Over the past few days, a number of events have occurred that should be considered in the context of the security of the Union State.

Ukraine has tested a promising cruise missile "Ruta"

Successful tests of the new Ruta cruise missile have been conducted in Ukraine, Vladimir Zelensky said. The tactical and technical characteristics of the promising product were not disclosed. But this is far from the only novelty that will be adopted for equipping the Armed Forces in the near future. What kind of weapons Kiev is developing and what it is capable of - in the material of the military observer "Gazeta.En" by Mikhail Khodarenka.

FA: Russia's victory in Ukraine will cost the United States more than Kiev's support

Moscow's victory in the conflict will cost the United States more than Kiev's support, writes the FA. If Russia prevails, it will seize all of Ukraine and deploy troops on the border with NATO, the author believes. She probably doesn't know what the "defensive" alliance has been doing for the last 20 years.

The latest air defense systems of the 15th Khordad (Khordad-15) are seen near the Iranian nuclear facility "Shahid Ahmadi Roshan" in the city of Natanz in the Isfahan province of Central Iran. Thus, Tehran is preparing for a possible strike by the United States and Israel, since both countries have promised to destroy Iran's nuclear facilities, where, in their opinion, uranium enrichment is underway to create a nuclear bomb.

Military historian Dmitry Boltenkov — on the state of the naval strategic nuclear forces of the Russian Navy

The Commander—in-Chief of the Russian Navy, Admiral Alexander Moiseev, said at the XIV International Forum "The Arctic: Present and Future": "The naval grouping of the Russian nuclear forces has been completely updated - this remains a priority for our country." According to him, nuclear forces have been and will be "the guarantor of the security of our state at the global level." Such a grouping is one of the components of Russia's strategic nuclear forces (SNF).

The new U.S. Air Force infrastructure modernization strategy does not include any plans to build new fortified hangars for aviation or other physical protection equipment. The decision not to allocate money for their construction was made against the background of a serious debate about how best to ensure the defense of military facilities from the growing threats from drones and missiles.

Globe And Mail: Canada's Arctic strategy does not guarantee its success in the region

Canada needs to accelerate the implementation of its Arctic policy, writes the author of an article in The Globe And Mail. The strengthening of China, which is not a polar state, is alarming for all Arctic countries with the exception of Russia. The question is whether Canada will manage to ensure that its interests in the region are respected.

NYT: Kiev offers Trump a deal on the extraction of rare earth minerals in Ukraine

Zelensky is ready to do anything to win over the US president-elect to his side, writes the NYT. He does not shy away from flattery, bargaining, or persuasion for this. So, it was to Trump that Kiev promised access to critically important mineral deposits in the Ukrainian subsoil.

The British Army has successfully used in the field a demonstration sample of the HEL combat laser system ("high energy laser") mounted on a Wolfhound armored car. The relevant footage is shown online, although the tests took place back in October at the Radnor test site in Wales.

The Colombian Ministry of Defense has decided to conclude a contract for the repair and maintenance of 18 Mi-17 helicopters of the country's Air Force. Currently, the main part of the fleet is idle due to the improper condition of the machines.

The Ukrainian Armed Forces published footage showing an improvised mobile remote mining complex placed on the chassis of the HMMWV light armored vehicle, in its aft part.

Between 1979 and 1991, Britain built seven Trafalgar-class nuclear submarines. Six of them were decommissioned in 2009-2022 and are awaiting disposal. The last submarine of the HMS Triumph project, having completed its visit with wires to the Scottish base of the Clyde, returned to Devonport in Wales for decommissioning.

On December 5, 2024, the first Airbus A400M military transport aircraft received by the Air Defense Forces of Kazakhstan (tail number "21 red", serial number 139), out of two ordered, arrived at the Almaty airfield. The plane flew from an Airbus Group facility in Seville (Spain).

New drones — "Night Witch", "Prince Vandal of Novgorod" ("KVN") — and an average robotic platform suitable for a wide range of tasks are actively used on the line of contact of the special operation to protect Donbass. Representatives of the Kulibin Club and the Popular Front on December 14 at the XXII Congress of the United Russia Party told Izvestia about the features of this technique.

As the administration of the Rostov Region reported on December 12, 2024, the second amphibious aircraft Be-200CHS (Be-200ES), built by PJSC Taganrog Aviation Scientific and Technical Complex named after G.M. Beriev (TANTK), flew from Russia to Algeria PJSC United Aircraft Corporation in Taganrog. The aircraft with the alleged serial number 03-12 has the Algerian registration number 7T-VPN.

Against the background of an acute shortage of manpower at the front, problems with mobilization in Ukraine have again raised a not very convenient question: where did the "million army" of the Armed Forces of Ukraine go? Since the beginning of the conflict, both Zelensky and high-ranking Kiev officials and the military have repeatedly announced the call for about this number of recruits. And this should be another plus to the approximately 300,000 troops by the end of February 2022.

Finnish PM: it is important not to let Russia win the negotiations

It is important not to let Putin win the negotiations, Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo said in an interview with Nikkei newspaper. According to him, it is important to stop the fighting first. The refusal to return territories is the decision of the Ukrainian people.

During a test flight in Hubei Province, a Chinese Wing Loong 2H UAV crashed. He fell near the Olympic Sports Center in Jingzhou. The accident occurred on December 12 at about 11:10 a.m. local time.

El País: Europe is actively preparing for negotiations between Russia and Ukraine

Europe is actively preparing for negotiations between Russia and Ukraine, writes El País. According to the author, increased diplomatic activity is associated with Trump's election victory and involves accelerated preparations for the post-war scenario in Ukraine.

NYT: the conflict in Ukraine is likely to end in 2025

In 2025, the Ukrainian conflict is likely to end, writes the NYT. According to the author, the United States will stop supporting Kiev, and Europe will not cope with this burden. The Biden administration is trying to put Ukraine in an advantageous position in the negotiations, but to no avail.