General’s knowledge: a chat with Ukraine’s spy chief
Sep 27, 2023
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Kyrylo Budanov, Ukraine's military intelligence chief known for predicting the Russian invasion, shares insights with Oli Carroll, The Economist's Ukraine correspondent. They dive deep into Ukraine's counter-offensive strategies as winter approaches, emphasizing the importance of factual analysis over speculation. Budanov discusses the dynamics of drone warfare and the impact of Western support. Additionally, the conversation touches on Brazil's potential re-legalization of gambling and the influence of TikTok on publishing trends.
Ukraine's counter-offensive focuses on small storm groups to disrupt Russia's defenses and sever land connections with Crimea.
Brazil is considering legalizing gambling to boost revenues, driven by financial struggles and the potential risks involved.
Deep dives
Ukraine's counter-offensive and military intelligence
The head of military intelligence in Ukraine, Kirilobudanov, discusses the progress of Ukraine's counter-offensive against Russia. Despite slow movement, Ukraine's tactics have evolved to utilize small storm groups, making it harder for Russia to defend their territory. The aim is to sever the land connections between Russia and Crimea, while also degrading Russian assets and reserves. Budanov believes that Russia's resources are being exhausted, and a reckoning is coming.
Brazil's potential legalization of gambling
The Brazilian government is considering legalizing gambling to boost revenues, as the country faces financial struggles. While sports betting websites have already been legalized, a separate bill aims to regulate the entire gambling industry. The move is driven by the need for revenue, as well as political interests. Brazil's illegal gambling sector currently generates more revenue than the drug trade. However, the potential risks include criminal activity and increased gambling addiction.
The influence of BookTok in the publishing world
BookTok, a community of readers and reviewers on TikTok, is reshaping the publishing world by promoting books and authors to a wide audience. The algorithm-driven platform has significant trend-setting power, driving book recommendations and sales. While publishers and authors struggle to understand and replicate BookTok's virality, the platform's growth trajectory shows no signs of slowing down. The genres most popular on BookTok include steamy romance, fantasy, dark academia, and thrillers. Biographies and self-help books also have the potential to gain traction.
Where the defensive lines really are, the state of Russia’s reserves, battlefield tactics: Kyrylo Budanov is a candid interviewee—but he claims to know nothing about all those drones. Gambling has been illegal in Brazil for decades, but pinched government coffers point to a lifting of the prohibition (10:42). And the passion and the profitability of “BookTok”, the literary end of TikTok (16:51).
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