BREAKING from @truth.bsky.social: The Chevron refinery in El Segundo, which suffered a major explosion and fire last night, sported a pattern of repeated environmental violations, with dozens of reported incidents over the past three years.

UPDATE: U.N. human rights experts are demanding answers from Dundee Precious Metals and Namibia over toxic contamination at the Tsumeb smelter. The U.N. expressed “serious concern” stemming from its investigation. Four UN Special Rapporteurs have sent a formal letter.

New from @truth.bsky.social, the U.S. is massing reconnaissance aircraft near Venezuela as the U.S. deploys nearly a dozen ships into the region. Puerto Rico now hosts a detachment of Navy P-8A Poseidons conducting surveillance and gathering intelligence across the Caribbean.

Early this morning, an Army Joint Light Tactical Vehicle was involved in an accident with a civilian car on Capitol Hill in Washington D.C. D.C. Police confirm to me that the driver of one of the vehicles was transported to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

At 5 AM this morning, Russian forces bombed an apartment building in the Ukrainian city of Kharkiv. At least four are dead, including a child.

US Army M109A7 Paladin 155mm self propelled artillery system sitting on the National Mall in Washington DC this morning.

Roughly 20 US Army M1126 Stryker Infantry Carrier Vehicles sitting just off the National Mall in Washington D.C. this evening.

US Army M1A2 SEPv3 main battle tank rolling down Independence Avenue in Washington D.C. last night.

I put Danger Zone over the footage that Iran just released showing US and Coalition forces operating in the Persian Gulf, because it really needed Danger Zone.

New from @truth.bsky.social : The European Union has quietly restricted public access to Sentinel-2 satellite imagery covering the Red Sea as EU maritime forces continue to guide European-owned cargo ships through the Houthis’ blockade.

New from @truth.bsky.social: the US is preparing a massive buildup in the Middle East as the Yemeni Civil War prepares to reignite. Hunterbrook tracked hundreds of USAF cargo flights in CENTCOM over the last month, seeing a nearly 400% increase as the US deployed numerous assets.

Russia is facing a potential budget crisis as the price of oil plummets on trade war fears. Russia’s Central Bank warned Tuesday that falling global oil prices could strain the country’s public finances, with oil revenues already falling 10% year-on-year in the first quarter.

Over the last week, US military aid flights to Ukraine jumped, with 747 freighters delivering supplies from a number of locations: 2x from McGuire Air Force Base 3x from Joint Base Charleston 1x from Ramstein Air Base 1x from MacDill Air Force Base 1x from Biggs Army Airfield

Moments ago, Russia bombed a vacation resort in the Ukrainian city of Dnipro, setting the area, including the resort restaurant's replica wooden sailing ship, ablaze.

Sweden has announced that it will increase its military aid to Ukraine this year by over 16 billion Krona ($1.6 billion). Sweden's over $4 billion in aid to Ukraine this year will fund various programs, including equipment procurement, "strengthening its defense capabilities."

Ukraine's general staff claims that last week's drone strike on Russia's Engels-2 bomber airbase destroyed nearly 100 air-launched cruise missiles. Independent imagery confirmed that the strike leveled a Russian ammunition depot on the base.

Ukrainian Air Force pilot and his European-supplied F-16AM Fighting Falcon, on a combat patrol over western Ukraine. Armed with a set of the most advanced air-to-air weapons in Ukrainian inventory, a pair of AIM-120C AMRAAMs and a pair of AIM-9X Sidewinders.

The scion of a Mexican billionaire suddenly leaned forward from their seat on the private jet. “You absolutely cannot use my name.” From @truth.bsky.social , the story of how American companies Remitly and Western Union may be exposed to cartel money laundering on a massive scale.

Portugal is reconsidering the multi-billion dollar purchase of 28 American F-35 fighters, after changes in what the Portuguese Minister of Defense calls the "predictability of our allies." Portugal will examine European alternatives as it ramps up defense spending.

Hunterbrook Media, my current home, is now on Bluesky. We're a group chasing down bad actors, and holding them accountable, from multinational grain smuggling supporting Russia's illegal war in Ukraine, to underreported environmental disasters at home and abroad.

Hi. We're Hunterbrook Media. We investigate bad actors — and hold them accountable. We’ve exposed mortgage fraud, environmental crimes, and the real reason eggs are so expensive. Follow along to join us as we pursue wrongdoers from Monterey to Mongolia. newsletter.hntrbrk.com

Yesterday, France confirmed that Ukrainian Mirage 2000-5Fs would be equipped with AASM guided bombs, giving the Ukrainian Air Force another capable strike platform. France has previously tested the AASM on the 5F, seen here with a massive loadout of six AASM-250s.

France is racing to accelerate defense production, more than doubling its output of Rafales, AASMs, anti-tank missiles, and drones. French MOD Lecornu confirmed in an interview yesterday that French companies were working on civil-military production partnerships to do so.

Cockpit photos from a French-supplied Mirage 2000-5F in Ukrainian service downing a Russian cruise missile yesterday morning. These are the first combat images from a Ukrainian Air Force Mirage.

New from Hunterbrook Media, industry experts are calling for a federal investigation into the egg market after prices and egg producer profits have soared. Egg prices have quadrupled, but quarterly profits of the nation's largest egg producer have gone up almost 1000%.

Four senior members of President Trump’s entourage have secretly met with Ukrainian opposition leaders on potentially holding early elections to unseat Ukrainian President Zelensky, per Politico.

The cessation of US aid to Ukraine today was not a surprise or unplanned. Even before the complete pause of U.S. aid, the number of U.S. supply flights delivering equipment for Ukraine appears to have steadily slowed over the past month. Average flights cratered over the last week.

The Czech crowdfunding initiative Dárek pro Putina has successfully raised funds from 20,580 donors to supply a Sikorsky UH-60A Black Hawk to Ukraine. The Black Hawk will be turned over to Ukraine's GUR special operations aviation branch, which already operates the type.

The UK and Ukraine have signed a new £2.26 billion loan package to purchase arms for Ukraine. The loans will be paid back with frozen Russian assets.

After yesterday's events in the White House, Haltbakk Bunkers, one of Norway's largest marine fuel companies, appears to have announced that it will no longer refuel American Navy vessels. Haltbakk has called on other European companies to refuse service to American forces.

Zelensky arrives at 10 Downing Street in London to kick off a flurry of high-level meetings this weekend between Ukrainian and European officials after the events in Washington yesterday. UK Prime Minister Starmer embraced Zelensky as they met.

Ukrainian President Zelensky will meet with the King of England, Charles III, tomorrow evening at Sandringham.

For the first time, Ireland will supply Ukraine with air defense systems, donating four of its older, but still capable, Giraffe MkIV radar systems mounted on Bandvagn 206 carriers. The radars will be able to integrate with RBS70 SAM systems already supplied by other countries.

Ukrainian Air Force F-16AM Fighting Falcon, screaming low over the eastern front on a strike mission.

As commitments continue to flow in, EU nations are upping their targets for the bloc’s new massive single military aid package for Ukraine. Politico reports that the package’s expected value has risen to 20 billion euros, and may grow even larger as countries dig for equipment.

Earlier this week, USAF F-35 Lightnings intercepted two flights of Russian Tu-95 Bear bombers, joined by armed Russian Su-35 Flankers, inside Alaska's ADIZ. The Flankers and Bears were intercepted over the Bering and Chukchi Seas on the 18th and 19th of February.

The Russian Air Force dropped a glide bomb on an apartment building in the southern Ukrainian city of Kherson overnight, injuring four, including two children.

Low pass by a Ukrainian Air Force F-16AM Fighting Falcon on a strike mission. Armed with 8x GBU-39 SDB glide bombs, 1x AIM-9X Sidewinder, 1x AIM-9L Sidewinder, and 2x AIM-120C AMRAAMs.

Onboard footage of Ukrainian Navy vessels downing Russian attack drones over the Black Sea with their L3Harris VAMPIRE SAM systems. Each intercept relies on a low-cost APKWS laser-guided rocket.

A drone hit the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant in Ukraine early this morning, per the IAEA. The Chernobyl New Safe Confinement unit caught fire and was damaged, but the IAEA reports the inner structure was not breached and radiation levels have not risen outside.

UK-supplied AS-90 SPH in Ukrainian service, sending a likely Czech-supplied 155mm shell at a Russian target.

Kherson Oblast, a Ukrainian MiG-29 Fulcrum drops a pair of French-supplied AASM 500-pound guided bombs into a Russian bunker under the E97 Highway.

The US Navy released a new photo of USS Preble (DDG-88) firing her HELIOS laser weapon.

For many in the DC-area flying community, the crash tonight wasn’t a matter of if, but when. DC airspace is some of the most congested in the world, with helicopters and jets forced into a small operating area. Doesn’t exactly help that the Army uses it as a training ground.

Israel is supplying Ukraine with its former PATRIOT surface to air missile systems, and has already delivered 90 PATRIOT interceptors to Ukraine, per Axios. The systems were first handed over to the US, who will refurbish launchers and radars before delivery to Ukraine.

The Russian nuclear-powered icebreaker 50 Years of Victory suffered a major collision in the Kara Sea today, losing a sizable chunk of its bow. Russia operates 8 of the key icebreakers to clear its ports, with the recent sinking of the Ursa Major delaying a replacement unit.

The US airbridge supporting Ukraine continued this weekend, with three loaded USTRANSCOM 747s landing at Rzeszow International Airport, the gateway for Western aid headed to Ukraine. The last one, CMB338, touched down in Rzeszow moments ago.

Pilot’s footage from a rainy Ukrainian Mi-24 Hind gunship rocket attack run over Donetsk Oblast. (No music, raw cockpit audio)

The Ukrainian Navy has released footage of a ship-mounted VAMPIRE SAM system successfully intercepting a Russian Kh-59 short range cruise missile. This appears to be the first footage of a L3Harris VAMPIRE intercepting a Russian cruise missile with an APKWS laser-guided rocket

Ukrainian Air Force Su-24 Fencer cruise missile carriers returning to base after a mission, western Ukraine.