The biggest hunt to finally track down the Lock Ness Monster is set to begin this weekend, with Nessie enthusiasts from around the world expected to have their eyes on the infamous loch. 

The Loch Ness Centre and the Loch Ness Exploration, an independent research team, will scour the waters for the beast using drones with infra-red cameras and underwater detectors in the biggest search since the Loch Ness Investigation Bureau studies the loch back in 1972. 

Over the weekend, members of the public will be asked to keep a close eye on the loch for breaks in the water, movement, or even a sighting of its most famous inhabitant. Cameras have been set up along the shores, meaning people from across the globe can take part. 

Meanwhile, drones using infrared cameras will capture thermal images under the water, and a hydrophone will be used to detect acoustic signals beneath the surface. 

Paul Nixon, general manager of the Loch Ness Centre, said: ‘The interest in our weekend of activities has been fantastic, and to see how people from all around the world are still fascinated by the story of the Loch and Nessie.

‘We want anyone in the world to be able to help, which is why we are looking for budding monster hunters from anywhere to log in to the live stream of the Loch over the weekend and see if they spot anything mysterious.

‘We can’t wait to see what we find.’

So far this year, there have been four sightings, with one little girl’s photo of the elusive beast being branded the best picture in years. 

Charlotte Robinson had been staying at the Loch Ness Highland Lodges at Invermoriston nack in 2018 when something popped up in the water 50 feet from the bank. 

Grabbing her camera, Charlotte was able to snap a picture of a blob in the water which apparently surfaced for a minute before disappearing again, reports the Mirror. 

Charlotte had been on holiday with her parents Kat and Dave when the incident occurred at about 7pm one evening. 

Describing the moment she came face to face with ‘Nessie’, Charlotte explained she knew there had been ‘something’ there. 

She said: ‘There was something in the water about 50 feet from the shore. I took a photo. It had a neck and head was in the shape of a hook.

‘I just took what I saw. It was black – I just don’t know how far it was out of the water. I’m not good at judging distances. 

‘But after about a minute it disappeared and then came back up again in a different place. It was up for less than a minute the second time. 

‘I kind of believed in Nessie, but I wanted to see the proof. I always imagined her as having a long neck and flippers. I have seen something but I’m not sure what.’

The photograph was rapturously received by the Nessie spotting community including long-time loch hermit Steve Feltham – who has spent the last 27 years watching the water. 

Mr Feltham, 55, who holds the Guinness world record for the longest continuous monster hunting vigil of Loch Ness, said: ‘I am totally excited by this photograph – it is the best of ‘Nessie’ in years.

‘There is clearly a solid object in it and it is relatively clear. It warrants further study. There may be a mundane explanation such as a seal, but I have not heard of a seal in the loch this year. 

‘For my money it is larger than a seal or an otter. It is a fantastic picture by Charlotte.’

Charlotte’s picture has drawn parallels with the the ‘Surgeon’s Photograph’ an infamous shot of Nessie that was eventually proven as a hoax. 

In 1934, The Daily Mail published a picture by Lieutenant Colonel Robert Kenneth Wilson of what appeared to be a sighting of the Loch Ness Monster.

For 60 years this celebrated photograph of a long necked creature  helped keep afloat the legend of the Loch Ness Monster.

It became known as the ‘Surgeon’s Photograph’ as Lieutenant Wilson was a Harley Street gynaecologist. 

However, this photograph was actually of a modified toy submarine.

Now it’s alleged he was part of a plot to perpetuate the myth of the monster which began as a joke.

The last sighting was recorded by Steve Valentine, who was visiting from Urmston in the Manchester area, when he saw something from the Deepscan boat as they were returning from a loch tour at around 1pm on August 17.

‘I just saw a black shape in the water’, he said. It was when we were returning to the dock near to Urquhart Castle. I lost sight of it when the boat turned, but managed to get a quick photo from a distance.’

Another sighting on June 15 was photographed by a French tourist Etienne Camel, who said he and his wife Eliane witnessed a dark shape which was 15-20 metres (49 feet to 65 ft) long on the surface of the loch.

‘It was quite strange, I am a man of science so I never believed that the Loch Ness Monster is a prehistoric animal’, he said. ‘But when I was taking a picture I saw this long, long shadow. I called my wife over and we saw the shadow move. 

‘It was 15-20 metres long and was about 150 metres away. It was quite strange and then it disappeared.’

In April, father-of-three John Payne, 55, was admiring the scenery from a window at guest house Foyers Roost, Inverness, next to the Loch Ness when he noticed some strange movement on the loch. 

He took a picture of the scene, describing what he saw as ‘huge’. 

‘It must have been something very large because we were about a mile away from the loch and I could see it clearly’, he said. 

‘You wouldn’t have been able to see a bird or anything from that far away – it had to be something large. It was like a huge neck.

‘At first I thought it was a giant fin, but I know there are no dolphin or porpoises in the loch so I was thinking what the hell is this thing.

‘It wasn’t like it was tied to anything, like a buoy, because it kept moving further away.’

Rumours of a strange creature living in the waters of Loch Ness have abounded over the decades, yet scant evidence has been found to back up these claims.

The first reported sighting of the monster is said to have been made in AD565 by the Irish missionary St Columba when he came across a giant beast in the River Ness.

An online register lists more than 1,000 total Nessie sightings, created by Mr Campbell, the man behind the Official Loch Ness Monster Fan Club and is available at www.lochnesssightings.com. 

Many Nessie witnesses have mentioned large, crocodile-like scutes sitting atop the spine of the creature, leading some to believe an escaped amphibian may be to blame.

Native fish sturgeons can also weigh several hundred pounds and have ridged backs, which make them look almost reptilian.

Some believe Nessie is a long-necked plesiosaur – like an elasmosaur – that survived somehow when all the other dinosaurs were wiped out.

Others say the sightings are down to Scottish pines dying and flopping into the loch, before quickly becoming water-logged and sinking.

Stunning videos of a Ukrainian artillery, drone and mine attack on a column of Russian tanks have emerged from the front lines near Bakhmut, with one retired US general praising Kyiv‘s troops for orchestrating what he called a ‘textbook’ strike. 

The attack in the countryside close to the town of Klishchiivka in Donetsk began when the Russian armour trundled past the cover of a tree line and into an open field.

Suddenly, explosions rang out when one tank appeared to run over a mine – a signal that triggered a hail of artillery fire and drone strikes on the unsuspecting column. 

Incredible drone footage shared by Ukraine war monitors and open-source intelligence accounts showed the utter chaos and confusion of the Russian tank operators as shells rained down on the field, scoring direct hits on several vehicles. 

One tank veered off to the right and broke from the column, perhaps looking to escape, when its main gun appeared to blast one of the other stricken Russian tanks mere feet away – a testament to the panic and likely inexperience of the unit. 

Ben Hodges, the former commanding general of United States Army Europe, said the Russian column presented a perfect target and made ‘opening-day mistakes’. 

‘Impressive by UAF. Textbook integration of fires, drones, and apparently mines. Russian tanks in column in combat with minimal separation… no evidence of experienced Sergeants in this Russian unit,’ he said. 

Meanwhile, Ukrainian officials released a video today showing how their forces had destroyed an advanced Russian S-400 Triumf air-defence system loaded with missiles.

The video shows a giant explosion in Olenevka, a town on Cape Tarkhankut in Crimea, following the strike, which was confirmed by HUR, the Ukrainian military intelligence agency.

‘As a result of the explosion, the installation itself, the missiles and personnel installed on it were completely destroyed,’ said Ukrainian official Anton Gerashchenko.

Russian sources suspect the blast was caused by a Storm Shadow missile supplied by Britain and France to Ukraine.

Russian Telegram channel Military Informant said: ‘The enemy publishes footage of a strike on an S-400 air defence system in the Olenevka area in Crimea this morning.

‘What was hit is currently unknown, however, presumably, it was a Storm Shadow cruise missile.

‘In addition, a Ukrainian reconnaissance UAV hung unhindered directly above the positions of the air-defence system, exercising objective control.

‘Such incidents raise legitimate questions about the quality of air-defence coverage in one of the most ”missile-hazardous” regions of Russia.’

Some reports indicated other Russian missile systems were also taken out, including Bastion and Pantsir-S1 systems.

‘The Bastion complex is one of the carriers of the Onyx missiles used by the Russians to hit Ukraine,’ adviser to the mayor of Mariupol Petr Andryushchenko said.

‘The Russian S-400 Triumf complex was destroyed in Crimea.’

It comes as Russia and Ukraine traded drone attacks early on Wednesday, officials said, with Kyiv apparently targeting Moscow again and the Kremlin’s forces launching another bombardment of Ukrainian grain storage depots in what have recently become signature tactics in the 18-month war.

A three-hour night-time Russian drone attack in Ukraine’s southern Odesa region overnight on Tuesday caused a blaze at grain facilities, Odesa Regional Military Administration head Oleh Kiper wrote on the Telegram messaging app.

Ukrainian air-defence systems downed nine Shahed drones, Kiper said, but added: ‘Unfortunately, there are hits on production and trans-shipment complexes.’

Russia zeroed in on Odesa last month, crippling significant parts of the port city’s grain facilities days after President Vladimir Putin broke off Russia’s participation in the Black Sea Grain Initiative – a wartime deal that enabled Ukraine’s exports to reach many countries facing the threat of hunger.

Russian officials, meanwhile, claimed to have downed Ukrainian drones in Moscow and the surrounding region early Wednesday, the defence ministry and the mayor said. 

Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin said one drone smashed into a building under construction in Moscow City, a prestigious business complex hit by drones twice before. Several windows were broken in two buildings nearby and emergency services responded to the scene.

Russia’s Ministry of Defense said the drone had been electronically jammed. It blamed the attack on Ukraine and said two other drones were shot down by air defence systems in the Mozhaisk and Khimki areas of the Moscow region. 

Kyiv officials, as usual, neither confirmed nor denied whether Ukraine was behind the drone attacks.

Moscow’s airports briefly closed but have now reopened, according to Russian state media.

After months of resisting Russian advances on Ukrainian soil, earlier this year Kyiv’s troops began striking back on targets across the border, targeting Moscow’s military assets behind the front lines in eastern and southern Ukraine and launching drones against Moscow.

Kyiv is also trying to keep up the pressure on the Kremlin along multiple fronts, pursuing a counteroffensive at various points along the 900-mile front line, as well as diplomatically by obtaining pledges of more weaponry from its Western allies, including F-16 warplanes.

Meanwhile, three people were killed in the Belgorod region of Russia on the Ukrainian border after repeated shelling of a sanatorium, according to Gov. Vyacheslav Gladkov.

Gladkov said the sanatorium in the village of Lavy, about 25 miles from the border, was shelled and that ‘the enemy dropped two grenades from a drone while people were on the street’.

The Belgorod region has witnessed sporadic fighting and shelling during the war, including a border incursion last May that prompted the Kremlin to introduce tighter security.

Famously, the Battle of the Bulge in the winter of 1944/45 was one of the largest and bloodiest armed conflict of the Second World War. 

Taking place in densely forested Ardennes region between Belgium and Luxembourg, it was the last major German offensive campaign on the Western Front during World War II. 

Months after it ended in January 1945, the war came to a close, and for almost 80 years since the region has held its secrets under the trees – until now

Researchers have used drone-mounted LiDAR – which emits pulses of light to create 3D models and maps – to ‘see through’ the thick forest canopy. 

They found nearly 1,000 features within the landscape, including dugouts, bomb craters and even artillery emplacements where troops positioned their guns. 

A new study detailing the findings, led by experts at Ghent University in Belgium, has been published in the journal Antiquity. 

‘The Ardennes Counteroffensive, or the Battle of the Bulge, was one of the most significant military campaigns of the latter part of the Second World War in western Europe,’ they say. 

‘Although this is a “high-profile” battlefield, studied intensively by military historians and the subject of significant attention in museums and the popular media, little has been published on its material remains. 

‘Our results, documenting many different types of remains and several well-defined clusters, markedly increases knowledge about the conflict that played out across this landscape.’ 

The Battle of the Bulge, also known as the Ardennes Offensive, started on December 16, 1944, in the latter stages of World War Two and ended January 25.

The Germans launched a massive attack on Allied forces in the area around the Ardennes forest in Belgium and Luxembourg. 

The Germans had some initial success, pushing westwards through the middle of the American line, creating the ‘bulge’ that gave the battle its name. 

But quick arrival of Allied reinforcements and the Americans’ tenacious defence slowed the German advance and its success was short-lived. 

Catastrophic losses on the German side prevented Germany from resisting the advance of Allied forces, and less than four months after the end of the Battle of the Bulge, Germany surrendered. 

Now, what remains of the site of the Battle of the Bulge is heavily forested Ardennes landscape, still concealing secrets of the conflict the best part of a century later.  

The research team focused on 4.4 hectare (473,000 sq ft) area of Belgium located between St Vith and Schönberg, in the heavily fought-over central zone. 

Until now, dense forest cover in the area has meant that most traces of the battle in the landscape remained hidden from traditional cameras mounted on planes, or even satellites. 

Aerial photographs cannot see through the tree canopy, while exploring the whole area on foot has not been a realistic option due to its size. 

They therefore used unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs, also known as drones) equipped with LiDAR – a remote sensing technology that uses reflected light to create 3D models and maps of nearby objects. 

Unlike more traditional methods, LiDAR penetrates the tree canopy and reflects 3D forms of archaeological features hidden under vegetation. 

Overall, the technology found 941 features within the landscape, many of which were subsequently visited and confirmed. 

Among them were dugouts used by the troops and bomb craters, which are depressions in the ground caused by the explosion of a mine or bombshell. 

Also found were artillery emplacements (positions for placing a heavy guns or other weapons) as well as fox holes and slit trenches (small pits used by defensive troops for cover, especially from bomb or shell fragments). 

Some of the grooves in the landscape were labelled by the team as ‘undefined’, due to their ‘poorly defined or irregular shape’. 

Although they could all be considered simply depressions in the ground, the researchers were able to tell the subtle difference between the features due to the technology. 

Study author Birger Stichelbaut told MailOnline: ‘Because of the high spatial resolution and the possibility to make 3D cross sections of the features, it was possible to make up a typology of features based on their shape and depth. 

‘By drawing parallels with historical literatures and wartime field manuals we were able to discern seven types of features.’  

By visiting the newly identified features on the ground, the researchers were also able to tie them to specific events.

For example, through the discovery of German objects at American artillery embankments, the team determined that German forces made use of abandoned American fortifications. 

These objects included an unused grenade, German cartridges and a broken plate – heavily suggesting the location was used after the Americans. 

Meanwhile, one dugout with a bottle or lightbulb shape, snapped by the researchers, indicated a ‘clearly defined entrance’ that would have been covered and reinforced with logs. 

Overall, some of the larger features may have functioned as shelters and for storage, while some of the smaller ones may have served as waste pits or latrines. 

The team say their study provides an understanding of the extent and significance of the battle for the first time, as only 11 features were known by prior research carried out in 2008. 

What’s more, their technique can be applied to other wooded areas in Europe, so could have implications for our understanding of multiple WWII battlefields. 

‘Our case study makes clear that there is potential for enhancing public awareness of and access to some sites in the Ardennes,’ say the authors. 

‘The recognition and designation of these traces of war as heritage sites could help guarantee their long-term protection from destructive practices, including the mechanised clearfelling of forest.’ 

‘Our case study makes clear that there is potential for enhancing public awareness of and access to some sites in the Ardennes, a region where battlefield tourism already plays an important role.’  

 

Russian and Chinese officials stood shoulder to shoulder with Kim Jong Un as they reviewed North Korea’s latest nuclear-capable missiles and new attack drones at a military parade in Pyongyang, North Korean state media showed on Friday.

The widely anticipated parade in the capital on Thursday night commemorated the 70th anniversary of the armistice that ended of the Korean War on July 27, 1953 – celebrated in North Korea as ‘Victory Day’.

Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu’s visit was the first by Moscow’s top defence official since the 1991 break-up of the Soviet Union. China’s visitors were the country’s first such delegation since the COVID-19 pandemic began.

Their appearance at events with the North’s nuclear missiles – banned by the United Nations Security Council with Chinese and Russian support – marked a contrast with previous years, when Beijing and Moscow sought to distance themselves from their neighbour’s nuclear weapons and ballistic missile development.

Kim, Shoigu and Chinese Communist Party Politburo member Li Hongzhong talked, laughed and saluted as North Korean troops marched and weapons rolled below, photos released by North Korean state media showed, before Kim gave Shoigu a tour of a plush official building adorned with portraits of Vladimir Putin.

The parade included North Korea’s latest Hwasong-17 and Hwasong-18 intercontinental ballistic missiles, according to KCNA, which are believed to have the range to strike targets anywhere in the United States.

The event also featured a flyover by new attack and spy drones, KCNA reported.

Kim hosted a reception and had a luncheon with Shoigu, where the North Korean leader vowed solidarity with the Russian people and its military.

Shoigu praised the North Korean military as the strongest in the world, and the two discussed strategic security and defence cooperation, KCNA said.

At another meeting, Shoigu read a congratulatory speech from Russian President Putin who thanked North Korea for its support during the ‘special military operation’ in Ukraine, state media reported.

Bizarrely, a large portrait of Putin was seen mounted in a corridor walked by Kim and Shoigu together, the Russian leader’s face seen looming over the pair from a wall opposite a second portrait of the North Korean dictator.

Washington has accused Pyongyang of providing weapons to Russia for its war effort in Ukraine, an accusation that North Korea has angrily denied.

State Department deputy spokesperson Vedant Patel said on Thursday the U.S. was ‘incredibly concerned’ about ties between Moscow and Pyongyang.

Moscow has also denied conducting any arms transactions with its neighbour.

The new surveillance drones could be used to survey targets in real time, conduct damage assessment in a war and generally enhance strategic situational awareness, said Ankit Panda of the U.S.-based Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.

In December five North Korean drones crossed into the South, prompting Seoul’s military to scramble fighter jets and helicopters, and increase anti-drone measures at key facilities, including the presidential office.

The new attack drones would have limited use in a war on the Korean Peninsula given their vulnerability to anti-aircraft defences, but ‘North Korea may seek to offer these drones to external customers,’ Panda said.

The drones were among the weapons displayed at an arms fair toured by Kim and Shoigu this week in Pyongyang, state media photos showed.

Putin’s defence minister is believed to have sealed secret agreements for new supplies of arms to deploy in his illegal war against Ukraine.

Shoigu remained in North Korea longer than expected – after his ministry earlier announced plans to depart on Thursday.

He was shown finally leaving early Friday, his fourth day visiting the repressive state despite the demands of the war in Ukraine where he is suffering significant setbacks in Kyiv’s counteroffensive.

Pro-war bloggers in Russia criticised him for having his eye off the ball as Ukraine steps up its military fightback.

But the fear is that a secret pact will see ammunition and drones delivered to Russia to use for yet more killing in Ukraine.

Shoigu’s visit has seen unprecedented Russian kowtowing to the 39-year-old tyrant.

In a speech at the parade, Defence Minister General Kang Sun Nam accused the United States and its allies of increasing tensions in the region.

North Korea has been under U.N. sanctions for its missile and nuclear programs since 2006. This includes a ban on the development of ballistic missiles.

In recent years Russia and China have opposed U.S.-led efforts to impose further sanctions on North Korea over its continued pursuit of ballistic missiles, arguing existing measures should be eased for humanitarian purposes and to help entice Pyongyang to negotiate.

The last time North Korea invited foreign government delegates for a military parade was in February 2018, when it held a low-key event that excluded Kim’s ICBMs.

North Korea at the time was initiating diplomacy with Seoul and Washington as Kim attempted to leverage his nukes for badly needed economic benefits.

Those efforts led to a summit between Kim and then-U.S. President Donald Trump that June, but the diplomacy collapsed after their second meeting in February 2019, when the Americans rejected North Korean demands for major sanctions relief in exchange for a partial surrender of their nuclear capabilities.

Kim has since ramped up the development of the nuclear arms that he sees as his strongest guarantee of survival while berating ‘gangster-like’ U.S. sanctions and pressure.

The Chinese and Russian presence at events with banned ballistic missiles cast doubts on those countries’ willingness to enforce sanctions, said Leif-Eric Easley, professor of international studies at Ewha Womans University in Seoul.

‘It doesn’t help when two permanent members of the U.N. Security Council openly support a North Korean regime that violates human rights and flouts resolutions banning its nuclear and missile development,’ Easley said.

U.N. spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said, ‘All members of Security Council and, frankly, all member states of the U.N., share the same responsibility to uphold Security Council resolutions.’