A very useful insight from @GraemeDownieMP in the thread below. This applies to multiple countries, of course, not just the UK 👇

"Irkutsk Regional Laboratory: plague vs. smallpox"

1/ Russia has experienced a huge increase in corruption cases over the last five years, with over 50,000 cases being heard in that time, 3 trillion rubles ($35 billion) in stolen assets being recovered, and a 500% increase in the number of top officials being arrested. ⬇️

Ugh.

President Trump’s envoy Jared Kushner says a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine could be completed if Ukraine surrendered territory Russia claims but has failed to capture. theintellectualistofficial.s…

Note who comes in at #2. The Trump effect in action.

A large-scale fire broke out at the Samara Linear Production and Dispatch Station (LPDS Samara) in the Samara Region. As a result of the fire, roads were closed in the settlement of Prosvet. The station houses one of Europe's largest oil storage tank farms.

A delegation from the NATO Military Committee, comprising representatives from all 32 Allied member states, arrived in Kyiv on October 7 for an official visit. Military officials are holding talks with the leadership of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine regarding the situation on the front line and strengthening defense support.

Testing of the Ukrainian system equipped with three KARAKURT anti-drone net launchers mounted side by side, giving a wider interception sector and a better chance of catching an incoming FPV drone.

A man from Washington state has been arrested and charged in connection with the Tumbler Ridge shooting. Prosecutors allege he gave the shooter money and technical advice, helped prepare a livestream, and even helped her get a car running so she could reach the school…..

"For Putin’s birthday, the Russian army ‘gifted’ him the destruction of a residential building in Pryluky, in the Chernihiv region." - Zelenskyy.

At around 6:00 a.m., Russia launched a missile strike on Pryluky, Chernihiv Oblast. One missile hit a five-story residential building. At this time, the bodies of three children have been recovered from under the rubble, and the death toll has risen to nine people. Another 38 people were injured, including seven minors. Rescue workers are operating on-site.

In the Poltava Region, Russia hit Kremenchuk. The strike targeted a residential area. There, the Russians killed two people and injured seven others. Ordinary residential buildings were damaged. Cars parked in the yards were destroyed.

While returning from a combat mission, an unmanned ground vehicle (UGV) of the 25th Separate Airborne Brigade was pursued by a Russian drone. The operators of the Ukrainian robot initially tried to maneuver to avoid being hit, but then decided to ram the drone and emerged victorious from the battle.

The Ukrainian military is still trying to reach people in the occupied town of Oleshky, who have been practically cut off from aid. Heavy "Vampir" UAVs operated by the National Guard’s "Bolgarichi" special forces platoon have been transporting packages containing food, water, medicines and other essential items across the Dnipro.

Spectacular destruction of a Shahed drone with the autocannon of a MiG-29.

An unexploded Russian Iskander 9M723 ballistic missile lies among residential buildings in Kyiv’s Darnytskyi district, where Ukrainian bomb disposal teams are conducting a complex operation to neutralize it. The missile was launched at Kyiv during last night’s Russian attack.

A Ukrainian HMMWV converted into a remotely controlled UGV is being used for frontline logistics, delivering timber for the construction and reinforcement of defensive positions.

🔥🚚Footage from Russia’s land logistics corridor to occupied Crimea shows trucks fully engulfed in flames after strikes by Ukrainian mid-range strike drones. My impression is that Ukrainian mid-range strike drone activity on this route has intensified somewhat over the past few weeks, judging by the amount of footage coming out lately.

A Ukrainian Air Force MiG-29 destroys a Geran-4 drone at point-blank range with its onboard cannon, then flies through the resulting cloud of fire. Spectacular footage, but also a good illustration of why cannon interceptions are dangerous. Ukraine’s Air Force has acknowledged that shortages of air-to-air missiles are forcing pilots to ration them and increasingly use onboard guns against Russian drones. A cannon engagement requires the fighter to get very close to the target, meaning the explosion and debris can end up directly in its flight path, potentially damaging the airframe or engines.