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Ruslan Trad

@ruslantrad.bsky.social
10K followers 728 following 1.2K posts

Researcher on info ops, narratives, security-related topics, and hybrid warfare from Syria to Eurasia. Editor, Security and Defense, Capital. Non-Resident Fellow at DFRLab. DRM Journal co-founder. bio.link/ruslantrad

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Ruslan Trad @ruslantrad.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
Hegset announced the creation of the Adeptus Americanus to protect the God-Emperor. In a nutshell, that was what his speech today was about.
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Ruslan Trad @ruslantrad.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
Observing the statements and behavior of politicians in European capitals, the conclusion is tragic. Short-sightedness, petty calculations, and cynicism are rampant, but what is most saddening is just how low the level of statesmanship has fallen.
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Ruslan Trad @ruslantrad.bsky.social · 07/09/2026
The security apparatus behind the rise of the AfD is attempting to sabotage critical infrastructure across Germany and is conducting disinformation campaigns. I wonder how many German voters realize just how deeply Moscow is involved in their daily lives.
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Ruslan Trad @ruslantrad.bsky.social · 07/09/2026
We know with visual confirmation, that China has been assisting Russia militarily since at least late 2022. There is nothing secretive in this- just politicians who refused to read reports. www.politico.eu/article/chin...
politico.eu
China’s secret lifeline to Russia’s killer drone producer
New documents obtained by POLITICO provide the clearest evidence yet of a Chinese state firm supplying the Kremlin’s military industrial complex.
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Ruslan Trad @ruslantrad.bsky.social · 07/09/2026
“…many senior officials within the party and military are unhappy with Xi entering a fourth term, a move reminiscent of "a top leader for life.” asia.nikkei.com/editor-s-pic...
asia.nikkei.com
Analysis: Xi Jinping purges his 'spy' in the military
Zhong Shaojun was ousted along with top uniformed officer Zhang Youxia
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Reposted by Ruslan Trad
Marcel Dirsus @marceldirsus.com · 07/09/2026
There are many factors, of course, but a big part in my opinion is the sense among voters that elections have gotten somewhat meaningless. You vote and vote and vote, but you won't ever actually get what you want because it has become almost impossible to form coherent coalitions
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Ruslan Trad @ruslantrad.bsky.social · 07/09/2026
Parties like the AfD can only win elections by parasitizing the very system they denounce and by capitalizing on the discontent they will betray as soon as they gain power and access to federal funds. Some people think that if they vote for the AfD, they’ll immediately get an apartment.
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Ruslan Trad @ruslantrad.bsky.social · 05/09/2026
Unfortunately, this headline is far from accurate. In reality, U.S. officials are pandering rather than negotiating, while—most likely—they are separately discussing future business ventures with Moscow, including those in the occupied Ukrainian territories. www.theguardian.com/world/2026/s...
theguardian.com
Putin begins talks with Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner on ending war with Ukraine
Moscow and Kyiv vow not to strike each other’s capitals for three days during negotiations
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Ruslan Trad @ruslantrad.bsky.social · 02/09/2026
While Russia has become more dependent on China, North Korea is breaking free from Beijing’s patronage as it strengthens its partnership with Moscow. www.foreignaffairs.com/china/why-ch...
foreignaffairs.com
Why China Worries About North Korea
Beijing’s plans to manage an assertive Pyongyang.
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Ruslan Trad @ruslantrad.bsky.social · 01/09/2026
Russian agents and armed forces are putting pressure on European borders across the board and carrying out operations on EU territory. So far, there has been little to no response.
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Ruslan Trad @ruslantrad.bsky.social · 31/08/2026
Definitely a fruitful and logical policy. www.washingtonpost.com/national-sec...
washingtonpost.com
Pentagon secretly installs military influencers in civilian roles
Conservative veterans with large social media followings have been hired by the Defense Department and are amplifying Pete Hegseth’s culture-war fights.
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Ruslan Trad @ruslantrad.bsky.social · 30/08/2026
Restarting the attacks on Iran brings the question of whether the “economic D-Day” has worked or will be combined with strikes.
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Ruslan Trad @ruslantrad.bsky.social · 28/08/2026
Spoke with Viola Palmiotto at The Hague Institute for Geopolitics about Syrian-Russian relations and what's next. thehig.eu/article/afte...
thehig.eu
After Assad: Why Moscow and Damascus Still Need Each Other - The HIG
Syria still gains from Russia's presence, Viola Palmiotto argues
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Ruslan Trad @ruslantrad.bsky.social · 27/08/2026
Spoke to @aljazeera.com on the removal of Syria from the US list of State Sponsors of Terrorism (SSOT). www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/8/...
aljazeera.com
Syria removed: Which countries are still on the US ‘terror’ list – and why?
The US decision leaves three nations - Cuba, Iran and North Korea - on its 'State Sponsors of Terrorism' blacklist.
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Ruslan Trad @ruslantrad.bsky.social · 27/08/2026
“Ordinary Russians are reacting with anger to the crisis itself, not to the authorities. They want basic goods to be available and to be left alone, while the Government wages its war.” Anger is rising in Russia, but the regime is not yet the main target. Spoke with Kieron Monks for The i Paper.
inews.co.uk
The spark that's igniting rare unrest in Putin's Russia
Kremlin cracks down after rare public displays of dissent over escalating crisis
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Ruslan Trad @ruslantrad.bsky.social · 27/08/2026
Spoke to Le Temps on the Iranian threats and hybrid war against Europe, mainly against Bulgaria, and on the real danger coming not from the missiles but from proxies and criminal networks.
letemps.ch
La Bulgarie se découvre, avec Chypre, dans le viseur du régime iranien - Le Temps
En cas d’escalade militaire américaine, Téhéran ne manquerait pas de s’en prendre à des cibles en Europe, notamment à Chypre et en Bulgarie, selon des sources iraniennes citées par le «Financial Times...
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Ruslan Trad @ruslantrad.bsky.social · 23/08/2026
Amazon is buying and destroying masses of books to train AI. www.404media.co/we-tracked-a...
404media.co
We Tracked a Shipment of Rare Books. It Ended at an Amazon AI Training Facility
We placed a tracking device in a shipment of rare books to see which AI company was buying it, and found an Amazon facility where Amazon scans and destroys books.
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Ruslan Trad @ruslantrad.bsky.social · 18/08/2026
Spoke to Balkan Insight on the Russian Neo-Nazi networks that have already deeply affected the landscape in Bulgaria. balkaninsight.com/2026/08/18/v...
balkaninsight.com
Vigilante Murder Raises Fears of Russian Neo-Nazi Influence in Bulgaria
After a 'paedophile hunt' by teenagers in Plovdiv resulted in a livestreamed murder, police are trying to crack down on a neo-Nazi subculture influenced by Russia's far-right skinhead movement.
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Ruslan Trad @ruslantrad.bsky.social · 11/08/2026
According to UBS, the bottom 83.2% of the world’s adult population (people with net worth of less than $100,000) collectively owned 12.8% of all the world’s wealth, while the top 58 million (who had net worth of more than $1 million) collectively owned 48.4% of everything.
ubs.com
Global Wealth Report 2026
Leading insights into the creation and distribution of global wealth.
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Ruslan Trad @ruslantrad.bsky.social · 11/08/2026
Spoke with @wsj.com on Ceuta and the digital campaign that helped the influx to Spain. www.wsj.com/world/europe...
wsj.com
Spain Has a Simple Explanation for Why Migrants Flooded Across Border
Spanish intelligence has so far concluded that the rush into Ceuta was spontaneous and caused by spreading messages on social media.
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Ruslan Trad @ruslantrad.bsky.social · 11/08/2026
Quoted by @aljazeera.com on the recent moves between Syria's government and Russia. www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/8/...
aljazeera.com
‘They need each other’: What’s behind the new Syria-Russia accord?
The Syrian-Russian agreement reflects a pragmatic approach redefining past alliances amid shifting geopolitics.
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Ruslan Trad @ruslantrad.bsky.social · 09/08/2026
Extreme heat costs South Asia the equivalent of 31 million full-time jobs every year, according to a World Bank report. The report warns that without action, the region's GDP could fall nearly 7% by 2050 & informal workers are hardest hit: a single heatwave can slash their earnings by 40%.
blogs.worldbank.org
Extreme Heat Is a Jobs Crisis—South Asia’s Cities Can’t Afford to Wait.
Extreme heat costs South Asia 31 million jobs a year. A new World Bank report shows how cities can protect workers, growth, and the next generation.
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Ruslan Trad @ruslantrad.bsky.social · 04/08/2026
"Through an opaque network of shell companies in the British Virgin Islands and Luxembourg holding firms, an agency that manages China’s foreign reserves has discreetly scooped up stakes in Europe’s critical infrastructure, utilities, and real estate." www.occrp.org/en/investiga...
occrp.org
A Police HQ, Wind Farms, and Natural Gas: Mapping China's Investments in Europe
Through an opaque network of shell companies in the British Virgin Islands and Luxembourg holding firms, an agency that manages China’s foreign reserves has discreetly scooped up stakes in Europe’s cr...
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Ruslan Trad @ruslantrad.bsky.social · 04/08/2026
“Eight of the biggest oil companies amassed profits of more than $90bn in just three months as the Iran conflict sent energy prices soaring and the emissions-fuelled climate crisis caused deadly heatwaves.” www.theguardian.com/business/ng-...
theguardian.com
Revealed: major oil firms make $93bn profits amid war and climate crisis
Iran conflict windfall over three months reignites calls for companies ‘cashing in on human misery’ to pay for environmental damage
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Ruslan Trad @ruslantrad.bsky.social · 04/08/2026
The global hunger crisis is intensifying due to war and climate disasters. Instead of stepping up to help, the world’s biggest economies are executing unprecedented budget cuts, and this could lead to 22.6 million additional deaths – a crisis experts are calling "a disaster in slow motion".
ftm.eu
Hunger crisis grows while major donors retreat
Conflict and climate change are driving a global hunger crisis, threatening millions with starvation. But as food insecurity deepens in many countries, wealthy donors are scaling back humanitarian aid...
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Reposted by Ruslan Trad
Doctora Malka Older @older.bsky.social · 03/08/2026
A great thread of @globalvoices.org stories from over the weekend, showing the range of coverage: articles and essays on #statelessness; community #climate action in #Nepal; Emancipation Day in #Trinidad, language preservation in #Nigeria ⬇️
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Ruslan Trad @ruslantrad.bsky.social · 03/08/2026
Journalists and researchers from “Project” are tracking the intensity of Ukrainian strikes on Russian regions: according to their data, 70,000 drones have been shot down over the past 3.5 years. www.youtube.com/watch?v=HPfT...
youtube.com
Сколько дронов сбивают над Россией и каким регионам достается больше?
YouTube video by Проект
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Ruslan Trad @ruslantrad.bsky.social · 29/07/2026
open.substack.com
The Sahel’s Widening War and Russia’s African Reckoning
Across a belt stretching from Bamako to Bangui, weakened states, foreign mercenaries, and cross-border spillover from Sudan's civil war are reshaping the security map of the continent.
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Ruslan Trad @ruslantrad.bsky.social · 22/07/2026
Reuters reveals how the Chinese fentanyl chemicals fueling America’s deadly opioid crisis are cheap and easy to get. www.reuters.com/investigates...
reuters.com
Fentanyl Express: The global chemical trade behind the opioid crisis
Reuters reveals how the Chinese fentanyl chemicals fueling America’s deadly opioid crisis are cheap and easy to get – and why authorities are failing to stop them.
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Ruslan Trad @ruslantrad.bsky.social · 22/07/2026
"While Western countries focus on the competitive threat of Chinese EVs, a different challenge is reshaping the auto industry. Beijing's legacy automakers are saturating the vehicle markets." www.reuters.com/investigatio...
reuters.com
China floods the world with gasoline cars it can't sell at home
While Western nations focus on the competitive threat of Chinese EVs, a different challenge is reshaping the auto industry. Beijing's legacy automakers are saturating emerging and second-tier markets ...
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Ruslan Trad @ruslantrad.bsky.social · 15/07/2026
Because why not. www.cbsnews.com/news/cuba-mi...
cbsnews.com
Senior defense officials looking at Cuba military options
Military planners have examined options for possible action against Cuba, including an Army-led air assault involving the 101st Airborne Division.
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Ruslan Trad @ruslantrad.bsky.social · 14/07/2026
Of course. www.thenewhumanitarian.org/feature/2026...
thenewhumanitarian.org
EU expands Libya cooperation despite repeated warnings over violence at sea
The EU recently claimed its support for the Libyan Coast Guard has reduced violence, but NGOs say it creates an incentive for aggressive behaviour.
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Ruslan Trad @ruslantrad.bsky.social · 13/07/2026
First known use of U.S. seaborne drones during war - during attacks on Iran.
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Ruslan Trad @ruslantrad.bsky.social · 13/07/2026
The Trump administration's new Balkans policy—cutting NATO's Kosovo force and lifting sanctions on Bosnian Serb leader Milorad Dodik—is unraveling decades of American-built security architecture in the region, creating risks for both Bosnia and Kosovo.
theins.press
Power vacuum: Trump is dismantling the security architecture in the Balkans
The announcement in June that NATO would reduce its military presence in Kosovo, together with disputes between the United States and its European allies over…
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Ruslan Trad @ruslantrad.bsky.social · 06/07/2026
As a gesture of goodwill, Macron is personally returning 23 ancient Mesopotamian, Roman, and Byzantine archaeological artifacts to the National Museum of Damascus. The treasures had been loaned to Paris's Arab World Institute in 2010 but could not be returned due to the war.
dw.com
Emmanuel Macron visits Syria, 18 months after Assad's fall
The French president landed in Damascus on Monday evening. He's the first EU leader to visit the country since Bashar Assad's sudden downfall and the rise of former militant turned President Ahmed al-...
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Ruslan Trad @ruslantrad.bsky.social · 06/07/2026
"Civilians in Burkina Faso have accused the national army of preventing them from leaving government-held towns blockaded by jihadist rebels, forcing them to remain in life-threatening conditions where there is a lack of food and other basic essentials."
thenewhumanitarian.org
Burkina Faso’s army accused of preventing civilians from leaving jihadist-besieged towns
The government’s drive to demonstrate progress has made some soldiers hostile to those needing to leave their homes.
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Ruslan Trad @ruslantrad.bsky.social · 06/07/2026
substack.com/home/post/p-...
substack.com
Russia's Africa Corps is facing its most serious operational strain to date
Africa Corps has struggled to replicate Wagner's battlefield effectiveness
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Ruslan Trad @ruslantrad.bsky.social · 03/07/2026
Major chatbot platforms found to be advertising unregulated online casinos across Europe, @investigate-europe.eu research shows. www.investigate-europe.eu/posts/ai-cha...
investigate-europe.eu
AI chatbots lure vulnerable gamblers to unlicensed betting websites
Major chatbot platforms found to be advertising unregulated online casinos across the continent, exclusive Investigate Europe research shows.
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Ruslan Trad @ruslantrad.bsky.social · 03/07/2026
Of course, the first thought about who is behind yesterday’s bloody attack in Damascus goes to IS. However, everyone who follows Syria closely has something else in mind - Assad’s (former) networks and Hezbollah.
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Ruslan Trad @ruslantrad.bsky.social · 03/07/2026
"The Trump family crypto firm that brought the president a windfall has also served as a vehicle for Pakistan to gain clout with the White House." www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/7/...
aljazeera.com
$500m for Trump, access for Pakistan: How a crypto-diplomatic bet paid off
The crypto firm that brought Trump a windfall has also allowed Pakistan to gain clout with US administration.
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Reposted by Ruslan Trad
Marcel Dirsus @marceldirsus.com · 03/07/2026
Me: So what do you do for work? The CIA spy I just met: I'm at the Department of Agriculture, I work with turtles
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Reposted by Ruslan Trad
Ulrich Tromm @ultro.bsky.social · 03/07/2026
Even in times of blanket satellite surveillance it`s still spy turtles.
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Ruslan Trad @ruslantrad.bsky.social · 03/07/2026
The Chinese government is offering rewards for the capture of spy turtles, which it claims are being used in an “invisible secret war” beneath the waves. www.theguardian.com/world/2026/j...
theguardian.com
‘Spy turtles’ and ‘spy fish’ being used to monitor Chinese waters, Beijing claims
Ministry says animals fitted with sensors by foreign agencies collect sensitive sea data, in ‘invisible secret war’
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Ruslan Trad @ruslantrad.bsky.social · 03/07/2026
"Far-right groups that blend feminist messaging with anti-immigrant and anti-Islam views are using PayPal to process merchandise sales and donations, despite the company’s rules prohibiting transactions that promote hate or discrimination." www.ftm.eu/articles/far...
ftm.eu
Far-right groups rely on PayPal to spread extremism
PayPal is being used to process payments by far-right groups that promote nationalist and anti-immigrant views under the guise of feminism, an investigation by Fuller has found. The findings raise que...
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Ruslan Trad @ruslantrad.bsky.social · 01/07/2026
Japan's Self-Defense Forces used USB drives containing a China-linked virus on computers with access to classified information for nearly a year.
asia.nikkei.com
Japan defense forces used USB drives with China-linked virus: Nikkei investigation
Counterfeit memory sticks infected computers that had access to classified information
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Ruslan Trad @ruslantrad.bsky.social · 30/06/2026
One of Netanyahu’s least-discussed allies, Vucic’s Serbia, will manufacture LANIUS-X. LANIUS-X is an AI-powered, drone-based attack system developed by Elbit & it functions as a maneuverable loitering munition designed to scout and engage targets in complex indoor and outdoor urban environments.
vucic.rs
Војска Србије ће наставити да јача
Председник Републике Србије Александар Вучић изјавио је, на приказу нових и модернизованих средстава и система Војске Србије на војном аеродрому у Батајници, да ће нам бити потребно више пилота јер ст...
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Ruslan Trad @ruslantrad.bsky.social · 25/06/2026
Last month, an AI law firm that uses technology instead of lawyers to prepare legal claims won a case in the English courts for the first time.
ft.com
AI law firm wins UK court case for first time
Freelancer paid about £400 for technology to draft documents for £7,000 claim
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Ruslan Trad @ruslantrad.bsky.social · 24/06/2026
"...effort to outsource migration controls..." www.politico.eu/article/eu-c...
politico.eu
EU countries eye setting up migrant ‘return hubs’ in Rwanda and Uzbekistan
Push marks fresh test of Europe’s effort to outsource migration controls after years of legal setbacks and political controversy.
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Ruslan Trad @ruslantrad.bsky.social · 22/06/2026
"Senior Somali official says 50 Israeli soldiers with African descent are in the breakaway Horn of Africa state as part of bilateral security arrangements."
middleeasteye.net
Israel deployed troops to Somaliland after recognition, source says
Senior Somali official says 50 Israeli soldiers with African descent are in the breakaway Horn of Africa state as part of bilateral security arrangements
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Ruslan Trad @ruslantrad.bsky.social · 22/06/2026
ftm.eu
Criminal investigation into Huawei lobbying gets torpedoed
Follow the Money - Platform for investigative journalism
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