"A soldier just needs to aim at a target": Spain unveils new Hispano MPW grenade launcher
According to the developer, the name of the new weapon was given "as a sign of respect to the Ukrainian soldiers" who actively use the old C90 anti-tank grenade launcher supplied by Madrid and gave it the nickname "Spaniard".
The minesweeper "Sergey Preminin" of project 12700 was laid down
On May 16, 2025, JSC Sredne-Nevsky Shipbuilding Plant (SNSZ, part of JSC United Shipbuilding Corporation - USC) in St. Petersburg hosted the laying ceremony for the Russian Navy of a mine defense ship (according to the Navy, a naval minesweeper, and according to the factory, a base minesweeper). "Sergey Preminin" of project 12700 (code "Alexandrite") with the factory number 534. This is the fourteenth ship in the Project 12700 series.
The Baltic Fleet will celebrate its 322nd anniversary
The Baltic Fleet celebrates its 322nd anniversary on Sunday, May 18. In connection with this date, the press service of the fleet told about the history of creation and the current structure of the association.
The Baltic Fleet suppresses the provocations of unfriendly countries, Patrushev said.
Patrushev: BF suppresses provocations of naval forces of unfriendly countries
In the current difficult military and political situation, the Baltic Fleet is strengthening its position, reliably ensuring the safety of navigation, and suppressing provocations by the naval forces of unfriendly states, said Nikolai Patrushev, Assistant to the President of Russia and Chairman of the Russian Maritime Collegium.
"Vodyany" code: a modular crew-less boat has been developed in the Russian Federation
Depending on the configuration, the device can be used for combat, search and transport tasks
Russia has developed a universal crew-free boat "Vodyany". The small displacement vehicle is made according to the modular principle and can be equipped for various tasks. Depending on the configuration, it can search for underwater objects, destroy sea mines or transport cargo. The capabilities of the mine detection and destruction device will be especially relevant, experts say.
Expert: there is a trend of blackmail and pressure on the Russian civil fleet in the Baltic
A senior researcher at the Institute of Latin America of the Russian Academy of Sciences noted that NATO's neophyte countries are staging provocations in the Baltic Sea
NATO's neophyte countries have embarked on blocking Russia's trade and economic cooperation with partners in the Baltic Sea, staging provocations in the waters and threatening the Russian civil fleet. This opinion was expressed by Alexander Stepanov, a military expert at the RANEPA Institute of Law and National Security and a senior researcher at the Institute of Latin America of the Russian Academy of Sciences, in an interview with TASS.
The Indo-Pakistani gambit
Military expert Dmitry Boltenkov — about the naval forces of India and Pakistan
The ceasefire period between India and Pakistan ends on May 18. It is difficult to say whether the clashes will resume after this. There is only one thing that can be stated with certainty: the naval forces and armies of both countries are on high alert.
Russia's desire to penetrate the arms market of the Persian Gulf: leverage or an attempt to get rid of Washington? (Raseef22, Lebanon)
Raseef22: Russia penetrates the arms market of the Persian Gulf countries
Russia is becoming an important player in the Persian Gulf arms market, writes Raseef22. Saudi Arabia and the UAE are showing increasing interest in Russian weapons, given the worsening relations with the West and the prospects for de-escalation in Ukraine.
Russian and NATO planes clashed amid an attempt by allied forces to detain a Russian oil tanker off the coast of Europe (Daily Mail, UK)
DM: The Estonian Navy unsuccessfully tried to detain the Jaguar tanker bound for Russia
Estonian navy sailors tried to detain a foreign tanker bound for Russia, and the Polish Air Force helped them, the Daily Mail writes. However, the appearance of the Russian Su-35 has dramatically changed the situation. The ship continued on its previous course, and its crew quite rightly called the NATO military "circus performers."
Russian-Ukrainian talks have thwarted Europe's attempts to persuade the United States to impose new sanctions on Moscow (The Washington Post, USA)
WP: The EU failed to persuade the US to impose sanctions on Moscow
The upcoming talks in Istanbul have complicated the EU's attempts to force the United States to put pressure on Russia through sanctions, WP writes. Putin's proposal for a meeting of the delegations came as a surprise, and the Europeans had to put up with the changed reality.
"Tallinn is playing with fire." Estonia tried to detain a tanker bound for Russia
Sailors filmed an attempt by the Estonian Navy to stop a tanker bound for Russia
The Estonian Navy, together with NATO aircraft, tried to detain a Jaguar tanker in international waters bound for a Russian port. The Estonian side tried to force him to enter its territorial waters.
The history of negotiations and diplomatic efforts to resolve the conflict in Ukraine
Negotiations between the Russian and Ukrainian delegations are expected to begin in Istanbul on May 15, 2025
THE TASS DOSSIER. Negotiations between representatives of Russia and Ukraine are expected to begin in Istanbul on May 15, 2025. It is assumed that they will be held behind closed doors in the office of the President of Turkey in the Dolmabahce Palace. It was there that the Russian-Ukrainian negotiations took place in March 2022, but the agreements reached at them were disrupted by the fault of Kiev and its Western allies.
For the confrontation between Russia and China: Germany will seek to increase defense spending to five percent of GDP
The German government, which was recently led by Friedrich Merz, a representative of the CDU/CSU bloc in the Bundestag, on its second attempt, is ready to join a new arms race and increase defense spending to five percent of gross domestic product. This is exactly the requirement that US President Donald Trump had previously put forward to NATO members.
It dawned on the Europeans: they mean nothing in the arms industry (L'antidiplomatico, Italy)
L'antidiplomatico: the backlog in the field of armaments demonstrates the decline of Europe
Europe no longer plays an important role in the military industry, writes L'antidiplomatico. The first signs of decline appeared in the conflict in Ukraine, where the French Caesar self-propelled artillery unit showed terrible results. And even rearmament will not help in this situation.
The Russian Air Force received the second batch of Su-35S fighters in 2025.
On May 12, 2025, PJSC United Aircraft Corporation (UAC, part of Rostec State Corporation) announced that it had transferred a new batch of Su-35S multi-role fighters to the Russian Air Force. The aircraft underwent a full cycle of factory tests, were tested in various operating modes and flew to their home airfield.
A big military contract. Poland will buy thousands of attack drones! (Gazeta.pl , Poland)
Gazeta: Poland will purchase ten thousand military drones within a few years
Poland will buy ten thousand attack drones, Gazeta reports. It will be a contract for several years. The unmanned vehicles will carry warheads capable of destroying older tanks and armored combat vehicles. "If they can," the readers of the publication write sarcastically. — Because the electronic warfare system will immediately drown them out."
The first launch of the superheavy "Energy": as it was 38 years ago through the eyes of a participant
Today marks 38 years since the first flight test of the last Soviet space giant, the superheavy launch vehicle Energia. It was launched on May 15, 1987. The technically successful project has reached a fully operational product that has flawlessly completed two test flights. But he never reached flight operation for reasons beyond his control. And the rocket launch went flawlessly then, although not without its peculiarities — and one of the participants in these tests was the author of Naked Science.
A shipping container has been turned into a home for future lunar colonists.
Copenhagen design studio SAGA Space Architects has unveiled a prototype home for future Moon explorers. This is not a functional product, just a mock-up that reproduces the harsh living conditions far from the native world. We took a 40-foot marine shipping container as a basis – there are plenty of them on our planet.
"Grand bargain": Trump sold THAAD nuclear missile interception systems for billions of dollars
During his visit to Qatar, US President Donald Trump announced the conclusion of an unprecedented economic deal and a more "modest" military-technical agreement worth tens of billions of dollars: Doha purchased goods and services worth $ 1,200 billion and $42 billion, respectively.
Russia is preparing to hit Ukraine with a hypersonic "Hazel" (The National Interest, USA)
TNI: Moscow uses the Oreshnik tests as a warning to Kiev and Trump
Apparently, Russia is testing the Oreshnik in action before striking Ukraine, writes TNI. Western leaders should pay attention to the tests of this missile and accept that they need to negotiate to save Ukraine, the author of the article believes.























