1/ Russian sources say that Ukraine's Unmanned Systems Forces, under the command of Robert “Madyar” Brovdi, have made "significant strides in UAV production and deployment technology". Russian soldiers are facing "slaughter [like] cattle" as a result. ⬇️
2/ Andrey Medvedev writes:
"We've been reporting since the fall that the Ukrainian Armed Forces and Ukrainian drone manufacturers have made significant strides in UAV production and deployment technology.
3/ "Footage of a single Russian soldier being killed by ten to twenty drones has, unfortunately, been appearing regularly on the Ukrainian segment of Telegram.
4/ "The enemy has built a highly effective system of interaction between drone manufacturers, government customers, and the military. The Brave1 military marketplace has reduced reporting and bureaucratic paperwork to a minimum.
5/ "Many didn't take the appointment of Robert "Madyar" Brody as UAV Commander seriously. So what if he's a businessman, he didn't graduate from a military academy, and he's just a "suit." What does he know about military affairs? Ugh.
6/ "However, we can now say with certainty that the increased effectiveness of the Ukrainian Armed Forces' UAV forces is also the result of the work of this dangerous and highly professional enemy.
7/ "And the shutdown of Starlink has certainly reduced the effectiveness of our military units.
The Ukrainian Armed Forces do have major personnel shortages. But they're solving this problem with UAVs.
8/ "A stronghold is held by a few forcibly mobilised soldiers, and cover is provided by drones controlling the battlefield. I'm certain the enemy's future strategy will be aimed at improving the quality of drones, using AI-powered swarms controlled by a single pilot.
9/ "And this will happen within a year, or even less.
10/ Pretending there's no problem, that we don't need to work on anything, is certainly possible. We can continue to talk about our complete superiority in drones.
However, I don't think that's necessary. Then again, I'm not a professional."
11/ RT's military correspondent Alexander Kharchenko agrees, and comments:
12/ "The enemy's frontline drones are incredibly effective. This is achieved through the use of more expensive components. The Ukrainians spare no expense on drones. Furthermore, repeaters on drones are commonplace for the enemy.
13/ "You can argue with me, but the objective monitoring footage speaks for itself. The enemy used radio drones to hunt the Ka-52 crew in a network of trenches. The drone's signal never dropped, allowing the enemy to strike and document the aftermath.
14/ "You can tear your hair out, but it's better to acknowledge the enemy's strengths and do just as well. Our country has both the minds and the hands to outperform the enemy. And I believe that similar footage will soon be published by our units."
15/ 'Novorossiya Militia Reports' is much gloomier:
"Magyar's channel alone publishes videos several times a week of Russian soldiers killed by FPV drones. Each video shows between 50 and 100 dead. And his channel publishes several such videos a week."
16/ "There are dozens of similar channels, belonging to various units of the Ukrainian Armed Forces' Unmanned Systems. The current fighting resembles the slaughter of cattle in Siberia, only with people instead of cows." /end
1/ Russian forces have suffered a major defeat near Lyman, with the loss of numerous men and armoured vehicles. The survivors complain that the Ukrainians "fucked us up like pigs at the slaughterhouse" and accuse a Russian general of a reckless gamble. ⬇️
2/ A frontline soldier writing in the 'Management Speaks' Telegram channel gives a furious and graphic account of what happened, in a since-deleted post that also highlights the ongoing collapse in fundraising since Telegram was blocked for many Russians:
3/ "Brothers, no matter what kind of fuckery happens, I'm in it till the very end. I won't lie — they fucked us up like pigs at the slaughterhouse, and I'm ashamed of this shit in front of the families of the guys, not in front of you.
1/ Has Donald Trump accidentally recreated, in an even more severe form, the energy crisis that doomed Jimmy Carter's presidency? A comparison with the 1979 oil crisis shows worrying parallels with the current situation. ⬇️
2/ In August 2023, former Fed chair Larry Summers (@LHSummers) noted this in the Washington Post: "It is sobering to recall that the shape of the past decade’s inflation curve almost perfectly shadows its path from 1966 to 1976 before it accelerated in the late 1970s."
3/ What caused that acceleration? The most immediate trigger was the Iranian Revolution in early 1979, which brought Ayatollah Khomeini to power. The turmoil caused by the revolution caused Iran's oil exports to drop from about 6 million barrels per day to only about 1.5 million.
1/ As the Russian government's strangulation of the Internet deepens, Russian businesses are waking up to the long-feared reality of the so-called 'Cheburnet' – a walled-off national intranet for only selected companies and services. Economic disaster is forecast. ⬇️
2/ 'Cheburnet' (a portmenteau of 'Internet' and the iconic Soviet/Russian children's character Cheburashka) is the standard, sardonic Russian term for the government's long-held ambition to create a North Korea-style 'sovereign Internet', walled off from the outside world.
3/ Unlike North Korea or China, which never had uncensored access to the global Internet and have built their online economies and infrastructure accordingly, Russia is suddenly being wrenched onto the path of a closed national intranet.
1/ India is ripping off Russia to the tune of hundreds of billions of dollars over oil shipments, according to an angry Russian commentary. India will not pay for Russian oil in anything other than Indian rupees and Indian-made goods, which Russian companies don't want. ⬇️
2/ 'Political Report' writes:
"For several years, Russian officials proudly declared that Europe, by rejecting Russian oil, was only harming itself, while Russia continued to quietly sell its oil to other buyers and enrich itself."
3/ "It was claimed that India was happily buying up barrels at favourable prices. Public figures were aired about the colossal profits the country was supposedly receiving from redirecting supplies to the Asian market. The reality turned out to be far from these rosy reports.
1/ Another Russian helicopter has been lost over Ukraine – the second in two days, after yesterday's shootdown of a Ka-52 by an FPV drone (seen here). The Russian warblogger 'Fighterbomber' is angry at the lack of EW protection on helicopters. ⬇️
It's clear that everyone is now preoccupied with urgently installing anti-FPV drone electronic warfare systems on attack helicopters."
3/ "Why attack helicopters, specifically? Because Mi-8 crews are already carrying homemade electronic warfare systems at their own risk, supported by sponsors, volunteers, or even purchased at their own expense.
1/ Has Iran managed to reinvent the Sound Dues – the tolls that Denmark imposed for over 400 years on ships entering the Baltic Sea? Recent ship movements suggest that rather than completely blocking the Strait of Hormuz, Iran is monetising it instead. ⬇️
2/ Between 1429 and 1857, Denmark levied a toll on ships passing through the Øresund, the body of water separating Denmark from Sweden. At the time, Denmark controlled both sides of the strait with the castles at Helsingør (Hamlet's Elsinore) and Helsingborg.
3/ The tolls were enforced by the cannon batteries in both castles, which could open fire on a ship trying to pass without authorisation and sink it. They were calculated on the basis of a ship passage fees plus 1–2%, sometimes up to 5%, of the declared cargo value.