Ville Kostian
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Ville Kostian
@kostianv.bsky.social
Geopolitics, geoeconomics and military.
Reposted by Ville Kostian
Ukraine is set to receive 35 missiles for U.S.-produced Patriot air defense systems from its partners soon, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius told journalists on Feb. 12 following a meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group at NATO headquarters.
Allies pledge 35 Patriot missiles for Ukraine — sounds a lot, but is it?
Ukraine is set to receive 35 missiles for U.S.-produced Patriot air defense systems from its partners soon, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said on Feb. 12.
kyivindependent.com
February 13, 2026 at 3:53 PM
Reposted by Ville Kostian
Regarding the torture of Ukrainians #Ukraine
Regarding the torture of Ukrainians
kyivindependent.com
February 13, 2026 at 3:39 PM
Reposted by Ville Kostian
This is a major milestone on our pathway to developing Europe’s first sovereign hypersonic strike capability, Anglo-German company Hypersonica said after its successful missile test launch at Andøya, Arctic Norway
Hypersonica says its missile exceeded Mach 6 in Andøya test launch
It is a major milestone on our pathway to developing Europe’s first sovereign hypersonic strike capability, the the Anglo-German defence and aerospace company says.
www.thebarentsobserver.com
February 13, 2026 at 12:15 PM
" #Europe needs #cyber weapons, says #EU tech chief"
www.politico.eu/article/euro...
Europe needs cyber weapons, says EU tech chief
“We also have to have offensive capacity,” says Commissioner Henna Virkkunen.
www.politico.eu
February 13, 2026 at 1:41 PM
Reposted by Ville Kostian
Beijing vows to firmly crack down on infiltration after CIA seeks Chinese recruitment of spies
Beijing vows to firmly crack down on infiltration after CIA seeks Chinese recruitment of spies
'Anti-China forces will not succeed,' Foreign Ministry spokesperson says, after CIA released video seeking to recruit potential US spies from ranks of Chinese military - Anadolu Ajansı
www.aa.com.tr
February 13, 2026 at 1:32 PM
Reposted by Ville Kostian
LAB52 has been monitoring a campaign dubbed “Operation MacroMaze”, which, based on its characteristics, can be attributed to APT28, also known as Fancy Bear
lab52.io/blog/operati...
February 13, 2026 at 1:32 PM
" #CIA publishes recruitment video aimed at disaffected Chinese soldiers" - #China #PLA
www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026...
CIA publishes recruitment video aimed at disaffected Chinese soldiers
Army in turmoil after Xi Jinping placed top general under investigation for suspected corruption last month
www.theguardian.com
February 13, 2026 at 1:38 PM
#Space - "Rocket Report: Say cheerio to #Orbex; #China is getting good at booster landings"
arstechnica.com/space/2026/0...
Rocket Report: Say cheerio to Orbex; China is getting good at booster landings
You absolutely have to have a plan to compete with SpaceX on price."
arstechnica.com
February 13, 2026 at 1:32 PM
Reposted by Ville Kostian
As of Feb. 1, foreign investors held $61.97 billion in Russian government debt. The majority of those holdings are long-term bonds.
Russia’s External Debt Hits 20-Year High - The Moscow Times
Russia’s external debt has reached nearly $62 billion, data published by the Finance Ministry on Thursday showed, marking its highest level in two decades as Moscow is forced to borrow more money to f...
www.themoscowtimes.com
February 13, 2026 at 10:12 AM
#AI - "Attackers prompted #Gemini over 100,000 times while trying to clone it, #Google says"
arstechnica.com/ai/2026/02/a...
Attackers prompted Gemini over 100,000 times while trying to clone it, Google says
Distillation technique lets copycats mimic Gemini at a fraction of the development cost.
arstechnica.com
February 13, 2026 at 10:11 AM
"US- #NATO exercise rehearses taking out 1,500 targets a day to ‘overwhelm’ an enemy"
www.defenseone.com/threats/2026...
US-NATO exercise rehearses taking out 1,500 targets a day to ‘overwhelm’ an enemy
Army’s 56th Multi-Domain Command is looking for electronic warfare-proof munitions, decoy drones.
www.defenseone.com
February 13, 2026 at 10:09 AM
Reposted by Ville Kostian
🇺🇦🇩🇪 Zelensky: Today in Munich, Germany. An important day, and there will be new steps toward our shared security – that of Ukraine and Europe. On the agenda is the first joint Ukrainian-German drone production enterprise, as well as bilateral and multilateral meetings with partners.
February 13, 2026 at 10:08 AM
" #Iran fortifies underground complex near #nuclear site, satellite images show"
www.bbc.com/news/article...
Iran fortifies underground complex near nuclear site, satellite images show
The activity comes at a time of heightened tensions as talks between Iranian and US officials continue over Iran's nuclear programme.
www.bbc.com
February 13, 2026 at 10:07 AM
" #Trump FTC wants #Apple News to promote more Fox News and Breitbart stories"
arstechnica.com/tech-policy/...
Trump FTC wants Apple News to promote more Fox News and Breitbart stories
FTC claims Apple News suppresses conservatives, cites study by pro-Trump group.
arstechnica.com
February 13, 2026 at 10:06 AM
Reposted by Ville Kostian
SITREP 🇺🇦 DAY 1451

1. No European version of Alaska summit: Macron says time not yet ripe for dialog with Putin

2. Zelensky & Rubio speaking tomorrow at #msc2026

3. $38 bn milaid package for 🇺🇦 by Ramstein group. Not yet enough to cover US fall to zero

4. 25 leakers out of ~100 Shahed
February 13, 2026 at 9:50 AM
Reposted by Ville Kostian
It's Day 1451 of the attempt to wipe Ukraine off the map/

Russian athletes compete at the #WinterOlympics while a Ukrainian athlete is in court right now trying to overturn his ban.

This is THE daily thread. Facts not fabrication. Proof not propaganda. Every single day.
February 13, 2026 at 8:48 AM
Reposted by Ville Kostian
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said China supports Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and remains its number one trading partner, with trade reaching $21 billion last year. He said Kyiv plans to expand cooperation and sees China playing a role in a just peace. #Ukraine
February 13, 2026 at 9:52 AM
Reposted by Ville Kostian
The next round of talks on the Russian-Ukrainian war is set for next week Peskov said. He added that Moscow is still forming its stance on a Peace Council while any US-Russia economic cooperation hinges on a deal being reached first.
February 13, 2026 at 9:52 AM
Reposted by Ville Kostian
U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration has ⁠shelved a number of key tech security measures aimed at Beijing ahead of an April meeting between the two countries’ presidents.
Trump pauses China tech bans ahead of Xi summit
The measures include a ban on China Telecom’s U.S. operations and restrictions on sales of Chinese equipment for U.S. data centers.
ebx.sh
February 13, 2026 at 5:24 AM
#Space - "When #Amazon badly needed a ride, #Europe 's Ariane 6 rocket delivered"
arstechnica.com/space/2026/0...
When Amazon badly needed a ride, Europe's Ariane 6 rocket delivered
This was the first launch of the Ariane 64, the most powerful rocket in European space history.
arstechnica.com
February 13, 2026 at 5:24 AM