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Ulrike Franke

@rikefranke.bsky.social

44K followers 2.1K following 4.8K posts

Senior Fellow at European Council on Foreign Relations. #Drone politics PhD UniofOxford, previously Sciences Po. Writes about all things #Germany #Defence #miltech. Podcast host at @SicherheitsPod.de & LeCollimateur

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Ulrike Franke @rikefranke.bsky.social · 18d

NZZ has written a very nice portrait about me and my work

www.nzz.ch/pro/wie-spri...

Ulrike Franke erklärt Sicherheitspolitik wie keine andere. Was wir von ihr lernen können

Ulrike Franke ist eine der bekanntesten Sicherheitsexperten im deutschsprachigen Raum. Sie prophezeit das Schlechte und hofft auf das Gute. Europa kann viel von ihr lernen. Ein Porträt.

www.nzz.ch

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Ulrike Franke @rikefranke.bsky.social · 29m

😶

Ulrike Franke @rikefranke.bsky.social · 1h

“I must disappoint those who believe that our neutrality would protect Austria from Russian attacks. It is highly likely that we have long been in the crosshairs of Russian ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, electronic warfare operations, and cyberattacks.” - @hoanssolo.bsky.social

Im Krisenfall: Ist Österreich potenzielles Ziel russischer Angriffe?

Österreich könnte im Krisenfall ein Ziel russischer Angriffe werden. Die Neutralität schützt nicht mehr vor modernen Bedrohungen.

www.kleinezeitung.at

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Ulrike Franke @rikefranke.bsky.social · 1h

Nicht mein präferiertes Format, zugegeben.

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Ulrike Franke @rikefranke.bsky.social · 6h

This. It just doesn’t work anymore, so why should I be there?

Dmitry Grozoubinski @explaintrade.com · 8h

This is an exact encapsulation of why I moved to Bluesky.

No amount of handwringing in the Atlantic about how I owe some eternal Promethean suffering to the discourse is going to make me stay on a site I hate, that stopped doing anything for me professionally years ago.

Well – no. Bluesky may or may not be, as one centre-right friend who felt unwelcome put it, “self-righteous island”. But the idea that’s why we went is nonsense. That I’ve largely stopped posting on a site that’s done more to shape my career and social circle than the rest of the internet combined is less about avoiding rival opinions (I love arguing with people who are wrong!) than with the fact the site simply became unusable. It stopped generating the things (good jokes, interesting debate, clicks) I wanted; it became extremely good at generating the things (racists, pornbots, racist pornbots) I did not.

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Ulrike Franke @rikefranke.bsky.social · 6h

Got to discuss drones on “Markus Lanz”.
Full video here: www.zdf.de/video/talk/m...

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Reposted by Ulrike Franke

cosmoflash @cosmoflash.bsky.social · 1d

Lecornu II : Matignon Drift
Lecornu 3
Lecornu 4Ever
Lecornu V Infinite
Lecornu Origins
The Lecornu Tales
Legend of Lecornu

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Ulrike Franke @rikefranke.bsky.social · 1d

This is really interesting

Out With the Old
To pay for this new Army, General George needed to cut. That meant eliminating weapons that he and other senior leaders believed would not be able to survive drone attacks.
He cut the M-10 Booker, a light tank that was designed to fight through enemy machine-gun fire, mortars and rocket-propelled grenades. The Army had spent more than $1 billion to develop it but decided this year that it could be too easily destroyed by a $500 or $1,000 kamikaze drone.
General George also cut short the Joint Light Tactical Vehicle,

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Reposted by Ulrike Franke

Ulrike Franke @rikefranke.bsky.social · 1d

“One Ukrainian Army officer recently tried to explain to an American officer in Washington what it felt like to fight on a battlefield swarming with drones.

“Everything wants to destroy you,” Lt. Col. Volodymyr Dutko told his U.S. counterpart”

The Army’s Race to Catch Up in a World of Deadly Drones

www.nytimes.com

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Reposted by Ulrike Franke

Matt Steinglass @mattsteinglass.bsky.social · 1d

Not commenting on this action, but if boycotts of Israel continue after it stops killing in Gaza, if they are not tied to a specific demand, the conclusion Israelis draw is “they hate us regardless and there is no point listening to them.”

Jonas Algers @jonasalgers.bsky.social · 1d

Norway are facing Israel in the Football World Cup qualifiers today

The Oslo Tram Driver’s Union will be striking on the tram lines to the stadium in solidarity with the people of Palestine

www.nrk.no/stor-oslo/va...

Varsler kollektiv-streik i Oslo før Norge-Israel

Oslo Sporveiers Arbeiderforening varsler streik 11. oktober, samme dag som Israel og Norge spiller landskamp i fotball på Ullevaal Stadion. Hensikten er å vise støtte til Palestina. Én time før kampst...

www.nrk.no

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Ulrike Franke @rikefranke.bsky.social · 1d

“I don’t think the reality of what drones mean on the battlefield has really sunk in for the U.S. Army,” said Lt. Gen. Barno, a former commander in Afghanistan. “We certainly haven’t encountered the psychological impact of having a machine looking at you all the time that’s devoted to killing you”

The Army’s Race to Catch Up in a World of Deadly Drones

www.nytimes.com

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Ulrike Franke @rikefranke.bsky.social · 1d

The Army’s Race to Catch Up in a World of Deadly Drones

www.nytimes.com

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Ulrike Franke @rikefranke.bsky.social · 1d

“The new drones gave Colonel Glonek a view of the 60-square-mile battlefield that, until recently, he had never thought possible. He also knew the enemy could see him and his troops.”

www.nytimes.com/2025/10/09/u...

The Army’s Race to Catch Up in a World of Deadly Drones

www.nytimes.com

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Ulrike Franke @rikefranke.bsky.social · 1d

Plus ca change, plus c’est la même chose
#FrenchPrimeMinister

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Ulrike Franke @rikefranke.bsky.social · 2d

“The contracted worth "hundreds of millions" is financed by an EU member state, using the proceeds from frozen Russian assets, the company said, without naming the country.”
kyivindependent.com/rheinmetall-...

Rheinmetall to supply Ukraine with additional Skyranger air defense systems

The upcoming delivery addresses Ukraine's urgent need for cost-effective air defense solutions as Russia intensifies drone attacks.

kyivindependent.com

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Ulrike Franke @rikefranke.bsky.social · 2d

Thanks for having me at Jean Monnet Foundation to discuss European defence! And look what awesome historically inspired European chocolate I got!

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Ulrike Franke @rikefranke.bsky.social · 2d

😄

Nora Zabel @zabelnori.bsky.social · 2d

Spotted in der bayerischen Regio @rikefranke.bsky.social 🙂‍↔️✌🏻

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Ulrike Franke @rikefranke.bsky.social · 2d

Haha, ok das ist sehr lustig

Ulrike Franke @rikefranke.bsky.social · 2d

This is extremely on point. If you want to know someone’s politics without asking them directly, you ask about their view of Macron 🤷‍♀️

Julien Hoez @julienhoez.eu · 2d

How you view Emmanuel Macron depends on who you support politically:

- LFI: Macron is a fascist globalist elite bank baron
- PS: Emmanuel Macron is a right-wing capitalist & hates poor people
- Ensemble / Renaissance: Macron is a centrist
- LR: Macron is a socialist
- Far-right: Macron's a Commie

redneeraj.bsky.social @redneeraj.bsky.social · 2d

Is Macron regarded as centre right in France?

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Ulrike Franke @rikefranke.bsky.social · 2d

After six months, both will be so happy to switch back! It’s perfect.

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Ulrike Franke @rikefranke.bsky.social · 2d

You can watch the whole thing here now.
To be honest: I didn’t find this to be a particularly substantial debate but I guess if you appear on national television, you should advertise it. And I said my bit. So here: Mama look, I’m on TV! 👇

www.zdf.de/play/talk/ma...

Markus Lanz vom 9. Oktober 2025

Wie Liberalismus wieder attraktiver werden könnte, über hybride Bedrohungen im u. durch den Cyberraum sowie zu den jüngsten Drohnenvorfälle in Europa.

www.zdf.de

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Ulrike Franke @rikefranke.bsky.social · 2d

Ok, let’s do it, I’m game!

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Ulrike Franke @rikefranke.bsky.social · 2d

I’ll explain more tonight

bsky.app/profile/rike...

Ulrike Franke @rikefranke.bsky.social · 3d

I’ll be on Markus Lanz’s show tonight, talking about drones over Germany and in Ukraine. I’m usually asleep by the time his show airs, but maybe you don’t have small kids and are still awake at 11:15 pm!

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Ulrike Franke @rikefranke.bsky.social · 2d

Why is this happening so often now? Because 1) the geopolitical context has changed and 2) we are paying more attention

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Ulrike Franke @rikefranke.bsky.social · 2d

And more drones, this time over Geilenkirchen, the NATO base where the Awacs surveillance aircraft are stationed.
Detected by a detection system (good), no countermeasures employed (less good). As it is often the case, unclear whether there really was a drone, and which kind.

www.spiegel.de

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Reposted by Ulrike Franke

Sicherheitspod @sicherheitspod.de · 3d

Für unsere Diskussion zum Nahen Osten haben wir uns gleich zwei Gäste eingeladen: @richardcschneider.bsky.social und Jan Busse. Die Folge ist jetzt online überall wo es Podcasts gibt.

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