Sun 12 Jul 2026 11.41 CEST
Tommy Robinson’s Musk-funded Russia trip spurs call to defend UK democracy.
Ed Davey voices concern about the Musk family foundation taking the far-right activist on a visit to Moscow.
The UK must do more to defend its democracy after it emerged that Elon Musk’s family foundation had taken the far-right activist Tommy Robinson to Russia, Ed Davey has said.
Robinson, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, was brought to Russia by the Musks, the billionaire tech mogul’s father told the Guardian.
Robinson appeared last month in Moscow, from where he issued calls for supporters to take to the streets after a knife attack in Belfast. He shared video of himself in a luxury Moscow hotel with Errol Musk, whose son has been a vocal supporter of Robinson.
The Liberal Democrat leader said: “Tommy Robinson is a useful idiot for a hostile state. What kind of so-called British patriot jets to Moscow to rub shoulders with Putin’s cronies, bankrolled by a US trillionaire?
“We must protect our democracy from far-right thugs, shady tech bros and foreign interference.”
Errol Musk said: “I brought him out to Russia,” adding that both men had held meetings with Russian business figures. He said the trip had been covered by the Musk Foundation, a private philanthropic organisation founded by Elon Musk and his brother, Kimbal.
The visit to Moscow came at a time when the Kremlin and its proxies appear to have been forging links with European far-right figures. At the same time as Robinson’s visit, Russia was also hosting the self-styled misogynistic influencer Andrew Tate and his brother, who posted footage of themselves firing weapons and riding in a tank in the apparent company of the Russian military.
Police in Britain stopped Robinson and seized his phones on his return to Russia. Robinson had previously visited the country several years ago, but this time he appeared to be more explicit in his praise for Russia, sharing footage of ultra-nationalists holding a rally in memory of the murdered British teenager Henry Nowak.
Errol Musk, who also went to St Petersburg for an annual Kremlin-backed economic forum, said that Robinson was a “fine young man”.
“He’s very hotheaded, but at the same time, he’s learning,” he saidErrol Musk has travelled to Russia in the past and at one point met Vladimir Putin. A Russophile who said he believed Moscow had a “genetic advantage” over the west, he holds firmly pro-Russian positions on the conflict in Ukraine.
Topics covered in meetings alongside Robinson included Russia’s attempts to address a decline in births. “Tommy really got into these meetings,” he said.
Musk senior said he had become familiar with Robinson after the far-right activist was imprisoned. Robinson has a number of convictions but sought the spotlight in particular after he was sent to prison for breaching a contempt of court order.
“So I contacted Tommy, I was asked on British television once what I think of Tommy,” he said.
Robinson said last month that he had come to see the “beauty of a civilised society” after visiting Russia.
The link has again raised questions about about UK authorities’ continued use of X, which is owned by Elon Musk. The Department for Culture, Media and Sport has said it will stop using the platform because it “now favours abuse and misinformation over meaningful debate”.
The Liberal Democrat MP Luke Taylor said: “Elon Musk is hostile to British values and we must break our addiction to his hateful algorithm.”
Matthew Ford, a British security expert and associate professor at the Swedish Defence University, wrote on Bluesky: “The owner of X and friend of the president of our No 1 ally pays to send an extremist English nationalist to Russia to collude against British democracy.”
He questioned how new policies could stop “ostensibly friendly foreign actors from subverting British democracy without appearing to validate the free-speech arguments they weaponise to resist regulation”.
Saturday 11 July 2026 23:01 BST
Tommy Robinson trip to Russia ‘covered by Elon Musk’s family foundation’.
Robinson posted a video of himself and Errol Musk in Russia on a trip to the annual Kremlin-backed economic forum
Tommy Robinson’s recent trip to Russia was covered by Elon Musk’s family foundation, according to the X owner's father, who has described the far-right activist as a “fine young man”.
Musk has long been a supporter of Robinson, with both men calling for people to take to the streets in response to the knife attack in Belfast.
Last month, Robinson, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, posted a video of himself and Musk’s father, Errol, apparently filmed in a Moscow hotel, in which he said: “We are going to go and cause some trouble.” He had shared a list of places were protests were to take place after the stabbing.
Now, speaking to The Guardian, Musk’s father has claimed he “brought him out to Russia.” He said the trip, that included attending an annual Kremlin-backed economic forum, was covered by the Musk Foundation, a philanthropic organisation founded by Elon Musk and his brother Kimbal Musk.
Errol Musk also said Robinson was a “fine young man” and “very hotheaded, but at the same time, he’s learning.”
[img]https://static.independent.co.uk/2026/06/10/11/2268660518..?.jpeg[/img]
Tommy Robinson’s trip to Russia was covered by Elon Musk’s family foundation, according to Errol Musk (AFP/Getty)
During Robinson’s visit meetings were held on topics such as Russia’s decline in births, which Musk’s father said Robinson “really got into”, The Guardian reported.
The visit came as Vladimir Putin’s regime has appeared to try and make connections with European far-right figures.
On Robinson’s return to the UK, he claimed he was detained by police at Heathrow airport, and said both his phones had been seized while asking supporters to donate money to support his legal defence.
When asked by The Guardian why he had travelled to Moscow, Robinson said: “I’ve come to see how this country got itself so well on to the straight and narrow and see the beauty of a civilised society here.”
He added: “Russia is not the enemy of Britain. That narrative has long since died a natural death. There are those who benefit from pushing Russia as an enemy but everyone laughs at those people now.”
Errol Musk, who lives in South Africa, explained he discovered Robinson when he was imprisoned for breaching contempt of court order.
Sunday 12 July 2026 11:31 BST
The West is preparing for the wrong post-war Russia.
The West has long assumed pressure would force Russia to moderate or collapse. Both assumptions misunderstand how the Kremlin responds to weakness…
Whenever and however the war in Ukraine ends, it will leave Russia more constrained at home, but more likely to cause disruption beyond its borders.
This matters because too much Western thinking about Russia still rests on one of two assumptions: that sustained pressure will eventually force Moscow to moderate its behaviour, or that the system is heading towards collapse. Both assumptions misunderstand the nature of the pressures building inside Russia.
These pressures are not new and did not begin with the full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Russia’s working-age population has been shrinking since the early 2010s. Productivity growth slowed well before 2022, while investment has increasingly concentrated in state-linked sectors rather than the wider economy.
Hydrocarbon revenues, once a reliable cushion, have also narrowed as a share of the federal budget. Over two decades, political power has steadily centralised, with loyalty to the centre increasingly becoming the price of economic opportunity – and economic opportunity increasingly dependent on loyalty to the centre.
The war in Ukraine has intensified these pressures. Mobilisation and emigration have deepened labour shortages. Defence spending now consumes a growing share of federal expenditure, competing directly with civilian investment and social spending.
The security services, the military and the police are all drawing from the same shrinking pool of recruits, creating potential competition inside the very apparatus the regime relies upon to maintain control. The occupied territories add another burden, absorbing administrative capacity and fiscal resources without providing meaningful economic or demographic returns.
Importantly, these pressures do not operate separately. They compound.
Labour scarcity increases fiscal pressure. That reduces the resources available for patronage, which in turn encourages tighter political control rather than greater flexibility.
A shrinking manpower pool weakens the coercive apparatus at precisely the moment demands upon it are rising: from managing veteran reintegration to policing dissent and maintaining domestic stability.
Each pressure alone is manageable. Together, over time, they narrow the room the Kremlin has for manoeuvre.
The logic behind much Western policy has been straightforward: increase economic and military pressure and Russia will eventually moderate its behaviour or become too weak to sustain confrontation. That assumption makes sense for states whose legitimacy rests primarily on prosperity or electoral performance. It is less applicable to a system whose legitimacy is tied to resisting external threats and preserving centralised authority.
Putin is under pressure due to Russia’s economy and demographics being under growing strain (Kremlin.ru)
This is why Russia’s response to mounting constraint differs from what many policymakers expect. In many political systems, pressure would encourage moderation: reform to relieve strain, or retreat to conserve resources.
Russia’s system does not work that way. Its legitimacy rests not on economic delivery, but on confronting a hostile outside world and preserving the authority of the state. Under that logic, pressure is not evidence that the current course is failing. It is evidence that the threat is real.
Constraint, in other words, produces brittleness at home and volatility abroad – not caution.
This does not mean a return to large-scale conventional conflict should be ruled out. It remains possible, and it would be a mistake to discount it. But the same pressures that produce volatility also make sustained, high-intensity operations harder for Russia to generate and maintain over time.
Labour is scarce, defence spending already consumes a growing share of resources, and force regeneration is increasingly constrained by demographic decline.
What is more likely over the medium term is continued escalation through tools that place less pressure on those resources: cyber operations, sabotage, information campaigns, energy leverage and proxy pressure. These forms of coercion are cheaper, harder to attribute and better suited to a state operating under sustained internal strain.
The implication is that policymakers should move beyond thinking in terms of either collapse or moderation. They should prepare for a Russia that remains capable of sustained disruption regardless of how the war concludes.
That means treating resilience in critical infrastructure and democratic institutions as a permanent requirement, not merely a wartime contingency.
Businesses and investors should also treat Russia-linked exposure as a structural risk rather than a temporary crisis to be managed until conditions normalise.
There is unlikely to be a return to the pre-war status quo. The Russia that emerges from this war is likely to remain both brittle and volatile – and Western governments, businesses and institutions should prepare for that reality now.
Saturday 11 July 2026 13:57 BST
The 3 signs a desperate Putin is about to lash out against Europe.
Ukraine issued an urgent alert for more Patriot missiles and, misguided or not, Vladimir Putin is convinced he is on the brink of victory…
Wast Monday in Kyiv, the Patriots ran out. For the second time in three days, the city came under a concentrated attack by Russian drones and missiles, including the Iskander and Kinzhal.
The drone onslaught was blunted by the Ukrainian air defences, but all of some 60 ballistic missiles got through – resulting in 21 deaths and widespread damage across the capital. President Zelensky, on his way to the Nato summit in Ankara, came clean. Ukraine was at the point of running out of Patriot 108M air defence missiles, the only weapon capable of shooting down the Iskenders.
“The battle for Ukraine has shifted to the skies,” he said with commendable understatement.
Ukraine has been holding its position on the front lines in the land war – more or less. Putin has been making extravagant claims about the imminent conquest of Donetsk Oblast with the fall of the fortress town of Kostyantynivka – a claim hotly disputed by dissident bloggers from within Russia.
Russia’s ground attacks come at tremendous cost, according to the most reliable accounts based on ground assessments by such as the Institute for the Study of War. Drones still dominate the close frontline battle – and Russia has been losing personnel at a ratio of eight to one compared with Ukraine. May and June saw record losses – approaching 75,000, with more soldiers being lost in the fight than can be replaced.
Putin now senses a window of opportunity to push for some kind of victory to sell to the Russian people by the end of September. The confusion of the squabbling Nato powers, the distracted verbal meanderings of Donald Trump, the stalemate in the Gulf and the Middle East, and above all Kyiv’s depleted air defences drive his extraordinary optimism that a win is just round the corner.
At a recent videoed meeting of senior commanders, he actually used the cliché: “We are advancing on all fronts.” Only a few days before, he had described Russia as “going through troubled times.”
Ukraine has been steadily ramping up its long-range missile attacks into Russia. On Monday, the day of the deadly missile attack on Kyiv, Ukraine’s own missiles struck three major refineries, at Slobodka, Yaroslav City and Russia’s largest refinery at Omsk, 2,500 kilometres from the Ukrainian border.
Ukraine has developed a potent attack force of missiles and drones – continuously reworking old technology. Against the odds, the Flamingo long-range missile, a reworking of the Scuds of the Soviet era, has proved a success. Russia has only a limited stock of high-end ballistic missiles because Ukraine has succeeded in attacking the smaller factories building vital components in the manufacturing supply chain.
Moscow is now engaging in a campaign of disruption and misdirection across the region – raising false flag claims against the Baltic states, stating they are hosting Ukrainian drone stations and assisting in guiding Ukraine’s long-range drones into Russia. In the last week, two of Putin’s most powerful information warriors, Maria Zakharova and his security lieutenant on the supreme council, Nikolai Patrushev, have accused Latvia of direct involvement in Ukraine’s war.
In the weekend of the missile attacks on Ukraine, a Russian Bear-F reconnaissance bomber buzzed a Nato task group on exercise in the Norwegian Sea. It came too close for comfort to the British carrier HMS Prince of Wales and dropped a score or so of anti-submarine sonar buoys before being chased off by two British F-35 fighters.
The move was blatant, childish even, but had a point. Even if they worked for only a few minutes, the buoys would find out what escort submarines Nato had in the area. Russian submarines, manned and unmanned, have been increasingly active across the North and Irish Seas and the English Channel, probing and tracking fuel pipelines and communication cables.
The sense of the war seeping from Ukraine and across the region is growing. Latvia has just warned of an evacuation plan to move the population of the second city, Daugavpils – largely Russian speakers – back from the border. The government has issued a 30-page booklet – 72 Hours: What to Do in Case of a Crisis –and an extremely practical handbook for what to do if there is an attack by land and air. Ten northern members of Nato, Finland, Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Germany, Poland, Iceland, Latvia, Estonia and Lithuania, are drawing up mass evacuation plans in case of attack by Russia.
The crisis of air defence over Ukraine’s cities is acute. It is an important part of the Putin window of opportunity of the next two months – but not the only one. Trump is a peak asset in the disinformation fake news diplomatic game for a couple of months more. His value wanes as he heads for midterm congressional elections, after which he is likely to become a lame duck, which will likely make him more unpredictable and unreliable.
It’s a huge gamble for Putin. The economy is deteriorating visibly, as the queues for gasoline, the disruption of internet and mobile phone services testify. Crimea is increasingly an oasis of misery, short of fuel and water.
If the push to get some victory doesn’t work out, it does not mean the war is over. Russia is now a war economy and Putin its war leader – peace is not in his frame of reference for survival. If the war is to go on through the winter, he will have to resort to even riskier tactics. The most likely one is to order a partial or full national mobilisation – to raise a minimum of 500,000 fresh troops. It is sure to be accompanied by full martial law.
This will mean that it is not only Kyiv and its Baltic neighbours that will have to look to their air defences. It will involve the European Nato allies as a whole – including Britain. We will have to look at our own homeland and sea defences. For a start, the government should rip up the rambling defence proposals in last month’s Defence Investment Plan.
It needs to think hard, fast, and in uncharacteristically practical terms about what is needed for the nation’s security now.
12.32
Падение «красного ястреба».
О смерти Линдси Грэма.
В США неожиданно скончался сенатор-республиканец Линдси Грэм (признан в РФ террористом и экстремистом). Официальные представители политика заявили, что скончался он вследствие «внезапной болезни» и остановки сердца.
Грэм являлся откровенным русофобом и одним из самых ярких ястребов в команде Трампа. Свой жесткий подход он сформировал еще в 80-х годах, но широкую известность среди российского обывателя он получил уже после начала СВО, став архитектором санкций против РФ.
🔻Чем так запомнился Грэм?
▪️В 1984 году, проходя службу в качестве военного юриста на базе ВВС США в Западной Германии в разгар холодной войны, Грэм сформировал свои жесткие взгляды на внешнюю политику.
▪️В 2008 году он стал соавтором резолюции Сената, осуждавшей действия России во время конфликта в Грузии.
▪️В 2013 году сенатор призвал США бойкотировать зимние Олимпийские игры в Сочи в ответ на решение российских властей предоставить убежище Эдварду Сноудену.
▪️В 2014 году, после присоединения Крыма к РФ, он потребовал исключить Россию из G8 и заморозить активы российских чиновников, а также обвинил администрацию Обамы в предательстве интересов Украины из-за недостаточной поддержки.
▪️В 2018 году Линдси Грэм разработал законопроект, который он сам назвал «санкциями из ада», предусматривавший масштабные ограничения против российского финансового и энергетического секторов.
▪️В 2022 году, сразу после начала СВО он публично призвал российских военнослужащих физически устранить Владимира Путина.
▪️В 2023 году в Киеве Грэм заявил, что военная поддержка, ведущая к смертям россиян, является «самой удачной инвестицией» США, что стало причиной его признания экстремистом в РФ.
▪️В 2025 году он выступил инициатором введения заградительных таможенных пошлин в размере 500% на все российские товары и продукцию стран, закупающих энергоресурсы у России.
▪️Во внутренней политике сенатор всегда отличался твердыми консервативными взглядами. Он неоднократно конфликтовал с Дональдом Трампом по вопросам миграции, войны с Ираном и мягкого подхода к властям РФ.
📌Сенатор до последнего был верен своему курсу. Грэм и его команда буквально накануне его смерти согласовали новый пакет антироссийских санкций с администрацией Трампа, а пару дней назад он ездил в Киев на встречу с Зеленским.
🖍Внезапный уход Грэма означает потерю важнейшей фигуры для киевского лобби в Конгрессе. Учитывая его колоссальный вес в Республиканской партии и прямой доступ к Овальному кабинету, заменить такого тяжеловеса на этом направлении будет крайне непросто.
🚩Для самого Трампа смерть Грэма означает утрату влиятельного союзника в Сенате. Несмотря на разногласия, он умел лоббировать интересы Белого дома и обеспечивать связь с классическим республиканским истеблишментом.
❗️Внезапный уход этой политической фигуры — событие довольно значимое. Линдси Грэм запомнится как циничный и бескомпромиссный идеолог геноцида в Газе и русофоб, который, по сути, построил карьеру на антироссийской и произраильской риторике. Поэтому и скучать по нему будут очень немногие.
Цитата:
12.14
Зеленский заявил, что дважды встречался с сенатором Грэмом накануне его смерти.
Президент выразил соболезнования в связи с его кончиной.
По словам Зеленского, Грэм был "настоящим защитником свободы и ценностей, которые делают наш мир безопаснее".
Зеленский отметил, что за годы полномасштабной войны сенатор десять раз приезжал в Украину и "был здесь вместе с нашими людьми тогда, когда это было больше всего нужно". "Лишь за последнюю неделю мы встречались дважды", - подчеркнул он.
Напомним, Грэм являлся одним из самых известных ястребов-республиканцев, был близок к так называемым «неоконсерваторам».
Он сыграл одну из основных ролей в убеждении Трампа атаковать Иран.
Также он выступал с жестких антироссийских позиций и был одним из авторов так пока и не принятого законопроекта об «адских» санкциях против РФ, подразумевающего введение 500% пошлин против стран, которые покупают российские энергоносители.
Цитата:
Sunday 12 July 2026 10:36 BST
Lindsey Graham, one of the Senate’s most influential Republicans, dies at 71.
A Senator since 2003, Graham had been a vocal advocate for a muscular, hawkish foreign policy.
Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina died on Saturday evening after a brief and sudden illness, his office said in an X post early on Sunday. He was 71.
A Senator since 2003, Graham had been a vocal advocate for a muscular, hawkish foreign policy.
He also went from being an outspoken critic of Donald Trump to one of his most prominent supporters, particularly pushing the president to launch war against Iran.
[img]https://static.independent.co.uk/2026/07/12/09/download..?.jpg[/img]
Lindsey Graham went from being an outspoken critic of Donald Trump to one of his biggest boosters (AP)
“Senator Graham’s family appreciates prayers at this time and asks for privacy during this incredibly difficult period," his office said.
Trump took to Truth Social to pay tribute. “Senator Lindsey Graham, one of the greatest people and Senators I have ever known, is dead!” he said.
“He was always working, and was a true American Patriot. Lindsey will be greatly missed!!!”
[img]https://static.independent.co.uk/2026/07/12/10/1242014507..?.jpg[/img]
Graham's death comes as questions mount over the health of Kentuck Republican Seantor Mitch McConnell (Getty)
The death comes as Senate Republicans face an additional crisis. Senator Mitch McConnell has been hospitalized since last month, and there have been few updates on his health since then.
At the time of his death, Graham was running for a 5th term as Senator from the Palmetto State against Democrat Annie Andrews. Term-limited Republican Governor of South Carolina Henry McMaster will likely now need to find a replacement for Graham.
Lindsey Olin Graham was born on July 9, 1955, to parents who ran a pool hall and restaurant. Graham’s father, Florence James Graham, died when he was 21, and his mother, Millie, died shortly thereafter. He became the guardian to his sister Millie, and used Social Security survivor benefits to put her through school.
[img]https://static.independent.co.uk/2026/07/12/10/1233337895..?.jpg[/img]
Graham had been serving as the chairman of the Senate Budget Committee, giving him a central role during Trump’s second term as Republicans pushed major legislation on party-line votes with a slim majority in the chamber (Getty)
Graham graduated from the University of South Carolina for both his undergraduate and law degrees; he served in the US Air Force as an active-duty lawyer before joining the Air Force Reserves.
He was elected to the state legislature in 1992 before winning a seat in the Congress, the House of Representatives, during the 1994 “Republican revolution,” when Republicans took control of the lower chamber for the first time in more than 40 years.
In the House, Graham would serve as an impeachment manager in the Senate trial against Bill Clinton. Despite this, when he came to the Senate in 2003, he worked occasionally with the former president’s wife, Senator Hillary Clinton of New York.
Lindsey Graham, like his political mentor Senator John McCain, left, was a steadfast supporter of Israel and its prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu (GPO/Getty)
A believer in a muscular foreign policy, Graham vocally supported the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.
As a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, he built friendships with Senator Joe Biden, who would later serve as vice president and president, and Senator John McCain of Arizona.
Graham vocally supported McCain’s 2008 campaign for president, and McCain would return the favor during Graham’s ill-fated candidacy eight years later.
[img]https://static.independent.co.uk/2026/07/12/10/1252204657..?.jpg[/img]
Graham (L) introduces Republican presidential candidate John McCain (R) at a campaign rally at New Town at St Charles in St Charles, Missouri, on October 20, 2008 (AFP/Getty)
The two of them crafted a bipartisan immigration reform deal with future Democratic Senate majority leader Chuck Schumer and then-Republican Florida Senator Marco Rubio, whom Graham ran against in 2016 for the Republican presidential nomination and who would become Trump’s secretary of state during his second term.
Graham even crossed the aisle to vote for Barack Obama’s Supreme Court nominees Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan, who serve on the court to this day.
It would be during Trump’s presidency that Graham would morph from a largely congenial dealmaker to a hardline partisan.
[img]https://static.independent.co.uk/2026/07/12/10/179377770..?.jpg[/img]
Graham even crossed the aisle to vote for Barack Obama’s Supreme Court nominees Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan, who serve on the court to this day (Getty)
Initially, Graham criticized Trump, calling him a “jackass”, to which the latter responded by publicizing the Senator’s private phone number. But Graham would warm up to Trump, occasionally golfing with him.
During the Supreme Court confirmation hearings for Brett Kavanaugh, Graham delivered a fiery speech where he excoriated Democrats amid sexual assault allegations against the judge, which Kavanaugh vehemently denied.
Kavanaugh would be confirmed to the court. Later, as chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Graham would facilitate the Supreme Court confirmation hearings for Amy Coney Barrett.
Lindsey Graham with Ukrainian leader Volodomyr Zelensky (Ukrainian Presidential Press Service)
During Trump’s first impeachment, Graham regularly criticized Hunter Biden, the son of then-presidential candidate Joe Biden. Biden’s wife Jill would later say the two were no longer friends.
After the January 6 riot at the Capitol, Graham criticized Trump for his actions.
“Trump and I, we had a hell of a journey. I hate it being this way. I hate it being this way,” he said. “All I can say is count me out. Enough is enough.”
Initially, Graham criticized the president over the January 6 Capitol riot but later warmed to the president (AP)
But Graham would vote to acquit Trump. And when the president ran for the White House again, he was one of the first lawmakers to endorse his re-election bid.
When Trump returned to the White House, Graham, as chairman of the Senate Budget Committee, helped write legislation that would become Trump’s “One Big, Beautiful Bill” that beefed up spending for the military and immigration enforcement while making permanent the tax cuts he had signed in 2017 and tightening requirements for nutritional assistance and Medicaid.
Graham remained a hawk despite Trump’s initially isolationist foreign policy. He vocally supported Ukraine in the war against Russia and visited Eastern Europe just last week.
It is not entirely clear how Graham will be replaced. South Carolina had its primary last month, where Graham easily won the Republican nomination. South Carolina law says that filing to replace Graham opens a week from Tuesday and a substitution primary will take place.
Цитата:
Sun 12 Jul 2026 09.01 CEST
Lindsey Graham, key ally of Donald Trump, has died after sudden illness, his office says
Republican senator served in Senate since 2003 and was sharp Trump critic before becoming one of his most loyal backers.
Lindsey Graham, a longtime US senator and key ally of Donald Trump, has died from a sudden illness, his office said on Sunday. He had just turned 71.
Graham’s abrupt death will send shock waves through Washington and the Republican party. He had served in the Senate since 2003, representing South Carolina, and was running for re-election in November.
“On the evening of Saturday 11 July, US senator Lindsey Graham passed away from a brief and sudden illness,” his office said in a statement. “Senator Graham’s family appreciates prayers at this time and asks for privacy during this incredibly difficult period.”
It gave no further details. Citing police scanner audio, the Washington Post newspaper reported that emergency medical services had received a call at about 8.30pm on Saturday regarding a person suffering chest pains at Graham’s home on Capitol Hill. About 25 minutes later, according to the Post, emergency personnel said CPR was in progress and a man was suffering cardiac arrest.
There had been no known concerns over the health of Graham, whose birthday was last Thursday and who visited Ukraine last week. The Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, wrote on social media on Friday: “I’m grateful to Lindsey for recognizing our warriors.” Graham was scheduled to appear as a guest on NBC’s Meet the Press on Sunday.
His death is a personal blow to Trump, for whom he was a political cheerleader and frequent golf partner. The president posted on his Truth Social platform: “Senator Lindsey Graham, one of the greatest people and Senators I have ever known, is dead! He was always working, and was a true American Patriot. Lindsey will be greatly missed!!! DETAILS AND ARRANGEMENTS TO FOLLOW. So sad!”
Graham grew up in Central, a small town in South Carolina, where his parents ran a restaurant and pool hall. He was the first member of his family to go to college, earning undergraduate and law degrees from the University of South Carolina.
He served as an air force lawyer then joined the South Carolina Air National Guard. He was elected to the House of Representatives in 1994 and was a manager during Bill Clinton’s 1999 impeachment trial.
Elected to the Senate in 2002, Graham carved out a reputation as one of Capitol Hill’s most outspoken foreign policy hawks. He supported the Iraq war and had long urged military action in Iran. He opposed the nuclear agreement negotiated by Barack Obama and has been one of Trump’s staunchest defenders in the current conflict.
He briefly sought the Republican presidential nomination in 2016 and was initially a sharp critic of Trump, then the insurgent frontrunner. He condemned Trump as a “jackass”, “a race-baiting bigot” and “the most flawed nominee in the history of the Republican party”, memorably warning on Twitter: “If we nominate Trump, we will get destroyed … and we will deserve it.” Trump, in turn, dismissed Graham as an “idiot” and a “lightweight”.
But the relationship was transformed after Trump entered the White House and Graham became one of the president’s closest confidants. He emerged as a key adviser on foreign policy, particularly Iran and Russia. He also rallied the defence of Trump’s embattled nominee for the supreme court, Brett Kavanaugh, in 2018.
Graham wobbled only after Trump’s supporters staged an insurrection at the US Capitol on 6 January 2021 in an effort to overturn his election defeat. The senator declared: “Trump and I, we’ve had a hell of a journey – I hate it to end this way. Oh my God, I hate it. From my point of view, he’s been a consequential president but today, first thing you’ll see. All I can say is count me out. Enough is enough.”
His rebellion did not last, however, and he refused to vote to convict Trump at the subsequent impeachment trial. He was again quick to endorse Trump in the 2024 presidential election and often played golf with him.
Graham’s death marks the passing of the last of the “three amigos”, comprising Graham, Joe Lieberman and John McCain, senators and close friends who each made unsuccessful bids for the presidency. McCain died in 2018, Lieberman in 2024.
Among those paying tribute on Sunday was Henry McMaster, the Republican governor of South Carolina, who said in a statement: “Lindsey Graham is irreplaceable. The fiercest of fighters for South Carolina and America – and a loyal and steadfast friend.”
According to state law, McMaster may appoint a replacement to fill Graham’s seat.
Several leaders in Israel expressed condolences. The prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, posted on X: “Israel has lost one of its greatest friends. America has lost a great patriot. I have lost a beloved friend.”
The former prime minister Naftali Bennett wrote: “America has lost a devoted patriot, and Israel has lost one of its greatest friends. Lindsey stood with Israel through our darkest hours, with courage.”
The statement issued by Graham’s office, which gave no indication of the cause of death, comes amid growing scrutiny over the lack of transparency surrounding the health of Congress members.
The New Jersey Republican congressman Tom Kean disappeared from public view for months earlier this year before returning to Washington and revealing he had been diagnosed with depression. More recently, the Kentucky senator Mitch McConnell was admitted to hospital for undisclosed health reasons.
Revealed: Little-known reason why Jude Bellingham's first goal should NOT have stood - as Norway fans complain about England's equaliser in World Cup quarter-final
England's equaliser against Norway has sparked controversy after eagle-eyed fans suggested that it came as a result of the ball appearing to hit a camera cable in the build-up, which should have led to play being stopped.
According to the official IFAB Laws of the Game, if the ball strikes a ceiling or a fixture hanging over the pitch, such as a cable or overhead camera, and remains inside the field of play, the match must be halted.
The referee should then award a dropped ball to the team that last touched it, with play restarting from the spot beneath where the ball made contact with the fixture.
In Miami, the Three Lions were trailing when Norway goalkeeper Orjan Nyland took a goal kick in first-half added time.
Footage appeared to show the ball's trajectory suddenly changing before it dropped near the halfway line to Elliot Anderson, who teed up Anthony Gordon on the left wing.
Gordon then played a superb cross through to Jude Bellingham, who took two touches before firing past Nyland to draw England level just before the break.
FIFA have disputed that the ball touched the overhead wire, however.
They posted on X: 'Before England’s goal in minute 45+2 against Norway, the sensor in the Connected Ball showed no peak in the 'heartbeat of the ball' when in the air, and therefore no evidence that the ball touched the overhead wire and changed the movement of the ball.'
The footballs being used at the tournament are each fitted with a chip and utilise 'connected ball technology', which relays data directly to the VAR system.
The microchip produces accurate, instantaneous data on everything from ball movement, speed and trajectory to player touches, with adidas claiming the technology enables 'faster in-game officiating decisions and more insight into gameplay than ever before.'
The system was at the centre of controversy earlier in the tournament when Sweden were awarded a goal against Tunisia in the group stage.
Matthias Svanberg scored in the second half after converting a free-kick, but the effort was initially ruled out for offside.
However, sensors inside the ball determined that Sweden and Liverpool striker Alexander Isak had made the faintest of touches after the free-kick was taken. By that point, Svanberg had moved back into an onside position, meaning the goal was allowed to stand.
Later in the tournament, Croatia's last-gasp equaliser against Portugal in their Round of 32 match was chalked off for similar reasons, after the heartbeat monitor determined that Igor Matanovic was offside in the build-up to Josko Gvardiol’s scrambled goal.
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С оптимизмом и понятными пожеланиями, Dimitriy.
Published: Jul 12, 2026 12:45 PM
Chinese, Russian submarines seen together for first time in drill, signaling breakthrough in underwater coordination, high-level mutual trust: expert.
The at-sea phase of the China-Russia "Joint Sea-2026" exercise concluded on Saturday, marking the first time Chinese and Russian navy submarines have been featured together in the same image during the drill, according to China Bugle, an official media account affiliated with the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) news media center. A military affairs expert told the Global Times that this demonstrated a high level of mutual trust between the two countries that goes beyond the ordinary.
During the exercise, the Chinese and Russian naval formations conducted drills covering submarine rescue, surface strikes, air defense and anti-missile operations. Through efficient coordination, both sides deepened mutual trust and further enhanced their joint operational capabilities, China Bugle said.
The exercise featured flexible planning and high demands for operational coordination. The joint drills were conducted without fixed scripts, with operations adjusted dynamically based on battlefield conditions, hydrometeorological factors and other variables.
Meanwhile, participating forces were organized in mixed formations, leveraging sea, air and submarine platforms to build an integrated multi-domain combat system. This effectively tested the two sides' joint reconnaissance and early warning, command coordination and firepower strike capabilities in complex electromagnetic environments, said China Bugle.
During the air defense and anti-missile drills, Chinese and Russian vessels operated with clear division of labor and close coordination, leveraging the strengths of their respective weapon platforms to successfully intercept incoming targets in the shortest possible time, demonstrating the joint combat capability of the China-Russia maritime formation.
Since 2012, the "Joint Sea" series of exercises has become an important platform for naval cooperation between China and Russia. In this exercise, both sides deployed elite forces, covering surface, underwater, air and support elements. The participation of submarines and submarine rescue ships in particular reflects the continued expansion of bilateral naval cooperation from "surface operations" to "surface-plus-undersea" integrated combat, per the official release.
As the first-ever joint appearance of Chinese and Russian submarines in the same image was reported, Wang Yunfei, a Chinese military affairs expert, told the Global Times on Sunday that this signals a level of mutual trust that is not commonly seen.
Wang said that submarines operating together is rare worldwide. Submarines are inherently stealthy by nature, and their acoustic signatures are highly classified by each country. Such vessels are generally not displayed in close proximity. If two submarines appear together, it means they are operating at close range, and their acoustic signatures, including not only noise levels but also frequency characteristics, could be exposed to each other.
Official footage from the exercise shows that the Russian submarine participating was an improved Kilo-class conventional submarine, the Ufa, while the Chinese side deployed an improved Type 039B conventional submarine, said the expert.
In the past, when China operated Russian-made Kilo-class submarines alongside Russian vessels of the same type, the significance was different because the acoustic signatures were already known to each other. This time, however, China has showcased its indigenously developed and world-advanced Type 039B submarine to Russia, reflecting a level of mutual trust that goes beyond the ordinary, Wang said.
Wang added that the participation of submarines in joint exercises also involves communication and data exchange, which is another important aspect of demonstrating high-level mutual trust.
Underwater communication is complex. One method is to raise the antenna above the surface at communication depth; another is underwater acoustic communication, which uses specialized equipment to maintain contact. The latter is technically more challenging. Regardless of the method used, both sides must share technical communication characteristics, methods and tactics with each other, which enables a high degree of tactical coordination when facing common adversaries, Wang explained.
The fact that both submarines participated together, shared communication data and coordinated strikes on targets is something extremely rare. The ability of China and Russia to accomplish this reflects the high level of mutual trust between the two sides, as well as the Chinese military's strong confidence in its own capabilities. This serves as a positive start for further enhancing the depth and intensity of future joint exercises, Wang added.
Following the conclusion of the exercise, some participating forces will conduct a joint maritime patrol in relevant waters of the Pacific, continuing to contribute to regional and international peace and stability, China Bugle reported.
On July 6, China and Russia launched the "Joint Sea-2026" exercise at a military port in Qingdao in East China's Shandong Province, reported Xinhua News Agency.
A joint command has been established, comprising task forces from the navies of the two countries. The exercise will be carried out in three phases: force assembly, harbor-based planning, and at-sea operations, said Xinhua.
The at-sea operation phase of the China-Russia "Joint Sea-2026" exercise has come to a conclusion. Looking ahead, both sides will continue to uphold the principles of openness, transparency and mutual trust, further expanding the depth and breadth of joint training, and contributing greater efforts to building a maritime community with a shared future and safeguarding world peace and stability, China's Ministry of National Defense reported on Sunday.
Russian disinformation surge may be connected to upcoming Baltic elections.
An uptick in Russian disinformation aimed at NATO's eastern flank could be linked to Latvia and Estonia's upcoming parliamentary elections, experts say.
Russian information attacks against the Baltic states, as well as Finland and Poland, have increased recently, Minister of Foreign Affairs Margus Tsahkna (Eesti 200) said.
Russia claims Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania are allowing Ukraine to use its airspace for drone attacks against Russian oil infrastructure on the Baltic coast. This has been denied by all three countries.
"Not only in the media, but also through diplomatic channels on Russia's part – they want to show that, look, the Baltic states are dragging NATO into a war against Russia. But this is yet another attempt to create confusion," Tsahkna said.
Security expert Meelis Oidsalu, former deputy secretary general of the Ministry of Defense (2015-2021) said the timing and intensity coincide with Latvia's election this autumn and Estonia's next spring.
"Latvia and Estonia, which are probably the NATO countries with the largest Russian populations proportionally, have parliamentary elections coming up. Quite predictably, attempts are then made to choose targets according to the election cycle as well. There are many contentious issues between Estonia and Russia, including the issue of the Russian Orthodox Church," Oidsalu said.
The security expert said Russia may also try to stir up distrust among Estonians who have become alienated from the government.
Security expert Rainer Saks, former secretary general of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (2015-2020, added that the information war is being intensified by Russia's difficult situation in the war.
He added that Russia is seeking to deter not only the Baltic states but the whole of Europe, with two objectives.
"To make relations between Europe and the US as bad as possible, and secondly, to ensure that there is as little consensus as possible within Europe on supporting Ukraine, in order to disrupt the process of supporting Ukraine. At the moment, I do not see a threat of military aggression from Russia against either the Baltic states or Europe more broadly," Saks said.
The foreign minister said that Putin does not have the capability to start a war: "But provocations may come onto the agenda; that's the usual story."
However, Oidsalu said headlines can still be generated by provocations:"They are probably still looking for moves like that. But we have been so hardened by last year that there is not much that can surprise our security services anymore."
The gas is cheap. The Trump administration isn’t saying who’s paying for it.
Trump unveiled the "Freedom Fuel Network" ahead of Independence Day, offering gasoline at up to 50 cents per gallon below market prices.
President Donald Trump promoted a network of Philadelphia-area gas stations offering discount prices as a gift to the American people around Independence Day.
It’s not clear who’s footing the bill.
The White House has said only that the venture is a private company willing to take a hit on its profit margins to help American drivers struggling with high prices following the war in Iran. Trump said on social media it is backed by a “VERY smart Retailer” that is “doing this because they love the U.S.A.”
The Freedom Fuel Network’s bare-bones website lists the 25 participating stations across southeastern Pennsylvania and south Jersey. Many of those stations changed their branding to the Freedom Fuel Network virtually overnight, according to local newsreports.
More than a half-dozen fuel industry analysts and officials, including some who work with retailers in the two states, told POLITICO they had no idea who was behind the effort and were baffled at how the retailer could survive offering discounts of up to 50 cents per gallon, well below market rate.
“I’ve been seeing the news coverage, and we’ve had members or whatnot who’ve reached out about it to ask what it is, and I haven’t been able to find really any answers,” said Eric Blomgren, executive director of the New Jersey Energy Marketers Group, which represents fuel retailers and distributors in the state.
Business records show that Freedom Fuel Network LLC was incorporated in Delaware on June 23, just a week before Trump promoted it on his Truth Social account. The White House declined to name who was behind the network, only disclosing that it is a “private company” and that the administration had no involvement in its formation or in recruiting stations to join.
“There is no entity or person subsidizing the lower gasoline costs,” a White House official, granted anonymity to detail the initiative, said in a statement. “They are simply reducing their margin to make prices at the pump more affordable for drivers in Philadelphia and New Jersey.”
The official added that there is “no defined timeline” for how long the discounts would be offered, but said the participating stations had seen a “massive increase in volume.” The White House declined to connect POLITICO to a representative for the Freedom Fuel Network, which did not respond to questions sent through a contact form on its website.
“Freedom Fuel is a patriotic company doing a good thing for drivers in Pennsylvania and New Jersey by lowering their gas prices,” White House spokesperson Taylor Rogers said in a statement. “They are doing their part to answer the President’s call to lower prices at the pump. This retailer is taking the lead, and we hope to see others follow.”
It’s not clear whether the Freedom Fuel Network itself owns or operates any of the participating stations, or if they operate independently and chose to adopt the common Freedom Fuel branding. Most gas stations in the U.S. are owned and operated by individual proprietors, some of whom license branding from major oil producers like Exxon Mobil or Chevron.
At least seven of the stations in the Freedom Fuel Network appear in property records to be owned by affiliates of Blue Owl, a major publicly traded New York-based asset manager. Trump disclosed last month that he bought and sold millions of dollars in Blue Owl stock last year and retains significant holdings.
Through its subsidiaries, Blue Owl owns hundreds of gas station properties formerly operated by Georgia-based gasoline supplier and retailer Mountain Express Oil. Mountain Express declared bankruptcy in 2023 after a failed effort to expand nationwide backed by Blue Owl.
A Blue Owl spokesperson said in a statement that the properties are under long-term leases and it has no say over its tenants’ operations or business decisions.
“Blue Owl owns the properties through a triple-net lease structure and is not involved in the tenant’s operations or business decisions,” the spokesperson said, referring to a type of lease in which the tenant is responsible for property taxes, insurance and maintenance costs.
The White House official said Blue Owl has “nothing to do with Freedom Fuel.”
One of those Blue Owl-owned stations, in Dresher, Pennsylvania, played host to Jarrod Agen, the executive director of the White House’s National Energy Dominance Council, for an unveiling ceremony last Friday. Plastered with eagles, flags and other patriotic branding, the station offered gas for $3.47 a gallon — well below the $3.91 average for the Philadelphia area, according to the American Automobile Association — “in honor of our 47th president,” Agen said in a video produced by the White House.
The bargain-basement gas pump pricing comes as the Trump administration is trying to calm Americans’ cost-of-living anxiety as the U.S.-Israel war with Iran has caused gasoline prices to spike ahead of midterm elections. The White House has ramped up pressure on the oil and gas industry to lower prices at the pump, which have been slower than crude prices to come down since the U.S. and Iran signed their now-abandoned ceasefire last month.
The Trump administration has announced a Justice Department investigation into major oil producers for allegedly price gouging drivers, and urged states to look into alleged misconduct keeping pump prices high.
National groups representing the fuel industry said they were in the dark about the new initiative.
A pair of groups representing truck stops and fuel marketers had “never heard of the Freedom Fuel Network until the White House announced its existence,” Tiffany Wlazlowski Neuman, spokesperson for NATSO and SIGMA, said in an email. “Ours is a very dynamic industry comprised primarily of small, mom-and-pop operators.”
Rob Underwood, president of the Energy Marketers of America, said he “learned about the Freedom Fuel Network like everyone else when the story hit the news.” He added that retail gas prices are declining across the industry in response to falling oil prices.
The Freedom Fuel Network was registered in Delaware by the Corporation Trust Co., which handles correspondence and compliance work for hundreds of thousands of companies.
Josh Destefano, a spokesperson for Corporation Trust, said in a statement that it does not comment on the activities of the businesses for which it provides registered agent services.
The 25 stations largely did not share the same branding before joining the Freedom Fuel Network. Many of them lacked branding or were branded as independent local chains, such as Gas N Go and Karco, according to Google Maps images. Even before the latest transition, several of the stations appear to have shifted their branding or gone independent in recent years.
Most of the stations do not list contact information online or in public records beyond addresses, and POLITICO was unable to reach them for this article.
One station in Brookhaven, Pennsylvania, was branded as a Shell until it joined the Freedom Fuel Network and still remained visible on the British oil giant’s website as of this week. Rakhee Sharma, a Shell spokesperson, said the company is “not affiliated with the Freedom Fuel Network and was not involved in its formation.”
“Most Shell-branded stations in the U.S., including this location, are independently owned and operated by businesses that license the Shell brand,” Sharma
Analysts said the Freedom Fuel stations appeared to be selling gas at or below the wholesale price in the area, which does not account for labor costs and credit card fees paid directly by the station operator.
“You can’t see these stations at these prices for long,” said Tom Kloza, chief energy adviser for U.S.-based fuel retailer Gulf Oil. “The economics will dictate that — they’re going to have to either close down or raise prices very, very dramatically.”
In fact, some states, including New Jersey, have laws barring gas stations from selling under market rate to prevent large retailers from choking out smaller competitors, Kloza noted. Those laws are rarely enforced, however, because the discounts are typically offered as very short-term promotions.
Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis at pricing service GasBuddy, said gas stations will sometimes offer cheap gas on opening day or after a change of ownership. But he had never seen this many stations change their branding and prices overnight in a coordinated fashion.
“It’s very rare, and especially this name, I mean, Freedom Fuel Network — that’s not your average gas station,” he said.
De Haan noted the Freedom Fuel Network shares some similarities to a T-Mobile promotion in early June in which the mobile network operator wrapped select stations in three cities in its distinctive pink branding and offered its members $1.99-per-gallon gas. A T-Mobile spokesperson said it had no involvement in the Freedom Fuel Network.
Blomgren from the New Jersey Energy Marketers Group said more retailers outside of the network would like to bring down prices, but continue to contend with elevated fuel prices because of the war in Iran.
“I know the president’s been tweeting in general about, ‘Oh, we need to get prices lower because of the price of oil,’ but the [wholesale] price of gas is like 80 cents a gallon higher than it was when the war started, even if the price of oil has been reaching the [pre-war] level,” he said. “So retailers have basically done all they can, I think.”
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В течение дня в период с 8.00 мск до 20.00 мск дежурными средствами ПВО перехвачены и уничтожены 220 украинских беспилотных летательных аппаратов самолетного типа над территориями Белгородской, Брянской, Калужской, Курской, Орловской, Тульской областей, Краснодарского края, Московского региона, Республики Крым и над акваториями Азовского и Черного морей.
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17.52
«Укроборонпром» заявил об увольнении руководителей двух госпредприятий. В компании заявили, что предварительное расследование выявило нарушения ими правил хранения боеприпасов. Также были уволены другие должностные лица – их действия или бездействие могли привести к серьезным последствиям.
Напомним, 6 июля во время массированной атаки российских войск в Вишневом произошел пожар с детонацией. Зеленский заявил, что двое должностных лиц госпредприятия согласовали размещение арсеналов в городе вопреки закону.
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Правительство Великобритании объявило о выделении более 6,6 млрд долларов на беспилотную трансформацию вооружённых сил в рамках Defence Investment Plan.
Эти средства рассчитаны на четыре года и станут крупнейшими в истории страны вложениями в беспилотные и автономные военные системы.
Программа предусматривает ускоренное внедрение БПЛА, безэкипажных катеров, НРТК, систем радиоэлектронной борьбы и технологий искусственного интеллекта во всех видах вооружённых сил.
• Королевский военно-морской флот перейдёт к модели гибридного флота;
•Сухопутные войска получат барражирующие боеприпасы, разведывательные БПЛА, дроны-перехватчики и НРТК;
•Королевские ВВС — беспилотные средства РЭБ и программу автономных боевых летательных аппаратов для совместных действий с пилотируемой авиацией.
Отдельное внимание уделено развитию национальной промышленной базы: будет профинансирован Центр беспилотных систем в Суиндоне и создана Целевая группа по беспилотным системам. Лондон рассматривает беспилотную трансформацию как один из ключевых элементов нового оборонного курса, направленного на усиление возможностей на суше, на море и в воздухе, а также на поддержку британской оборонной промышленности.
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Около 300 дронов летели в сторону Московской области в течение последних суток, сообщил мэр столицы Сергей Собянин.
Большая часть нейтрализована на дальних подступах, 45 БПЛА уничтожены на подлете к Москве, уточнил мэр.
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Германия профинансирует закупку 50 тысяч ударных беспилотников на 90 млн евро для Украины. Заказ, о котором официально не сообщалось, является одной из крупнейших закупок дронов для Украины западным правительством, передает Reuters со ссылкой на источники.
Контракт касается поставки FPV-дронов Shrike, изготовленных крупным украинским производителем SkyFall и оснащенных программным обеспечением американской оборонно-технологической компании Auterion. Эти беспилотники предназначены для автономного отслеживания и поражения движущихся целей на завершающем этапе полета.
В SkyFall подтвердили участие Германии в закупке, но заявили, что компания не может комментировать детали контракта.
В свою очередь генеральный директор Auterion Лоренц Майер подтвердил сумму контракта, отметив, что его финансирует европейская страна. По словам гендиректора, часть дронов уже доставлена в Украину, а остальные должны быть отправлены в этом году. Майер добавил, что компания Auterion в партнерстве с различными производителями оборудования при финансовой поддержке нескольких западных правительств помогает Украине поставить в общей сложности 100 000 беспилотников в текущем году.
Это также включает в себя контракт Пентагона на сумму 50 миллионов долларов на поставку 33 000 беспилотников, которые, по словам Майера, уже были доставлены в Украину.
В июне Великобритания заявила, что в этом году предоставит Украине 150 000 беспилотников в рамках более широкого пакета финансирования в размере 752 миллионов фунтов стерлингов (1,01 миллиарда долларов).
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16.05
По секрету всему свету.
Как собирать БЛА втайне, чтоб все об этом знали.
Немецкое участие в украинской «лаборатории» — это давно известный факт для российских граждан. А вот в Европе и США, судя по нарративам в СМИ, это была большая тайна.
Как пишут в NYT, В Германии работает секретный завод компании Helsing, который действует в условиях строжайших мер безопасности, а в случае возникновения угрозы его могут свернуть и переместить в другое место в течение дня.
🖍Helsing — одно из предприятий, которое действует в зоне СВО уже несколько лет. Немцы были одними из первых, кто притащил на т.н.Украину промышленные 3D-принтеры для сборки беспилотников.
Именно участие в конфликте позволило немецкому стартапу занять крайне важную нишу в ВПК ФРГ. Вначале немцы собирали дроны в западной части т.н.Украины, затем в Европе поняли, что быстрее привозить уже готовые БЛА.
🚩 И удивительного в этом ничего нет: те же крылатые ракеты «Фламинго» собираются всей Европой и привозят на т.н. Украину для ударов по России. В Европе есть промышленные мощности, а для серийного производства — это то, что нужно.
При этом тот секретный завод, скорее всего, размещён на юге в земле Бавария. Ранее мы уже рассказывали о том, как одна из компаний в Гёрисриде производит для реактивных беспилотников двигатели.
❗️ Поэтому вполне не исключаем того варианта, что именно эти цеха также используются и компанией «Хельсинг». А что: логистика обкатана, производство также налажено, и БЛА можно собирать в больших масштабах.
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Sun 12 Jul 2026 15.19 BST
Ukrainian drone strikes force Russia to suspend shipping in Sea of Azov.
Vital maritime corridor closes after 90 vessels – including shadow fleet oil tankers – are attacked in under a week
Russia has been forced to suspend shipping in the Sea of Azov after 90 vessels were targeted by Ukrainian drones in less than a week.
Ukraine’s drone forces chief, Robert Brovdi, said on Sunday that his units had hit 10 tankers and four ferries overnight, as well as a major oil refinery in the city of Syzran. There had been several strikes on electricity
