Timur Shemsedinov

Ukrainian developers have connected machine learning to the monitoring of Russian propaganda. The website https://warofwords.info/ offers a search for key Russian TV channels, RuTube, YouTube channels, and Telegram channels. Videos are fully transcribed, which can greatly facilitate the work of fact-checkers. Search by keywords, speakers, sources, types of resources, and specific TV shows are available. There used to be (and there are, and I use them) tools on Azure that allowed something similar, but the input level was higher purely technically. There were no options for such a detailed analysis of a specific range of sources. Features:  - Data available since 2013. I hope developers will expand the timeline. But it's still cool.   - The tool is not only focused on the Ukrainian agenda. Try searching 'Kazakhstan' and you'll see. - It operates in both Russian and English. - Compared to Google and Yandex searches, the output is often more relevant, as the segment is narrower. "Often" does not equal "always", don't forget about dorks and other useful things.  - Not all notable characters are marked in the databases, as the AI is still learning, but the key ones are easy to find.  - The database does not cover all TV channels of interest for research, but it includes the main ones.  - The tool is fast and user-friendly. Overall, this tool is valuable and deserves a spot in the browser bookmarks of fact-checkers and OSINT professionals.

5

2 Comments

Three heroes. The core of the Russian opposition. It was a serious strategic mistake on the part of the Russian dictator to allow the three important Russian opposition politicians to escape to freedom. Now they can act as the legitimate Russian opposition. It is not an exile opposition either. In the digital age, it is THE RUSSIAN OPPOSITION! It is now up to the European Union, together with our British friends, to legitimize this opposition. To accredit it to the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and to provide it with an annual budget to ensure the independence of this self-governing opposition and its political action for the coming decade. The struggle for regime change in Russia is legitimized by this Russian opposition. This is where the EU can prove that it is the rule-making power on our continent and not the war criminal and mass murderer Putin. Ilja Jaschin, Andrej Piwowarow Wladimir Kara-Mursa (f.l.t.r.)

3

Not many non-russians know russia as well as Oleksandr Lytvynenko. Ukraine’s new national security chief spent five formative years in Moscow as a cryptology cadet at the elite kgb Academy. More recently, as head of #Ukraine’s foreign-intelligence service during two years of war, he busied himself undermining and extracting information from his one-time peers. At the end of March, he took over one of the country’s most critical jobs. So Mr Lytvynenko deserves to be listened to. And he has a warning for those Western politicians (Donald Trump being the most notorious example) thinking about pushing a premature peace deal on Ukraine which would require it to give up territory. “𝗣𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗻 𝗵𝗮𝘀 𝗹𝗶𝗲𝗱, 𝗶𝘀 𝗹𝘆𝗶𝗻𝗴, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗻𝘂𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗹𝗶𝗲.” Ceding territory to Russia in return for peace would be a “cruel betrayal” of the Ukrainians left under violent occupation, he says. Many more innocent people would be killed, more would be thrown into cellars. But there is a more pragmatic reason to reject it, too. An agreement made with a compulsive liar probably means only one thing: him regrouping, rearming and trying for more in two or three years. 𝗿𝘂𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗮’𝘀 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝗶𝘀 “𝗮𝗱𝗱𝗶𝗰𝘁𝗲𝗱” 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗮 𝗼𝗳 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗾𝘂𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗨𝗸𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗲, Mr Lytvynenko says. “The next time he won’t make mistakes, but will prepare his operation much more carefully, according to all the laws of military art.” Things were not supposed to have turned out like this for russia, of course. Ukraine was not expected to put up a fight. russian soldiers were supposed to be parading in Kyiv within days of the invasion. With his “blitzkrieg”, Mr Putin’s aim was to present the West with a fait accompli, Mr Lytvynenko argues. “He wanted to say: Ukraine’s over, guys, now let’s talk on my terms.” Ukraine’s heroism foiled that plan. It also fundamentally changed the negotiation. “Now a victory over the West can only come if Putin first has victory in Ukraine. In russians’ minds, victory in Ukraine means victory over the United States.” Has the message got through to those who need to hear it? Mr Lytvynenko heaves a sigh, and delivers a politician’s line, stressing Ukraine’s “critical partnership with the American state…regardless of who is in power.” This week, Congress might finally begin the task of signing off on much-needed military assistance. But even if it does, the emphasis is on giving Ukraine just enough to stay in the game, rather than the tools to secure a victory. And all this is before a possible Trump presidency, which could make things much more precarious. … Full text in comments. [The key to understanding the situation is realizing that Putin is “𝗮𝗱𝗱𝗶𝗰𝘁𝗲𝗱” 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗮 𝗼𝗳 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗾𝘂𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗨𝗸𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗲. So any proposal of negotiating in exchange for peace or freezing the war is the same as saying “let’s give the addict what he wants”. Anyone knows perfectly well what that means.]

70

3 Comments

What to expect in the following years in the Ukrainian UAV industry? Technological Forecast. General paths where the industry is heading. Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning 2024: Enhanced AI for improved decision-making processes and real-time data analysis. Machine learning algorithms begin to self-optimize based on mission data. 2025: Advanced AI systems enable fully autonomous operations in complex environments. Machine learning allows for predictive maintenance and adaptive mission planning. 2026: Sophisticated AI-driven UAVs capable of collaborating with manned systems and other UAVs, providing seamless interoperability and enhanced mission efficiency. Sensor Technology 2024: Introduction of advanced multispectral and hyperspectral sensors, improved LIDAR for high-precision mapping and obstacle detection. 2025: Integration of real-time environmental sensing (e.g., weather, air quality) and advanced radar systems for enhanced situational awareness. 2026: Fully integrated sensor suites capable of multi-modal data fusion, providing comprehensive real-time intelligence and superior operational capabilities. Communication Systems 2024: Development of more secure and robust communication links, the introduction of satellite communication for extended range operations. 2025: High-bandwidth communication systems enabling real-time video streaming and data sharing across multiple platforms. 2026: Quantum communication technologies provide ultra-secure data transmission, enabling seamless global connectivity and collaboration. Power and Propulsion 2024: Improvement in battery technology (e.g., solid-state batteries) offering increased energy density and longer flight times. 2025: Adoption of solar power and fuel cell technologies for extended endurance. 2026: Advanced propulsion systems, including electric and hybrid-electric engines, providing significantly enhanced range, endurance, and efficiency. Autonomy and Navigation 2024: Improved autonomous capabilities with advanced pathfinding algorithms and obstacle avoidance in dynamic environments. 2025: Full autonomy in various operational scenarios, integration of redundant navigation systems (e.g., visual odometry, inertial navigation) for GPS-denied environments. 2026: Autonomous swarm technology enabling coordinated operations among multiple UAVs, adaptive to mission requirements and environmental conditions. Payload and Modular Design 2024: Introduction of modular payload systems allowing for easy swapping of sensors and equipment based on mission needs. 2025: The development of standardized payload interfaces enables interoperability across different UAV platforms. 2026: Highly modular and scalable UAV designs capable of carrying diverse payloads, from surveillance equipment to delivery packages, tailored to specific mission profiles. #Drones #UAV #DroneTechnology #Forecast #Defense #Defence

1

Thanksgiving Turkey Shoot WW ll. Russia just lowered its red line, saying the USA and Britain are starting a war with Russia. I am guessing that Russia is going to respond in one of two ways; 1. There is a new drone base in Poland that Russia will bomb because drones attack Russia facilities in Russia proper. 2. Russia will attack Ukraine with a nuclear enp bomb on the felhfiekd of battle. Bombing the us base in Poland is the most likely scenario on thanksgiving.

1

russia’s full-blown war against #Ukraine is in its third year. While Ukraine struggles to constrain russia’s creeping advances amid delayed Western weapons shipments, there are renewed mutterings in diplomatic circles about the need to kickstart peace talks. Ukrainian officials reject this idea, stating that russia’s end goal is the capitulation of Ukraine, while critics assert that the West still does not understand the aggressor’s ultimate goal: dismantling the rules-based order. Instructive for understanding russia’s overarching goals is an article by Stas Kozliuk and Yevhen Buderatskyi in Ukrainska Pravda on russia’s failed 2014 attempt to squash Ukraine’s leanings towards EU integration and occupy half of the country following the Euromaidan revolution. Based on interviews with dozens of participants in the events and investigators and an analysis of how russian special services operated in Ukraine during this period, the article offers insights into the covert methods with which russia aims to rebuild its sphere of influence by eroding the sovereignty of post-Soviet countries. In the case of Ukraine’s Euromaidan, this included getting its agents to the top law enforcement positions and employing employees of the FSB’s 2nd department, responsible for carrying out high-ranking assassinations of politicians like Boris Nemtsov and the attempted poisoning of the late Aleksey Navalny. …

50

3 Comments

[MIA: The West got too complacent for far too long. The Soviet threat never disappeared - it’s just got more open and brutal] russia’s GRU — military intelligence — is waging war on European countries. It uses not only its own officers but also proxies: gangsters, far-right extremists, and assorted riff-raff. Attacks include assassination, arson, sabotage, and also other covert operations — such as using graffiti to inflame tensions. Yet NATO’s collective defense budget is three-and-a-half times more than russia and China combined. How is it that russia, a country with an Italy-sized economy, is able to attack the entire West with impunity? The answer is that russia does not take us seriously. Decision-makers in moscow are not scared of our reaction. It is not the size of the dog in the fight that matters, but the size of the fight in the dog. russia is willing to kill people, destroy property, and then lie about it. And we are not. … …the real reason is fear of escalation. Western public opinion dislikes anything that looks like warmongering or brinkmanship. Voters also dislike any foreign policy that comes with costs. Already any American visiting russia is at risk of state-sanctioned kidnap. Crank up the pressure on the Kremlin, and any European visiting will also be a potential target. Far worse than hostages is the thought that confronting russia risks a nuclear war. An adage attributed to Vladimir Lenin advises, “Probe with bayonets: if you find mush, push. If you find steel, you withdraw.” Putin is pushing and sees no reason to stop. Restoring deterrence will be far costlier and riskier than maintaining it would have been.

138

6 Comments

Here is a simple pragmatic reason why helping Ukraine win is not a charity, and why the world should do it as soon as possible. Whichever tyrant is about to make a decision to invade or not to invade, he weights the benefits of conducing a war, vs. the costs and the punishment that may come after. If Russia will not gain anything(goes back to 1991 international borders), and will have to pay for rebuilding Ukraine, the long-lasting peace in the world may be solidified. If Putin will get to keep any of the occupied territories, and will not be punished, it is 100% certainty he will start war again(e.g. to take Alaska back). And every tyrant in the world will be inspired to be aggressive by this precedent, and every ally will know they can be betrayed(Budapest Memorandum, anybody?).

2

𝗔 𝗨𝗻𝗶𝗳𝗶𝗲𝗱 𝗪𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗻 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝘆 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗨𝗸𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗲 [This strategy gets my full support] … The West can no longer get away with promising to support Ukraine “for as long as it takes.” 𝗥𝗮𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝗻 𝗵𝗼𝗹𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗨𝗸𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗯𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗮𝗰𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗿𝘂𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗮𝗻 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗰 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗺𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝗮𝘀𝘀𝗲𝘁𝘀, 𝗶𝘁 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝘄𝗲𝗹𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝘀𝘂𝗰𝗵 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗸𝗲𝘀. Losing the war is the best thing that could happen to russia. Historically, military defeats have usually led to reforms and a change in leadership… Many believe that russia has the advantage in a long war, simply because its population and economy are larger than Ukraine’s (though the United States was defeated in Vietnam and Afghanistan after long wars). Whatever the case, a longer war undoubtedly will cost everyone much more. As such, the West should return to former US Secretary of State Colin Powell’s Gulf War tactic of “shock and awe” to bring about a Ukrainian victory. That means 𝗱𝗲𝗹𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗮𝗿𝗺𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗨𝗸𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗮𝘀 𝘀𝗼𝗼𝗻 𝗮𝘀 𝗽𝗼𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗯𝗹𝗲, 𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝗻 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗻𝘂𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝘂𝗿𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗱𝗿𝗶𝗽-𝗳𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝗼𝗳 𝗼𝗹𝗱 𝘄𝗲𝗮𝗽𝗼𝗻𝘀. Nobody can put such weapons to better use than Ukraine’s skillful soldiers. If Ukraine were to lose, russian forces would march further into Europe to fulfill Putin’s neo-Czarist ambition of restoring the russian empire. Since Ukraine’s people are fighting and dying to defend Europe, the least the West can do is give them all they need to win. Denmark and the Baltic states have set an example others should follow. 𝗦𝗽𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆, 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗪𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗳𝘂𝗿𝗻𝗶𝘀𝗵 𝗨𝗸𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗽𝗼𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗹𝗼𝗻𝗴-𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲 𝘄𝗲𝗮𝗽𝗼𝗻𝘀 – 𝘀𝘂𝗰𝗵 𝗮𝘀 𝗔𝗧𝗔𝗖𝗠𝗦 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗧𝗮𝘂𝗿𝘂𝘀 𝗺𝗶𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗹𝗲𝘀 – 𝗮𝘀 𝘄𝗲𝗹𝗹 𝗮𝘀 𝗮 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗶𝗿 𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗰𝗲, 𝘀𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗶𝘁 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗴𝗮𝗶𝗻 𝘀𝘂𝗽𝗿𝗲𝗺𝗮𝗰𝘆 𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗸𝗶𝗲𝘀. With thousands of Westerners having volunteered to fight for Ukraine on the front lines, why shouldn’t Western pilots join, too? 𝗨𝗸𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱𝘀 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗿 𝗮𝗶𝗿 𝗱𝗲𝗳𝗲𝗻𝘀𝗲. 𝗔𝗯𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗱𝗹𝘆, 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗪𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗵𝗮𝘀 𝗺𝗮𝗱𝗲 𝗥𝘂𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗮, 𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝗻 𝗨𝗸𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗲, 𝗮 𝗻𝗼-𝗳𝗹𝘆 𝘇𝗼𝗻𝗲. … To force russia to pay war reparations to Ukraine, the West should confiscate the $300 billion of russian central-bank reserves that it has frozen. … As long as the war continues, the West will need to provide Ukraine with $100 billion per year – $50 billion at least in military assistance, $40 billion to finance the civilian government, and $10 billion in humanitarian assistance. … Finally, the EU should start accession negotiations with Ukraine, and NATO should use its 75th anniversary summit in Washington in July to extend a formal membership invitation to Ukraine. …

82

3 Comments

Every day you see a lot of news and media from #Ukraine posted on LinkedIn. Do you want to be among the first to read or post some breaking news about the war? It’s as easy as 1-2-3. 1. Download a Telegram app and subscribe to one or more reliable Ukrainian news channels. 2. Get a notification from your favourite channel and open the most recent article. 3. If needed, translate the article to understand if it’s worth your attention. Save the article media file(s) to your personal device. Copy/paste/edit and post the content on LinkedIn, attaching the corresponding media file(s). Done! If you just beginning with this, the amount of relevant channels could be overwhelming. To save your time I can recommend just a couple of channels to start with: 1. UNITED24Media: https://t.me/United24media This channel translates the news in English, which is very handy for those who don’t want to deal with translation. While some news may not be up to the minute, this channel has media with English subtitles too, so it gives you a ready to post material for LinkedIn. 2. OperativnoZSU: https://t.me/operativnoZSU This is one of the main Ukrainian news Telegram channels about the war. It usually gathers and posts the most recent news (and a lot of media) from different other channels, so you don’t have to browse dozens of them yourself. There are of course plenty of other reliable channels with their own great content. If you like more recommendations to work with just let me know! 📹 How to get the content to post on LinkedIn from a Ukrainian Telegram channel: from OperativnoZSU about the recent return of Ukrainian defenders from captivity.

47

3 Comments

🤯 An unsactioned Russian businessman supplies Russia's military-industrial complex and owns luxury apartments in the... USA! Darya Kuzmina from Trap Aggressor has exposed the unsactioned life of Oleg Volkov — the lord of the valves — whose Russian entity Armalit is one of three manufacturers that fully meets russia’s defense requirements for marine valves. “A ship is a highly sophisticated engineering structure comprising numerous pipelines for pumping a range of liquids, from fresh water for domestic use to oil and fuel for engines. In this context, valves are any element on such pipelines. The simplest example is a kitchen faucet. It is a device that controls the flow of liquids or gases. It can open or close the flow, regulate the amount of substance that passes through the pipe, or prevent it from flowing back. Without valves, all these pipelines cannot function,” explains Artem Buznyk, head of a company that supplies and manufactures marine valves. In addition to the Armalit plant, Saint Petersburg businessman Oleg Volkov owns at least one other russian manufacturer of shipbuilding valves, Spetskomplektresurs, which also supplies products to the russian navy. Over the past 12 years, Volkov has made significant investments not only in business in the United States, but also in property. Trap Aggressor has discovered that the Volkov family resides in the United States and owns significant real estate assets there. Oleg Volkov and Veronika Volkova are the joint owners of a 908-square-meter mansion situated in a prestigious area of Atlanta, Georgia. Given that the property has recently been listed for sale, we were able to conduct a detailed examination of the house in the photos. It is equipped with luxury furniture, a marble shower, and several fireplaces. The property’s courtyard features a swimming pool and a private forest area. The estimated value of the house is approximately $5 million. More details on Volkov's global supplies, businesses, and assets can be found in the full report: https://lnkd.in/evenaSZp

88

5 Comments

russia’s latest efforts mark a notable uptick in its attempts to undermine the EU. The Kremlin has long harbored animosity toward the bloc—but as russia’s confrontation with the West has intensified, this hostility has only grown. For Moscow, the new momentum toward widening and deepening the EU represents a unique and increasingly urgent threat to its attempts to assert its illiberal governance model, both at home and abroad. 𝗜𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗘𝗨, 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗡𝗔𝗧𝗢, 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹 𝗲𝘅𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗞𝗿𝗲𝗺𝗹𝗶𝗻. 𝗧𝗵𝗮𝘁’𝘀 𝗯𝗲𝗰𝗮𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝗨𝗸𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗲’𝘀 𝗺𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 𝗶𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗴𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗘𝗨 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗱𝗲𝗹𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗮 𝗳𝗮𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝗯𝗹𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗼 𝗿𝘂𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗮𝗻 𝗣𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗩𝗹𝗮𝗱𝗶𝗺𝗶𝗿 𝗣𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗿𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗺𝗲 𝗯𝘆 𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗨𝗸𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗼 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗿𝘂𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗮 𝗺𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗳𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘀: 𝗮 𝗽𝗼𝗹𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹, 𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗼𝗺𝗶𝗰, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘀𝗼𝗰𝗶𝗼𝗰𝘂𝗹𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝗮𝗹𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗿𝘂𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗮 𝗶𝘁𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗳. … That would explain why Putin began his long war against Ukraine in 2014. At that time, Ukraine was militarily neutral and was not actively seeking to join NATO (It had previously expressed interest in membership in 2008.) But Kyiv was about to sign an association agreement with the EU that the Kremlin’s interference in Ukrainian politics could not prevent. …

31

1 Comment

[If someone is still hesitant about supporting #Ukraine or trying to push Ukraine to negotiate with terrorist russia - russian, Chinese or Iranian missiles and drones could soon be falling on your heads too.] “The outgoing head of the army has called on the UK and Nato to wake up to the very real threat of a World War Three-style global conflict within five years. General Sir Patrick Sanders, the former chief of the general staff, insists the alliance may only have until the end of the decade to substantially re-arm to ward off a russian attack on its own soil. Sanders dubbed russia, China and Iran “the new Axis powers” but argued that they pose an even more lethal challenge than the Nazi alliance in 1939 as “they are more interdependent and more aligned than the original Axis powers were”. That has left the world facing “as dangerous a moment as any time that we’ve had since 1945”. … A new global conflict on the scale of the Second World War was “not likely but it is plausible”, he argued. Nato faces the threat of conflict in a series of flashpoints around the world; russia’s aggression in eastern Europe, with China — “a rising power that has territorial ambitions” — Iran’s destabilising activities in the Middle East, and with North Korea. Sanders explained: “Each of them has the potential for conflicts. And what links them all is they form an axis, so you have a new Axis powers. “The difference this time is that they are more interdependent and more aligned than the original Axis powers were. You’ve got the potential for a conflict that won’t look like World War Two, but could spread like cancer, will be global, and will operate at different levels of intensity in all the operational domains. “They may be low-likelihood but any of them would be a very, very high-impact event.” The general also believes the early stages of a global conflict could have already begun. “Putin has done most of the things that he said he would do,” he added. “He’s described his intentions to rule and dominate russia’s near abroad. So how likely is it? In some respects it’s already happening.” …

36

1 Comment

[In recent weeks, there have been numerous articles and news reports about problems with #Ukrainian defence positions, difficulties with mobilization, russian army superiority in everything, even using the words like “possible frontline collapse” etc. As I mentioned numerous times as well, the situation is difficult but very dynamic and many articles and reports don’t take this into account, instead basing their conclusions on older, stale or incorrect data. Below is the most recent example, which shows that “the devil is not as scary as they want us to believe”.] Day 792: 24 April Today, there is a lot of news from the Lyman direction. Here, russian forces refused to accept the defeat in the Battle for Terny, and suddenly opened a new vector of attack to prevent the collapse of their bridgehead, and retake the initiative back in their hands. The reason for the failure of the russian mechanized assault along the third axis of advance is threefold. Firstly, the 𝗨𝗸𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗶𝗮𝗻 𝘀𝘂𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗼𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗶𝗻 𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗻𝗮𝗶𝘀𝘀𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗰𝗮𝗽𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗲𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗼𝘆𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝗙𝗩𝗣 𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝗱𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗲𝘀 𝗵𝗮𝘀 𝗯𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁. Notably, the map of successful drone attacks in the area by both sides reveals an overwhelming advantage of Ukrainian drone capabilities that has dramatically compromised russian attempts in recent weeks, particularly in helping to prepare an overwhelming response well in advance. Secondly, according to various Ukrainian sources, the 𝗨𝗸𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗶𝗮𝗻𝘀 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗿𝗼𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗰𝗲𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗮 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗳𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗵 𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗼𝗽𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝘄𝗲𝗲𝗸𝘀. Ukrainian commander-in-chief Oleksandr Syrskyi recently announced that rotations had begun in various directions on a widespread level since troops had not been rotated in many places for more than a year. Due to the rotation, russian troops here had to face much fresher Ukrainian troops. And thirdly, it appears that 𝗿𝘂𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗮𝗻 𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗰𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝗳𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗴𝘂𝗲 𝗯𝗼𝘁𝗵 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗺𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗲𝗾𝘂𝗶𝗽𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗼𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗹 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗰𝗲𝘀. The size of this mechanized assault was much smaller than those observed over the last few weeks, which is a clear indicator of exhaustion of the forces.

89

2 Comments

Continuing from the previous post about the project's progress. To distinguish it from other posts, the title and hashtag will now be #CatProject. Why? Well, because: 1. Everyone loves cats (especially those in the Ukrainian Armed Forces). 2. It echoes the term "pet-project" (no need to explain, google it if you're curious). 3. CAT stands for Competence Assessment Tool, so it's a play on words. CatProject has its backstory. I created it five years ago after gaining experience in personnel assessment through Assessment Centers. Anyone who has been through such an assessment knows how meticulous and lengthy the process can be. Being quite lazy, I suggested to my boss to automate the process: create a simple web form to input identified behavior patterns and set up saving them in an Excel spreadsheet. But gradually, over a few months of implementation and development, a full-fledged web application was born, with a relational database instead of Excel, an employee catalog, interfaces for creating and editing assessment sessions, competencies, typical behavior patterns indicative of certain competencies; as well as an assessment interface, employee profiles, several analytical dashboards, and a clever authorization system. This pride of mine is still working to this day! But! Back then, as a self-taught programmer, I made A LOT of mistakes. I'll show them in detail later. But briefly: Secondly (I know, I skipped firstly, hold on a sec), I need to fix the architecture and divide the code into functional blocks. Make it beautiful and in line with the times and market demands. Thirdly, everything works on relatively primitive technologies - it's time to move forward. Hello, microservices. Fourthly, new ideas have emerged, both from me and from the team currently using this application. And firstly!!! I used some goddamn rUSSIAN tools. They need to be gotten rid of. Just like our planet needs to rid itself of those disgusting creatures. So there you have it. Any ideas on where to start? What to talk about next time? And please, ask me what programming language to choose for all of this. Or anything else. I really want to start one of the next posts with the phrase "everyone keeps asking me."

1