Latest news with #MikeGalsworthy
Yahoo
7 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Latest On Russian Aircraft Loss Assessments From Ukrainian Drone Strikes
Synthetic aperture radar (SAR) satellite imagery that TWZ has obtained from U.S.-based ICEYE US further points to multiple Russian Tu-95 Bear bombers having been damaged or destroyed at Belaya Air Base. Situated in Russia's eastern Irkutsk region, Belaya was one of five bases that Ukraine targeted in unprecedented covert drone attacks over the weekend. Exactly how many of Russia's aircraft were struck remains unconfirmed, and readers can first get up to speed on what is known about the operation and its aftermath in our past reporting here. The image of Belaya that ICEYE US provided to TWZ was taken on June 1, the day of the Ukrainian drone attacks, and shows what the firm has assessed to be at least four Tu-95s likely damaged or destroyed at that base, as seen below. However, the resolution of the image and the nature of SAR, which does not show the same kinds of details that would be available in visual spectrum imagery, do make it difficult to definitively determine the state of any of the aircraft. Ukrainian authorities claim to have hit 41 aircraft, in total, including Tu-95 Bear, Tu-22M Backfire, and Tu-160 Blackjack bombers, as well as A-50 Mainstay airborne early warning and control aircraft, and other types. In addition to Belaya, Russia's Dyagilevo, Ivanovo, Olenya, and Ukrainka air bases were also said to have been targeted. Because I've not seen it anywhere yet…Here's a map I made of the 4 Russian air bases that Ukraine hit with drone attacks just now (red stars)Look how deeply they penetrate into Russian territory. Slava Ukraini. — Mike Galsworthy (@mikegalsworthy) June 1, 2025 The New York Times separately reported today that as many as 20 planes at Belaya and Olenya, at least, were struck, citing unnamed American and European security officials. Andriy Kovalenko, an official with Ukraine's National Security and Defense Council, previously said that 'at least 13 Russian aircraft were destroyed.' Independent verification of these claims remains difficult and they continue to be largely speculative. ICEYE's specific assessments regarding Belaya do align with what can be seen in other SAR imagery of that particular base now circulating online from Capella Space and Umbra Space. Commercial satellite providers that offer SAR imaging capability have been a go-to since Ukraine launched its drone attacks due to heavy cloud cover over the targeted bases in Russia. SAR provides a valuable all-weather imaging option that can also 'see' through smoke, dust, and other obscurants. The revetted parking positions. — Chris Biggers (@CSBiggers) June 2, 2025 Satellite imagery shows Ukraine attack destroyed and damaged Russian bombers Drone operation was one of Ukraine's most damaging of war so farhttps:// via @Reuters — Nino Brodin (@Orgetorix) June 3, 2025 'What we're seeing across multiple theaters reinforces why persistent, all-weather monitoring capabilities are essential for understanding rapidly evolving situations,' a spokesperson for ICEYE US told TWZ. 'Commercial SAR technology provides decision-makers with continuous situational awareness that doesn't depend on weather conditions or time of day—capabilities that are increasingly critical as conflicts become more dynamic and distributed.' 'The ability to detect changes in infrastructure, movement patterns, and ground conditions through any weather gives commanders and analysts the persistent vigilance they need to make informed decisions,' they added. 'This is exactly why we've focused on delivering commercial capabilities that complement national systems—providing redundancy and additional perspective when traditional sensors might be limited.' At the same time, as TWZ has previously noted, SAR imagery, of the commercial variety in particular, has limitations for evaluating the kinds of damage that are of interest in the wake of Ukraine's drone attacks. Pairing SAR images with other intelligence-related products can help bridge the certainty gap. When it comes to Belaya, videos taken at ground level had previously emerged online showing smoke rising from the base following the Ukrainain attacks, which lends further credence to what is seen in the SAR imagery. Footage of a Ukrainian FPV strike drone flying towards Russia's Belaya Airbase, already heavily base, home to a number of bombers, was hit this afternoon. — OSINTtechnical (@Osinttechnical) June 1, 2025 Belaya, June 1, 2025, operation Spiderweb, another footage — IgorGirkin (@GirkinGirkin) June 2, 2025 Video footage of the drone attacks on Olenya Air Base, located in far northwestern Russia near the Barents Sea, including views from the cameras on first-person-view (FPV) type kamikaze drones, had also previously appeared online. Olenya looks to have been one of the hardest hit bases, with the dramatic drone videos showing Tu-95 bombers, as well as an An-12 Cub cargo plane, being targeted. A satellite image of Olenya taken today from Planet Labs may show three Tu-95s and the An-12 damaged and/or destroyed, but it is too low-resolution to be conclusive. Olenya/Olenegorsk/Vysokiy (part one).Smoking Tu-95: 68.139848, 33.444469Burning Tu-95: 68.143294, 33.448041Burning Tu-95: 68.144249, 33.448926Destroyed Tu-95: 68.145419, 33.449928Source: — Evergreen Intel (@ 2025-06-02T14:22:59.735Z Olenya/Olenegorsk/Vysokiy (part two).Burning An-12: 68.146555, 33.450901Destroyed Tu-95MS from part 3 at 68.145419, 33.449928 identified as RF-94257 '22 Red' — Evergreen Intel (@ 2025-06-02T14:24:07.929Z Satellite images of Olenya Airbase as of June 3, 09:55 UTCThe airbase housed 1 Tu-160 (Blackjack), 1 Il-76 (Candid), 3 An-12 (Cub) and 28 Tu-22M3 (Backfire-C).After the Ukrainian special operation, 4 completely destroyed planes can be seen: 3 Tu-95MS (Bear-H) and 1 An-12… — AviVector (@avivector) June 3, 2025 A high-resolution satellite image of Dyagilevo Air Base from Planet Labs taken yesterday, which TWZ has reviewed, shows no obvious signs of damage to any aircraft there. It is worth noting that damage from shrapnel, which can be significant to relatively thin-skinned aircraft, would not be visible even in higher-resolution imagery. Satellite images of Dyagilevo Airbase as of June 2, 8:55 UTCThe airbase housed 3 Tu-95MS (Bear-H), 5 Tu-22M3 (Backfire-C), 14 Il-78M or Il-76MD (Midas or Candid) and 2 Su-30SM (Flanker-C).There was no serious damage after the Ukrainian special operation. In the right… — AviVector (@avivector) June 2, 2025 Clear satellite imagery that might definitely show damage to aircraft at Ivanovo and Ukrainka has yet to emerge. There are also unconfirmed reports today that the Security Service of Ukraine, or SBU, which carried out the drone attacks, has additional unreleased video footage showing two A-50s and multiple Tu-22Ms being struck at unspecified bases. My frequent co-writer Michael Weiss also confirms the content of the video: — Jimmy Rushton (@JimmySecUK) June 3, 2025 As TWZ has noted in our past reporting on the Ukrainian drone attacks, any Russian losses of Tu-95, Tu-22M, to Tu-160 bombers, as well as A-50s, carry significant weight. None of these aircraft can be repaired and/or replaced quickly, if at all. Russian authorities have stated plans in the past to buy 50 ostensibly new-production Tu-160M2 aircraft with various upgrades. As of last year, however, only three appeared to have been built, none of which had entered operational service. TWZ has noted in the past that the Tu-160M2 plan could include refurbished existing jets and ones built using unfinished airframes. Russia would not have had lose very many bombers, as well as A-50s, to have substantial impacts with regard to operations in Ukraine and well beyond. As we have previously written: 'Even taking one or two bombers out of operation will impact the Russian Aerospace Forces. The bomber triad has played a key role in launching the barrages of cruise missiles that have regularly struck targets across Ukraine.' 'At the same time, these aircraft are a integral part of Russia's nuclear deterrent. This makes them a matter of great prestige, but also a critical element in Russia's ability to launch nuclear or conventional airstrikes against targets outside of Ukraine. These aircraft are also regularly used for long-range patrols over Europe and Asia, also venturing as far as the coast of Alaska, and for irregular visits to strategic allies.' 'Wiping out a significant portion of one prong of the nuclear triad — the most flexible part of it — has an impact on the credibility of Russia's overall deterrent. It's also worth noting that Moscow has repeatedly said that attacks on strategic targets would constitute a red line for them, although, strategic bombers and critical locales have been attacked on numerous occasions in the past, too. None of these strikes have been as widespread and possibly successful as this operation though. Regardless, even if a handful of bombers met their demise, it's a blow to Russia's nuclear deterrent posture.' Regardless of the full scale and scope the resulting damage, Ukraine's drone attacks on Russian air bases far from the front lines has already had already clear propaganda and morale-boosting benefits. There is emerging evidence of second-order impacts in Russia, including disruptions due to the implementation of new protocols for inspecting trucks and other security measures, as well. Russia has now started a truck phobia, massive traffic jams have gripped the Irkutsk region, every truck is being checkedSource: — Oriannalyla (@Lyla_lilas) June 2, 2025 А что случилось.По всей России фуры стоят…Может учения какие? — Друг человека (@boris0630) June 3, 2025 As more and better satellite imagery continues to emerge, along with other verifiable visuals and other details, the full extent of Ukraine's mass drone attacks on Russian bases will come more and more into view. Howard Altman contributed to this story. Contact the author: joe@
The Independent
19-05-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
Starmer under fire for missing ‘open goal' on youth mobility in post-Brexit reset
Critics have accused Sir Keir Starmer of missing an 'open goal' after he failed to strike a youth mobility agreement with Brussels as part of his Brexit reset deal. As the prime minister hailed the success of his negotiations, the European Movement UK accused the prime minister of caving in to Eurosceptics who opposed such a scheme. European Movement UK chairman Dr Mike Galsworthy told The Independent: 'We already have these schemes with countries all around the world - it's an absolute no-brainer to have one with the EU. The PM needs to push through with this and ignore the critics, and finally stop our young talent from losing out." He said the scheme, which would have let young people live and work across the continent for a number of years, was an 'open goal' for the reset, having 'nothing to do with immigration numbers'. But as Sir Keir touted concessions from Brussels, including on passports for cats and dogs and British travellers gaining access to EU passport gates, criticism grew of his failure to include youth mobility in the reset. Instead, the reset deal agreed a commitment for the European Commission and the UK to 'work towards a balanced youth experience scheme', with the terms yet to be fleshed out. European Commission sources told The Independent there is significant disappointment over a failure to reach a youth mobility scheme. One official with knowledge of the talks said he has "no idea" how long it will take to get such an agreement over the line, but said he is optimistic that it will happen. In his press conference, Sir Keir said the details were being discussed with Brussels, but the PM's official spokesman refused to say whether it would be in place in time for this year's school leavers to benefit from it this autumn. The prime minister said: 'Obviously, this gives opportunities for young people in the UK to work, travel, volunteer, au pair, you name it in Europe, and the same the other way. "It is time limited, the numbers to be agreed to come on the capped scheme, and it will be a visa scheme." The Liberal Democrats said it was 'incredibly disappointing' the prime minister had failed to get a youth mobility deal over the line after 'months of flip-flopping'. Lib Dem Europe spokesman James MacCleary said: 'We need more than just a woolly commitment. While an agreement in principle marks progress after months of Lib Dem pressure on this issue, we should have been able to negotiate a scheme at today's summit, rather than kicking the can once more down the road.' Best for Britain, which campaigns for closer ties between the UK and EU, welcomed the commitment to the youth experience scheme. 'The wider deal marks a significant boost for British businesses and workers who will benefit from closer trade links, vital for generating sorely needed economic growth and tackling the cost of living,' chief executive Naomi Smith said. Officials are believed to have opted for the youth experience name over youth mobility over fears critics would accuse the government of restoring freedom of movement via the backdoor and unpicking Brexit. A text of the deal said: 'The scheme should facilitate the participation of young people from the European Union and the United Kingdom in various activities, such as work, studies, au-pairing, volunteering, or simply travelling, for a limited period of time. 'It should provide a dedicated visa path and ensure that the overall number of participants is acceptable to both sides.' Labour sources stressed that the deal would be 'controlled', amid fears it could lead to an increase in immigration to the UK. Amid a mounting backlash over elements of the deal, including UK concessions on EU access to British fishing waters, Sir Keir called for an end to the 'stale old debates' about Brexit. He said: 'It's time to look forward. To move on from the stale old debates and political fights to find common sense, practical solutions which get the best for the British people. 'We're ready to work with partners if it means we can improve people's lives here at home.'
Yahoo
30-01-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Just 3 In 10 Brits Still Think It Was Right To Leave The EU In Record Low
Only three in 10 Brits still say it was right for the UK to leave the European Union, according to a new poll. That's the lowest support for Brexit recorded since 2016, when the EU referendum happened and the country narrowly voted (52% to 48%) to leave. The YouGov findings were released on the eve of the fifth anniversary of the UK formally quitting the bloc. The data also found that 55% of Brits think it was wrong for the UK to choose Brexit nine years ago. And that number only increases when looking at the results from the younger generation. Among those who were not able to vote in 2016, who are now aged 18-24, 75% say Brexit was a mistake compared to just 10% who say it was a good idea. Even one in six Leave voters (18%) now say it was wrong for the UK to leave the EU, although 66% of Leavers still think it was the right move. Meanwhile, 88% of Remainers stand by their vote to stay in, compared to 7% who now think it was right to leave. Overall, a total of 62% of Brits think Brexit has been a failure so far, with just 11% saying it was a success. Dr Mike Galsworthy, chair of the anti-Brexit think tank the European Movement UK, said the survey shows voters are 'becoming increasingly fed up with the negative impacts that leaving the EU is having on our country'. He said being outside the European single market costs the UK economy £115 billion a year, and the public finances more than £40 billion a year. He added: 'We have seen soaring import costs, increased workforce shortages and reams of new red tape. 'No wonder exports to the EU by our small businesses are down by 30%, and 20,000 small firms across UK have stopped all exports to the EU.' He also pointed out that research from LSE shows a £27bn decline in exports sent to the EU – noting that sum exceeds the £22bn black hole Labour say the Tories left behind in the public finances. He added: 'Politicians must now face the facts – five years on, Brexit is still an ongoing accident, and its damage is far from done.' It comes as Labour faces growing pressure to move closer to the bloc and set up a youth mobility scheme which would enable young people from the EU to live in the UK and vice versa. However, prime minister Keir Starmer has already ruled out setting up such a programme. In August, he said he was 'absolutely clear' that the government wanted to reset relations with Europe. But he added: 'We do not have plans for a youth mobility scheme but do have plans for closer relationship between us and the EU.' He continued: 'That does not reversing Brexit or re-entering the single market or the customs union. 'But it does mean a closer relationship on a number of fronts, including the economy, including defence, including exchanges.' Lord Sugar Says Brexit Is 'The Biggest Disaster Of My Lifetime' Exclusive: Pat McFadden Slams Brexiteers Who Say Labour Plans To 'Betray' Leave Vote Kemi Badenoch Triggers Groans Across The Commons By Talking About 'Brexit Freedoms' In PMQs
