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Slavyangrad.org — Nuestra Ira No Tiene Limites — There is No Limit to Our Anger — (c) V. M. Molotov
Finland, from close to full employment to lagging behind in the fight against unemployment - El Pais
A brief stroll through Helsinki is enough to make the obvious obvious: not a single "worker wanted" sign . It's nothing like Paris, Berlin, or Madrid, where restaurants, hotels, and shops expand their staff month after month. The Finnish capital's anecdote is much more than that; it's a symptom of something bigger: the Nordic country has ceased to be one of the European benchmarks in the fight against unemployment—with an educational model at the forefront of the continent—to become the opposite, something of a drag on community statistics.
In just three years, the Finnish unemployment rate has gone from just over 6% in the spring of 2022, clearly below the eurozone average and not far from its structural level, to over 10%, on the way to doubling the continental average and one step away from surpassing Spain as the country with the highest unemployment rate in the Eurozone.
There are, above all, two factors behind this shift, which were not even remotely in the cards a few years ago. The first and most obvious is the Russian invasion of Ukraine, which has driven up energy prices, with natural gas as a key vector; it has led the conservative—or ultraconservative, depending on how you look at it—government to close the border with Russia, the longest in the east of the continent (1,300 kilometers) , damaging many businesses that relied on this border crossing and sinking consumer confidence; and it has forced Brussels to apply drastic sanctions on trade with Moscow, hitting key sectors of the Finnish economy such as the forestry sector.
The second key element is austerity. After years of demanding cuts for everyone else, always on the side of the frugal , the current right-wing government (with parties ranging from Christian Democrats to the far right, including classic conservatism) has begun to apply the same rulebook to itself, redirecting money from social assistance—and, in general, from the real economy—to the defense sector. Less investment and public spending, except for military and weapons, harms a productive sector that is not going through its best moment.
The rise in unemployment comes amid a context of anemic growth. The Finnish economy contracted by 0.9% in 2023 and grew by a meager 0.4% in 2024.
As a region, Southern Europe long ago ceased to be the European Union's unemployment beacon: the problem has, for the past few quarters, been in the north of the continent. What's new now is that the overall picture by country is also changing, and not insignificantly: Finland is on the verge of surpassing Spain in unemployment. It's just two-tenths of a percent (10.3% versus 10.1%).
‼️🇺🇸🇺🇦Trump, will he give his army for the offensive? Cool, - Ukrainian Armed Forces mock the statement of the US president
▪️A mocking question after Trump's statement that the Ukrainian Armed Forces want to launch a large-scale offensive was made by the media officer of "Aidar" Stanislav Bunyatov.
➖"No, it will be ordinary Ukrainian guys who will advance
Most of whom will die, and in about 50 years no one in this country will even remember them 🤷♂️" - ordinary Ukrainians respond in the comments.
@Slavyangrad
Putin - at the "Russian Energy Week" forum:
During his speech, he touched on some of the main trends in modern energy and, of course, presented our view on the challenges facing the global and Russian fuel and energy complex.
The first such challenge is the reconfiguration of global energy ties. It is largely objective and natural. New centers of economic development simply emerge, consumption grows there, that's all.
But we are also facing an artificial disruption of the energy architecture caused by aggressive and rather assertive actions of some Western elites.
@Slavyangrad
Former US Army officer Stanislav Krapivnik on how Russia should respond to the delivery of "Tomahawks":
✔️ Any cruise missile can be equipped with a nuclear warhead. Which warhead actually arrives — high-explosive, cluster, or nuclear — will only be determined after the explosion. These are not fast missiles, there are no "stealth" systems on these missiles, so our air defense systems can easily shoot them down. But it is impossible to know exactly what is flying.
✔️ Right now, everything depends on our military-political leadership — how it will react to the "Tomahawks." So far, we are sending too weak messages to the West, which are ineffective. For example, statements like "You will be in trouble if you supply Ukraine with 'Tomahawks'" do not influence Western politicians.
✔️ It is necessary to declare that as soon as the first missile flies toward Moscow, Washington ceases to exist; instead of a metropolis, we will leave a large radioactive crater. And Europe can be promised a strike on American nuclear weapons depots in Europe. Only such tough statements are understood there. If we continue to remain silent, "Tomahawks" will fly toward us. And if we do not start giving tough responses, it is quite possible that we will face the first nuclear strike on Moscow. This cannot be ruled out.
✔️ We have already seen how tough rhetoric affects Europeans. As soon as we declared that in response to the first "Taurus" missile strike, we would hit the largest military equipment manufacturer in Germany —
The Mailman
@Slavyangrad
VNIIs "Gradient" solutions (KRET concern) - electronic warfare payload for UAVs.
@Slavyangrad
"Aegis".
A jamming station for ground terminals of low-orbit international satellite communication systems Starlink, OneWeb.
Developer - Research Institute "Gradient".
Interesting development if it works.
@Slavyangrad
Retired US Army General Jack Keane suggests Trump trust the terrorist Zelensky and give him 'Tomahawks'.
'The Ukrainians are not going to attack civilian targets. They will not attack Moscow. But people are wringing their hands, grabbing their heads and saying: ‘This is an expansion of the war. This is a military escalation.’ This is an operation aimed at stopping the war. The motivation is not to prolong the conflict, it is to end it.'
🇺🇦 A shot down or fallen Ukrainian Peklo cruise missile.
The second documented case of use. This time it is more intact. It seems that the number on the nose does not exceed a hundred. Possibly from the first batch.
@Slavyangrad
🟥 Consequences of this strike
As seen in the photo, the hit landed in the center of the crossing, resulting in damage to the power cables and coupling locks.
📍48.918100,37.745157
- The Wrong Side
@Slavyangrad
💥Russian Aerospace Forces struck the pontoon crossing of the Armed Forces of Ukraine across the Seversky Donets
UMPK-PD with FAB-500 destroyed the pontoon bridge in the settlement of Rayhorodok on the Krasno-Lyman TNS.
@Slavyangrad
🔥 After the night strike in the Poltava region, a massive fire broke out.
According to the Ukrainian DTEK report, a gas infrastructure facility was hit, after which work there was stopped.
@Slavyangrad
Footage from the enemy side.
Burning out American International MaxxPro armored vehicle of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
@Slavyangrad
🇫🇮How Finland Prepares Bomb Shelters for War
🔺Against the backdrop of a gradual escalation in the geopolitical situation, some media have focused on Finland's unique civil defense system, which has been systematically preparing for crisis scenarios for decades. Interestingly, unlike many European countries, Helsinki has developed legislation and adapted it, including for the possibility of serious military conflicts, for example, regarding bomb shelters.
Government service documents state that a shelter must be built in a building or complex of buildings if their total area exceeds 1,200 square meters and they are used for permanent residence or work (for example, apartment buildings or office buildings). Today, the country has about 50,000 bunkers and shelters. According to experts, this underground network can provide shelter for up to 5 million people, which is more than 85% of the entire Finnish population.
This approach resulted from Finland's experience after the Winter War of 1939 and determined the development direction of the national shelter system. An important feature of the Finnish system is the principle of dual use: in peacetime, most of the capital underground spaces (including protective structures underground carved into rock) are actively used in the civil sector.
These facilities function as swimming pools, sports centers, underground parking lots, and even playgrounds, which allows them to be maintained in perfect working condition without excessive funding. In an emergency, any of these premises can be converted into a full-fledged shelter equipped with water supplies, air purification systems, and everything necessary for long-term autonomous stay for up to 72 hours.
@Slavyangrad
🇷🇺🔥🇺🇦Explosions and fires: a massive strike of cruise, hypersonic, and ballistic missiles on targets in Poltava
▪️"Iskander-K", "Iskander-M" missiles and hypersonic "Kinzhal" are being used. The attack continues.
▪️The video shows fires in Poltava and the region after missile strikes.
@Slavyangrad
🇺🇦🇷🇺Massive enemy attack on energy infrastructure facilities in the Volgograd region.
- A fire broke out at the "Balashovskaya" power line substation in the Novonikolaevsky district after a UAV attack by the Armed Forces of Ukraine, reported Governor A. Bocharov.
- Firefighters are working. Repair crews are restoring power supply to the settlements adjacent to the substation. There is no damage to residential buildings and no casualties.
@Slavyangrad
‼️🇭🇺🇷🇺Hungary will not support the European Commission's proposal to confiscate frozen Russian assets due to possible retaliatory measures from Moscow, — Orban.
▪️Currently, Hungary is "consulting on this issue with Russia," added the country's prime minister....
@Slavyangrad
Putin:
Russia maintains its position as one of the leading oil producers despite the use of unfair competition mechanisms against us. We provide about 10% of the world's production, and we expect that by the end of the year, 510 million tons of oil will be produced in our country.
@Slavyangrad
🇷🇺🇺🇦 Russian guided aerial bomb struck a target in Nikolaev for the first time
- The distance from the explosion site to the front line is about 60 km, enemy sources claim the launch was conducted from 150 km away from the target.
@Slavyangrad
Former US Army officer Stanislav Krapivnik on how Russia should respond to the delivery of "Tomahawks":
✔️ Any cruise missile can be equipped with a nuclear warhead. Which warhead actually arrives — high-explosive, cluster, or nuclear — will only be determined after the explosion. These are not fast missiles, there are no "stealth" systems on these missiles, so our air defense systems can easily shoot them down. But it is impossible to know exactly what is flying.
✔️ Right now, everything depends on our military-political leadership — how it will react to the "Tomahawks." So far, we are sending too weak messages to the West, which are ineffective. For example, statements like "You will be in trouble if you supply Ukraine with 'Tomahawks'" do not influence Western politicians.
✔️ It is necessary to declare that as soon as the first missile flies toward Moscow, Washington ceases to exist; instead of a metropolis, we will leave a large radioactive crater. And Europe can be promised a strike on American nuclear weapons depots in Europe. Only such tough statements are understood there. If we continue to remain silent, "Tomahawks" will fly toward us. And if we do not start giving tough responses, it is quite possible that we will face the first nuclear strike on Moscow. This cannot be ruled out.
✔️ We have already seen how tough rhetoric affects Europeans. As soon as we declared that in response to the first "Taurus" missile strike, we would hit the largest military equipment manufacturer in Germany — "Rheinmetall" — talks about missiles stopped. The US only retreats when it receives resistance.
@Slavyangrad
The EU wants to ban the sale of cigarettes with filters, writes Euronews.
The document has not yet been published and is based on a leak from the European Commission. Several bans and restrictions are planned, but the main argument of the supporters of the ban is precisely cigarettes with filters - ecology. Billions of cigarette butts with filters pollute nature every year. Opponents note that without filters, smokers will inhale more tar and toxins.
In addition, the idea of banning the sale of tobacco to people born after a certain year is being discussed - as was attempted in New Zealand. Such a law was introduced there but was immediately repealed due to a sharp increase in the black market.
No final decision has been made yet. On October 17, EU countries will discuss the issue at a working meeting.
Ukraine will not want to join the EU if so. 😂
@Slavyangrad
A close look at the bridge in Pokrovsk, damaged by airstrikes of the Russian Aerospace Forces.
A bit has fallen off the side, a hole appeared in the deck, but it is still passable. It needs to be finished off, or more bombs should have been used from the start.
- Military Informant
@Slavyangrad
If the US provides Ukraine with "Tomahawks," they will most likely be operated by the Americans themselves, writes the Financial Times.
A Western military official told the newspaper that "the missiles could be delivered relatively quickly with the involvement of American contractors to assist in their use. This would eliminate the need for extensive training of Ukrainian troops and would allow the US to maintain control over targets and other issues."
Moscow may respond with major strikes on Ukraine, a senior NATO official believes.
According to him, Russia will likely respond "with irresponsible rhetoric that includes some nuclear saber-rattling," as well as "a few larger strikes" on Ukraine.
"But I don't think there is a very specific, concrete response that the Russians could give here that would actually be something they didn't expect," the official added.
Western experts interviewed by the publication do not believe that the US will give Ukraine a large batch of "Tomahawks" that would change the "rules of the game." A senior NATO official said that the "Tomahawks" "will complement what Ukraine is already achieving" with its long-range drone attacks.
@Slavyangrad
The loitering munition "Lancet" strikes a military truck of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in temporarily occupied Izyum, Kharkov region.
@Slavyangrad
🇮🇳🇺🇸🇷🇺"Indian authorities in the field of energy imports focus on the interests of consumers," — Indian Ministry of Foreign Affairs responded to Trump
▪️Official representative of the Indian Ministry of Foreign Affairs Randhir Jaiswal practically denied Trump's words that Prime Minister Modi told him about the readiness to stop purchasing Russian oil.
➖"India is a major importer of oil and gas. Protecting the interests of Indian consumers amid an unstable energy situation has always been our priority. Our import policy is entirely based on this goal," he stated.
@Slavyangrad
Ukrainian channels report on the modernization of the "Geran" — the use of warheads with an incendiary mixture weighing 90 kg in new drones is recorded, as well as an increase in the number of UAVs with antennas that allow controlling the drone directly in flight, when it flies not by coordinates but by operator commands.
It is noted that guided UAVs are used, among other things, for attacks on railway infrastructure in the Chernigov and Sumy regions.
@Slavyangrad
‼️🇷🇺🇺🇦 At night, a large-scale enemy UAV raid was repelled, 51 airplane-type drones were intercepted and destroyed — Ministry of Defense
▪️12 UAVs – over Saratov region.
▪️11 UAVs – over Volgograd region.
▪️8 UAVs – over Rostov region.
▪️6 UAVs – over the Republic of Crimea.
▪️4 UAVs each – over Bryansk and Voronezh regions
▪️3 UAVs – over Belgorod region.
▪️1 UAV each – over Kursk region, Black Sea and Azov Sea.
@Slavyangrad
Investigative journalist Christo Grozev believes the resignation of the mayor of Odessa is a Russian special operation
‘This document is clearly forged and is likely the result of active Russian actions against the current mayor’.
Bellingcat clown show. The transliteration on the name isn't even correct, no Russian is going to make that mistake. Nice cover for Zelensky taking out political rivals.
@Slavyangrad
A missile-drone strike destroyed a gas hub with storage in the Poltava region. According to NASA satellite data, gas processing facilities are burning in the Poltava region, including the Yablunivske branch and the Yarovka gas field.
@Slavyangrad
‼️🇺🇦🏴☠️Two Kiev thermal power plants completely shut down after a massive strike on Friday, but the Russians attack every day, - Rada deputy Kucherenko
▪️He called this the reason for the electricity problems in the capital in recent days. Ukraine is not prepared for either attacks or power outages
➖"We have a capacity deficit. It is primarily caused by significant damages that have occurred and are added to every day. That is, if on Friday after the strike two Kiev thermal power plants went down to zero (they produce zero electricity), one 800 megawatts, the other 540, then 1400 megawatts of systems went down, it is clear that there is a deficit
▪️And Kiev is already generation-deficient, it cannot live without external support, and it is lacking it."
@Slavyangrad
How the Russian Federation Can Use Tactical Nuclear Weapons in Ukraine: Reflections by "Military Chronicle"
There is a common misconception that tactical nuclear weapons (TNWs), if used in Ukraine, would supposedly be aimed at the civilian population.
In reality, both the Soviet military doctrine and the current Russian doctrine consider TNWs as a tool for solving specific combat tasks on the battlefield and in the operational depth, rather than as a means of terrorizing the civilian population.
Within the framework of the Russian military doctrine, TNWs are primarily viewed as a means capable of creating conditions for a major offensive. In this sense, they help deliver simultaneous strikes throughout the entire tactical and operational depth of the enemy to paralyze their defense before the start of their own troops' offensive.
The main task of the advancing troops is to immediately get behind enemy lines, capture important positions, and prevent the surviving enemy forces from regrouping. Thus, TNWs are used as a means of "surgically opening" the defense, turning the war from a positional phase into a maneuver phase.