Harrie Breuker
David Penfold 
When seven German journalist students do a better job of tracking down the sources of the drone flights over Europe than the security services...
Das@davep @noplasticshower amazing read (and work!)
@SRDas @noplasticshower
I'm just a bit flabbergasted that the security services don't seem to have dedicated staff for this sort of thing.
It wouldn't take much to use long range reconnaissance drones to quietly keep an eye on these ships and intercept them for a full search if they're seen launching drones. It would stop this part of Russia's hybrid warfare in its tracks.
@davep @noplasticshower I'm hoping that the security forces had some inkling and perhaps let this go on while actively monitoring the drone ships [hence the coordinated same stonewalling message]. Because otherwise yes - if they aren't monitoring the incompetence is flabbergasting
Sarah Peper 🏳️⚧️🇺🇦@davep @SRDas @noplasticshower there's a thing in conflicts where you don't (openly) act on intel to not give away your hand (or keep it for a more convenient time)
Or incompetence. But you can probably only tell in hindsight
Stephan Eggermont
Su_G@davep
Great read & education on data capture & analysis methods used. 😀 What set them off (at least in part):
“The team obtained an internal email showing that all state interior ministries were instructed to give uniform responses to questions about drone sightings. Coordinated stonewalling.”
“Coordinated stonewalling” - what a concept! Of course, there could be deeper games being played here. Remote covert surveillance could have been snuck on board when the ‘token inspections’ were carried out… Military installations could run out fake weaponry (cardboard rockets, painted sets) when the foreign drones appear… All is maybe not quite what it appears to be… Still a fantastic piece of work by the student team. 🙏🏻
Toni M.
Mark Hurst
jomo@davep the article states that the security services are aware of it.
Anyways, one should take this with a grain of salt. The paper that published the story, Bild, is a German tabloid known for questionable journalism and ethics, publishing gossip, fear, hatred, sensationalism, and naked women. The author of the linked post is obviously marketing this as a success story for his training service, the actual content seems mostly copied and translated from the Bild story.
@davep I don't want to downplay the findings but it also wouldn't surprise me at all if Bild just got all the info from the leaked document, pasted the names into vesseltracker, had a failed attempt at interviewing the russian captain and then sold this off as their own amazing discovery.
Jürgen Hubert@StOnSoftware @jomo They had already done OSInt training.
Captain of the SS El Faro@davep kæm så sku ha trudd at de drone greian va en Norsk Russisk samprodukson
Bruce Acton 🇨🇦🇨🇦🇨🇦@davep wow great article, globally we need to more to counter this Russian interference and espionage.
ruff@davep and the conclusion is - "there is no threat from russia, it's all warmongering, better to die from russian bullet then fight back". so then what do you expect from security servicves? come to newspapers and tell that russia is preparing for the war? they told that already. and reaction is stated above.
Patrick@davep that doesn’t seem to what happened. They say they got non-public security service information in which they acted. Bild is the ideal target for these kind of deliberate actions by security services. Zero depth, and excellent sensation pushing
@StOnSoftware It may include an attempt by the security services to get more budget for their teams and surveillance drones.
Calamity Joan 😷@davep Paging the government of Ireland.
Ray McCarthy@davep
Or the Security services know but won't admit it?
Or the Security services know but won't admit it?
@raymaccarthy Quite possibly. They may have just lacked the drones to surveil the vessels.
Tor Lillqvist@davep What makes you think the security services haven't done it too? Their work is by definition not public.
Also, proper security services have access to more information than just what can be gleaned from easily faked AIS broadcasts. Like, you know, primary radar.
@tml I've replied to a couple of similar comments. I think they may have had a bit of help and the goal of the intelligence services would be to highlight the fact they need better resources for both manpower and long range surveillance drones. Bureaucracies don't tend to be terribly agile, and this could definitely bump their requirements up their hierarchy.
Uriel Fanelli@davep sometimes I wish people stopped to post a link with some news in it, pretending this is some truth we should think about.
There is no truth on the internet. Not anymore. Linked pages aren't significant, important, meaningful.
It was in the past. It is not now. I can write better web pages by myself. Internet is not a source of truth, anymore. Is just a waste of time receiving a page from a social network, clicking, and reading it.
There is no truth on the internet. Not anymore. Linked pages aren't significant, important, meaningful.
It was in the past. It is not now. I can write better web pages by myself. Internet is not a source of truth, anymore. Is just a waste of time receiving a page from a social network, clicking, and reading it.
@uriel I tend to agree, but it's not always the case (thankfully).
@davep oh, sure, your link is better. 'Cause it says you're right.
@uriel I just found it interesting, and some of the follow-up conversations too. Because we're a community.
@davep
but you cannot say whether what is there is true or not. I also find interesting Santa Claus, but I won't advertise it as it was true.
but you cannot say whether what is there is true or not. I also find interesting Santa Claus, but I won't advertise it as it was true.
@uriel I'm not sure what point you're trying to make. Do you want me to go back to the primary sources to verify every news story?
Dagnabbit, Pascaline! 💥This story really deserves much more attention, it still didn't make national news over here unless I missed it. So good that they add the tools, this entire story is amazing!
Knud JahnkeVery interesting. Only this image from the post is probably a ship being anchored and moving in position with the wind.
Paul - Antifa. LGBTQ+ safe.@davep That is so impressive!!
I hope that governments take heed and read this.
Johan Diederik@davep Well done students!! You deserve a good job ‘without borders’!
Flip_Switch 🇳🇱🇵🇸@davep Is this a hoax? It is to obvious.
@Flip_Switch There's further discussion in the thread. It's likely the security services may have helped them.