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. https://bio.link/ruslantradhttps://bsky.app/profile/ruslantrad.bsky.socialhttps://bsky.app/profile/ruslantrad.bsky.social/post/3mlorreirw224NewsGuard today announced that it has upgraded its browser extension to work inside ChatGPT and Google Gemini, displaying its nonpartisan trust scores and providing access to its “Nutrition Labels” next to every source those AI tools cite. https://www.newsguardtech.com/how-it-works/12 May 2026 21:56 +0000at://did:plc:7hr2jl452anzvxfdtvwitucd/app.bsky.feed.post/3mlorreirw224https://bsky.app/profile/ruslantrad.bsky.social/post/3mlmclsjhz22k“An investigation by Conflict Armament Research (Car) documented more than 800 weapons components recovered in seizures in the Red Sea, and found that the Houthis had acquired “an array of advanced missiles and uncrewed aerial vehicles”. https://www.thenationalnews.com/news/mena/2026/05/11/houthis-expanding-weapons-cache-with-drones-and-missiles-from-iran/11 May 2026 22:19 +0000at://did:plc:7hr2jl452anzvxfdtvwitucd/app.bsky.feed.post/3mlmclsjhz22khttps://bsky.app/profile/ruslantrad.bsky.social/post/3mlkwk2q6es2xElon Musk’s xAI quietly changed its point of contact for EU users to an address in Estonia’s capital. There, it claims to be represented by the Belgium-based company EDSR. A local reporter checked out the address and couldn’t find any sign of either xAI or EDSR. https://www.ftm.eu/articles/elon-musk-ai-company-basement-address?vgo_ee=1ot2Cu977gdPAyWxrSbhkk54CygZsKwaptcBhZjgUu3BTCWB:Mqso699UiQrjufyDxRhFUZ0J5LQSSk+2&share=DQdYYKVdzY/2hrI3bmrmycx4OA1+5wg6kj3YfAdVfcvKMB0suYil8Re2CE2li5U%3D11 May 2026 09:11 +0000at://did:plc:7hr2jl452anzvxfdtvwitucd/app.bsky.feed.post/3mlkwk2q6es2xhttps://bsky.app/profile/ruslantrad.bsky.social/post/3mlilovp7n22k"President Donald Trump and Republicans in Congress have been determined to dismantle fact-checking journalism, both in the United States and around the world. Are they having regrets now? Iran may be outgunned on the battlefield, but the country is holding its own in information warfare." https://www.poynter.org/commentary/2026/iran-information-warfare-fact-checking-journalism-dismantled/10 May 2026 10:51 +0000at://did:plc:7hr2jl452anzvxfdtvwitucd/app.bsky.feed.post/3mlilovp7n22khttps://bsky.app/profile/ruslantrad.bsky.social/post/3mlilihoazk23"A leaked audio recording points to former Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernández, Javier Milei, and Donald Trump as attempting to create a platform to spread fake news about the administrations of Claudia Sheinbaum, Lula, and Gustavo Petro." https://english.elpais.com/international/2026-05-07/hondurasgate-the-alleged-us-and-israeli-interference-plot-to-destabilize-mexico-and-other-progressive-governments.html10 May 2026 10:47 +0000at://did:plc:7hr2jl452anzvxfdtvwitucd/app.bsky.feed.post/3mlilihoazk23https://bsky.app/profile/ruslantrad.bsky.social/post/3mlifg5qlsc2jThis title says everything. https://www.theatlantic.com/national-security/2026/05/iran-war-trump-deal/687100/10 May 2026 08:59 +0000at://did:plc:7hr2jl452anzvxfdtvwitucd/app.bsky.feed.post/3mlifg5qlsc2jhttps://bsky.app/profile/ruslantrad.bsky.social/post/3mlfxn3ey4k2lSolomon, CORRECTIV, and Computer Weekly revealed that Europol used an internal system to handle large volumes of sensitive data, including phone records, financial details, and location data – even from people not suspected of crimes. The system ran for years without basic safeguards. https://wearesolomon.com/mag/thematikh/logodosia-diafaneia/prostatevoun-ton-nomo-paraviazontas-ton-mesa-sto-skiodes-pliroforiako-systhma-tis-europol/09 May 2026 09:47 +0000at://did:plc:7hr2jl452anzvxfdtvwitucd/app.bsky.feed.post/3mlfxn3ey4k2lhttps://bsky.app/profile/ruslantrad.bsky.social/post/3mlbaer6cus2o“To switch on that one data centre, we would need to shut off power for half the country,” Kenyan president William Ruto said, as he announced a decision to pull the plug on a $1 billion Microsoft data centre. https://africa.businessinsider.com/local/markets/kenya-suspends-dollar1-billion-microsoft-data-centre-as-energy-shortfall-raises/hdtfmxz?_bhlid=676458c9a9532ce3e9fef15b1bf88f220ae64fb107 May 2026 12:40 +0000at://did:plc:7hr2jl452anzvxfdtvwitucd/app.bsky.feed.post/3mlbaer6cus2ohttps://bsky.app/profile/ruslantrad.bsky.social/post/3ml44q7gc322jOne of Simion's absurd promises to his supporters is to give the Russians the largest base in Romania. The pro-Russian camp in Eastern Europe is trying to regain ground after Orban's defeat, first in Bulgaria, and then to the north. https://www.politico.eu/article/romania-government-collapses/05 May 2026 11:51 +0000at://did:plc:7hr2jl452anzvxfdtvwitucd/app.bsky.feed.post/3ml44q7gc322jhttps://bsky.app/profile/ruslantrad.bsky.social/post/3ml43fn5r522p"According to Kenya’s National Intelligence Service, more than 1,000 Kenyans have been recruited to fight in Russia’s war in Ukraine, with 39 hospitalized, 30 repatriated, and 28 missing in action as of Feb. 18." https://foreignpolicy.com/2026/05/05/russia-africa-ukraine-war-recruitment-soldiers-kenya-repatriation/05 May 2026 11:28 +0000at://did:plc:7hr2jl452anzvxfdtvwitucd/app.bsky.feed.post/3ml43fn5r522phttps://bsky.app/profile/ruslantrad.bsky.social/post/3ml3y2ksxsc2o"Leaked meeting minutes show Russia’s deputy defense minister leaning on Syria to pay a $37-million bill for keeping oil flowing. Months after that meeting, the regime of Bashar al-Assad fell to a rebel coalition." https://www.occrp.org/en/scoop/russia-threatened-to-halt-syrian-oil-operations-if-assad-regime-didnt-pay-debt05 May 2026 10:28 +0000at://did:plc:7hr2jl452anzvxfdtvwitucd/app.bsky.feed.post/3ml3y2ksxsc2ohttps://bsky.app/profile/ruslantrad.bsky.social/post/3ml2oztbty22o"Chevron Chairman and CEO Mike Wirth said that physical shortages in oil supply ​would begin appearing around the world because of the closure ‌of the Strait of Hormuz [...]." https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/chevron-ceo-says-physical-shortages-oil-supply-begin-appearing-2026-05-04/04 May 2026 22:14 +0000at://did:plc:7hr2jl452anzvxfdtvwitucd/app.bsky.feed.post/3ml2oztbty22ohttps://bsky.app/profile/ruslantrad.bsky.social/post/3mkzgxddgsc27“Concerns over informal channels of communication between EU lawmakers and Russian officials are resurfacing in Brussels, as members of the European Parliament continue to engage in private meetings with representatives of Russia…” https://eualive.net/meps-informal-meetings-with-russian-officials-spark-fresh-concerns-in-brussels/04 May 2026 10:16 +0000at://did:plc:7hr2jl452anzvxfdtvwitucd/app.bsky.feed.post/3mkzgxddgsc27https://bsky.app/profile/ruslantrad.bsky.social/post/3mkz5w2hzcs2t“The UAE offers “freedom” in cryptocurrency and has succeeded in building a globally competitive crypto ecosystem, Changpeng Zhao has said in an interview with The National.” https://www.thenationalnews.com/business/money/2026/05/04/uae-will-be-the-centre-for-money-says-binance-founder-changpeng-zhao/04 May 2026 07:35 +0000at://did:plc:7hr2jl452anzvxfdtvwitucd/app.bsky.feed.post/3mkz5w2hzcs2thttps://bsky.app/profile/ruslantrad.bsky.social/post/3mktbp2zwik2e“Through its “Young Correspondents” program, Russia is training teenagers in occupied Ukraine to promote the invasion and wage information war on Moscow’s behalf.” https://www.occrp.org/en/investigation/how-russia-recruits-teenagers-in-occupied-ukraine-for-a-pro-moscow-propaganda-machine01 May 2026 23:26 +0000at://did:plc:7hr2jl452anzvxfdtvwitucd/app.bsky.feed.post/3mktbp2zwik2ehttps://bsky.app/profile/ruslantrad.bsky.social/post/3mkt7wcnbac2bThe Pentagon said that it is withdrawing about 5,000 troops from Germany amid a spiraling feud between Trump and Merz over the war in Iran. wapo.st/4d0f2An https://wapo.st/4d0f2An01 May 2026 22:55 +0000at://did:plc:7hr2jl452anzvxfdtvwitucd/app.bsky.feed.post/3mkt7wcnbac2bhttps://bsky.app/profile/ruslantrad.bsky.social/post/3mkqidksw6k23“A shell company backed by Donald Trump Jr and Eric Trump has merged with a critical minerals group that last year secured up to $1.6bn in US government support to mine tungsten in Kazakhstan.” https://www.ft.com/content/d99f6f75-931a-42e5-9111-0dc0acc4368c?shareType=nongift30 Apr 2026 20:47 +0000at://did:plc:7hr2jl452anzvxfdtvwitucd/app.bsky.feed.post/3mkqidksw6k23https://bsky.app/profile/ruslantrad.bsky.social/post/3mkkrsi3bsc2tThe UAE is leaving OPEC. Probably just to strike a blow against Saudi Arabia. https://www.reuters.com/markets/commodities/uae-says-it-quits-opec-opec-statement-2026-04-28/28 Apr 2026 14:21 +0000at://did:plc:7hr2jl452anzvxfdtvwitucd/app.bsky.feed.post/3mkkrsi3bsc2thttps://bsky.app/profile/ruslantrad.bsky.social/post/3mkkff2alcc2lArchaeologists at Pompeii used AI for the first time to digitally reconstruct the face of a man killed during the AD 79 eruption of Mount Vesuvius. His remains were found near Porta Stabia, apparently fleeing toward the coast while using a terracotta mortar as a shield from falling volcanic debris. https://apnews.com/article/italy-pompeii-artificial-intelligence-reconstruction-victims-vesuvius-2b1b4c944f4285a10699b3f3053fe8a628 Apr 2026 10:38 +0000at://did:plc:7hr2jl452anzvxfdtvwitucd/app.bsky.feed.post/3mkkff2alcc2lhttps://bsky.app/profile/ruslantrad.bsky.social/post/3mkimogpc6227“Romania's largest party in parliament, the Social ‌Democrats, will team up with the hard-right opposition Alliance for Uniting Romanians in a bid to topple the pro-European coalition government.” https://www.reuters.com/world/romanias-largest-party-teams-up-with-far-right-opposition-topple-pro-european-2026-04-27/27 Apr 2026 17:43 +0000at://did:plc:7hr2jl452anzvxfdtvwitucd/app.bsky.feed.post/3mkimogpc6227https://bsky.app/profile/ruslantrad.bsky.social/post/3mkb3rr552s2hMidterms will be hot. https://www.nytimes.com/2026/04/23/us/politics/trump-approval-rating-poll.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share24 Apr 2026 17:52 +0000at://did:plc:7hr2jl452anzvxfdtvwitucd/app.bsky.feed.post/3mkb3rr552s2hhttps://bsky.app/profile/ruslantrad.bsky.social/post/3mka7q2kqek2hA network of shell companies linked to a Russian oligarch Deripaska financed political influence efforts in the United States and Albania. https://www.ftm.eu/articles/albania-conservative-party-trump-kremlin-deripaska24 Apr 2026 09:30 +0000at://did:plc:7hr2jl452anzvxfdtvwitucd/app.bsky.feed.post/3mka7q2kqek2hhttps://bsky.app/profile/ruslantrad.bsky.social/post/3mk5i2strs22v https://www.thenewhumanitarian.org/analysis/2026/04/22/civil-war-reignites-south-sudan-so-too-does-battle-over-aid23 Apr 2026 07:22 +0000at://did:plc:7hr2jl452anzvxfdtvwitucd/app.bsky.feed.post/3mk5i2strs22vhttps://bsky.app/profile/ruslantrad.bsky.social/post/3mjuzkeyqgs2fFor the first time in decades, Bulgaria will likely be led by a man who entered politics thanks to a campaign organized by Russian intelligence—a campaign that the Russian intelligence services themselves have publicly acknowledged.19 Apr 2026 22:41 +0000at://did:plc:7hr2jl452anzvxfdtvwitucd/app.bsky.feed.post/3mjuzkeyqgs2fhttps://bsky.app/profile/ruslantrad.bsky.social/post/3mjr6obsnhs23Dutch “fly-shooting” vessels are ramping up activity in the English Channel despite agreements meant to limit the technique, intensifying competition with French and British fishers. https://www.ftm.eu/articles/dutch-fly-shooting-fishing-fleet-fuelling-tensions-english-channel?vgo_ee=27TO/RJtC1T+1GKxLD9PUZbQ/j9YKsIFE38nSRaLICdhFxUW:7JaEbtZLP2T8Xob7cY0Vv6z191RAZF/E&share=z1hS/zz0K6vfYHD6FoI/GIT06GALPcN5mTTzGm+V1In5R0CoDWezqi3/c7FVEnk%3D18 Apr 2026 10:02 +0000at://did:plc:7hr2jl452anzvxfdtvwitucd/app.bsky.feed.post/3mjr6obsnhs23https://bsky.app/profile/ruslantrad.bsky.social/post/3mjr55znjqk27Europe’s flower industry is worth billions: yet the countries that gave it life get almost nothing in return. Genetic resources from the Global South fuel profits in Europe, while a flawed UN system meant to ensure fair sharing isn’t delivering. https://www.ftm.eu/articles/europe-flower-industry-keeps-colonial-system-blooming?vgo_ee=uSuITj2ejHlziiUvAAyHRAx+AT+p5nV/Z0TuPuyeSR46KOJ0:eeZ4+quV3fohEVTIEWDwCnzVmwSyCBDW&share=gsd/E47DvbMYvYvAcYGyDVTgTpN+rs8VvrYo1hVhVLfJGQaloVsTSEokOTETkw4%3D18 Apr 2026 09:35 +0000at://did:plc:7hr2jl452anzvxfdtvwitucd/app.bsky.feed.post/3mjr55znjqk27https://bsky.app/profile/ruslantrad.bsky.social/post/3mjeobkzp3k2fOn April 10, a dozen people were killed at a picnic area in Western Afghanistan. On Saturday, the Nigerian Air Force struck a crowded market in Yobe, killing over 100 people. These are just two stories that have been lost in the news cycle.13 Apr 2026 10:36 +0000at://did:plc:7hr2jl452anzvxfdtvwitucd/app.bsky.feed.post/3mjeobkzp3k2fhttps://bsky.app/profile/ruslantrad.bsky.social/post/3mjekzdkjp222The rhetoric of the Israeli far right against Turkey is not new, though some have only noticed it in recent weeks. As early as late 2024, calls and publications emerged calling for an attack on Turkey’s nuclear infrastructure, which was a new development in the narratives at that time.13 Apr 2026 09:38 +0000at://did:plc:7hr2jl452anzvxfdtvwitucd/app.bsky.feed.post/3mjekzdkjp222https://bsky.app/profile/ruslantrad.bsky.social/post/3mjeheuf4m22vPlanes used by officials have begun taking off from Budapest. We will likely see more than one flight to the UAE and onward to other destinations.13 Apr 2026 08:33 +0000at://did:plc:7hr2jl452anzvxfdtvwitucd/app.bsky.feed.post/3mjeheuf4m22v