China and Turkey Covet Russia's Borderlands

For all their expressions of fraternal support, neither the Chinese nor the Russians trust each other. The Russians realize this relationship is transactional and the Chinese believe that keeping Russia in the war will ultimately weaken them, strengthen the Chinese and provide opportunities for eventual further expansion at Russia's expense.

The Turks, meanwhile, are standing by, waiting to exploit Russia's eventual degradation. This is the reality of living in that neighborhood. JL

Raj K reports in Medium:

Russia is very big and diverse, with different economic, cultural, and political needs in various areas. If central control weakens, some regions might try to build stronger ties with outside powers, tilting towards neighbors like China basic on economic gains. Russia’s eastern and Siberian areas have huge natural resources, very valuable in the world economy. In the case of Turkey, the Caucasus region borders it. During the Chechen war, Turkey openly supported Chechnya’s independence. Taking advantage of a weak Russia, Turkey would still try to bring Chechnya and neighboring areas under its influence.

Russian Command Post, Drone Base, Artillery Destroyed By Ukraine Jets, Drones

Ukrainian forces destroyed a variety of Russian targets in the past two days - command posts, drone bases and artillery. 

The attacks show that as the Ukrainians increasingly identify and eliminate Russian air defenses on and near the front, the Ukrainians are able to strike weapons and installations of choice on a priority basis as part of their overall strategy while the Russians continue to hit civilian targets due to lack of coordination and capability. JL

Dariia Mykhailenko reports in Untied 24:

Ukraine's Air Force destroyed a Russian command post along with personnel, including drone operators, in an airstrike carried out by a Su-27 fighter jet. The aircraft crew used two guided aerial bombs in the strike. The target was completely destroyed, and the Russian personnel inside were killed. Ukrainian drone operators also destroyed two Russian 2S19 Msta-S self-propelled howitzers in the Vovchansk direction. Locating and destroying the systems required coordinated work because the howitzers regularly changed positions, used camouflage and operated at a distance while being protected by other Russian forces.

Job-Applicants Are Desperately 'AI-Washing" Their Resumes

This is a new variant on an old and familiar theme. First it was dotcom, then it was cell phones, now AI. 

With every generation of technology, those hoping to take advantage - or merely to keep their jobs - adapt by updating their resumes to reflect the latest trend. It is a cynical exercise, but in an economy without much sympathy, staying current is the equivalent of staying employed or of breaking in at all. JL

Te-Ping Chen  reports in the Wall Street Journal:

Millions of of job seekers to give their work history an AI makeover. In some cases, they are seeking to add new skills, obtaining certifications to demonstrate their fluency in the technology. In others, they are dressing up their résumés with AI buzzwords in hopes of gaining employer attention. “Everybody’s keyword dumping.”  The percentage of LinkedIn users in the U.S. who have added AI-related terms to their profiles rose 70% last year. Users have been retroactively adding AI terms to job titles where it hadn’t previously been mentioned. Compared with historic versions of such job descriptions, there are 30% more references to AI on user profiles today. “A lot of it looks like AI washing.”

Surviving A Year In the Kill Zone: A Ukrainian Infantryman's Diary

Unimaginable privation and risk of death by men who continue to serve despite the violence, isolation and death. 

It is a testament to their courage and determination. JL

Felix Hoske reports in Reuters:

Both armies now have tiny teams, two or three soldiers, scattered in small dugouts hollowed across the "kill zone" because of the constant drone threat. These groups evade detection and infiltrate gaps in enemy defences. They are stuck for months in their positions because it's so dangerous to rotate troops in and out. Krynitskyi was deployed near Chasiv Yar from April 20, 2025 to March 31, 2026. He filmed video diaries with a cellphone, powered by batteries from downed Russian drones in a cramped redoubt 3 by 4 metres beneath the front lines. Three or four days passed before a re-supply drone could make it through enemy fire. To survive, Krynitskyi picked food and sundries from fallen Russians who would advance on foot in small groups every couple of days. He killed 23 at close range during his deployment. 

July Was Worst Month of Entire War For Ukraine Destroying Russian Vehicles

Last month, Ukrainian forces destroyed more Russian vehicles than at any other similar time since the Russian invasion four and a half years ago. 

This is a reflection of the growing effectiveness of the near, mid level and long range drone campaigns targeting Russian manufacturing and oil production, as well as the vehicles that transport their finished products. Ukrainian attacks also degraded Russian air defenses and armor, as well as again inflicting more casualties than any other month of the war. JL

Olena Mukhina reports in the Euromaidan Press:

Ukraine wrecked more Russian vehicles in July than in any month of the war. Ukraine's Defense Forces destroyed and disabled 13,998 units of automotive equipment, the most for the entire war.Ukraine also struck at the systems that protect Russian forces. Ukrainian troops hit 68 units of Russian air defense systems in July, chipping away at the shield that guards Russian positions and rear areas. Armor losses were also heavy. Ukraine destroyed and disabled 162 tanks, including 28 in a single day on 22 July, along with 204 armored combat vehicles and 2,016 artillery systems. That month was also Russia's deadliest for personnel in 2026, as Ukraine's drones reached deeper and hit more. 

Losing To Anthropic, OpenAI, Google, Meta Now Touts Open Weight AI

Tech's BS meter is flashing red. Meta's embrace of open-weight AI, preceded by a wordy manifesto from CEO Zuck about freedom, the threat from China and other rhetoric designed to curry favor with his friends in the Trump Administration, appears to be a desperate attempt to re invigorate the company's position in AI even as it is falling to also-ran status compared to Anthropic, OpenAI, Google as well as the Chinese open weight hitters. It may even be a play for federal funding from once proudly libertarian Silicon Valley. 

Whatever the reasoning, industry insiders are suggesting this could signal another whiff, even as the company's metaverse wreckage still smolders. JL

Beatrice Nolan reports in Fortune:

Meta's shift on open-source reflects an attempt to try to regain momentum after recent models have fallen short of those from OpenAI and Anthropic. Meta is looking to reassure investors that it is still competitive with frontier labs. (But) Meta's open weight Muse Glimmer lands in a US market increasingly dominated by closed-sourced AI companies with controlled access to their best models. OpenAI Anthropic, and Google keep their most advanced "frontier" models locked, retaining control of the weights and infrastructure. Meta sought to differentiate itself by embracing open source, launching the open-weight Llama family of models in February 2023. The Llama family helped outside developers to download and modify AI, and gave Meta some influence in AI even as rivals captured more revenue by selling access to their proprietary models. Meta is hoping its commitment to open-source will give it a political argument for user and government support.

Russian Submarine Commander Who Defected From Ukraine Assassinated In Crimea

Russian Naval Captain Robert Shageev, who had commanded Ukraine's only submarine in 2014 but defected when the Russians seized Crimea that year, was killed by a bomb placed near his home in Sebastopol earlier today. 

Ukraine neither forgives nor forgets. JL

The Kyiv Post reports:

Russian Naval Captain Robert Shageev was killed earlier today when an explosive device detonated near a residential area in Russian-occupied Sevastopol. He was a Captain1st rank in Russia’s Black Sea Fleet. Shageev previously served in the Ukrainian Navy and commanded the Zaporizhzhia – Ukraine’s only submarine at the time. He defected to Russia after Moscow occupied and illegally annexed Crimea in 2014. Shageev later served in Russia’s Black Sea Fleet as deputy commander of its 4th Separate Submarine Brigade. Ukraine charged him with treason and desertion over his decision to join the Russian military. Shageev continued serving Russia during its 2022 invasion of Ukraine. He had commanded the Stary Oskol, a Russian submarine capable of carrying Kalibr cruise missiles.