1. Many people have reacted strongly to a video showing production of Shahed-136 (Geran-2) drones by a Chinese company. However, focussing on this company misses the more important aspects.

1. A Ukrainian living in Kyiv sent me this: "The fifth year of the war has arrived, and the biggest paradox and the deepest trauma is that you freeze in anticipation of returning to your previous life, but you understand that returning is not possible, it is an illusion."

This is a really good video about defending against a drone.

1. I received a card from April Huggett in Ukraine. This was for making donations to the Alcatraz Battalion. Alcatraz/ Батальйон Алькатрас 93 бригади @93alcatraz.bsky.social

The commentary posted on Substack by Shankar Narayan is worth reading.

No, I still can’t get this out of my head, and I keep trying to grasp the full abyss of this idiocy, unsuccessfully. Russia spent years, decades "fighting all of NATO," turning America into "radioactive ash" every night on state TV.

youtube.com/shorts/Z4mu2... Well I was correct, the ballistics attack did materialize last night and the early hours, in an all but predictable attack on power infrastructure. However, it’s not all going Putin’s way, not in the slightest, in fact it’s getting worse.

1. A russian propagandist holds a wing and incorrectly claims it is from a Ukrainian Chaklun-V. In fact, this is from a Ukrainian Drakosha - Little Dragon. (This thread contains 16 posts.)

Putin may now be forced to consider a peace deal not from strength, but from exhaustion. That is precisely where the danger lies. open.substack.com/pub/shaunpin...

ANALYSIS TIME - Large Man Abroad presents: Why The US Military Is (Rightfully) Terrified of #Canada 🦾 youtu.be/12ErvtNDOZQ

The russian terrorist, Strelkov pointed out that the USA uses NATO to control Europe. "NATO, of course, won't collapse because of some Greenland. The United States will never lose such an instrument and the influence it exerts on Europe"

I had a work colleague who started acting weird like this. Five year later he was dead from frontotemporal dementia. Earlier symptoms included a strange impulsivity where he could not be reasoned with. A later symptom that could not be ignored was his aphasia.

Take some time and watch Shaun Pinner @olddogua.bsky.social explain how the balance of power has shifted to Ukraine. At this point, I think he may be right. www.youtube.com/watch?v=J9tiGudbOp4

1. This russian pretends to investigate Ukraine's drones but this is just a conduit for russian propaganda. Their surprisingly new and clean uniforms hint something is not right. However, they sometimes post interesting photos with handy location and date information.

1. This beautiful photo shows pieces of a russian SU-34 aircraft that was shot down over Ukraine in 2022. It makes a nice wallpaper for your computer.

Lessons from Cats for Surviving Fascism is a small book that has teeth - and claws. By Stewart @brittlestar.com Reynolds Useful advice includes, "Fascism thrives on predictability; confuse it by unexpectedly launching onto the back side of a chair, then repelling down the curtains."

1. Lots of politicians promise to return manufacturing jobs that have been outsourced to China. Gig workers are a large part of China's work force including factory workers. "I Deliver Parcels in Beijing" gives an idea of what these jobs are like.

1. Four Ukrainian Bars cruise missiles were launched at night. The shape is hard to make out but the fuselage is consistent with the unusual shape of Bars.

I managed to snap a couple of photos of the aurora last night (November 12). Brightness on the bottom right of this photo is, unfortunately, from the city lights. Camera was a Canon T6i with an EF-S 24 mm lens. Not too fancy but works well enough. Other folks there had much fancier kit.

1. This wreckage is Ukraine's secretive Bars (Snow Leopard) cruise missile that was first mentioned by Minister of Strategic Industries, Herman Smetanin in April 2024. The pieces in this photo are not arranged correctly but still give an idea what it looks like.

Time magazine has a story about how Ukraine uses a point system for its drone units. Each kill is awarded points, e.g., 6 points for a russian soldier and 40 points for a tank. Points can be redeemed for all sorts of stuff including drones.

1. This soldier was very excited because he scored a jet engine. A big question is, what drone is this a part of? Cutting up a drone before taking photos is common, and makes identification a more interesting challenge.

1. A Ukrainian drone was attacked by a russian drone. This is not uncommon but what is weird is the russians identified this drone as a Liutyi (Fierce). This event was also subsequently reported in russian news stories.

1. It is beautiful but is this reconnaissance drone too good to use in a war? The various reconnaissance drones flown in Ukraine are well made and usually expensive. But are they too expensive?

Usually we only see the russian Geran-2 (Shahed 136) drones after they have been shot down. Here is a photo of an intact one on display.

1. Here is something a little unusual. It is a Zlin Z137T agricultural aircraft (crop duster) equipped with two R-73 air-to-air missiles for shooting down drones. There's no obvious gun so this is likely only for large drones like the Geran-2 (Shahed 136).

1. Ukraine attacked a russian factory in Stavropol with at least four drones. Although russia has laws against posting there are several very good videos of this attack. Here, a still frame shows a rather nice terminal dive.

Don't do this at home. A russian soldier grabs a Ukrainian drone and smacks it against a tree. For some reason, it does not explode.

1. What would have been unthinkable a few years ago is now routine. Several Ukrainian drones successfully attacked a russian drone factory located in Dubna, only 115 km from the kremlin. This is a smart move by Ukraine, and there may be more to this attack than at first seems.

1. A video shows a Ukrainian drone hitting a transmission tower in Engels, russia. Some people have incorrectly claimed this drone is a Ukrainian-made Lyutyy. Fortunately, there are a couple of details that correctly identify this drone.

1. Ukrainian drones flying deep into russia are so common that russian media reports these along with other mundane issues. Have a look at this russian news headline. “Lipetsk evening: intercepted UAVs, a dog dropped from the 4th floor and dishonest citizens”

1. The russian invasion of Ukraine continues to go to plan. We are seeing ever more advanced vehicles fielded by russia like this highly-modified Lada. I really like the dual hood scoops.

Nothing says "second army of the world" like using a 50 year old Lada as an assault vehicle (or whatever). Removing part of the roof to form a rumble seat makes all the difference.

Drawn 6 years go today. It was rejected and called unfair and alarmist.

This is your daily reminder that Russia is who started this war and who can end it anytime by getting the fck out of Ukraine and stopping bombing us.

This is something to keep a look out for. It is a fixed-wing VTOL drone controlled by fibre optic. The advantages of using fibre are radio silence and high-quality video.

1. Developing a new weapon is hard so why not just copy another company’s design? Fibre optic drones are a hot product and part 4 of this series looked at a company (Skywalker) who developed their own. Other companies have rushed to make similar weapons.

1. Ukraine destroyed an expensive russian Merlin-VR drone. One interesting detail is the shadow of the Ukrainian FPV drone is clearly visible on the Merlin's wing. This shadow also shows how big the Merlin is.

1. Need to ship weapons? The previous thread in this series showed a small russian company, PGI Technology, making electronic warfare systems in China. But how do they ship these systems & other equipment to russia?

1/ Russian vehicle logistics have virtually collapsed in frontline areas due to the constant threat of drones, forcing soldiers to walk tens of kilometers to obtain fuel, food, water and medical supplies. A first-hand account gives an insight into the extreme danger they face. ⬇️

Interesting opinion piece in The Guardian about the "worst group chat the world has ever seen". www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

1. This is a look at a small russian company that operates in China and exports military equipment to russia. One interesting aspect is this company manufactures some equipment, including electronic warfare kit, and places its logo on the products.

1. Many people posted that they stand with Ukraine after the disgusting behaviour yesterday by US President Trump and Vice President Vance.

1. Combining a low-cost drone with a fibre-optic communication link produces a formidable weapon that is impervious to electronic defenses. Here is a look at how a small Chinese company called Skywalker developed an easy-to-use fibre-optic kit that has changed the war.

Changed my cat's litter box today so I am using the opportunity to seek his opinion of the Dear Leader of the United States and two of his comrades. Am currently waiting for the outcome of this poll. Will update once the results drop.

1. Part 3 of Making Money from a War visits an office with a fantastic view. The Chinese company, Skywalker posted a number of videos including one from a fancy office building. A close look produces questions.

1. Part 1 of this series looked at a video posted by the Chinese company Skywalker Technology. The video pointed to a company called DSTech UAS. Part 1 showed their factory and offices.

A number of companies have been making money from the war in Ukraine. This is a series of threads that look at various videos posted by two companies who supply equipment related to drones. The goal is to obtain a better idea of what is happening.

This is a spectacular video that is definitely worth watching. There are many interesting details including a storage room full of armed drones. Also note how several drones can be sent to attack an individual soldier.

1. A good defense against a drone is another drone. Both Ukraine and russia are developing net launchers that tangle an enemy drone’s propellers. Shown here is a russian-designed net launcher made largely from 3D-printed components. These are carried by a drone.