An Ekranoplan (“surface-plane” in Russian) is a plane-ship hybrid that can skim over the water using the upward force of the WiG (Wing in Ground) effect, which forms a cushion of air under the short but very wide wings. It’s…

This feels a little like ambulance chasing, so in no particular order, here are 9 (possible) traffic accidents. 1. Highway A13 just north of Rotterdam (there’s a couple of vehicles on the hard shoulder, and traffic is backed up for…

These are the Diomede Islands, two islands only 3km apart but one is in Russia, the other in the USA. These islands are right in the middle of the Bering Straights and the international dateline runs right in between them.…

In 1977 the Soviets began construction of a fleet of nuclear submarines that were to hold the title of “World’s Largest Submarine” for nearly 30 years (and counting!) – the Typhoon class. The fictional “Red October” that was hunted in…

These spiky looking red things are “anti-tank hedghogs” just outside of Moscow. They are designed to be placed in roads or along defensive lines to stop mobile armour zooming about. These hedghogs are a memorial that marks the closest point…

This is the worlds biggest open cast diamond mine in Mirny, north eastern Siberia. It’s more than 1 km in diameter and half a km deep! Wow, that’s a big hole. The Google Maps imagery isn’t super high-res but there…