find out what was behind the device. Thus they found some paradoxes of the war, such as the fact that Moscow drones carried a wide variety of components of the United States or of kyiv’s allies. However, from a while to this part, Russian production was so immense that suspicions began. Someone else should be behind, and a document has just revealed it. Made in China. First it was Intelligence of Ukraine. Russia is managing to maintain and expand its weapons production despite Western sanctions, and is achieving it thanks to the constant supply of electronic components and materials from Chinaaccording to Vladyslav Vlasiuk, Ukrainian commissioner for sanctions, in a context of intensification of Russian attacks with missiles and drones. The recent appearance of Manufactured parts In China in Shahed-136/Geran-2 drones recovered in Kyiv, added to previous reports on the involvement of Chinese companies in the Russian military supply chain, it reinforced what Ukraine qualifies as a Alcanza trend In Chinese technological support to Moscow. Vlasiuk warned that Beijing is not only expanding its logistics role, but already replicates US technologies, which increases its ability to support the Russian military complex. The document that certifies it. From the first bars of the large -scale invasion of Ukraine, Moscow has urgently sought forms of strengthen your arsenal of drones, key in the new paradigm of asymmetric war that is fought both in the front and in the sky. An essential part of that answer It has been Aero-Hita little known firm based in Khabarovsk, at the eastern end of Russia, which has emerged as one of the main drone manufacturers of the country thanks to a dense network of covert cooperation with Chinese companies. That is precisely what has been revealed thanks to documents obtained by Bloomberg. The medium counted a few hours ago how, despite Western sanctions, Russia has managed to channel components, technical knowledge and sensitive technologies From China Through intermediary companies, agreements in special customs areas and personal relationships with actors linked to both the industry and the Russian state apparatus. One of the Russian drones pieces shared by Ukrainian intelligence Strategic link. Aero-Hit’s production focuses on The Veles modela low -cost and high precision FPV drone that has already been deployed in military operations in zones Like sweaters. The United States Treasury Department itself sanctioned the company For the use of these drones against Ukrainian objectives, confirming their role in the Russian war machinery. The development of Veles has been reinforced by collaborations with Autel Roboticsa Chinese drone manufacturer that officially denies any link with Russia since 2022, but whose technology is repeatedly mentioned in the internal correspondence of Aero-Hit and in joint investment plans for more than 90 million dollars. A letter. According to a June 2025 letter published By Bloombergboth parties had restored technical contacts and negotiated the localized production of the model AUTEL EVO MAX 4Tan initially civil drone that has demonstrated high efficacy in combat thanks to its resistance to electronic interference. This process would not only imply integration into Russian systems, but also direct transfer Firmware, purification methods and repair capabilities, which reinforces the strategic value of the agreement. Khabarovsk: Moscow-Pekín axis pole. The epicenter of this operation is The city of Khabarovska few 30 kilometers from the Chinese border. There, since 2022, agreements have been woven between the Komax company (Property of the exagent of the KGB and occupation senator in Jersón Konstantin Basyuk) and representatives of the Chinese government, including officials in the Harbin Free Zone and the prestigious Harbin Technology Institute (HIT), a university linked to the Popular Liberation Army and sanctioned by the United States for developing advanced weapons. Between 2022 and 2023 They formalized plans To create an assembly plant with customs tax advantages, including sending 100 drone kits From China and official visits to Factories from Shenzhen, including the headquarters of Autel Robotics. The initiative received high-level political support, with meetings between Russian officials and Chinese executives during the Chinese-Russia Business Forum of 2024, and was cataloged as “priority” By Yury Trutnev, special envoy of the Kremlin for the Far East. Intermediaries and camouflage network. Bloomberg underlined that Aero-Hit, officially registered after these contacts, has undercover its relationship with China through a intermediary networkwhich includes fictitious or camouflaged signatures under other activities (such as air catering companies, seafood distribution or real estate logistics) that serve to manage orders, billing and transport. More: Documents of March and August 2024 show Drones deliveries to units deployed in Jersón and official requests from the Russian Defense Ministry to acquire thousands of Veles units, together with antennas and accessories. Companies such as Renewsio-Invest and Shenzhen Huasheng Industry (both sanctioned by the United States) have been key in the supply of pieces and electronics from China, even after the new commercial restrictions imposed by Beijing in 2023. Although some Chinese firms retired from the project for fear of sanctions, others They occupied their placeguaranteeing the continuity of the supply chain. Ukrainian forces after intercepting a Russian shahed Official ambiguity and mutual benefit. Autel Robotics has insisted on deny any link With Russia or Aero-Hit since February 2022, claiming that it is a civil company without military licenses and with strict compliance policies. However, the Documents obtained They suggest that links could be mediating through individual engineers, subsidiaries or intermediary vendors. Beijing, meanwhile, argues that he has never delivered lethal weapons to no side in war and strictly controls two -use goods exports such as drones, although the real depth of Chinese government knowledge about these transfers continues without clarifying. The persistence of technological flow from China to Russia raises uncomfortable questions about the effectiveness of the sanctions regime global and about the nature of the declared neutrality By the Government of Xi Jinping, at a time when the diplomatic pressure on Beijing intensifies. Prolonged war perspectives. Meanwhile, the Aero-Hit … Read more

Melilla cyber attack points to a Russian cybercriminal group

On June 25 we echoed the news: the Autonomous City of Melilla indicated that, since Sunday 22 of this month, Its computer services were interrupted by a technical incidence. Although the causes were not known, everything pointed to a cyber attack. And there are already those who have assumed responsibility. What happened. Last Sunday, June 22, the City Council of Melilla reported technical problems in their computer systems. The president trusted that “in two days” they were active again, noting that the technicians had been working on their restoration from dawn. From the beginning, the hypothesis of a cyber attack that could subtract confidential information from the administration and citizens was considered. Keep passing. Despite what The incidence was expected to last a couple of daysMelilla has been plunged into computer chaos for almost a week. The computer blackout has interrupted the operation of the administration servers of the Autonomous City, preventing access to their systems and suspending all electronic procedures. The attack. The Qilin Group, linked to Russia and the cybercriminal scene of Eastern Europe, The authorship of this attack has been attributed. The group claims to have “completely destroyed the administrative and network infrastructure of the city”, in addition to having taken information in a volume of 4 to 5 terabytes. “We have in our hands an almost complete list of the personal data of all the native inhabitants of Melilla. We also have in our power a significant list of data on tourists (their personal data). And the interesting thing is that the main reason why we are waiting for negotiators is another! The threat. The group, in addition to ensuring a database of practically each of the inhabitants of the city, threatens to reveal information about supposed inappropriate use of public funds, pointing directly to members of the administration. The answer. On Monday Juan José Imbroda, president of the city, claimed that the police would be alert to “Go against those malefactors” In case of being a cyber attack. Melilla has confirmed that the incident has been caused by “a computer attack of international origin”, and ensures that technical and cybersecurity teams continue to work to restore the service. At the moment, there is still no estimated date for the return to normal. Image | Jkijewski In Xataka | The “miracle” of the sixth vaccine: this is how Melilla has put 102.1% of the vaccines received and we could increase the available dose up to 20%

The big goal is to eliminate a Russian soldier who is not in the front

In May it was revealed that war in Ukraine had become a kind of macabre video game. Kill, literally, gave points to kyiv’s soldiers and then redeem them for rewards in a “luck” of Military Amazon. That program converted each military action into a direct transaction, redefining the boundaries between combat, technology and war economy. The rewards system has just been updated, and everyone pursues the same goal. Strategic change. Actually, change has to do with something that We have been counting. The drone war In Ukraine he has experienced a decisive turn in his combat logic. Russian tanks, previously coveted as the whites of greater value, have lost prominence in favor of a new priority objective: drone operators enemies This transformation was formalized with a review in that Incentive system By points that rewards the Ukrainian units for each successful destruction, a system implemented since August 2024 to optimize attacks and stimulate efficiency in the use of non -manned aerial vehicles (UAV). The operator as white. Change, announced On June 12 by the commander of the Ukrainian Unmanned Systems Forces, the Major Robert “Magyar” Brovdiresponds to an urgent operational concern: the slow elimination of Russian infantry allowed Moscow to continue accumulating troops in the front. Consequently, the new values ​​assigned to whites reconfigure radically tactical priorities: Wounding a Russian drone pilot now grants 15 points, and eliminate it 25while the destruction of tanks has been relegated to a value of just eight points, in contrast to the 40 it granted before. Multiple rocket launch platforms, which could add up to 50 points, now are only worth 10. On the hunt for a soldier. The modification seeks to reorient attention to the systematic elimination of enemy personnel, especially of Russian UAV operators, considered critical nodes in the offensive capacity and recognition of Moscow. Brovdi clarified that this new system does not intend to dissuade pilots to attack armored columns or mechanized vehicles if they occur as valuable tactical objectives, but a new operational mentality is encouraged: the Elimination of the human factor Behind the machines. What Moscow says. The measure has had immediate resonance in the Russian military networks. Several pro -Russian analysts, such as Alexander Kharchenko, alerted about a clear change in tactical pressure exerted by Ukraine. Khanchenko wrote on his channel of Telegram Witnesses Bayraktar that “all efforts have been redirected to identify and destroy our UAV crews,” and recommended strengthening camouflage and constantly modifying positions. Other Russian analysts advised the operators to space and reduce the Minimum movementsuggesting that any unnecessary displacement compromises survival in an environment where the enemy has made its elimination a priority objective. War economy for points. It We count weeks ago. The points system not only has a symbolic or motivational value: it is also an access mechanism to concrete resources On the battlefield. The Ukrainian units that document their attacks with valid videos can redeem the accumulated points For military equipment through a Digital platform (described as a kind of “military Amazon”) that offers more than one thousand different articles, from batteries to satellite communication systems. In April, it was reported that this platform was fully operational. According to Brovdi, he deeds a typical squadron of three Russian drones operators would allow a unit to obtain enough points for Acquire 57 FPV drones new, which usually cost around 500 dollars each. This logic dystopian Accumulation by reward has proven to be a powerful logistics engine to keep Ukrainian forces in operation that depend in part on state resources, but also on civil contributions and collective financing campaigns. Real -time optimization. They remembered in Insider That currently about 507 Ukrainian units actively participate in this system, reporting monthly their scores. Brovdi announced that the leaders of the 12 units with the highest score will be regularly summoned Together with randomly selected representatives to form an approach group, whose objective will be to evaluate the effectiveness of the system, model combat scenarios and propose adjustments to the bonus scheme. The mechanism seeks not only to energize the design of incentives, but to integrate those who are in the front line into Tactical evolution of the war effort. The flexibility of the model and its continuous adjustment according to the direct feedback of the combatants seeks to keep it not only in force, but adapted to the vertiginous rhythm of a war where Innovationsurgical lethality and speed in decision -making have displaced conventional methods. Thus, the “hunting of operators”, more than a slogan, is now the axis of a war that redefines what it means to have fire power in the 21st century. Image | Lyckselle-Nord In Xataka | The war in Ukraine has become a video game. Kill gives points and rewards to exchange in a military Amazon In Xataka | Shahed drones were already a real nightmare for Ukraine. Russia has just made them a little more lethal

To carry out its greatest attack on Russian soil Ukraine used a tool as old as wars: bribery

On June 1, what seemed several mobile houses located at various strategic points of Russia were revealed as what They were really: camouflaged trucks with an army of drones prepared for covert operation. The so -called Spiderweb began, the greatest Ukrainian offensive on Russian soil, a devastating attack on the fleet of Moscow bombers. Now, almost a month after the attack, Ukraine has responded to one of the great unknowns: how the hell swarms entered into Russian territory. Redefining modern war. For more than eighteen months, Ukrainian intelligence services They designed meticulously an operation that culminated in an unprecedented attack on thousands of kilometers of its borders: An army of camouflaged drones in those prefabricated mobile houses, which were transported across international borders until they reach Russian strategic air bases. Now, Vasyl Maliuk, head of the Ukraine Security Service (SBU), has revealed the details of the operation in an extensive Interview with Washington Post where he assures that the attack destroyed at least 12 Russian aircraft, including Tu-95 bombersand damaged a total of 41 devices, some of them located More than 3,400 kilometers east of Ukraine, in Siberia. The satellite images analyzed by the post confirmed Partial destructionalthough some visual tests were limited by weather conditions, which suggests that part of the remains could have been removed by Moscow before being captured. How it was created. Maliuk explained That the design of the operation began in November 2023, in response to a new wave of Russian bombings on Ukrainian cities. The idea was to hide drones inside those houses Mobiles that simulate being standard housing units. These structures had to have autonomous energy systems (Solar panels and batteries special) to keep the vehicles unmanned loaded, even in extreme winter temperatures, waiting for the final order. Russian restrictions on the importation of technological components made a tactic as old as the wars themselves: The briberyin this case to customs agents to introduce the materials. No one knows (almost) nothing. Secretism, apparently, was total: each group worked with compartmentalized informationthe engineers who manufactured the drones ignored their real purpose, as well as those who assembled the prefabricated houses they did not know that they housed weapons. In Maliuk’s wordsit was “a tactical symphony” with multiple critical but autonomous parts. Surgical precision. Thus, the morning of the attack, 117 modified FPV drones with double explosive load They were activated from the mobile roofs of the camouflaged houses. Each artifact was directed by A selected operator Among the best in the country, who was assigned A specific objective: A specific plane, whose location and environment were studied with detailed models. Loads They were designed To penetrate the fuselage first and then detonate inside, maximizing damage to key points such as fuel deposits, missile launchers and electronic systems that Russia cannot easily replace. Although Maliuk avoided detailing the communication systems used to The remote guidanceconfirmed that they were multiple and sophisticatedspecially designed to avoid interference and guarantee success. Strategic consequences. The Spiderweb Operation It was just the first blow. Two days later, Ukraine He executed another offensive of wingspan against the Kerch bridge, symbol of the Russian occupation of Crimea, using submarine explosives of 1,000 kilos. Although traffic was restored, the coup had a clear symbolic and strategic effect. Russia replied With a massive wave of drones and missiles that reached civil areas of kyiv, leaving dozens of victims. Far from causing a decalized, the Ukrainian action confirmed A new level In the technological war and demonstrated kyiv’s ability to achieve very much within the enemy territory. According to MaliukSpiderweb is just a sample of the potential of Ukrainian intelligence to alter the rules of the conflict, and represents a logistics, technical and human effort “unified in a single structure.” The future of wars. It We have slipped On other occasions. In full Russian offensive, and given the constant pressure on Ukrainian cities, the Spiderweb operation Mark a milestone In the modern war. Not only because of the depth of scope (from bases in Ukraine to Russian facilities in Siberia), but also for The operational model: Fragmentation of knowledge between operators, bribes, use of civil camouflage, innovation in light armament and ability to launch high precision attacks without resorting to large conventional platforms. In words of Maliuk himselfthis is just “the tip of the iceberg” regarding the work of your agency with drones, networks of agents and undercover operations. In a conflict that is increasingly freed with bits and algorithms than with armored divisions, the offensive showed that the 21st century war is defined by who dominates the stealth, well above the brute force. Image | UKRAINE’S 93RD MEChanized Brigade In Xataka | We suspected that Ukraine drones attack had been destructive. Space images have revealed how much In Xataka | In 2024, Ukrainian trucks disguised as “house” entered Russia. Now they have dynamited their main air bases

The hunt that still resists in Iran more than 40 years after his arrival. It is not Russian or Iranian. It is the American F-14

While the missiles cross the air between Israel and Iran, the Israeli Air Force has confirmed A new attack on facilities close to Tehran. According to its version, among the objectives there were at least a couple of fighters F-14 Tomcat. In one of the available videos, the impact on what would be one of the few units that are still in service, almost half a century after having been manufactured. That an American hunt retired in 2006 Keep flying today in one of Washington’s great adversaries is no accident. The explanation is in the convoluted – sometimes contradictory – that history can be. An order, a revolution and a war The History of F-14 in Iran begins in the 70s. The SHA, still strategic ally of the United States, decided to incorporate Dozens of Tomcat fighters to its Air Force, in a military package valued at approximately 2,000 million dollars. To do this, he sent his pilots to train in California. But everything changed in 1979, with the Islamic revolution. The relationship between Iran and the United States deteriorated quickly. Ayatolá Ruhollah Jomeiní ordered the arrest of many of those pilots and left the F-14 on land. But the situation took a new turn in 1980, when Iraq invaded Iran. The authorities decided to free the aviators, and began a career to counterreloj for reactivating a fleet for which there were no longer spare parts. An Iranian pilot next to an F-14 Now, keeping an F-14 in flight is not an easy task. Every flight hour required many more maintenanceand many of its components were impossible to manufacture locally. No access to Western technology, Iran resorted to smugglers, to the black market … And also, in a maneuver as surprising as documented, to the United States. During the 80s, within the framework of the scandal Iran-contextsthe Ronald Reagan administration He secretly authorized The sale of weapons to Tehran in exchange for the release of hostages. Iranian Tomcats equipped with multiple missiles in full flight Today, almost half a century after that SHA request, the F-14 Tomcat It continues to appear In Iran. There are no official figures on how many are or how many are really operational. Some have seen in parades. Others, in blurred videos. And now, according to Israel, at least two would have been destroyed in a recent attack near Tehran. Israeli Air Force announced the impact on Iranian F-14 with this publication That an F-14 is still present in 2025 is not just a technical rarity. It is a string of how convoluted the story can be. A hunt designed for US carriers, designed to face the Soviet Union and retired almost twenty years ago, still appears – in one way or another – in one of the most serious military tensions of the moment. Tomcat was a technological feat. But he is also an unlikely survivor: he went from ally to enemy, he sustained thanks to improvised engineers, to clandestine networks, and the carelessness of those who tried to leave him on the ground forever. Images | Nasim News Agency | Iriaf | Shahram Sharifi | IIAF 2 US Navy (via Wikimedia Commons) In Xataka | If the question is how much the iron dome of Israel can endure, the answer is simple: much more than Iran’s defenses

While Europe desperately seeks alternative to Russian gas, a Spanish province has already found it: Burgos

A few days after summer begins, Europe has an eye on winter. Not because he wants to omit a hot summer, but for a real concern: gas reserves are almost empty. The president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, has announced That community leaders will discuss new measures, including the possible definitive closure of the Nord Stream gas pipeline. So, while in the high spheres geopolitical strategies are designed, a solution is consolidated in a small town of Burgos: biomass. And they found the key. In Doña Santos, a Burgos town of just over a hundred inhabitants, is the headquarters of children of Tomás Martín, a family business that has been linked to the use of wood. However, it was not until 2011, which under the Burpellet brand, They started producing pellet to take advantage of the waste of the sawmill. Ten years later, they expanded their activity with a second floor in Huerta del Rey, which today has a capacity of 150,000 tons per year – the equivalent of five million bags – consolidating itself as the largest national producer and one of the main European referents in biomass. Heat in unstable times. While electricity prices and fossil fuels are in a roller coaster, the pellet has found its balance. According to Avebiom (Spanish Biomass Energy Valuation Association), the Pellet It is maintained As one of the most competitive energy options, with an average cost of 7 cents per kWh, below natural gas, heating diesel and well below electricity. In other words, a 15KG bag would come to € 5.04, a 2.6% decrease compared to the previous quarter. The global energy storm. Only this year, Europe must spend 10,000 million euros more than in 2024 to replenish its gas reserves, pressured by a colder winter and strong global competition, According to the Financial Times. And although prices remain above 2024, they have remained surprisingly stable in recent weeks. According to Bloomberg, China who was one Of the great global buyers of LNGhas reduced its imports for the fourth consecutive month, weighed by a weaker economy, tariff tensions with the United States and a rebound from internal sources. However, nothing is guaranteed because in the months of July and August extreme temperatures are expected on the horizon, which could change the board. In addition, countries like Egypt could enter the market strong They have explained In Bloomberg. Geopolitical pressure, an unstable global market and the delay in the transition to technologies such as hydrogen convert energy supply into a topic of higher priority for Brussels. A good path. Despite the thrust of the LNG and the promises of green hydrogen, immediate solutions do not always come from new technologies. Sometimes they are already working, far from the spotlights. In places like Mrs. Santos. While Brussels projects the energy future of the continent, in the forests of Burgos there is already an answer working: stoves, boilers and heated buildings with compacted wood chips. It does not sound as modern as hydrogen, but it is clean, efficient and local. Image | Rawpixel Xataka | After two years of vertiginous increases, the price of pellets has done something unpublished: start going down

Russian drones bother for $ 2,400

From a time to this part the Shahed word an important hole has been made in the Military scope. We talk about a Iranian combat drone that in the Ukraine War has erected as important actor in Moscow’s offensives. In fact, Russia has such a capacity that even the technology for North Korea for add it to your army. Meanwhile, in Ukraine an unprecedented decision has been made: civilians can go armed in search of the Shahed. The reward is up to $ 2,400. Volunteers and weapons of another time. I counted this week The New York Times A live scene on the periphery of Kyiv. While the night fell on the Ukrainian fields, a group of civilians armed with old machine guns and tablets prepared to face one of the greatest challenges of modern conflict: the Drones swarms Russians Yes, they are volunteers (teachers, journalists, construction workers) who travel rural roads in trucks, With rudimentary equipment and tons of determination, to protect the capital of Ukraine from unmanned air attacks that They intensify every week. In one of the surveillance points in the city of Pereiaslav, about 80 kilometers from Kyiv, the led group By Mykhailo and Sofia It is organized every night with a mixture of military routine, camaraderie and resignation before a threat that does not give truce. Invisible fear. While latest generation anti -aircraft systems such as Patriot missiles They defend urban nuclei, Kyiv’s exterior protection is based on a network of mobile units Like Pereiaslav. These operate in the rings farther from the capital, with the task not only to tear down drones, but also to alert the interior layers of the defense system on imminent attacks. The volunteers, formed very basically by the army and supplied with armament of past times as Maxim machine guns From World War II or Czechoslovacos models of the 50s, they patrol areas where enemy drones are detected that try to evade radars following the course of the Dnieper River. In their twelve shiftswhich combine with day work, trust coffee, the acquired experience and a strong coordination with other units to survive. Sophisticated threat. And here that old man appears again acquaintance. Russia has perfected your aerial strategy through the massive use of Shahed and imitations droneswhich uses in waves to exhaust Ukrainian defenses before launching cruise or ballistic missiles. In recent attacks there have been record figures for Up to 472 drones and lures in one night. These tactics include flights, unpredictable trajectory changes and a Increasing use of Decoyswhich greatly complicates the defense work of poorly equipped units. Despite its limitations, the Pereiaslav unit He told the Times which has managed to demolish more than 30 drones since its creation in 2024. its weapons, although “vintage”, remains effective against low -height objectives, while it is increasingly frequent that drones fly to altitudes that their weapons cannot reach, leaving volunteers in a role of observation and coordination. Civil resistance. We talked about volunteers who even received any economic stimulus. The protagonists of this improvised defense are citizens who have transformed their lives into A double day: During the day they teach, they work in works or write reports, and when the night arrives they become sentinels. Yaroslav, For exampleHe is a University Professor of Computer Science and examines his students during the day, but at dusk he monitors the sky with night vision prismatic. Sofia, experimentist, has dedicated her life to work with unity after witnessing how Russian drones flew over her city without opposition. Without salary or stable logistics support, the group depends on Personal donations to acquire from bulletproof vests to fuel. They told the Times They now have Browning machine guns Americans mounted in a vehicle … who are still learning to drive. The reward comes. In recent weeks something has changed, as They explained in Insider. In a bold attempt to reinforce their defensive capacity in the face of Russian drones, the Ukraine government has approved a new program that allows these civilians to actively participate in the interception of unmanned aircraft in exchange for a remuneration that can reach The 2,400 dollars per month. The measure was formalized by the Ukrainian Parliament and Announced by Taras Melynchukrepresentative of the Cabinet before the Supreme Rada, who stressed that the main objective is strengthen aerial defense of the country at a time when Shahed drones waves They punish Ukrainian infrastructure and cities too often. A fortune in the face of salaries. The figure is not trivial. The economic incentive offered by the Government amounts to 100,000 grivas per month, equivalent to approximately $ 2,426, a figure that represents a very income superior to the average salary of the Ukrainians before the war, located at just 14,577 grivnas (about $ 353) according to Official data of January 2022. Even taking into account the increase registered by employment portals as work.uawhich place the current salary average in about 24,241 grivnas, the payment for collaborating in anti -aircraft tasks represents considerable remuneration for a population that has seen its deeply affected economy after three years of conflict. It is worth everything to break down. The plan contemplates the integration of non -mobilized civilians who can act independently Under military supervision, allowing them to use not only equipment provided by the Ukraine Armed Forces, but also their own private vehicles, hunting weapons, light weapons and other available means. This decision is aligned with the tactics that have already proven to be effective and that place us in a dystopia that approaches a civil War scene: mobile units of civilians who patrol at night armed with machine guns mounted on trucks or personal cars, shooting against Russian drones from the ground. Although officially these units have heavy armament as the M2 browningit is not unusual that I also know Use shotguns To tear down FPV drones in combat areas. Supervision for volunteers. To the big question, where the money will come from for the Rewardsthe Government has explained that … Read more

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