Posts posted by Bevo
-
-
-
I flew drones on Ukraine's fiercest battlefield. The last few months laid bare the limits of today's drone warfare.
As told to Matthew Loh
Dimko Zhluktenko is a sergeant in the Unmanned Systems Forces of Ukraine.
Jan 11, 2026, 5:00 PM MT
Dimko Zhluktenko is a drone operator who provides vital data to defend Ukraine's positions.
The sergeant last deployed to Pokrovsk, a key battleground where Ukraine said it was outnumbered.
He says Ukraine needs more than drones to stop Russia's brutal advance.
This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Sgt. Dimko Zhluktenko, an ISR drone team leader in Ukraine's Unmanned Systems Forces. He deployed in 2025 near Pokrovsk, a key city that Russia said it captured in early December.
Business Insider has verified his role in the Ukrainian armed forces. The article has been edited for length and clarity.
Before the full-scale war, I was a software engineer, working for companies in San Francisco, New Zealand, and Germany.
Today, I lead a team of five to six Ukrainian drone operators. Our task is to use high-flying drones to provide reconnaissance data to our troops and commanders.
With our intelligence, artillery such as HIMARS and drone strike teams can target Russian equipment and soldiers, often before they can even reach the front lines.
We were redeployed to the Pokrovsk area in August because the fighting there had become so intense. Because drone operators are priority targets in the war, we would spend our dayslong rotations in houses and underground bunkers outside the city.
When we first arrived, the weather was sunny and ideal for flying.
But the end of October was a disaster for us. Ukraine turns foggy in the autumn, with thick and low clouds that can stack from 100 meters to 300 meters above the ground.
These are so thick that no infrared camera or thermal camera can see through them, and caused many days to be completely no-go for flying for our types of drones.
At the time, the Russians took advantage of the clouds, using them to cover their advance on foot and in vehicles. Given the weather, the number of personnel they sacrificed to take the city, and our limited resources, there was eventually no viable way for us to defend Pokrovsk forever.
Ukraine is dependent on drone warfare. It has carried us through the terrible and scary times of these Russian assaults, and it has changed the face of war. For the entire summer of 2025, for example, I saw a tank only twice on the battlefield.
Drones are cheap and effective, and if we had an infinite number of drones, we would have been working 24/7 to fight the Russians in Pokrovsk.
But we don't have infinite drones, so in the meantime, we need other strike tools and resources, such as more artillery fire and troops. War is complex, and drones cannot be its only solution.
Flying blind
In normal conditions, we fly our drones four times a day, with each flight lasting about three to four hours and sometimes into the night. It's tiring, but worth it, because you can make an enormous difference for Ukrainian defenders. We can spot where Russian forces are moving, denying them the element of surprise, and scout for assets such as air defenses and artillery for commanders to strike.
Recon drone operators like us rely heavily on visual navigation. We study Pokrovsk so closely that, even when our drone is being spoofed, we can determine our flying location simply by the shape of the terrain or landmarks.
When the foggy season comes, we try to make the most of any good visibility. Sometimes, you can get lucky and perform five flights in a five-day rotation.
However, there were days when we found ourselves sitting in a house, just waiting for the weather to clear.
You can try to fly under the clouds, but going low means our bulky drones are more easily spotted and destroyed. Since we have limited tools, we try to preserve them and not use them recklessly.
Still, on days with strong winds, there's a chance that the clouds may break slightly and give you glimpses of the battlefield. Sometimes, when visibility is bad but not impossible to work with, we must risk flying in such weather, especially if our troops are defending against a major assault.
A general aerial view shows the destroyed Pokrovsk covered in morning fog in October, following months of intense fighting.
A general aerial view shows the destroyed Pokrovsk covered in morning haze in October, following months of intense fighting. Kostiantyn Liberov/Libkos/Getty Images)
In late summer, the situation in Pokrovsk was becoming increasingly problematic, both on the ground and in the sky. Back in the day, we would help long-range artillery focus on the Russian rear.
By autumn, we were working with units fighting at close range.
Russia's brutal, simple mathematics
I began to notice that Russia's tactics were making an impact around September.
Across the warzone, their strategy is to find our limit and overwhelm it with the smallest number of soldiers needed to seize our positions.
It is simple mathematics. Initially, they would send around 10 soldiers. If that wasn't enough, they would send 20. Then they would try 30.
Day by day, they increase the number of troops and equipment. Their goal is to create a situation where we don't have enough drones to counter the amount of attacking infantry.
To eliminate an assault of 50 guys, all spread out, we'd need at least 150 drones and artillery, which is difficult for us to organize with our limited resources.
When we were working in Pokrovsk, there were already areas of the city where the Russians had advanced, so the fighting area was porous and undefined.
A screen grab from a video shows Russian soldiers holding up the Russian flag in an urban area.
The Kremlin claimed in early December that its troops had taken Pokrovsk and Vovchansk. Russian Defense Ministry/Anadolu via Getty Images
Ukraine needs more than drones
If we had more troops, we could have held out for much longer and performed more aggressive maneuvers.
If we had more recon drones, our team could have flown over Pokrovsk nonstop, working despite the clouds.
With more first-person-view strike drones, our pilots could continue to find and attack the Russians closer to the ground.
But we don't have enough. So, we need other strike tools besides FPV drones, even though they account for about 80% of our kills on Russians.
Ironically, some of these tools have disappeared because warfare has changed so much. Mortars might have helped, but we mostly stopped using them — the battlefield is now so transparent that it is a suicide mission to ride around close to the front line in your pickup truck with a mortar.
Soldiers from an artillery unit of the 152nd Symon Petliura Jaeger Brigade of the Ukrainian Land Forces fire an artillery weapon in mid-December.
Soldiers from an artillery unit of the 152nd Symon Petliura Jaeger Brigade of the Ukrainian Land Forces fired an artillery weapon in mid-December. Dmytro Smolienko/Ukrinform/NurPhoto via Getty Images
What we definitely need is artillery ammunition. Last year, some HIMARS units I worked with were rationed to four strikes a week.
Other artillery units were limited to just three artillery shells a day. We would find them a target, and they would say: "We don't have any more for today. Sorry, guys."
The weather in this season means it is still what drone pilots call our "low season." At the same time, the terrain is now not too muddy, so it is the perfect time for Russians to attack.
This month, I am redeploying to Dnipro. The fight continues.
-
Ukraine war briefing: Nightfall – Britain races to develop ballistic missile for Kyiv
UK government starts contest to have deep-strike prototypes delivered within 12 months; heat-starved Kyiv under Russian attack again. What we know on day 1,419
Warren Murray and agencies
Sun 11 Jan 2026 19.55 EST
Britain is to develop a new deep-strike ballistic missile for Ukraine, the government has announced. Under the project, named Nightfall, the British government said on Sunday that it had launched a competition to rapidly develop ground-launched ballistic missiles that could carry a 200kg (440lb) warhead to a range of more than 500km (310 miles).
“Nightfall missiles will be capable of being launched from a range of vehicles,” said the UK defence ministry (MoD), “firing multiple missiles in quick succession and withdrawing within minutes – allowing Ukrainian forces to hit key military targets before Russian forces can respond.”
Three industry teams would each get £9m to design, develop and deliver their first three Nightfall missiles within 12 months for test firings, said the MoD. Ukraine’s current ballistic missiles include Atacms, for which it relies on the US, and the self-developed Sapsan.
Russia was again attacking Kyiv early on Monday, the Ukrainian military said, sparking a fire in at least one district. Ukrainian air defences were at work against incoming targets, said Timur Tkachenko, head of Kyiv’s military administration.
The renewed attack came as more than 1,000 apartment buildings in the Ukrainian capital remained without heating because of a Russian bombardment on Friday. Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Ukraine’s president, said that despite repairs the situation was “still extremely difficult”, particularly in border regions.
At the Vatican, Pope Leo offered prayers for the people of Ukraine, saying the “particularly serious” strikes on energy infrastructure were “hitting the civilian population hard, just as the cold weather is getting worse … I pray for those who are suffering and renew my appeal for an end to violence and for efforts to achieve peace to be intensified.”
Ukraine’s forces hit three drilling platforms operated by Russian oil company Lukoil in the waters of the Caspian Sea, the Ukrainian military general staff announced on Sunday. The strikes on Russian energy sites aim to deprive Moscow of oil export revenue used to fund the war. Moscow meanwhile said a Ukrainian drone strike killed one person and wounded three others in the Russian city of Voronezh.
-
6 minutes ago, billfromlaketravis said: I’m guessing Black didn’t like the external offers he received. Coming back is a bit of a head scratcher. He’s solidly behind Bo and Kade, and they’re going to give Littleton a long look at corner. OTF said they might try Black some at safety.
And Boom likes larger nickel backs so that may be a possibility.
-
-
-
-
2 minutes ago, atomheartbevo said: On the other hand, Commodore 64s are back in production, at least in England.
Back in high school, I took computer science with Michael Dell and he would spend a lot of time on the Commodore when I was on Apple. He said it was because the Commodore had better graphics.
-
-
-
-
-
Mom Loses Leg After Pet Attack Inside Her Own Home
January 11, 2026 by David Jones
A Tennessee mother had part of her left leg amputated after one of her own dogs mauled her during a fight between pets inside her home on Dec. 10, she said in recent interviews. The woman, identified as 42-year-old Amanda Mears, described a frantic struggle to free herself before paramedics took her to a hospital.
Mears said she was hurt while trying to separate her mixed American pit bull–American Staffordshire dog, Dennis, from her rescue dog, Ralphie, an American bully. In accounts shared this week, she said Dennis latched onto her leg and would not let go, leaving the limb “basically hanging off.” Doctors offered two paths: an amputation or a long recovery that could require about a dozen operations over two years. Mears said she chose amputation to avoid prolonged surgeries and constant pain. She has since been discharged and is preparing for a prosthetic fitting while adapting to injuries to a hand and arm.
Mears recalled the sequence beginning as she prepared to take Dennis outside. She said Ralphie slipped out of a bedroom, sparking a clash in a hallway. When she stepped between them, Dennis swung toward her and clamped down above the ankle, she said. With her 10-year-old son in the house, Mears told him to stay in his room and called for help as she tried to pry the dog’s jaws open. “I ended up having to hook my right leg and my arms around him and choked him out to get him off of me,” she said in one account. She said she did not feel pain at first, attributing that to adrenaline, but realized she could not stand and saw how severe the damage was.
She said first responders arrived after neighbors reported sirens on the street and saw emergency lights outside the home. Mears was taken to a hospital, where she said surgeons assessed deep tissue damage and a crush injury to her right arm along with bites to her left hand. After discussing risks and timelines, she opted for a below-the-knee amputation. She said she weighed the medical advice against day-to-day realities at home with a child, adding that she feared months of procedures would limit her ability to work and move. She later posted that she was “up and mobile with help to use the restroom” and that the house was getting easier to navigate as she practiced stairs with assistance.
Mears said Dennis had not shown previous aggression toward people. Even so, she said she made the decision to have him euthanized after the attack, citing her son’s safety. She said she had raised Dennis since he was two weeks old and described the decision as painful but necessary. Ralphie, the other dog involved in the initial scuffle, remained with the family. She said she was coordinating follow-up medical visits and working with friends to manage routines at home while she recovers. She also thanked supporters who contributed to an online fundraiser, which she said would help cover medical bills, mobility equipment and a future prosthetic.
The attack occurred during the holiday period, when many clinics and offices operate on reduced schedules. Mears said the timing added hurdles for scheduling consults and lining up home support in the first weeks after surgery. In a brief update late last month, she said the biggest challenge was her injured right hand, which limited what she could carry or lift during physical therapy. She said occupational therapists were teaching techniques for daily tasks, from opening doors to navigating steps with crutches. Friends organized meal trains and rides, while relatives rotated nights at the house. A neighbor said crews parked along the block the night of the attack and that tape briefly marked part of the yard as medics worked.
Officials had not released a formal police narrative as of the weekend. Accounts of the incident have relied on Mears’ statements in media interviews and on social updates shared by friends. The dog’s breed mix, the nature of the leg injury and the treatment decisions all come from her description of events and hospital discussions. Any official incident report, if filed, would typically include call logs, responder notes and medical routing. Local authorities often wait to release those details until case numbers are assigned and privacy reviews are complete. There has been no indication of criminal charges tied to the incident; such cases are uncommon when an owner is the victim and there is no allegation of a dog-at-large offense.
Dog attacks inside homes rarely generate public records beyond medical billing unless a criminal or civil claim is filed. When they do, investigators typically document where the bite occurred, whether any animals were seized and whether a quarantine or rabies observation was required. Mears’ case has drawn attention because of the severity of the injuries and her description of the split-second choice she faced. She said surgeons told her that limb salvage could involve multiple operations, grafts and an extended rehabilitation with uncertain outcomes. By contrast, an amputation would be immediately life-altering but could offer a clearer path to prosthetic training and mobility once wounds healed.
Coverage has also focused on the two dogs’ histories and the dynamics inside a small home. Mears said the animals lived separately at times and that she kept Ralphie in a bedroom when she took Dennis out. She said a door opened unexpectedly that day, and the dogs moved toward each other quickly. Trainers and veterinarians commonly emphasize that even familiar dogs can redirect during a high-arousal fight, and bite experts note that owners are often injured while intervening. Mears’ accounts describe classic redirection: a dog turning from its canine target to the nearest moving object—her leg—when tension peaks. She said she had broken up scuffles before but had never experienced anything close to the force or duration of this bite.
Medical and rehabilitation steps are now the near-term focus. Mears said she is working with specialists to fit a prosthetic once swelling subsides and sutures heal, a process that can take weeks. Early sessions include strengthening hip and core muscles to prepare for a prosthetic foot and ankle. Because her right arm was injured, therapists are adapting routines and providing aids for balance until grip strength returns. She said she hopes to resume limited work duties as she gains independence at home. Friends have posted that her goal is to walk with a prosthetic as soon as practical and to regain enough hand function to manage cooking, laundry and her son’s school schedule.
Financially, Mears said costs include surgical care, inpatient days, follow-up visits, medications and adaptive equipment. Supporters set up a fundraiser that references prosthetic needs and home modifications. Typical steps in such cases can include temporary ramps, handrails and rearranging rooms to reduce stair use. Insurance coverage varies, and families sometimes supplement with community donations to bridge gaps for prosthetics, which can require periodic replacement or adjustments. Mears said any additional funds would go toward bills and making the house workable while she builds stamina and learns to navigate with a prosthetic device.
Neighbors said the block has been quiet since the night of the attack, aside from periodic visits by friends and family. A resident on the street described seeing an ambulance and a fire unit that evening and said traffic slowed as drivers looked toward the flashing lights. The neighbor said the family kept to themselves and often walked dogs early in the morning or late at night. After the incident, a small group placed flowers near the mailbox and left a note wishing Mears strength in recovery. Posts on community pages expressed relief that her child was not physically hurt and offered donations of crutches, shower chairs and groceries.
As of Sunday, Mears said she remained focused on healing and fitting a prosthetic in the coming weeks. She said she hopes to share a fuller account once therapy milestones are met and paperwork is in place for any longer-term benefits or accommodations. No additional official updates were available on the incident report. The next visible step is likely a medical progress update and, if filed, a local record noting the euthanasia of one dog and any related animal-control entries.
Author note: Last updated January 11, 2026.
-
-
-
-
1 minute ago, FloridaHorn said: I bet you are a lot of fun at parties
His son Laramie is fucking awesome. Drove his motorcycle with a hooker on the back into Littlefield Fountain and continued to have sex with her as a female policewoman was trying to put on handcuffs. Cop fucked up and all three of them had to go to the station handcuffed together because no one had a key.
-
-
-
1 minute ago, Red Five said: It's crazy that we had six scholarship RBs on the roster in August, and Simon might be the only one to return for the 2026 season.
If we're looking at a depth chart of Brown, Smothers, Cooper, Simon, Terry, Big Freshman White Guy.... Do we hold tight there? We'd need Cooper or Terry to be the "big back".
We will hold tight. Sark usually only plays 3 or so guys if those guys are producing. And for the record, our running back room is light years ahead of where we were last year.
-
2 minutes ago, SydneyCarton said: What exactly is “unknown” about Hollywood Smothers?
it’s important to also understand that Clark had one good game, and has now demanded rb1 money because he knew the staff was over a barrel at his position. I don’t want to lose Clark, but he has clearly taken classes at the Deandre Moore school of negotiating. As has already been posted, and as Tre wisner illustrated:

I like it - guys who stay in their lane remain on the roster and get paid. Guys who renegotiate get treated to the real world where their demands get met or they are sent packing and replaced by someone better.
-
As part of ongoing efforts to reduce the military-economic potential of the aggressor, Ukrainian forces have reportedly struck three offshore drilling platforms operated by russia's Lukoil corporation in the Caspian Sea.
The targeted installations were identified as the Filanovsky, Korchagin, and Grayfer fields, all of which are considered strategically important to russia's energy infrastructure.
According to the report, these offshore facilities were involved in supporting the russian occupation forces, underscoring the growing linkage between civilian energy assets and military logistics.
Such infrastructure plays a dual role, contributing not only to the national economy but also to sustaining military operations.
Confirmed hits were recorded on all three platforms, indicating a coordinated and deliberate strike. While the full extent of the damage has not yet been disclosed, the successful engagement itself highlights Ukraine's expanding ability to reach and disrupt critical assets far beyond the immediate frontline.
As Defense Express previously reported, at the beginning of 2026, during a series of combined air attacks against Ukraine, russian forces reportedly employed a new strike unmanned aerial vehicle designated Geran-5 for the first time.
This marks another step in the evolution of the Geran family, which has been used extensively to saturate Ukrainian air defenses and conduct long-range strikes against infrastructure and military targets.
-
-





What's happening in Iran?
in Daily Texan
from the Telegraph
More than 500 dead as bodies pile up in Iran’s protest crackdown
Death toll surges signals escalation in regime’s violence towards civilian protests
The scene outside the coroner’s office in Tehran, where relatives were being asked to identify bodies laid on the roadside Credit: Vahid Online
Henry Bodkin in Jerusalem
11 January 2026 6:49pm GMT
More than 500 people have been killed in Iran, a rights group said on Sunday, signalling a dramatic escalation in regime violence against the growing protest movement.
The surging death toll follows a significant crackdown over the past three days, with reports of soldiers shutting down entire towns and a new close-range shoot-to-kill policy.
Human Rights Activists in Iran (HRANA), a US-based group, said it had verified the deaths of 490 protesters and 48 security personnel, with more than 10,600 people arrested. The Telegraph was unable to verify the figures independently.
It puts the series of protests, now entering their third week, on course to be the bloodiest since 2019.
Because of suppression of the media and Iran’s internet blackout, the figure is likely to be an underestimate, as anecdotal reports come in of hospitals overwhelmed with seriously wounded protesters shot by regime forces.
Footage emerged on Sunday showing dozens of body bags dumped on the roads outside the coroner’s office in Tehran. People were forced to identify their relatives outside, while others crowded around government screens showing the bloodied faces of those killed.
The video was allegedly taken on Thursday, before the regime ordered a harsher crackdown on demonstrators, indicating the death toll was already significant.
Doctors reported an increasing trend of protesters being shot in the head and neck, often at close range.
The Norway-based NGO Iran Human Rights said on Sunday that unverified reports suggested more than 2,000 people may have been killed.
It denounced the regime’s sweeping crackdown as a “mass killing” and a “major international crime against the people of Iran”.
Donald Trump has threatened to “get involved” in the unrest, warning that he would hit Iran “very, very hard, where it hurts” if the regime’s forces continued killing protesters.
The US president is said to be contemplating military action and has been presented with a range of targets, including elements of Iran’s security apparatus responsible for the bloody crackdown.
However, US commanders in the region have told officials that they need to “consolidate US military positions and prepare defences” before carrying out any strikes that could trigger retaliation.
The protests, initially triggered by rampant inflation, are thought to have spread to more than 100 cities and towns across all of Iran’s provinces. Protesters are now openly calling for an end to the clerical rule of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran’s supreme leader.
The uprising is more intense and widespread than the 2022 “Women, Life, Freedom” protests, when at least 551 people were killed, according to HRANA.
In November 2019, between 1,000 and 1,500 protesters were killed in widespread demonstrations that were triggered by a sudden increase in the fuel price.
The group’s updated death toll, published on Sunday afternoon, was more than double its previous figure issued on Saturday.
Footage emerged on Sunday morning purporting to show live ammunition being used against protesters in the town of Abyek, north-west of Tehran.
Distraught Iranians outside the medical centre in Iran. Such images have emerged from the country despite the regime’s near-blackout of the internet Credit: Vahid Online
BBC Persia reported that large numbers of heavily armed soldiers had flooded towns such as Lushan and Chalus, smothering the ability to protest.
Senior regime officials have now suggested that protesters should face the death penalty.
Ali Larijani, Iran’s security chief, distinguished between protests over economic hardship – which he called “completely understandable” – and “riots”, accusing the latter of using methods “very similar to terrorist groups”.
On Saturday night, thousands of people took to the streets despite the threat of security forces opening fire.
Videos show large crowds in several cities, including Tehran and Mashhad in the east, where vehicles were set ablaze. The footage emerged despite a near-total internet shutdown, which has rendered communication with the outside world largely impossible.
The blackout “is now past the 60-hour mark... The censorship measure presents a direct threat to the safety and wellbeing of Iranians at a key moment for the country’s future”, the monitoring group NetBlocks said early on Sunday.
Ahmad-Reza Radan, the national police chief, said authorities made “significant” arrests on Saturday night, without giving details.
On Sunday, Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, Iran’s parliamentary speaker, warned the White House against a “miscalculation”.
If Iran is attacked, he said Israel and all US bases and ships “will be our legitimate targets”.
Two American C-17A military transport planes departed Germany and appeared to be heading for the Middle East on Saturday evening, as speculation mounted about a potential strike.
The New York Times quoted US officials as saying that any military action would need to be carefully weighed to avoid galvanising public support for the regime. Israel’s military is reportedly on high alert in the event of a US strike.
Kemi Badenoch suggested on Sunday that she could support Western military intervention to help the protesters against Iran’s leaders.
In an interview with the BBC, the Tory leader said: “Iran would very happily wipe out the UK if it thought it could get away with it. It’s tried to kill people on our soil, it is an enemy … I don’t have an issue with removing a regime that is trying to harm us.”
Asked about the possibility of a Western intervention, she said the situation was hypothetical but “the calculation always has to be about our national interest”.