1/ Russian strippers say that mobilisation has had an unexpected benefit for them – Moscow's 'inadequate' men have been sent to war, leaving them with a smaller but better-behaved clientele. ⬇️
2/ I've previously highlighted a report on how the war has impacted strip clubs in Moscow. It's been suggested before that the financial perfomance of strip clubs can be a leading indicator of imminent economic problems – so-called 'strippernomics'.
3/ The independent Russian SOTA media collective reports that the situation with Moscow's strip clubs is more complicated than earlier reports suggested. Customer numbers fell after the start of the war in February 2022 and partial mobilisation from September.
4/ However, this isn't all bad news, as strippers at a prestigious central Moscow strip club say that it's got rid of many of their unwanted poorly behaved customers. SOTA quotes one stripper:
5/ "We divide men into adequate and not so much. And to be honest, it's mostly the latter who are missing. They're probably at war right now.
6/ At the end of September and in October guys often came to us and said, 'That's it, tomorrow we have to fight, come on, dance for us.' But on the whole, it has become calmer to work. The most unpleasant customers now have no time for striptease."
7/ While revenues have fallen, SOTA reports, strip clubs have been able to make up the difference though a surge of customers arriving for their traditional pre-New Year strip club visit. /end
1/ Measures to prevent Russia using the Starlink system for drone navigation have prompted alarm among Russian warbloggers. They fear losing Starlink altogether at the front line, and warn that Russia's Starlink alternative is years away from implementation. ⬇️
2/ In recent weeks, Russia has increasingly been using Starlink terminals embedded in kamikaze drones to carry out attacks far behind the front lines in Ukraine. Russian soldiers also rely heavily on Starlink for battlefield communications.
3/ Although Russia is embargoed from importing Starlink terminals, it has a well-established grey import pipeline which involves purchasing and registering terminals abroad, then importing them into Russia for use in Ukraine.
1/ Russian tank operators say that they are running short of explosive reactive armour due to losses running much higher than the relatively low rate of replenishment. Documentation published by a Russian foundation states that 100,000 ERA bricks are being produced annually. ⬇️
2/ The 'No Pasaran Charitable Foundation for Humanitarian Aid to the Population of Donbas' recalls:
"Before and at the very beginning of the Special Military Operation, we often received "bald" tanks from storage, many of which were devoid of dynamic protection from the start."
3/ "They simply weren't supposed to have it.
These tanks, of course, had to be manually "finished" in the repair areas of tank units.
Now, all tanks arrive in the troops from the factory assembly line fully equipped with dynamic protection.
1/ Why are 'penguins' being seen wandering around the front line in Ukraine and getting blown up? The answer lies in a flood of dubious "anti-drone ponchos" being sold on Russian online marketplaces. ⬇️
2/ The specific item seen in recent videos appears to be a poncho being sold for "tactical thermal imaging protection, anti-drone protection". It is just one of many similar garments being sold on Russia's equivalents of Amazon and eBay.
3/ Wildberries and Avito, Russia's Amazon and eBay equivalents, have dozens of listings for such garments. They are typically claimed to be produced in Russia (though more likely imported from China). Some are suspiciously cheap – less than 600 rubles ($8) each.
1/ Donald Trump's ambition to take over Greenland has done severe damage to right-wing Danish parties, according to a new poll. Almost the entire right wing has suffered a drop in the polls, with the MAGA-aligned Danish People's Party particularly badly hit. ⬇️
2/ Denmark's political system is highly fragmented but is divided between a 'red bloc' of left and centre-left parties and a 'blue bloc' of centre-right to far-right parties. A poll carried out for national broadcaster DR shows the latter sustaining a major loss of support.
3/ As DR puts it, "Danish politics have been turned upside down" by Trump's Greenland grab. In an almost exact repeat of what happened in Canada in 2024, centrist parties are making significant new progress while the right has slumped after previously leading in the polls.
1/ An immediate 'energy ceasefire' is reported to have been agreed between Russia and Ukraine in talks in Abu Dhabi, supposedly ending Russian strikes on Ukrainian power and heating infrastructure. Russian warbloggers are angry about the move. ⬇️
1/ Trump Administration officials have reportedly held several secret meetings with Canadian separatists, who are seeking US$500 billion to bankroll their efforts. It suggests that the Administration is interested in breaking up Canada and absorbing the remnants. ⬇️
2/ According to the Financial Times, US State Department officials have secretly met with leaders of the far-right Alberta Prosperity Project three times since April 2025, with another meeting scheduled for February 2026. The APP is regarded in Canada as a fringe movement.
3/ The group says that the US is "extremely enthusiastic about a free and independent Alberta". They want the US to provide a $500 billion credit facility to support Alberta if it votes for independence. The APP is currently seeking signatures to call a referendum.