Blake Ridler

Spanish Teacher, Surfer, Fitness Instructor and passionate language learner.

[Blake Ridler @BRRidler]

A winning team

[Vasyl Myroshnychenko @AmbVasyl]

As I told the Australian Financial Review, I believe there is a genuine opportunity for Ukraine and Australia to build the next chapter of our defence partnership through cooperation on drone and autonomous technologies.

Ukraine has become the world’s leading laboratory for modern warfare. Every day we develop, test and adapt new-generation unmanned systems under real battlefield conditions. This experience is invaluable, and we are ready to share it with trusted partners.

Working together to manufacture drones and other autonomous systems in Australia would not only strengthen Ukraine’s defence capabilities—it would also help Australia develop sovereign industrial capabilities in one of the most important technologies of the future.

This is no longer a niche capability. Every country must understand how unmanned systems are developed, deployed, countered and integrated into modern defence. The lessons Ukraine has learned come at an enormous cost, and we believe they can help our partners prepare for the security challenges of tomorrow.

This partnership is about much more than technology. It is about building resilience, strengthening our defence industries, and ensuring that democracies are better equipped to deter aggression.

I am confident we can make it happen, and I know there is strong interest on both sides to turn this vision into reality.

Read the article here: https://t.co/oiGKiW7Q5k

[Blake Ridler @BRRidler]

The entire situation in one post.

[Kate from Kharkiv @BohuslavskaKate]

You know, I've seen Russia commit war crimes. Senseless, pointless, and unspeakably cruel. But every time I think I've seen the worst of it, they find a way to be even more pointlessly cruel.

​They built an expensive missile, they launched it... just to slaughter a family with seven kids.

​I can't even wrap my head around it. I mean, I get the logic, but I just... can't. The reasoning behind these war crimes hasn't changed in years, they think if they terrify us enough, we'll break.

​It never occurs to them that Ukrainians wouldn't want to surrender to people who rain missiles down on families with children, apartment buildings full of sleeping people, churches, and hospitals with sick kids.

​So here we are, five years in, stuck in the same cycle: Russia commits one act of pure terrorism after another, Ukraine endures, and the world watches.

[Blake Ridler @BRRidler]

@Gerashchenko_en Keep up the great work Anton 🇺🇦💪

[Blake Ridler @BRRidler]

Incredible 🇺🇦💪

[Roman Sheremeta 🇺🇸🇺🇦 @rshereme]

At 69, Tetiana Tepliuk defended Azovstal under full encirclement, then spent 7 months in Russian captivity. Now 74 — she is back on active duty.

Soldiers call her "Khreshchena” - the godmother.

In the bunkers, she refused to eat her own rations.

Khreshchena: "Every evening, we were given a spoonful of sugar and a spoonful of honey. I saved it and gave it to two soldiers — the sugar to one, and the honey to the other."

In Russian captivity at Taganrog, a guard told her she would not need her slippers — she would soon receive "white slippers" instead. A Russian cultural reference meaning she was being prepared for a coffin.

Tetiana accepted the threat with stoic calm.

On December 31, 2022, guards blindfolded her, bound her hands with zip-ties, and loaded her onto a freezing military transport plane. Hours later, her blindfold was removed. She stepped off a bus onto Ukrainian soil.

A photograph from that moment shows her beaming in a tight embrace.

After six months of rehabilitation (russian captivity had caused complete muscle atrophy) she requested the medical commission declare her fit for duty.

She could not imagine retiring while her country faced such a tragedy.

"I am just doing my job conscientiously, and that is what matters most."

Source: text of Tymofiy Milovanov

[Blake Ridler @BRRidler]

Ukrainians are incredible 🇺🇦💪

[WarTranslated @wartranslated]

Massive protests hit Ukraine today over the decision to dismiss Defense Minister Fedorov. Demonstrations are happening in Lviv, Kharkiv, Dnipro, Odesa, Kyiv, Ivano-Frankivsk, Cherkasy, and Kryvyi Rih.

While Russians say "we are just small people, we can't change anything," Ukrainians take to the streets with cardboard-box signs to fight for their rights.

[Blake Ridler @BRRidler]

@BohuslavskaKate Keep the posts coming Kate, the world is with you 💪🇺🇦

[Blake Ridler @BRRidler]

@WarMonitor3 Loud and clear, keep them coming 💪🇺🇦

[Blake Ridler @BRRidler]

The greatest triangle of all time!!

[Jürgen Nauditt 🇩🇪🇺🇦 @jurgen_nauditt]

Mysterious – more and more Russian ships are disappearing.
😂😂😂😂😂

[Blake Ridler @BRRidler]

Now that is how you apply sanctions!! Nice work Ukraine 💪🇺🇦

[OSINTtechnical @Osinttechnical]

Ukrainian attack drones have reportedly hit another 14 Russian vessels in the Black Sea overnight.

This would bring the total to 50 Russian ships hit in the last 5 days.

[Blake Ridler @BRRidler]

Did I ever tell you about the time we spent a day in #Bogotá #Colombia with Juan and Sarah. We were blessed with great weather, awesome people and fantastic vibes. You can read all about our adventure over at https://t.co/sDbHoVHgRO

[Blake Ridler @BRRidler]

Zelenskyy knows what his country needs and keeps working until they get it. I have seen him do this ever since the beginning of the war. It started with we need weapons not a ride out of here 💪🇺🇦

[Defense of Ukraine @DefenceU]

Trump to Zelenskyy: "We're gonna give a license to you to make Patriots."

[Blake Ridler @BRRidler]

Let me just say it again, Zelenskyy is by far the greatest political leader of all time!!

[Kate from Kharkiv @BohuslavskaKate]

TRUMP: Putin said, "I'd love to meet in Moscow." I don’t know if Zelenskyy would go to Moscow. Maybe he would. Would you go to Moscow?

ZELENSKYY: It’s difficult. There are lot of Ukrainian drones there. (Audience laughs) It’s dangerous.

TRUMP: Yeah, it’s hard to go to Moscow.

[Blake Ridler @BRRidler]

By far the greatest political leader of all time!!

[Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський @ZelenskyyUa]

Intelligence once again indicates that the Russians are preparing a new massive strike. This is typical of Putin: right after America’s Independence Day and before the NATO Summit in Ankara. Russia wants to bring more evil and kill people. Please stay safe and heed any air raid alerts.

Separately, to partners: any delay with missiles for our air defense – missiles for Patriots – means the loss of lives, and it encourages Russia to continue the war. The world has the necessary quantity and quality of air defense. What is needed are your decisions to ensure real protection of lives in Ukraine.

Above all, these are, of course, decisions by the United States, decisions by the strong countries in Europe and around the world. Please be active in your decisions and protect lives. Missiles for Patriots are needed not in warehouses right now, but in Patriot units in Ukraine. I thank everyone who is providing real help.

[Blake Ridler @BRRidler]

I just realised that I hadn’t released the #Taiwan #Taichung highlights reel. So many good things to see. For more exciting adventures you can read the blogs over at https://t.co/sDbHoVHgRO

[Blake Ridler @BRRidler]

Have you booked your tickets to #Taiwan yet? If you haven’t here are some of the exciting things that you are missing out on just around #Kaohsiung and #Cijinisland. For more great adventures head over to https://t.co/sDbHoVHgRO

[Blake Ridler @BRRidler]

By far the greatest political leader of all time!!

[Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський @ZelenskyyUa]

The world’s strongest leaders, including the President of the U.S., have already told Russia that this war must end. However, Putin wants to keep fighting. That is why he must face conditions that make it impossible for him to keep this war going.

We are creating those conditions through our long-range strikes on Russian military and oil facilities. Our medium-range sanctions are also having an effect. They make it harder for Russia to occupy our territory, our lives, and we are doing everything we can to make the occupation unbearable for the occupier.

I want to thank everyone who supports our efforts. And I urge you to continue this support through new European Union sanctions.

From a speech at the opening ceremony of Ireland’s presidency of the Council of the EU. (2/3)

[Blake Ridler @BRRidler]

A spectacular sight

[NOELREPORTS 🇪🇺 🇺🇦 @NOELreports]

New panoramic footage shows two FP-5 Flamingo cruise missile impacts on Russia’s Titan-Barrikady defense plant in Volgograd. #Russia

[Blake Ridler @BRRidler]

More fantastic news !!

[Caolan @CaolanReports]

Russians are fleeing Crimea, shocked that the war their country started has finally reached them. This is likely only the beginning of their nightmare. Ukraine has turned the dial to 10 and is now shaping the course of this war.

[Blake Ridler @BRRidler]

Excellent news!!

[Jürgen Nauditt 🇩🇪🇺🇦 @jurgen_nauditt]

Sabotage at Russian drone plant: Agents rigged new batches of drones with explosives and stole databases from Alabuga.

According to the group "Black Spark," a major security breach occurred at the Alabuga Special Economic Zone in Russia (Tatarstan), where kamikaze drones are assembled.

Over an extended period, underground operatives downloaded databases containing the details of everyone involved in the production of these killer drones.

"Surprises" were installed in new batches of drones; these will explode instantly if an attempt is made to launch them.

The sabotage at the Alabuga Shahed plant deals a catastrophic blow to Russia.
Batches of tampered drones explode during launch attempts, endangering Russian troops and equipment.

The theft of the complete personal data of everyone involved in production paves the way for targeted follow-up operations. Key drone production has descended into chaos, resulting in massive delays, the loss of resources, and a palpable weakening of the Russian drone offensive against Ukraine. Alabuga—the heart of Russian killer-drone production—has been compromised.

It is a severe strategic and psychological setback for Moscow.

[Blake Ridler @BRRidler]

Now follow through and go home and fight for a free Russia!!

[Jay in Kyiv @JayinKyiv]

What started as former Russian army commander Akexander Lunin threatening Putin over the epidemic of brutality, theft and murder in the Russian military is quickly becoming the seeds of civil war, as military units are producing videos joining the threats against the Kremlin.