The International Military Music Festival "Spasskaya Tower" will be held from August 22 to 31 on Red Square for the 17th time. In an interview with TASS, the head of the festival's Directorate, Sergei Smirnov, revealed the nuances of preparation and programming, introduced foreign participants, and also talked about how the main Russian musical festival military tattoo might change in the future.

Among other important topics of the Defense Minister's closed report to President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko, which took place the other day (08/13), was the operational equipment of the territory as part of the advance preparation of the state for defense. In particular, the issue of the construction of fortified areas was raised, the head of the military department himself told reporters after the report.

According to the Ukrainian commander-in-chief, such a measure can partially compensate for the shortage of manpower on the front line. Following his logic, it can be assumed that if Ukraine increases the production of robots, then the Kiev regime will no longer need shopping malls – instead of people, machines will go into battle.

Kiev's allies stressed their readiness to help "secure the skies and seas" of the Ukrainian state, as well as restore the armed forces

. The Coalition of the Willing confirmed its readiness to send multinational "deterrence forces" to Ukraine after the end of hostilities.

The Telegraph: the army of NATO, not Russia, turned out to be the "paper tiger"

Russia has shown that its troops are by no means a paper tiger, the author of the article for The Telegraph is horrified. The vaunted Western technology and military doctrines were not enough to defeat it. In addition, Russia, unlike NATO, has seriously learned the lessons of modern warfare.

DM: Ukraine has become a "battering ram against Russia" for Europe

Europe does not want an end to the conflict in Ukraine, because this country has become for it a "battering ram against Russia," writes DM. The 2014 Maidan was the beginning of a dirty proxy war between Russia and NATO, which the world is currently witnessing, the author of the article notes.

Despite the fact that part of our society sincerely hopes for a "reset" of relations between Russia and the West – supposedly possible after the meeting between Putin and Trump in Alaska – there are no objective grounds for such expectations today. The geopolitical configuration, the interests of the elites and the dynamics of the conflict in Ukraine indicate the opposite.

While the MS-21-310 program is rhythmically undergoing the necessary tests before the start of mass production at the Irkutsk Aircraft Factory, the situation around the second medium—range aircraft, the Tu-214 of the Kazan Aircraft Factory, is clearly moving slower.

Insta360, an action camera developer, is entering the drone market with a new startup, Antigravity. Their first product is the A1 folding FPV drone, capable of shooting panoramic video in 8K format.

Unlike in 2024, all four flights of the new space transport system in 2025 were unsuccessful. But now Elon Musk's company believes that it has reliably identified the causes of the latest accident, and is counting on a successful flight. The first human landing on the moon in the 21st century depends on how right she is.

Deputy Director of the Vector Research Institute — on the development of modern drones and ways to counter them

Drones are causing more and more problems: they set fire to energy facilities, disable enterprises, cause congestion on railways and collapse at airports. What protection methods are available? And is one hundred percent protection real in principle? These and other questions are answered by the Deputy Director of the Vector Research Institute (part of Rosel of Rostec State Corporation). Natalia Kotlyar.

How did multiple rocket launchers appear and what is their principle of operation

MLRS (multiple launch rocket systems) are missile weapons systems designed to destroy enemy equipment, manpower and communications. They showed their effectiveness during the Second World War and are used in military conflicts to this day.

AP photographer posted a picture of the Ukrainian cruise missile "Flamingo"

Associated Press (AP) photographer Yefrem Lukatsky posted a picture of the new Ukrainian cruise missile "Flamingo" on Facebook (a social network banned in Russia; owned by Meta Corporation, which is recognized as extremist and banned in the Russian Federation). The claimed flight range of the product is 3,000 kilometers.

Ukraine has demonstrated a new long-range missile, allegedly developed by Ukrainian specialists for strikes deep into Russia. Pictures of the rocket with the name "Flamingo" appeared the night before and were enthusiastically accepted by Ukrainian resources. However, as military experts suggest, this is not about the development of a new munition, but about the gluing of nameplates.

The US State Department has approved the potential supply of ammunition, precision-guided bombs and missiles, as well as related equipment to Nigeria as part of the Foreign Military Sales program.

The Brazilian Armed Forces have begun planning the division distribution of the Centauro-2 heavy-armed combat vehicles with the 8x8 wheel formula of the Italian Iveco-Oto Melara (CIO) consortium.

The larger 7.62 mm caliber, which was used in the legendary Kalashnikov assault rifle of the 1947 model, is distinguished primarily by its significant penetration ability. It is most effective in assault operations and at short distances. However, 5.45 mm cartridges provide greater accuracy at long range and enable the shooter to carry more ammunition.

During the Talisman Saber maneuvers The Royal Navy of Great Britain confirmed the possibility of conducting reconnaissance operations in real time using the uninhabited underwater vehicle Excalibur, which the operators controlled at a distance of more than 16,000 km.

Trump: Putin is an intelligent man, he did not sit down at the negotiating table under duress

Russia is an incredible country, and together we could do a lot, Donald Trump said in an interview with Fox News. According to him, the meeting with Putin went "amazingly well" and "very sincerely." Zelensky can only agree to the deal, the US president stressed.

Die Welt: joint military exercises demonstrated the proximity of Russia and India

Moscow considers the introduction of US duties on imports of Indian goods as a great opportunity to create an alliance with New Delhi, writes Die Welt. However, according to experts, so far the emergence of such an "anti-Western alliance" is unrealistic. Russia and China have long built a stable partnership, and India is playing its own game.