TYB
Ukraine strikes 2 Russian refineries, other targets in overnight attack, military says
(Updated: August 28, 2025 11:20 am)
Ukrainian forces hit the Kuibyshev refinery in Russia's Samara Oblast and the Afipsky refinery in Krasnodar Krai overnight on Aug. 28, the General Staff of Ukraine's Armed Forces reported.
The statement comes as confirmation of a mass drone attack that struck the two oil refineries and other facilities across Russia, as previously reported by local media.
The Kuibyshev facility, lying some 800 kilometers (500 miles) from the Ukraine-Russia border, has a production capacity of 7 million metric tons of oil per year, producing gasoline, diesel fuel, and other products, the General Staff said.
The Russian Telegram news channel Astra posted photos and video footage of a large-scale fire at the Kuibyshev refinery.
Samara Oblast Governor Vyacheslav Fedorishchev confirmed an attack against the region's infrastructure, saying that the strike was repelled and the subsequent fire was promptly extinguished.
Russia's Defense Ministry claimed its forces downed 102 Ukrainian drones across different regions overnight on Aug. 28, including 21 over Samara Oblast and 18 over Krasnodar Krai.
In Krasnodar Krai, residents reported six to eight powerful explosions, the Shot Telegram news channel wrote, reporting a fire at the Afipsky oil refinery. Krasnodar Krai authorities later confirmed the attack.
The facility lies in southwestern Russia in a region bordering Russian-occupied Crimea, and is located some 370 kilometers (230 miles) from the front line in Ukraine.
"This refinery, which mainly produces gasoline and diesel fuel, is used to supply the Russian army," Ukraine's General Staff said. "Its annual processing capacity is 6.25 million tons of oil. A large-scale fire was reported at the facility."
Further attacks targeted ammunition depots and several logistical facilities in Russia and Russian-occupied territories of Ukraine, according to the Ukrainian military.
A "massive drone attack" hit transport and logistical facilities in Volgograd Oblast, Governor Andrey Bocharov said. Fallen drone debris started a fire at a locomotive depot in the city of Petrov Val, he claimed.
The attacks were carried out jointly by the Unmanned Systems Forces, the Special Operations Forces, the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), military intelligence (HUR), and other branches.
"Detailed information about the consequences of the strikes is being clarified," the General Staff said in a statement. The Kyiv Independent could not verify the claims.
Ukraine regularly targets Russian oil infrastructure in long-range strikes.
Reuters reported that Ukraine struck 10 refineries throughout August, shutting down facilities representing 17% of national processing capacity, or 1.1 million barrels per day.
https://kyivindependent.com/russian-oil-refinery-in-samara-oblast-in-flames-after-drone-attack-media-reports/
https://x.com/ASTRA_PRESS/status/1960932448570597759
Explosions heard as Ukrainian drones target occupied Crimea, media report
August 27, 2025 11:44 pm
Ukraine launched a swarm of drone attacks on occupied Crimean late on Aug. 27, targeting various regions on the peninsula, the pro-Ukrainian Telegram channel Crimean Wind reported.
Several explosions were heard in the cities of Sevastopol and Yevpatoria beginning around 11 p.m. local time, the media channel reported, citing resident accounts. Dozens of Ukrainian drones were reportedly en route towards the peninsula.
Explosions continued in the region throughout the night with powerful explosions being reported near Cape Lukull, located north of Sevastopol, around 11:35 p.m.
No information was immediately available as to any casualties or damaged caused.
Russian air defense missiles were reportedly deployed in several regions amid the attack. Drone search lights were also reportedly actively seeking targets .
Earlier in the evening, Russia's Defense Ministry claimed that two drones were shot down over the Black Sea region approaching Crimea, while one was shot down over the peninsula.
The Kyiv Independent cannot immediately verify the reports or claims made by Russian officials.
Crimea has been under Russian occupation since its illegal annexation in 2014. Ukraine has stepped up strikes on military infrastructure on the peninsula since the full-scale invasion began in 2022.
The peninsula houses various military bases and weapons used against Ukrainian regions in Moscow's full-scale war. Most recently, Ukraine's navy reported that it had struck a Russian drone base in occupied Sevastopol on Aug. 22.
https://kyivindependent.com/explosions-heard-as-ukrainian-drones-target-occupied-crimea-media-reports/
Trump Envoy Warns Deadly Russian Attack on Kyiv Threatens U.S. Peace Initiative
August 28, 2025
Russian missiles and drones struck residential areas in Kyiv early Thursday, killing at least 18 people in what both Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and U.S. President Donald Trump’s special envoy said showed Moscow’s disregard for ongoing peace negotiations.
Emergency workers and residents cleared shattered glass and debris from streets in central Kyiv, where one strike blasted a large gaping hole in an apartment building, images posted by Zelensky showed.
Mattresses dangled from destroyed balconies, while windows of nearby homes and businesses were blown out. Among the dead were three children, with the youngest being two years old, city officials said.
“Russia chooses ballistics instead of the negotiating table. It chooses to continue killing instead of ending the war,” Zelensky said on social media, calling for tougher sanctions and a stronger response from allies.
Kyiv, once relatively shielded from Russian aerial assaults, has suffered repeated deadly strikes in recent months. In July, one of the worst barrages killed more than 30 people, including five children.
On Thursday, Kyiv military chief Tymur Tkachenko said Russia launched ballistic and cruise missiles, along with Iranian-designed Shahed drones from multiple directions to “systematically” target residential neighborhoods.
A five-story building in the Darnytsky district collapsed, while a shopping mall was also hit, Mayor Vitaly Klitschko said. During the bombardment, residents sheltered in subway stations, some with sleeping bags and pets.
European Council President Antonio Costa said the attacks damaged the EU’s diplomatic mission in the city. He posted a picture on X from the inside of an office with the windows blown out and debris scattered across the room.
“My thoughts are with the Ukrainian victims and also with the staff of the EU delegation, whose building was damaged in this deliberate Russian strike,” Costa wrote in the post.
A British government cultural building was also damaged. Both Brussels and London summoned Russia’s ambassadors after the barrage in Kyiv.
Trump envoy Keith Kellogg called the strikes “egregious” and said they “threaten the peace” that the American president is pursuing.
“The targets? Not soldiers and weapons but residential areas in Kyiv — blasting civilian trains, the EU & British mission council offices, and innocent civilians,” Kellogg wrote in a post on X.
In a daily briefing, Russia’s military did not provide any information about its air assault against Kyiv, stating only that it carried out “precision” strikes on military sites across Ukraine. It claimed that all targets were “destroyed.”
The Kremlin later on Thursday accused Ukraine of “continuing to strike… Russian civilian infrastructure.”
Meanwhile, in Russia, the Defense Ministry reported downing more than 100 Ukrainian drones across the country overnight, leading to flight and train disruptions in several regions.
In the southern Rostov region, 50 homes were evacuated after an explosives-laden drone crashed into the roof of a house in a residential area but failed to detonate.
In the neighboring Krasnodar region, Ukrainian drone attacks caused fires at an oil refinery and nearby forest.
No one was reported injured or killed in the overnight attacks on Russia.
https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2025/08/28/trump-envoy-warns-deadly-russian-attack-on-kyiv-threatens-us-peace-initiative-a90366
https://twitter.com/eucopresident/status/1960954861467435341
Exclusive: Electromagnetic weapon zaps drone swarm in seconds
August 28, 2025
Waves of drones tumbled out of the sky above Camp Atterbury, Indiana, on Tuesday, their mechanical death throes punctuating what was otherwise a quiet morning.
Why it matters: Drone swarms are a nightmare for security officials all over the world, whether they're overwhelming a Russian air base or hovering near an American airport.
How it happened: Defense contractor Epirus this week demonstrated its drone-frying Leonidas to observers from various U.S. military services and foreign countries, including some in the Indo-Pacific.
Axios was the only media on hand for the Atterbury tests, about 45 minutes south of downtown Indianapolis. In the climax of the two-hour show, Leonidas went up against 49 quadcopters, the largest grouping it's ever faced.
The "forcefield system," which weaponizes electromagnetic interference, crippled all of them at once. No pricey projectiles. No fireballs.
Epirus CEO Andy Lowery was understandably bullish, telling Axios: "I call this a singularity event."
The big picture: The drone-counter-drone game is upending military spending and power dynamics while, at the same time, forcing a rethink of stateside security (consider power plants or the upcoming World Cup).
The lines are blurring between missile and unmanned. Armored vehicles and deeply dug trenches are no refuge. Apex predators of the battlefield, like tanks, are having their claims contested.
Domestically, the Northeast's drone madness late last year underscores how ill-prepared the U.S. is for a real overhead incursion.
The intrigue: Lowery recently met with Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. "This platform is going to be needed at stadiums and at ports and at airports," he told Axios. "The list goes on and on."
Zoom in: Founded in 2018, Epirus has worked with the U.S. Army, Navy and Marine Corps and tested in multiple overseas theaters.
The company in March announced a $250 million raise led by 8VC and Washington Harbour Partners LP.
More recently, it rolled out its "sixth domain" doctrine, which argues that an overwhelming number of cheap, networked, dangerous machines challenges the traditional dividing lines of war.
The five existing domains — well known in the defense world — are air, land, sea, space and cyber.
What's next: Lowery told Axios that Epirus will "stay in the one-to-many fight," as demonstrated on Tuesday, but could explore sensing as well as electronic and cyber warfare.
https://www.axios.com/2025/08/28/epirus-indiana-drone-swarm-demo-leonidas
IDF intercepts multiple drones coming from Yemen
AUGUST 28, 2025 14:30
The IAF successfully intercepted a drone that was launched from Yemen near the area of Bnei Netzarim and Naveh, near the Gaza border, the military confirmed on Thursday.
No injuries have been reported at this time.
Shortly after, an additional drone launched from Yemen was shot down outside of Israel's borders, the IAF announced later on Thursday.
No sirens were sounded, as per policy.
This is a developing story.
https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/article-865595
https://www.timesofisrael.com/idf-said-to-raid-syrian-army-site-near-damascus-with-helicopters-ground-troops/
IDF said to raid Syrian army site near Damascus with helicopters, ground troops
August 28, 2025 Updated at 1:18 pm
Israeli ground troops conducted a commando raid overnight Wednesday-Thursday on a Syrian site it had already bombed on the two previous days, Syrian state media reported, in a major operation said to have included helicopters and fighter jets as well as dozens of ground troops.
Israel first struck the site outside Damascus on Tuesday, killing several Syrian soldiers, according to Damascus’s foreign ministry, and bombed it again on Wednesday, according to state television.
A Syrian defense ministry official told AFP on condition of anonymity that the site was a former Syrian military base in Tal Maneh, near Kisweh.
Following the second attack on Wednesday, state media said that Israeli troops were flown into the area to carry out a raid, “the details of which are not yet known, amid continued intensive reconnaissance flights.”
According to two Syrian army sources, a unit of the Israeli army carried out an airborne landing on a strategic hilltop southwest of Damascus and conducted a two-hour operation before leaving the area.
They said the troops landed near Jabal Manea, which was once a major air defense base operated by Iran before being destroyed by Israel after the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime.
A number of troops from the new Syrian army are positioned at the base, the sources said.
According to a Syrian source who spoke to Al Jazeera, the raid involved four helicopters and two fighter jets, as well as dozens of soldiers.
The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which relies on a network of sources on the ground, reported that the site had weapons used by the Iran-backed Lebanese terror group Hezbollah, a major ally of former Syrian ruler Assad.
The Observatory said the Israeli ground raid was the first of its kind since the fall of Assad in an Islamist-led rebel offensive in December.
The increased Israeli military activity in Syria comes as the two countries are engaged in “advanced” US-mediated talks on easing tensions in southern Syria, with Damascus seeking a security deal that could open the door to wider political negotiations.
According to Hebrew media reports earlier this week, Damascus and Jerusalem are closing in on understandings, and the deal in discussion would be based on the disengagement lines that the two sides agreed to in 1974 after the Yom Kippur War a year earlier.
After the reports of Wednesday night’s raid, Defense Minister Israel Katz declared Thursday morning on X that Israeli forces “are operating on all battle fronts day and night for the security of Israel.”
He did not indicate what he was referring to, though the post came minutes after Syrian media reported the commando raid.
Asked for comment, an Israeli military spokesperson said: “We do not comment on foreign reports.”
Israel’s strikes on Tuesday had reportedly targeted Syrian soldiers who, while on patrol, discovered “surveillance and eavesdropping devices” reportedly belonging to Israel.
Syrian state media said that additional Israeli strikes prevented other troops from reaching the area until Wednesday evening, when other soldiers were able to retrieve the bodies of the soldiers killed the day before, and “destroy some of the (surveillance) systems by targeting them with the appropriate weapons.”
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The Syrian government on Wednesday condemned “the recent Israeli attacks on its territory,” but had yet to comment on the reported Israeli ground raid.
It also condemned what it said was an incursion on Monday by IDF soldiers into a town in the Quneitra countryside, their “arrest campaigns against civilians,” and their “announcement of the continuation of their illegal presence on the summit of Mount Hermon and the buffer zone.”
“These aggressive practices constitute a flagrant violation of the UN Charter, international law, and relevant Security Council resolutions, and constitute a direct threat to peace and security in the region,” Damascus added.
‘Fake news’
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office on Thursday denied as “fake news” a report by the Kan public broadcaster that Israel seriously considered transferring the Mount Dov area in exchange for Syria giving up its claim to the Golan Heights in security talks with Damascus a few weeks ago.
“The claim that Israel supposedly considered handing over Mount Dov is absolute fake news,” the PMO said in response to the report.
According to Kan, Israel examined the ceding Mount Dov, also known as Shebaa Farms — strategic high ground captured along with the Golan Heights in the 1967 Six Day War — in return for Damascus suspending its sovereignty claim to the Golan.
The report said officials explored the “political feasibility” of the move, which would require approval from 80 Knesset members, during talks that were suspended following sectarian violence in Syria’s southern Sweida province last month.
The report noted that Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa told Arab journalists this week that Damascus cannot join the Abraham Accords while the Golan remains under Israeli control.
At the same time, Sharaa confirmed that his government is in “advanced” talks with Israel to pursue a security deal based on the 1974 UN-brokered disengagement lines, which created a ceasefire zone between Israeli- and Syrian-held territory on the Golan Heights.
The IDF has been deployed at nine posts inside southern Syria since the fall of the Assad regime in December 2024, mostly within a UN-patrolled buffer zone on the border between the countries.
Israeli forces have been operating in areas up to 15 kilometers (some nine miles) deep into Syria, including Beit Jinn, aiming to capture weapons that Israel says could pose a threat to the country if they fall into the hands of hostile forces.
Amid ongoing US-mediated talks between Israel and Syria, Katz vowed Tuesday that IDF troops would remain in Syria to defend the north, saying Israel’s need to maintain a presence there is a “central lesson from the events of October 7.”
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Maybe they weren't allowed to take any.
I would've settled for drones laying all over the ground.
Israeli official claims to Saudi outlet that IDF troops confiscated ‘secret equipment’ near Damascus
August 28, 2025, 5:30 pm
Saudi outlet Al-Hadath reports that Israeli forces located and confiscated “secret and sensitive equipment” near Damascus, citing a senior Israeli security official.
The claim follows reports overnight of an Israeli airdrop of troops on the outskirts of the Syrian capital.
According to the report, the IDF dismantled Turkish surveillance devices planted in the Damascus area intended to monitor Israel.
The source said Jerusalem has warned the new Syrian government against aligning with Ankara, calling it “playing with fire.” The source further claimed the equipment had been housed in Syrian military bases for over a decade.
Separately, a Syrian official told Al Jazeera that four Israeli Air Force helicopters and two fighter jets arrived at a military base in the al-Kiswah area, just south of Damascus, deploying dozens of troops — reportedly special forces — who carried out searches at the site for two hours before withdrawing.
Fighter jets allegedly “cleared the way” for the helicopters and blocked Syrian reinforcements, though no clashes were reported.
The IDF has yet to officially comment on the reports, but Defense Minister Israel Katz said earlier today, “Our forces are operating on all battle fronts day and night for the security of Israel.”
https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry/israeli-official-claims-to-saudi-outlet-that-idf-troops-confiscated-secret-equipment-near-damascus/
IDF troops uncover and destroy kilometer-long tunnel in southern Gaza, says military
August 28, 2025 8:07 pm
IDF troops operating in southern Gaza’s Zeitoun area discovered and destroyed a roughly one-kilometer-long Hamas tunnel equipped with living quarters and weapons, the military says.
Soldiers from the 7th Brigade, under the 99th Division, located the underground tunnel during operations in the southern Gaza Strip. According to the IDF, the tunnel was used by Hamas operatives for military purposes.
In addition, the brigade, working alongside the Israeli Air Force, dismantled other terrorist infrastructure, seized additional weapons, and neutralized several terror operatives who allegedly posed a threat to troops in the area.
https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry/idf-troops-uncover-and-destroy-kilometer-long-tunnel-in-southern-gaza-says-military/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ab1u4cEv-kM
IDF confirms striking Houthi targets in Sanaa area of Yemen
August 28, 2025 5:54 pm
The IDF confirms that the Air Force carried out a targeted strike on a military site of the Iran-backed Houthis in the Sanaa area of Yemen, following two Israeli Air Force interceptions of Houthi drones earlier today.
Defense Minister Israel Katz, together with IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir and senior commanders, coordinated with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu via the Red Line communication system before authorizing the operation, Katz’s office says.
“As we warned the Houthis in Yemen: After the plague of darkness comes the plague of the firstborn,” Katz says in a statement, a reference to the biblical 10 plagues.
The comment appears to confirm remarks in Hebrew media attributed to a senior Israeli official that the strikes are targeting Houthi political figures.
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(Elad Malka/Defense Ministry)
The IDF confirms that the Air Force carried out a targeted strike on a military site of the Iran-backed Houthis in the Sanaa area of Yemen, following two Israeli Air Force interceptions of Houthi drones earlier today.
Defense Minister Israel Katz, together with IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir and senior commanders, coordinated with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu via the Red Line communication system before authorizing the operation, Katz’s office says.
“As we warned the Houthis in Yemen: After the plague of darkness comes the plague of the firstborn,” Katz says in a statement, a reference to the biblical 10 plagues.
The comment appears to confirm remarks in Hebrew media attributed to a senior Israeli official that the strikes are targeting Houthi political figures.
The IDF says the Houthis have acted aggressively since the start of ongoing war, aiming to harm Israel and its allies, destabilize the regional order, and disrupt global maritime freedom.
“The IDF is acting forcefully against the Houthi terror regime, alongside intensifying operations against Hamas in Gaza, and will continue to work to eliminate all threats to Israeli civilians,” the military says in a statement.
The new strike follows Sunday’s IAF operation in Houthi-controlled Sanaa, reportedly killing at least four people and injuring scores.
That strike came after a Friday night ballistic missile attack from Yemen, in which the Houthis for the first time used a projectile with a cluster bomb warhead.
https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry/idf-confirms-striking-houthi-targets-in-sanaa-area-of-yemen/
It’s Big Big Money – Trafficking People is Intertwined in Business & Politics w/ Natly Denise
Aug 27, 2025
It’s Big Big Money – Trafficking People is Intertwined in Business & Politics w/ Natly Denise
Natly Denise, a human-trafficking activist and expert, joins the program to discuss the business of trafficking, explaining how lucrative and widespread it is and why it’s not only hard to stop but still growing.
We discuss how to identify potential victims and what local communities can do to help stop the problem, including holding businesses and politicians accountable. Follow Denise on X at @NatlyDenise_
Human trafficking is not just a crime—it’s a billion-dollar business intertwined with politics, corporations, and global power.
In this exclusive interview, activist and journalist Natly Denise exposes:
✔️ How trafficking networks intersect with business and political interests
✔️ The money trail and why trafficking is “Big Big Money”
✔️ Why corruption and silence allow it to thrive
✔️ How to spot the signs and help raise awareness
This conversation goes deep into the hidden connections between trafficking, finance, and political influence—revealing truths the mainstream often ignores.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ciQkJWQPN4M
https://www.youtube.com/@NatlyDenise
https://www.liberationtimes.com/home/when-the-ufo-story-walks-into-aampe
https://www.unhidden.org/
When the UFO Story Walks into A&E
27 August 2025
There is “no job description as ‘UAP Symptoms and Complications Specialist’.”
That line, from a foreword by famed Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena (UAP) researcher Dr Jacques Vallée, sets the tone for a new 50-page medical literature review that argues encounters with UAP are producing real-world injuries - while medicine largely looks the other way.
Published this month by the Unhidden Foundation (uNHIdden), Potential health effects associated with exposure to UAP reframes a culture-war topic as a public-health gap.
The report concludes there is “credible evidence that UAP encounters can cause physical, physiological and psychological harm,” and calls for independent research, clinical training, specialist referral pathways, and far greater transparency between military and civilian health systems.
Its bottom line: treat UAP-linked cases with “scientific rigour” and patients “with care and respect.”
The authors stress what the report is and isn’t. It does not claim proof of non-human intelligence or attempt to explain what UAP are.
Instead, it aggregates what physicians and witnesses have reported about health outcomes, and asks healthcare to catch up.
“This document does not attempt to draw conclusions where evidence is lacking,” writes Dr Daniel Weaver, a GP, in a personal preface, framing the work as a cautious, evidence-informed review aimed at clinicians.
That caution is paired with unusually direct language for a medical brief.
The executive summary lists four takeaways:
UAP are real, as acknowledged by the U.S. and U.K. government reporting;
UAP can harm human health;
Radio-frequency and microwave exposure appears to be a common mechanism; and
Civilians—and their doctors—lack access to much of the relevant knowledge because key studies remain classified.
uNhIdden’s review stitches together open-source government assessments, defence-funded research, case catalogues, and peer-reviewed medicine:
Government confirmation that UAP are “real objects.”
The report cites the U.S. Director of National Intelligence’s 2021 assessment that some UAP are physical objects and a hazard to aviation; it also quotes President Obama’s plain-spoken admission that there are “records of objects in the skies” that defy easy explanation.
In the U.K., the MoD’s Project Condign concluded in 2006: “That UAP exist is indisputable.”
Injury mechanisms.
A Defense Intelligence Agency–commissioned review - Anomalous Acute and Subacute Field Effects on Human and Biological Tissues - produced under the Advanced Aerospace Weapon System Applications Program (AAWSAP), the DIA’s broad 2008–10 UAP study administered by the agency and contracted to Bigelow Aerospace Advanced Space Studies, concluded that “humans have been found to have been injured” in close proximity to anomalous craft, with electromagnetic radiation field effects - especially in the UHF/microwave bands - identified as a primary mechanism; the AARO Report further identifies frequency “hot spots” around 400 MHz–2 GHz and describes heat-linked and neuro-sensory symptoms consistent with radio frequency exposure.
Symptoms that go beyond simple heating.
The report lists patterns from the AAWSAP files that include acute headaches, vertigo with nausea, palpitations, sleep disturbance, ocular irritation, and persistent paraesthesiae - alongside an absence of certain routine lab abnormalities - suggesting complex neurophysiological effects in some cases.
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A larger, still-hidden record.
Citing Skinwalkers at the Pentagon, authored by AAWSAP principals, the AAWSAP team documented the effects on human health as a result of interacting with UAP,…examining the hematological, immunological, neuro-anatomical, and biochemical sequelae of close encounters in witnesses. uNHIdden argues this implies further human-effects research remains unreleased at the Defense Intelligence Agency.
Classic cases, medicalised.
The review revisits high-profile incidents not as mysteries to solve but as clinical data points: Falcon Lake (burns in a grid pattern; prolonged neurologic symptoms), Cash-Landrum (severe acute illness compatible with high-energy exposure), Colares (dozens treated for burns, puncture-like lesions and partial paralysis), and Rendlesham (veteran disability awarded years later amid references to elevated radiation readings).
Breadth of reported effects.
The Schuessler catalogue—356 cases across 1873–1994 - ranks frequently reported effects such as burns, nausea, headaches, tingling, weakness/fatigue, insomnia, amnesia and more, underscoring recurring clinical themes seen across disparate events.
Vallée’s foreword describes why experiencers often avoid doctors, fearing ridicule or misdiagnosis, and why ufologists - not clinicians - have been the de facto first responders.
That stigma, the report argues, “prevents proper, professional discussions,” deters data collection, and leaves patients unsupported.
uNHIdden’s remedy is practical: create safe clinical pathways so a GP, emergency physician or occupational-health nurse knows what to do next - whom to refer to, what to test, and how to document without prejudging.
The group explicitly invites peer feedback and corrections to shape a second edition, signalling that building a reliable knowledge base will require the broader medical community.
Though focused on UAP-linked health effects rather than the broader bucket of “Anomalous Health Incidents,” the report reproduces correspondence from the U.K. Department of Health and Social Care stating, for the first time to the authors’ knowledge, that Havana syndrome exists—albeit as a “rare, poorly understood” entity with no current NHS pathway.
That acknowledgement, even if limited, could open the door to specialist commissioning when better criteria emerge.
The review’s physiology chapter is not a diagnostic manual, but it does surface recurring red flags after close-range UAP encounters: sudden warmth or “prickling” over exposed skin; delayed erythema progressing to burns; severe temporal headaches; vertigo, nausea and sleep disruption; ocular inflammation and photophobia; and multi-week paraesthesiae.
Documenting onset times, environmental context (including radio frequency sources), and neurological/ocular findings is emphasised.
It also notes a research thread around brain findings (caudate/putamen) in some affected personnel, and urges caution:
hypotheses abound, from radio frequency-induced neurochemical changes to more exotic models, but proof remains thin without open datasets and replication.
uNHIdden’s recommendations are concrete.
First, fund independent studies and publish historical human-effects datasets long held within defence channels, subject to genuine national-security limits.
Second, incorporate awareness training into medical education and create specialist referral routes so patients aren’t bounced between A&E, neurology and psychiatry.
Third, normalise reporting so patterns can be seen and harms mitigated—without requiring anyone to take a position on who or what is behind UAP.
“We are not here to gather information about the origins of UAP sightings or the technology involved,” the authors write.
“Our role is to educate and help provide care to people affected.”
That’s the pivot: from spectacle to standards of care.
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https://www.msn.com/en-za/news/other/pentagon-baffled-by-8-000-mysterious-ufo-orbs-hovering-over-us-military-bases/ar-AA1LldSP
https://enigmalabs.io/collection/611459f2-f53d-4eb8-8ee3-a3658fa61304
Pentagon baffled by 8,000 mysterious UFO orbs hovering over US military bases
August 27, 2025
An invasion of small metallic orbs has been spotted hovering over the US in recent years, leaving the Pentagon scrambling to identify these mysterious UFOs.
A new report from the crowdsourced platform Enigma, which allows people to report sightings of unidentified flying objects (UFOs), reveals more than 8,000 sightings across the US between December 2022 and June 2025.
Among these, 422 reports specifically describe metallic orbs, with the majority observed between 1am and 4am near military installations in New York, California, and Arizona.
Eyewitnesses, including civilians, pilots, and military personnel, reported seeing the spheres hover silently before moving at extreme speeds, leaving no trace of their departure.
Some of the sightings have been captured on video or radar, though many remain unexplained.
'I was walking into work when I looked up and saw two metallic liquid-like objects hovering for about two minutes,' said one witness over Brooklyn's Fort Hamilton in June 2024.
Another in California described seeing a metallic orb above Los Angeles shortly after a squadron of planes flew by.
The Pentagon's All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO) has been charged with investigating claims of UFOs and has dismissed many as natural phenomena like flocks of birds, conventional aircraft, drones, balloons, or other explainable objects.
However, some cases have remained unsolved, reportedly due to a lack of data. Of the 757 UFO cases between May 2023 and June 2024 released in AARO's annual report, 21 cases were classified as unresolved sightings.
Although the Pentagon and civilian groups like the National UFO Reporting Center (NUFORC) have also been cataloging these incidents, many have continued to baffle military officials, who have no way of explaining what was seen.
While the new report focused on the thousands of sightings in the US over the last three years, strange orbs have been documented all over the world, from Puerto Rico to the Middle East.
Moreover, these tiny craft have apparently been visiting our skies for decades, with pilots during World War II reporting similar orbs over the skies of Europe.
Enigma revealed that more than 360 'metallic orb' reports took place within a few miles of military bases here on US soil.
In three of those cases, witnesses revealed that the orbs got within five miles of Fort Hamilton in New York, Papago Military Reserve in Arizona, and Los Angeles Air Force Base on multiple occasions.
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These mystery orb sightings include one shocking encounter revealed by Dr Sean Kirkpatrick, the former director of AARO, which was captured on a MQ-9 Reaper drone's camera in the Middle East in 2022.
Kirkpatrick warned that if these videos didn't prove that aliens exist, then they're evidence that a rival foreign power could be 'doing stuff in our backyard.'
Some theories have suggested these orbs could be surveillance devices from foreign powers like China or Russia.
Government officials believed they might be advanced drones, due to their tremendous agility and ability to avoid radar, according to a 2022 report in the New York Times.
This theory exploded into rampant paranoia last year, when countless drones were spotted flying over the East Coast, including over key military sites and President Trump's property in New Jersey.
As for Enigma's report, many of the orb sightings have been concentrated in Texas and Florida.
In fact, visitors at Disney World's Epcot in Florida got an unexpected sight this month, when a glowing orb appeared over the amusement park.
After searching online and finding no information about drones or satellites in the area, Morgan Huelsman, digital director of The Bobby Bones Show, described the object as a 'UFO,' adding, 'definitely a UFO with aliens.'
The Enigma platform has also received sightings from all over the US, over critical infrastructure such as power plants, and over naval vessels at sea.
However, the most convincing proof of this invasion of mysterious orbs has been found in Colombia, where locals actually recovered a metallic sphere that was seen hovering over the town of Buga in March.
The 'Buga Sphere' has become a major topic of discussion among UFO researchers, with scientists claiming the object contains a maze of fiber-optic wires that suggest it can send and receive signals.
After striking a power line and crashing to the ground, the object also appeared to have somehow dehydrated the field it landed in, killing all the grass and soil where it touched down.
Scientists suggested this was proof that the object produced some kind of energy field, but researchers had not attempted to forcibly cut the object open so far. The sphere has since been taken to Mexico for further analysis.
However, UFO researcher Dr Julia Mossbridge from the University of San Diego is among the many who doubt the authenticity of the Buga Sphere, calling it a 'man-made art project.'
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Alien Contact Will Be Controlled by Religion - According to SETI
August 28 2025
The search for extraterrestrial intelligence operates under a veil of secrecy that most people never realize exists.
According to Dr. Jill Tarter, co-founder of SETI, scientists have strict protocols that require them to keep potential alien discoveries hidden from the public while they verify their findings.
This revelation came during a recent Star Talk interview with Neil deGrasse Tyson, where Tarter disclosed details about how the scientific community handles what could be humanity’s most important discovery.
Dr. Tarter’s most striking analogy puts the scope of our alien search into perspective.
As referenced in the Star Talk interview, she calculated that after 50 years of SETI operations, “all the searching we’d done to date was as if we said, oh, we’re going to look for fish in the ocean.
And what we did was take one eight-ounce glass and dip it in the ocean and take a look and say, oh, are there fish in there?”
This comparison reveals how infinitesimally small our search efforts have been compared to the vastness of space we need to explore.
Despite this limited search scope, SETI operates under formal rules established in 1989 that dictate exactly how potential alien contact should be handled.
According to the International Institute of Space Law protocol referenced by Dr. Tarter, scientists must verify any potential extraterrestrial signal using at least two different radio telescopes in different global locations before making any public announcement.
The primary directive, as Tarter explained, is to “make sure you got it right” and ensure “that whatever you’re going to announce is not some flaw in your detection system.”
This verification protocol proved crucial during the 2019 BLC-1 incident, when scientists detected what appeared to be an artificial signal from the direction of Proxima Centauri, our nearest stellar neighbor.
The signal, officially designated “Breakthrough Listen Candidate 1,” exhibited characteristics that seemed consistent with extraterrestrial technology.
According to the detection data, the signal was extremely narrow-band at 982.002 MHz, appearing across multiple observations over several months.
Natural cosmic sources typically broadcast across many frequencies simultaneously, making this focused transmission particularly intriguing to researchers.
The secretive nature of SETI’s operations becomes apparent when examining how information flows to the public.
According to Dr. Tarter’s statements on Star Talk, when asked about confidence in appropriate public response to alien contact, she admitted uncertainty, stating “I don’t know, Neil” and expressing concern about political reactions.
Her promise that “you’ll know what I know” regarding alien discoveries appears contradicted by the formal protocols requiring extensive verification periods before public disclosure.
Perhaps most controversially, Dr. Tarter suggested that ethics regarding alien contact would be determined by “religious entities across the planet” rather than scientific consensus.
This statement raises questions about who should have authority over humanity’s response to extraterrestrial contact and whether religious institutions should influence scientific discoveries.
The comment seems inconsistent with SETI’s scientific mission and suggests potential conflicts between religious doctrine and empirical evidence.
The verification process serves dual purposes according to SETI protocols: preventing false alarms that could damage scientific credibility, and avoiding premature communication attempts with potentially unknown alien civilizations.
Current rules referenced in the International Academy of Astronautics guidelines state that scientists should announce discoveries only after confirmation and refrain from attempting communication until world governments can coordinate appropriate responses.
This systematic approach to secrecy means the public may remain unaware of ongoing alien signal investigations for years or decades.
The BLC-1 case demonstrates how potential extraterrestrial contact can be detected, analyzed, and ultimately dismissed without public knowledge during the verification phase.
While the scientific community eventually determined BLC-1 was terrestrial interference, the incident reveals how close humanity might come to confirmed alien contact while remaining completely unaware.
00:00 - SETI's Secret Rules
03:26 - The BLC-1 Signal
05:45 - Verification Protocol
06:44 - Religious Ethics Role
https://www.ufonews.co/post/alien-contact-will-be-controlled-by-religion-according-the-seti
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HaMJDQdudPU
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K2z685OhYCU (The Search for Aliens with SETI Co-Founder, Jill Tarter Aug 26, 2025)
https://www.theblackvault.com/documentarchive/foia-emails-reveal-pentagons-tight-control-over-aaro-historical-record-report-rollout-and-messaging/
FOIA Emails Reveal Pentagon’s Tight Control Over AARO “Historical Record Report” Rollout and Messaging
August 27, 2025
A new release of Department of Defense (DoD) emails obtained through the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) sheds light on internal debates about the All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO), its scope, and how its work is presented to the public.
The documents, released under case number 24-F-0894, were obtained by The Black Vault following a request for correspondence involving Pentagon spokesperson Susan Gough containing the terms “AARO” or “Phillips” between February 1 and March 7, 2024.
The request yielded 14 pages of emails, many redacted, that offer a rare glimpse into how the Pentagon handled the rollout of AARO’s congressionally mandated Historical Record Report and managed both internal and external messaging.
Controlled Media Access
The emails reveal that access to AARO’s acting director, Tim Phillips, was tightly restricted.
In February and March 2024, multiple journalists, including representatives from Scientific American, the Washington Examiner, and Finland’s national broadcaster YLE, requested inclusion in press briefings or sought interviews with Phillips.
Those requests were declined. “At this time, we are looking to keep any media engagement with AARO’s acting director to a small group,” Pentagon spokesperson Susan Gough wrote in response to one inquiry.
Another journalist expressed disappointment at the exclusion, saying it “seems to be a bit of Pentagon narrative setting versus genuine media outreach”.
A small, invite-only briefing was held on March 8, 2024, with only about seven journalists present. During the session, reporters asked pointed questions that reflected the broader public interest.
One journalist pressed Phillips directly about whether high-profile whistleblowers Luis Elizondo or David Grusch had been interviewed for AARO’s review. Phillips declined to confirm, stating: “As a practice, we do not disclose who came in and spoke to us.
The individuals are free to share that with you, but I’m not going to talk about who we interviewed. But anybody with knowledge of UAPs or the government covert attempt to reverse engineer or to exploit these materials, we would love to talk to them”.
Phillips also sought to portray the work as unprecedented in scope:
“I don’t think there’s ever been a government organization with the authorities and with the amount of funding that we receive from Congress… I don’t believe any previous government attempt to research UFOs, UAPs has ever had that type of top cover”.
While the answers themselves added to the record, the manner in which the information was released raised broader concerns. By holding a private, invitation-only engagement, the Pentagon limited access to a select group of reporters.
For others seeking answers, including those who had submitted formal FOIA requests, the arrangement stood in stark contrast to the principles of openness and transparency that Congress intended when it mandated AARO’s historical review.
ODNI’s Role Minimized
Another exchange shows discussion about whether to acknowledge the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) in press materials.
Although AARO operates within the Department of Defense, its statutory reporting structure, which was established under the FY2023 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), requires it to report to both the Deputy Secretary of Defense and the Principal Deputy Director of National Intelligence (PDDNI).
Despite this, internal correspondence about the March 2024 rollout of AARO’s Historical Record Report shows officials deliberately choosing to downplay ODNI’s role.
In an email chain on March 5, 2024, while discussing the draft press release, Gough asked whether ODNI should be referenced since “the legislation calls for AARO producing the report — but Dir, AARO reports to PDDNI, too, so wanted to check.”
The reply was clear: “Confirming that we’re good without any ODNI mention.” Who that was from was redacted and withheld.
Legally, ODNI sits atop AARO’s chain of accountability, yet in this instance the Department of Defense opted to present the rollout as a DoD-driven initiative.
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Congressional Briefings and “KONA BLUE”
During March 6, 2024, classified briefings on the Historical Record Report, congressional staff pressed AARO leadership on the individuals interviewed, the scope of documentation reviewed, and “noteworthy programs,” including one labeled KONA BLUE.
According to a declassified release from the Department of Defense, KONA BLUE originated as a prospective Special Access Program (PSAP) proposed within the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in 2011.
The program was described in interviews as a sensitive compartment established to protect the retrieval and exploitation of “non-human biologics.”
However, further investigation by AARO determined that KONA BLUE was never formally established. It received neither funding nor materials, and no data was ever transferred to DHS under its name.
The roots of KONA BLUE trace back to the Advanced Aerospace Weapon System Application Program (AAWSAP)/Advanced Aerospace Threat Identification Program (AATIP), run by the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) from 2009 to 2012.
Those programs, funded by congressional earmarks, were executed primarily through Bigelow Aerospace in Nevada. DIA ultimately terminated the contract, citing “lack of merit and lack of utility” in the products provided.
Following its cancellation, individuals associated with AAWSAP/AATIP advocated for DHS to adopt and fund a successor program under the code name KONA BLUE.
In 2011, DHS’s Under Secretary for Science and Technology approved KONA BLUE as a PSAP, justifying the move on claims that sensitive information and materials required this level of protection.
Six months later, the DHS Deputy Secretary disapproved the initiative, citing insufficient justification and lack of credible supporting information. The program was terminated immediately thereafter.
Despite speculation surrounding the name, the official record confirms that KONA BLUE never advanced beyond proposal stage.
The Department of Defense has since declassified related documents in coordination with DHS, reaffirming that “no data or material of any kind was ever transferred to or collected by DHS under the auspices of KONA BLUE”.
Gillibrand Presses for Expanded AARO Role
The records also capture friction between Congress and the Pentagon over AARO’s responsibilities.
During a Senate briefing on drone incursions, Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand pressed officials on why the Department lacked a central database for unmanned aerial system (UAS) incursions, arguing that AARO should serve that function.
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Internal Pentagon correspondence shows immediate pushback. “We do not want to see sUAS added to AARO’s portfolio!”
Pentagon spokesperson Gough wrote in an email to David A. Kozik, Director Congressional Activities, Office of the Under Secretary of Defense Intelligence.
Kozik repliesd that AARO should serve in a coordinating capacity on counter-UAS issues, but not as the lead office.
The discussions underscored a disconnect between congressional expectations and the Department’s vision for AARO’s scope.
What makes this exchange notable is the role of the official raising the concern. Under Department of Defense policy, Public Affairs personnel are tasked with communicating information and providing counsel to commanders, but not with determining mission assignments.
Joint Publication 3-61 emphasizes that public affairs officers are the commander’s “principal spokesperson” and serve to advise and align communication, but their role is not directive in setting operational responsibilities.
Similarly, DoDD 5122.05 and DoDI 5400.13 define the public affairs function as supporting transparency, releasing information, and coordinating messaging, not deciding organizational missions.
For that reason, Gough’s strong stance appears to move beyond the traditional remit of a spokesperson.
While she is entitled to offer her views, it is unusual to see a Public Affairs official weighing in directly on whether a congressional request, which was raised by a sitting Senator, should alter AARO’s mission portfolio.
In short, while the emails show a clear disagreement between congressional intent and Pentagon preference, they also highlight the unusual position of a public affairs spokesperson inserting herself into a debate that doctrine indicates should rest with mission leadership and policymakers, not communications staff.
The newly released emails offer a glimpse into how the Pentagon manages both its internal deliberations and public-facing messaging about UAPs.
The records confirm congressional pressure to expand AARO’s mandate, references to sensitive programs like KONA BLUE, and a deliberate effort by DoD and ODNI officials to shape the rollout of AARO’s Historical Record Report.
While heavily redacted, the correspondence highlights an ongoing tension between secrecy, congressional oversight, and public transparency in the government’s handling of unidentified anomalous phenomena.
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Emma Stone Says She Believes in Aliens at the Venice Film Festival: 'How Do You Know I’m Not' One?
August 28, 2025 10:44AM EDT
Emma Stone declared she believes in aliens while promoting her new film at the Venice Film Festival.
During a press conference for Bugonia on Thursday, Aug. 28, the Oscar winner, 36, at one point told reporters it is a "pretty narcissistic thing to think" that humans are "truly alone out here."
Stone added, "So, yes, I'm coming out with it: I believe in aliens."
Directed by Yorgos Lanthimos, Bugonia follows two men who kidnap Stone's character, a wealthy CEO, because they believe she is an alien.
At the festival, Stone told journalists in the room, “How do you know I’m not an alien?" before noting that she felt "there’s a tricky aspect to that answer that’s probably longer than anything that anyone would want to listen to right now at a press conference for the film."
“Everybody sort of deals with that now. There's a lot of self-reflection for everyone; social media or the way that you're kind of viewed outside of yourself to the world," she said.
"We all can relate to that feeling of someone thinking they know you or thinking you can express and opinion and having it feel fraught and intense and like you don’t have much control of the thing or, I call it, the avatar outside of me."
"Because there’s me, and then there’s 'me,' here," she added. "I separate the two in my mind a little bit, which I maybe need to do less, but I think as a coping mechanism.
There’s the person who comes here and then there’s the person I am with all my friends and family. They’re the same person, but it’s what I do to keep myself sane, I guess."
According to a synopsis, Bugonia is based on Jang Joon-hwan’s 2003 South Korean sci-fi-comedy Save the Green Planet!
The movie centers around "two conspiracy-obsessed young men [who] kidnap the high-powered CEO of a major company, convinced that she is an alien intent on destroying planet Earth."
The new movie marks Stone's fourth film in recent years with Lanthimos, 51, who previously directed her in 2018’s The Favourite and 2023’s Poor Things, both of which premiered at Venice, as well as last year’s Kinds of Kindness and multiple short films. Jesse Plemons, who costarred with Stone in Kinds of Kindness, also appears in Bugonia alongside Alicia Silverstone, Aidan Delbis, Stavros Halkias and more.
Fans have been buzzing about Bugonia since Stone debuted a pixie cut this January at the Golden Globe Awards.
Per a Vogue cover story earlier this month, the actress’ head was shaved in real time during a scene in the movie.
She told the outlet it felt refreshing: "No better feeling in the world. The first shower when you’ve shaved your head? Oh my God, it’s amazing.”
While speaking with reporters at the Aug. 28 press conference in Venice, Stone remarked that buzzing her head was "so much easier than any hairstyle."
Bugonia is in select theaters Oct. 24, then wide on Oct. 31.
https://people.com/venice-film-festival-emma-stone-believes-in-aliens-11795684
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt12300742/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bd_5HcTujfc
Lily Nova Starseed
August 25, 2025
🤭 👒 #17
https://www.youtube.com/@LilyNovaStarseed/posts
https://www.lilynovacontact.com/