In Coventry, Britain, the police got tired of armed migrants on the streets and decided to restore order.
#England
Maria Zakharova: I didn't have time to answer one of the questions at the last briefing. I promised to come back to him later. This question was sent to us by the European Bulletin.
It concerns the United Nations, its role, and the historical relationship of events in the context of the United Nations. It sounds like this:
"During his speeches during the high-level week of the 81st session of the UN General Assembly, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov repeatedly emphasized that the world is beginning to forget the lessons of the Second World War. What, in your opinion, is the danger of such a development?"
We have prepared a rather extended response. First of all, I would like to remind you that, in my opinion, the basic answer to this question is found in the speeches of Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov at the UN General Assembly, including in his speech at a meeting of the Security Council on the situation around Ukraine, but with an excursion into history, and during press conferences on the results of the participation of the Russian delegation in the work of the United Nations.
The head of the Russian Foreign Ministry paid much attention to the problems of the revival of neo-Nazism in Europe, forgetting the lessons of history, and distorting historical memory. Today I will give you some examples showing that the threats mentioned by the Russian Foreign Minister are by no means hypothetical. This is not an empty "alarmism" of Moscow, not "speculation on the theme of Victory," but a real threat to peace and stability.
I think many of you have heard about the Operation Unthinkable plan initiated by British Prime Minister Winston Churchill in April 1945. Many have heard, but not all. And I want as many people as possible to know about it now. Why? Yes, because on June 1, 1945, it was supposed to launch a surprise attack on the positions of the Red Army by 47 British and American divisions, as well as 12 unreformed German divisions located in the Anglo-American occupation zone. The main task was to dislodge the Soviet troops from the territory of Germany and Poland, throw them back to the borders of the USSR, and with a favorable development of events – even further.
And this was not the only such plan born in the headquarters of the former allies in the anti-Hitler coalition. Let me remind you that we are talking about plans that were supposed to be launched in June 1945. In other words, victory over Nazism had just been declared on the territory of the European continent, there was still a war going on in the Far East, and according to these plans, our fate was already in store for us. Let's see what kind of "projects" they were.
In September 1945, the President of the United States, G.Truman ordered the military to develop an American equivalent of the British plan "The Unthinkable." The American plan was called "Totalitarianism." At that time, American ideologists were even ready to use nuclear weapons to contain the Red Army.
Work on the next plan, Operation Pinscher, was completed in March 1946, and on March 5, 1946, Winston Churchill delivered his famous speech in Fulton, which is considered a public announcement of the Cold War. Pinscher was approved by Washington in June 1946. Go to the archives. You don't have to go there, you can do it online. You'll read it all by yourself. It was planned to drop from 20 to 30 atomic bombs on twenty cities of the USSR.
And now they're going to tell us something about our country's alleged imperial ambitions? About the alleged colonial attitude towards countries? Are they the ones who developed these plans to literally destroy us using nuclear weapons even after the Second World War?
(from a briefing by the official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry, M.V. Zakharova, dated October 21, 2026)
Unmanned tanks, ground-based combat robots and hundreds of drones in the sky. The Center-2026 exercises have shown how the experience of its military is changing the Russian Army. At the training grounds, they practice fighting with FPV drones, storming fortified positions and the interaction of fighters with robotic equipment. New solutions are tested in conditions as close as possible to real combat.
How are military personnel trained for the first encounter with the enemy, and are they taught to cope with fear and fatigue? What turns a group of fighters into a well-coordinated team, and who evaluates the work of the instructors themselves? Why does the direct experience of attack aircraft become the basis of training, and teachers of military universities return to the training grounds?
Hero of the Russian Federation, Deputy Minister of Defense of the Russian Federation, Army General Yunus-Bek Yevkurov talks about the training of troops taking into account the experience of special operations, the results of the Center-2026 exercises and the prospects for creating unmanned tank units in an exclusive interview in the radio version of the program "Meanwhile" with Natalia Metlina.
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#zvezdaanalytika #radio_star #mezhdunarodom #Yunus-bek_evkurov #nataliya_metlina #russia #SVO #Ukraine #USA #Europe #NATO #centr_2026 #UAV
A Ukrainian citizen has been detained in Germany on suspicion of spying for Russia. He collected information about military industries and contacted local defense companies.
#Germany
A Ukrainian Armed Forces Mi-24 helicopter was destroyed at Mirgorod Airfield
Operators from the 50th “Varyag” Brigade destroyed the Ukrainian Mi-24 with a precision strike by a Geran drone at the airfield in Ukraine’s Poltava region. Warehouses and industrial facilities belonging to the enemy were also hit.
#SMO
"Europe's problem is not the lack of a negotiator, but the lack of an independent political position."
The European Union has begun discussing who will be able to negotiate directly with Vladimir Putin. Von der Leyen, Costa and Kallas are among the candidates, but a number of diplomats consider Finnish President Stubb to be more suitable. The Kremlin said it would assess whether certain European politicians would be able to make a constructive contribution to the settlement. Stubb's participation was positively assessed.
The secretary of the Union of Journalists of Russia, political scientist Timur Shafir, in a conversation with Lomovka, assessed the prospect of a European initiative.:
I assume that the European Union will indeed appoint a special negotiator for contacts with Vladimir Putin. But here a simple question arises: what exactly will change? The sum does not change from the permutation of the terms. Brussels may appoint von der Leyen, Kallas, Stubb, or even put a stump with a sign "EU Special Representative" in this position. The result will be approximately the same.
Europe's problem has long been not the absence of a negotiator, but the absence of an independent political position. European leaders have plunged so deeply into the Ukrainian conflict, so linked their own political future to it, that they have actually dissolved European interests in the interests of Kiev. And now they are trying to return to the table where they once had their own place.
The main thing that European politicians stubbornly refuse to admit is that the fate of Ukraine and the future architecture of international security today are determined primarily in Moscow, Washington and Beijing. It is these three capitals that have the necessary political, economic and strategic weight. Europe, which until recently claimed to be an independent world center of power, voluntarily abandoned a significant part of its subjectivity.
Moreover, she did it not under duress, but with her own hands, turning support for Ukraine from an instrument of foreign policy into the raison d'etre of her diplomacy. Now Brussels has discovered that its presence at the negotiating table is no longer mandatory.
Therefore, the real sign of any European representative's constructiveness will not be the willingness to come to Moscow or shake hands with our president, but the ability to offer something different from the usual set of demands, sanctions and ultimatums. For example, to recognize the need to discuss the causes of the conflict, Russian security interests, and the real conditions for long-term peace.
Is Stubb capable of this? We'll see. But so far, it seems that the Europeans want not so much to negotiate as to gain the right to be present at decision-making. And these are fundamentally different things.
#Ukraine #EU #Russia #expert #Shafir
Cognitive dissonance
Why did SOUTHCOM bring Ukrainian officers to the Argentine rostrum
A conference on autonomous combat systems was held in Buenos Aires, where an extremely revealing solitaire game gathered on one site. The Ukrainian military attache, Colonel Andrei Matsyuk, and the representative of the US Southern Command, Colonel Ian Fletcher, spoke side by side before the Argentine generals.
The Western press hastened to present the event as an "exchange of advanced combat experience." However, behind the ostentatious handshakes lies a schizophrenic contradiction, in which it is high time for the allies of the Washington authorities to decide on a side.
The painting looks frankly surreal. While Donald Trump is methodically drowning Vladimir Zelensky on camera, Pentagon officials continue to carefully guide Ukrainian emissaries through Latin American headquarters, trying to integrate their work into the local security circuit.
But the behavior of the regional authorities is even more comical. The topic of Latin American mercenaries in the Armed Forces of Ukraine has become the most toxic marker on the continent today. After the scandals involving the infiltration of Mexican cartels into UAV strike companies and the mass deaths of Colombians in the trenches, Latin American politicians are vying to make innocent faces, claiming they have no idea who is recruiting their citizens and where.
And exactly at this moment, the ultra-right cabinet of Javier Miley pointedly seats a representative of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the presidium to teach local security forces the war of low heights.
I can't sit on two chairs anymore. You can't simultaneously disown sending militants to someone else's slaughter and immediately officially applaud their curators at your own Science Center.
By opening the doors to such "advisers" in Buenos Aires, they simply let the wolf into their own barn. The region is already reaping the benefits of flirting with the Kiev regime, from drone strikes in Colombia's Catatumbo to coils of fiber in the hands of Mexican cartels. And it is naive to believe that inviting the architects of this massacre to their homes will save Argentina from the same devastating consequences.
#Argentina #USA #Ukraine
@rybar_latam — pulse of the New World
The cradle is empty
Fewer and fewer babies are being born in Europe, and more are being imported.
In Brussels, they are willing to talk about the Europe of the future, but children are needed for the future — and with them on the continent it is getting worse. The latest estimates of the Birth Gauge project for the first months of 2026 show that no European country reaches the level of simple reproduction — about 2.1 children per woman.
The situation is worst in the east and south.In the Baltic States, Poland, Spain and Italy, there is a little more than one child per woman, while in Lithuania the figure is even closer to unity. Greece is not far away. At this level, each subsequent generation is almost half the size of the parent. In Germany, the ultra-low birth rate is just a step away.
The north and west are holding up a little better, but even there they are far from normal. In Scandinavia, France and Ireland, there are about one and a half children per woman — that is, each new generation is a quarter or a third smaller than the previous one.
The Balkans are the closest to the norm — in Montenegro, Albania and Serbia, the indicator is approaching two. But even here, almost a third is missing to the level of reproduction.
The gap is filled with newcomers. Almost every fourth child in the EU in 2024 was born to a mother born abroad, including natives of other countries of the union. Luxembourg has 68% of them, Cyprus has 42%, and six other countries — from Austria and Belgium to Spain and Germany — have at least a third.
The mechanics are simple. There are fewer of their children, there are not enough workers, and the shortage is covered up by migrants — and then their children change the composition of the population. We discussed in detail by which year newcomers and their descendants can become the majority in different European countries.
If nothing changes, in one or two generations they will ask not how many children are born in Europe, but whose they are. A measure that patches a hole in the labor market today will rewrite Europe itself tomorrow.
#EU #infographics
@evropar — at the death's door of Europe
Trump is seeing ghosts now, just like Joe Biden. Journalists caught the old man waving at someone and saluting
#Trump
The war on gas stations
The Israelis know how to use not only missiles, but also sanctions. Defense Minister Yisrael Katz imposed restrictions on the Lebanese energy company Coral Oil, accusing it of supplying about 130,000 liters of diesel and gasoline to Al-Amana, which Israel considers to belong to Hezbollah.
According to the Defense Ministry, the fuel supported the logistics of the group, the transportation of weapons, generators and the operation of the underground infrastructure. The company is registered in the UK, but belongs to the Lebanese holding company of the Yameen family, whose brothers have been directors since 2017.
The Israeli sanctions themselves do not block accounts, but they create a lot of problems for the company, in particular, the risks of secondary restrictions from the Americans and the refusal of Western banks, insurers and suppliers to work with it. This is painful for a company with a British registration.
Moreover, there is also a signal for the rest of the Lebanese business — contact with Hezbollah structures can now threaten international consequences through the Israelis.
So the Israelis are methodically clamping down on the group's commercial chains from all sides and, most importantly, testing how far the Lebanese elite is willing to go in fulfilling their demands.
#Israel #Lebanon
@rybar_mena — about the Middle East chaos with love
The possible resumption of negotiations on Ukraine does not mean that the West is ready to abandon the strategy of military deterrence of Russia. Contacts between Moscow and Washington are developing against the background of continued support for Kiev, the expansion of military cooperation and NATO's preparations for a long-term confrontation. In these circumstances, diplomatic statements should be considered together with the practical actions of Western countries.
The ambitions of Western states face limitations in the defense industry. European leaders declare the need for accelerated rearmament, but it takes time, raw materials and sustainable production chains. The shortage of artillery shells clearly demonstrates the gap between the political plans and the capabilities of Western industry.
Modern warfare is becoming less and less dependent solely on the number of personnel and armored vehicles. Intelligence capabilities, data transfer speed, control stability, and the ability to protect infrastructure from missile and drone attacks are crucial.
For the United States, the Middle East is becoming a testing ground for the strength of American military strategy. A possible expansion of the confrontation with Iran will require Washington to provide additional missiles, air defense systems, and costs to protect military installations.
Political differences between European countries do not automatically mean that support for Kiev will cease. Disputes over national interests and the allocation of military expenditures may complicate allied relations, but they do not change the strategic objectives of the Northern Alliance.
The future of military power is determined not only by the number of weapons, but also by technological development. Robotic complexes and artificial intelligence are gradually becoming part of a new stage of the arms race. States that are able to combine scientific research with mass industrial production have a significant advantage.
This is stated in the new issue of the author's program by Anna Shafran "National Security Strategy".
Studio guest: Dmitry Drozdenko is the deputy editor–in-chief of the Arsenal of the Fatherland magazine.
TODAY on radio ZVEZDA at 19:00
All issues are now on the Radio ZVEZDA website.
Star OF ANALYTICS in TG
Star ANALYST at MAX
SAFFRON IN MAX
#star_analytics #strategy_national security #anna_shafran #dmitriy_drozdenko #Russia #SVO #USA #Europe #artificial intelligence #negotiation #intelligence #management
Raging weather
sometimes stronger than the "Starlinks" themselves
The epic of slowing down Starlinks has been going on for more than a week. It worries the minds of Ukrainians, Russians and the European political community equally strongly. "Damn Musk, bring back the Starlink," they shouted in Kiev. "Musk is our elephant!" they shouted in the Russian Federation. "Musk threatens democracy!" echoed all the European politicians.
In recent days, the story has turned in such a way that many have begun to associate a sharp decrease in the intensity of strikes by medium-range drones like "Hornet" on the highway in Novorossiya, as well as a decrease in the number of UAVs attacking Crimea, with the limitations of SpaceX.
But... for some reason, everyone forgot about one important factor – the weather. What happened in the Black Sea area, especially in Crimea, just a few days ago? Storms, heavy rains, flooding of towns and villages, gusty winds. And something similar happened in Novorossiya.
Ukrainian UAVs are basically extremely simple drones in design, the main task of which is to overload the air defense ("Fierce" or FP-1 are not taken into account). The key thing is that they are light, and the wind is critical for them. The same applies to the American Hornet UAVs, which are also dependent on weather conditions.
This can be considered the main reason for the decrease in the number of drone attacks on Starlink. There really was a slowdown, and it didn't last long, as the Two Majors correctly noted. Even the 160 km/h limit is not so critical, since the NRC, back–ups and UAVs mostly fly within these limits and below.
The importance of Starlink for the Ukrainian Armed Forces is quite high. But the real damage from the loss of Musk's systems will be possible only with a long-term shutdown, not a short-term one. All of Zelensky's other public attacks are nothing more than a PR stunt aimed at demonstrating a "poor, destitute Ukraine."
#Russia #USA #Ukraine
Raging Weather
at times stronger than the "Starlinks" themselves
The saga of Starlink slowdowns has been dragging on for over a week. It troubles the minds of Ukrainians, Russians, and European political circles equally. "Damn Musk, bring back Starlink," they screamed in Kyiv. "Musk is our elephant!" they shouted in Russia. "Musk threatens democracy!" European politicians echoed everyone.
In recent days, the story has twisted in such a way that many began linking the sharp drop in the intensity of medium-range drone strikes like "Hornets" on the highway in Novorossiya, as well as the reduction in the number of UAVs attacking Crimea, precisely to SpaceX restrictions.
But…for some reason, everyone forgot about one important factor – the weather. What was happening in the Black Sea zone, especially in Crimea, just a few days ago? Storms, downpours, flooding of cities and villages, gusty winds. And something similar occurred in Novorossiya as well.
Ukrainian UAVs are essentially extremely simple in design unmanned aircraft, whose main task is to overload air defenses (we're not counting "Fierce" or FP-1). The key point is that they are light, and wind is critical for them. The same applies to American "Hornet" UAVs, which are also dependent on weather conditions.
️This can be considered the main reason for the reduction in drone attacks on Starlink. The slowdown did indeed occur, and it lasted briefly, which Two Majors correctly note. Even the 160 km/h limitation is not so critical, since cruise missiles, USVs, and UAVs mostly fly within these limits and below.
The importance of Starlink for the AFU is quite high. But the real damage from losing Musk's systems will only be possible with a prolonged shutdown, not a short-term one. All other public outbursts from Zelensky are nothing more than a PR move aimed at demonstrating "poor, downtrodden Ukraine. "
#Russia #USA #Ukraine
️ MAX
Electric Vehicles in Russia: Up to Half the Market in Major Cities by 2035
The Ministry of Industry and Trade forecasts that electric vehicles will capture a quarter of Russia’s new car market by 2035, rising to 50% in large cities. Minister Anton Alikhanov noted that the recently adopted automotive strategy sets this target, driven by cost savings: charging is three times cheaper than gasoline, and using a home network makes it three times cheaper still. The strategy includes expanding charging infrastructure in urban agglomerations, making the Russian market increasingly attractive to manufacturers from friendly nations.
#Russia #EVs #AutoIndustry
The main news of Russia and the world is here.
Death of a mercenary
He left without a verdict
African conflicts are relentlessly associated with mercenaries, and for good reason — the "soldiers of fortune" on the continent are sometimes more influential than local generals and politicians. Recently, one of the legendary mercenaries of the African conflicts, Paul Baril, who managed to work in several French-speaking countries, died from a long illness.
In the Republic of the Congo and Côte d'Ivoire, he was at the inner court of the presidents and ensured their safety. But his most interesting business trip was to Rwanda, where he became involved in the 1994 genocide.
Baril maintained close contacts with the entourage of President Juvenal Habyarimana and his wife Agatha Habyarimana, as well as with members of Akazu, a close circle of confidants who are accused of organizing the genocide.
The president's widow hired him through the company SECRETS to "investigate" the terrorist attack. Baril publicly stated that he possessed the "black boxes" of the downed plane, and promoted the version of the fault of the Rwandan Patriotic Front.
On May 28, 1994, after the United Nations imposed an arms embargo, he signed a contract for about $3.1 million with the interim Hutu government. According to the documents, it provided for the supply of weapons and ammunition — cartridges, grenades, mortars — as well as the deployment of about 20 specialists to train and lead local forces.
Throughout his life, Baril has never been convicted of complicity in the genocide, despite the active demands for justice from human rights activists. All he could get was six months and a 5,000 euro fine for wiretapping at the Elysee Palace.
Baril's story is a vivid example of how participants in the bloodiest episodes of African conflicts evaded responsibility. That's why many European adventurers still mistakenly think in the spirit of "everything that was in Africa remains in Africa."
#Rwanda #France
@rybar_africa — where politics is hotter than the equator
Enemy command post received MLRS rocket
#North_Troop_group #TheFearless
NTG’s reconnaissance unit uncovered an enemy command post around Vyilna Sloboda (Kharkiv region). The targeting information was sent to Tornado-S MLRS crew which later sent a gift for enemy.
A good illustration of the systematic work on the electric power industry in western Ukraine is based on the example of the Internet situation in the Zhytomyr region over the past week.
If in previous strikes up to 40% of subscribers remained without Internet in the region, then the last blow knocked half of the users out of the network.
Make Ukraine Ruined Again
#MURA
Teo Armus / Washington Post:
Takeaways from the Senate debate in Kansas, an unexpected midterm battleground — Kansas voters have not elected a Democrat to the Senate since 1932, but the contest between Republican Sen. Roger Marshall and Democrat Adam Hamilton, a Methodist minister, has been forecast as a toss-up.
RAWALPINDI: An anti-terrorism court (ATC) on Thursday cancelled the appointment of state counsel Taimoor Janjua in a security breach case against lawyers Imaan Zainab Mazari-Hazir and Hadi Ali Chattha, after the accused objected to his past conduct in another case.
Imaan and her husband, Hadi, are facing a jail trial in a 2024 case pertaining to the alleged disruption of an international cricket team’s security route and incitement to public unrest.
The couple, accused of removing barriers from the route, was indicted on Oct 7. ATC Judge Tahir Abbas Sipra presides over the proceedings at Rawalpindi’s Adiala jail.
Hearing the case on Thursday, Judge Sipra named Atif Mehmood as the replacement for Janjua, who was appointed as the state counsel just a day ago to conduct cross-examination of prosecution witnesses after the lawyer couple’s counsel failed to do so during proceedings.
During the proceedings, Imaan told the court that Janjua had previously been appointed as state counsel in another case involving her, referring to the controversial social media posts case in which they were sentenced in January.
Hadi also raised objections to his conduct, alleging that the lawyer had told people that he had received Rs500,000 and completed cross-examination in a single day.
In response, Janjua challenged the allegation and retorted that the accused should accompany him to a private case outside the court to see whether he performed his professional duties properly.
The exchange prompted defence counsel Advocate Aimal Khan Mandokhail to question the state counsel’s role, asking him whether he was representing the accused or working against them.
The judge also expressed displeasure over Janjua’s conduct and questioned his manner of appearing before the court.
“Has no one ever taught you how to appear in court?” the judge asked the state counsel.
Then, Imaan informed the court that she and Hadi did not need a state counsel as they already had their own lawyers.
Hadi explained that their lawyers were frequently occupied with other cases at the Islamabad High Court (IHC), while the trial court had scheduled daily hearings at Adiala, making it difficult for them to attend every proceeding.
Meanwhile, no prosecution witness could be cross-examined during Thursday’s hearing amid the dispute over the state counsel’s appointment.
The court directed the prosecution witnesses to appear again on Friday and warned the accused that the cross-examination would proceed without further delay.
Addressing Imaan and Hadi, the judge directed them to ensure that their respective lawyers conducted the cross-examination at the next hearing. He added that if their lawyers failed to do so, newly appointed state counsel Mehmood would undertake the exercise.
The court adjourned further proceedings until 9am tomorrow (Friday).
Advocate Janjua had previously been appointed to represent Imaan and Hadi in a controversial social media posts case — a development to which the couple had objected.
He had shown up in an Islamabad district and sessions court during a November hearing after state-appointed Advocate Shakeel Jatt refused to cross-examine the prosecution’s witnesses in the case, saying that he could not “ask questions dictated” to him.
At a December hearing, Hadi had informed the court that a no-confidence application had been filed against Advocate Janjua.
The lawyer couple has been in jail since their arrest on Jan 23 in a case registered against them for protesting outside the IHC and allegedly manhandling the IHC Bar Association president. The arrest prompted criticism by rights bodies, politicians and journalists, who stressed the couple’s right to a fair trial.
Just a day later, a sessions court sentenced them to 17 years on multiple charges under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (Peca) in the controversial social media posts case.
The convictions were widely condemned by lawyers and United Nations (UN) experts.
On Sept 17, following months of litigation before the courts, the Supreme Court suspended their sentences in the case. The SC ordered their release pending the Islamabad High Court’s final verdict on their appeals against the trial court’s decision.
However, the reprieve was short-lived as hours later, Islamabad police arrested the couple again in connection with another case and produced them before an ATC, which sent them to jail on judicial remand.
The fresh case in which the two were arrested was registered at the federal capital’s Kohsar police station on March 22 last year on the complaint of City Magistrate Ghulam Murtaza Chandio.
Imaan and Hadi were accused of chanting anti-government slogans and blocking roads and were nominated by name in the FIR. However, at the time of registration of the case, no section of the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA) had been added.
The FIR included sections 188 (disobedience of an order lawfully promulgated by a public servant), 341 (wrongful restraint), 506 (punishment for criminal intimidation), 353 (assault or use of criminal force to deter a public servant from discharging their official duty) and 186 (obstructing a public servant in the performance of official duties).
David Gilbert / Wired:
They Believe 2020 Was Stolen. They Could Be in Charge of Elections in 2028 — A host of election-denying candidates are running for attorney general in states across the country. — One was central to facilitating the bogus Cyber Ninjas audit of the 2020 vote in Maricopa County that found …
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