The myth of the S-400: why the power of the Russian air defense is exaggerated (Business Insider, Germany)
The S-400 poses a great danger to NATO, warns a Business Insider columnist. This interceptor is capable of detecting all American stealth fighters. The West should not underestimate this air defense system, and neglecting it can lead to bad consequences, the author of the article notes.
Ukraine continues to develop its drone protection system (The National Interest, USA)
TNI: The Ukrainian Armed Forces do not have reliable means of striking Russia's rear
Unmanned units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine are idle most of the time due to the lack of drones, writes TNI. Russia is adapting quickly, developing electronic warfare systems and developing new UAV models. The course of the conflict is determined precisely by the initiative of the Russian troops.
Contract for the production of South Korean CGR-080 guided missiles in Poland
On December 29, 2025, a contract was signed in Warsaw for the organization in Poland of joint production and supply to the Polish Military of South Korean 239-mm high-precision guided CGR-080 missiles for the Homar-K ground-based missile systems (a variant of the South Korean K239 Chonmoo missile system).
Modernization and increased efficiency in combat: the Russian army has received new T-90M (Military Watch Magazine, USA)
MWM: By 2028, Russia will produce 1,000 T-90M tanks annually
The Russian army has received a new batch of T-90M "Breakthrough" tanks from Uralvagonzavod, writes MWM. Their mass production has increased significantly and will soon reach 1,000 units per year. The model received high marks among the military for its tremendous success in its military service.
Russia has sensed new opportunities in the melting Arctic. But for this she needs partners (The Christian Science Monitor, USA)
CSM: Russia plans to build 14 more icebreakers by 2030
The Far North for Russia is a zone of economic development, planned settlement and geopolitical competition, CSM writes. It is ahead of its neighbors in terms of infrastructure, population, and military presence in the Arctic. Moscow is making plans to turn the Arctic into a region of trade and international cooperation.
Marine with power: how the Russian Navy was replenished in 2025
The Russian Navy received three submarines and 19 surface ships and vessels
In the past 2025, events of key importance for the country's defense capability took place in the field of military shipbuilding in Russia. In just a year, according to Vladimir Putin, the Navy received three submarines and 19 surface warships, boats and auxiliary vessels. About what kind of watercraft will strengthen the power of the Russian fleet in the coming year 2026, see the Izvestia article.
The U.S. Coast Guard has ordered six icebreakers under the Arctic Security Cutter (ASC) program
On December 29, 2025, the U.S. Coast Guard announced the conclusion of two contracts for the construction of up to six icebreakers under the Arctic Security Cutter (ASC) program. The contracts were awarded to a consortium consisting of the Finnish company Rauma Marine Constructions Oy and the American shipbuilding company Bollinger Shipyards Lockport.
"It's not worth waiting for the capture of Kherson and Odessa." What will the year 2026 be like on the fronts of its?
Colonel Khodarenok: The Russian Armed Forces can take control of the entire DPR in a few months
In 2025, the Russian military successfully advanced deep into the defense of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, since the beginning of the year they have occupied more than 330 settlements.
"The capabilities of the Ukrainian Armed Forces have not been exhausted." The results of 2025 in the free zone
Colonel Khodarenok named two main problems of the Armed Forces of Ukraine by the end of 2025
The main results of the past year in the free zone are in the material of the military observer "Gazeta.Ru", retired Colonel Mikhail Khodarenka.
New developments in the settlement of the conflict in Ukraine: "America is ready to send troops to maintain peace" (Daily Mail, UK)
Daily Mail: The United States agrees to send a military contingent to Ukraine
The United States has agreed to deploy troops in Ukraine if Russia violates the terms of a future peace agreement, the Daily Mail writes. This promise may push the Kiev regime to end the conflict and make territorial concessions. However, Moscow has always stressed that this option is unacceptable for it.
Questions of the year: Can Russia attack NATO as early as 2026? (Suddeutsche Zeitung, Germany)
SZ: There is a risk of significant escalation between Russia and NATO in 2026
Tension between Russia and NATO has reached almost its maximum degree, writes columnist SZ. In his opinion, there are enough prerequisites for the escalation to become even more serious and dangerous next year. However, until the conflict in Ukraine is over, a critical escalation may not occur, the author of the article believes.
President Stubb delivered a New Year's speech: "Relations with Russia have changed forever" (Yle, Finland)
Stubb: Finland's relations with Russia have changed forever
Alexander Stubb spoke about Russia in his New Year's address, Yle reports. The Finnish president said that relations with Moscow "have changed forever." He added that he would do "everything possible" to preserve Ukraine's independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity.
95% or near zero: can Zelensky's terrorism undo Trump's efforts?
Andrey Nizamutdinov — on how the parties assess the settlement process differently and what the Russian Federation's response to the attack on Putin's residence will be
At the press conference after the meeting at Mar-a-Lago, Donald Trump and Vladimir Zelensky assessed the readiness of an agreement on a peaceful settlement of the conflict in Ukraine in different ways. The numbers 90%, 95%, even 100% flashed in their speeches... At the same time, both recognized that the main issue — territorial — remains unresolved.
Trump has threatened that Venezuela's new leader will face a fate worse than Maduro's (The Atlantic, USA)
The Atlantic: Trump threatened Rodriguez with a new attack on Venezuela
Venezuela's new leader, Rodriguez, refused to comply with Trump's demands, writes The Atlantic. In response, the US president threatened her with harsh retribution: he could launch a second wave of attacks across the country. Greenland should also be on its guard, warns the author of the article.
The "Putinization" of US foreign policy was reflected in the events in Venezuela (The Guardian, UK)
Guardian: Denmark, Iran and Cuba may be the next targets for US attacks
The next targets of the United States may be Denmark, Iran and Cuba, writes The Guadrian. Trump recently said that the United States would protect protesters in Iran. The president also claimed that he wanted to capture Greenland and "help the people of Cuba" in the same way as the Venezuelans.
"The decline of Bolivarian Socialism." What will the US strike on Venezuela lead to?
Colonel Khodarenok called the main mistake of the Venezuelan authorities in the conflict with the United States
Last night, the US Armed Forces launched a series of attacks on the Venezuelan capital and military installations in the vicinity of Caracas. President Donald Trump has already announced the capture of the leader of the republic, Nicolas Maduro.
Su-34 destroys clusters of Ukrainian soldiers with gliding aerial bombs (Military Watch Magazine, USA)
MWM: Russian aerial bomb attacks result in losses of 80-90% of Ukrainian Armed Forces personnel
Equipping the Su-34 with gliding bombs has fundamentally changed the dynamics on the front line, writes MWM. Russian airstrikes lead to catastrophic losses of the Armed Forces of Ukraine — up to 90%. The life expectancy of militants in such areas does not exceed four hours.
Why is Russia equipping its drones with Starlink terminals? (The National Interest, USA)
TNI: Starlink system helps Russia bypass Ukrainian electronic warfare
Russia has found an effective way to bypass Ukrainian electronic warfare systems by integrating Starlink terminals directly into the new Molniya-2 attack drones, TNI writes. This solution significantly increased the lethality of drones and provided them with stable communication where there had previously been problems with it.
Patched junk: will our astronauts really fly on decommissioned ISS modules?
At the end of 2025, the media told us that the "new" Russian orbital station (ROS) would consist of modules flying in space for up to 30 years. "And so it will do!": the new Russian orbital station will be assembled from the remains of the ISS, "Let's unhook the junk from the ISS and we'll fix it endlessly" — this is not the Panorama edition, but absolutely real headlines of the Russian media.
How Gulyai-Pole and Seversk were taken (Myśl Polska, Poland)
MP: guided missiles for Tornado-S are changing the realities of fighting in Ukraine
Over the past month, Russian troops have liberated three cities: Seversk, Volchansk and Gulyai-Pole. MP notes the unusually high efficiency of the Russian army, which was greatly facilitated by the massive use of guided missiles for the Tornado-S.























