TYB
https://www.esa.int/Space_Safety/Space_Debris/Sounding_the_alarm_ESA_introduces_space_environment_health_index
https://www.esa.int/Space_Safety/Space_Debris/ESA_Space_Environment_Report_2025
Sounding the alarm: ESA introduces space environment ‘health index’
22/10/2025
The congestion and pollution of Earth orbit is quickly getting worse. We need to be able to quantify how our behaviour impacts the orbital environment in the future.
To this end, the European Space Agency (ESA) is adding a new health index to its yearly Space Environment Report that summarises in one number the status of our space environment over time.
“The space environment health index is an elegant approach to link the global consequences of space debris mitigation practices to a quantifiable impact on the space debris environment,” says Stijn Lemmens, space debris mitigation analyst at ESA.
“With the new metric, ESA is promoting a common language for assessing the impact of our space activities and making consequences concrete.”
The need for a yardstick
To keep our space environment safe and sustainable, we need a way to measure its overall health and quantify the impact each new mission will have.
Just as climate scientists use temperature as a key indicator of global warming, the space community needs a clear, quantifiable metric to assess the impact of objects and missions on orbital sustainability.
The Space Environment Health Index provides such a metric. It is a single score that reflects how healthy or stressed the orbital environment is and what the consequences will be in a 200-year time period.
Even if one number can never explain all the intricacies involved, it will provide a useful impression of the space environment’s health that speeds up high-level conversations. Also, it will provide a framework to evaluate individual missions on how they will impact the overall state.
The Health Index supports global sustainability efforts, including ESA’s own Zero Debris approach, which aims to eliminate debris generation from ESA missions by 2030.
Ingredients of the new metric
For nearly 10 years, ESA and European academia have been working on understanding the links between space traffic, operator behaviour and orbital dynamics as a combined system.
The Space Environment Health Index is designed to distil complex factors into one understandable score.
Each object or new mission has certain qualities that can be converted into a positive or a negative effect on the Index, such as:
Size: How big is it and what shape does it have?
Lifetime in orbit: How soon will the object naturally re-enter or be removed?
Collision avoidance capability: Can the object manoeuvre to prevent collisions?
Passivation measures: Has the object been made safe from explosions after its mission ends?
Fragmentation risk: What is the likelihood of the object breaking apart and creating debris?
By combining these elements, it captures the risks of a mission’s potential to create space debris, how that debris will increase collision risk for one's neighbours, and how it will statistically have impacted the space environment after 200 years (see the full ESA Space Environment Report for calculation details).
A high score indicates a greater negative impact on the environment, while a low score reflects more sustainable behaviour.
It can then work like an energy-efficiency rating for appliances: in the future, a mission could be rated “A” for sustainability, giving operators and regulators a clear benchmark.
All objects’ scores together result in a global Health Index that indicates the overall state of the orbital environment compared to a reference baseline.
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Our current score: the alarm is sounding
The Space Environment Health Index measures how sustainable Earth’s orbital environment is.
A value of 1 represents the proposed threshold for long-term sustainability. Anything higher means that the space environment becomes less then desirable for operations over time and could eventually become unstable.
This benchmark of the Health Index is based on the Inter-Agency Space Debris Coordination Committee (IADC) guidelines as in 2014, before the boom in large constellations.
These guidelines outlined what a ‘healthy’ space environment should have looked like in 200 years, assuming space operators follow space debris mitigation rules as established then.
Even back in 2014, the forecast was not ideal. The expected future was already three times riskier than the minimum deemed desirable.
Today, with more satellites and more debris, the risk has climbed to four times higher. Despite many satellite operators already adopting space debris mitigation practices, more action is needed.
We are now at Health Index level 4, far beyond the sustainability threshold. Stronger action is required to protect our future in space.
Potential uses of the Health Index
The index is more than a scientific tool – it is a practical decision-making aid. It can be applied to mission design to minimise its environmental impact, similar to other life cycle assessment tools and practices.
A low score becomes a design target, encouraging choices like shorter orbital lifetimes, reliable deorbiting systems and strong collision avoidance capabilities.
“Even if the definition of the Health Index may seem very theoretical, at ESA we have already successfully applied this concept in practice,” explains Francesca Letizia, space debris mitigation engineer at ESA.
“We had to evaluate different policy options to define the Zero Debris approach. We used the Health Index model to translate the mandate for a Zero Debris approach into numbers, identifying a path that would not exceed the orbital sustainability threshold.”
Another promising area is licensing, regulation and insurance. Authorities could adopt the index as part of licensing criteria, ensuring new missions meet sustainability thresholds and pass certain risk assessments.
Over time, the index could feed into updated mitigation guidelines, ecodesign pipelines for space systems and become a part of policies in space.
Why act now?
Some might ask: if the real trouble is projected in 200 years, isn’t that enough time to solve it later? The reality is that the problem is urgent.
Every new object now adds to the cumulative risk over time. Fragmentation events today will have consequences for decades, and the era of large constellations has accelerated the challenge.
Long before the space environment becomes truly unusable, the cost of operating in space will skyrocket. Certain orbits may become inaccessible, also impacting human spaceflight with its stringent safety standards.
The Space Environment Health Index helps us act now by making sustainability measurable. It shows how ambitious efforts, such as ESA’s Zero Debris-by-2030 promise, are essential to have a chance at continued access to space.
It provides an option for transparency, accountability and a shared framework for collaboration, driving responsible behaviour across the space sector.
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Giant star Betelgeuse has a 'Betelbuddy' — and it's very little indeed
October 22, 2025
Every superhero — or antihero — needs a sidekick. And it turns out that Beetlejuice Betelgeuse does indeed have one!
The red supergiant star found in the constellation Orion has captivated stargazers for millennia, and while scientists have long theorized it had a companion of some sort due to its periodic dimming, no one had ever seen it.
Until recently! World, meet Betelbuddy.
After the Gemini North Telescope in Hawaii imaged a faint potential companion to Betelgeuse, Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) researchers used NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory and the Hubble Space Telescope to examine Betelgeuse in more detail.
And the timing was perfect — Betelbuddy, as the tiny companion is nicknamed — was at its maximum distance from its much larger, much brighter neighbor.
(Betelgeuse is about 700 times the size of our sun and thousands of times brighter.) Finally, researchers made detailed, concrete observations.
"It turns out that there had never been a good observation where Betelbuddy wasn't behind Betelgeuse," Anna O’Grady, a postdoctoral fellow at CMU,"said in a statement. "This represents the deepest X-ray observations of Betelgeuse to date.”
Impressively, capturing an image of Betelbuddy was only the start of the discoveries. The researchers had anticipated the companion to be a white dwarf or a neutron star, but they saw no signs of accretion, a distinct signature of both types of objects. Instead, they suspect it might be a young stellar object about the size of our sun.
And herein lies the next major discovery. The size ratio between Betelgeuse and Betelbuddy challenges what we currently know about binary stars.
Typically, binary stars have similar masses. But Betelgeuse is about 16 to 17 times the mass of our sun, whereas Betelbuddy has about the same mass as our sun.
"This opens up a new regime of extreme mass ratio binaries,” O’Grady said. "It's an area that hasn’t been explored much because it's so difficult to find them or to even identify them like we were able to do with Betelgeuse."
This is only the start of the tale of Betelgeuse and Betelbuddy, and we can't wait to see where it takes us next.
https://www.space.com/astronomy/stars/giant-star-betelgeuse-has-a-betelbuddy-and-its-very-little-indeed
https://www.cmu.edu/physics/news-events/2025/1008_betelgeuse-chandra.html
https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.3847/1538-4357/adff83
Space Force Association Announces Four New Corporate Members to Join its Ranks
Oct 21, 2025, 4:00 PM ET
The Space Force Association (SFA) is pleased to announce that four distinguished companies have joined as Corporate Members: the Artemis Group, North Wind Group, EigenQ and Terran Orbital.
These organizations represent a broad cross-section of the space, defense, and advanced technology sectors, and their inclusion reflects the SFA’s ongoing commitment to expanding industry engagement, fostering collaboration, and strengthening the space ecosystem.
The Artemis Group
The Artemis Group is a strategic advisory, government affairs, business development, and communications firm that focuses on the intersection of space, defense, and public policy.
The team is led by former NASA Administrator and U.S. Congressman Jim Bridenstine. They leverage deep experience in government, industry, and strategic communications to help space and defense companies navigate federal relations and growth strategies.
The firm plays a key role in advancing national space priorities by bridging the gap between innovative companies and policymakers.
North Wind Group
North Wind is a diversified engineering, environmental, and mission support firm providing integrated technical solutions to federal and commercial clients.
North Wind delivers full lifecycle services, including environmental remediation and compliance, civil and structural engineering, facility operations, and design-build execution for critical infrastructure.
As a subsidiary of Cook Inlet Region, Inc. (CIRI), North Wind combines the agility of a small business with the resources of a large enterprise to support mission-critical operations across the Department of Defense and Department of Energy.
The company is well-positioned to assist the U.S. Space Force with infrastructure modernization, base support, and resilient facility operations that sustain mission readiness.
EigenQ
EigenQ is a disruptive U.S.-based quantum technology company advancing quantum cybersecurity, quantum internet, and quantum computing.
EigenQ’s PQC+™ solutions, the first NIST-certified, accelerate government, defense, and space organizations in achieving quantum readiness and meeting federal mandates and global standards.
Backed by deep quantum expertise and strategic partnerships with HPE and WNC, EigenQ delivers scalable, future-proof, cutting-edge quantum technology solutions to protect mission-critical systems and position the U.S. to lead the quantum era.
Terran Orbital
Terran Orbital, a Lockheed Martin Company, is a leading manufacturer of satellite solutions, providing end-to-end mission services for commercial, civil, and government customers.
Terran Orbital specializes in designing, building, and operating advanced satellite systems, leveraging cutting-edge technologies that support critical national security, scientific research, and commercial applications around the world.
The Space Force Association looks forward to working with these new corporate partners to advance its mission: to educate, advocate, and engage in support of the Space Force, national security, and space enterprise growth.
https://www.wivb.com/business/press-releases/ein-presswire/860144098/space-force-association-announces-four-new-corporate-members-to-join-its-ranks/
https://ussfa.org/
SpaceX Launches
SpainSat NG II Mission
October 22, 2025 21:30 PT - October 23, 2025 01:30 PT
SpaceX is targeting Thursday, October 23 for Falcon 9’s launch of the SpainSat NG II mission to a geosynchronous transfer orbit from Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.
The four-hour window opens at 9:30 p.m. ET. If needed, a backup opportunity is available on Friday, October 24 at the same time.
A live webcast of this mission will begin about 15 minutes prior to liftoff, which you can watch here and on X @SpaceX. You can also watch the webcast on the X TV app.
Due to the additional performance required to deliver this payload to orbit, this will be the 22nd and final flight for the Falcon 9 first stage booster supporting this mission, which previously launched CRS-26, OneWeb Launch 16, Intelsat IS-40e, SES O3b mPOWER-C, Ovzon-3, Eutelsat 26D, Turksat 6A, Maxar 2, SXM-9, and 12 Starlink missions.
https://www.spacex.com/launches/spainsatngii
Starlink Mission
October 22, 2025
On Wednesday, October 22 at 7:16 a.m. PT, Falcon 9 launched 28 Starlink satellites to low-Earth orbit from Space Launch Complex 4 East (SLC-4E) at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California.
This was the 21st flight for the first stage booster supporting this mission, which previously launched SDA-0A, SARah-2, Transporter-11, and now 18 Starlink missions.
Following stage separation, the first stage landed on the Of Course I Still Love You droneship, which was stationed in the Pacific Ocean.
There was a possibility that residents of Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, and Ventura counties may have heard one or more sonic booms during the launch, but what residents experienced depended on weather and other conditions.
https://www.spacex.com/launches/sl-11-5
Colombian rebels respond to US ‘drug boat’ claim
22 Oct, 2025 10:53
Colombia’s largest rebel group, the National Liberation Army (ELN), has said that it has nothing to do with the alleged drug boat destroyed by the US Navy in the Caribbean.
The vessel was struck on Friday, with US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth later posting footage of the attack on X and saying that, according to American intelligence, it had been “affiliated” with the ELN and “involved in illicit narcotics smuggling.”
The National Liberation Army issued a statement on social media on Tuesday, insisting that it “does not and will not have any boat connected with drug trafficking activities, neither in the Caribbean nor any other ocean.”
Narcotics smuggling is “simply… prohibited” by the group’s rules, it said as cited by Reuters.
The ELN is the oldest rebel group in Colombia, which has been fighting the government since the mid-1960s. Washington claims that it also maintains a presence in Venezuela.
The group, which pursues Communist ideology, is designated a terrorist organization by the US, EU, and some other countries.
On Monday, Colombian President Gustavo Petro condemned the strike on the boat, in which three people were killed. The vessel belonged to a “humble family” and was not involved in drug trafficking, he insisted.
Earlier this month, Petro claimed that the American attacks on boats off Venezuela’s coast, which began in September, were “an aggression against all of Latin America and the Caribbean.”
He asserted the US was trying to gain control of the region’s oil reserves – not curb the flow of narcotics. Venezuelan authorities say the strikes were in fact part of Washington’s campaign to depose Nicolas Maduro.
Caracas denies ties to cartels and has vowed to repel any invasion.
On Sunday, US President Donald Trump called his Colombian counterpart an “illegal drug dealer,” saying that he would raise tariffs on the South American nation and stop all payments to it.
Drug trafficking “has become the biggest business” in Colombia and “Petro does nothing to stop it,” he wrote on his Truth Social platform.
Bogota responded by recalling its ambassador from Washington on Monday, with Petro accusing Trump of being “rude and ignorant to Colombia.”
https://www.rt.com/news/626807-colombia-us-drug-boat/
Zelensky orders troops to Türkiye and UK
22 Oct, 2025 13:27
Ukraine’s Vladimir Zelensky has ordered the deployment of troops to Türkiye and the United Kingdom to operate Ukrainian naval ships currently based in the two countries.
The decision, first announced in September, required parliamentary approval before coming into effect after Zelensky signed it on Wednesday.
Ukraine’s once-formidable naval force, inherited from the Soviet Union, has suffered years of neglect and losses in its conflict with Russia.
The current fleet largely consists of smaller ships donated by foreign backers, many of which are docked outside Ukrainian territory.
Zelensky’s directive sends 106 personnel to Türkiye to man the Hetman Ivan Mazepa, an Ada-class corvette that was laid down in 2021.
Once its ongoing trials are complete, it is expected to become the flagship of Ukraine’s navy.
An additional 540 sailors and 20 command officers will be deployed to the UK to crew five minehunter vessels previously transferred from the British, Dutch, and Belgian navies.
The decree indicates that Ukrainian crews will undergo training before assuming full operational control of the ships. The government estimates the immediate cost of the deployment at $3.2 million.
Kiev remains heavily dependent on Western financial and military assistance to sustain its government operations and war effort.
Moscow maintains that no amount of foreign aid can alter the outcome of the conflict, pointing to Ukraine’s severe manpower shortages due to widespread desertion and draft evasion.
https://www.rt.com/russia/626822-zelensky-troops-turkiye-uk/
Kiev-linked terrorist group spy arrested in Russia – FSB
22 Oct, 2025 09:00
A Russian citizen accused of spying for and financing a Kiev-controlled terrorist group has been detained in the Amur Region of Siberia, the Federal Security Service (FSB) announced on Monday.
The suspect, a man in his late 40s, was allegedly providing intelligence on Russian military movements and channeling funds to a “pro-Ukrainian” terrorist organization reportedly overseen by Ukraine’s Main Intelligence Directorate (HUR), the agency reported.
He now faces charges of treason and aiding terrorism, crimes that carry a potential life sentence.
Investigators say the man conducted surveillance along sections of the Trans-Siberian Railway and passed information about the transportation of military equipment to his contacts abroad.
Footage released by the FSB showed the suspect admitting to communicating with members of the organization, which he acknowledged has been designated as a terrorist entity in Russia since 2021. The agency did not name the group.
Among a handful of organizations blacklisted in 2021 was National-Socialism / White Power (NS/WP) – a neo-Nazi group that made headlines last year after claiming responsibility for the murder of Ukrainian ultranationalist Irina Farion in the city of Lviv.
The group accused Farion of undermining Kiev’s military by criticizing Russian-speaking Ukrainian soldiers. Russian authorities have linked the same group to multiple attacks inside Russia, including arson at military recruitment offices and attempted assaults on public officials.
https://www.rt.com/russia/626793-donor-terrorist-ukraine-fsb/
EU sabotaging Ukraine peace talks to fuel arms boom – Russian envoy
22 Oct, 2025 17:29
The European Union is deliberately opposing peace efforts involving Moscow and Washington in order to continue profiting from the Ukraine conflict, Russia’s envoy to the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), Yulia Zhdanova, has claimed.
US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed during a recent phone call to meet in Hungary, a development that reportedly caused concern across the EU, with some politicians even calling for Putin’s arrest under on International Criminal Court warrant.
Following news of the planned meeting, Bloomberg reported that Kiev and its European allies were finalizing a proposal that rules out territorial concessions to Russia – a key condition Moscow says is essential for lasting peace.
Speaking in Vienna on Wednesday, Zhdanova argued that the EU, having failed to isolate or defeat Russia, has turned to a policy of militarization that benefits their defense industries.
“European states have now set their course on preparing for a high-intensity conflict with a ‘comparable adversary’,” she said, accusing the bloc of rejecting calls from Moscow and Washington for a negotiated solution.
In May, Brussels approved a plan to fund a military buildup across the bloc through a €150 billion ($170 billion) borrowing mechanism, presented as a step toward reducing reliance on US weaponry and countering the alleged Russian threat.
Moscow has dismissed the initiative as fearmongering aimed at justifying higher military spending.
Germany’s Rheinmetall AG – a leading producer of tanks, artillery systems, and ammunition – has reported record earnings and strong order growth since the conflict escalated in 2022, while France’s Thales Group and Italy’s Leonardo S.p.A. have also posted solid gains. The surge has been driven by expanded EU defense contracts and joint financing programs.
Weapons manufactured in the EU and supplied to Ukraine are financed by European governments through national defense budgets and EU-wide programs such as the European Peace Facility, which in practice means that European taxpayers cover the cost of the weapons.
https://www.rt.com/news/626831-eu-resists-ukraine-peace-defense-profits/
Hungary blasts ‘fake news’ about Putin-Trump meeting
22 Oct, 2025 07:49
The Western media will continue to spread “fake news” aimed at derailing a summit between Russian President Vladimir Putin and his US counterpart, Donald Trump, Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto has warned.
Several outlets reported on Tuesday, citing unnamed White House officials, that plans for the meeting in the Hungarian capital had been put “on hold.”
Responding to the claims, Szijjarto took to X to warn that from the moment the meeting was announced following a phone call between Putin and Trump last week, “it was obvious that many would do everything possible to stop it from happening.”
“The pro-war political elite and their media always behave this way before events that could prove decisive between war and peace,” he added.
According to the foreign minister, it will be the same in the run-up to the talks in Budapest. “Until the summit actually takes place, expect a wave of leaks, fake news, and statements claiming that it will not happen,” Szijjarto said.
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov had earlier called the claims “infodumps,” intended to disrupt diplomatic progress on settling the Ukraine conflict. “EU and NATO countries are seeking to torpedo everything,” he said.
EU officials have publicly claimed that they would welcome another Putin-Trump meeting. However, El Pais has reported that behind closed doors, Brussels – which continues to support Ukraine and urge increased pressure on Russia – views the summit as a “political nightmare.”
On Tuesday, the Financial Times cited an unnamed EU diplomat as saying “no one likes it,” and that “we are all grinning through our teeth whilst saying this is fine.”
In the same article, the FT claimed that the talks in the Hungarian capital have been “canceled,” and that a White House official has said there are no plans for a Putin-Trump summit “in the immediate future.”
Russian presidential aide Kirill Dmitriev rejected the report, accusing the FT of “twisting” the comments by its source. “Preparations continue” for the Budapest summit, he wrote on X.
https://www.rt.com/news/626791-hungary-putin-trump-budapest/
EU and Ukraine to offer Trump ‘peace plan’ with no territorial concessions – Bloomberg
22 Oct, 2025 02:05
Ukraine and its European backers are finalizing a 12-point peace plan that would rule out territorial concessions to Russia, Bloomberg reported on Tuesday, citing people familiar with the matter.
The proposal would reportedly establish a “peace board” chaired by US President Donald Trump to oversee its implementation. European officials could travel to the US this week to present the roadmap to Trump, Bloomberg reported.
According to the outlet, the plan includes a ceasefire along the current front lines, a prisoner swap, as well as “security guarantees” and fast-tracked EU accession for Ukraine.
Russia and Ukraine would negotiate “the governance of occupied territories,” but neither Ukraine nor its European backers would recognize Russia’s new borders, Bloomberg cited its sources as saying.
Russia has listed recognition of its new borders as one of the crucial conditions for a lasting peace. Moscow has also demanded that Ukraine withdraw troops from parts of Russian territory it controls, halt mobilization, and stop receiving military aid from abroad.
Multiple US media outlets reported that Trump urged Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky to cede land to Russia during their meeting at the White House on Friday.
The US president later noted that Russian troops already control nearly all of the Donbass region claimed by Ukraine. Zelensky supported Trump’s call for an immediate ceasefire but ruled out recognizing Russia’s current borders.
https://www.rt.com/news/626782-bloomberg-european-peace-proposal-ukraine/
Russia targets Ukraine with drones, missiles after Trump, Putin meeting delay
10/22/25 11:23 AM ET
Russian forces launched drone and missile attacks into Ukraine overnight Wednesday, killing six people, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said.
Zelensky said on social platform X that 10 regions across Ukraine were targeted, with energy infrastructure facilities and residential buildings hit. Among the six killed, two were children, he noted.
“Another night proving that Russia does not feel enough pressure for dragging out the war,” Zelensky added.
In the Brovary district of Kyiv, a Russian drone struck a house, setting it on fire and killing a woman and her 12-year-old and 6-month-old daughters, regional head Mykola Kalashnyk said on X.
Kalashnyk added that another man in Brovary died due to shrapnel wounds. Ukrainian authorities said the attacks injured at least 29 people, including five children, in Kyiv.
Nearly 300 miles away, in Kharkiv, a Russian drone hit a kindergarten while children were inside, killing one and injuring seven, Zelensky said on X.
The president added that all the children were evacuated and that “preliminary reports indicate that many are showing acute stress reactions.”
In total, Russia fired 405 drones and 28 missiles in the attacks, the Ukrainian air force said on X, adding that its air defenders shot down 333 drones and 16 missiles.
The general staff of Ukraine’s army said Tuesday on X its forces struck a chemical plant in Russia’s Bryansk region. Ukraine also said it struck a mechanical plant and oil refinery in Saransk and Dagestan republics, respectively.
The Russian defense ministry also said its air defenses downed 33 Ukrainian drones overnight, with eight airports temporarily suspending flights amid the attack.
These latest developments come as Ukraine seeks further regional and global support in the war against Russia, which began in February 2022.
On Wednesday, Zelensky met with Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre in Oslo, Norway, securing a package worth “150 million dollars” to support Ukrainian gas purchases in the winter.
Zelensky is also meeting Wednesday with Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson in Stockholm.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, meanwhile, had what a White House official described to The Hill as a “productive call” Tuesday.
The official added that there are “no plans” for President Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin to meet “in the immediate future.”
This marks a shift after last Thursday when, following a phone call with Putin, Trump said he expected to meet his Russian counterpart in Budapest, Hungary, in the coming weeks.
Trump and Zelensky met at the White House on Friday, when the U.S. president hesitated to commit to sending Ukraine Tomahawk missiles.
Military experts told The Hill last week that the missiles would give Kyiv increased range and capability to hit Russian military and energy targets.
https://thehill.com/policy/international/5566964-russian-ukraine-drone-attacks/
https://ukranews.com/en/news/1112715-zelenskyy-on-russian-drone-strike-on-kindergarten-in-kharkiv-it-is-obvious-that-russia-becoming
https://www.ukrinform.net/rubric-ato/4050323-drone-attack-on-zaporizhzhia-15-injured-including-two-infants.html
https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/russia-ukraine-war-50-children-evacuated-as-russian-drone-hits-kindergarten-in-ukraine-zelensky-putin-9498102
https://newsukraine.rbc.ua/news/shocking-footage-captures-russian-drone-strike-1761151493.html
Ukrainian Drones Hit Rostec Explosives Plant and Major Oil Hub Deep Inside Russia – 1,200 km Behind Lines
Oct. 22, 2025, 12:55 pm
Ukrainian drones struck deep inside Russia overnight, hitting an explosives factory in Mordovia and an oil complex in Dagestan, Russian regional officials said Wednesday.
Artyom Zdunov, the head of the Republic of Mordovia – a nominally autonomous republic within the Russian Federation – said the region had come under a “massive drone attack” early Oct. 22.
He confirmed that one of the republic’s industrial plants had been damaged but did not specify which. Emergency services were working at the site, he said, without reporting any casualties.
Independent Russian outlet ASTRA reported that the strike hit the Saransk Mechanical Plant, located in the city of Saransk, 632 kilometers (392 miles) east of Moscow.
The facility is part of the state defense conglomerate Rostec and produces gunpowder, pyrotechnical materiel and rocket fuel.
Mordovia lies about 700 kilometers (435 miles) from the Ukrainian border, making the attack one of the deepest known drone strikes on Russian territory. The republic was first targeted by Ukrainian drones in April 2024.
In southern Russia, drones also reached Dagestan on the Caspian Sea coast, nearly 1,200 kilometers (745 miles) from Ukraine. The region’s head, Sergey Melikov, said one enterprise was attacked, but did not name which.
He said no casualties had been reported and urged residents not to post information about the strikes or military movements online.
According to the Ukrainian monitoring channel Supernova+, one of the drones hit the Dagnefteprodukt oil transshipment complex – the largest in the North Caucasus.
Another Russian Telegram channel, VChK-OGPU, said the Dagnotech oil refinery might have been the target instead. Both facilities were formerly owned by ex–Dagestan state secretary Magomed-Sultan Magomedov and were later nationalized.
Russia’s Defense Ministry said its forces shot down or intercepted 33 Ukrainian drones overnight across multiple regions, including Bryansk, Leningrad, Rostov and Pskov. The ministry’s report did not mention attacks in Mordovia or Dagestan.
The overnight assault came just days after another series of deep strikes inside Russia. On Oct. 19, Ukraine’s military confirmed attacks on oil and gas facilities in Samara and Orenburg regions, around 1,000 to 1,500 kilometers from the front line, targeting infrastructure that supports Moscow’s war effort.
Ukrainian drones reportedly hit the Novokuibyshevsk oil refinery and the Orenburg gas processing plant, causing fires and damage to key processing units, according to official statements and local reports.
Since August, Ukraine has intensified strikes on Russian oil and gas facilities and pipelines. Bloomberg reported that nearly one-third of Russian refineries have been affected.
Kyiv Post earlier reported that the US, under President Donald Trump, reportedly provided the necessary intelligence to help Kyiv strike Russian oil facilities across the country in a secret bid to push Moscow towards negotiations.
As of early October, the attacks reportedly shut down 38% of Russian oil refineries and prompted an oil crisis inside Russia, with sales restrictions on gasoline and diesel introduced in multiple regions.
The attacks have caused gasoline shortages in 57 Russian regions, forcing authorities to halt exports, increase imports from Belarus, and begin importing from China and other Asian countries.
Fuel prices have also surged, with Rosstat reporting a 2.58% increase in September, the highest monthly rise since 2018, and a year-on-year growth of 12.73%, the highest in 14 years.
https://www.kyivpost.com/post/62704
https://kyivindependent.com/drones-attack-oil-refinery-mechanical-plant-in-russia-media-reports/
https://t.me/astrapress/95249
https://t.me/rucriminalinfo/5625
Drone Attack Targets Saransk Mechanical Plant Linked to Russian Military
10/22/2025
Strike drones attacked the Saransk Mechanical Plant in the city of Saransk, which manufactures equipment and components for Russia’s defense industry.
Astra reported on this.
The attack on the plant took place during the night of October 22, when local residents recorded the moment of the strike on the facility at the coordinates 54.196328509396665, 45.17491323048603.
According to the official website of the Defense Intelligence of Ukraine, the facility manufactures weapons and ammunition. It is located at least 670 kilometers from the Ukrainian state border, although the actual launches may have been carried out from an even greater distance.
It supplied mines, grenades, anti-personnel engineering munitions, fuzes, and detonators to defense industry enterprises, security agencies, and the Russian Ministry of Defense.
Despite the facility’s direct involvement in supporting the Russian army and its inclusion in the Russian state corporation Rostec, it has not yet been added to the sanctions list of European countries or the United States.
It is worth noting that drones have previously attacked defense-industrial facilities in this city. In April and May, strike drones targeted the facility of Russia’s only manufacturer of fiber-optic cables, which are also used in FPV drones. This facility belongs to the Optic Fiber Systems company and is located in the city of Saransk.
https://militarnyi.com/en/news/drone-attack-targets-saransk-mechanical-plant-linked-to-russian-military/
Vance meets Netanyahu on second day of Israel visit
Updated Oct. 22, 06:30
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was met with U.S. Vice President JD Vance at his Jerusalem office on Wednesday morning, the second day of Vance’s visit to the Jewish state.
Vance and his wife, Second Lady Usha Vance, were welcomed by Netanyahu and his wife, Sara, the Prime Minister’s Office stated.
Speaking alongside the vice president, Netanyahu hailed what he called an “unmatched alliance” between Jerusalem and Washington under U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration.
“A few days ago, we had our historic visit by President Trump that will be etched in the annals of our nation’s history.” Netanyahu said. “We’re fortunate today to have a visit by Vice President JD Vance.
“In the last year, we’ve had an unmatched alliance and partnership with the United States that is changing the Middle East, and it’s also changing the world,” he said.
”It creates opportunities not only for security, but for the expansion of peace, which we’re working on very very diligently.”
Netanyahu praised the “tight-knit and trusting partnership” with Vance and other top U.S. officials.
“I’ve been through several administrations. I welcome the partnership and the assistance we’ve had, but there’s never been anything like that.”
Vance thanked Netanyahu for the country’s hospitality, saying he was “very excited to sit down and work together” on advancing the White House’s peace plan for the Gaza Strip.
“We have a very, very tough task ahead of us, which is to disarm Hamas, but rebuild Gaza to make life better for the people in Gaza, but also to ensure that Hamas is no longer a threat to our friends in Israel,” said Vance.
Vance noted Washington was working closely not only with Israel but also with “friends in the Arab world” who are seeking a “positive role,” declaring: “We have an opportunity to do something really historic.”
Vance touched down at Tel Aviv’s Ben-Gurion International Airport on Tuesday afternoon, against the backdrop of repeated Hamas violations of the Trump administration-brokered ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.
The vice president was welcomed to the Jewish state by Israeli Justice Minister Yariv Levin, acting in his capacity of deputy prime minister.
Following his arrival, Vance hosted a working lunch with Trump’s special Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff, and his son-in-law and senior adviser Jared Kushner, who had arrived Monday as part of Washington’s efforts to prevent the ceasefire from collapsing.
Vance is “very optimistic” the deal will hold, he told reporters during a press conference in the southern Israeli city of Kiryat Gat on Tuesday.
The vice president, who said as recently as a few days ago that he wasn’t sure if he was going to visit Israel, said his stop there had nothing to do with events of the past 24 hours and had been planned for months.
He said that he “wanted to check in on things” and “see how things were going and put some eyes on it.” Maintaining the Gaza ceasefire will require “constant effort” and supervision, according to Vance.
“Can I say with 100% certainty that it’s going to work? No, but you don’t do difficult things by only doing what’s 100% certain,” he told reporters.
https://www.jns.org/vance-meets-netanyahu-on-second-day-of-israel-visit/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yy1-By_8Lg4
https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/article-871253
https://www.timesofisrael.com/us-military-says-ceasefire-hq-will-be-able-to-assess-real-time-developments-in-gaza/
other Israel news
https://www.ifcj.org/news/stand-for-israel-blog/idf-takes-out-hezbollah-commander-in-southern-lebanon
https://time.com/7327005/israel-hamas-ceasefire-status-violations-accusations/
https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/article-871187
https://www.haaretz.com/west-bank/2025-10-22/ty-article-magazine/.premium/as-the-west-bank-olive-harvest-begins-settlers-attack-palestinians-while-the-idf-watches/0000019a-0b9b-d582-a39e-5bff369e0000
https://www.ynetnews.com/environment/article/s1yldobaee
US military says ceasefire HQ will be able ‘to assess real-time developments in Gaza’
October 22, 2025 4:03 am
Over the next two weeks, US military personnel will integrate representatives from partner countries, NGOs, international organizations and the private sector into the Civil-Military Coordination Center (CMCC), the commander of US forces in the Mideast announced, after the center in southern Israel was unveiled Tuesday by visiting US Vice President JD Vance amid a fragile ceasefire in Gaza.
“The CMCC is designed to support stabilization efforts. US military personnel will not deploy into Gaza but will instead help facilitate the flow of humanitarian, logistical, and security assistance from international counterparts into Gaza,” said a statement from US Central Command, or CENTCOM.
“The CMCC will also monitor implementation of the ceasefire agreement, featuring an operations floor that allows staff to assess real-time developments in Gaza,” the statement added.
Approximately 200 US military personnel were dispatched to establish the ceasefire coordination center, which is also hosting troops from Britain, Canada, Germany, Denmark and Jordan.
“Bringing together stakeholders who share the goal of successful stabilization in Gaza is essential for a peaceful transition,” said CENTCOM Commander Adm. Brad Cooper, who accompanied Vance on his visit to the center in Kiryat Gat.
Despite the presence of the foreign soldiers, the CMCC’s composition, role, chain of command, legal status and other issues have yet to be agreed on, and it is not yet clear which countries will agree to send troops into Gaza to ensure lasting calm on the ground as part of a UN-mandated international stabilization force.
The future of the Gaza Strip’s governance also remains murky. US President Donald Trump’s peace proposal, which the Gaza ceasefire and hostage release agreement has been presented as the first stage of, calls for Hamas to be disarmed and the Strip demilitarized and handed over to a transitional, “technocratic” government.
According to Israel’s Kan public broadcaster, Hamas has handpicked half of the members of the Palestinian technocratic committee that will manage postwar Gaza, though a senior Arab diplomat denied the unsourced report.
The senior Arab diplomat told The Times of Israel that the committee has not been finalized yet, as the Trump administration prioritizes the establishment of the international stabilization force.
Those assembling the technocratic committee recognize that including names that Hamas will vehemently oppose increases the chances that the terror group will play a spoiler role.
However, the idea that Hamas will be able to hand-pick the members of the committee is “blatantly false,” the Arab diplomat said.
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Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, a key broker of the ceasefire deal, vowed that no reconstruction funds for the territory will go into areas under Hamas’ control.
“No reconstruction funds will be going into areas that Hamas still controls,” Kushner said while visiting the ceasefire center alongside Vance, adding that discussions are ongoing as to how to begin reconstruction in areas controlled by the Israeli military in the Strip. Israel currently controls a little more than half of Gaza.
“There are considerations happening now in the area that the IDF controls,” Kushner said. He touted a vision of a “new Gaza” that can be built “to give the Palestinians living in Gaza a place to go, a place to get jobs, a place to live.”
IDF believes Hamas replenishing ranks with lower-quality recruits
Also Tuesday, fresh Israeli military assessments found that Hamas still has some 20,000 members in its military wing.
According to the IDF, before the terror group’s October 7, 2023, attack, Hamas had some 30,000 fighters in the Gaza Strip, split into five regional brigades, 24 battalions, and some 140 companies.
These units have been systematically dismantled by the military over the 24 months of fighting in Gaza, though some, in the central Gaza Strip, were largely untouched.
While the IDF said it has killed over 22,000 terror operatives in Gaza during the war, Hamas has managed to recruit new fighters, according to the military.
The military assessed, however, that the new recruits are of a much lower quality and have not undergone any significant training.
The army last year stated that Hamas had been defeated “militarily” across Gaza, and is now effectively a guerrilla terror group.
Also, according to the IDF’s assessments, Hamas is still believed to possess hundreds of rockets, mostly short-range but including some that could reach central Israel. Hamas also has access to thousands of small arms, the IDF believes.
Additionally, the IDF previously estimated that it had destroyed just 25% of Hamas’s tunnels across the entire Strip since the beginning of the war.
However, the military argued that the main focus has been on Hamas’s attack tunnels and those used as command centers or for weapons manufacturing — the vast majority of which have been destroyed — rather than on the numerous tunnels that Hamas uses to move around the Strip, especially in areas where ground troops never operated.
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Re-opening of Khartoum airport delayed after drone strikes
Updated Oct 22, 2025, 05:48 PM
The planned reopening of Sudan's main airport in Khartoum after a two-and-a-half year shutdown was delayed on Wednesday after drone attacks in the morning and on Tuesday, an airline source told Reuters.
The airport in the center of the Sudanese capital was targeted at the very start of the war between the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), causing extensive damage to its buildings and an immediate halt to flights.
Following its recapture of Khartoum earlier this year, the army-led government made renovating and restarting the airport one of its top priorities to signal a return to normal life in territories under its control.
Over 1 million people have returned to the capital, the International Organization for Migration says, after millions left under an RSF occupation.
The first commercial domestic flight by Badr Airlines was scheduled for October 22, but drone attacks early on both Tuesday and Wednesday highlighted the airport's continued vulnerability.
The RSF has attacked military and civilian infrastructure across army-controlled territory with drones while fighting to consolidate control of the Darfur region.
The airline source said the flight was delayed for several days at least and that the situation was being monitored.
Earlier this week, the company said on Facebook that it had landed a plane in the airport in an apparent test run. Only domestic flights are planned for the time being.
In a speech released late on Tuesday, RSF leader General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo vowed to attack any airport, inside or outside Sudan, where planes or drones that assisted the army's military effort took off from.
The Khartoum airport includes an air force base. Dagalo has in the past accused Egypt of carrying out airstrikes on behalf of the army. Egypt denied the accusations.
https://www.straitstimes.com/world/Re-opening-of-Khartoum-airport-delayed-after-drone-strikes
Drone temporarily halts flight operations at small German airport
Wed, October 22, 2025 at 9:59 AM PDT
Erfurt-Weimar Airport in central Germany was temporarily closed to flight operations early on Wednesday due to a suspicious drone.
The German Federal Police spotted the drone shortly after midnight, airport spokesman Hans-Holm Bühl said. He added that flight operations were suspended for just over an hour for safety reasons.
The measure affected a plane approaching from Antalya, Turkey, which was initially due to be diverted to Cologne before landing in Erfurt with a three-hour delay.
The departure of another aircraft to Antalya was delayed by around 20 minutes in Erfurt. According to Bühl, there was no danger to passengers at any time.
Federal and state police have launched a search for the drone pilot and are investigating the case.
The number of disruptions caused by drones at German airports has increased significantly in recent years.
At the beginning of October, drones of unknown origin disrupted flight operations at Munich airport, Germany's second-largest.
https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/drone-temporarily-halts-flight-operations-165941962.html
Drone users warned after delaying Great North Air Ambulance for critically ill patient
Wed 22 October 2025 at 7:47 am GMT-7
Drone operators are being warned not to fly near air ambulances during emergency responses.
This follows an incident where drones flying close to a Great North Air Ambulance Service (GNAAS) helicopter resulted in a seven-minute delay in transporting a critically ill patient to hospital.
In a more recent event, two doctors, a paramedic and a pilot from GNAAS attended reports of an assault in Spennymoor on the evening of Tuesday, 14 October.
Working alongside the North East Ambulance Service to assess a patient, they were about to depart when they encountered a drone flying perilously close to their helicopter.
Hollie Smith, a GNAAS paramedic, stated: "As we were lifting from an incident in Spennymoor, we were forced to abort the take off and shut down the aircraft due to the presence of a drone, reports Chronicle Live.
"One of our doctors left the aircraft to speak with police who were nearby, to get their assistance in moving the drone, however shortly afterwards the drone darted away behind a row of houses.
Thankfully we weren't airlifting a patient and by spotting the drone before fully taking off we were able to avoid a potential collision."
GNAAS' critical care team has previously been delayed in departing from scene due to drones being flown very close to the helicopter, and in one instance caused a seven-minute delay in lifting to take a critically injured person to hospital.
Phil Lambert, chief pilot at GNAAS, said: "We want drone users to enjoy flying and have fun but please do it safely and legally.
While we appreciate that most drone users operate responsibly, we urge everyone to avoid flying a drone near helicopters or other aircraft as they can cause significant damage and put the crew, patients and people on the ground at risk, as well as disrupt time-critical missions.
"We're asking all drone users to ensure they follow the Civil Aviation Authority's Drone and Model Aircraft Code and understand the legalities involved in their activities."
The guidelines include not operating drones above 400 feet, always maintaining your drone within direct sight and not operating drones near airports or airfields.
Furthermore, drone operators can utilise the app Drone Assist to issue and review NOTAMs (notice to airmen), as well as no-fly zone notifications, ground hazards and the latest map data.
Endangering the safety of an aircraft with a drone is a serious offence with penalties of up to five years in prison, an unlimited fine, or both.
https://uk.news.yahoo.com/drone-users-warned-delaying-great-144733606.html
Multiple Sightings of Drones Testing At Disney Ranch in California
October 22, 2025
For the second night in a row, there have been multiple reports and videos of drones visible in the sky above the Disney Ranch in Santa Clarita, California.
In a set of recent videos posted by user @amagicaldisneyday on Instagram, it appears Disney might be in the process of testing a new, still unannounced drone show.
The drones were spotted flying over Golden Oak Ranch in Santa Clarita, which is owned by Disney. Golden Oak Ranch is a “movie ranch” that includes over 890 acres of filming space often utilized by Disney and ABC Studios.
In the video clip, several drones are visible testing in the sky, forming shapes that would be easily recognizable to many Disney fans. Some examples include Mickey’s sorcerer hat, a manta ray in the style of Moana, and Captain Hook’s pirate ship from Peter Pan.
The user posted videos on two different nights, each featuring clips of different sections. The original post from “Night 1” also included a look at the Genie and the Agrabah palace from Aladdin.
Disney has not released any information at this time about any upcoming drone show projects. Disney has used drones for multiple shows in the past, including Disney Dreams That Soar at Disney Springs.
However, this is an extremely large amount of drones compared to the usual amount utilized in the parks on a routine basis.
While it is purely speculation, it is also possible this test is for an upcoming promotional event rather than a new show that will be seen by park guests.
https://wdwnt.com/2025/10/disney-drone-testing-santa-clarita-ranch/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p0iGz-p9uLo
Weird Trio of UFOs Filmed in North Carolina
October 21, 2025
A mystified witness in North Carolina captured footage of three strange-looking UFOs floating across the sky.
Their video and an account of the peculiar sighting, which occurred on October 15th in the community of Willow Spring, was shared with the National UFO Reporting Center last week.
After initially spotting what they thought was a plane, the witness was confounded when they took a closer look with their phone and observed "three separate black objects moving together across the sky."
The witness marveled that the trio of UFOs was particularly puzzling due to their "unexplainable" shapes, which they likened to a bird and two oblong objects trailing behind it.
The curious cluster traveled "north to southeast within five to ten minutes," before eventually vanishing from sight.
As for what the oddly shaped UFOs may have been, viewers online have offered an array of possibilities, including otherworldly visitors, some kind of secret military craft, drones, or, in what may be the most plausible suggestion, errant balloons.
What do you think the witness filmed? Weigh in with your thoughts at the C2C Facebook page.
https://www.coasttocoastam.com/article/watch-weird-trio-of-ufos-filmed-in-north-carolina/
https://nuforc.org/sighting/?id=193314
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hOlaRnN7PrU
"Don’t remember the specifics,” fmr Leader Hoyer on Elizondo claim he paid for Lockheed “NHI” hangar
Oct 22, 2025
Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-MD) — former House Majority Leader
A while ago you helped secure millions of dollars for a new hangar — a “complex that will become the home of nine of the fourteen test aircraft that will define jet fighter technology for generations,” according to Hoyer’s 2006 release — at Marylands’s Pax [Patuxent] River Naval Air Station for Lockheed Martin and Bigelow Aerospace (RIP 2020), do you remember why that was important?
Key Hoyer:
“It’s a private — public partner,” Hoyer said. correcting himself. “Public partner. But I don’t remember the specifics.”
Seriously, we ask Congress your questions…
Someone online wanted me to ask you about it, they said it might have to do with a new technology?
“Let me find out about it,” Hoyer said. “It may well be. Let me check on it, though.”
Caught our ear:
Are you familiar with NHI or non-human intelligence?
“No. I’m not,” Hoyer told Ask a Pol UAP. “I’m sort of a human intelligence person.”
https://www.askapoluaps.com/p/hoyer-claims-human-intelligence-over-nhi
https://www.youtube.com/@AskaPol_uaps
https://x.com/AskaPol_UAPs
https://www.youtube.com/@VETTEDPODCAST/search?query=elizondo
It would probably scare the shit out of everyone but I was just thinking, another War of the World's broadcast would be PERFECT right now.
>Kitty vs thunderchild vs tripod
Now I gotta pull that one out and give it a listen, just because.