Global Conflict Reporting

Category: Asia

  • South Korean patrol plane crashes.

    South Korean P-3 Orion

    By. Scott Jackson

    05/30/2025

    Yesterday on May 29th, 2025, a South Korea Lockheed P-3 Orion MPA took off from its Pohang base at 1:43PM and crashed shortly after takeoff. The South Korean Navy after getting responders to the site of the crash, a crash which was caught partially on video, annonced that all 4 of the crew had died in the crash and subsequent explosion.

    Still image taken from the video showing the crash of the P-3.

    The South Korean Navy is conducting an investigation into why the plane went down appointing the vice chief of naval operations to investigate the incident.

    From what we know from the preliminary information It seems after takeoff for a routine training mission the crew of 4 had issues with the plane and attempted to bring it back in for a landing. Not being able to make it back to the airfield the crew seems to have made the decision to put it down into a less dense area striking what looks like the outskirts of a farm. 

    Scott here.The crew should be commended for managing to get the plane over a less populated area than where they were when it appears problems with the plane started. They saved alot of lives not letting this plane crabs into the many residential areas around here. Just several hundred feet from where they crashed is a large apartment complex.
    Close approximation of where the plane crashed. These apartments appeared in a lot of the footage locals were taking of the crash which helped with geolocation efforts.

    This crash sadly ends the 30 year safety record for the aging but still reliable P-3 Orion. This plane has seen decades of use as a maritime patrol plane as well as a capable ASW (Anti-Submarine warfare) hunter. The plane can be loaded up with dozens of sonar bouy’s which can detect subs as well as the torpedos and depth charges which can be dropped once an enemy sub has been detected. The Orion also has the ability to carry several Harpoon Anti-Ship missiles.

    The South Koreans originally acquired 8 P-3C aircraft but liked them so much they latwr doubled that by adding 8 more P-3CK variants (P-3B variants thag were modified by South Korean).

    While the investigation is still ongoing for a cause defense analyst have noted the immense strain put on these craft as the South Korean Navy only have a limited number compared to say Japan who operate around 100 of them. This offers broader coverage as well as the increased availability for these planes to rotate through maintenance.

    Overview of the area. 
    Thank you for reading. I’m always open for questions, comments, tips and will entertain the idea of collaboration if you have an interesting project you can get me excited about. 

    I’m currently working towards starting a podcast of sorts. Well I have several podcast ideas at least. Give me some time, it’s a new platform I’ve never done and will take a lot of research and practice before I’m comfortable with that. If you would like to be apart of that send me an email and tell little about your story and why it applies to what we do here. 

    This article was fun to write as I was able to get back into geolocation. Nobody online,to my knowledge, had yet worked out the crash site. Usually I’m able to check my work with one of the Geolocation experts but no luck this time. 

    If you would like to further support my work you can make a one time donation here.

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    GCR Patreon membership
    Thank you, 
    Scott

  • North Korea’s new warship capsizes on launch.

    North Korean Destroyer under construction.

    By. Scott Jackson

    05/22/2025

    Yesterday, North Korea’s leader, Kim Jung Un along with a group of military and state leaders were present for the launch of the countries newest warship from the shipyard in the northeastern port of Chongjin.

    The ship is the 2nd of the yet officially unnamed class of guided missile ships launched in the past two months. The first in the series was called the Choe Hyon.

    Choe Hyon diagram.

    That launch was an absolute disaster as the guided missile destroyers stern slipped off the transport cradle that was to carry it into the water. The stern of the ship was thus stuck while the rest of it kept moving causing an as of yet unknown amount of damage to the destroyer as it capsized.

    In a shocking turn, the North Korean state run news were quick to confirm what happened and KCNA put out this statement

    “Due to inexperienced command and operational carelessness, the parallel movement of the bogies could not be guaranteed, resulting in the launching sled in the stern detaching first and causing the ship to capsize. The ship’s balance was destroyed due to a rupture in the hull in some sections, and the bow section was unable to detach from the keel.”

    This is a sharp contrast to the North Koreans love of secrecy with all things involving their military. Washington analyst have speculated this indicates a shift in North Korean thinking as they move forward with their attempt to build a blue-water capable fleet to extend their maritime presence into the pacific and beyond. Adding in the idea that the country likely wanted to get ahead of the news cycle before the satellites had a chance to do a fly over.

    Kim himself was more than displeased as he threw fury and accusations out in the aftermath. According to NK state run media Kim accused the military and the shipbuilders of incompetence. He called the incident as followed

    “…serious accident and criminal act caused by absolute carelessness, irresponsibility and unscientific empiricism.”

    -North Korean leader Kim Jung Un

    Further, KCNA reported

    “Kim Jong Un made [a] stern assessment, saying that it was a serious accident and criminal act caused by absolute carelessness, irresponsibility … and could not be tolerated,”

    He has called for a meeting of the ruling Workers party in June where the “irresponsible errors” can be delt with.

    Satellite image showing the aftermath of the destroyer launch accident. NK has covered the ship in tarps to hide as much from view as possible.

    Satellite footage was released showing the current condition of the ship. Tarps were used to hide specific information. This type of side launch is a more difficult way to launch a ship requiring grater skill than simply sliding it in bow first.

    “The urgent restoration of the destroyer is not a simple practical issue, but a political issue directly related to rhetoric authority kd the country”

    Kim Jung Un.

    Kim has called for the ship to be repaired and operational within a month which is unlikely. The damage caused is likely to be severe.

    While North Korea has a small Navy building a missile destroyer is not something North Korean shipyards have done more than once, launching the Choe Hyon last month in April. However many have wondered just how North Korea managed to build a ship like the Choe Hyon so quickly. One reason is the new military cooperation between Russian and North Korea, Russia is able to offer help and advice on shipbuilding to North Korea and North Korea has given soldiers, missiles and other support. Another reason the ship was built so quick is because the ship has zero propulsion as of when it was photographed during some live fire weapons testing. A sign of corners being cut during its production in an effort to rush a destroyer program, a program that Kim Jung Un knows will give his country more renown.

    A shot of North Korean guided missile destroyer Choe Hyon during its live fire weapons testing. We can see a large open spot where the
    propulsion machinery for the ship would usually be.

    Without propulsion the Choe Hyon was almost certainly towed out of the harbor for its weapons testing.

    Choe Hyon and its unlucky sister ship carry an impressive arsenal of weapons that were seen during the before mentioned weapons demonstration. A large amount of Vertical Launch System (VLS) cells. One of the main missiles loaded will likely be a before, unknown air defense missile that we have little info on. Other missile include a supersonic cruise missile and extra large launch cells for ballistic missiles. In total these destroyers have 76 VLS cells broken up into 4-5 different sizes for different munitions.

    While the different size launch cells have some advantages, having your missile stock made up of that diverse of a stock also has its drawbacks, especially if you want these ships to focus on air defense as has been reported.

    The launch of an apparent surface-to-air missile from the foward set of 32 VLS cells.
    Launch of a Hwasal-2 (or a similar)Long Range Cruise Missile.
    Another shot of Hwasal-2 taken from the flight deck.
    Close up of the missile.

    The ships are also equipped with the 127mm caliber main gun on the bow as well as 2 AK-630 CIWAS (Close in weapons system).

    The ability of these destroyers to be utilized as long range missile platforms is the most interesting and strongest assets for this set of ships. Analysts have questioned whether this ability, even on what probably only amounts to a token capability for North Korea is enough to put it high on the list of targets should hostilities break out with the U.S. or other western powers. 

    

    
			
    
		
    
		
	
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    US accuses Chinese satellite company of aiding Houthi rebel attacks in U.S. warships.
    
			
    

    By Scott Jackson
    




    




    April 21st, 2025
    




    The U.S. has accused a Chinese Satellite company of aiding the Iranian backed Houthi rebels with its targeting of ships in the Red Sea. The U.S. State department has said that data and imagery from the satellite firm is directly being used to target and attack US and international shipping.
    




    Chang Guang Satellite Technology Company Limited.
    




    Tammy Bruce said that Chang Guang Satellite Technology Company Limited, is the company helping the Houthis.
    




    

    “We can confirm the reporting that Chang Guang Satellite Technology Company Limited is directly supporting Iran-backed Houthi terrorist attacks on U.S. interests,”
    




    Tammy Bruce State Department Spokeperson told Fox News. She later continued, 
    




    “China consistently attempts … to frame itself as a global peacemaker … however, it is clear that Beijing and China-based companies provide key economic and technical support to regimes like Russia, North Korea and Iran and its proxies,”
    

    




    GCR reached out for a statement from the company named here however after a day I’ve heard nothing back yet. Will update if they respond to me directly. 
    




    Middle East image from satellite. 
    




    In a statement to other media outlets this was the statement from the company. 
    




    

    “In our global operations, we strictly comply with relevant laws, regulations, and industry standards both in China and internationally. With a mature business model and high-quality services, we are committed to contributing Chinese expertise and solutions to the advancement of the global remote sensing industry,”
    

    




    Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian claims that China has played a positive role in easing tensions in the region. 
    




    The Houthis have carried out a number of attacks on international shipping through the area, using missiles, drones and attempted hijacking. These attacks have been ongoing since the October 7th 2023 attack on Israel by Hamas, the war in Gaza afterwords has been a brutal one, claiming the lives of many and destroying whole swaths of Gaza. The Houthis along with other Iranian backed proxy groups have shown support for Palestinian Hamas (the Iranian backed Palestinian liberation group fighting Israel) in various ways. The Houthis in Yemen have disrupted international shipping and regularly launched ballistic missiles at Israel. Hezbollah has also joined with regular rocket attacks. These attacks drove Israel to invade L Lebanon in October 1st 2024 . Iran itself has also launched several large scale attacks on Israel.
    




    




    Thank you for reading. I hope you get as much out of what I’m doing here as I get out of making these reports. If so I would invite you to join my Patreon. Doing that would help me more than I can describe. I’ve kept it as cheap as possible to become a member. It’s only a $1.00. However a dollar from even half of my Facebook followers would be a life changing amount of money for me and for this page.

    Thank you for all the support over the years and as we continue to grow and evolve.  

    -Scott 

    




    

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  • 
		
		
    
			
			
    US bombers fly training mission with South Korean Air Force.
    
			
    

    Two U.S. Air Force B-1 Lancers fly in formation with two U.S. F-16 Fighting Falcons and two Republic of Korea Air Force F-35A Lightning IIs
    




    By. Scott Jackson 
    




    




    04/15/2024
    




    Earlier today a pair of U.S. Air Force B-1B Lancers flew across the pacific to train with air units from the Republic of Korea (South Korea).The bombers were joined by two U.S. F-16s and two F-35 Lightning’s II from They carried out what the Air Force is calling offensive and defensive counter air training.
    




    These missions are important for improving and honing the combat skills between the partner nations as they develops combat procedures with newly acquired tech like the F-35, which given its massive increase in technology requires years of training to fully unlock its full potential on the battlefield. 
    




    I’ve had the chance to speak with several 5th gen fighter pilots (F-22 and F-35 both) one told me that you can get almost lost or freeze up when trying to process all of the data that the F-35 will give you.F-35 crashes (or less serious incidents) have happened because problems happened while pilots were distracted or they simply got overwhelmed. The F-35 especially demands a huge cognitive load. I’ll add an article of somebody else bringing this up.  -Scott


    




    https://www.businessinsider.com/test-pilot-f-35-demands-more-than-great-flying-skills-2023-11
    








    

    “Our two nations will continue to enhance combined training to deter and respond to North Korean threats through close cooperation,”
    




    -the South Korean defense ministry said. 
    




    “The training demonstrated the combined extended deterrence posture of the ROK-U.S. alliance in response to North Korea’s advancing nuclear and missile threats,” the Defense Ministry said in a press statement. “It also aimed to enhance interoperability between the two forces.”
    

    




    This action also had the added effect of being a “show of force” to North Korea as well as other countries in the area (China and Russia). On the day North Korea was celebrating the birthday of Dictator Kim Jung Un’s great Grandfather and North Korean state founder , Kim Il Sung. 
    




    The two B-1Bs conducting a flyover of Osan Air Base in South Korea.
    




    The bombers then did a quick flyover of the Osan Airbase and then left the area.  
    




    It’s expected that this will cause a reaction in North Korea. North Korean missile teat have been carried out in the aftermath of these bomber missions in the past. The U.S. and South Korea are likely to increase patrols until things cool down. 
    




    The Rockwell (now Boeing) B-1b lancer, affectionately called “the bone” by those who know and love her is a swept-wing long-range strategic bomber in the U.S. Air Force. The bomber was developed as a way to combine the payload of the B-52’s with the speed of the Convair B-58 Hustler. Originally the Air Force had chose the B-70 Valkyrie for the task, a high altitude bomber with similar speed and altitude capability as the U-2. Around the early 50’s the Soviet unions interceptors at the day couldn’t keep up and the B-70 would have been able to simply fly right past them. However as Surface to Air missile systems improved the ability to fly very fast at low altitudes became the doctrine the Air Force wanted to pursue. 
    




    The Cold War Convair B-58 Hustler. 
    




    Prototype North American XB-70 Valkyrie flying at three times the speed of sound. 
    




    Radars of the day (and today) have several weaknesses, one being that they are only as effective as they can reach with their waves. Terrain and the horizon are the biggest factors here so a bomber flying low enough and far enough away can avoid most radar instillations. 
    




    P-40 Bronya (NATO reporting name-Long track) 
    




    The bone was chosen as its ability to fly low and at high speed would keep the crews and aircraft safe as well as make it more likely they could continue their mission. You might ask why the B-52 of the day, which is still in operation (with some upgrades) was spared from the chopping block like the idea for the B-70 and the answer was because it’s huge fuel capacity made it able to operate at lower altitudes longer and upgraded conventional munitions capability made it able strong asset for nuclear deterrence as well as conventional warfare. However the Air Force uses both bombers for different reasons. Nobody is going to ask the Stratofortress to go zipping through a canyon and pop over a valley to hit a target. 
    




    I have the perfect video that displays the capabilities of the B-1 and why even still today these monsters are still considered one of the baddest planes in the arsenal. 
    




    


    B-1B Lancer terrain following at Edward’s AFB.
    




    The jet is surprisingly low and if you didn’t know he was coming you would only have a couple very precious seconds to react. That’s why. 
    




    Anyway I could write all day about this plane but I think I’ve said enough for now. 
    




    




    Thank you for reading. I hope you get as much out of what I’m doing here as I get out of making these reports. If so I would invite you to join my Patreon. Doing that would help me more than I can describe. I’ve kept it as cheap as possible to become a member. It’s only a $1.00. However a dollar from even half of my Facebook followers would be a life changing amount of money for me and for this page.

    Thank you for all the support over the years. Here’s to many more. 

    -Scott 

    




    

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    US Army General speaks on transfer of patriot air defense battalion to Middle East.
    
			
    US Army General speaks on transfer of patriot air defense battalion to Middle East.
    
			
    

    By. Scott Jackson
    




    




    04/10/2025
    




    Two days ago GCR reported that a number of US cargo planes were moving equipment to the Middle East. We have some more information on that today after Admiral Samuel J. Paparo revealed today at a hearing with the Senate Armed Services Committee, that several Patriot battery’s had been taken from South Korea and the Indian Pacific Command (INDOPACOM) and transferred to Central Command (CENTCOM). The airlifts were cauteries out by dozens of C-17’s.
    




    Admiral Samuel J. Paparo, Senate Armed Services Committee hearing. 
    




    INDOPACOM covers the pacific and Indian Ocean region and is one of the most important military commands for the U.S. as they struggle against Chinese territorial interest with Taiwan as well as other parts of the first island chain. CENTCOM on the other hand, covers the Middle East region and is currently carrying out operations against the Iranian backed Houthis in Yemen. US assets have been reported as being moved to the Middle East in a suspected threat to Iran. US president Donald Trump has made it clear that if negotiations aren’t started with Iran, concerning Irans nuclear program, bombs will be the next step.
    




    While Iran has little in the way of modern aircraft capable of defending against these hypothetical US strikes, what they do have is hundreds of medium and long range ballistic missiles. High level officials from the Iranian  government have made threats towards U.S. military bases in the region as well as the bases of anybody who could help the US with a strike on Irans.  This is where the patriot systems come in.
    




    Patriot missile test
    




    A patriot battery is made up of the following.
    




    6-8 launchers
    




    1 radar set (AN/MPQ-53 phased-array radar)
    




    An Engagement Control station. 
    




    An Electrical Power Plant 
    




    And an Antenna Mast Group. 
    




    Patriot PAC 2 launcher in service in Israel. 
    




    AN/MPQ-53 phased-array radar
    




    A patriot battalion is made up of anywhere from 4-6 battery’s and 24-48 launchers as well as the single radar, power, and Fire Control Station each. 
    




    The Patriots in South Korea are apart of an I rig rated defense system and cover US assets in the country like Camp Humphreys in Pyeongtaek and Osan Air Base. 
    




    South Korea has asked the U.S. Department of Defense to temporarily deploy substitute assets, such as alternative air defense systems or combat aircraft, on a rotational basis to cover the hole left in their air defense network with the removal of these systems between February and March. The Patriots are expected to remain in the Middle East for the next at least six months. 
    




    The U.S. has dozens of bases and locations in the region that could come under fire in the near future as tensions rise in the region. Iran has already threatened US forces as a retaliation for a possible strike on Iran’s nuclear facilities. Jordan, Saudi Arabia and Israel all have their own defense networks (some supplemented by THAAD and Patriot systems.)
    




    




    Thank you for reading. I hope you get as much out of what I’m doing here as I get out of making these reports. If so I would invite you to join my Patreon. Doing that would help me more than I can describe. I’ve kept it as cheap as possible to become a member. It’s only a $1.00. However a dollar from even half of my Facebook followers would be a life changing amount of money for me and for this page.
    




    Audio content coming very soon. I’m also looking for interesting people to interview. If that’s you, contact me through my email. 
    




    Thank you for all the support over the years. Here’s to many more. 
    




    -Scott
    

    
			
    
		
    
		
	
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    North Korea officially shows off its new Airborne Early Warning/Command and control aircraft.
    
			
    

    Yet unnamed North Korean AEW&C’s
    




    By. Scott Jackson
    




    March 28th, 2025
    




    




    North Korean leader Kim Jong Un revealed the country’s new airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) jet at an event at Pyongyang International Airport.
    




    The plane is designed around the body of a Ilyushin Il-76 Candid, the same plane used for the Russian’s Beriev A-50 “Mainstay” and the Chinese Shaanxi KJ-2000 “Mainring”. The name of the new North Korean airplane has not been released as of yet.
    




    Russian “Mainstay “ flanked by two Russian MiG-31’s.
    




    Chinese “Mainring”
    




    One thing noticed about the North Korean version of this aircraft is that it lacks the normal amount of antenna one would usually expect in these types of planes. This could signal a lack of features found in Russian and Chinese version. Another difference, at least to the Russian Mainstay is that the radome on top does not spin. This is similar to the Chinese version. Fixed radomes like this house 3 fixed phased array radars that each cover 120 degrees of the sky for a fill 369 degrees.
    




    North Korean leader Kim Jung Un climbs aboard new NK AWAC’s. 
    




    Diagram showing the degrees of coverage from the plane.
    




    Images of the interior of the plane were also released showing at least seven individual workstations and several flatscreens for displaying mission data. AEW&C aircraft typically have large crews for operating the radar as well covering traffic control duties for friendly aircraft and mission control for different units. The exsist acne of this plane has been known for over a year as satilite pictures were released showing the plane under construction. The Warzone has an older write up on the possible capabilities of North Korean AEW&C’s that I would like to include. 
    




    Kim Jung Un tours the interior of the NK Airborne Early Warning & Command  airplane. 
    




    

    “While it’s questionable to what degree more complex battle management and command and control functions could be mastered by North Korea, and hosted aboard an AEW&C aircraft, the ability to extend airborne radar coverage over considerable distances would be a great advantage, either providing prior warning of a potential attack from South Korea and/or tracking incoming aircraft and missiles during at least the opening moments of a conflict. The data it collects could also be shared with surface-to-air missile operators to help provide extra warning to enhance their operations. More importantly, it would provide a new tool for daily surveillance of North Korean and South Korean airspace and an avenue to learn to better perfect AEW&C capabilities.”
    




    They went in to include.
    




    “Ultimately, an airborne radar, as found in an AEW&C aircraft, provides a ‘look down’ capability that can spot aircraft, cruise missiles, or drones among the ground clutter and is far less restricted by high terrain compared to ground-based radars. No such radar was previously available to North Korea.”
    




    “On the other hand, there are no signs that North Korea is converting more than a single Il-76 for the AEW&C mission, which means this kind of coverage would be necessarily limited.”
    

    




    




    A shot of the plane under construction back in 2024. 
    




    Shot from earlier this year. 
    




    It’s likely but unclear how much support North Korea received from China or Russia in the construction of the craft. One thought is that Russia provided help with the project in exchange for North Koreas recent aid in Russia’s invasion into Ukraine. North Korea earlier sent around 10,000 soldiers to help in Russia Kursk region and just recently it was announced that 2,000 more were being dispatched to the region. 
    

    
			
    
		
    
		
	
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    Video shows Chinese invasion ship’s in action for the first time.
    
			
    

    By. Scott Jackson 
    




    Match 13, 2024
    




    




    


    A video, taken by Chinese beach goers shows one of Chinas new invasion ships. 
    




    Several weeks ago, satellite imagery was taken of a number of Chinese PLA Navy harbor ships being in various states of being built and near complete. These ships have large bridges that can be deployed from the front as well as a system for raising the ships out of the rough waters making loading and unloading of equipment quick.
    




    This image released by Allsource analysis shows the shipyard where the harbor ships are being built.  4 are shown here with more being expected to be built. 
    




    Image from Navel News shows a diagram of how the ships operate. The “Mulberry harbor” pulls up to the beach and deploys its stabilizers and bridge, other ships holding troops and vehicles pull up to the rear of the ship and unload straight through to the beach.
    




    These ships would allow China’s Navy to attempt to quickly land a sizable ground force at whatever point of an island as they wanted to. In a Taiwan invasion scenario these could be used to overwhelm defenders by spreading out the insertion points all across the island. China would also be able to quickly deploy such a large ground force that the U.S. would have little hope of managing to get them all off of the island without a long,drown-out confrontation that even if they could carry out would leave much of the island in ruin.
    




    There is little to these ships making the build time very quick. 
    




    I reached out to PACOM but I’m still waiting on a statement. I’ll update if I get a response. 
    




    Most amateur analysts seem to believe that these ships would make easy targets and wouldn’t last more than a few minutes under fire. However. These ships are ment to be deployed into any sort of direct combat, and would also have the cover of the missile defense of the Chinese PLA Navy. These ships would be deployed after the bulk of any resistance was taken care of. 
    

    
			
    
		
    
		
	
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    South Korean fighter jet accidentally drops bombs on South Korean town.
    
			
    South Korean fighter jet accidentally drops bombs on South Korean town.
    
			
    

    By. Scott Jackson
    




    03/06/2025
    




    At 10:04am local time, Thursday, during a training exercise, a South Korean fighter jet, a KIA KF-16 dropped 8 bombs on the town of Pocheon in South Korea, near the border with North Korea.
    




    

    




    




    

    Some of the damage shown as well as a quick snap of the aftermath of the explosion. 
    




    While only one of the bombs is thought to explode the damage destroyed a church and several other buildings. Thankfully although a reported 7 that were injured, some in critical condition and were hospitalized, there were no fatalities. All injured remained conscious, many involved had bone fractures and breaks and one man caught shrapnel in his neck while driving.
    




    A South Korean Air Force official said ” Our KF-16, abnormally dropped 8 shells of MK-82 bombs, it landed outside of firing range.” The Air Force continued that they would be investigating the incident and apologized for the damage cause. 
    




    Korean KF-16 the licensed South Korean version of the F-16. 
    




    MK-82 
    




    Rumors were pretty heavy across social media last night, most people were trying to push a narrative that the U.S. accidentally bombed a South Korean town which isn’t true. The U.S. and South Korea havent trained together yet since the new presidential administration and will be conducting their first drills on March 10-20 as reported several days ago by AP. Ever since twitter did away with the old way it used to do verifications, you very often will see supposedly verified  blue check mark accounts, lying for clicks. Just something to be aware of.