Civil Servant in Defence 🇩🇪 | he/him | 4mer Journalist & Spoxperson | No official German MoD account | personal views only | RP&FAV ≠ I agree 🦊🐿️🦅🦉🐦⬛🌳🐕🦺🦝 📷 🏃 🏍️🌱 Nature lover & ambitious (but rather amateurish) wildlife photographer Nikon D850/D5600 95%Vegan
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So eine? 😁
The praise belongs to @thestudyofwar.bsky.social. They have a great team providing really good assessments - and pretty detailed maps as well.
"More than 1,000 people were killed in a landslide in western Sudan on Sunday, according to a rebel group that controls the area." @theguardian.com www.theguardian.com/world/2025/s...
Raining today - but that's always good for plants and nature. 😉
"EU spending on new equipment has surged since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, but lack of coordination continues to blunt its impact." @euractiv.com www.euractiv.com/section/defe...
ICYMI: "The Trump-brokered deal between Armenia and Azerbaijan signals public US involvement in one of Europe’s most protracted conflicts. But the ceremony may have come too soon, triggering dynamics that could threaten lasting peace", writes Jim O’Brien at @ecfr.eu (8/14/25) ecfr.eu/article/peac...
ICYMI: "In the Zaporizhzhia region, near the village of Mala Tokmachka, the Ukrainian Armed Forces defeated an armored convoy." @militarnyi.com militarnyi.com/en/news/batt...
"Germany's Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul is traveling to India as ties between the two sides evolve amid trade tensions, defense deals and tech collaboration." DW www.dw.com/en/germany-a...
"Russia's Vladimir Putin met with China's Xi Jinping in Beijing ahead of a massive military parade. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is also making a rare foreign trip to take part." DW www.dw.com/en/putin-hai...
"The U.S. military is stepping up the urgency in figuring out how it will counter the rapidly growing threat from small drones, which have become a centerpiece of modern warfare." @starsandstripes.bsky.social www.stripes.com/branches/arm...
"Pupils were returning to schools in Ukraine on Monday for the start of the new academic year in the hope of being able to study safely under the shadow of Russia’s invasion." @apnews.com apnews.com/article/ukra...
"An earthquake measuring 6.0 magnitude had struck eastern Afghanistan, leaving at least 800 people dead, according to the UN." @bbcnews-world-rss.bsky.social www.bbc.com/news/article...
"Chinese President Xi Jinping will host his country's largest-ever military parade this week, as he seeks to recast Beijing as the custodian of a post-U.S. international order at a time of deep geopolitical uncertainty." @reuters.com www.reuters.com/world/china/...
"President Donald Trump announced on Monday that he will award former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian honor." @cnn.com edition.cnn.com/2025/09/01/p...
Meilech Raich, four years old - one of 1.5 million children murdered in the Holocaust. The gruesome crimes of the Nazi villains were only possible because of the support of too many and the indifference of too many and the silence of too many in the wake of evil.
Iran Update, September 1, 2025 @thestudyofwar.bsky.social understandingwar.org/backgrounder...
September 1, 2025 Ukraine Situation report - @thestudyofwar.bsky.social and @criticalthreats.bsky.social www.understandingwar.org/backgrounder...
Good morning and a splendid Tuesday everybody with a little tribute to (Not) Edward Hopper, Nightfox, 2025 Light on FX-Sensor [📷Nikon D850 f/8,0 1/30 340mm ISO 65535] Pardon the image noise, it was 10 p.m. and the ISO-setting had to be extreme. But I find the result somewhat romantic nonetheless.
Pretty obvious, one might think.
Oder weniger schlafen...
I feel you! Ist ja auch nicht so, dass Du sonst keine Verpflichtungen hättest, richtig?
Ach, Tempo ist ja nicht so wichtig. Ist bei mir immer abhängig von der Motivation (heute: Zeitdruck!), der Tagesform, dem Wetter und - ja - auch den Schuhen. Hab da echt eine Spanne von +/- 20 Sekunden auf den Kilometer. 🤷
"Kyiv on Monday said Russia was linked to the weekend assassination of a pro-Western Ukrainian politician after the arrest of a suspect alleged to have carried out the shooting dressed as a courier." @en.afp.com sg.news.yahoo.com/suspect-arre...
Sehr gut! Perfekter Start in den September! Musste heute früher ins Büro - daher nur eine "kleine" Runde.
Remember that Hitler said, he had no further territorial claims after he annexed the Sudetenland in 1938 - dictators don't mind lying in your face. They don't care about treaties or promises, they are just interested in forcing their will upon others - regardless of international law or decency.
"More than 1.2 mn immigrants disappeared from the labor force from January through the end of July, according to preliminary Census Bureau data analyzed by the Pew Research. That includes people who are in the country illegally as well as legal residents." @apnews.com apnews.com/article/labo...
"Putin says he reached 'understandings' with US Trump over the end of the Ukraine war, at their meeting last month. He did not say whether he would agree to peace talks with Ukrainian President Zelensky." @bbcnews-world-rss.bsky.social www.bbc.com/news/article...
Thx. Same to you, Jacqui.
"Hundreds of students gathered in major Indonesian cities on Monday, defying fears of a crackdown on protests after deadly riots on the weekend left eight dead in the worst violence in the Southeast Asian nation in over two decades." @reuters.com www.reuters.com/world/asia-p...
And may it be a good start for your week, Joy.
"A flurry of diplomacy has changed little on the ground for Ukrainians. Now the EU wants to go beyond tried-and-tested methods of sanctioning Russia and sending arms to Kyiv." DW www.dw.com/en/what-now-...
"Israel said Sunday its forces had killed the spokesman of Hamas's armed wing in a strike on Gaza a day earlier, the latest fatality in the group's senior ranks in the nearly two-year war." @en.afp.com www.rfi.fr/en/middle-ea...
"China will work with all parties in the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation to take the regional security forum to a new level, Xi Jinping said on Monday, unveiling his ambition for a new global security order that poses a challenge to the United States." @reuters.com www.reuters.com/world/china/...
"The Air Force will provide Ashli Babbitt’s family with military funeral honors, reversing a 2021 decision to deny such honors for the veteran who was fatally shot by a police officer during the 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol." @starsandstripes.bsky.social www.stripes.com/branches/air...
"German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said Sunday that the war in Ukraine could still last for a long time and ending it quickly at the country’s expense was not an option." @apnews.com apnews.com/article/germ...
"The US State Department has instructed its diplomats to refuse most visas for Palestinian passport holders, whether they live in the West Bank, Gaza, or overseas, according to a cable seen by @cnn.com" edition.cnn.com/2025/08/31/p...
"A suspect in the fatal shooting of prominent Ukrainian politician Andriy Parubiy has been arrested, the country's President Volodymyr Zelensky has said." @bbcnews-world-rss.bsky.social www.bbc.com/news/article...
August 31, 2025 Ukraine Situation report - @thestudyofwar.bsky.social and @criticalthreats.bsky.social www.understandingwar.org/backgrounder...
Jacques Zajderman, three years old: just a child - one of 1.5 million boys and girls murdered by German Nazis in the Holocaust. Lest we forget.
Good morning and a blooming start into September. May your week be colourful and filled with inspiring encounters. [📷Nikon D850 f/8,0 1/250 105mm Macro ISO 800]
"Previously, they couldn't leave Ukraine after they turned 18 due to potential conscription. But this week, new rules say young Ukrainian men can come and go as they wish. Will it help bring those who fled the war back?" Asks DW www.dw.com/en/will-youn...
"The Iran-backed militants said Prime Minister Ahmed al-Rahawi was killed on Thursday in Sanaa. Israel's military said it 'precisely struck' a Houthi target in Yemen." DW www.dw.com/en/yemen-hou...
"A Russian drone attack overnight damaged four power facilities near the southern Ukrainian city of Odessa, leaving more than 29,000 customers without electricity on Sunday morning, the region's governor and power firm DTEK said." @reuters.com www.reuters.com/world/russia...
"A US official said Saturday that Palestinian Authority president Mahmud Abbas is among 80 officials being denied visas to attend next month's UN General Assembly, where France is leading a push to recognize a Palestinian state." @en.afp.com www.barrons.com/news/us-to-r...
"Russia launched a large aerial attack on southern Ukraine, two days after a rare airstrike on central Kyiv killed 23 and damaged European Union diplomatic offices as U.S.-led efforts to end the three-year war staggered." @starsandstripes.bsky.social www.stripes.com/theaters/eur...
ICYMI: "Is China’s Military Ready for War? What Xi’s Purges Do—and Don’t—Mean for Beijing’s Ambitions" By M. Taylor Fravel at @foreignaffairs.com (7/18/25) www.foreignaffairs.com/china/chinas...
"The international community, along with nearly all Palestinians and many Israelis, wanted the war to end a long time ago — and a ceasefire seemed possible as recently as last month. So why is the conflict set to become even bloodier?", asks @apnews.com apnews.com/article/isra...
"The Environmental Protection Agency on Friday fired at least eight employees who signed a letter criticizing the agency’s leadership under Administrator Lee Zeldin and President Donald Trump." @cnn.com edition.cnn.com/2025/08/30/p...
"Russian President Vladimir Putin and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi are among the twenty world leaders attending a regional security summit in China." @bbcnews-world-rss.bsky.social www.bbc.com/news/article...
Thank you for your words, Ariel. Always very important to remember just how privileged we are living in peace and freedom. And that it does not come for free.
Dora Poznanski, two years old - a little girl, murdered in the Holocaust by German Nazis like an estimated 1.5 million children. Don't fool yourself: The varnish of civilization is thin and breaks easily if we are indifferent or just too lazy to stand up against injustice.
August 30, 2025 Ukraine Situation report - @thestudyofwar.bsky.social and @criticalthreats.bsky.social www.understandingwar.org/backgrounder...
Thanks, John. The 105mm Macro is a nice lens indeed. 😉
Good morning and a beautiful Sunday everybody. Enjoy the last day of August - and maybe you should celebrate with a good meal - just like this little wasp feasting on a grape. [📷Nikon D850 f/10,0 1/400 105mm Macro ISO 800]
Tonight: During the Long Night of Museums Berlin’s museums, exhibition venues, planetariums and memorials open their doors and invite everyone to experience speedy tours, workshops, concerts, readings, artist talks, performances and DJ sets. We visited the Etruscans - spectacular.
"Ukrainian former parliamentary speaker Andriy Parubiy was shot dead in the western city of Lviv on Saturday and a search was under way for the killer." @reuters.com www.reuters.com/world/ukrain...
"Honoring Ashli Babbitt Dishonors the Military - If there’s no difference between upholding the Constitution and attacking it, then there’s no honor in service", writes @markhertling.bsky.social at @thebulwark.com www.thebulwark.com/p/honoring-a...
"Japan plans to deploy its domestically developed long-range missiles a year earlier than planned as the country steps up efforts to strengthen its strike-back capability in response to rising challenges in the region." @starsandstripes.bsky.social www.stripes.com/theaters/asi...
ICYMI
"A federal appeals court ruled Friday that President Donald Trump had no legal right to impose sweeping tariffs on almost every country on earth but left in place for now his effort to build a protectionist wall around the American economy." @apnews.com apnews.com/article/trum...
"Once a bustling hub of atomic energy, the Ukrainian city of Enerhodar is now a ghost town under Russian control. Investigative reporter Mari Saito and host Jonah Green reveal what daily life is like for those living near the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant." @reuters.com www.reuters.com/podcasts/nuc...
"Trump weighs whether to deepen his involvement in Ukraine war talks – or leave things to Putin and Zelensky." @cnn.com edition.cnn.com/2025/08/29/p...
"An extensive earthen wall is being built around the besieged Sudanese city of el-Fasher and is intended to trap people inside, according to research from Yale University." @bbcnews-world-rss.bsky.social www.bbc.com/news/article...
China-Taiwan Weekly Update, August 29, 2025 @thestudyofwar.bsky.social understandingwar.org/backgrounder...
Gianna Di Segni, two years old, with her parents Rita and Riccardo. The whole family - murdered by German Nazis without mercy, without regret. We must never forget what humans can do to humans.
Iran Update, August 29, 2025 understandingwar.org/backgrounder...
August 29, 2025 Ukraine Situation report - @thestudyofwar.bsky.social and @criticalthreats.bsky.social www.understandingwar.org/backgrounder...
Good morning to a late-summer Saturday. Always happy to see a beautiful dragonfly. Sadly, the number of insects is declining - with everybody just shrugging. Although we as humans might be the major reason destroying there natural habitat. [📷Nikon D5600 f/5,6 1/100 55mm ISO400]
Great idea! 😄
"NATO is spending big. Will it spend well? Europe aims for top-tier military power but stumbles on red tape." @euractiv.com www.euractiv.com/section/defe...
That's quite remarkable
"The leaders of France and Germany issued a joint call Friday for cuts to EU water pollution and chemical safety rules, in a bid to help European industry." @politico.eu www.politico.eu/article/merz...
"PayPal said on Friday that it was working to resolve any remaining issues following a widespread disruption that had halted user payments in Germany, raising alarm over the reliability of the app for online transactions." @reuters.com www.reuters.com/sustainabili...
Fly away into your Friday! And in case you're a helo-geek: it's a German Army Aviation NH90 [📷Nikon D5600 f/7,1 1/800 300mm ISO200]
"With the Baltic Sea as their backdrop, American and Polish troops fired a new long-range missile from Apache helicopters in a first-of-its-kind European demonstration aimed squarely at deterring Russia." @starsandstripes.bsky.social www.stripes.com/branches/arm...
"German Chancellor Friedrich Merz is touring naval operations for the first time. In Rostock, on the Baltic Sea, Merz was visiting Germany's CTF Baltic command, which was set up in 2024 to secure the Baltic Sea and plan NATO maritime missions near Russia's border." DW www.dw.com/en/merz-take...
"The French president and German chancellor are meeting in Toulon, where it's hoped they will get the successor to the Eurofighter jet back on track. Berlin has accused the French arms industry of blocking negotiations." DW www.dw.com/en/merz-and-...
In Germany it's not allowed to feed wild animals. But I have seen foxes eating bird food and fruit. And as we have neighbours with cats, I assume the foxes get their share there as well.
"Seven migrants deported from the US have arrived in Rwanda, the first of 250 expected to be taken in by the African state under a deal reached with President Donald Trump's administration." @bbcnews-world-rss.bsky.social www.bbc.com/news/article...
"When Trump’s administration last month awarded a contract worth up to $1.2 bn to build and operate the largest immigration detention complex, it didn’t turn to a large contractor or even a firm that specializes in private prisons." @starsandstripes.bsky.social www.stripes.com/theaters/us/...
"The Trump administration has approved the sale of 3,350 Extended Range Attack Munition (ERAM) missiles to Ukraine, providing a potentially powerful tool to Kyiv as it continues to face a relentless assault by Russia." @cnn.com edition.cnn.com/2025/08/28/p...
"The United States on Friday ended tariff exemptions on small packages entering the country from abroad, in a move that has sparked concern among small businesses and warnings of consumer price hikes." @en.afp.com finance.yahoo.com/news/small-p...
"A ‘sea war’ brews off Gambia as desperate local fishermen attack foreign vessels, and each other" @apnews.com apnews.com/article/gamb...
"Thailand's Constitutional Court will on Friday decide the fate of Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra in a case that could see her dismissed after only a year in power, bringing the prospect of turmoil ahead whatever the outcome." @reuters.com www.reuters.com/world/asia-p...
Iran Update, August 28, 2025 @thestudyofwar.bsky.social understandingwar.org/backgrounder...
August 28, 2025 Ukraine Situation report - @thestudyofwar.bsky.social and @criticalthreats.bsky.social www.understandingwar.org/backgrounder...
Tino Chomentowski, five years old - one of an estimated 1.5 million children murdered by German Nazis in the Holocaust. Lest we forget.
Good morning and a tasty start into your #FoxFriday - with this beautiful Vixen who has been a regular in our garden for more than six years now. #Foxoftheday [📷Nikon D850 f/7,1 1/200 600mm ISO 1250]
Russian Occupation Update, August 28, 2025 @thestudyofwar.bsky.social understandingwar.org/backgrounder...
"Russian oil exports to India are set to rise in September, traders said, as producers cut prices to sell more crude because they cannot process as much in refineries that were damaged by Ukrainian drone attacks on energy infrastructure." @reuters.com www.reuters.com/business/ene...
Die Uniform macht keine Unterschied. 😉
"Every member of NATO is now hitting the alliance's previous minimum defense spending threshold. But only Poland, Lithuania and Latvia are currently meeting the military alliance's new target." DW www.dw.com/en/nato-memb...
"Germany's largest arms manufacturer has inaugurated its latest munitions factory, to focus on the 155 mm artillery shells critical to supplying Ukraine. Rheinmetall's stock soared amid Europe's military spending spree." DW www.dw.com/en/germany-r...