There is a big build up of Russian-inspired incidents taking place around Poland/Baltics - including creating several thousand new military hospital slots. After the Duma elections we'll see if Putin is bluffing, or genuinely wants to start a campaign to split NATO, now he knows Trump won't act.

🪖MilitaryNewsUA🇺🇦@militarynewsua.bsky.social · 2mo ago

2/Unlike typical training flights, the aircraft were armed with missiles this time.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

❗️Russian strategic bombers Tu-95MS armed with Kh-101 cruise missiles carried out a five-hour flight over the Barents and Norwegian Seas north of Scandinavia, escorted by Su-33 fighters. NATO responded by scrambling its own fighters to escort them.

Sun Tsu's famous text, The Art of War, is actually all about avoiding war. If a single concept comes through it's 'Don't'. That is, 'don't' UNLESS there is no alternative, a clear strategy, understanding the effort etc etc. Too late now, but someone should have read it to President Trump.

Typical headline now 6 months into the war. It's a war for losers. Apart from Russia & Israel, everyone else loses - US (politically) and the country of Iran (economically/socially) lose the most. Others to different degrees. Failed thinking all round. digitaleditions.telegraph.co.uk/data/2544/re...

Freyja again. Expect to see a lot of this sort of collaboration with Ukraine in European rearmament. Not a model for everything, but a series of quick wins in many important areas.

MAKS 26 👀🇺🇦@maks23.bsky.social · 3mo ago

European defense giants, including Eurosam, Leonardo, Thales and Saab, have joined the defense project, the number of European industrial partners may increase to 20. The project involves combining a Ukrainian interceptor missile with European-made radar and optoelectronic systems. 2/3

This is the current weak spot of the FP 7. Infra-red terminal phase homing isn't as reliable as radar, since the target can spoof a heat source. But that can be improved later. The main thing is to get the whole Freyja anti-ballistic missile system running, maybe even by next year - quite something.

MAKS 26 👀🇺🇦@maks23.bsky.social · 3mo ago

🇺🇦🚀 Fire Point announced the completion of the first stage of development of the Freyja missile defense system and its readiness to begin mass production of the FP-7X interceptor missile in August, as soon as it receives German-made infrared homing heads from Diehl Defence. 1/3

Watching this development carefully. No Eur country should bother with Patriot now. 1. Won't get them for years, 2. Subject to US caprice, 3. FP 7 missile will be @ 20% of Patriot cost, 4. FP 7 got same performance profile, except terminal guidance, which will improve. Good prospects overall.

The Ukrainian Review@theukrainianreview.bsky.social · 3mo ago

🇺🇦🚀 Fire Point integrates European technologies into FREYJA air defense system. 13 defense companies have joined the project, the first interception of a ballistic missile is planned by mid-2027, — Fire Point CEO Iryna Terek.

His only real option since 7 Apr has been to declare victory and leave. CENTCOM offers him a 'go big' option. So now it's a classic 'go big or go home' choice - same problem only sharper.

Financial Times@financialtimes.com · 3mo ago

Trump cancels new strikes on Iran after Middle East allies’ request ft.trib.al/hZURI9Z

US making upfront economic concessions against Iranian future promises. On 7 March Trump said he wanted their 'unconditional surrender'. Instead, the US is now in the process of what I call a 'staged surrender' to Tehran as its position weakens. digitaleditions.telegraph.co.uk/data/2472/re...

If this is the US/Iran deal, it will be a victory only in Trump's own mind. The US lost this war on 7 April with the 'ceasefire'. It was the moment when raw US military power could achieve no more and the US had nothing more subtle to put into the campaign. www.thetimes.com/article/1d9f...

His view that Ukraine has no right to exist hasn't changed since the break up of the Soviet Union in 1991. His speeches, his writings - there's no mystery about it.

The Kyiv Independent@kyivindependent.com · 5mo ago

“He likes to improvise, but what is important is that Putin has once again confirmed that Russia’s vision of how this war should end has not changed. These are the same maximalist demands we have been hearing for at least a year,” Oleksii Melnyk said.

“He likes to improvise, but what is important is that Putin has once again confirmed that Russia’s vision of how this war should end has not changed. These are the same maximalist demands we have been hearing for at least a year,” Oleksii Melnyk said.

Putin repeats maximalist war claims as battlefield reality shifts

Against the backdrop of Ukrainian drone strikes on St. Petersburg that sent plumes of smoke over the city, Russian President Vladimir Putin took part in a lengthy discussion at Russia's flagship econo...

kyivindependent.com

Tan is quite right. This is more serious than the resignations of Streeting, Phillips or the 3 other ministers to go this past month - because Healey was totally loyal and his decision is not part of any political manoeuvring over the leadership. It is 100% about the financial state of defence.

UK Defence Journal@ukdefencejournal.org.uk · 5mo ago

The Commons Defence Committee has called John Healey's resignation a "grave moment", with chair Tan Dhesi saying the government "must take that warning with the utmost seriousness". https://ukdefencejournal.org.uk/healey-resignation-grave-moment-says-defence-committee/

Don’t forget Georgia, under assault from Putin’s puppets. Georgia is European. @annagvarish.bsky.social

Totally agree Greg. The only success in war is ultimately political. And on that basis Trump is now losing this one badly. Hard to see him pulling even a limited political victory out of this. And last time I heard 'bombing back to stone age' was Curtis LeMay over Vietnam in 1965. That went well.

Greg Bagwell@gregbagwell.bsky.social · 7mo ago

A fascinating insider insight into the White House conduct of the EPIC FURY Campaign time.com/article/2026/0… “history also suggests there can be worse outcomes for a President who takes the nation to war than losing an election.” 🧵1/10

Makes me smile. For years the Royal Navy hasn't been prepared for peace - let alone war. RN hasn't been capable of performing the normal range of standard, diplomatic, protection tasks etc. Most of its ships are out of the water most of the time. digitaleditions.telegraph.co.uk/data/2391/re...

I don't post much on this as it's stating the obvious. But the more the Iran War spins out of control, the more Russia and Israel emerge as the only net winners. China is a 50/50 calculation. Everyone else - US, Iran, Gulfies, Middle East, Europe, global south, global economy- are all losers in it.

More or less sums it up - plus 3 x F-15s lost to friendly fire, 1x KC-135 lost to mid air incident, 1x KC-135 likely damaged, 1x F-35 damaged by hostile fire. 13 US dead so far, over 100 injured in various ways. True, Iran is a paper tIger. But even a paper tiger can cause chaos & maybe get lucky.

Matti J.@matzzzon.bsky.social · 8mo ago

Both the White House and the Kremlim are actively trying to get Hungary's Orban re-elected yet again next month. In both cases, to undermine traditional European liberal democracy. They have each committed to that in policy documents. Bizarre world with Europe caught between 2 rogue superpowers.

Personally, I'm not angry or somehow offended by the attitude. It's just the political and cultural reality we have to deal with. European liberal democrats have got to realise what's really important to them and hang onto those fundamentals.

Nicole@niculina.bsky.social · 8mo ago

Thank you for the reply! It's utterly galling

Yes Nicole! He spoke today about 'our good friends in Europe'. After MSC 25, MSC 26, Davos, Greenland, beating up Zelinskiy, the Nov25 Nat. Sec Strat and then the Jan 26 Nat Def Strat - 'Europe' doesn't feel it has much of a friend at all in Washington these days. The MAGA people despise us.

Nicole@niculina.bsky.social · 8mo ago

The "peacetime" president is using Europe's safety as one of many excuses for these strikes on Iran, even after his administration has spent the past year humiliating Europe and demanding it not depend on the US for security anymore 🤔

This guy is not any sort of official adviser to Putin, but is well known to have inspired his thinking over many years. There's no way back for them, or us, to the pre-2022 world in Europe. New times entirely for us all.

Savchenko Volodymyr@savchenkoua.bsky.social · 9mo ago

🤡 Chief ideologist of "Russian World," Alexander Dugin: "It's time for Russia to act truly tough. You'll soon understand what I mean. We've been too polite for too long. We trusted Trump and wanted to avoid the worst. Now, it seems, that's impossible. So let the worst happen."

Been speaking about this very issue at Sky News. If Eur (though not US) forces seize dark fleet tankers - which they should - they have to be able and prepared for Mocow to escalate into a bigger militarized incident. Happening before too long, I expect. (Patrushev's the arch nutjob in the Kremlin.)

The Ukrainian Review@theukrainianreview.bsky.social · 9mo ago

😵‍💫 Patrushev warned that Moscow could also take measures against European shipping if Europe attempts to seize Russian ships. ❗️Patrushev said Russia must deliver a “tough answer.” He specifically mentioned UK, France, and Baltic states. Read more 👀 theukrainianreview.info/russia-threa...

A direct result of current US policy - Canada redefines its genuine friends. Important to European NATO that Canada is an intrinsic part of it.

Mark Carney@mark-carney.bsky.social · 9mo ago

Canada is now the first non-European country to be granted a membership in SAFE. This is a gamechanger program that means Canada can rearm our Canadian Armed Forces members more effectively and scale up our defence industries with more contracts overseas.

🇺🇦🇸🇪🇫🇮🇺🇸Ben Hodges:“NATO would be better the day the Ukrainian flag is raised in Brussels. Just as we got better when the Swedish and Finnish flags were raised.”

Britain between two aggressors. The Kremlin wants to take us on as a lesson to other Europeans. The White House wants to take us on as an example of 'civilisational erasure'. Both trying to undermine our society & democracy. Must hold on, be confident in ourselves. giftarticle.ft.com/giftarticle/...

Why Maga loathes London

Trump and his supporters see the UK capital as the symbol of a Europe facing ‘civilisational erasure’

giftarticle.ft.com

Not true. Babis is parroting the Moscow narrative that is taken up by all the Kremlin's allies and useful idiots in Europe. The 2022 Istanbul meeting is well documented. They weren't very close to a deal and it was finally scuppered when all the Bucha massacres came to light.

MAKS 26 👀🇺🇦@maks23.bsky.social · 9mo ago

❗️🇨🇿 In April 2022, Kyiv and Moscow were as close as possible to concluding a peace agreement, but this process was disrupted after Boris Johnson's intervention, - Czech Prime Minister Babis

The CIA, without any explanation, has just cut any further publication of its annual 'World Factbook'. This has been used for years by the US and many others as an authoritative set of hard, mainly statistical facts about every country. Presumably the CIA has given up on bothering with real facts.

This is the line the Putin puppets across Europe are all taking. None of it is actually true. Ukraine can sustain its fight for a long time yet, if it's determined to do so - and that's entirely for them. They will get better in most dimensions of the war, whereas Russia is now at peak performance.

Savchenko Volodymyr@savchenkoua.bsky.social · 9mo ago

🇮🇹❗️🇺🇦 Italian Deputy PM Salvini: We have heard Zelensky who, after all the money, after all the efforts, after all the aid, even has the nerve to complain. My friend, you are losing the war, you are losing men, you are losing credibility and dignity. Sign the peace agreement as soon as possible.

457 British troops lost their lives in Afghanistan. Trump avoided military service 5 times. How dare he question their sacrifice. Farage and all the others still fawning over Trump should be ashamed.