What the Su-57 fighter can do and its destruction can tell us about the general state of the Russian army. Like the T-14 tank, the Armata is simply a PR project of the Russian army, the purpose of which is not to build a fifth-generation aircraft, which it never was, but
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to get the state budget and steal the money. In fact, the Su-57 is not a new platform, but a regular Su-35 with a modified appearance and some new systems. Sharp angles were added to give the impression of using stealth technology. The shapes of the wings and tail unit were
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changed. The Su-57 is equipped with AL-41F1 engines. This is a modernization of the AL-41F engine, developed in the 1970s. According to official data, 60 billion rubles were spent on development. These figures were cited by Putin, so in reality the cost may be much higher.
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The result is a very expensive aircraft, but not much different from the cheaper Su-35, so its purchase does not make sense for the Russian army. From the beginning of development in 2001 to the first flight in 2010, 15 aircraft have been assembled to this day, including
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prototypes. Now there are 14 left. The newest Russian aircraft was destroyed by a cheap drone. Another example of Russian sloppiness and reliance on chance. In Russia, money was allocated for the construction of hangars for aircraft, but, surprise, it was stolen. There was
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only enough for an anti-drone net. Again, this is an indicator of how the army is organized. An order and money come from above to build protection for aircraft. The money goes into the pockets of officials, the order goes further - protection for aircraft is needed.
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The rest of the funds go into the pockets of the airfield management, the order is passed on - Ivan and a team of airfield workers must build protection for the aircraft from what is on site. A dome is built from a fence mesh, paperwork is drawn up - the protection is built.
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Documents and reports go to the top that the aircraft is protected. On paper, everything looks good. The boss can rest easy. And what about the Ukrainian drones? No, they won't come. But they did come. Who's to blame? Ivan and his comrades. And Shoigu, of course. They say,
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this is his legacy. Russians hope that something will change under Andrei Belousov, but the Russian system cannot change, which is, of course, good for Ukraine. Russia needs smart generals, but a smart general will not carry out Putin's criminal orders and serve under a
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dictatorship. It's a vicious circle. No matter what changes there are in the government, when the system is built on lies, theft and deception, only liars, thieves and cheaters can work in it.
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Ukraine is systematically destroying Russian air defense systems, creating more and more holes for possible attacks, and we will see even more in the future.
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Europe still does not fully understand the threat posed by Russia. There has been growing talk of a possible attack on the Baltic states, but in reality, this threat is minimal - and the real danger lies elsewhere. Putin has found a grey zone, and so far it brings far
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greater benefits than any ground operation could. NATO has spent its entire existence preparing for a conventional war with infantry and tanks, but the main threat today is hybrid warfare. There is no need to launch missiles to paralyze airports or completely collapse
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a country's banking or energy system - cyberwarfare is a reality, not a fantasy from Hollywood films. Putin’s goal is to sow discord within Western societies, and hybrid war offers a wide range of tools to achieve that. His main target remains Ukraine, and he is doing
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Russian actions around NATO borders and within its territories are becoming increasingly aggressive, and talk of a possible Russian attack on alliance members is growing. Russia is testing reactions to provocations, and so far NATO has responded with restraint. This is
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understandable, since a downed aircraft could serve as a casus belli for Russia. Moreover, it will give propaganda an opportunity to call people to rally around the national leader Putin to confront the “NATO threat” with which Russians have been frightened for years.
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However, for dictatorships, a restrained response often serves as a signal to act. There is no doubt that Russia cannot compete with NATO economically or militarily in the long run, but today NATO lags behind both Ukraine and Russia in the tactics of new-generation warfare.
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Russia is frightened by the upcoming potential supply of American weapons, such as Tomahawk missiles, to Ukraine. It's difficult to predict what actions will follow the statements from White House officials, but the shift in rhetoric is indeed alarming Russia. Instead of the 1/6
usual threats Lavrov issued at the UN in response to the plan to shoot down Russian aircraft violating its borders, Peskov was reserved in his comments. "The question remains: who can launch these missiles, even if they end up on Kyiv regime territory? Can only Ukrainians 2/6
launch them, or should the American military do so? Who assigns the targeting missions to these missiles—the Americans or the Ukrainians themselves? And so on. Therefore, a very thorough analysis is needed here. We have certainly heard the statements; they are very serious, 3/6
Russian publicist and blogger Yulia Latynina, who was placed under personal sanctions by Ukraine for participating in anti-Ukrainian propaganda, is receiving hundreds of thousands of euros for her Estonian structures, writes Postimees. This activity raises questions
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considering how dramatically Latynina’s rhetoric has shifted over the years of full-scale war: from outright condemnation of the war she moved to ideas of Slavic unity and criticism of Ukrainian resistance. Yulia Latynina is a Russian publicist, writer, and video blogger.
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She became known in the late 1990s as a journalist and as the author of science fiction novels and industrial detective stories. Latynina worked as a journalist for Novaya Gazeta and Echo of Moscow. On Gazprom’s radio station she hosted the popular program “Access Code.”
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Many people ask why Estonia did not shoot down the Russian MiGs that violated Estonian airspace. It’s very simple. Here is the list of Estonian air-defence assets we have available — ZU-23-2 23mm anti-aircraft cannons, Mistral man-portable surface-to-air missile launchers, 1/6
and Giraffe AMB fire-control radars. The Estonian sky is guarded by NATO air forces on a rotational basis. Right now those are Italian F-35s. Our approach to the Russian threat and Italy’s approach differ greatly. If an Estonian pilot were behind the stick of an F-35, they 2/6
would fire after the first warning without hesitation; Italian air crews will think ten times before shooting down a Russian aircraft over Estonian territory. This is not a criticism of the Italians — they are our loyal allies — but they try to avoid escalation over someone 3/6
Small arms manufactured in Russia and their ammunition are being sold to Italian criminal groups, reportedly using Russia’s shadow fleet, Italian outlet Linkiesta writes. Journalists found that new weapons without serial numbers, produced between 2010 and 2020 - including 1/6
assault and sniper rifles - are entering Italy from Russia. This is not a case of erased serial numbers but, according to a source cited by the publication, genuinely new weapons leaving the factory already unmarked. The small arms supplied to Italian groups are said to be 2/6
produced at the Tula Arms Plant. Linkiesta notes that weapons without serial numbers can be removed from factories only with state approval, and this is corroborated by a 2023 Europol report stating that the emergence of new unmarked weapons on the market indicates “forms of 3/6