Ukraine

A technology 20 years ago took Ukraine to the Russian bombers. Moscow’s response comes from China: a laser cannon

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With the passing of the days, more data about The covert operation which carried out Ukraine in the heart of the air bases of Moscow. Recall: a swarm of more than 100 drones hidden in trucks managed to destroy an important part of the Russian fleet of Strategic bombers. Now the technology that made Spiderweb, and what is Russia’s response to contain Ukrainian drones: a laser weapon … from China has been revealed. Cheap drones and free software. As I counted The medium 404behind the flight of the army of drones was not a sophisticated and secret technology. On the contrary, the devices were driven By Ardupilotopen source software created two decades ago by unmanned aviation enthusiasts. The use of this software, a free system originally designed for civil tasks such as agriculture, rescue or mapping, allowed Ukraine to coordinate that swarm of drones with autonomous navigation functions, air stabilization, waiting modes and contingencies for signal loss, even in a hostile environment saturated with interference and without GPS. Born of leisure … for war. Ardupilot He was born in 2007 of the personal project From Chris Andersonformer editor of the Wired media, who with Lego and Arduino pieces He built a drone browsing system that would later evolve in an open overall source community. What began as a homemade and collaborative experiment ended up being the operational core of a great impact military offensive. As He counted the mediumthe astonishment of its creators in the face of the war use of its software was notable: they never imagined that a tool designed for civil use would end up helping to destroy Russian strategic fighters. Although The website De Ardupilot promotes its use “for the peaceful benefit of all”, its open character makes it impossible to restrict. Irony resides that, while large corporations develop closed and expensive armamentUkraine has managed to use free access tools to execute attacks that remodeled the balance of power. Internet. What happened also leaves another teaching. The technological war between Ukraine and Russia is also a Communities Warforums and repositories. The software that allowed the attack developed collectively over years by programmers and fans distributed worldwide, many of which never imagined that their work would be used in combat. Neither Ardupilot nor its creators can prevent it, and although its code of conduct explicitly facilitates militarization, there is no restrictive license: knowledge is already in the hands of Who wants to use it. In the context of the current conflict, this means a silent revolution: it is not only the armies that free wars, but also free software developers. Ardupilot The Made in China answer. Before the gigantic industry Of low -cost drones that is hitting its troops, Russia has revealed an unprecedented development: a Chinese laser system To tear down drones, they report several Telegram proruse channels. Although it has not yet been officially confirmed, Images and videos disseminated They show a military vehicle shooting a laser beam capable of drilling metal plates and setting fire to drones in full flight. The appearance of the system coincides with the characteristics of the SHEN NUNG 3000 OR THE 5000 MODELan anti -gluvated weapon presented by China and that would also have been delivered to Iran. Analysts of the International Institute for Strategic Studies They point out thatalthough with some modifications, the system used by Russian forces has been derived directly of Chinese design. In fact, Russian military have confirmed that it is already In the hands of units as The Spetsnaz of the nomadic unit, and have even celebrated its effectiveness as an advance against previous technologies considered ineffective or excessively expensive. SHEN NUNG China, Iran and Russia. The entrance of this technology expands the analysis. The growing cooperation Technological between Beijing, Moscow and Tehran is reflected in the circulation of systems Like Shen Nungdeveloped by the Chinese Academy of Engineering Physics. Although its operational use is still limited and its real abilities have not been tested in high -intensity scenarios, its mere presence on the battlefield indicates a qualitative change: the powers that seek to challenge the western order are sharing advanced capabilities, many of them before reserved for a handful of countries. Plus: The appearance of this system in Russian territory coincides with recent information that indicates that they will also go I would be using itconfirming that it is available in the market and has already been exported. From Ukraine to the Middle East. The use of laser weapons is not exclusive to the Moscow-Pekín-Teherán axis, of course. Israel has also recently deployed Your Iron Beam system (known as Magen or in Hebrew) to intercept Hezbollah dronesa weapon that combines response speed, precision and low cost per shot. The Israeli system, developed by Rafael and the Air Force, is still in the final test phase, but has already been used in combat. United States, meanwhile, has deployed experimental units of laser weapons in advanced positions and ships, although the advances have been slower than expected due to technical challenges such as the sensitivity of the components, thermal limits and reduced efficacy in adverse environmental conditions. Promise and fragility. Be that as it may, and although these weapons represent a significant advance in the anti -aircraft defense, They are still vulnerable: They have a limited scope, their performance depends on the weather, and require specialized maintenance. Even so, in an environment where drone swarms are increasingly frequent and difficult to intercept with traditional systems, lasers offer a solution attractive. Their low cost per shoot and their ability to operate without physical ammunition make them an emerging alternative, especially for countries that seek to overcome technological asymmetries. Between codes and science fiction. The irruption of a Chinese laser system In the Russian-Ukrainian Front marks a turning point in the use of directed energy weapons and in the global geostrategic dynamics. What until recently seemed a matter of fantastic literature is now a real instrument of combat and deterrence. In parallel, Ukraine has been able … Read more

Now we know why North Korea has never left Ukraine. Send missiles to Russia has made it a power

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For a while nobody has heard more about North Korean troops In the Ukraine War. However, the nation has never left the conflict in Eastern Europe. In fact, now it has been known The scope of the collaboration between Moscow and Pyongyang. While North Korean missiles arrived in Russia, another package of measures and artillery has been transforming the military capacity of North Korea. A war and its missiles. I told yesterday The Guardian. A prepared report For the UN sanctions multilateral group of the UN, it has revealed that Russia is using North Korean armamentincluding ballistic missiles and heavy artillery, to intensify their attacks against Ukrainian cities and destroying critical civil infrastructure. According to this consisting team by 11 countries (Among them the United States, the United Kingdom, Japan and several EU nations), the Kim Jong-un regime has sent Moscow More than 20,000 containers With ammunition since September 2023, equivalent to some nine million projectiles of artillery and rockets. This massive arms supply, a VIOLATION OF RESOLUTIONS The UN Security Council has allowed Russia to hold and intensify its long -distance bombing campaign, especially in urban areas such as Kyiv and Zaporiyia. From Korea to Russia. The revelation arrives shortly after Kim and Putin signed An association treaty Comprehensive strategic in the summer of 2024. The same compromises both powers to Attend mutually If one of them is attacked. This pact formalizes a military alliance that already It had been brewing de facto through the systematic exchange of armament, technology and military personnel. The transfer of weapons It is not limited To projectiles: North Korea has supplied Russia Balistic missilesLong -range multiple launches, self -propelled cannons and other advanced ammunition, sent by sea, air and rail. Military Renaissance. For decades, North Korea dragged a chronicle inability to modernize His army. Isolated by international sanctions, devastated by natural disasters and impoverished by its own autarkic policy, Pyongyang maintained an oxidized military apparatus, with Soviet technology from the mid -twentieth century and insufficient resources to update it. However, and as explained this week The New York TimesRussian invasion to Ukraine has offered Kim Jong-un an unexpected opportunity: a military power needy ammunition, soldiers and conventional material. In exchange for supplying those millions of projectiles and thousands of troops, Kim has received from Moscow Fuel, food, technological assistance and a flow of weapons, components and knowledge that have completely transformed the North Korean military industry. Expanding arsenal. Thanks to this tacit exchange pact, North Korea has multiplied its capacity Armamentistic HE They have identified Modernized tanks with electronic war systems, attack drones led by artificial intelligence, advanced anti-aircraft systems, air-air missiles and naval destroyers equipped with supersonic cruise missiles. Ha also Test missiles Antiacera under the direct supervision of Kim, who has intensified his visits to ammunition factories and military facilities. He kamikaze drones trial With self -destruction capacity, directed by AI, it has been one of the most striking acquisitions, reducing the South Korea gap in the field of conventional weapons. These improvements reflect a Russian technological transfer that would have been unthinkable in the recent past. Troops, experience and diplomacy. Kim has not only exported ammunition. I remembered the Times that has also sent up to 15,000 soldiers North Koreans to the Russian Front, mainly in the Kursk region. Although Moscow initially hid his presence, in the end he recognized his participation as “significant”. For the North Korean regime, this deployment has an incalculable formative value: thousands of soldiers get real experience in combat, returning as veterans, something that not even the South Korean army can exhibit. According to analyststhis symbolic and strategic component full of pride to Kim and reinforces its internal and external image, providing it with greater margin of maneuver against key actors such as Trump or Jinping. If you want also, the result is a north Korea more assertivewith renewed military muscle and expanded negotiation capacity. North Korea nuclear submarine A pact without sanction. It is another of the legs that derive from the alliance. The Cooperation with Russia has allowed North Korea avoid effectively The sanctions of the UN Security Council, which explicitly prohibit the arms trade with the Kim regime. Plus: The Ukrainian conflict has facilitated A perfect route To overcome those restrictions. Moscow needs projectiles and soldiers, Pyongyang Technology and validation. The relationship, which began as A practical exchangehas been institutionalized with the signing of that alliance treaty that we commented. Since then, North Korea has intensified the construction of new destroyers Navales, has reactivated its program Nuclear submarines and has expanded its ammunition industry, multiplying by four its production of artillery projectiles. Naval ambitions. And of all, one of the most disturbing advances We commented recently: The presentation of Choe Hyon destroyerthe first of its class in decades, armed with cruise missiles similar to Russian 3m22 Zirconpotentially nuclear. To this is added the construction project of A nuclear submarinewhose only possibility is a qualitative leap in Pyongyang’s offensive capacity. Although many experts doubt that Moscow dares to share naval nuclear technology (especially a compact reactor for submarines), the fact that North Haya publicly shown The beginning of its construction suggests an unprecedented level of ambition. Its existence, even incomplete, already alters the strategic calculations of the United States and Japan in the Pacific. Errors and improvisations. No doubt, this meteoric advance is not exempt from errors: the recent shipwreck Of the second destroyer, which occurred shortly after his launch, caused Kim’s anger and the arrest of several officers. The incident reveals the pressure that the North Korean leader is exercising on his technical and military apparatus to accelerate development deadlines. Even so, with the support of Russia, these failures do not seem to stop the general rhythm of modernization. Kim has proposed to fulfill the ambitious arms program announced in 2021, and with the resources and knowledge acquired from Moscow, it is closer than ever to achieve it. Power rebalancing. Meanwhile, for Seoul, Tokyo and Washington, the North Korean military transformation … Read more

The undercover operation of Ukraine has left an irreparable hole for Russia. Its nuclear deterrence has jumped through the air

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If they had told us that a fleet of trucks disguised as mobile houses was going to enter Russia in a covert operation of a year and a half, and that after that time a swarm of more than 100 drones would attack with surgical precision several air bases of Moscow, we would not have believed it. However, and beyond A mission That seems more typical of a Hollywood film, the operation has meant a hole for Russia that can hardly be replaced in the short term. A letter clue In negotiations. Unprecedented. It We count yesterday. On June 1, 2025, Ukraine carried out the greatest operation with war drones to date, launching 117 drones against at least four Russian air bases in a coordinated attack that had as its direct objective the backbone of Russian strategic aviation: its long -range bombers. Until then, the Ukrainian attacks on these platforms had been sporadic and limited to a single location, but this blow, simultaneously executed against Belaya, Olenya, Dyagilevo and Ivanovo, says A radical change in the Ukrainian capacity to penetrate deeply in Russian airspace and degrade key strategic assets. Figures While there is still uncertainty about the exact number of destroyed or damaged aircraft, Ukraine claims to have impacted At least 41 aircraftwith 13 of them completely destroyed, including bombers Tu-22m3, TU-95msan early alert plane A-50 and possibly a TU-160 Blackjackthe most sophisticated bomber in Russia. An irreplaceable fleet. The importance of these bombers is not only in their conventional offensive capacity, but Its nuclear role within the Russian strategic triad. If the Ukraine figures are confirmed, the damages would be equivalent to a loss of the 10% of the force TU-95ms operational, for example, an alarming percentage considering that these aircraft have no immediate replacement. The TU-95ms, designed in the fifties and produced until the early nineties, It has been modernizingbut its value is more strategic than monetary. In the case of TU-22m3, another relic of the Cold War, its current use has been marked by devastating bombings with KH-22 missiles converted, causing Large number of deaths civilians in Ukraine. The loss of several of these airplanes greatly complicates their replacement. For its part, the TU-160the only one of these models still in production, represents a minimal fraction of the fleet and each unit costs more than 500 million dollars. Plus: Build new It has been for years and requires an industrial infrastructure diminished by sanctions. Your 22m3 Blow to nuclear deterrence. The Ukrainian attack, by Its scope and precisionnot only neutralizes short -term attack capacity, but also weakens Russia’s credibility as nuclear power. These bombers constitute the most flexible part of their Dysuasoria triadnot only for its role in conventional conflicts, but for its ability to launch nuclear missiles from remote distances. In addition, they also fulfill symbolic functions, patrolling the airspace of Europe, Asia and even approaching Alaska’s environment As a sample of force. The loss of aircraft in this sector undermines that projection. Moscow has repeatedly argued that attacks on its strategic abilities represent a red line, but so far it has not responded proportionally To attacks that have been growing in scope and intensity. This operation, however, marks An climb difficult to ignore. At 50u Structural vulnerability. The attack has also clearly exposed the persistent vulnerability of the Russian aviation on land. Although defensive measures implemented from previous attacks (such as aircraft dispersion, anti -explosive wallsreinforced shelters, models painted on tracks and wings tires To confuse drone guidance systems), the infrastructure has not achieved Protect airplanes whose large size even prevents them from protecting them completely. In fact, they were used junk aircraft Like lures, but none of that avoided the damage. The anti -aircraft defenses installed in the bases have been insufficient once again. The dispersion of bombers to remote places such as Olenya or Belaya intended to complicate Ukrainian attacks, but failed to avoid a huge scale and precision. Doctrinal change and a threat. Also We count widely yesterday. The Spiderweb Operation Not only demonstrated the technical capacity of Ukraine to infiltrate enemy territory with small and cheap drones, but also an emerging war doctrine focused on saturate and erode assets clue. This tactic not only damages expensive equipment with economic means, but it forces Russia to deploy even more Resources in static defensereduces its operational freedom and generates constant uncertainty. While Moscow launches nightly hundreds of drones against Ukraine, kyiv showed that he can strike back at unthinkable distances only one year ago. And it also does it with tools that evolve: the use of drones with improved countermeasures is expected, artificial intelligence To avoid The Jamming and the elimination of the human pilot in real time, which will further difficult to detect and neutralization. Putin and invulnerability. Bloomberg had Another leg that must be analyzed after the attack. Beyond the exact count of destroyed airplanes, the mission has shaken the Kremlin environment. The internal reaction itself has been alarm, anger and recognition of a scenario so far unthinkable: that nuclear assets can be legitimate and effective white from a country that No nuclear armament. Although the number of bombers needed to attack Ukraine is limited and Moscow could maintain its rhythm of envestidas, the underlying message seems clear: there is no territory Absolutely safe. This perception directly affects the Force projection that Putin has cultivated for two decades and erodes his rhetoric of strategic supremacy. The nuclear triad, touched. We said it at the beginning. Long -range aviation is the smallest component (and now, more damaged) Russian nuclear triadalso composed of intercontinental and strategic submarine ballistic missiles. Although bombers are frequently used in conventional missions, they are also part of the global deterrent gear. Its symbolic character as nuclear projection instruments add a layer of gravity to the attack. Even if its operating role within the nuclear arsenal is secondary to missiles or submarines, the perception that they can be neutralized from the interior of Russia represents that doctrinal change … Read more

If something did not need the Ukraine War it was to enliven the conflict in an occupied nuclear power plant. Russia thinks different

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The paradox of the largest nuclear power plant in Europe is that it has been closed for three years and everyone wants to “open.” Without going far, the United States was the last nation to hint that it would be delighted to restart her. The problem is that it is in Ukraine, although Taken by Russiaand in the middle of a war whose end does not stick. Moscow knows that he has an energy pressure tool, but some satellite images have revealed much more. The space betrays. The story took this week The New York Times. Through new satellite images analyzed by Greenpeace and verified by the American environment, it has been revealed that Russia is building more than 80 kilometers of electric lines in the south busy of Ukraine with the aim of connecting the Zaporiyia nuclear plant to its own energy network. Covert reopening. This maneuver, until now without Russian official confirmation, represents the clearest signal until the intention of Moscow’s intention to reactivate and exploit the largest central in Europe, forcibly in the first bars of the invasion. Although its six reactors were gradually turned off (the last in 2023) for security reasons and due to nearby fightingRussia seems determined to return it to operationchallenging the warnings of international experts that consider that operating it under these conditions would be a nuclear risk first order. The Russian Plan seeks surround the current damage In the old 750 kilowol lines that connected the central with the Ukrainian network, two of which are going through areas under Kyiv control, and two others that have been useless or deteriorated by the war. Unprecedented use. If specified, this would be the First time in history in that a power at war restarts and uses an occupied nuclear plant for its own energy benefit. Russia, through the state Rosatom, has openly shown Your ambition: its general director He said recently that the dream of reactivating Zaporiyia is still alive and that there is already a technical plan to return the plant to full capacity. The Russian intention does not seem to maintain territorial control of the complex, but to integrate it directly into the national electricity network, possibly and According to the Timesconnecting it with the Russian region of Rostov, which would require even more infrastructure. As we said at the beginning, the United States proposed a peace plan that included the return of the plant to Ukraine under international management (specifically American), In an attempt to avoid its use as a geopolitical tool. Russia He rejected sharply said option. Various risks. No doubt, we don’t talk about simply pressing the “ignition” button. In fact, the possibility of reactivating the central has awakened alarms Among nuclear experts. Since his shot, much of the Ukrainian technical staff has fled, leaving the plant No qualified operators. In addition, the Kajovka dam hole months ago (widely attributed to Russia), it eliminated the main source of water from the reactor refrigeration system and spent fuel, raising thermal and fusion risks in case of a failure. For its part, the Minister of Energy of Ukraine He warned that any Russian unilateral attempt to restart reactors could have unpredictable consequences. To all this is added The possibility of sabotage, military attacks or operational failures in a plant already located in an active combat zone. The consequences of a nuclear escape would not be limited to the region: the impact on the environment, human health and the energy stability of Europe would be unpredictable (and possibly devastating). A high voltage piece. As we have coming countingthe status of the Zaporiyia plant has become a power sheet in the peace negotiations. While Russia progresses (slowly) in her Technical reconnectionThe United States and its allies press to include their status in the terms of any future solution. The satellite images Recent, which reveal transmission lines advancing near the town of Shevchenko and towards a key substation linked to the complex, confirm that Moscow not only wants to retain control, but to turn the plant into a Active source of energy for your network. If you want also, snapshots from space reveal a deeper strategy: to consolidate the economic and energy control of the territories occupied as part of a Possible post -stroke. However, any attempt by Moscow to reactivate the plant without international consensus not only defies the rules of war law, but also brings us an unpublished threshold of nuclear insecurity. Image | Planet Labs, Via Greenpeace In Xataka | The largest nuclear power plant in Europe has been closed by the war in Ukraine. Now the United States wants to reopen In Xataka | We already know a hole that Russia has left in Ukraine: the Chernobil shield is still open and there is no money to close it

Ukraine soldiers are starting to carry scissors. It is the only way to face Russia’s most lethal weapon

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At the beginning of January the New York Times told which was no longer possible to hide in the Ukraine War. Before the brutality of the contest a technology had sneaked into Evade electronic war and enter the enemy field of both sides as I had not done before. The threat was destroying the lines, making attacks invisible and evading any attempt at interference. Now, that technology has become stronger and deadly in Russia: the optical fiber. The Russian offensive. I explained it a few hours ago BBC in a report. In the Ukrainian town of Rodynske, a few kilometers from Pokrovsk, the war has acquired an even more devastating dimension with the intensive use of 250 kg planning pumps and surveillance and attack drones. The recent impact of one of these projectiles devastated administrative and residential buildings, leaving behind a destruction landscape. Russian troops, unable to take Pokrovsk directly, have begun to surround it strategicallycutting supply routes through a siege that intensifies with every day. The immediate presence of Russian drones about Rodynske reveals that Moscow has advanced from the east, beyond the previously identified positions, displaying their weapons since recently captured areas. The unstoppable rise of fiber. Under that changing scenario, a technology has been perfected as the most feared weapon in the conflict: guided drones by fiber optic cable. Unlike traditional models, their physical connection with the controller makes them immune to electronic interference, one of the most important defensive pillars so far. Although slower and can be tangled (for example, in their passage through trees high), their ability to operate in closed environments, such as Inside buildingsand to stay hidden, each movement of Ukrainian soldiers converts into a possible death sentence. In that sense, Russia has taken the front in its implementation while Ukraine still tested themand although now tries to accelerate its production, the technological difference continues to incline the balance on the battlefield. Fiber cable anchored to a drone in Ukraine The front lines. This new type of threat has completely altered the dynamics of Ukrainian detachments. Soldiers as it is or came, from the 68th Jaeger battalion, They described the BBC How simple transfer to a position can be more lethal than direct combat. The pressure has forced the units to remain much longer in the trenches, without the possibility of rotation. Maksym, gunner of the 5th Assault Battalion, says that they could alternate every few days, but now there are those who take until 120 days in a row on the front. Fatigue, moisture, constant death and the impossibility of lowering the guard have redefined combat. Oses, chief of recognition, explained that Russian tactics have evolved towards small and mobile infiltrations: Motorcycles, quadrimotos, patrols of one or two men who penetrate enemy lines such as scattered pieces on a chess board. Pros and cons of fiber in war. Detailed it in a Interview for The War Zone Yas, a commander of the Ukrainian unmanned units (drones). Operate drones by fiber optic offers an essential tactical advantage: it allows silent control, without detectable emissions, and makes many electronic warfare systems obsolete. However, the system also presents limitations. Drone management It requires great expertisesince an inexperienced pilot can cause losses due to control failures or even unwanted explosions. In addition, the fiber cable can be easily broken or entangled, and technology itself is expensive and difficult to access (especially for Ukraine). Despite this, the success index of fiber drones to achieve and hit their goals Round 50%figure that clearly exceeds that of conventional radiofrequency drones. However, less than 5% of the Ukrainian drone park, According to Yascurrently uses this system, mainly due to the shortage of quality units and the saturation of local manufacturers, many of which, in the beginning, reversed Chinese components without fully understanding the operating requirements in combat. The asymmetric race. In that sense, Russian capacities are not only imposed by number, but by the speed with which Adapt solutions. Every time Ukraine changes frequency or introduces improvements, Moscow responds quickly, climbing his countermeasures in a coordinated way. He has done so with control channels and video transmission. In that context, fiber optic drones They represent a momentary tactical advantage window. Although in Ukraine ranges of 15 and up to 20 kilometers with drones of this type have already been reached, Russia operates models of up to 30 kilometers. Yas lamented to the environment that, except in the case of conventional drones, the Ukrainian State has not yet managed to establish A solid infrastructure of production and deployment for fiber optic drones. A gap that can determine the difference between maintaining defensive positions or losing strategic ground against the enemy. Endurance. In The BBCa Ukrainian soldier said that the fear of drones Invisible Because of the fiber he has led them to start carry scissors everywhere To cut the cables. Technology has already given enough episodes of authentic nightmare where drones have entered buildings chasing human objectives. Meanwhile, and although Russia has made important advances, the Total Take Donetsk It is still far from being an immediate reality. Ukraine continues to resist, but suffers the shortage of ammunition, the imperative need for weapons and a worrying lack of qualified personnel against a more numerous Russian army and with better institutionalized processes at the moment. Yas is clear: The future of the war of drones will depend not only on technology itself, but who is able to organize it and multiply it faster. Meanwhile, every drone that raises the flight with a fiber optic coil becomes a silent bet between life and death. Image | Ministry of Defense of Ukraine In Xataka | The Ukrainian invention that has allowed to repel the waves of Russian attacks: a 41 km fiber optic cable In Xataka | The problem of many to cross the border and flee from the war in Ukraine is not the passport. They are your phones

Ukraine knocked a Russian Shahed drone and opened it. A hidden message has revealed Moscow’s advantage in electronic warfare

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In Ukraine, the capture of enemy artillery has become a box of surprises. In November last year, a Dron Parody revealed to what the United States this In the conflict (without being physically). A few weeks ago, the interception of a Russian cruise missile by Ukraine was shocking: they had it Made the “Allies”. The latest: the capture of a Shahed carried a surprising hidden note. The air war intensifies. Already We counted yesterday. The Russian air offensive on Ukraine has reached a new level of brutality, with a last attack that exceeds the limits previously considered exceptional. Russia launched an unprecedented mass attack that included 298 drones and 69 missiles On one night, a record figure that has put the Ukrainian anti -aircraft defenses in check. Faced with the foreseeable failure of high the fire conversations, Ukraine is forced to ration your interceptorswhich implies that more and more Russian projectiles will achieve their goal, hitting cities, industries and civilians with increasing intensity. North Korean missiles and Iranian drones. In addition, since the beginning of the year, Russia has transformed its aerial campaign, focusing its efforts into ballistic missiles (many from North Korea) and in a new generation of Shahed drones of Iranian origin. These drones, like We have been countingnow they are in their sixth version and use automatic learning to attack highly defended areas such as kyiv, which has resulted in recent impacts in shopping centers, residential areas and military training fields. Plus: The speed of ballistic missiles makes them virtually impossible to intercept without the scarce and expensive PAC-3 missiles of the patriot system, which Ukraine has in insufficient number. For its part, the manufacturing rate of Shahed drones in Russia has grown exponentially: if 300 a month before, now that same amount is generated in less than three days. Filtered documents suggest that Kremlin plans to increase production Up to 500 drones dailywhich could lead to swarms of 1,000 drones in a single operation. Projection of a shahed Telegram and drones. Economist He counted exclusively An unprecedented fact. A finding within a Shahed drone demolished in Ukraine has revealed a worrying evolution in Moscow’s technological strategy: a note, allegedly left by a supportive sympathizer engineer, said that Russia is controlling its attack drones through bots in bots in The telegram messaging application. The reason? This method allows to send flight data and live broadcasts directly to human operators, eliminating GPS dependence and making them much more resistant to Electronic interference Ukraine. The implementation of AI, added to the use of Ukrainian mobile networks and possibly connections via Starlink, marks a qualitative leap in the lethality and autonomy of Russian drones, especially those most recent models of Shahed who use automatic learning to reach precision protected targets. A threat that does not yield. The response of the West, as we explained this week, has been to eliminate the red line of the “Long -range weapons” For Ukraine to defend himself. Ukrainian crews continue to break down about 95% Of the drones launched against kyiv, but that remaining 5% is enough to inflict devastating damage. Russian tactics have evolved: drones fly to low height to avoid being detected and then They ascend sharply at altitudes that exceed the scope of short -range weapons. To counteract it, Ukraine He resorted to F-16helicopters and even interceptor drones, but the defense against ballistic missiles remains the weakest point. Only a few countries have systems capable of stopping them, and the United States, which produces the Patriots and its PAC-3 interceptors, it has own strategic priorities. Time is exhausted. As We summarized yesterdaydespite its urgent need for more patriot batteries (Zelensky estimates that at least ten additional would be necessary to cover the territory), the US administration has adopted a warm posture. Under the pressure of other conflicts and the influence of the hard wing of the Republican party, which is prioritized, Ukraine has ceased to be a strategic priority. PAC-3 production will increase to 650 units annuallybut that is still insufficient in front of 500 ballistic missiles that Russia would already have stored, according to kyiv. In addition, each Russian missile usually requires two interceptors to be shot down, which accentuates the disadvantage. New doctrine. Perhaps the latest Ukrainian movements are understood. Given the shortage of media and the growing aerial threat, kyiv contemplates a turn in its survival strategy: not to intercept, but to go to destroy complexes launch, Russian factories and deposits. This more aggressive position, defended by Analysts like Kostiantyn Kryvolappart of the conviction that without a deterrence activates the rhythm of the attacks will only increase. While Western Defense Systems They arrive with droppers And their abilities will take At least one year In expanding, Ukraine prepares to face an air war alone every time more asymmetric and lethal. In that scenario, each drone or demolished missile can offer clues to combat the disadvantage. Image | Kyiv City State Administration In Xataka | The war in Ukraine had a red line of 70 kilometers. West has just eliminated it after Russia’s last attack In Xataka | Russia has made its combat drones fly higher. Ukraine has found the solution in North Korea: balloons

The war in Ukraine had a red line of 70 kilometers. West has just eliminated it after Russia’s last attack

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The last 48 hours in Ukraine have been plagued by actions and decisions that can change the course of the conflict. Russia has carried out The biggest attack to date on Ukraine with a swarm of drones and a number of missiles released as not remembered. kyiv, meanwhile, needs the help that does not arrive (Patriots) from the United States to deal with Moscow’s disposses, and in the meantime, the West has taken A decision that could change everything. The resurgence of TU-95. In the early hours of March 26, Russia executed the Most significant aerial offensive of the last months, by deploying ten strategic bombers TU-95msm To launch a wave of KH-101 cruise missiles About Ukraine. Six of these aircraft took off from the Olenya Air Base, to the north of the country next to the border with Finland, and the remaining four from Engels, east of Sarátov, in the heart of the European Russia. The trajectories of the missile substantial increase of Russian troops in the northeast of the front. The operation underlines the renewed Centrality of TU-95 In the Kremlin air strategy, despite being a design that sinks its roots in the Soviet era. We talk about a bomber that He was born In 1950. Intercontinental scope. But as important as this vestige of the past are the weapons it carries. Each Tu-95msm can load up to eight KH-101 missilesmounted externally and capable of traveling more than 5,000 kilometers, which allows them to attack objectives throughout the Ukrainian territory without abandoning Russian airspace. Empharged with pools, electronic countermeasures and 400 kilos, these missiles have become one of the pillars of the Russian offensive since the beginning of the war. Although its high cost and the existence of cheaper and smaller alternatives have generated debates about its efficiency, Russia plans to increase its production 600 units per year In 2025, a sign of its commitment to maintain strategic pressure through high precision attacks from long distances. Tu-95 Acorralado Ukraine. On the other sidewalk, Ukraine faces a new and alarming phase in its aerial defense in the face of the increase in Russian attacks With ballistic missilesthe most feared for their speed, destructive power and difficulty of interception. These projectiles, responsible for having destroyed almost half of the country’s energy capacity, have evidenced again the Patriot systems shortageunique capable of dealing effectively. Ukraine failed to intercept any of the nine Russian ballistic missiles launched, including two directed against kyiv, despite having deployed there Patriot units. Although the rest of the more than 900 drones and 65 cruise missiles were mostly neutralized, ballistic missiles represent an uncontrollable threat that has caused dozens of dead only so far from 2025, including lethal attacks against Sumy and Kryvyi Rih. Washington: Yes but no. The change of administration in the United States has meant a drastic turn in military assistance policy. While Trump has verbally condemned the last Russian attacks (he reached Call Putin “Crazy”), he did not offer new aid commitments, and his Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, was sharp by stating that “we don’t have” more patriots to send. Instead of direct donations, Washington is pressing its European allies To give Part of its own arsenals, something that does not progress, because no country wants to weaken its internal defense. Raytheon, American manufacturer of the Patriots, has not yet achieved increase your production to meet the post-2022 demand. Under this new paradigm, kyiv believes that the White House would be arranged to sell systemsbut not give them awaywhich forces Ukraine to adapt its strategy to a more transactional relationship: the defense is now negotiated, it is not granted. West breaks its limits. A few hours ago, and in a significant turn in Western military policy towards war in Ukraine, Germany, together with the United Kingdom, France and the United States, has first eliminated the first time the scope restrictions in the weapons that supplies Kyiv, allowing him to directly attack military objectives within the Russian territory (beyond the 70 km). The announcement was made by German Chancellor Friedrich Merz after The biggest attack With Russian drones that we commented, an offensive that stressed the need to allow Kyiv to respond forcefully. The news marks a Posture change Regarding previous fear To provoke an escalation with a nuclear power such as Russia, and according to Merz, it establishes an essential difference between the legitimate military purposes of Ukraine and the deliberate attacks against civilians by the Kremlin. With this, they open new strategic possibilities For Ukraine, which until now had acted with containment regarding the use of western armament beyond its borders. The open doors. Although Merz He did not confirm If Germany will send Taurus missiles long range, that during your political campaign He openly supportedavoided detailing any concrete step so as not to offer informative advantage to the Kremlin. Since his arrival to power just a few weeks ago, the new chancellor has adopted an approach more discreet and pragmaticstating that total transparency can play against national security. Despite this public reserve, in Berlin the expectation that Merz could soon announce the Armament delivery For greater scope, especially in the context of the imminent visit of the Ukrainian President Zelenski to the German capital. The moment suggests that Germany is preparing the land to take that step, but wants to coordinate it carefully with its allies. The red line evolves. No doubt, the elimination of scope restrictions represents a rupture with narrative maintained by Western leaders since the beginning of the conflict, when they warned that allowing Ukraine to attack within Russia could be interpreted by Moscow as a direct involvement of NATO In war. However, the wear and tear of the diplomatic front, the repeated negative of Kremlin to participate in significant conversations and the growing brutality of Russian attacks have weakened those old red lines. For Merz and his allies, deterrence is no longer to limit the Ukrainian response, but to give Kyiv the ability to dissuade … Read more

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

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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

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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

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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

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