Russia has made its combat drones fly higher. Ukraine has found the solution in North Korea: balloons

The war in Ukraine has raised drones as Great actors of the contest, and the nation itself as one of the Referents in the industry. However, Russia has not stayed to the saga. In fact, the air conflict has entered into a new critical phase marked by the technical evolution of Moscow’s attack drones. Ukraine’s response to support his unmanned army has found it in a simple tactic that has used North Korea With its “neighbors”, and vice versa: hot air balloons. The new threat. As we said, the air battle is being reinforced on the Russian side with the use of drones that fly faster and higher That ever, which makes them more and more difficult to intercept with the current resources of Ukrainian defensive units. Oleksiy, subcomandante of a mobile air defense unit of the Territorial Defense Forces of Ukraine, revealed over the weekend In Insider that traditional trucks equipped with mounted machine guns are no longer effective against these objectives, especially when drones fly more than 2,400 meters altitude, outside the reach of .50 caliber as The m2 browning They usually use these missions. Evolution of Shad-136. Already We have spoken previously of this model. The main weapon in the Russian aerial offensive is still The Shahed-136a Kamikaze drone of Iranian origin that Moscow manufactures locally. Originally designed to fly more than 185 km/h with an explosive load of about 40 kg, the models represented a cheaper weapon than cruise missiles, which allowed Russia to display them in mass attacks. However, Moscow has begun to use A modified version of the Shahed, an equipped with a more powerful engine capable of reaching speeds greater than 290 km/h, and also carries an explosive load more than double the initial. According to Oleksiythis improvement in speed and destructive capacity complicates defense work, and although conventional models are still used, their threat has increased significantly. Decoys and saturation. Another tactic that is making a dent is the systematic use of Drones Lego Without explosive load, whose objective is not to damage directly, but exhaust resources Ukrainian air defense. These devices accurately imitate armed drones and force defensive units to spend ammunition or missiles in false whites. In addition, they can carry out long -distance recognition missions, expanding Russian intelligence capacity. The result is a Systems overload of surveillance and a decrease in interception rates, since mobile units can only observe and report, without effective means of immediate response to drones to great altitude. The challenge of altitude. Drones used to fly at low level to avoid radars, but now they do it at heights that exceed the response capacity of mobile machine guns, becoming unattainable objectives. According to Oleksiythe solution involves reinforcing these units with portable air defense systems, acquaintances Like manpads (Man-supply Air Defense Systems), such as FIM-92 Stinger Americans or the old 9k38 Igla Soviet, designed to intercept low altitude aircraft, but effective against drones in certain circumstances. The problem, however, It is double: There is a shortage of these systems and not all operators have been trained to use them efficiently. Balloons appear. And suddenly, Ukraine has begun to use A tactic that We have been Seeing in The “Korea”: The use of hot air balloons, although in this case with a variable. In an increasingly defined conflict by aerial domain and intensive use of drones, the Ukrainian nation is betting on that ingenious low -cost solution and high efficiency to overcome the communication challenges posed by the modern battlefield: captive balloons full of helium, but equipped With radio repeaters. This unexpected tool comes from Aerobavovnaa Ukrainian startup founded in 2024 that has managed to significantly reinforce the operational capacity of drones (both terrestrial and aerial) extend your scope and keep the signals stable in saturated environments by interferences and topographic obstacles. How they work and what they solve. The system is so simple as revolutionary: Balloons anchored to the ground, made of light polymers and capable of rising up to a kilometer high, carry antennas and repeaters that act as aerial bridges for communication between operators and drones. This allows to overcome one of the most common problems of the use of drones in mountainous or urban areas: the loss of direct vision linethat interrupts the signal and returns useless to the device. According to The founder explained to Insider From Aerobavvna, Yuriy Vysooven, the problem is especially critical for terrestrial drones, whose point -to -point signal does not exceed the first hill. With balloons, operators can maintain control even in hostile environments, expanding the effectiveness of recognition, attack and surveillance missions. Agile display and evolution. Although the use of aerostatos is not new, Aerobavovna has redesigned its application military for the demands of the Ukrainian front. Its current models can be deployed in just five minutes (twenty -five in adverse conditions) and remain in the air up to seven consecutive days, with a payload of up to 25 kg. This capacity allows not only to transmit control signals for FPV drones, but also operate from A high position no need for towers or fixed infrastructure. The company has even developed an advanced version that can transport up to 30 kg of load, which opens the door to the use of more powerful electronic war systems from the air, without compromising mobility or speed of deployment. The challenges: precision and stability. No doubt, despite its success in the field, Aerobavovna It faces important technical difficulties, mainly related to aerostate stability in suction conditions. The accuracy in the orientation of the antennas is critical for the transmission of FPV signals, and any un controlled movement can compromise the entire operation. Air turbulence negatively affects the exact positioning of repeaters, which must be kept motionless and perfectly aligned so that the signal does not degrade or lose. This converts system stability into A priority challengeespecially when capabilities with heavier loads are extended. The production problem. It is the last great “but” of the invention. Currently, Aerobavvna produces … Read more

Russia opened her prisons to fight in Ukraine. The problem is that they are returning free … and they were convicted murderers

In the month of January several data and figures of the war in Ukraine were known through the Institute for the Study of War. We already knew that among the many paradoxes that the conflict threw, one of them had to do with The economic “value” that he had a Russian soldier in his native country. However, then another reality was also revealed: Moscow’s casualties on the front led the Kremlin to implement drastic strategies to fill their ranks, opening the door of their prisons To recruit criminals of all fur. The problem has arrived months later, when many of those soldiers are returning home. Return murderers. I told it a few days ago in Exclusive Washington Post. As we said, the war in Ukraine opened a Unusual and disturbing door: convict criminals, even murderers and rapists, could obtain forgiveness of the State If they agreed to fight in the front. This macabre pact has now resulted in a new wave of violence in the interior of the country, fed by veterans and former inmates who, after surviving the war, return home as free men and, in many cases, returning to crime. Real examples. In The report There were tremendous stories like Yekaterina Polyanskayamurdered with a knife by its ex -husband in an Achinsk park, Siberia. Shortly before, the man had also killed his new partner. This was only one of the numerous cases that have shaken communities that fear to see how their worst executioners escape from punishment under a war medal. In a dystopian turn of events, his aggressor, Kirill Cheplygin, currently arrested, has requested Go back to the forehead To avoid their conviction, and the neighbors, terrified, have started a campaign to prevent their possible return. It is not an isolated case: other criminals have followed that way, some so monstrous like Nikolai Ogolobyakconvicted By cannibalism and murderor Viktor Savvinov, who, after being pardoned by fighting, killed brutally to two more peopleincluding a decorated teacher. The pattern is repeated: atrocious crimes, a brief step by prison, armed redemption in the front and, for many, definitive impunity. Between war heroes and predators. In the background, a story that We already count in the month of January and that the New York Times published Exclusive: Russian authorities promoted this policy with patriotic rhetoric and institutional fatalism. According to Kremlin, shedding blood on the battlefield can even redeem the cruelest of criminals. In fact, They counted the reports that the official press portrays them as a new heroic elite, and the Censorship Law prevents openly criticizing to those who have fought in the so -called “special military operation”. However, in the streets, especially in rural or peripheral communities, imposes fear. Families of victims live knowing that the murderers of their daughters, mothers or neighbors could Return armedproud and without control. Cases like Oksana Pekhtelevawhose daughter was murdered with sadism by her ex -boyfriend and tortured for hours without the police intervened, she learned by the press that the man had been released and sent to the front. Today he doesn’t know where he is, or if he will return. An arbitrariness that breaks any possibility of justice. Plus: citizen protests run into a wall of Institutional indifferencewhile the crimes accumulate in those margins of the heroism officialized. Brutality and abandonment. Within the Russian army itself, violence is not only against the enemy. According to The reports With which the post has been made, there are dozens of documents that describe commanders who “cancel” their own soldiers by sending them to suicidal missions, punishing them in cages, burying them alive or hitting them. In total psychological support, structural brutality has transformed thousands of men In human bombs ready to explode. To all this we must add another “bad” of wars: Alcoholism has shotwith record figures for consumption after the invasion of Ukraine, and the crime rates They have reached levels not seen for a decade. He Washington Post counted Cases such as Danil Akhipov, who fled from the country after flying their hand and defecting, which describe a front where superiors treat soldiers as cannon flesh and human life is not worth much. AkHipov explained to the environment that, of every fifteen men in his assault unit, Only three survived to each operation. The result: a dehumanized army, full of combatants With posttraumatic stressaccustomed to killing and now reintegrated into society without supervision or purpose. No exit for victims. Meanwhile, the Legal and political framework Russia seems to reinforce this spiral of impunity. The law, as we said, consecrates forgiveness as a reward for combat, without evaluating the risk of freeing certain individuals. Neither multiple sexual crimes nor particularly sadistic murders prevent access to this kind of “war pardon.” Ukraine too approved a law A year ago, it allows “minor” criminals to fight, but those convicted of murders, sexual crimes or violations of national security laws are prohibited from doing so. In addition, the victims and their relatives are not informed in Russia, nor do they have access to legal resources to oppose, and in many cases they do not even know that their aggressors were released until It’s too late. The political elite, armored by institutional machinery, ignores citizens’ requests. For many, to live in the same city or town that who killed his mother or daughter is a daily hell. And yet there is no legal tools To protect them. Trauma mirror without justice. The documents and the experiences collected For the Times and The post They reflect a reality that has surely been repeated in all wars and conflicts of the last centuries. In the case of Russia it is not only a consequence of the armed conflict, but the consolidation of a model that sacrifices justice, security and truth in favor of a warmongering rhetoric that makes criminals patriots. Because of its proximity, the parallels with the return of traumatized veterans after Afghanistan in the 80s serve as warning, but the difference is that today impunity … Read more

The remote roads of Teruel are filled with trucks loaded to the top of clay. The reason: Ukraine

When in de February 2022 The Kremlin troops advanced on Ukraine a complex domino effect was activated that ended up letting himself be felt far beyond the battlefield. The war altered global geopolitics, the Financial systemthe agriculturethe energyhe air transportthe world market … and also (in a turn as unexpected as surprising) The national roads of the Maestrazgo and Bajo Aragón regions, in the province of Teruel. The pumps and bullets fly about 3,000 kilometers away, away from Aragon, but its effect is evident on Turolenses roads. There the war has unleashed an intense heavy traffic that is saturating the roads “Feeling of insecurity”. Aguaviva, more of Las Matas, Castellote, breast, mills and the Parras de Castellote are six municipalities of Teruel that in April They joined forcesnext to the town of Cuevas de Cañart, to send A joint letter to the Government of Aragon and the Provincial Council. In it basically they alerted a problem that worries the residents of the seven territories: in just a few years their roads have been filled with hundreds of trucks, which has generated concern for the security or the state of infrastructure. Accidents. The municipalities do not speak only of risks or abstract threats. His letter was written weeks after a truck collided Against a bus in Aguaviva and just two months after Another trailer I would have overturned after leaving the road, an incident that It was not new either. The result, as the mayor of Aguaviva recognized in April to the newspaper Heraldis that neighbors live with “a very large sense of insecurity.” That without counting on The deterioration which causes heavy traffic on tracks and roads that are not prepared for trucks. From asphalt to regional policy. The issue did not take to transcend the municipalities of the regions of Bajo Aragón and Maestrazgo to make the leap to regional policy. Teruel exists took the issue to the courts of Aragon, which A few weeks ago He claimed the regional government to seek a solution for Vials A-225 and A-226. In the background, the same problem: the transfer of hundreds of trucks, which according to some calculations overcome the 400 daily In Aguaviva, more than respectable figure if one takes into account that some live some 500 people. A few days ago the Diputación even went further and promised to invest 150,000 euros In the improvement of one of the roads affected by the trucks, the road that goes from the sale of La Pintada to Castellote by Molinos. A priori, money will be used to improve soft, correct the deformations caused by the daily transfer of trucks and renew the signaling. And why so many trucks? The key is what they transport. In their trailers they carry clay, raw material extracted from the MINES OF THE AREA For the ceramic industry and Castellón tile. That was for example the cargo of the truck that ended up colliding in Aguaviva against a bus or the one that overturned end of February. According to Ascer data (The employer of the sector nationwide) The ceramic industry represents around 22.2% of the industrial GDP of the Valencian Community and more than 32.2% of the total of Castellón’s GDP. As They point from The regionclay -loaded trucks leave Teruel and advance Morella, leaving an intense flow of vehicles that in some locations reaches several hundred daily. Recently the mayor of Castellote explained to The confidential That in the school where he works they have to keep the windows closed by the intense transfer of trucks that pass to about 300 meters from the center. “If I open them, I don’t hear the creatures,” he says. And what does it have to do with the Ukraine War? Simple. Ukraine is a huge supplier of the clay that is used in the manufacture of tiles. At the beginning of the war it was calculated that around the 70% of the raw material that imported the Spanish ceramic sector arrived from Donetsk, in the Donbás region. In February 2022 Ascer recognized his “worry” And the truth is that the sector has not taken to look for alternatives, including neighboring Mines de Aragón. In October 2022 Aragon News already pointed out that the clay mining of the region were seeing how their activity shot. If in 2020 the quarries of Teruel had produced a million tons, two years later it was expected that this volume exceeds the five million. And not just that. The increase in activity was accompanied by multiple studies to activate farms. The earthquake. Since 2022 the trend does not seem to have stopped. While Ukraine is still shaken by bombs and drone attacks, Teruel has seen how her clay mining was sued. The data of Aragon News are eloquent again: production has shot, with dozens and tens of permissions for farms. Joaquín Moreno, councilor of Utrillas and deputy of Teruel exists, calculates that with the outbreak of the Ukraine War the number of exploits and investigation licenses has been quintupled. Just a year ago Portsur de Castellón received The first ship With clay of Ukraine from the outbreak of the war, a cargo of 52,000 tons for the company Vesco Clays Spain. That has not prevented, however, that the peoples of Bajo Aragón and Maestranza warn of how they are affecting the changes in the sector to their roads. It is the (another) face B of the war between Russia and Ukraine. Images | Ministry of Defense of Ukraine (Flickr) and Manel Zaera (Flickr) In Xataka | Aragon wanted his children to eat more fruit at school. So he went to look for her 10,000 kilometers away

The United Kingdom tested its sophisticated defense simulating the day of Russia’s invasion in Ukraine. Did not go as expected

Simulations are an essential part of the network of nations defense. We have a large number of examples, from the “game” that They used in the Cold War The United States and Russia to conclude that it was not worth test try your last destroyer against Washington, or those who He has activated Taiwan In recent times “for what can happen.” The United Kingdom also carried out a test that should confirm that its arsenal is ready for battle. The conclusions were not exactly those. A brutal lesson. The story took place a while ago. As we said, the United Kingdom carried out a Strategic simulation of very high importance: he replied in his own aerial territory the exact pattern of the first Russian attack on Ukraine, which occurred on February 24, 2022. He did it through the Gladiator Training Systemvalued at 24 million pounds, and with the aim of evaluating how their defenses would respond if the same type of onslaught would have had the British soil as white. The conclusion It was alarming. Although the results were not revealed in detail, the then commander of the Air Battlespace Training CenterThe Blythe Crawford Air Comodoro, was bluntly describing it as “a very beautiful panorama.” For a country that for decades felt protected by its location to the western edge of Europe (with the continental mass acting as mattress natural against threats), the exercise was a strategic shaking that threw old assumptions for land. A threat that is no longer distant. Then it was more known, mainly than the exercise revealed vulnerability from the United Kingdom before a massive and modern air attack like Russia used against Ukraine, with a devastating combination of missile, drones and autonomous technologies. Crawford also stressed that Ukraine made everything West will awaken. The conflict not only exposed the brutality of the first Russian blows, but also highlighted how modern war has transformed the rules of aerial domain, such as We have been counting. Crawford explained that it is no longer about achieving aerial superiority in broad and sustained terms throughout an operations theater, but to assume that supremacy can be Fragmentary, ephemeraleven located between two trenches or just a few meters from the ground. The war in Ukraine, he said, is an unprecedented battlefield between two countries with powerful air defense systems, but where none has achieved A full domain of the heavens, in contrast to the predominant aerial doctrine of the last decades. The swarm that comes. One of the most revealing points of Crawford’s intervention was his analysis of the massive drone use In Ukraine. For the high command, it is no longer simply individual devices: now they face hundreds of hundreds of units, many of them equipped With explosivesothers designed as lures, and others Simply kamikaze. These waves, combined with rockets and intercontinental ballistic missiles, configure a type of multiple, simultaneous and heterogeneous threat for which traditional defensive systems were conceived in much more predictable scenarios. The tactical dilemma, In his opinionIt is clear: “Should all attack vectors neutralize or prioritize the most lethal?” A question without a definitive solution, but that affects all the Western air forces. Of strength to vulnerability. One of the most forceful messages of the United Kingdom simulation was the need to change the defensive mentality of the nation and its allies. For decades, modern wars were fought away from the national territory, which led to an erroneous perception of domestic security. Hence, Comodoro warned that it is time to abandon that trust and assume that even the British bases are now under direct threat. In other words: the United Kingdom cannot be considered as a simple safe starting point for foreign operations, but should be thought of as a potential objective and prepare as such. The risk, In his opinionIt is not hypothetical: if Russia decided to launch an attack against British soil, it could do it through its northern fleet from the Atlantic, thus avoiding European airspace. Redrawing doctrines. The last of the legs to deal with the simulation results. The Ukrainian case is rewriting military doctrines that during generations were considered unquestionable. The notion of total air control, cornerstone of NATO strategy from the Gulf War, seems to be eroding for a New generation of threats which combines speed, volume, unpredictability and autonomy. For Crawford and many other strategists, the key is to learn quickly, assume that the scenario (in this British case) is no longer immune, and rethinking defense systems as if the next attack did not happen in a distant country, but in “house.” Image | US Department of Defense In Xataka | The countries with more combat tanks, ordered in this graphic developer In Xataka | Satellite images have revealed what happened to one of Russia’s biggest arsenals. Now we understand Moscow’s silence

Ukraine has turned drones into armed soldiers against Russia. It is no longer necessary to “sacrifice them” because they carry launched

That the war in Ukraine has become the largest field of technologies and war artillery. out of any doubt. However, if you had to name a single protagonist, that would be the use of drones as “animals” of Combat for everything. The Ukrainian country, in fact, has become one of the Great industries of the planet in the sector developing many of the most advanced (and important, economic) prototypes to date. The latest: turn drones into authentic soldiers of the future holding launched in flight. Aerreo launches. As we said, Ukraine has reached a new mile With a launchersuch and As he revealed The Ukrainian company Wild Hornets, specialized in military technology. The images, disseminated by the company itself in Your telegram channelThey show what they describe as the “exclusive death” of a Russian soldier reached by one of these devices on the Novopavlivka front. The attack was carried out by the Bulava Unit of the separate presidential brigade, and they did it by adapting their drone “Queen of Hornets”(A heavy model usually designed for bombings) to carry and shoot a precision grooved from the air. The operation, in addition to having tactical success, served as proof of concept and exhibition of the modified design, whose stability when triggering resolved one of the main technical obstacles: the recoil. Mortal precision. After the videos and the exclusive, Diego RodríguezRecognition drone operator in the body of unmanned systems, He expressed his astonishment Because this technology has not been implemented before, underlining its technical superiority against Kamikaze drones. In the expert’s opinion, the throws from drones allow faster, accurate and silent attacks, since Granada rounds fly faster and more reaching, reducing the enemy’s reaction margin and exposure to electronic countermeasures. The reason? The drone can shoot, retreat and recharge, multiplying its usefulness Without losing unity In the attack. Faced with the traditional explosive drones that emit noise and give the enemy time to protect themselves, the granades projected from the air arrive almost instantaneously, making them impossible to dodge them. Without anticipation. Another expert, in this case Vadym Feshchenkoex grenadier converted in drone operator, stressed that this innovation completely alters the defensive habits of the enemy. Russian troops have learned to observe the movements of drones to anticipate when they will release their explosive load, but a drone that shoots in full flight eliminates that reaction window. Feshchenko also highlighted the weapons versatility employee, pointing out that some modern launch projectiles have the capacity to drill up to seven centimeters of armorwhich expands its applicability against fortified vehicles and positions. As these systems multiply, it is likely that the simple sound of a drone forces enemy soldiers to retire or hide, increasing the psychological and tactical impact of the device, also as a deterrence In full fray. From standard prototype. That said, what we see is an evolution. In September 2024 already Videos circulated of tests where Ukrainian FPV drones carried RPG-18 launches. While then rudimentary prototypes were considered, their possibilities were already evident. As counted in Ukrainian media, a collateral advantage of this system is Risk decrease For technicians and engineers who must manually assemble kamikaze drones, exposing themselves to injuries that are rarely made public. In this regard, the partial automation that allows an armed and reusable drone represents a step forward in terms of operational security. Adaptive Engineering They remembered in Insider That although the first use in combat has been attributed to Ukraine, the idea of ​​mounting launched in drones had already been proposed in 2021 through the Display Belarusian Design Cabinet during a Russian military exhibition. The most complex technical challenge was drone stability When shooting, since most quadcopters are too light to support the backward. However, The “Queen of Hornets”due to its size and reinforced design, it seems to have resolved this obstacle: in the Video widespreadno instability is observed after the shot. In parallel, Ukrainian engineers have managed to convert even agricultural drones such as the DJI AGRAS T30 (originally designed for fumigation) on attack platforms, equipping them with PKM machine guns and launched Bullspike-Atcapable of attacking tanks, self -propelled artillery and fortified positions. A radical transformation. As we told at the beginning, the war in Ukraine is changing many of the war concepts that were in the battles of the past. But above any other actor, the introduction Drone successnow even shooting grenades from airmarks a before and after in the development of the technological war. While traditional artillery and heavy weapons continue to play an important role, the miniaturization of fire power and its integration into reusable and precise drones represents a strategic advance that combines efficiency, lethality and operational economy. The question now is not whether this technology will be extended, but rather how fast Ukraine can produce it in mass and how Russia will respond to a threat that becomes increasingly silent, unpredictable and difficult to stop. Image | Army Inform In Xataka | The last and surprising tactic of Ukraine to avoid the Russian drones: hide their tanks and artillery underground In Xataka | The last tactic of Ukraine is a drone that seeks to catch him. When Russia opens it displays its threat: a virus

Ukraine has captured the new cruise missile of Russia. His surprise has been capitalized when he opened it: the “allies” did so

November 2024. The Ukrainian forces “hunted” a Russian non -manned plane from the rest, a lure drone prepared to deceive and saturate enemy anti -aircraft defenses simulating radar signals. That day, the surprise was not so much to have captured an “specimen” of the called Parody. The true surprise was given when opening and discovering Who had built That “Russian” machine. Interestingly, the same thing has happened now with the last missile in the conflict. Moscow did not do it, the United States and a group of allies did. The “Russian” Banderol missile. Ukraine has recently revealed the operation of the S8000 Bnderola new Russian cruise missile developed by the Krnstadt company (known for its drones) that has already been deployed in combat and represents a significant evolution in the Kremlin’s long -range attack strategy. According to the Ukrainian military intelligence (Gur), this missile is launched from non -traditional platforms such as Orion drones (similar in size to MQ-1 Predator American) and its adaptation to attack helicopters is expected Mi-28n. Bnderol is driven by a small reaction engineit has retractable wings, it reaches speeds of 500 km/Hy can cover a distance of up to 500 kilometers with A 110 kilos eye. Its superior maneuverability suggests that it has been designed to evade anti -aircraft defenses, which makes it a weapon of great tactical value. Made in Allies. The interesting thing is that the Gur has achieved Examine several Banderol missiles in good condition after being demolished or recovered their remains. His technical analysis revealed a pattern that is increasingly common: the Russian total dependence on foreign componentseven for its most recent developments. In other words, missile dissection reveals an amalgam of components of supposedly allied countries (and not so much) of Ukraine. Dissection of the missile. Namely: The SW800PRO engine (manufactured by the Chinese company Swiwin and accessible on platforms Like Aliexpress) drives the missile, while the RFD900X telemetry module points to Australia. To this are added batteries of Murata (Japan), Servomecanismos Dynamixel MX-64ar of Robotis (South Korea) and an inertial navigation system of possible Chinese origin. Also key, in each missile there are, according to the report, about twenty microchips manufactured mainly in the United Statesbut also in Switzerland, Japan, South Korea and China, many acquired through The chip and dipone of the largest electronics distributors in Russia, currently sanctioned. Infographic prepared by the GUR that shows the Banderol cruise missile and some of its components of foreign origin Evasion of sanctions. As we said at the beginning, the massive presence of western pieces in Russian weapons It is not new: similar components have already been found in drones such as S-70 okhotnik-bin planning bombs, and even in armament supplied By Iran and North Korea. In spite Recycled microelectronicsespecially with epicenter In China. Many of these components come from civil productswhich hinders your tracking. They counted Twz analysts That the Russian industry has been perfecting these evasion mechanisms, and the association of the semiconductor industry (SIA) already warned that, despite the efforts, there are “certain” actors that continue to obtain access to sensitive technology through deception maneuvers. Low cost and high range missile. As for the flag, it is not a high -end missile like the KH-69 (Which waves of up to 300 kilos), but represents a low cost solution, sufficient precision and medium reach, optimized for the current context of the conflict. The combination of its own motor, guided by inertial navigation and satellite correction, and systems against electronic interference They make it a key tool for saturation attacks or against sensitive objectives beyond the front line. Although it is not yet known if it can be reprogrammed in flight (it would be a valuable capacity for mobile or opportunity targets), its only existence already worries Ukraine, which has suffered great damage to the planning pumps UMPK and UMPBalthough the latter lack their own propulsion. Russia and alternative platforms. The fact that the flag is conceived to launch from drones or helicopters is an operational innovation in Russian doctrine. Not depending exclusively on strategic bombers or tactical fighters (frequent target of the Ukrainian air defense), Moscow can diversify your attack vectorsreduce risks and extend your ability to project remote force. This allows traditional aviation to be released for other roles while multiplying platforms capable of carrying out precision attacks. Plus: The concept is aligned with an emerging trend also in the United States: The fusion between Light cruise missiles and effects of effects released from the air, cheaper, modular and adaptable to various missions. Strategic implications. In short, the appearance of the flag is significant not only for what it represents on the military plane, but also for what it reveals in terms of Technological dependencevulnerability of sanctions and tactical evolution systems. According to the Gurmore than 4,000 foreign components have been identified in 150 Russian weapons analyzed, which highlights a structural failure in international export controls. In other words: the war in Ukraine is molding the global arms industry and evidencing that modern conflicts are not only freed with tanks and airplanes, but also with microchips, algorithms and hidden parts in the heart of civil devices. Also something that has been sensed for centuries: in war, there are no “friends.” Image | Ukraine Intelligence, Gur In Xataka | The last and surprising tactic of Ukraine to avoid the Russian drones: hide their tanks and artillery underground In Xataka | The last tactic of Ukraine is a drone that seeks to catch him. When Russia opens it displays its threat: a virus

The war in Ukraine has become a video game. Kill gives points and rewards to exchange in a military Amazon

It is something that has happened in all modern wars and conflicts, and in Ukraine it was not going to be different. We refer to the use of surprising tactics for combat. We had previously talked about the use of a Naval optical illusion And of a drone that “seeks” That they capture it to display your true threat. The latest: a rewards system with points. The prize: go to a war “Amazon. A war with points. I told it This week Insider and Political. In an unprecedented fusion between military and video game logic, Ukraine has launched a Rewards system that gives points to their soldiers for killing Russian troops or destroying their vehicles, provided that these acts are verified by recording of video drones. These points, called “Epoints”, can then be exchanged In Brave1 Marketa new digital platform that operates as A “Military Amazon”where combat units can acquire from attack drones and terrestrial robots to electronic warp devices or components such as batteries, cameras and engines. Add casualties to buy artillery. The initiative, promoted by Mykhailo Fedorov, Minister of Digital Transformation of Ukraine, seeks to speed up and Decentralize access To the equipment, allowing the soldiers themselves to choose and buy the technology that best suits their needs in the front, either with own funds or through the rewards accumulated by their effectiveness in combat. The system establishes a numerical value for each target Enemy: Six points for each Russian soldier eliminated, forty for each destroyed tank, with equivalences that allow, for example, to acquire drones such as The “Baba Yaga” by 43 points or the sophisticated “backfire”which costs about $ 60,000 for three units. Delivery is made directly with state financing, without intermediaries. The Magyar’s Birds Unitfamous for its FPV drones attacks, it has already exceeded 16,000 points, heading The March rankingfollowed by specialized brigades in unmanned systems and special operations. A military Amazon. Far from being a simple shopping site, Brave1 Market represents a Disruptive Logistics Model and acquisition in times of conflict. Your catalog has More than 1,000 items ranging from advanced armament to technical solutions of communication, surveillance, navigation and electronic protection. Soldiers can navigate the portal, compare models, read specifications and contact manufacturers to close orders. Part of the content is of restricted accessbut the bulk of the inventory is publicly available to facilitate fast and autonomous decision -making from the front. One of the main objectives is to reduce the gap between technological development and its real implementation on the battlefield. In fact, Insider told that many units did not know that certain devices were available; They can now request them directly without having to wait for bureaucratic channels or slow -on channels. Drones as currency. The points system has the drones that, like We have explainedare absolute protagonists of the new battlefield Ukrainian. The most used They are the FPV (First-Person View) and short-range bombing models, operated by highly mobile units that film each impact to document it to the military intelligence network. These videos not only allow to verify the elimination of enemy objectives, but have become The “hard currency” with which more technology is accessed. Each approved purchase is Financed by the Ukrainian Government and delivered directly to the requesting unit, which reinforces a decentralized supply model based on operational merit. Meritocracy and ethical dilemma. No doubt, we talk about a system that converts the war effectiveness into immediate benefitswhich generates a Ethical conflict on the gamification of the conflict. Killing becomes a rewarded act not only with recognition, but with material power to improve the offensive abilities of the unit. Although brutal, the model has proven to be effective for Accelerate the answer On the battlefield, promote tactical initiative and allow troops to access the technology they really need. In parallel, it also represents a form of digitalized war economy, where each confirmed impact translates into purchasing power, each successful mission in Access to strategic resources. A logic that is not free: responds to the urgency of Modernize the military apparatus Ukrainian in the midst of an asymmetric war, and the need to compete technologically with an enemy that has greater industrial and human reserves. Of course, he questions the ethical limits of the military culture model that can generate in the long term. A new military paradigm. The only existence of A “store” like this Change the concept of war in the 21st century. We talk about a digital architecture, distributed and Efficiency oriented Immediate with which Ukraine not only tries to match Russia in offensive capacity, but to overcome it in technological agility, tactical innovation and adaptation speed. If you want too, the battlefield does not seem only a physical space, but also a kind of Interactive platform where each action can be measured, rewarded and transform into operational advantage. A New War Economy where the value is measured, not in abstract terms, but in eliminated objectives, points won and delivered drones. Together with the obvious ethical dilemmas he poses, he also reveals to what extent the modern war is as technological as lethal. Image | NATO North, Ministry of Defense In Xataka | Russia has confirmed one of the great unknowns of war in Ukraine: North Korea accompanies them and not only with troops In Xataka | Russia has crowded a surprising blow to Ukraine: 100 soldiers walking for four days inside a gas pipeline

A country has literally found the bomb -proof solution to the large electrical blackouts: Ukraine

It happened a few hours ago. Among the multiple calls that the Spanish Government has received from countries, worrying about the emergency situation after The national blackoutone did not go unnoticed. Zelensky, president of Ukraine, called Pedro Sánchezand not only to show your support, but to provide all the necessary help. After all, if anyone knows about blackouts, that is the nation of the East. They have learned to survive in the dark and Russian bomb proof. The devastation of the electrical system. From the beginning of the large -scale invasion in February 2022, Russia has directed a good part of its attacks against infrastructure Ukrainian energy. Last summer, Ukraine had lost and in just three months More than nine gigawatts of generation capacity, more than a third of the one it owned before the war. According to Ukrenergo dataThis would be equivalent to the total demand of countries such as the Netherlands at peak hours, or even the sum of Slovakia, Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia. Winter. All state thermal plants were destroyed and all hydroelectric plants had suffered damage to missiles or drones. The strategy of Russian attacks was clear: it was not only sought to destroy military capacity, but to break the soul of a society through forced darkness, interrupting the most essential: Heating, running water, elevators, communications, operating rooms or the simple possibility of maintaining an organized civil life. Today, and according to the UN agency for refugees, More than 60% From the country’s electricity generation capacity it has been destroyed or useless. In a country where winter is not only a station but an existential threat, running without energy is running out of heating, without water, without communications. For millions, electricity represents the last bastion between dignity and precarious survival. Survive blackouts. He told the last July the BBC that the blackouts in Ukraine had become a presence as constant as the war itself. In cities such as Odessa, Kyiv or Zaporizhzhia, electricity was an intermittent luxury, a resource that appears and disappears under the buzzing of the generators or the sepulchral silence of the fallen network. In that context, electricity ceased to be just a comfort to become the threshold between life and death. Cases like Tetiana’smother of a child with serious disabilities, who lives that truth every day: her son depends on breathing machines, feeding and receiving medication. Without stable supply, his life hangs from a thread. In your home, prolonged blackouts (sometimes twelve hours a day) force to constantly feed a gasoline generator that, in addition, must stop every six hours so as not to overheat. When your child convulses, the minutes without mobile or ambulance coverage are transformed into torture. In words to the British environment“You can die if you don’t receive oxygen. I am missing words.” Thus thin is the line between chaos and survival. Scheduled cuts. In August of last year there was a substantial change in the struggle of Ukraine to the blackouts. A Mondayhundreds of missiles and Russian drones fell on the nation. First the electricity was cut, then the water. That day marked the Greater Russian air attack against Ukrainian energy infrastructure since the beginning of large -scale invasion. The bombing continued the next day, raising the number of deaths to twelve and leaving millions of people throughout the country. The largest private energy company in Ukraine, DTEKmade a decision: Apply scheduled cuts In multiple regions: Kyiv, Odesa, Dnipropetrovsk, Donetsk. On the periphery of the capital, the neighbors began to live with six hours of blackout followed by two hours with electricity, in the early morning. A rhythm that allowed planning (even if not resting). Loading with energy. The result of the situation is that Ukraine has learned to live with the blackouts. What would have paralyzed the country before, today faced with Decentralized solutions. In Kyiv, the so -called “invincibility points” offer citizens electrical charge and the Internet during the cuts. But many do not even go to them: they have made portable batteries an object as essential as mobile phone or keys. Most shops, from street stalls to shopping centers, already have their own generators. In fact and as we said, that buzz of its engines has become the usual soundtrack of the blackouts. Examples Told the CNN Maksym Holubchenko, a 25 -year -old barista in the capital, that his cafeteria remains open thanks to one of those generators. However, it does not supply to cover all the demand: in winter you can maintain the operation, but in summer they must turn off the air conditioning and parts of the coffee maker so as not to overload the system. Adaptation is not comfortable, it is simply the result of an urgent need, and a resistance without alternatives. For Inna, an 87 -year -old woman from Odessa, the current situation arouses ancient echoes. “I already survived World War, so I have some experience … I bought candles,” He reported. His story underlines a painful paradox: a modern, European country, with full integration ambitions in the West, forced to technologically retreat, to depend on the rudimentary to face the essential. The candles, thermos, the portable loaders, the calendars marked by electric cuts … make up a new normality born of the energy siege. Go to the bank without light. Before prolonged blackouts caused by Russian attacks on energy infrastructure, the National Bank of Ukraine has also launched the Power Banking Projecta network of autonomous bank branches designed to operate without depending on the electricity supply. These “unwavering” offices will be equipped with generators, special communication channels, ATMs, additional and effective personnel available, allowing citizens to access essential services such as money withdrawals, payments, transfers, currency change and financial advice even during prolonged cuts. In addition, a “National Roaming System” Between ATMs, with unified limits and without commissions between banks, initiative already adopted by entities Like Oschadbankto guarantee equitable cash access throughout the country. Broken as a resistance symbol. In short, Ukraine applies preventive cuts Not only … Read more

West believed that mines and conventional artillery were the past. Ukraine has shown that they were wrong

They have been Several occasions in which the conflict after the Russian invasion in Ukraine seemed Go back to the pastat an era where technology did not dominate the battlefield, but the human through it. The effect of what has happened to east of Europe begins to have its echoes on several nations of the old continent. Conventional artillery and mines, for decades considered obsolete, have seen A resurgence That nobody seemed to glimpse, and now everyone wants to rearm. A return to the past. As we said, the conflict in Ukraine has radically reconfigured Western understanding about The modern warrevealing the validity of weapons that for a long time were forgotten as vestiges of the past. Antipersonnel minesheavy artillery and non -guided ammunition have reappeared as key elements In a type of war that NATO and European armies had stopped planning: the large -scale land war. For years, Western powers imagined the conflicts of the 21st century as technological, rapid and surgical clashes, starring reduced units and high precision weapons systems. It happens that the Ukrainian realitywith their stagnant fronts and prolonged fighting For territorial control, those assumptions have denied sharply. The Treaty of Ottawa and Las Mines. In fact, one of the most visible effects of this doctrinal turn has been the decision of several European countries to abandon the Ottawa treaty of 1997, the same that prohibited the use, production and sale of antipersonnel mines. Who is it? Finland was the last In reverting his adhesion, adding to Poland, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia, who had already announced their departure. These nations, all neighbors of Russia or in their area of ​​geopolitical influence, are actively preparing for undermine its bordersin an attempt to contain a possible Moscow military offensive. The reasons are clearly clear: the Use of mines in Ukraine It has demonstrated its effectiveness not only to stop advances, but to channel enemy troops to areas where they can be faced with greater guarantees of success. It is a territorial defense tactic that resurfaces in a conventional war context, precisely when it was believed to be overcome. Artillery and unburgated ammunition, the resurgence. While the guided missile systems provided by NATO face problems in the face of the Russian capacities of Electronic interferencetraditional artillery, with simple and cheap projectiles, has charged New prominence. These ammunition, not depending on electronic signals, are immune to blockages or technological sabotages. In addition, combined with modern surveillance tools (such as drones that identify real -time objectives), they have become extraordinarily lethal. Ukraine, in fact, has taken advantage of this synergy, adapting old technologies to the new battlefield. The result has been a war that advances very little in terms of territory, but that consumes huge amounts of projectiles and requires a sustained production that Europe was not prepared to assume. Europe and industrial career. On the other sidewalk, the paradigm shift has exposed the fragility of war production capacities in Europe, although that is not quite news when the old continent has already talked about rearming. A report by the Royal United Services Institute criticized European governments for Trust blindly in which the private sector would solve the manufacturing needs of ammunition without having offered them incentives or favorable regulations. This omission has had serious consequences: according to General Christopher CavoliSupreme Comandante Allied with NATO in Europe, Russia is on the way to accumulate projectile reserves three times higher to those of the United States and Europe together. He imbalance is alarmingespecially considering that the Ukrainian conflict does not show short -term resolution signs and that the current levels of ammunition consumption are unsustainable without an industrial restructuring. Russia’s mirror. In this regard and According to CavoliRussia currently produces 250,000 artillery projectiles per month, which leads it to build that arsenal three times greater than the United States and Europe. Not just that. Cavoli’s testimony underlines a crucial point: while Russia is perceived in the West bogged down In a wear war, its defense machinery He has managed to adaptgrow and, in some aspects, strengthen in full conflict. Moscow has been recovering its arsenals on all fronts (from ammunition to armored vehicles and troops), which strongly contrasts with the logistics and production difficulties faced by their adversaries. The estimate of Cavoli points to an annual manufacture of 1,500 tanks by Russia, in front of the 135 produced by the United States. In the last year, Russian troops would have lost Approximately 3,000 tanks9,000 armored vehicles, 13,000 artillery systems and more than 400 air defense systems, but would be completely replaced, keeping their land projection capacity intact. Planning errors. Experts like Paul van Hooft, from the Think Tank Rand Europe, They explained to Insider that this lag is a direct consequence of three decades of strategic planning focused on asymmetric wars. Since the September 11 attacks, NATO designed its military operations thinking of insurgencies, terrorism and irregular forces, where neither heavy artillery nor mines seemed to have practical utility. That vision led, according to the analyst, to the dismantling of traditional arsenals and the abandonment of terrestrial war doctrines, especially in Western Europe. However, the current conflict demands precisely opposite: territorial defense, sustained occupation of broad areas and classical deterrence capacity. The balance between the future and the past. Mark Cancan, from Center for Strategic and International Studies, stressed that prolonged wars, once stabilized the front lines, make weapons such as artillery and mines not only useful, but dominant. While drones, artificial intelligence and other innovations continue to perform An important roledo not replace the volume of fire or logistics resistance that allow sustaining an offensive or defending a position for months. In this regard, Cancan warns against excess confidence in futuristic war visions, many of them promoted by startups technological ones that compete to attract funds from the new defense budgets. Faced with this, the evidence seems to show that, at least for now, the war remains a matter of volume, physical resources and conventional abilities well managed. Ironically, if … Read more

The largest nuclear power plant in Europe has been closed by the war in Ukraine. Now the United States wants to reopen

At the beginning of the Ukraine War, the first thing the Russian Army did It was taking control of the largest nuclear power plant in Europe: Zaporiyia. During these three years, the Kremlin has established a military base and has been the objective of attacksso it has remained closed. Recently, the United States has decided to reopen this booty. Your part of the cake. There was no agreement with any of the two parties around To the rare earthsnow the focus is positioned in the largest nuclear power plant in Europe. In a telephone call, Trump suggested to Zelenski that the United States could help to manage, and possibly possess, Ukraine nuclear energy plants, according to a statement by the US presidential administration to which which has had access Reuters. All this to guarantee the energy security of Ukraine. The problem with “property.” From the same medium They have pointed out that the problem came with the word: “property.” The Ukrainian president has revealed that he would have no problem that the US investing money, only in the Zaporiyia nuclear power plant to rebuild it once again recover it. However, reject in a resounding way Give the central because they do not want to lose energy sovereignty in the country. A strategic central. The control of the largest nuclear power plant in Europe has reinforced Moscow’s power over the region, making it an energy pressure tool. According to The Washington PostRussian Foreign Minister has declared that the transfer of the central to any other nation is “impossible”, a position that highlights the strategic importance. A great loss for Ukraine. The largest nuclear plant in Europe is a great booty of war. In fact, for the nation of Zelensky it has meant a very large loss, since before the occupation it represented 20% of the country’s electrical production, such as They have reported in The Washington Post. In addition, the Ukrainian nation is now forced to allocate its limited resources to avoid a nuclear crisis. However, since the Russian occupation it has remained closed. Security problems From the closure of the plant, both parties They have accused mutually bombarding her repeatedly, so they had to close it for the risk of attacks and the growing concern for the integrity of cooling systems. Until today, the nuclear power plant has not produced energy again and has been negatively reflected in the Ukrainian electricity network. Can it be reactivated? The central was operated by Energoatom a Ukrainian public society. Its executive director, Petro Kotin, has warned in an interview for The Guardian on the problems that exist safely restart the Zaporiyia nuclear power plant. The senior executive stressed that there is a lack of trained personnel, the damage to infrastructure and the insufficiency of cooling water, after the destruction of the Nova Kakhovka dam in 2023 reduced access to the water of the Dnieper river. In an assumption that Ukraine recovered control of the central, Kotin explained that the restart process would take a long time between two months and two years, depending on the state of the nuclear plant. Moscow’s position. Russia has made it clear that it has no intention of giving control of the Zaporiyia plant and has plans to reactivate the plant, but it has not yet specified when it would happen. According to The Washington Postthe future of the Zaporiyia plant remains one of the main challenges that will define not only the energy balance of the region, but also the course of the Ukraine War. Image | DPA Germany Xataka | A Russian drone has opened one of the greatest engineering works. The problem: it was the sarcophagus of Chernobil reactor 4

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