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Satellites watch Category 5 Hurricane Melissa ahead of potentially record-breaking landfall in Jamaica
October 28, 2025
Satellites around Earth are watching as a powerful Hurricane Melissa travels toward Jamaica.
On Oct. 21, scientists began monitoring Hurricane Melissa — the 13th named storm of the Atlantic Hurricane season this year — develop.
Just four days after its formation, the storm quickly became a large and dangerous major hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale, churning into a monster storm early on Monday (Oct. 27) as sustained winds reached 175 miles per hour (280 kilometers per hour).
Currently classified as a Category 5 storm, Melissa is moving at a snail's pace, making the storm even more destructive. It has the possibility of making landfall in Jamaica as the strongest hurricane in the nation's recorded history.
According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), there have been only three hurricanes since 1950 to make landfall on the island with two as Category 3 hurricanes: Hurricane Charlie in 1951 followed by Hurricane Gilbert in 1988.
Thanks to satellites in space, scientists and forecasters are able to follow the storm along its path, watching it grow in size and strength throughout its lifespan.
NOAA's Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES) satellites have kept a close watch over Hurricane Melissa since it formed, painting a high-definition picture of the storm.
Using a combination of instruments on GOES-19, experts can learn a variety of things about the storm, such as the location of lightning within the eye, the moment the storm began to rapidly grow and strengthen, and the location of the hurricane's outer bands and where they extend to.
The satellites also reveal how the storm became more symmetric over time as it grew more powerful in the open waters of the Caribbean, as well as where it hit the brakes and began its slow trek toward Jamaica.
It is expected to bring life-threatening flash flooding, landslides and the potential for devastating winds to the island through Tuesday (Oct. 28) and through the middle of the week as it moves through the Dominican Republic and Haiti.
https://www.space.com/technology/satellites-watch-category-5-hurricane-melissa-ahead-of-potentially-record-breaking-landfall-in-jamaica
https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/
https://twitter.com/CIRA_CSU/status/1982813591158857799
https://twitter.com/CIRA_CSU/status/1982797924670050657
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D9pdJiV2_js (Hurricane Melissa from Space: Category 5 Storm Nears Jamaica | October 28 2025)
See a colossal 'X' and 'V' appear on the moon after sunset tonight
October 28, 2025
A trick of the light will cause a vast letter "X" and "V" to appear on the lunar surface tonight, mere hours before the moon hits its first quarter phase, which will see its right half lit by direct sunlight and its left veiled in darkness.
The moon's position relative to the sun changes constantly throughout its 27-day orbit of Earth, throwing countless craters, mountain ranges and myriad other geographical features into focus as the line separating night from day known as the "terminator" sweeps across its surface.
On Oct. 28, this play of light and shadow will give the appearance of an enormous "V" and "X" is emblazoned on the lunar surface, as direct sunlight catches the uppermost sections of mountainous terrain and crater rims, while leaving much of the surrounding moonscape in shadow.
Both the lunar "X" and "V" will be at their most visible around 7 p.m. EDT (23:00 GMT) as dusk gives way to night on Oct. 28, when the moon will shine a little over 20 degrees above the southern horizon.
Remember, the width of your clenched fist held at arm's length accounts for roughly 10 degrees in the night sky.
The lunar "X" can be found approximately 25 degrees south of the lunar equator and appears when sunlight kisses the broken ramparts of the Bianchini, Purbach and La Caille Craters.
The Lunar "V", meanwhile, is located 10 degrees above the equator, to the left of Mare Tranquillitatis (Latin for the Sea of Tranquility).
A telescope with an aperture of 6-inches or more will provide a clear view of the lunar "X" and "V", along with the sweeping expanses of the dark lunar seas and prominent impact craters thrown into relief along the shadowed line of the terminator.
https://www.space.com/stargazing/see-a-colossal-x-and-v-appear-on-the-moon-after-sunset-tonight
https://www.space.com/space-exploration/satellites/the-solar-system-on-demand-heo-robotics-aims-to-push-spacecraft-imaging-deep-into-the-final-frontier
https://www.heospace.com/resources/stories/astroscale-and-heo-advance-space-monitoring-capabilities-for-allied-nations
'The solar system on demand': HEO Robotics aims to push spacecraft imaging deep into the final frontier
October 27, 2025
An Australian firm leading the way in providing images of spacecraft in low Earth orbit is making moves to expand its capabilities to higher orbits — and possibly, in the long run, to solar system destinations.
HEO, also known as HEO Robotics, has made a splash with sensational images of spacecraft in low Earth orbit (LEO) that were taken by other spacecraft, or "non-Earth imaging" (NEI).
Prominent examples include closeups of the International Space Station (ISS) and China's Tiangong space station, as well as photos of the European Space Agency's ERS-2 satellite as it tumbled into Earth's atmosphere in February 2024.
Such images are taken during calculated close approaches to spacecraft of interest by partner satellites.
While these photos are striking, clients can also obtain images they need for anomaly detection, operational awareness and risk mitigation, as well as more general space domain awareness, or the ability to track, identify and understand the behavior of satellites and space debris.
Will Crowe, co-founder and chief executive of HEO, spoke with Space.com at the International Astronautical Congress (IAC) in Sydney in early October, describing the company's plans to deliver images of spacecraft and more even farther away from Earth.
HEO, founded in 2019, began as an asteroid-mining venture but quickly pivoted to find a business case. It started pushing boundaries as soon as it began imaging spacecraft, though what was possible or not was not immediately clear.
"The national security establishment has already been doing this for five decades but thought that no one could replicate it, so they made it highly classified," Crowe said.
"No one without a classification knew it was possible because it was just very secretive," he added, laughing. "But we didn't know we shouldn't know that, so we just started playing, and there was no one to stop us, because we're here in Australia."
The company is now looking to advance to providing images of spacecraft in geostationary orbit (GEO), a special orbit at which satellites orbit at a speed that keeps them effectively fixed over a spot on the equator 22,236 miles (35,786 kilometers) below.
GEO is inhabited by, among other craft, high-value communications and weather satellites.
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HEO does not operate its own satellites. In terms of acquiring images, HEO partners with a range of Earth-imaging companies such as Blacksky and Satellogic and makes use of the satellites when they are not active — for example, when they're passing over the oceans.
But GEO, unlike LEO, has a scarcity of satellites with cameras. This means HEO will be looking to get its own imagers and sensors and required software on satellites getting ready for the trip to GEO.
"Getting to GEO is going to be very challenging, so we're focused on that right now," Crowe said. "Huge revenue unlock for us, huge capability unlock for our customers. So that's our main technical goal over the next 12 months."
The company also signed a three-year memorandum of understanding with satellite servicing and orbital sustainability firm Astroscale at IAC in Sydney, deepening cooperation on monitoring, assessing and ultimately servicing allied defense, government and commercial assets.
Notably, Astroscale has performed a fly-around of a spent rocket stage in orbit, as part of its plans to start deorbiting pieces of space junk. HEO can help with such operations, Crowe explained.
"It's just good practice to have outside eyes looking in. Issues can happen to a sensor on board, but also you can get a different perspective." The agreement between HEO and Astroscale also covers extending cooperation into GEO and geostationary transfer orbits.
HEO also recently received the first National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Tier-3 license for a commercial optical camera operating in high LEO (above 800 kilometers, or 500 miles), a sign of growing official recognition of non-Earth imaging as part of space safety infrastructure.
This expansion to a higher Earth orbit is, however, just another step in a broader plan. The long term vision? "The solar system on demand," said Crowe. "If you want to go see an asteroid, we will enable that mission."
"We're starting with just the asteroids that are coming through the Earth-moon system," he added. "But there's no reason why we can't enable it for everything: the asteroid belt or all the other various asteroid classes.
It should be possible. You just need enough cameras and enough interesting orbits such that they can always achieve the mission."
HEO is already normalizing non-Earth imagery, and the leap from Earth orbit to more distant destinations may well follow, repurposing and reimagining what is possible in space.
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SpaceX launches 28 Starlink satellites from California, lands rocket at sea
October 27 2025
SpaceX launched yet another batch of its Starlink broadband satellites today (Oct. 27).
A Falcon 9 rocket topped with 28 Starlink craft lifted off from California's Vandenberg Space Force Base today at 8:43 p.m. EDT (5:43 p.m. local California time; 0043 GMT on Oct. 28).
The rocket's first stage came back to Earth as planned about 8.5 minutes later, landing in the Pacific Ocean on the SpaceX drone ship "Of Course I Still Love You." It was the 17th flight for this particular booster, which carries the designation 1082.
The rocket's upper stage, meanwhile, continued hauling the 28 Starlink satellites toward low Earth orbit (LEO), where they will be deployed about an hour after launch.
Today's launch was the 137th Falcon 9 mission of the year and the third in the last three days. Ninety-eight of those flights have been devoted to building out the Starlink megaconstellation, by far the largest satellite network ever assembled.
SpaceX has launched more than 10,000 Starlink spacecraft to date, and nearly 8,750 of them remain active in LEO. The megaconstellation will get considerably bigger, however, adding perhaps another 30,000 satellites or so over the coming years.
SpaceX extends its single-year launch record with every liftoff these days. The company's previous mark for orbital launches was 134, set in 2024.
https://www.space.com/space-exploration/launches-spacecraft/spacex-starlink-launch-group-11-21-ocisly
https://www.spacex.com/launches/sl-11-21
https://www.spacex.com/launches/sl-10-37
Pitt is among 15 to join the Axiom Space University Alliance
October 28, 2025
The University of Pittsburgh is one of 15 academic and research institutions who have joined the inaugural cohort of the Axiom Space University Alliance, a new initiative that plans to advocate for scientific opportunities in microgravity research, technology, research and development, and commercial innovation in low-Earth orbit (LEO).
Launched by space flight and infrastructure company Axiom Space, the alliance will also help identify research gaps and opportunities that can shape national and international research priorities.
Afshin Beheshti, director of Pitt’s Center for Space Biomedicine and associate director of the McGowan Institute of Regenerative Medicine, said he is looking forward to working with other institutions aligned around common challenges and opportunities.
“This is an exciting opportunity for Pitt and other leaders in the area to bring space science and manufacturing to the next level,” Beheshti said.
“I think we’re going to produce some really great science and projects.”
A pillar of Pitt Space, the Space Biomedicine program integrates space biology with advanced biomedical research.
Its mission is to develop innovative technologies to safeguard human health and optimize performance in space, while also translating the knowledge gained from space research into solutions for terrestrial health care.
The program also promotes education and outreach in space biomedicine.
As a member of the alliance, Pitt Space and collaborators are focusing on advancing space science during a critical moment, as it transitions from government-led to commercially owned and operated space stations.
“From lifesaving medical innovations to advanced materials and technologies, microgravity research has driven decades of scientific breakthroughs,” said Axiom Space Chief Science Officer Lucie Low.
“And now as we transition from government-led to commercially operated space infrastructure, it’s critical that we preserve and expand access to LEO for research that can benefit us all on Earth as well as continue to advance human exploration further.”
https://www.pittwire.pitt.edu/accolades-honors/2025/10/28/axiom-space-university-alliance
https://www.axiomspace.com/release/axiom-space-launches-global-university-alliance
Glowering 'skull' stares upward from a giant volcanic pit in the Sahara — Earth from space
October 27, 2025
This eerie astronaut photo shows a ghostly structure with a skull-like appearance glowering up into space from the floor of a giant volcanic pit in the Sahara.
The cranium lookalike is located on the floor of Trou au Natron, also known as Doon Orei — a 3,300-foot-wide (1,000 meters) volcanic caldera, or crater, in northern Chad.
(Trou au Natron translates to "natron hole" in French, while Doon Orei means "big hole" in Teda.)
The volcanic pit was carved out by a massive eruption hundreds of thousands of years ago and sits at the heart of the Tibesti Massif, a 300-mile-long (480 kilometers) mountain range that stretches across the center of the Sahara desert through Chad and Libya, according to NASA's Earth Observatory.
When viewed from space, the caldera's floor has an unmistakable skull-like appearance. But when viewed from ground level (see below), it looks almost unrecognizable.
The white color of the skull's mouth, nose and cheeks is the result of natron, a naturally occurring mixture of sodium carbonate decahydrate, sodium bicarbonate, sodium chloride and sodium sulfate.
This salty mix is extremely flaky and looks like cracked paint when viewed up close. The eyes and nose hole areas are actually cinder cones — steep conical hills built around volcanic vents that tower above the rest of the caldera floor.
The darker area to the left of the face is the shadow cast by the tall rim of the crater, which helps give the skull its distinctive shape.
Trou au Natron is barren and lifeless today, but experts believe it was once a thriving glacial lake.
In the 1960s, researchers discovered fossils of sea snails and plankton beneath the pit's natron-covered floor, which date back to 14,000 years ago. In 2015, a follow-up expedition found algal fossils that date back as far as 120,000 years ago.
The caldera has been volcanically dormant since shortly after it formed. However, it is situated close to Tarso Toussidé, a broad volcanic feature covered with a sea of frozen lava (located just beyond the top of the satellite image).
Tarso Toussidé is home to a stratovolcano that is still believed to be volcanically active despite not erupting for more than 12,000 years, according to the Smithsonian Institution's Global Volcanism Program.
Trou au Natron is not the only volcanic structure that looks like a skull when viewed from space:
The Chiltepe Peninsula in Nicaragua's Lake Managua has a pair of volcanic lakes, each sitting within its own caldera, which give the landmass a very similar appearance to the caldera in Chad.
https://www.livescience.com/planet-earth/volcanos/glowering-skull-stares-upward-from-a-giant-volcanic-pit-in-the-sahara-earth-from-space
Russia’s top drone warfare center celebrates 10,000 successful strikes
28 Oct, 2025 13:09
The Rubicon drone operations center, a key component of the Russian Defense Ministry’s drone warfare program, has achieved its 10,000th confirmed strike, the unit announced on Monday. The unit regularly shares footage of its operations online.
Established in August 2024, Rubicon coordinates frontline drone operations, innovation, training, and data-sharing efforts across Russian forces.
In a statement marking the milestone, the center said it had significantly accelerated the pace of its missions in recent months and released statistics outlining its main targets.
More than one-third (37.5%) of Rubicon’s confirmed strikes have been against Ukrainian drones, including both multi-copter and fixed-wing types, as well as ground-based robotic craft.
Communication and electronic warfare equipment accounted for over 16% of successful hits, followed by unarmored and armored vehicles, and stationary troop positions.
Ukrainian infantry were the target in 3.5% of Rubicon’s engagements – a smaller share than any other category apart from artillery systems, which are generally deployed far from the front line and thus less susceptible to drone attacks.
Rubicon and the Russian Defense Ministry regularly publish footage of drone operations. A new video released on Tuesday shows attacks on Ukrainian vehicles and troop shelters in Sumy Region.
Another recent video highlights intercept operations against Ukrainian drones and strikes on communications infrastructure.
Last week, Rubicon released footage of a mission that identified and destroyed a camouflaged Ukrainian anti-aircraft system using a Lancet loitering munition.
The strike was carried out from a distance of 55km. The weapon has previously successfully struck targets over 80km away.
moar videos
https://www.rt.com/russia/627060-rubicon-drone-center-videos/
Dozen killed in tourist plane crash in Kenya
28 Oct, 2025 12:26
Twelve people have been killed after a light aircraft carrying tourists to Kenya’s Maasai Mara National Reserve crashed early on Tuesday, local authorities have reported.
The Kenya Civil Aviation Authority (KCAA) identified the aircraft being operated by Mombasa Air Safari. It departed from Diani Airstrip around 8 a.m. and was expected to arrive at Kichwa Tembo in the Maasai Mara an hour later.
The plane went down in a remote forested area roughly 40km from Diani.
The Maasai Mara, one of the world’s most renowned safari destinations and a highlight during the annual wildebeest migration, is accessible by multiple daily flights operated by small aircraft linking Nairobi and, seasonally, Kenyan coastal resorts such as Diani and Mombasa.
“The aircraft had 12 persons on board. Government agencies are already on site to establish the cause of the accident and its impact,” the KCAA said in a statement on X.
Kwale County Commissioner Stephen Orinde told the Associated Press that all the victims were foreign nationals, although their identities have yet to be confirmed.
Mombasa Air Safari expressed profound sorrow over the incident, and reported on Facebook that according to preliminary information there had been 11 people on board the aircraft:
eight Hungarian passengers, two German passengers, and a Kenyan crew member who served as the captain, The company operates domestic charter flights to major tourist destinations across Kenya.
Images published by local media showed the wreckage engulfed in flames, with debris scattered across charred terrain. Witnesses described hearing a loud explosion before rushing to the site, where the aircraft was destroyed on impact, according to local news agencies.
The crash comes after a Kenya Air Force plane went down in the same county in June, killing two service members. In August, a small plane carrying medical staff, operated by AMREF Flying Doctors, crashed shortly after takeoff from Nairobi’s Wilson Airport.
Six people were killed, including four on board and two on the ground.
https://www.rt.com/africa/627061-dozen-killed-in-tourist-plane-kenya/
Zelensky pushing Trump to reverse Tomahawk decision
28 Oct, 2025 12:47
Ukraine’s Vladimir Zelensky has said once again that the US should provide Kiev with long-range weapons capable of striking targets deep inside Russia.
Earlier this month, US President Donald Trump ruled out supplies of Tomahawk cruise missiles to Ukraine, which have a maximum range of around 2,500km (1,550 miles), after a phone call with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin. Despite rejecting Zelensky’s request, Trump later introduced sanctions on Russian oil companies Rosneft and Lukoil.
Zelensky praised the move in a phone interview with Axios on Monday, saying that economic restrictions “will make a difference.”
The Ukrainian leader, who has long been pushing for Washington to provide Tomahawks, said however that sanctions were not enough to deter Moscow.
“President Trump is concerned about escalation. But I think that if there are no negotiations, there will be an escalation anyway.
I think that if Putin does not stop, we need something to stop him. Sanctions is one such weapon, but we also need long-range missiles” capable of hitting energy facilities deep inside Russia, he said.
Zelensky said he told Trump during their meeting earlier in October that Kiev would not necessarily have to use the US-supplied munitions immediately.
Moscow will engage in talks if Putin knows not talking will lead to “problems with Russia’s energy facilities,” Zelensky opined.
The Russian president said previously that deliveries of long-range missiles to Kiev would “severely undermine the prospects of a peaceful settlement” of the Ukraine conflict and damage ties between Moscow and Washington, as it is “impossible to use Tomahawks without the direct participation of American military personnel.”
In a separate statement last week, the Russian leader warned of a “very serious, if not downright staggering” response to any Ukrainian Tomahawk strike.
Moscow maintains that it is ready for a diplomatic settlement but insists that any deal must address the root causes of the conflict and include guarantees that Ukraine will never join NATO, along with the country’s demilitarization, denazification, and recognition of the territorial realities on the ground.
https://www.rt.com/news/627056-zelensky-trump-ukraine-tomahawk/
US congresswoman slams ‘sociopathic’ EU politicians
28 Oct, 2025 15:12
EU politicians have been displaying “sociopathic” behavior with their eagerness to derail any attempts to stage Russia-Ukraine peace talks, US Representative Anna Paulina Luna has said.
The Florida Republican made the remarks on her X feed Monday, accusing EU officials of being “comfortable sending youth from both nations to die if it serves their own self-interests.”
“I’m watching EU politicians condemn peace talks between Russia and Ukraine while none of them are the ones fighting on the front lines,” she wrote.
“They are advocating for the erasure of [the] entire bloodlines of Russian and Ukrainian families. It’s sociopathic.”
In a separate post, Luna replied to Marko Mihkelson, the head of the Estonian parliamentary foreign affairs committee, who called out the congresswoman over her meeting with Russian presidential aide Kirill Dmitriev last week.
Mihkelson accused Luna, an “otherwise normal person from the free world,” as he put it, of becoming “so dependent on a dictatorial mindset.”
“Naivety? Money? Stupidity? Belief in conspiracy theories?” he wrote.
The congresswoman shot back, stating that “just because I’m not a war-shill doesn’t mean I’m wrong,” and stressing that “Americans have zero interest in dying in a foreign war or a nuclear arms exchange.”
“For years, NATO and the EU refused to pay their fair share – and now they want us to bankroll endless foreign wars?
Let this be a warning: any politician, anywhere in the world, who demands others bleed while they sit safely behind a podium is unfit for office, including you, Marko Mihkelson,” she wrote.
Luna met Dmitriev during his multi-day visit to the US, conducted after the proposed Russia-US summit in Budapest was called off by President Donald Trump.
“The congresswoman has long been an outspoken advocate for peaceful solutions and the development of economic ties between countries,” Dmitriev wrote on his Telegram after the meeting.
https://www.rt.com/news/627066-luna-sociopathic-eu-politicians/
https://x.com/RepLuna/status/1982853534388289780
https://x.com/RepLuna/status/1982856237403279696
https://www.airandspaceforces.com/air-force-b-1s-fly-venezuela-again-show-of-force/
Air Force B-1s Fly Near Venezuela Again in Latest Bomber Show of Force
Oct. 27, 2025
Multiple Air Force B-1B Lancer bombers flew near Venezuela on Oct. 27 in the latest U.S. show of force aimed at Caracas and drug cartels from the Latin American country, Air & Space Forces Magazine has confirmed.
The mission off the coast of Venezuela marked the third such bomber flight since Oct. 15. U.S. military officials have described the flights as “bomber attack demonstrations.”
As with the previous flights, the B-1s were visible on open-source flight tracking websites—an indication that the Pentagon was making no attempt to hide the flight.
At one point, the B-1s were roughly 20 miles from Venezuela, flying off of the country’s northern coast—the closest the three bomber missions have come to date.
The military operations are part of a broader pressure campaign on drug cartels and the regime of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, who the White House says is an illegitimate leader.
President Donald Trump has said on multiple occasions that the U.S. may strike targets on land.
The U.S. military has conducted the show-of-force bomber flights roughly once a week, a pattern that shows no signs of stopping. B-1s are capable of carrying standoff cruise missiles and guided bombs that could be used in possible strikes on land.
On Oct. 24, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth ordered the USS Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group, including its carrier air wing, to Latin America, the Pentagon said, significantly bolstering the already sizable airpower presence near Venezuela.
And on Oct. 26, the USS Gravely guided-missile destroyer docked in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago, an island nation off the coast of Venezuela.
The bombers took off from Grand Forks Air Force Base, N.D., and proceeded south with their transponders on, open-source flight-tracking data showed.
The B-1s refueled over Florida with several tankers from MacDill Air Force Base, Fla., before heading further south.
Navy P-8 Poseidon surveillance aircraft were also active in the region on Oct. 27.
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On Oct. 23, two B-1B Lancers flew near Venezuela after taking off from Dyess Air Force Base, Texas. On that mission, the bombers flew roughly 50 miles off the coast of Venezuela.
A week earlier, three B-52H Stratofortress bombers from the 2nd Bomb Wing at Barksdale Air Force Base. La., joined armed Marine Corps F-35B stealth fighters, 10 of which are based in Puerto Rico, and flew orbits off the coast of Venezuela.
In all three flights, the active transponders indicated the bombers did not attempt to hide their presence and provided data about their movements. It is unclear if the B-52s or B-1s were armed for any flights.
The Office of the Secretary of Defense and Air Force Global Strike Command, which oversees America’s bomber fleet, declined to comment on the Oct. 27 mission.
The Air Force has bulked up its presence in the region in recent weeks. Multiple armed AC-130J Ghostrider II gunships have been operating out of Puerto Rico, in addition to at least six different MQ-9 Reapers.
Both AC-130J Ghostrider gunships and MQ-9 Reaper drones have been photographed with live Hellfire missiles, and the Marines’ F-35s have been carrying live air-to-air missiles in photos released by the U.S. military, including during their mission with the B-52s.
In addition to the Marine Corps F-35Bs stationed on land, USMC AV-8 Harrier fighter jets, AH-1 attack helicopters, and other aircraft are embarked on the USS Iwo Jima, an amphibious assault ship that has been operating in the region, along with a number of destroyers and the Special Operations ship MV Ocean Trader. The Harriers and helicopters have conducted live-fire exercises this month.
The bomber flights come as the Trump administration has said the U.S. is in an “armed conflict” with drug cartels it has deemed “unlawful combatants,” claiming the authority to conduct strikes against alleged drug-smuggling efforts.
At least 43 people have been killed in the U.S. airstrikes. The lethal boat strikes have not been authorized by Congress, and some lawmakers and former Pentagon officials have argued the attacks are not legal.
The U.S. has not presented evidence that the boats are carrying drugs. In the past, the U.S. Coast Guard, sometimes with the assistance of the Navy, has interdicted suspected drug boats.
Two survivors of an Oct. 16 strike were briefly held aboard a U.S. Navy ship, as the U.S. elected not to hold them as prisoners of war or charge them with a crime, and instead said it sent them to their home countries of Ecuador and Colombia.
While the U.S. has said drug smugglers are its primary priority, the administration is also seeking to pressure Maduro, Venezuela’s authoritarian ruler, from power.
Maduro has been charged in the United States for being involved in a conspiracy to smuggle cocaine and guns into the U.S., and the Trump administration is offering $50 million for information that leads to his arrest.
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Lithuania condemns balloon incursion as ‘hybrid attack’
October 27, 2025 3:51 pm
Lithuania accused Russian ally Belarus on Monday of hitting it with a “hybrid attack” after dozens of balloons loaded with contraband forced it to temporarily close airports last week.
Lithuania, a NATO and European Union member, also shut its last two border crossings with neighbouring Belarus over the incident, which forced the airports in the capital Vilnius and the south-central city Kaunas to close because of balloons carrying illegal cigarettes — a tactic often blamed on Belarusian smugglers.
“We consider this a hybrid attack,” Lithuanian Prime Minister Inga Ruginiene told journalists, saying a lack of action by Belarus to detain those responsible for the balloons led her to believe the authorities were involved.
Many European nations say “hybrid attacks” — a novel form of largely unconventional warfare — have soared recently, blaming Russian President Vladimir Putin’s government for a surge in drone incursions, online attacks and other disruptive incidents.
Ruginiene called the border closure a “message” to Russian ally Belarus that “hybrid attacks will not be tolerated.” The Lithuanian army has now been authorised to shoot down such balloons, she added.
Lithuania said it would decide on Wednesday how long to impose the border closure. Black-market tobacco is a revenue source for Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko’s government, according to the Belarus opposition.
Several people were arrested in Lithuania after trying to recover the cigarettes loaded on the balloons in last week’s incident, which forced airport closures overnight Tuesday to Wednesday.
Belarusian Foreign Minister Maxim Ryzhenkov rejected Lithuania’s accusations, calling them a “provocation” aimed at justifying “measures against Belarus (and) against Russia”.
Belarus summoned the Lithuanian embassy’s charge d’affaires in protest.
https://insiderpaper.com/lithuania-condemns-balloon-incursion-as-hybrid-attack/
Russia says Ukraine drone attack targets Moscow for second night in row
October 28, 2025
The Russian defence ministry announced in a statement its air defence units destroyed 17 Ukrainian drones overnight, including one flying towards Moscow and 13 over the Kaluga region which borders the Moscow region to its northeast.
Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said on Telegram that emergency services were dispatched to the site where the drone heading towards Moscow fell.
There were no reports of damage, but Russia rarely discloses the full-scale impact of Ukrainian strikes inside its territory unless civilians or civilian objects are involved.
Russia’s air defence units destroyed the remaining three drones over the Bryansk region, which borders Ukraine to its west and Kaluga region to its northeast.
Alexander Bogomaz, governor of the Bryansk region, wrote on Telegram that one civilian was hospitalised as a result of the attack.
Both sides deny targeting civilians, but thousands have died in the conflict, the vast majority of them Ukrainian.
On Monday, Russia noted it had downed 34 Ukrainian drones that were targeting Moscow.
https://ifpnews.com/russia-says-ukraine-drone-attack-targets-moscow-for-second-night-in-row/
https://www.mundoamerica.com/news/2025/10/28/69009871e85ece060e8b4579.html
other Russia news
https://english.nv.ua/russian-war/russian-ka-52-helicopter-destroyed-by-friendly-fire-during-drone-attack-reports-50556199.html
UN investigation exposes Russia's drone terror against Ukrainian civilians
Tue, October 28, 2025 - 13:38
Russia is using drones to harass civilians living near the front line in Ukraine, driving them from their homes and hunting them down, Sky News reports.
According to a report by the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine, this Russian tactic has forced thousands of Ukrainians to flee their homes, which is a crime against humanity.
The report describes cases where civilians were pursued over long distances using drones with cameras and then attacked with incendiary bombs or explosives when they sought shelter.
"These attacks were committed as part of a coordinated policy to drive out civilians from those territories and amount to the crime against humanity of forcible transfer of population," the 17-page report says.
The report's findings are based on interviews with 226 people, including victims, witnesses, humanitarian workers, and local officials, as well as hundreds of verified video recordings.
Russia denies deliberately targeting civilians in Ukraine, although its troops have killed thousands of people since the start of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine 3,5 years ago.
A Russian sabotage and reconnaissance group infiltrated the center of Pokrovsk and killed several civilians. The Ukrainian military detected Russian invaders and eliminated them in the railway station building.
A radio interception released by the Defense Intelligence of Ukraine recorded evidence of another war crime committed by the Russian army.
https://newsukraine.rbc.ua/news/un-investigation-exposes-russia-s-drone-terror-1761651510.html
https://euromaidanpress.com/2025/10/28/un-report-russia-drones-hunted-ukrainian-civilians-crimes-against-humanity/
other Ukraine news
https://www.ukrinform.net/rubric-ato/4052423-russian-drone-attacks-civilian-vehicle-in-sumy-region-driver-injured.html
https://ukranews.com/en/news/1113666-russian-drone-crashes-in-chernihiv-downtown-mayor
https://www.kyivpost.com/post/63107
https://www.ukrinform.net/rubric-ato/4052216-ukrainian-soldiers-neutralize-russian-molniya2-drone-using-electronic-warfare-systems.html
https://www.ukrinform.net/rubric-ato/4052462-russian-drone-attacks-vehicle-near-front-line-injuring-members-of-welt-film-crew.html
IDF carries out 'powerful strikes' in Gaza following Hamas ceasefire breach, PMO confirms
Updated: OCTOBER 28, 2025 18:58
The IDF struck Hamas-used infrastructure in southern Gaza after members of the terror group fired at soldiers, the Prime Minister's Office confirmed on Tuesday.
Hamas fired an anti-tank missile and gunshots at IDF troops in Rafah, marking an additional ceasefire violation by the terrorist group.
"The response to [Hamas's] current violations will be much more significant than the response last time," an Israeli official told The Jerusalem Post.
The IDF is returning fire in order to stop Hamas from further endangering soldiers on the Israeli side of the Yellow Line, according to a military source.
Following a situational assessment and with the approval of Defense Minister Israel Katz, the security restrictions that have been in place in the Gaza border communities since October 7 by the IDF have been lifted.
Israel weighing five options should Hamas fail to return hostage remains
Israel is working on five options in case Hamas fails to deliver on returning the hostage remains, Israeli security officials said on Monday, including extending operational control, targeted escalation, hostage-remains-retrieval operations, diplomatic pressure, and ending existing agreements.
Hamas is also capable of returning a double-digit number of deceased hostages' remains and is not making enough effort to return the remains despite knowing their burial locations, an Israeli source told public broadcaster KAN News two weeks ago.
Even so, the terror group has stated several times that it cannot locate all the murdered hostages in the Gaza Strip, stressing as recently as earlier the same evening that it has already handed over all the hostages it could access.
Locating the remaining hostages would require extensive efforts and special equipment, the terror group claimed.
This is a developing story.
https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/article-871941
other Israel news
https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry/hamas-authorities-report-at-least-3-idf-strikes-on-gaza-city-including-on-area-near-hospital/
https://www.dailywire.com/news/ceasefire-in-peril-netanyahu-orders-forceful-strikes-in-gaza-after-idf-troops-attacked
https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/defense-news/article-871959
https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog-october-28-2025/
https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/2025-10-28/ty-article/.premium/idf-279-soldiers-attempted-to-take-their-own-lives-between-january-2024-and-july-2025/0000019a-2b3a-ddf1-a1db-ffff9f6a0000
https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry/idf-confirms-it-has-lifted-all-restrictions-on-south-after-2-year-emergency-status-ends/
https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry/idf-releases-full-video-of-hamas-staging-fake-hostage-remains-recovery/
Five flights carrying British tourists are forced to divert after mystery drone is spotted near Alicante airport
Updated: 05:49 EDT, 28 October 2025
Five flights packed with British tourists had to be diverted to other destinations after a mystery drone was spotted near Alicante Airport.
Airport authority AENA suspended operations just before 9pm last night following the drone sighting. Normal activity wasn’t resumed until around 11pm last night.
Overnight it was confirmed ten international flights bound for the Costa Blanca had to be diverted to nearby airports, seven to Valencia, one to Murcia, one to Barcelona and one to Palma in Mallorca.
Five were flights coming from the UK - three Ryanair planes which had taken off from Manchester, London Stansted and Newcastle; an easyJet flight from Liverpool and a Jet2 flight from Manchester.
The drone alert also caused delays for holidaymakers on outbound flights.
Graphics shared on flight tracking website Flightradar showed several flights headed for Alicante airport being diverted to nearby travel hubs.
Local reports said around 1,000 travellers had been directly affected.
A statement by AENA said: 'Due to the presence of a drone in the vicinity of the Alicante-Elche Miguel Hernandez Airport, flight diversions are occurring.
'We are working together with the Security Forces to normalize operations as soon as possible'.
Police were continuing to investigate today to try to identify the drone operator.
Earlier this month Palma Airport was thrown into chaos after a mystery drone was spotted near the runways.
And in late September flights were also diverted from Fuerteventura airport after a drone sighting, with reports at the time saying at least three planes packed with holidaymakers were turned away from the island airport.
Police are still trying to identify the person responsible for the problems in Majorca.
Recent reports said they could face a fine of up to £3.9 million. The highest fine could be applied if the drone operator turned out to be a professional like a pilot or aeronautical engineer.
If the person turned out to be a non-professional, the likely fine would be around the £195,000 mark.
The drone sightings over the Spanish holiday hotspot also comes after Lithuania was forced to close its capital airport late on Saturday and shut both crossings on the border with Belarus after helium weather balloons drifted into the Baltic country's territory for a second consecutive day.
Traffic at Vilnius Airport was suspended until 2am local time while the Belarus border will remain shut until the same time, Lithuanian officials said.
European aviation has repeatedly been thrown into chaos in recent weeks by drone sightings and other air incursions, including at airports in Copenhagen, Munich and the Baltic region.
The Vilnius airport also closed on Tuesday and Friday of this week and on October 5, each time due to balloons entering the capital's airspace, authorities have said.
Lithuania has said balloons are sent by smugglers transporting contraband cigarettes, but it also blames Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko, a close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, for not stopping the practice.
Lithuanian Prime Minister Inga Ruginiene on Friday said the country's National Security Commission will meet next week to assess the situation.
The airport closure comes after NATO jets were scrambled on Thursday after two Russian military planes were briefly spotted in Lithuanian airspace.
The aircraft, an Su-fighter and Il-78 refuelling tanker, were in the airspace for 18 seconds, with Spanish jets from NATO's Baltic division scrambled in response, according to the Lithuanian military.
The Russian planes were possibly conducting a refuelling exercise over the city of Kaliningrad before they flew 700 metres into Lithuanian territory, according to local media.
The country's Ministry of National Defence said in a statement: 'Our forces acted quickly with NATO jets on patrol.
'Lithuania remains strong and ready. Every inch of our country is protected.'
President Gitanas Nausėda condemned the incident, stating: 'This is a cruel violation of international law and the territorial sovereignty of Lithuania, and we have to react to this.'
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-15233477/Five-flights-carrying-British-tourists-forced-divert-mystery-drone-spotted-near-Alicante-airport.html
https://euromaidanpress.com/2025/10/28/spains-latest-drone-incident-joins-wave-of-attacks-across-europe-all-since-russias-strike-on-poland/
A foreign country using Pakistan soil to hit Afghanistan with drones?
UPDATED: Oct 28, 2025 19:22 IST
A bombshell revelation has emerged in the Afghanistan-Pakistan peace talks in Turkey. Pakistan, for the first time, has admitted that it cannot prevent drone strikes inside Afghanistan due to a secret agreement with a foreign country.
This comes just months after Islamabad began strengthening defence and strategic ties with the US, amid President Donald Trump's forceful public demand for the return of Bagram airbase.
Peace talks between Afghanistan and Pakistan in Turkey look to have hit a dead end even as a fragile ceasefire holds after a brief war that saw hundreds killed earlier in September and October.
akistan made a rare admission during the talks, that it has an agreement with a foreign country based on which drone attacks were carried out, according to TOLO News of Afghanistan.
The Pakistani delegation expressed helplessness in preventing drone attacks inside Afghanistan because it was bound by an agreement with a third country, the report said, citing a source.
"It was also revealed that, for the first time, Pakistan admitted to having an agreement with a foreign country allowing drone strikes, and that it cannot prevent such strikes because breaking the agreement is not possible," TOLO News reported on the peace talks being held in Ankara, Turkey.
There was no clarity on the foreign country with which Pakistan has an agreement.
An agreement remained elusive even as the Pakistani delegation asked the Afghan team to agree that Islamabad had the right to carry out strikes inside Afghanistan during attacks by the TTP.
The source noted that the Pakistani delegation appeared disorganised, offering no coherent arguments and seeming more focused on pulling back from the negotiations.
At one point, they even requested that the Afghan side acknowledge Pakistan's right to strike Afghan territory in response to TTP attacks, TOLO News reported.
This report comes just months after Pakistan inked a landmark Strategic Mutual Defence Agreement with Saudi Arabia in September, committing to mutual defence against any external threats and deepening both military and economic ties.
At the same time, Islamabad has boosted its defence and strategic alignment with the United States under President Donald Trump.
This was highlighted by several high-level meetings, including PM Shehbaz Sharif rushing to meet Trump at the Oval Office visit, with army chief Asim Munir in a glittering attendance.
Moreover, Trump has publicly demanded the return of Bagram airbase from Taliban-controlled Afghanistan. He even threatened that if it did not get the airbase, "bad things would happen".
Sharif, meanwhile, has repeatedly lauded "Trump's leadership", praising his "role in the India-Pakistan ceasefire as a historic achievement". He even nominated Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize.
The Afghanistan-Pakistan talks in Istanbul ended inconclusively, with both sides blaming each other for failing to reach a long-term truce.
News agency Reuters, citing two anonymous sources familiar with the discussions, reported that the negotiations yielded no resolution.
The brief Pakistan-Afghanistan war erupted in early September. Escalating TTP attacks on Pakistani forces sparked deadly clashes between both neighbours.
This made Islamabad launch precision airstrikes deep into Afghan territory, targeting suspected militant hideouts in Kabul and Kandahar.
Drone strikes and JF-17 jet bombings left over 200 dead on both sides. The Taliban reported dozens of civilian casualties, including women and children in an eastern marketplace.
Pakistan said its targets were only TTP commanders.
In retaliation, Afghan forces shelled Pakistani border posts along the Durand Line.
At least 23 soldiers were killed and hundreds wounded. Heavy artillery exchanges and ground clashes broke out in hotspots like Spin Boldak and Kurram.
Days before both countries reached a ceasefire, Afghanistan's Taliban government said that Pakistan had carried out two drone strikes on Kabul the previous day.
Alarmed by the escalation and risk of regional conflict, Pakistan sought mediation from Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United States.
Diplomatic pressure led to a fragile 48-hour ceasefire on October 15, which has held tenuously amid accusations of violations.
https://www.indiatoday.in/world/story/pakistan-afghanistan-war-ceasefire-talks-islamabad-admits-foreign-country-involvement-drone-tpp-ceasefire-2809466-2025-10-28
Korea's cardboard drones address UAV shortages and climate crisis — inspired by the Ukraine war, drone inventor looked for the most easily sourced and repairable materials
October 28, 2025
A South Korean firm called WOW Future Tech made waves at the recent Boom-Up Festival 2025 – a sizable networking event for Korean startups and investors.
The headlining new product was the AirSense UAV drone, constructed from eco-friendly packaging boards and paper fiber.
The material choice makes these drones easy to fabricate using resources widely available around the globe, reports Digitimes, and this can cut drone material pricing tenfold (vs carbon fiber).
Moreover, sustainability, environmental, and repairability benefits can be enjoyed by those deploying AirSense UAVs.
WOW Future Tech CEO, Munju Kim, was inspired to develop the AirSense UAV drone by seeing reports about the Ukraine war.
To be clear, Kim wasn’t moved to design a better drone for waging war, but wanted to address the drone shortage precipitated by this terrible conflict, using readily available materials.
Easy to source cardboard behind big price advantage
Cardboard and similar paper-based packaging are often tossed away once they have served their purpose (typically used for product shipping).
It is, therefore, something most economies will have lots of, and will have plants devoted to recycling and repurposing rather than landfill or incineration.
Also, neighboring countries may have surpluses of this material to tap into, making it cheap and readily available.
Eschewing expensive carbon fiber composite, an AirSense UAV can be manufactured for ~$1,400, according to WOW Future Tech.
This contrasts with the price of a typical military grade carbon fiber drone, with such models costing up to 10x that figure, reports Digitimes.
Kim also indicates that cardboard drones are easily repairable. Unlike carbon fiber drones, repair is simple and cheap using tape or layered paper products, it is claimed.
In summary, cardboard is “cheap, sustainable, and quick to deploy.”
Offensive military use downplayed
The WOW Future Tech CEO highlighted the non-military use cases of the cardboard drone, with one example being a deployment alongside its AirSense V2 system with proprietary air-quality sensors fitted to the UAV.
In tandem, this drone will use a locally made sensor that is said to be cheaper (half price) than foreign-bought components and has technological advantages over imported modules.
The cardboard drone has attracted the interest of the Korean Defense Ministry and Ground Operations Command, though. Tests are already said to be underway, using the AirSense UAV for reconnaissance and training.
Overseas commercialization of the AirSense UAV should begin as early as next year, according to the firm’s CEO. First, though, it is hoped that it will strengthen Korea’s domestic unmanned systems capabilities with its local-tech-centric approach.
We looked through the WOW Future Tech website and couldn’t find a mention of the new cardboard AirSense UAV. However, it looks like it may be a development based on prior work, namely the ‘Paper Wing PW02’ you can see in our pictures.
https://www.tomshardware.com/tech-industry/koreas-cardboard-drones-address-uav-shortages-and-climate-crisis-inspired-by-the-ukraine-war-drone-inventor-looked-for-the-most-easily-sourced-and-repairable-materials
this is F&G but today, of all days, would be a real good day for it