Mike Eckel
@mikeeckel.bsky.social
Opponent of Quiet Desperation. Contains Multitudes. In Search Of Meanness Or Sublimity. Former Moscow Correspondent. Vladivostok Fanboy. Chaotic Good. @RFERL
Pinned
Mike Eckel
@mikeeckel.bsky.social
· Jan 13
Vladimir Gusinsky was once one of Russia’s most influential oligarchs. In recent years, he’s been tangled in lawsuits, debt disputes, and legal fights. He’s also drawn scrutiny from the FBI for, among other things, his ties to former FBI special agent Charles McGonigal. 🧵👇
Death toll from Russian strikes on Kyiv now 6, as emergency workers pull more bodies from rubble.
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November 14, 2025 at 2:31 PM
Death toll from Russian strikes on Kyiv now 6, as emergency workers pull more bodies from rubble.
t.co/uP2UCTF6ER
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Kyiv death toll from Russian strikes up to 4, per local authorities; more than 30 wounded. Video by
@radiosvoboda.org.web.brid.gy
@radiosvoboda.org.web.brid.gy
November 14, 2025 at 9:56 AM
Kyiv death toll from Russian strikes up to 4, per local authorities; more than 30 wounded. Video by
@radiosvoboda.org.web.brid.gy
@radiosvoboda.org.web.brid.gy
Major Russian strikes overnight on Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities. At least 3 killed in Kyiv, per Mayor Klitshcko; more than 2 dozen wounded. More than 430 drones and 18 missiles fired by Russia, per Zelenskiy.
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November 14, 2025 at 7:26 AM
Major Russian strikes overnight on Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities. At least 3 killed in Kyiv, per Mayor Klitshcko; more than 2 dozen wounded. More than 430 drones and 18 missiles fired by Russia, per Zelenskiy.
t.me/vitaliy_klit...
t.me/V_Zelenskiy_...
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"Graft was the glue with which the Kremlin had held [Ukraine] in check since the 1991 Soviet collapse, infiltrated its security services, manipulated its leaders and gutted its military."
www.bloomberg.com/opinion/arti...
www.bloomberg.com/opinion/arti...
Why Do Ukrainians Fight? A $100 Million Graft Case Shows Why
There are at least two legitimate responses to allegations that a group of highly placed Ukrainian officials have skimmed $100 million from contracts to repair and protect their nation’s critical ener...
www.bloomberg.com
November 12, 2025 at 1:31 PM
"Graft was the glue with which the Kremlin had held [Ukraine] in check since the 1991 Soviet collapse, infiltrated its security services, manipulated its leaders and gutted its military."
www.bloomberg.com/opinion/arti...
www.bloomberg.com/opinion/arti...
A Russian company presented the country's first (per TASS) humanoid robot equipped with AI today; it didn't go very well. (The soundtrack is spot-on though)
November 11, 2025 at 6:39 PM
A Russian company presented the country's first (per TASS) humanoid robot equipped with AI today; it didn't go very well. (The soundtrack is spot-on though)
Reposted by Mike Eckel
This may become the funniest trial of all time
The defense team presses Lairmore on whether the sandwich really 'exploded.' They return to the photo of the sandwich and wrapper on the ground.
"That sandwich hasn't exploded at all, has it?" defense asks.
"It looks like a little bit is coming out towards the bottom," Lairmore replies.
"That sandwich hasn't exploded at all, has it?" defense asks.
"It looks like a little bit is coming out towards the bottom," Lairmore replies.
November 6, 2025 at 11:31 AM
This may become the funniest trial of all time
Reposted by Mike Eckel
Brilliant investigation into Saudi Arabia's discovery that the optimal shape for a city is not a 170-kilometre straight line ig.ft.com/saudi-neom-l...
End of The Line: how Saudi Arabia’s Neom dream unravelled
Mohammed bin Salman’s utopian city was undone by the laws of physics and finance
ig.ft.com
November 6, 2025 at 3:21 PM
Brilliant investigation into Saudi Arabia's discovery that the optimal shape for a city is not a 170-kilometre straight line ig.ft.com/saudi-neom-l...
Reposted by Mike Eckel
Putin's Security Council escalates nuclear-test wordings.
#NovayaZemlya #Putin #NuclearTests #Russia
#NovayaZemlya #Putin #NuclearTests #Russia
Belousov: 'Appropriate to begin immediate preparations for full-scale nuclear tests at the Novaya Zemlya'
The Russian Defence Minister Andrei Belousov made clear that the test site on the Arctic archipelago can be ready at short notice.
www.thebarentsobserver.com
November 5, 2025 at 3:17 PM
Putin's Security Council escalates nuclear-test wordings.
#NovayaZemlya #Putin #NuclearTests #Russia
#NovayaZemlya #Putin #NuclearTests #Russia
🧵Today is the 10th anniversary of one of Washington’s most persistent unsolved mysteries: the death of Mikhail Lesin. A former Putin media minister who built the Russia Today, Lesin’s body was found in the Dupont Circle Hotel on Nov. 5, 2015.
November 5, 2025 at 2:55 PM
🧵Today is the 10th anniversary of one of Washington’s most persistent unsolved mysteries: the death of Mikhail Lesin. A former Putin media minister who built the Russia Today, Lesin’s body was found in the Dupont Circle Hotel on Nov. 5, 2015.
Russian Defense Minister Andrei Belousov calls for immediate preparations for nuclear testing up at Novaya Zemlya (was speaking today at a meeting of the Russian Security Council, chaired by Putin)
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RIA_Kremlinpool
❗️Белоусов на совещании постоянных членов Совбеза заявил, что считает целесообразным подготовку к полномасштабным ядерным испытаниям начать немедленно
t.me
November 5, 2025 at 2:12 PM
Russian Defense Minister Andrei Belousov calls for immediate preparations for nuclear testing up at Novaya Zemlya (was speaking today at a meeting of the Russian Security Council, chaired by Putin)
t.me/RIAKremlinpo...
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There are many charming aspects of Slovakia's capital city. For example, the "Cheese-O-Matic" vending machine.
November 4, 2025 at 7:16 PM
There are many charming aspects of Slovakia's capital city. For example, the "Cheese-O-Matic" vending machine.
Reposted by Mike Eckel
BREAKING: Dick Cheney, one of the most powerful and polarizing vice presidents of US history, dies at 84.
Dick Cheney, one of the most powerful and polarizing vice presidents of US history, dies at 84
Former Vice President Dick Cheney has died at age 84. The hard-charging conservative became one of the most powerful and polarizing vice presidents and a leading advocate for the invasion of Iraq.
bit.ly
November 4, 2025 at 11:40 AM
BREAKING: Dick Cheney, one of the most powerful and polarizing vice presidents of US history, dies at 84.
Reposted by Mike Eckel
It's not in this article but the government asserts that the sandwich was thrown at "point blank range", which implies subway sandwiches have defined effective weapon ranges of varying lethality, and I would like to see the government's chart of these ranges.
Trial Begins for Man Accused of Lobbing a Sandwich at a Federal Agent www.nytimes.com/2025/11/03/u...
Trial Begins for Man Accused of Lobbing a Sandwich at a Federal Agent
www.nytimes.com
November 3, 2025 at 9:14 PM
It's not in this article but the government asserts that the sandwich was thrown at "point blank range", which implies subway sandwiches have defined effective weapon ranges of varying lethality, and I would like to see the government's chart of these ranges.
Reposted by Mike Eckel
The Khabarovsk was rolled out from the ship hall in Severodvinsk on Saturday. This submarine is the first in a class of vessels to be armed with Russia's new doomsday-weapon, the underwater nuclear-powered, nuclear-armed torpedo-looking robotic weapon.
Here comes Russia's first serial submarine to carry nuclear-powered giga-torpedoes
The Khabarovsk was launched from the Sevmash shipyard in Severodvinsk on Saturday.
www.thebarentsobserver.com
November 1, 2025 at 8:17 PM
The Khabarovsk was rolled out from the ship hall in Severodvinsk on Saturday. This submarine is the first in a class of vessels to be armed with Russia's new doomsday-weapon, the underwater nuclear-powered, nuclear-armed torpedo-looking robotic weapon.
Reposted by Mike Eckel
In Sumy, a russian attack drone hit an apartment building; five apartments were engulfed in flames. There were also hits on railway infrastructure. This can be seen in the video.
Explosions were heard overnight in Sumy, Odesa, Mykolaiv, Kharkiv, Kherson, and other regions of Ukraine.
Explosions were heard overnight in Sumy, Odesa, Mykolaiv, Kharkiv, Kherson, and other regions of Ukraine.
October 31, 2025 at 6:14 AM
In Sumy, a russian attack drone hit an apartment building; five apartments were engulfed in flames. There were also hits on railway infrastructure. This can be seen in the video.
Explosions were heard overnight in Sumy, Odesa, Mykolaiv, Kharkiv, Kherson, and other regions of Ukraine.
Explosions were heard overnight in Sumy, Odesa, Mykolaiv, Kharkiv, Kherson, and other regions of Ukraine.
Reposted by Mike Eckel
Reposted by Mike Eckel
BIRN journalists obtained access to private Telegram groups where recruiters lure Serb mercenaries from Bosnia and Serbia to join Russian forces in Ukraine with promises of lucrative contracts and veterans’ benefits
detektor.ba/2025/10/30/m...
detektor.ba/2025/10/30/m...
Moscow’s Balkan Recruits: Russia’s Drive to Enlist Serb Fighters for Ukraine War
BIRN journalists obtained access to private Telegram groups where recruiters lure Serb mercenaries from Bosnia and Serbia to join Russian forces in Ukraine with promises of lucrative contracts and vet...
detektor.ba
October 30, 2025 at 8:23 AM
BIRN journalists obtained access to private Telegram groups where recruiters lure Serb mercenaries from Bosnia and Serbia to join Russian forces in Ukraine with promises of lucrative contracts and veterans’ benefits
detektor.ba/2025/10/30/m...
detektor.ba/2025/10/30/m...
Aleksandr Zhukov, a Russian who called himself the “king of fraud," is about to get out of prison and deported, per new filing. He wants the US Justice Department to return his XBox, other items seized by the FBI. Zhukov was sentenced in 2021 to 10 years for running the "MethBot" ad fraud scheme.
October 30, 2025 at 10:39 AM
Aleksandr Zhukov, a Russian who called himself the “king of fraud," is about to get out of prison and deported, per new filing. He wants the US Justice Department to return his XBox, other items seized by the FBI. Zhukov was sentenced in 2021 to 10 years for running the "MethBot" ad fraud scheme.
Ukraine's top military officer, Gen. Oleksandr Syrskiy, says he's traveled to Pokrovsk; likely a sign of how dire things are in the city, where Russia troops are increasing their hold. (also grumbling among Ukrainian officers too about lack of support...) t.me/osirskiy/1300 Map by @deepstate_ua
October 30, 2025 at 10:31 AM
Ukraine's top military officer, Gen. Oleksandr Syrskiy, says he's traveled to Pokrovsk; likely a sign of how dire things are in the city, where Russia troops are increasing their hold. (also grumbling among Ukrainian officers too about lack of support...) t.me/osirskiy/1300 Map by @deepstate_ua
Kremlin spokesman responds to Trump's threat on resuming nuke testing: "if it's somehow a reference to the Burevestnik test, that wasn't a nuclear test, not in any way....The US has the right to make sovereign decisions. [But] if someone breaks the [test] moratorium, Russia will act accordingly."
October 30, 2025 at 10:07 AM
Kremlin spokesman responds to Trump's threat on resuming nuke testing: "if it's somehow a reference to the Burevestnik test, that wasn't a nuclear test, not in any way....The US has the right to make sovereign decisions. [But] if someone breaks the [test] moratorium, Russia will act accordingly."
Putin now announcing that Russia yesterday conducted a test of another new weapons system -- the remote, nuclear-capable, long-range torpedo Poseidon. Comes 3 days after announcement of test of long-range nuke-powered cruise missile Burevestnik.
October 29, 2025 at 12:06 PM
Putin now announcing that Russia yesterday conducted a test of another new weapons system -- the remote, nuclear-capable, long-range torpedo Poseidon. Comes 3 days after announcement of test of long-range nuke-powered cruise missile Burevestnik.
Here's what Norway's military intelligence says about Russia's test of the Burevestnik cruise missile:
_ was launched at Novaya Zemlya
_ had nuclear propulsion
_ flew significantly longer than previous
_ remains under development, not ready for deployment
_ Russia has been testing it since 2016
_ was launched at Novaya Zemlya
_ had nuclear propulsion
_ flew significantly longer than previous
_ remains under development, not ready for deployment
_ Russia has been testing it since 2016
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has this to say about the Burevestnik nuke-powered missile test (partly in response to Trump's remarks): "There is nothing here that could or should strain relations between Moscow and Washington-- especially since these relations are already at a minimum level."
October 29, 2025 at 8:26 AM
Here's what Norway's military intelligence says about Russia's test of the Burevestnik cruise missile:
_ was launched at Novaya Zemlya
_ had nuclear propulsion
_ flew significantly longer than previous
_ remains under development, not ready for deployment
_ Russia has been testing it since 2016
_ was launched at Novaya Zemlya
_ had nuclear propulsion
_ flew significantly longer than previous
_ remains under development, not ready for deployment
_ Russia has been testing it since 2016
Reposted by Mike Eckel
ChatGPT, Gemini, DeepSeek, and Grok are serving users propaganda from Russian-backed media when asked about the invasion of Ukraine, new research finds. www.wired.com/story/chatbo...
Chatbots Are Pushing Sanctioned Russian Propaganda
ChatGPT, Gemini, DeepSeek, and Grok are serving users propaganda from Russian-backed media when asked about the invasion of Ukraine, new research finds.
www.wired.com
October 27, 2025 at 9:08 AM
ChatGPT, Gemini, DeepSeek, and Grok are serving users propaganda from Russian-backed media when asked about the invasion of Ukraine, new research finds. www.wired.com/story/chatbo...
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has this to say about the Burevestnik nuke-powered missile test (partly in response to Trump's remarks): "There is nothing here that could or should strain relations between Moscow and Washington-- especially since these relations are already at a minimum level."
October 27, 2025 at 10:08 AM
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has this to say about the Burevestnik nuke-powered missile test (partly in response to Trump's remarks): "There is nothing here that could or should strain relations between Moscow and Washington-- especially since these relations are already at a minimum level."
Trump, responding to reports of the Burevestnik missile test, reminds (reveals) the presence of a US nuke sub somewhere off the Russian coast. "We test missiles all the time, but we do have a nuclear submarine...I don't think it's an appropriate thing for Putin to be saying."
October 27, 2025 at 10:04 AM
Trump, responding to reports of the Burevestnik missile test, reminds (reveals) the presence of a US nuke sub somewhere off the Russian coast. "We test missiles all the time, but we do have a nuclear submarine...I don't think it's an appropriate thing for Putin to be saying."