Russian President Vladimir Putin doesn't seem to bothered about the fact that social media is changing the nature of war reporting. Mikhail Klimentyev / AP
Russian President Vladimir Putin doesn't seem to bothered about the fact that social media is changing the nature of war reporting. Mikhail Klimentyev / AP

It’s getting harder to deceive, even in the fog of war



Last summer when the Russian-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine were in danger of being defeated, help mysteriously arrived in the form of devastating artillery barrages to save the day. Moscow denied that it had entered the war against the Ukrainian army. But it proved hard to keep the secret Russian intervention off social media.

Excited residents of the Russian town of Gukovo videoed barrages of rockets heading over the border towards Ukraine and posted the footage online. The moderator of a local forum sounded the alarm: “Stop giving away information. Can’t believe you are giving away straight proof that ‘Russia is attacking Ukraine’. Please delete.”

This is just one example of the evidence that can be uncovered by a new form of war reporting. Social media posts, combined with street view maps, satellite images and other open sources, provide a trove of information that has changed the ground rules for carrying out covert military interventions. Their deniability now has a very short life. In fact, the unconsidered trifles that people upload to social media are already writing the history of the conflict.

A good example is the issue of responsibility for the shooting down over Ukraine of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17, which is still being investigated by the Dutch authorities. After reports suggested that a Russian-made Buk missile launcher had shot the airliner down, the Russians claimed that it was actually downed by a Ukrainian fighter.

That claim was always thin but appears to be ruled out by news this week that the broadcaster RTL had identified shrapnel from a Buk missile at the crash site.

Noting that the Ukrainians also used the Buk anti-aircraft system, the Russian defence ministry insisted the launcher belonged to the Ukrainian armed forces and had set out from government-held territory. This claim was based on the identification of a car dealer’s billboard that features in the background of the picture of the passing missile launcher. But the car dealer has many billboards in Ukraine. And the one in the picture has been shown by citizen journalists to be in the city of Luhansk, under the separatists’ control, not where the Russians claimed.

The star of these investigators is a blogger from the English city of Leicester by the name of Eliot Higgins. He and his team have now traced the Buk missile launcher all the way from the city of Kursk to its firing point, using Russians soldiers’ social media posts and odd scraps of video taken as the convoy trundled along Russian roads.

Mr Higgins revealed some of the tools of the trade in a lecture this week at the SKUP 2015 conference of the Norwegian Foundation for a Free and Investigative Press.

Tracking the Buk, he said, was made easier by the odd habit of one motorist uploading the video of his dashboard camera as he drives around eastern Ukraine. While the video may be the dullest ever shot, it provides a means to identify the locations where the Buk passed.

It is now possible to analyse shell craters from satellite images to see from which direction the ordnance was fired. Anyone with time and nerdish persistence can link up the blast craters with the firing positions, identifiable by the scorch marks on the soil and the tracks of the army vehicles in the fields.

Russian media have dismissed Mr Higgins as a know-nothing amateur or a tool of western intelligence established to fight Russia in the information war. The latter charge, however, neglects the fact that Mr Higgins, then an unemployed househusband, began his work by analysing uploads from Syria before anyone thought of war in Ukraine.

Does it matter that the Kremlin has been caught lying? Vladimir Putin’s rationale is that the US has bent international law and gone to war on the basis of untruths for many years.

History shows that in war, winning is more important than truth, as the victors control the narrative. But times are changing and the truth is now much quicker to appear amid the lies of war. Perhaps Mr Putin has created a crisis that he cannot control.

For the moment, Mr Putin’s control of Russian television means that much of the population believes that the enemy is at their gates. In such an atmosphere, they will tolerate some wartime disinformation. But for how long?

Mikhail Khodorkovsky, the exiled Russian businessman who spent a decade in Siberian prisons, says that Kremlin propaganda is diverging so far from reality that more and more Russians are thinking critically. From 11 to 16 per cent of the population are ready to tell pollsters that they oppose the current “militarist hysteria”, he says. This number would grow, especially in the big cities.

The lesson here is that covert military operations have to be quick and successful. They do not stay secret for long, and the population will quickly tire of their soldiers dying in an unacknowledged war. They will then seek out ways to find out what is really going on.

Alan Philps is a commentator on global affairs

On Twitter @aphilps

What is dialysis?

Dialysis is a way of cleaning your blood when your kidneys fail and can no longer do the job.

It gets rid of your body's wastes, extra salt and water, and helps to control your blood pressure. The main cause of kidney failure is diabetes and hypertension.

There are two kinds of dialysis — haemodialysis and peritoneal.

In haemodialysis, blood is pumped out of your body to an artificial kidney machine that filter your blood and returns it to your body by tubes.

In peritoneal dialysis, the inside lining of your own belly acts as a natural filter. Wastes are taken out by means of a cleansing fluid which is washed in and out of your belly in cycles.

It isn’t an option for everyone but if eligible, can be done at home by the patient or caregiver. This, as opposed to home haemodialysis, is covered by insurance in the UAE.

David Haye record

Total fights: 32
Wins: 28
Wins by KO: 26
Losses: 4

The specs: 2018 Nissan Patrol Nismo

Price: base / as tested: Dh382,000

Engine: 5.6-litre V8

Gearbox: Seven-speed automatic

Power: 428hp @ 5,800rpm

Torque: 560Nm @ 3,600rpm

Fuel economy, combined: 12.7L / 100km

THE LIGHT

Director: Tom Tykwer

Starring: Tala Al Deen, Nicolette Krebitz, Lars Eidinger

Rating: 3/5

Results

6.30pm: Mazrat Al Ruwayah Group Two (PA) US$55,000 (Dirt) 1,600m; Winner: Rasi, Harry Bentley (jockey), Sulaiman Al Ghunaimi (trainer).

7.05pm: Meydan Trophy (TB) $100,000 (Turf) 1,900m; Winner: Ya Hayati, William Buick, Charlie Appleby.

7.40pm: Handicap (TB) $135,000 (D) 1,200m; Winner: Bochart, Richard Mullen, Satish Seemar.

8.15pm: Balanchine Group Two (TB) $250,000 (T) 1,800m; Winner: Magic Lily, William Buick, Charlie Appleby.

8.50pm: Handicap (TB) $135,000 (T) 1,000m; Winner: Waady, Jim Crowley, Doug Watson.

9.25pm: Firebreak Stakes Group Three (TB) $200,000 (D) 1,600m; Winner: Capezzano, Mickael Barzalona, Salem bin Ghadayer.

10pm: Handicap (TB) $175,000 (T) 2,410m; Winner: Eynhallow, Mickael Barzalona, Charlie Appleby.

If you go
Where to stay: Courtyard by Marriott Titusville Kennedy Space Centre has unparalleled views of the Indian River. Alligators can be spotted from hotel room balconies, as can several rocket launch sites. The hotel also boasts cool space-themed decor.

When to go: Florida is best experienced during the winter months, from November to May, before the humidity kicks in.

How to get there: Emirates currently flies from Dubai to Orlando five times a week.
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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NO OTHER LAND

Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal

Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham

Rating: 3.5/5

Results

2pm: Maiden (PA) Dh 40,000 (Dirt) 1,200m, Winner: AF Thayer, Tadhg O’Shea (jockey), Ernst Oertel (trainer).

2.30pm: Maiden (PA) Dh 40,000 (D) 1,200m, Winner: AF Sahwa, Nathan Crosse, Mohamed Ramadan.

3pm: Handicap (PA) Dh 40,000 (D) 1,000m, Winner: AF Thobor, Szczepan Mazur, Ernst Oertel.

3.30pm: Handicap (PA) Dh 40,000 (D) 2,000m, Winner: AF Mezmar, Szczepan Mazur, Ernst Oertel.

4pm: Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum Cup presented by Longines (TB) Dh 200,000 (D) 1,700m, Winner: Galvanize, Nathan Cross, Doug Watson.

4.30pm: Handicap (PA) Dh 40,000 (D) 1,700m, Winner: Ajaj, Bernardo Pinheiro, Mohamed Daggash.

COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
 
Started: 2021
 
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
 
Based: Tunisia 
 
Sector: Water technology 
 
Number of staff: 22 
 
Investment raised: $4 million 

 

Company: Instabug

Founded: 2013

Based: Egypt, Cairo

Sector: IT

Employees: 100

Stage: Series A

Investors: Flat6Labs, Accel, Y Combinator and angel investors

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The%C2%A0specs%20
%3Cp%3E%0D%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E6-cylinder%2C%204.8-litre%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E5-speed%20automatic%20and%20manual%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E280%20brake%20horsepower%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E451Nm%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3Efrom%20Dh153%2C00%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3Enow%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Key facilities
  • Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
  • Premier League-standard football pitch
  • 400m Olympic running track
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  • Specialist robotics and science laboratories
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SPECS
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Company%20profile
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EXare%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EJanuary%2018%2C%202021%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EPadmini%20Gupta%2C%20Milind%20Singh%2C%20Mandeep%20Singh%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EDubai%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ESector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFinTech%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunds%20Raised%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2410%20million%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECurrent%20number%20of%20staff%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E28%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestment%20stage%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3Eundisclosed%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EMS%26amp%3BAD%20Ventures%2C%20Middle%20East%20Venture%20Partners%2C%20Astra%20Amco%2C%20the%20Dubai%20International%20Financial%20Centre%2C%20Fintech%20Fund%2C%20500%20Startups%2C%20Khwarizmi%20Ventures%2C%20and%20Phoenician%20Funds%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
COMPANY PROFILE

Company: Bidzi

● Started: 2024

● Founders: Akshay Dosaj and Asif Rashid

● Based: Dubai, UAE

● Industry: M&A

● Funding size: Bootstrapped

● No of employees: Nine

Arabian Gulf League fixtures:

Friday:

  • Emirates v Hatta, 5.15pm
  • Al Wahda v Al Dhafra, 5.25pm
  • Al Ain v Shabab Al Ahli Dubai, 8.15pm

Saturday:

  • Dibba v Ajman, 5.15pm
  • Sharjah v Al Wasl, 5.20pm
  • Al Jazira v Al Nasr, 8.15pm
Info

What: 11th edition of the Mubadala World Tennis Championship

When: December 27-29, 2018

Confirmed: men: Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, Kevin Anderson, Dominic Thiem, Hyeon Chung, Karen Khachanov; women: Venus Williams

Tickets: www.ticketmaster.ae, Virgin megastores or call 800 86 823

Analysis

Members of Syria's Alawite minority community face threat in their heartland after one of the deadliest days in country’s recent history. Read more

Innotech Profile

Date started: 2013

Founder/CEO: Othman Al Mandhari

Based: Muscat, Oman

Sector: Additive manufacturing, 3D printing technologies

Size: 15 full-time employees

Stage: Seed stage and seeking Series A round of financing 

Investors: Oman Technology Fund from 2017 to 2019, exited through an agreement with a new investor to secure new funding that it under negotiation right now. 

Indoor cricket in a nutshell

Indoor Cricket World Cup – Sep 16-20, Insportz, Dubai

16 Indoor cricket matches are 16 overs per side

8 There are eight players per team

There have been nine Indoor Cricket World Cups for men. Australia have won every one.

5 Five runs are deducted from the score when a wickets falls

Batsmen bat in pairs, facing four overs per partnership

Scoring In indoor cricket, runs are scored by way of both physical and bonus runs. Physical runs are scored by both batsmen completing a run from one crease to the other. Bonus runs are scored when the ball hits a net in different zones, but only when at least one physical run is score.

Zones

A Front net, behind the striker and wicketkeeper: 0 runs

B Side nets, between the striker and halfway down the pitch: 1 run

Side nets between halfway and the bowlers end: 2 runs

Back net: 4 runs on the bounce, 6 runs on the full