#artis from ukraine | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

mariacallous · 6 months

Text

Forty-year-old actress and director Polina Menshikh was killed in a Ukrainian missile strike during a live performance for Russian troops in Ukraine’s occupied Donetsk region. The soldiers had gathered to celebrate Missile Forces and Artillery Day, drawing comparisons to Russia’s recent deadly attack on Ukrainian soldiers during an Artillery Day award ceremony. Members of the Ukrainian army have unofficially dubbed the attack a “retaliatory strike.”

Russian actress Polina Menshikh’s death was first reported on November 20 by the St. Petersburg Portal theater, where she’d previously directed a musical. The next day, Russian state news agency TASS said that Menshikh had been killed by shelling in the village of Kumachovo in the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic (“DNR”), about 70 kilometers (around 50 miles) southeast of the city of Donetsk.

“DNR” authorities reported that the village had come under fire on November 19, adding that a woman born in 1972 had died. Andrey Rudenko, a war correspondent for the Russian state-owned broadcaster VGTRK, said the attack was a Ukrainian HIMARS strike.

Polina Menshikh was an actress and director. For 15 years, she led the Lege Artis theater in Moscow, which she founded. Menshikh said she taught classical ballet, character dance, Irish dance, acting, Russian folk dance, contemporary dance, Baroque dance, and ballet conditioning. She directed plays at the Central House of Journalists, the Presnya arts theater, and the Moscow International House of Music. In recent years, she headed the Nezhen folk-dance theater.

On November 21, pro-war Telegram channels began publishing details of Menshikh’s death, saying she’d been performing at a concert for Russian soldiers in a cultural center just 60 kilometers (around 37 miles) from the front line during the artillery strike. A video circulating on social media allegedly shows the moment during Menshikh’s performance when the building was hit.

Russian pro-war blogger Alexander Kots speculated that the strike on the cultural center was coordinated. “The enemy has hundreds of people on the Internet engaging in OSINT and dozens of pairs of eyes, ready to give a tip-off for 200–500 hryvnias (about $5-14). This is a fact. And it can’t be ignored,” he wrote.

Rybar, a pro-Kremlin military analysis channel on Telegram, called the concert for the soldiers “the stupidest decision to gather a huge crowd in a conspicuous place.” “Apparently, very smart people had a think and decided that since the concert venue is located 60 kilometers (about 37 miles) from the front line near the Russian border, it would definitely be out of reach,” Rybar wrote.

Pro-war Telegram channel Military Informant compared the incident to a strike on Ukrainian soldiers in the Zaporizhzhia region who were in formation for an award ceremony. “Remember how funny it was when the AFU’s 128th Brigade was ordered to line up in honor of Artillery Day […] for an award ceremony, and then our missiles came? Well, exactly the same alternatively gifted people were found in the Russian army,” wrote Military Informant.

The day after the strike, RIA Novosti published a video from the cultural center where Menshikh was performing. According to RIA’s correspondent, the auditorium was “practically undamaged,” but the roof above the stage was destroyed and the walls were covered in shrapnel.

Ukrainian Armed Forces are unofficially referring to the strike on Kumachovo as “retribution” for the shelling of Ukraine’s 128th Mountain Assault Brigade, wrote Robert Brovdi, commander of Ukraine’s Madyar’s Birds aerial reconnaissance unit. According to him, soldiers from Russia’s 810th Marine Brigade were in the cultural center. Brovdi claimed 25 people died in the strike and over 100 were injured.

Later, the Ukrainian military's Strategic Communications Center issued a statement saying that Ukrainian forces “successfully inflicted fire damage” on 810th Marine Brigade members who had gathered to celebrate Russia’s Missile Forces and Artillery Day. “The Ukrainian defense forces promptly identified the location of the Russians’ celebratory event and warmly welcomed them. Russian propagandists claim that the precision strike killed several dozen occupiers simultaneously, with about 100 suffering severe injuries,” read the announcement.

The Russian Defense Ministry has not officially commented on the strike, and there is no precise information on the number of deaths. A Russian military expert, who spoke with Novaya Gazeta Europe on condition of anonymity, claims that 23 people died and up to 80 were injured in the strike. According to him, four “visiting artists” were among the dead. There is no confirmation of these data.

3 notes · View notes

newstfionline · 1 year

Text

Sunday, March 5, 2023

Storms roll east after slamming South; 10 deaths reported (AP) A large storm system took aim at the Northeast on Friday, threatening heavy snow and coastal flooding after heavy winds and possible tornadoes damaged homes and buildings, left thousands without power and caused 10 deaths in a wide swath of the South and Midwest. Three people were killed by falling trees in Alabama as severe weather swept through the state. In Mississippi, a woman died inside her SUV after a rotted tree branch struck her vehicle, and in Arkansas a man drowned after he drove into high floodwaters. News outlets reported two people died in Tennessee when trees fell on them. Three weather-related deaths also were reported in Kentucky in three different counties as storms with straight-line winds moved through the state. The National Weather Service in Louisville called the storm Friday “powerful and historic” with peak wind gusts between 60-80 mph (96-128 kph).

Technology Replaces Even The Repo Guy (Car and Driver) While companies like Google and Amazon are looking into autonomous driving technology in order to operate self-driving taxis and freight vehicles, Ford Motors is implementing the technology for a different purpose: repossessing cars. Recently, a Ford patent was formally published outlining a new suite of features in the field of vehicle repos, including a fully self-driving system that could have repo’d Fords drive themselves back to the dealer. The patent includes full- and semi-autonomous systems to aid in car repossession, alongside a few other features that might make holding onto a repo’d vehicle just plain exhausting. For example, Ford could remotely shut off an owner’s access to air conditioning, radio, or cruise control, or even play annoying sounds through the car stereo to ward off an owner from using their car. The systems could even escalate to fully turning off the car’s ability to drive. Most of these intermediary steps would be taken before the car actually up and drives itself back to a dealership.

Argentina inflation seen speeding in 2023, central bank poll shows (Reuters) Argentina’s inflation rate is seen hitting 99.9% in 2023, speeding up from last year’s rate and topping previous estimates which saw a slightly slower rise, according to a central bank poll of analysts released Friday. The forecast, which is 2.3 percentage points above the 2023 rate projected in last month’s poll, comes amid a prolonged financial and social crisis in one of Latin America’s largest economies. The annual inflation rate in 2022 hit 94.8%, according to Argentina’s statistics institute.

In Britain, ‘warm hubs’ emerge to beat soaring energy costs (AP) On a blustery late-winter day in Shakespeare’s birthplace, the foyer of the Other Place theater is a cozy refuge. Visitors are having meetings over coffee, checking emails, writing poetry, learning to sew. It looks and feels like an arty café in the picturesque streets of Stratford-upon-Avon, but it’s a “warm hub” set up by the Royal Shakespeare Company drama troupe to welcome people struggling to heat their homes because of sky-high energy prices. Warm hubs have sprouted across Britain by the thousands this winter as soaring food and energy prices drive millions to turn down the thermostat or skimp on hot meals. Research by the opposition Labour Party counted almost 13,000 such hubs, funded by a mix of charities, community groups and the government and nestled in libraries, churches, community centers and even a tearoom at King Charles III’s Highgrove country estate.

U.N. Russian Official Warns of Nuclear Clashes (Foreign Policy) Speaking at a U.N. conference in Geneva on the subject of nuclear disarmament, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov warned that western support for Ukraine could lead to a nuclear conflict. Ryabkov blamed “the U.S. and NATO policy of fueling the conflict in Ukraine” and warned “increasing involvement in the military confrontation is fraught with a direct military clash of nuclear powers with catastrophic consequences.” That Russian President Vladimir Putin suspended Russian participation in the 2010 New START nuclear treaty was, Ryabkov stressed, a response to this involvement. Ryabkov did say that Russia would continue to respect caps on nuclear weapons under the treaty.

Heavy fighting as Russians advance in Bakhmut (Washington Post) The battle for Bakhmut in eastern Ukraine continued to rage Friday, with Russian forces “constantly hitting the city randomly with artillery, Grads and mortars,” Ukrainian soldier Yuriy Syrotyuk, 46, who is stationed in the north of the city with Ukraine’s Fifth Independent Assault Brigade, said by phone. But Ukrainian forces were still in control of some parts of Bakhmut and have not been ordered to retreat, Syrotyuk said, despite new claims Friday from Yevgeniy Prigozhin, the leader of Russia’s Wagner mercenary group, that Russian forces have “practically surrounded” the city. Other Ukrainian soldiers said that further reinforcements were being deployed to Bakhmut, even as some specialized units were told to redeploy to long-planned fallback positions. Ukrainian troops have pleaded for additional support from the West to push back the Russians from the city, whose value has become largely symbolic over the past months as the Ukrainians have resisted ceding territory in the east. One of the greatest challenges continues to be a lack of ammunition.

The E.U. Offered to Embrace Ukraine, but Now What? (NYT) When the European Union offered Ukraine a path to membership last year, it was in many ways an emotional response to the Russian invasion. Leaders were under pressure to show solidarity with the victims of aggression, even though many opposed the idea. Since then, preoccupied with passing sanctions, scrounging up aid and scouring military inventories to send Ukraine weapons, few in Europe have focused seriously on what that commitment might actually mean. But this is a courtship with consequences for the future, not only for Ukraine’s aspirations and survival, but also for Europe’s own security and finances. Ukrainian membership would reshape the bloc and its relationship with a post-conflict Russia. Tensions are already growing between Europe’s desire to maintain its tough requirements and Ukraine’s demand for quick entry into a promised land that has given hope to the embattled country. European Union officials like Ursula von der Leyen, the president of the European Commission, have been slow-walking expectations for Ukraine, a country that nearly all agree is fundamentally unprepared to join.

Afghan Women, Banned From Working, Can’t Provide for Their Children (WSJ) Since toppling the U.S.-backed government in 2021, the Taliban has introduced a series of restrictions aimed at squeezing women out of public life in Afghanistan. Girls over sixth grade can no longer go to school, Afghan universities no longer accept female students and women are barred from most public-sector jobs. The employment ban is deepening a humanitarian crisis and putting the livelihood of whole families at risk. Widows are especially vulnerable.

Protests break out in Iran over schoolgirl illnesses (Reuters) Worried parents protested in Iran's capital Tehran and other cities on Saturday over a wave of suspected poison attacks that have affected schoolgirls in dozens of schools, according to Iranian news agencies and social media videos. The so-far unexplained illnesses have affected hundreds of schoolgirls in recent months. Iranian officials believe the girls may have been poisoned and have blamed Tehran's enemies. The country's health minister has said the girls have suffered "mild poison" attacks and some politicians have suggested the girls could have been targeted by hardline Islamist groups opposed to girls' education. Sickness affected more than 30 schools in at least 10 of Iran's 31 provinces on Saturday. Videos posted on social media showed parents gathered at schools to take their children home and some students being taken to hospitals by ambulance or buses.

The proud Pakistani tradition of feeding the hungry is strained as food prices soar (NPR) Since the pandemic, Pakistan has been battered by calamities that have pushed up the price of food and fuel: Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and two events made more extreme by climate change: a spring heatwave that shriveled harvests, then summer floods that drowned them. Now there’s an economic crisis so dire, the country risks default. Inflation reached nearly 25% last year, but the figure conceals dramatic variations. In poorer rural areas, prices of food rose even higher. Now, the World Food Programme expects that 5.1 million people are likely to be a step away from famine-levels of hunger by the end of March—an increase of 1.1 million people from the previous quarter. “That number is frightening,” says Chris Kaye, the Pakistan country director of the WFP. And it has put a proud Pakistani tradition of feeding the hungry under strain just when it is needed the most.

Why are China’s tech leaders still disappearing if the crackdown is over? (Washington Post) China’s legendary tech dealmaker Bao Fan hasn’t been seen for almost three weeks. Stock prices have plunged for his investment bank China Renaissance, once known for brokering the country’s biggest tech mergers, and all it has said is that Bao is “assisting the government of the People’s Republic of China with an investigation.” Another titan of China’s tech world, Alibaba founder Jack Ma, was spotted days ago in Melbourne, Australia. While keeping a low profile since regulators put the brakes on his planned record-breaking IPO after he criticized them publicly, Ma has also turned up in Spain and Japan. Bao and Ma aren’t the only tech leaders in China who have vanished from public view seemingly at the peak of their influence. Many of the country’s top business executives and influencers—bankers, property developers, movie stars like Fan Bingbing and e-commerce superseller Austin Li—have gone missing without explanation as their power and influence have grown. Some were later hit with fines and accused of offenses like tax evasion or fraud. Officials have said that the crackdown on the tech industry, which saw a flurry of regulations torpedo the influence of companies from gaming to online education, has ended. But Bao Fan’s disappearance—the latest evidence of the government’s willingness to rein in even the most powerful executives—has shaken investor confidence and undermined Beijing’s insistence it supports the private sector.

World Bank: Quake caused damage worth $5.1 billion in Syria (AP) The World Bank said Friday that Syria sustained an estimated $5.1 billion in damages in last month’s massive earthquake that struck southeast Turkey and northern parts of the war-torn country. The quake killed at least 50,000 people, including about 6,000 in Syria, according to the United Nations. Tens of thousands are still missing and hundreds of thousands were left homeless. In a report released Friday, the World Bank says the level of the damage in Syria is about 10% of the country’s gross domestic product. Syria’s northern province of Aleppo was the most severely hit region, accounting for 45% of the total damages in Syria and amounting to about $2.3 billion in damages. Also badly hit was the rebel-held region in the northwest, home to some 4.6 million people, many of them previously displaced by Syria’s war.

#headlines #news

2 notes · View notes

usafphantom2 · 2 years

Text

ARMY-2022: Russian Helicopters reveals unmanned helicopter with high payload

Fernando Valduga By Fernando Valduga 08/17/2022 - 16:00 in Helicopters, UAV - UAV

Russian Helicopter unveiled a universal unmanned aerial system of type BAS-750 at the Army-2022 Forum that is taking place this week.

The system consists of two helicopters with a maximum takeoff weight of 750 kg, as well as two ground control and flight support stations. The autonomous mobile system ensures the continuous flight of rotary-wing drones for up to 6 hours.

The BAS-750 is capable of carrying a surveillance payload and transmitting information to the operator at a distance of up to 150 km. The project provides for the installation of additional fuel tanks to increase the duration of the flight. An optoelectronic/infrared package can be seen in the nose of the UAV.

"The BAS-750 is the 'older brother' of the BAS-200 drone. It continues the line of multifunctional unmanned systems capable of solving a wide range of tasks. They are research work, cartography, monitoring of agricultural land, roads, reservoirs, oil and gas infrastructure facilities, power supply lines, communications and pipelines, as well as cargo transportation. The drone is capable of carrying loads weighing up to 200 kilograms at a speed of 180 km/h," said Oleg Yevtushenko, Executive Director of Rostec.

The new helicopter UAV is capable of rising to a height of up to 3,500 meters and, in combination with a high payload and uninterrupted flight duration, significantly expands the versatility of the UAV.

"In a typical configuration, rotary-wing drones are equipped with an optoelectronic system, five daytime panoramic cameras and the ability to return to the starting point even in the absence of satellite navigation data," said Oleg Gulyaev, First Deputy Director General of the Russian Helicopters holding company.

Tags: BAS-750HelicoptersRussiaRussian HelicoptersUAV

Previous news

Latvia donates Mi-17 and Mi-2 helicopters to the Ukrainian military

Fernando Valduga

Aviation photographer and pilot since 1992, he has participated in several events and air operations, such as Cruzex, AirVenture, Dayton Airshow and FIDAE. He has works published in a specialized aviation magazine in Brazil and abroad. He uses Canon equipment during his photographic work in the world of aviation.

Related news

Two Mi-17 and two Mi-2 helicopters were delivered to Ukraine partially disassembled. Before delivery by Latvia, the helicopters were painted and a Mi-17 was revised. (Photo: Artis Pabriks)

HELICOPTERS

Latvia donates Mi-17 and Mi-2 helicopters to the Ukrainian military

08/17/2022 - 3:00 PM

Korean Air will develop a manned and unmanned team system in which a manned aircraft and three to four stealthy UAVs can perform missions simultaneously. (Photo: Korean Air)

MILITARY

Korean Air will develop a squadron of stealth drones

08/17/2022 - 2:00 PM

HELICOPTERS

VIDEO: British Apache helicopters practice landings on the beach

08/17/2022 - 12:00 PM

MILITARY

Russia announces date of the first flight of the Sukhoi Su-75 Checkmate

08/16/2022 - 6:00 PM

INTERCEPTIONS

Russia claims that RAF's RC-135W invaded its airspace

08/16/2022 - 12:00 PM

HELICOPTERS

USAF hires H225s from the Air Center company to help elite squad rescue forces

08/15/2022 - 1:00 PM

HOME Main Page Editorials Information Events Collaborate SPECIALS Advertise About

Cavok Brasil - Digital Tchê Web Creation

Commercial

Executive

Helicopters

History

Military

Brazilian Air Force

Space

SPECIALS

Cavok Brasil - Digital Tchê Web Creation

6 notes · View notes

paulinedorchester · 2 years

Text

Mercury Pictures Presents, by Anthony Marra. New York: Hogarth, 2022.

Before I became a Chicagoan, I was a fourth-generation Californian. My father and I were both born there, and my grandparents and great-grandparents lived there after immigrating from what are now Moldova and Ukraine early in the last century. My uncle and other relatives served in the Pacific Theatre during World War II. It’s thus rather embarrassing that I know so little about the West Coast home front. One should really read a non-fiction book on the subject, of course; but until I get around to doing that, I can at least say that I know a good deal more than I used to after reading this thoroughly enjoyable novel.

(Okay, thoroughly enjoyable? I spent a lot of time laughing as I read Mercury Pictures Presents, but its underlying historical events, of course, aren’t funny at all. With that in mind, here are some trigger warnings: fascism in Europe and its consequences; disguised fascism in the United States and its consequences; period-typical sexism and racism; parent-child tensions; a suicide. And I should add that almost everybody could, potentially, be offended, disappointed, or both by some element or other of this novel. In theory, that includes me. I read it anyway.)

Mercury Pictures is a fictional “poverty row” movie studio. (I specify that it’s an invention because many real-life persons, institutions and events are part of the story.) By mid-1941, a significant part of its workforce is made up of people who speak English as a second language. Among them are the studio’s owners, Artie and Ned Feldman, identical twin brothers born in Silesia, who can barely conceal their mutual loathing. (Unlike most of the others, they immigrated as children.) Artie, Mercury’s head of production, is an idealist whose insistence on putting out interventionist films warning the public about events in Europe has brought Mercury Pictures into the sights of the Senate Investigation into Motion Picture War Propaganda. Ned, the closest thing the story has to an on-the-page villain, is a bean-counter whose divorce from morality includes contributions to the election or re-election campaigns of any number of isolationist (read: Republican) politicians. (And then there’s his string of gentile ex-wives.)

They’re only one part of a big, complicated story, though. This novel has at least half a dozen protagonists. Through extensive flashbacks, we learn in detail what brought each of them to where they are in the late summer of 1941. (Marra also includes flash-forwards that tell us what becomes of some of them after the war. Some of the endings are happy; others, less so.) With this in mind, I’m going to stop summarizing now; if I don’t, I’ll end up with something like my previous book review (albeit with much less personal ruminating). Instead, I’ll just say that I highly recommend Mercury Pictures Presents, and then I’ll talk about another aspect of it, one that I’m sure is of burning interest to many people reading this: its adaptability!

It’s a highly cinematic novel, and I could see it being played out as I read it — high praise coming from me! It wouldn’t surprise me to learn that the rights have already been sold. It would be quite disappointing as a feature film, I suspect: the story’s length and complexity would require drastic cutting. We are fortunate to be living in a new golden age of television, but even as a mini-series it would be challenging (and costly) to do this really well. There’s plenty of excellent dialogue, but a great deal of the plot, including most of the jokes, is contained in narration or interior monologue. Substantial parts of the story take place in Germany or Italy, before, during, and after the war; those scenes would need to be filmed on location, in German or Italian. Several leading roles would have to be played by actors equally comfortable with dialogue in (accented) English and the character’s native language. So I’d be anxious about the results of any attempt — but I’d love to see it attempted!

#world war ii #u.s. home front #california #historical fiction #highly recommended

4 notes · View notes

co-iki · 27 days

Text

[ DONATION ]

Our 1st POLYTOPIA exhibition involving artists at risk will be held at Res Artis space in Melbourne in coming month as below!

It's a self-funded project for all the artworks exhibited , international delivery, production costs including artist / curatorial fee.

Co-iki have already hosted Ukrainian artists during the pandemic and the ongoing war and is now planning to host a Burmese artists in Tokyo. The Burmese artist will also need financial support for her residency and creative practice.

We would also like to tour the POLYTOPIA exhibition to Japan in the near future.

Please support us to bring the best out of our exhibition and to continue our residency activities.

Your warm contribution will help to expand our program in Tokyo + International for the artists and cultural workers at risk.

Thank you so much!

Donate via Paypal / Ko-fi ; Goal 💲8000　*The exhibition report will be shared with the donors. Thanks for your kind consideration!

Paypal: https://paypal.me/coikitokyo *You can choose the currency

Ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/coiki/　*Australian Dollar

Please inquire on ([email protected]) if you have difficulty in sending donation or any further questions.

この度、co・ikiと世界のレジデンシープラットフォーマーのresartisが共催し、メルボルンにて展覧会「POLYTOPIA - re・birth - （ポリトピア・リバース）」を開催致します。

POLYTOPIAはパンデミック中に実施されたco・ikiのリモートレジデンシープログラムです。

この度は政治的・社会的危機や文化的破壊の渦中にあるアーティストや創作活動にフォーカスし、ウクライナ、ミャンマー、インドネシア、インド、日本のアーティストたちによる作品が一同に会します。

将来的には日本での巡回も計画しております。

本展を開催するにあたり、旅費以外の制作コスト、作品輸送費、アーティストフィー等企画者個人負担となっており、皆様にお力添えいただきたく、下記よりマイクロファンディングをお願いしたく存じます。（不明なことやお問い合わせはこちらまでお気軽にお願いいたします。[email protected] ）

各国で変動する状況の中、いかなる方法でも創作を続けるアーティストたち、また私たちの活動を継続的なものにするためにみなさんのご支援が必要です。2024年夏にはミャンマーのアーティストも東京co・ikiでのレジデンスを希望しているため、展示資金に加えて活用させていただければと思います。また、将来的な東京での展示についても皆様にご覧いただけるようしたく、準備資金ができますと更にありがたく思っております。

2020年のパンデミックに始まり、各国の危機的な環境を踏まえ、共に創作の場をサポートいただけますと幸いです。何卒宜しくお願い申し上げます。

Donate via Paypal / Ko-fi ; Goal 💲8000　*The exhibition report will be shared with the donors.　ドネーションの一次目標は80万円（下記より）。支援者の皆さんには展示レポートをお送りいたします。

寄付はPaypalかKo-fiで行っていただけます。ご希望に応じて他の方法も可能ですのでお問い合わせください。([email protected])

Paypal: https://paypal.me/coikitokyo ※為替選択可

Ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/coiki/　※ オーストラリアドル 1D=100円程

下記QRからも各寄付先リンクに入れます。

✉️Inquiry : [email protected]

[Exhibition]

POLYTOPIA - re・birth -

May 17th - June 15th ,2024

Location: Res Artis— 44 Glasshouse Rd, Collingwood (Wurundjeri Country) 3066, Victoria, Australia

*Access is via Gertrude Glasshouse and is not wheelchair accessible.

https://www.instagram.com/resartis_projectspace/

Opening: Thursday 16th May, 6-8pm

Exhibition dates: 17th May. -14th June 2024

Gallery Hours: 12-5pm, Thursday and Friday

*Visits outside of gallery hours can be made by appointment between May 17th - May 24th. Please contact : [email protected]

Curator : Yoko Negami / co・iki

Organizer : Res Artis , co・iki

Cooperator: миразом & co・iki friends

Grant by : Toshiaki Ogasawara Memorial Foundation

Participating Artists :

Soe Yu Nwe / Myanmar

Subhash Maskara / India

Muhamad Gerly / Indonesia

Nana Biakova / Ukraine

Olia Fedorova / Ukraine

Ryoichi Wago / Japan

“POLYTOPIA” started in 2021, the second year of the pandemic to follow Co-iki’s first remote residency “Creativity from Home” in 2020.

The participating creators from different parts of the world came together to cocreate our POLYTOPIA delving into the concept of locality in this changing era.

February 24th, 2022.

That was the very day of our final presentation and wrap-up of POLYTOPIA , when the full-scale war started in Ukraine, in our fellow artists’ country.

5am in Ukraine, 12 at noon in Japan. Urgent messages have been exchanged.

We decided to postpone our event but just to pray for our friends. Everybody got together online, remotely praying and caring for each other. Breathing in synchrony.

2 years of breathing.

Where do we stand now?

Here, we stand and live again.

From Ukraine, Myanmar, India, Indonesia and Japan, we are coming together to resume, regenerate and reshape our POLYTOPIA in this physical space of Melbourne city.

We wish this exhibition will be a connecting point of polytopic times, spaces, localities and identities, as well as to invent a way of co-existing in various remote conditions.

---------------------

POLYTOPIA is a remote residency program that started with the pandemic in 2020 and was run from 2021 to 2022, with artists from Ukraine, Japan, Myanmar, Taiwan, Indonesia, Nigeria, India, and other countries in various ocial and cultural situations. The program has been developed as a remote residency program in which participating artists and cultural workers collaborate to conduct their own research and creation remotely.

The program has also provided an online forum for artists from each participating country to engage in dialogue with Japanese artists, curators, residency administrators, and other cultural professionals to share their different situations, ideas, and activities.

This will be an opportunity to further consider what kind of safety nets and programs we can develop as an international residency network, and to share them with people from various sectors of society and culture in Melbourne and other cities around the world.

■Sharing the Ukrainian voice in Co-iki residency, Tokyo (2022)

■Summary of Remote Residency “Creativity from HOME” by Co-iki (2020)

■AIR under the Pandemic - Remodeling Residencies - (2020)

[参照] 前回のウクライナのアーティスト支援クラファンの様子

Our previous crowd-funding to continue residency for Ukrainian Artists (Japanese)

- co・iki -

Co-living & Co-creative Residency Program based in Tokyo

Website: https://co-iki.org/

Tumblr: https://co-iki.tumblr.com/

[SNS]

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/c0iki/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/co.iki/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/coiki5

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCU9TZoawSm4TfE_AJbXgDow

#coiki #remoteresidency #artistinresidence #polytopia #artslivingspace #donation #contemporaryart #artistatrisk #artexhibition #melbourne artist #ukrainianartist #burmeseartist #indonesianartist #indian artist #japaneseartist #artresidencyinjapan

0 notes

sonnwehr · 29 days

Text

1 note · View note

tomsquitieri · 5 months

Text

In Latvia, The Summer Winds Are Calm But No One Is Fooled, And No One Forgets

RIGA, Latvia — No one forgets. It is rule one in the often trampled lands of eastern and southern Europe.

And so, when Americans ponder why Latvians and others immediately recoil when a once angry bear growls again — and then ask for more, more, more support and military fortitude, just look at bruised history, geographic proximity, and ingrained memories of brutality and despotism that are deeper than the creases in the streets of old town Riga.

Today, the teasing summer wind from the Baltic Sea blows west to east across Latvia, somewhat pleasantly. That, however, is not how the winds of history have blown. They come from east to west, sometimes south to north. They are calm for the moment, after a derecho this spring.

“We are a relatively small country…with a border (with Belarus and Russia),” Latvian defense minister Artis Pabriks said Wednesday, summing up the reality. “Our military capacity is small.”

Riga, the capital of Latvia where Pabriks made his remarks, is about 630 miles from Kyiv and 572 miles from Moscow. The Russian and Belarus borders are about a two-hour drive.

“From our intelligence perspective, the border is of very high importance,” Pabriks said. “We pay attention all the time.”

He said from Latvia’s military perspective, “Belarus is not an independent country….and it will be integrated into Russia” at some point in time when Russia decides the time has come. “The Russian border and Belarus border and the Belarus and Russian border is one and the same,” he said.

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, visiting Latvia for two days of meetings, said his counterpart is sharply keyed on the realpolitik of Latvia’s location. “In terms of Latvia security, I can tell you your minister is absolutely focused on that,” Austin said. “I feel pretty good that he is focused on that."

This is Austin’s first trip to Latvia and the first by a U.S. defense secretary since William Perry came here in 1995. "I'm visiting at a critical time for Europe and for the world," Austin said.

Austin, who turned 69 on Monday, praised Latvia for its early support of Ukraine. “From the very beginning, Latvia … stepped up to the plate,” Austin said, adding that it quickly provided some weapons that “were very effective in the early days of the fight.”

A senior defense official said that Russia has pulled a significant number of its elite troops from its border with Latvia and other Baltic nations because of the need for reinforcement in Ukraine. Yet to presume those troops will not reconstitute and return would be folly, the official said - one reason why longer-term U.S. and NATO support for Latvia is critical, the official said.

These bad days were supposed to be over for Latvia, its Baltic neighbors and, in a larger sense, most of Central Europe when the Soviet Union imploded in 1991.

The United States established diplomatic relations with Latvia on July 28, 1922. The U.S. legation in Riga was officially opened on November 13, 1922. The United States never recognized the Soviet Union's occupation of Latvia that started in 1940.

In the eyes of Latvians, by attacking Ukraine, Russian leader Putin has launched a thrust against the European post-Cold War order to which Latvia and others have enjoyed a new birth of freedom and democracy. Latvia’s population is about 30 percent ethnic Russian; the war has once again resuscitated the issue of tearing down the Monument for Liberators in Riga, constructed in 1985 to celebrate Soviet victory in WWII and perceived by many Latvians as a site that glorifies the Soviet occupation of Latvia.

For the moment, the summer evening breeze gives many a chance to pause, ponder, plan, and prepare.

Austin said Russia has committed a significant portion of its most capable forces to its Ukraine invasion. "As a result, they have lost quite a bit of important equipment, tanks, and mechanized vehicles," Austin said. "They've also lost (an) enormous amount of people killed and wounded."

Yet he cautioned that Russia still has a significant military capability — especially in the air and sea domains. ”We don't ever want to lose sight of that. But, again, you know, Russia would endeavor … to regenerate capability going forward," he said. "The sanctions and some of the trade restrictions will make that a bit more difficult."

Thus Pabrik's laser focus on the winds of war still blowing in the east.

“The outcome of the Russian invasion of Ukraine must have only one result, which means Russia must lose and Ukraine must win,” Pabriks said.

“If Ukraine is not winning this war with our assistance then earlier or later these threats will come…and the war might come (to our borders),” he said, “And we don’t want that.”

0 notes

adelaida-viliorovna · 10 months

Text

21.07.2023 П'ятниця 19:08

Ой, да пофіг. Я це, все ж таки, опублікую.

Бачите помилки - скажіть мені.

/*Я ще вчуся у всі ці арти і фанфіки*/

Довгий час він вагався, думав і мріяв про це. Поділився своїми думками з Ліліт, розповів Моргіну, навіть попросив поради у Ель та Мінерви, щоб переконатися, що це вдала ідея. І нарешті, ось настав момент, коли Калеб відчиняє двері свого власного кото-кафе.

У кафе одразу розмістили різні іграшки, мисочки, полички, деревця та подушечки. І, звісно, котики. Їх було аж дванадцять. Різних кольорів та розмірів, вони одразу позаймали усі поверхні до яких тільки могли дотягнутися.

Калеб був щасливий. Ще вдосвіта він приїздив у заклад та розпочинав готувати різні тістечка. Швидко також він розібрався і з навороченою кавоваркою. Але й виділив кілька окремих стендів для різного виду чаїв. Адже його чарівник так любили чай.

— Няв, — кілька котиків потерлися о ноги вампіра.

— Зараз, любі, зараз, — чоловік виклав у вітрину останні тістечка та, зі зграйкою котів біля ніг, пішов до мисок. Найдорожчий корм, вітамізована вода — грошей на улюбленців він ніколи не жалкував.

Калеб почухав кількох пухнастиків за вушками від чого вони почали голосно муркотіти. Він посміхнувся. Це було майже райське місце. І він сподівався, що відвідувачам також сподобається.

І це було дійсно так. Відвідувачам сподобалася компанія пухнастиків. Звісно, коли Калеб побачив як дехто сідає з котиками прямо на підлогу, одразу вирішив притягнути декілька пуфиків-мішків. А потім ще декілька. І ще.

***

— Це дійсно чудове місце, — Моргін майже по котячому муркотіли, прикривши очі та гріючи долоні о чашку гарячого зеленого чаю.

— Воно стає ще чарівнішим, коли сюди приходиш ти, сонечко, — Калеб приніс тістечка та поцілував мага у скроню. Чарівник тихо хіхікнули коли один з котиків забрався їм на коліна і почав голосно муркотіти. А вампір знову із подивом помітив, що більшість котиків тепер сидить біля блондина, утворивши таке собі кото-гніздо.

— Здається, вони вважають тебе своєю кото-мамусею, — Калеб обережно пробирався до крісла через “гніздо”. Моргін дзвінко розсміялися і вампір міг поклястися, що у приміщенні враз стало світліше.

— Ну, якщо ти їх кото-татусь, то я не проти бути їх кото-мамусею, — Моргін, всміхаючись, зробили ковток чаю. Калеб, здається, забув як дихати.

***

Тринадцятий з’явився у кафе лиш кілька днів тому, а вже поводився так наче то його кафе. Чи її. Вампір так і не зміг зрозуміти — котик у руки не давався.

Пруткий, із золотистою, густою, трохи кучерявою шерстю та великими зеленими очима, він ходив по кафе наче король, оглядаючи свої володіння. Королем він став і серед інших котиків. Вони постійно поступалися місцем, вкладалися навколо під час обіднього відпочинку, йшли слідом або навпаки — не йшли, якщо 13-й був не в гуморі.

***

— Мр-р, — золотистий котик застрибнув на барну стійку, потершися о руку вампіра.Той погладив кота, не відволікаючись від телефона. 13-го це не влаштовувало, тому, аби привернути увагу, він скинув на підлогу чашку з кавою. “Дзень” — шматочки та крихти колись фарфорової чашки розлетілися по підлозі.

— Ох чорт! Якого… — поки вампір намагався зрозуміти, що сталося, котик знову потерся о його руку. — Тринадцятий, ах ти ж негідник. — Бурчати, то вампір бурчав, але котика за вушком все ж таки почухав. Нічого. Все одно та чашка постійно одного конкретного чарівника бісила. До речі… Калеб подивився на 13-го, який спокійно продовжив вмиватися. Та ні, не може такого бути.

***

— Та куди ж вона поділася? — Калеб переставляв баночки знов і знов. — Де, де, де?

— Ня-яв, — зеленоокий котик подивився з інтересом на вампіра.

— О-о, привіт, Тринадцятий, — чоловік погладив котика по голові — М’яту мою не бачив? — запитав жартома і продовжив пошук.

— Няв!

— Вибач, мені ніколи, — Калеб відмахнувся від котика. Дарма. Котик вчепився зубами у рукав рубашки вампіра та потягнув на себе. — Тринадцятий! — Калеб хотів було крикнути на кота але вчасно зупинився. Перед ним лежала баночка із м’ятою.

Від крику котик трохи притиснув до голови вушка, але все одно, обережно, лапкою підкотив до чоловіка баночку. Калеб з подивом дивився то на баночку, то на кота. А потім, замість баночки, потягнувся до 13-го. Котик налякано сжався. Вампір зупинився і закусив губу.

— Вибач, що накричав, — котик трохи розслабився.

— Дякую. — Чоловік погладив кота по голові. Котик, вперше за увесь час проведений у кафе, почав муркотіти. Вибачення прийняті.

***

— Знаєш, — замисленно протягнув Калеб. Моргін відірвалися від книги та подивилися на вампіра. — До мене у кафе постійно приходить один котик. Тринадцятий. Так ось, він мені тебе нагадує. Дуже. — Вампір трохи розсміявся. Моргін здивовано підняли ону брову.

— Мишко моя, ти що ж хочеш сказати, що мені тепер потрібно тебе до котів ревнувати? — Калеб засміявся ще гучніше та, поки чарівник нічого не навигадували далі, поцілував Моргіна.

***

Тринадцятий з'являвся та зникав невідомо як і коли. Калеб ще жодного разу не бачив, щоб кіт приходив через вхідні двері або вікна. Просто, ось його нема і ось він є.

— Телепортується чи що… — вампір, нахмуривши брови, дивився на те місце, де щойно був кіт.

***

За вікном кричали сичі та й ніч була, на диво для Форготн Холлоу, дуже тихою, затишною. Калеб то замисленно перебирав золоті кучері, то обережно торкався оголених плечей чарівника, а потім знову злегка намотував на пальці їх кудряве волосся. Моргін же чи то замріяно, чи то сонно, вимальовували кінчиками пальців невидимі візерунки на грудях вампіра. Вони зупинилися коли чоловік тихесенько покликав їх на ім'я.

— Моргін, а коти можуть телепортуватися самостійно? — Калеб подивився у вікно, згадуючи 13-го.

Моргін фиркнули та трохи піднялися на руках.

— Мишко моя, ти дійсно хочеш щоб я зараз відповідали на такі запитання? — вони всміхнулися і, поки вампір не встиг відповісти, злегка прикусили його шию. Калеб шумно вдихнув та закусив губу.

— І хто з нас двох тут ще вампір? А, сонечко? — чоловік ледве стримав стогін коли маг укусили сильніше. Моргін поцілували місце укусу і всілися на стегна вампіра, трохи спираючись руками о оголену грудну клітку. Слідкували за тим як зщезав синець на блідій шкірі.

— А, можливо, я напівкровка, — чарівник трохи загадково посміхнулися. Калеб подивився на них знизу вгору та, відчутно надавивши, провів пальцями по сліду свого укусу на їх шиї. Моргін свого стогону не стримували. Та ще й голову наклонили аби вампіру було краще видно дві маленькі червоні цяточки. Калеб зробив подумки помітку спитати мага, що вони мали на увазі, адже ті ніколи і нічого не говорили просто так. Мудрець на те й мудрець. Але зараз…

— Йди до мене, кохання моє, — вампір притягнув їх до себе, цілуючи у губи. Про котів вони потім поговорять. Наступного дня.

***

— Ні

— Що "ні"? — Калеб не одразу зрозумів про що говорять чарівник. Та і як тут зрозумієш, якщо вони з книжкою зайшли на кухню і весь цей час мовчали.

— Звичайні коти не можуть телепортуватися, — Моргін перегорнули сторінку книги. — Навіть якщо цей кіт фамільяр чарівника, то за власним бажанням він не може телепортуватися. Тільки якщо чарівник його викличе заклинанням. — Пояснили і знов затихли.

Вампір нахмурив брови і, подякувавши, продовжив готувати сніданок.

***

《Калеб, привіт!》 — із динаміку телефона пролунав веселий голос Ель — 《Моргін вже у тебе?》 — Вампір завмер. Існує небагато причин, через які інші переймаються тим чи дійшов кудись Ембер.

《Привіт》 — Калеб перехватив слухавку зручніше — 《А повинен? Щось сталося?》 Чоловік почав хвилюватися і вже збирався вилітати з кафе, як жінка відповіла:

《Все добре, не хвилюйся. Вони просто сказали, що летять до тебе. Але не уточнювали куди саме: у кафе чи додому.》 — Вампір видихнув — 《Але, коли побачиш їх, нагадай їм, що ми завтра на дев'яту домовилися зустрітися. Бо знаю я вас двох.》 — І чоловік майже побачив ту криву усмішку.

《Добре-добре. Я їх навіть розбужу.》 — Калеб потер шию. Розбудити чарівника, коли вони того не хочуть, той ще виклик — якщо не заморозять, то спалять, або током вдарять… Хоча зрідка вони натравлюють на людей килим, який несподівано починає ричати та кусатися.

Вампір тряхнув головою та розирнувся навкруги. Моргіна тут не було. Але був кіт. Який так сильно нагадував чарівника…

***

День добігає кінця, кафе закрилося і Калеб збирав залишившийся посуд. Котики вже повлягалися кто куди. Окрім Тринадцятого. Він сидів на тумбі та спостерігав за кожним рухом чоловіка. Вампір краєм ока спостерігав у відповідь. Потім зупинився і подивився на кота. Той трохи нахилив у бік голову. Але замість кота чоловік чомусь бачив одного конкретного чарівника, які насміхалися над ним. Тряхнув головою і пішов далі. Зовсім вже з розуму з'їхав через кохання.

Калеб зайшов за барну стійку, поставив брудний посуд та тяжко зітхнув. Треба з цим кінчати. Він подивився прямо на кота та склав руки на грудях:

— Моргін, якщо це ти, то досить знущатися! — Вампір ще хвилинку подивився на кота. Кіт у відповідь встав, потягнувся і, зістрибнувши з тумби, перетворився на зеленоокого чарівника.

— Довго же ти… — Моргін потягнулися догори, а потім грайливо посміхнулися вампіру. Тому, який, до речі, чи то від несподіванки, чи то віл переляку вхопився за груди та відстрибнув на кілька кроків.

— Це… Ти? … ЯК?! — Калеб розумів, що з глузду він не з'їхав але ж — Трясця, Ембер, курва ти така!

Моргін тільки розсміялися. От вам і страшний кровожерливий вампір, який злякався маленького фокуса.

— Трохи переробив та з'єднав кілька заклятть. — Чарівник гордо розповіли, роздивляючись свій манікюр. — До речі, дивись як ще можу — вони махнули рукою і перше, що побачив вампір, це купа зірочок-блискіток навколо чарівника. Потім вже хвіст та котячі вушка. Калеб завмер, роздивляючись.

Моргін же не гаяли часу і, відверто хитаючи стегнами, підійшли до вампіра.

— То, як ти дивишся на те, щоб якнайшвидше поїхати додому? — Ох же цей солодко-медовий тон голосу. Чоловік був впевнений, що червоні в нього вже і й вуха.

— Та, той, мені ще посуд треба… — Калеб похитав рукою, вказуючи на брудні чашки але погляду від зелених очей не відводив.

Чарівних нахмурилися, фиркнули та клацнули пальцями. Весь посуд став чистий та розлетівся на свої місця. Калеб хотів було прослідкувати очима за чашками але не встиг. Моргін схопили його за краватку та потягнули до себе.

— Додому, Ваторі. Негайно!

8 notes · View notes

creatiview · 1 year

Text

[ad_1] EXPERT PERSPECTIVE — An explosion last week, in the eastern Polish village of Przewodow, killed two people and created heightened concern about just how quickly the war in Ukraine could escalate into a global conflict. The Cipher Brief compiled a tic-toc of what happened, telling the story of how a single missile brought into sharp focus, the risks that are truly at play in Ukraine. BACKGROUND Polish Radio ZET reported that two stray missiles caused the blast. The Associated Press cited a senior US intelligence official saying Russian missiles had crossed into Poland. The Pentagon initially said it could not confirm reports that Russian missiles had landed in Polish territory. The Russian Defense Ministry denied the reports, calling the allegations “a deliberate provocation aimed at escalating the situation.” It added that Russia did not hit targets near the Ukrainian-Polish border and that debris found at the site of the blasts had “nothing to do with Russian weapons.” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy later said, without providing evidence, that Russian missiles hit Poland. He called the attack on “the territory of our friendly country” an “attack on collective security” and said it marked a “significant escalation” in the conflict with Russia. In response to the blasts, Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Marawiecki held an emergency Security Council meeting. The Polish government also raised military readiness. Polish President Andrzej Duda spoke with President Joe Biden about the blasts. The White House said Biden reiterated to Duda that the US has an “ironclad commitment to NATO.” Duda also discussed the incident with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, who said it was important to find all the facts behind the causes of the explosion. A Polish government spokesman said Poland is considering whether it will call NATO for discussions under Article 4, which states that an alliance member can call for consultations when it feels its “territorial integrity, political independence or security” are at risk. “If this was an accident, the instinct in Warsaw and Washington will be caution and restraint, with Article 4 discussions signaling the Russians not to screw up again,” Cipher Brief Expert and former Acting Director of CIA John McLaughlin told us. John McLaughlin, Former CIA Acting Director “If this was a deliberate provocation, and we will almost certainly know before long, then the Alliance will be provoked and will have to respond in some way. The default impulse will probably be to avoid getting into a tit-for-tat between NATO and Russia. But we might relax some of the cautions we’ve given the Ukrainians about not hitting certain Russian targets or other redlines.” The incident sparked alarm and calls for the defense of NATO territory across central and eastern Europe, putting squarely into focus the question of just how quickly NATO would be ready to launch a response and what that response might look like. Latvia appeared to explicitly accuse Russia of causing the blasts. Latvian Defense Minister Artis Pabriks tweeted, “Criminal Russian regime fired missiles which targeted not only Ukrainian civilians but also landed on NATO territory in Poland.” Estonia expressed solidarity with Poland as well as its willingness to “defend every inch of NATO territory,” according to a tweet from the Estonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. However, Estonia did not explicitly blame Russia for the blasts. Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda likewise expressed solidarity with Poland and called for “every inch of NATO territory” to be defended, according to a tweet. He said “the cause of the explosions is not yet known,” but added that they happened as Russia launched missile strikes in Ukraine. Hungary convened a defense council meeting to discuss the blasts, as well as disruptions to oil flows through the Druzhba pipeline. “We don’t know enough yet about the strike,” cautioned Cipher Brief Expert and former NATO Supreme Allied Commander Admiral Jim Stavridis (Ret.).

Admiral James Stavridis (Ret.), Former NATO Supreme Allied Commander “But assuming it was an errant missile from Russia, this provides a strong motivation to reinforce air defense along the NATO-Ukraine border at a minimum. It could also cause NATO to provide MIG-29 aircraft to the Ukrainians from Poland, with US backfilling with F-16s. And it may cause a serious discussion about putting a no-fly zone up over Ukraine, manned by NATO fighters.” The Morning After The Polish Foreign Ministry released a statement early Wednesday saying that a Russian-made missile caused an explosion in eastern Poland that killed two people. The ministry said it summoned the Russian ambassador and “demanded immediate detailed explanations” for the blasts. Polish President Andrzej Duda then appeared to step back from a full-throated condemnation of Russia, saying there is no conclusive evidence showing who fired the missiles and that investigations are ongoing. He added that the explosion appeared to be a “one-off” incident. He also said it is likely Poland will ask for consultations under Article 4 at a planned North Atlantic Council meeting on Wednesday. President Joe Biden convened an emergency meeting of NATO and G7 leaders gathered in Bali for a G20 summit to discuss the missile blast. He told reporters that, according to “preliminary information,” he thinks “it is unlikely” the missile was fired from Russia due to its trajectory, but said he would not make any conclusions until the Polish investigation is completed. Three US officials tell The Associated Press that preliminary findings suggest that the missile that landed in Poland was fired by Ukrainian forces in an attempt to intercept an incoming Russian missile. Polish President Andrzej Duda says the explosion was “very likely” an “unfortunate accident” caused by an Ukrainian air defense missile, rather than any “intentional attack.” He added that the missile was “most likely” Russian-made, but that there is no current evidence that Russian forces fired it. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg echoed Duda’s conclusion, though he emphasized that “this is not Ukraine’s fault” and that “Russia bears ultimate responsibility as it continues its illegal war against Ukraine.” Sir Alex Younger, Former Chief, MI6 “It is, literally, a warning shot about the possibility of escalation,” Cipher Brief Expert and former Chief, Britain’s Secret Intelligence Service, MI6 Sir Alex Younger told us. “But I’m confident that Putin understands that deliberate escalation is very much not in his interest. I’d add that even if it was a Ukrainian air defence missile, the blame still lies firmly with Russia.” What Did We Learn? Among other things, we learned how dangerously close a single missile can come to escalating an already tense situation to a higher level of global conflict. We learned how quickly information is shared and we saw how NATO countries were at least thinking about responding, if the missile had in fact, been fired by Russia. While the lessons from this single incident are worth noting, so too is the bigger picture. “In 2008, when Russia invaded Georgia, the response of the West was inadequate. Russia got to hold on to 20% of the nation of Georgia,” Cipher Brief Expert and former NATO Supreme Allied Commander General Phil Breedlove (Ret.) told us. General Phil Breedlove (Ret.), Former NATO Supreme Allied Commander “The western world rewarded Russia’s bad behavior. In 2014, Russia invaded Ukraine and took 11 or 12% of Ukrainian territory. Moscow threatened to huff and puff and blow our house down with World War III or their nukes. Once again, the west capitulated and allowed them to hang on to a big chunk of Ukraine. For the second time, we rewarded bad behavior. We shouldn’t be surprised that we’re back now for a third time. Russia has seized another big part of Ukraine. And when the west starts to respond, Russia has huffed and puffed and threatened to blow our house down with World War III and nukes.

And they fully expect us to capitulate a third time. We in the West are at a point of decision, are we going to, for the third time, reward bad behavior? The West and the Western world have a decision to make. Mr. Putin is huffing and he’s puffing and he’s threatening to blow our house down and we need to decide how we’re going to respond. Here’s what I know for sure: If we capitulate and allow Russia to hold onto even more Ukrainian territory, we’ll be back here again in 2025 and 2028 and 2031 and 2033. It’s time for us to step up.” Cipher Brief Writer and Researcher Ethan Masucol contributed to this piece Read more expert-driven national security insight, perspective and analysis in The Cipher Brief [ad_2] Source link

0 notes

nato-ua-alen · 2 years

Text

I was in space for more than a week. in the beginning, an ethno festival, and then I lived with a wonderful master of craft, Sviatoslav Sylenko

I really did not expect that I would be so lucky. I touched the Ukrainian heritage from very, very close..

and what's more, we agreed to hold a concert in my hometown.

I met Sviatoslav in Pilies Street in Vilnius, where he played music.

I am extremely grateful to fate that he smiled so beautifully on me then and that now he introduced me so quickly to the cultural heritage of Ukraine 💙💛😇❤️‍🔥

Я був у космосі більше тижня. спочатку етнофестиваль, а потім я жил у чудового майстра своєї справи Святослава Силенка

Я дійсно не очікував, що мені так пощастить. Я доторкнувся до української спадщини дуже-дуже близько..

і більше того, ми домовилися провести концерт у моєму рідному місті.

Я зустріл Святослава на вулиці Пілес у Вільнюсі, де він мкзициравал.

Я надзвичайно вдячний долі, що вона так гарно мені усміхнулася тоді і що тепер так швидко познайомив мене з культурною спадщиною України💙💛😇❤️‍🔥

daugiau kaip savaitę laiko aš buvau kosmose. pradžioje ethno festivalis, o vėliau gyvenau pas nuostabų savo reikalo meistrą Sviatoslav Sylenko

tikrai nesitikėjau, jog man taip pasiseks. prisiliečiau prie Ukrainos paveldo iš labai labai arti..

o dar, sutarėme surengti koncertą mano gimtajame kaime.

Su Sviatoslavu susipažinome Vilniaus, Pilies gatvėje, kur jis muzikavo.

Esu be galo dėkingas likimui, kad jis tada taip gražiai man nusišypsojo ir kad dabar mane suvedė taip greitai su Ukrainos kultūriniu paveldu 💙💛😇❤️‍🔥

Сме��ть ворогам ! 🔥

🇺🇦🇦🇴

🥷🏻 ⚔ 💀

www.FightForUa.org

YT.TG.#nato_ua_alen

https://BuyMeaFighterJet.com

#ukrainewar2013_2022🇱🇹🇺🇦 #StupidityKills

TG | FB | INST | TW | YT | TUMBLR

Donate with the caption "for fighting on behalf of Ukraine"/už kovą vardan Ukrainos“

SEB LT167044060008192042

Paypal [email protected]

Revolut 4165984602562967

0 notes

mariacallous · 7 months

Text

BRUSSELS—European officials and experts are concerned that Russia could exploit the chaos surrounding the Hamas attack on Israel, pushing the Kremlin even closer to Iran, which is allied with the Palestinian militant group.

There is no sign that Russia provided material support—or even had advance notice—prior to the surprise attack on Saturday, which has left at least 900 Israelis dead and scores more kidnapped and taken into the Gaza Strip, where Israel has begun retaliatory strikes. Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said on Monday that he’d ordered a full siege of the area. “No power, no food, no gas, everything is closed,” he said.

But Hamas receives significant backing from Iran, an increasingly close ally of the Kremlin that has provided thousands of suicide drones for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The attack on Israel, one of America’s closest allies, not only has created the possibility of a two-front war in the Middle East but has also stretched U.S. and European armories and political willpower. The crisis comes at a time when the West was already having trouble summoning more ammunition and money to support Ukraine’s counteroffensive.

The “Russians would be interested in fragmenting the West and creating additional problems,” former Latvian Defense Minister Artis Pabriks said. “It all has to be done simultaneously. [The] Russians hope somebody will say it’s too hard.”

Russia is likely to tread lightly, given long-standing historical and diplomatic connections to Israel. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Russian President Vladimir Putin have forged close ties over the years, with the Kremlin supporting Israel’s concerns over Hezbollah tunnels dug from Lebanon under the Israeli border and even forming a joint task force to discuss withdrawing all foreign troops from Syria.

The Kremlin has not condemned the Hamas attack. Israel has also stopped short of a full-throated condemnation of Russia’s war on Ukraine and took a neutral stance on Russia’s illegal annexation of the Crimean Peninsula in 2014, before condemning the move four years later.

Hundreds of thousands of Russian citizens reside in Israel, and around 1.5 million Israelis speak Russian. Israel has backed Ukraine diplomatically but has not provided weapons despite its $12 billion arms industry. Russia is hoping Israel will continue to stay out of the fray in that war, said Jonathan Lord, a senior fellow and director of the Middle East security program at the Center for a New American Security, a Washington-based think tank. “However, if Russia’s back is further and further up against a wall in Ukraine, Iran will be in a position to demand more,” such as asking Russia for air defense systems for itself or for its proxies; for advanced fighter jets; or even for help in filling gaps in its nuclear program.

“That’s going to have direct repercussions on Israeli security and the security of the region,” Lord said.

Though the United States has already pledged more support for Israel, the European response wasn’t immediately clear. On Monday, European countries are expected to huddle internally about the prospect of providing military aid to Israel, but many officials fear their governments are already tapped out from Ukraine. “We face a huge ammo shortage due to Ukraine,” said one German official who requested anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media.

European officials hope that Israel’s declaration of war will be a wake-up call for the continent about the threat of terrorism emanating from the Palestinian territories, which has gone on the back burner as Europe has focused on providing aid and centering its counterterrorism posture on Africa. “I hope the EU will drop any illusions regarding Palestine and the ruling powers there,” said a European diplomat speaking on the condition of anonymity. The European diplomat expressed particular concern about the Tehran-Russia link.

Pabriks, the former Latvian defense minister, said European governments are likely to help Israel assess the country’s intelligence failures in the lead-up to Hamas’s attack and determine which countries helped support the militant group. The Wall Street Journal reported on Sunday that Iran helped Hamas prepare for the attack and gave the green light for the assault a week ago. Iran’s conventional ground game has improved exponentially in the last decade.

Michael Doran, an expert at the Hudson Institute, told Foreign Policy that Iran’s Quds Force, a special unit of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps that has helped build battle-ready proxies for Tehran around the Middle East, had assisted Hamas in improving its tactical acumen. Hamas was able to breach the Gaza fence and overrun Israeli villages, using paragliders and homemade rockets against one of the most technologically advanced militaries in the world.

Austria announced on Monday that it would suspend all Palestinian aid—nearly $20 million—in response to the Hamas attack. Germany and the European Union both followed suit in suspending aid. But even after the Israeli flag was splashed on London’s Buckingham Palace and Berlin’s Brandenburg Gate over the weekend, experts are worried that support for Israel could fade as it faces ongoing questions about its human rights record in the Palestinian territories.

“They need to support Israel politically when the going gets rough,” Doran said. “This operation in Gaza will take time, and Hamas will try to ratchet up the pressure. Expect pro-Palestine rallies in European capitals and videos from Gaza of European hostages begging to come home if only Israel will stop its military operations.”

“Europe stands in solidarity with Israel today, but where will it be three weeks from now?” Doran added.

Israel will have to keep its front-line guns reloaded for the coming ground invasion but will also need a stockpile of precision-guided munitions to try to dislodge Hamas in Gaza while dealing with the risk of friendly fire, as Israeli citizens and foreigners are being held hostage in one of the most densely populated areas in the world.

Right now, with no U.S. speaker of the House in place to shepherd more weapons to Israel through Congress after Rep. Kevin McCarthy was ousted last week, the United States is directing what assistance it can from the White House. Israel has asked for more Iron Dome missile interceptors, ammunition, small diameter bombs, and closer intelligence cooperation ahead of a likely ground invasion of Gaza, the Washington Post reported on Sunday.

The United States has already approved Israel’s use of prepositioned stockpiles of U.S.-made precision-guided munitions in the region and announced on Sunday that it would send the USS Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier, four guided missile destroyers, and a guided missile cruiser to the Eastern Mediterranean. The Defense Department will also deploy squadrons of F-35s, F-15s, F-16s, and A-10 ground attack aircraft.

In NATO countries, close U.S. allies see Israel’s war—another challenge on top of supporting Ukraine’s defense—as the ultimate test of walking and chewing gum. And between Russia and Iran, it’s also a test of their new alliance.

“They’ve become allies with Iran, perhaps the closest of allies, and are helping each other with this Hamas attack on Israel,” said retired U.S. Army Lt. Gen. Ben Hodges, who commanded U.S. forces in Europe.

2 notes · View notes

thelittleukrainianwell-armedgirl · 2 years

Text

"At the moment Ukraine defends the whole world from Russian tyranny. We want to support our homeland the best way we can. We make stickers and merchandise with pieces of art created by talented Ukrainian artists. All sales profits will be donated to the Ukrainian army. Show your support for freedom and democracy in Ukraine and in the world!"

https://instagram.com/palianytsia.official

18 notes · View notes

usafphantom2 · 2 years

Text

Korean Air will develop a squadron of stealth drones

Fernando Valduga By Fernando Valduga 08/17/2022 - 14:00 in Military, UAV - UAV

Korean Air will develop a manned and unmanned team system in which a manned aircraft and three to four stealthy UAVs can perform missions simultaneously. (Photo: Korean Air)

Korean Air was selected on August 12 as the preferred bidder for the Korean Defense Development Agency (ADD) "slaught UAV squad development" project.

Korean Air received high scores for its technology in the first phase of the bidding process.

Stealth UAV squad technology is being developed for the first time in Korea as part of ADD's "Future Challenge Defense Technology Research and Development Project" to develop new weapons systems.

The ADD began developing the UAV squadron in November last year and completed the basic project. The agency plans to work on the detailed project with Korean Air.

Korean Air will develop an unmanned team system in which one manned aircraft and three to four stealth UAVs can perform missions simultaneously. The UAV squadron will not only support and escort a manned aircraft, but will also be able to carry out its own missions, including surveillance, electronic interference tactics and precise firing.

ADD began developing the UAV squadron in November last year and completed the basic project. The agency plans to work on detailed design with Korean Air (Photo: Korean Air)

The South Korean company continued to acquire the main UAV stealth technologies by participating in projects such as the joint development of stealth UAVs with ADD in 2010, in which it was successful on a test flight for the first time in Korea. Korean Air also joined a project last year to research and develop technology for broadband stealth UAVs for the Korea Research Institute for Defense Technology Planning and Advancement (KRIT).

Meanwhile, Korean Air plans to use its capabilities acquired in more than 20 years in the development of UAVs to protect the main next generation technologies for stealth UAVs, such as manned and unmanned teams, cluster control and autonomous mission execution, and become a leader in the development of stealth drones in Korea.

Korean Air will continue to contribute to the future advanced development of weapons systems and the strengthening of the defense capabilities of the armed forces, actively participating in ADD's multipurpose stealth UAV development project, as well as a feasibility review of artificial intelligence-based stealth UAV squad operations using manned teams and unmanned systems.

Tags: Military AviationSouth KoreaKorean AirUAV

Previous news

Turkish delegation is in the US to discuss the sale of F-16 jets

Next news

Latvia donates Mi-17 and Mi-2 helicopters to the Ukrainian military

Fernando Valduga