Ruslan Trad
@ruslantrad.bsky.social
Researcher on info ops, narratives, security-related topics, and hybrid warfare from Syria to Eurasia. Editor, Security and Defense, Capital. Non-Resident Fellow at DFRLab. DRM Journal co-founder. https://bio.link/ruslantrad
One of the Syrian sailors killed in the supposed Russian drone attack on the ALFA WATAN in the Black Sea was born in 2007…
Hegset announced the creation of the Adeptus Americanus to protect the God-Emperor. In a nutshell, that was what his speech today was about.
Observing the statements and behavior of politicians in European capitals, the conclusion is tragic. Short-sightedness, petty calculations, and cynicism are rampant, but what is most saddening is just how low the level of statesmanship has fallen.
The security apparatus behind the rise of the AfD is attempting to sabotage critical infrastructure across Germany and is conducting disinformation campaigns. I wonder how many German voters realize just how deeply Moscow is involved in their daily lives.
We know with visual confirmation, that China has been assisting Russia militarily since at least late 2022. There is nothing secretive in this- just politicians who refused to read reports. www.politico.eu/article/chin...
China’s secret lifeline to Russia’s killer drone producer
New documents obtained by POLITICO provide the clearest evidence yet of a Chinese state firm supplying the Kremlin’s military industrial complex.
politico.eu
“…many senior officials within the party and military are unhappy with Xi entering a fourth term, a move reminiscent of "a top leader for life.” asia.nikkei.com/editor-s-pic...
Analysis: Xi Jinping purges his 'spy' in the military
Zhong Shaojun was ousted along with top uniformed officer Zhang Youxia
asia.nikkei.com
There are many factors, of course, but a big part in my opinion is the sense among voters that elections have gotten somewhat meaningless. You vote and vote and vote, but you won't ever actually get what you want because it has become almost impossible to form coherent coalitions
Steffen Mau@steffenmau.bsky.social · last mo.The landslide victory for a far-right party marks a profound turning point. The traditional party system is no longer able to bind people to it or absorb the prevailing public mood. The AfD is winning support with ethnonationalist and chauvinistic positions that exclude large sections of society.
Parties like the AfD can only win elections by parasitizing the very system they denounce and by capitalizing on the discontent they will betray as soon as they gain power and access to federal funds. Some people think that if they vote for the AfD, they’ll immediately get an apartment.
Unfortunately, this headline is far from accurate. In reality, U.S. officials are pandering rather than negotiating, while—most likely—they are separately discussing future business ventures with Moscow, including those in the occupied Ukrainian territories. www.theguardian.com/world/2026/s...
Putin begins talks with Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner on ending war with Ukraine
Moscow and Kyiv vow not to strike each other’s capitals for three days during negotiations
theguardian.com
While Russia has become more dependent on China, North Korea is breaking free from Beijing’s patronage as it strengthens its partnership with Moscow. www.foreignaffairs.com/china/why-ch...
Why China Worries About North Korea
Beijing’s plans to manage an assertive Pyongyang.
foreignaffairs.com
Russian agents and armed forces are putting pressure on European borders across the board and carrying out operations on EU territory. So far, there has been little to no response.
Definitely a fruitful and logical policy. www.washingtonpost.com/national-sec...
Pentagon secretly installs military influencers in civilian roles
Conservative veterans with large social media followings have been hired by the Defense Department and are amplifying Pete Hegseth’s culture-war fights.
washingtonpost.com
Restarting the attacks on Iran brings the question of whether the “economic D-Day” has worked or will be combined with strikes.
Spoke with Viola Palmiotto at The Hague Institute for Geopolitics about Syrian-Russian relations and what's next. thehig.eu/article/afte...
After Assad: Why Moscow and Damascus Still Need Each Other - The HIG
Syria still gains from Russia's presence, Viola Palmiotto argues
thehig.eu
Spoke to @aljazeera.com on the removal of Syria from the US list of State Sponsors of Terrorism (SSOT). www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/8/...
Syria removed: Which countries are still on the US ‘terror’ list – and why?
The US decision leaves three nations - Cuba, Iran and North Korea - on its 'State Sponsors of Terrorism' blacklist.
aljazeera.com
“Ordinary Russians are reacting with anger to the crisis itself, not to the authorities. They want basic goods to be available and to be left alone, while the Government wages its war.” Anger is rising in Russia, but the regime is not yet the main target. Spoke with Kieron Monks for The i Paper.
The spark that's igniting rare unrest in Putin's Russia
Kremlin cracks down after rare public displays of dissent over escalating crisis
inews.co.uk
Spoke to Le Temps on the Iranian threats and hybrid war against Europe, mainly against Bulgaria, and on the real danger coming not from the missiles but from proxies and criminal networks.
La Bulgarie se découvre, avec Chypre, dans le viseur du régime iranien - Le Temps
En cas d’escalade militaire américaine, Téhéran ne manquerait pas de s’en prendre à des cibles en Europe, notamment à Chypre et en Bulgarie, selon des sources iraniennes citées par le «Financial Times...
letemps.ch
Amazon is buying and destroying masses of books to train AI. www.404media.co/we-tracked-a...
We Tracked a Shipment of Rare Books. It Ended at an Amazon AI Training Facility
We placed a tracking device in a shipment of rare books to see which AI company was buying it, and found an Amazon facility where Amazon scans and destroys books.
404media.co
Spoke to Balkan Insight on the Russian Neo-Nazi networks that have already deeply affected the landscape in Bulgaria. balkaninsight.com/2026/08/18/v...
Vigilante Murder Raises Fears of Russian Neo-Nazi Influence in Bulgaria
After a 'paedophile hunt' by teenagers in Plovdiv resulted in a livestreamed murder, police are trying to crack down on a neo-Nazi subculture influenced by Russia's far-right skinhead movement.
balkaninsight.com
According to UBS, the bottom 83.2% of the world’s adult population (people with net worth of less than $100,000) collectively owned 12.8% of all the world’s wealth, while the top 58 million (who had net worth of more than $1 million) collectively owned 48.4% of everything.
Global Wealth Report 2026
Leading insights into the creation and distribution of global wealth.
ubs.com
Spoke with @wsj.com on Ceuta and the digital campaign that helped the influx to Spain. www.wsj.com/world/europe...
Spain Has a Simple Explanation for Why Migrants Flooded Across Border
Spanish intelligence has so far concluded that the rush into Ceuta was spontaneous and caused by spreading messages on social media.
wsj.com
Quoted by @aljazeera.com on the recent moves between Syria's government and Russia. www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/8/...
‘They need each other’: What’s behind the new Syria-Russia accord?
The Syrian-Russian agreement reflects a pragmatic approach redefining past alliances amid shifting geopolitics.
aljazeera.com
Extreme heat costs South Asia the equivalent of 31 million full-time jobs every year, according to a World Bank report. The report warns that without action, the region's GDP could fall nearly 7% by 2050 & informal workers are hardest hit: a single heatwave can slash their earnings by 40%.
Extreme Heat Is a Jobs Crisis—South Asia’s Cities Can’t Afford to Wait.
Extreme heat costs South Asia 31 million jobs a year. A new World Bank report shows how cities can protect workers, growth, and the next generation.
blogs.worldbank.org
"Through an opaque network of shell companies in the British Virgin Islands and Luxembourg holding firms, an agency that manages China’s foreign reserves has discreetly scooped up stakes in Europe’s critical infrastructure, utilities, and real estate." www.occrp.org/en/investiga...
A Police HQ, Wind Farms, and Natural Gas: Mapping China's Investments in Europe
Through an opaque network of shell companies in the British Virgin Islands and Luxembourg holding firms, an agency that manages China’s foreign reserves has discreetly scooped up stakes in Europe’s cr...
occrp.org
“Eight of the biggest oil companies amassed profits of more than $90bn in just three months as the Iran conflict sent energy prices soaring and the emissions-fuelled climate crisis caused deadly heatwaves.” www.theguardian.com/business/ng-...
Revealed: major oil firms make $93bn profits amid war and climate crisis
Iran conflict windfall over three months reignites calls for companies ‘cashing in on human misery’ to pay for environmental damage
theguardian.com
The global hunger crisis is intensifying due to war and climate disasters. Instead of stepping up to help, the world’s biggest economies are executing unprecedented budget cuts, and this could lead to 22.6 million additional deaths – a crisis experts are calling "a disaster in slow motion".
Hunger crisis grows while major donors retreat
Conflict and climate change are driving a global hunger crisis, threatening millions with starvation. But as food insecurity deepens in many countries, wealthy donors are scaling back humanitarian aid...
ftm.eu
A great thread of @globalvoices.org stories from over the weekend, showing the range of coverage: articles and essays on #statelessness; community #climate action in #Nepal; Emancipation Day in #Trinidad, language preservation in #Nigeria ⬇️
Global Voices@globalvoices.org · 2mo agoIn case you missed the important & interesting stories we covered this weekend, a quick 🧵, starting with this story from our Statelessness Spotlight about difficult, delayed citizenship processes in Assam, India.
Journalists and researchers from “Project” are tracking the intensity of Ukrainian strikes on Russian regions: according to their data, 70,000 drones have been shot down over the past 3.5 years. www.youtube.com/watch?v=HPfT...
Сколько дронов сбивают над Россией и каким регионам достается больше?
YouTube video by Проект
youtube.com
