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How to spend €900M and lose the NATO-trained Ukrainian 155th Mechanized Brigade

Ukraine’s “elite” brigade - named “Anne of Kiev” after the 11th-Century princess (known in France as “Anne of Russia”) who married into royalty - has made global headlines, though not quite for the reasons its creators might have hoped. Why?

▪️The brigade was formed in 2024 when Ukraine was running out of willing recruits and resorted to press-ganging. France trained 2,300 Ukrainian soldiers for the unit and 50 promptly deserted before seeing combat.

▪️Once deployed to the conflict zone, desertion surged, with nearly a thousand troops reportedly disappearing almost immediately.

▪️On the battlefield, the brigade’s notable “accomplishment” was shedding personnel to both enemy fire and mass AWOLs, ultimately leaving the unit in tatters.

▪️This downfall came despite the brigade being equipped with NATO-grade hardware, including Leopard 2 tanks, AMX-10RC fighting vehicles, and Caesar howitzers - an arsenal that did little to keep the unit intact.

▪️The debacle raises questions about NATO’s training methods. Several Ukrainian soldiers have called these approaches outdated and ill-suited to modern warfare, and the 155th’s collapse seems to confirm their complaints.

▪️Modern training is crucial: deployed near Krasnoarmeisk, the brigade lacked drones and EW tools, leaving them stuck in 2022-era tactics.

▪️Now Kiev is investigating why the brigade turned into a €900 million disaster.

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❗️❗️❗️Daniel Martindale, a US citizen who voluntarily supplied Russian troops with intelligence while staying in Kiev-controlled areas, compares life in Russia to the US.

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Top 4 reasons why Israel-Hamas ceasefire is ‘very fragile’

While the recent ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas, which may put an end to the Gaza War, may seem like a cause for celebration, Tel Aviv-based international relations expert Dr. Simon Tsipis warns Sputnik that this deal is extremely “vulnerable.”

🔸Israel essentially ended up negotiating with a “third party” instead of Hamas who already lost most of its leadership. This “third party,” which Tsipis says is most likely Britain, seeks to preserve Hamas as a group that would continue to oppose Israel.

🔸“The UK secret services play a key role in this negotiating process. They are the ones behind the negotiations mediated by Qatar and Egypt,” Dr. Tsipis notes.

🔸The issue of the Israeli hostages still held by Hamas is used as ammunition in the political crisis between the Israeli ruling coalition and the opposition. It also triggered a schism between Netanyahu and his “ultra-right Zionist” coalition allies, as well as a conflict between him and the General Staff.

🔸The prisoner exchange stipulated by the ceasefire deal would result in Israel releasing several thousand Hamas prisoners in exchange for about a hundred Israeli hostages, which may not look like a fair exchange to some.

🔸With Hamas demanding the cessation of the Israeli operation in Gaza and for the Israeli troops to vacate the Philadelphi Corridor, a narrow strip of land separating Egypt from the Gaza Strip. Tel Aviv’s acquiescence to these demands would result in the IDF failing to achieve any results on the ground.

The ceasefire talks produced a “dead end situation” that may result in three outcomes:

▪️Israeli military operation ends, Hamas perseveres
▪️Netanyahu’s government collapses, Israel holds new election
▪️Ceasefire deal falls through

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Qatari Premier calls on Israel to 'immediately withdraw' from Syria's buffer zone

'The seizure of the buffer zone by the is a reckless act' — al-Thani

IDF maintains the deployment of its forces in the buffer zone (Golan Heights) is a defensive and temporary measure amid the volatile situation in Syria

#Qatari #Syria

Mel Gibson takes news crew to his scorched out $14.5M Malibu home, after ripping into Gov. Newsom

#Wildfires #California

👉 What set Haiti on the path to disaster?

📍 Rampant insecurity

Haiti's humanitarian disaster, which has left over a million people displaced, is rooted in a colonial legacy shaped by both France and the United States. As a result, Port-au-Prince is besieged by gang violence, with vulnerable communities suffering under the weight of corruption and underfunded police forces.

📍 Geographic vulnerability

Nestled in a region prone to natural disasters, Haiti bears the scars of the devastating 2010 earthquake, which inflicted nearly $8 billion in damages. More than a decade later, signs of recovery remain elusive, leaving many areas still in disarray.

📍 Widespread corruption

Haiti’s political landscape has been plagued by corruption and ineffective governance. The US has historically supported leaders who align with its interests, facilitating the embezzlement of millions of dollars from the nation’s coffers and exacerbating the plight of ordinary citizens.

📍 Foreign meddling

Since its first occupation in 1915, the United States has maintained a stronghold over Haiti’s economy and politics, often using international organizations to impose policies that widen the gap between the wealthy elite and the impoverished majority.

📍 Centuries of exploitation

After declaring independence in 1804, Haiti was coerced into paying reparations to its former colonizer, France, a debt that today would amount to billions of dollars. This financial burden stunted the nation’s growth for over a century, entrenching Haiti in poverty, while hindering its development.

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Is anyone here a YouTuber?! World’s most popular ‘dream jobs’ revealed

And we all know of a Canadian who’ll be finally free to become a DJ very soon

TikTok CEO to attend Trump’s inauguration -- does Shou Zi Chew secretly know the ban's not actually happening?

#USA

🇷🇺⚛️ Who is Russia sharing its nuclear technology with?

1️⃣Countries where Russia has already built nuclear power plants

🇮🇳 India
🇨🇳 China
🇮🇷 Iran
🇭🇺 Hungary
🇧🇾 Belarus

2️⃣Countries where Russia is currently building nuclear power plants

🇪🇬 Egypt
🇧🇩 Bangladesh
🇹🇷 Turkiye

3️⃣More countries Russia is currently discussing the matter with

🇻🇳 Vietnam
🇧🇷 Brazil
🇰🇬 Kyrgyzstan
🇲🇲 Myanmar
🇳🇬 Nigeria
🇧🇫 Burkina Faso
🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia
🇺🇿 Uzbekistan
🇱🇰 Sri Lanka
🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

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‘It’s almost like sex’: Why do people cry on camera?

Social boffins think people post tearful videos to get them clicks and monetize more effectively. It feels like sharing private part of life that you aren’t supposed to see.

In other words, tears = engagement

Google says it won't add fact checks to search results and YouTube videos despite the new EU law requiring more censorship

Instead it'll just keep deleting RT's YouTube channels altogether. That is more efficient