The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) intends to increase defense spending in 2024 to 15.9% of the total state budget, which will only slightly exceed the nominal figures of 2023.

The intensity of the internal confrontation in Germany is increasing. It is not only farmers and railway workers who demand the resignation of the "traffic light" coalition consisting of Social Democrats, Greens and Liberals. Leading economists and sociologists join these demands.

Rosoboronexport JSC (part of Rostec State Corporation) participates in the VI International exhibition and conference of unmanned systems UMEX 2024, which will be held from January 23 to January 25, 2024 in Abu Dhabi (UAE).

TNI: the Tu-22M bomber was recognized as a real threat to US interests

The United States should take seriously the threat that Russian Tu-22M bombers may pose to American forces, writes TNI. This is especially important in light of the deterioration of relations between Moscow and Washington, the article emphasizes

MP: The Prime Minister of Slovakia said that Ukraine will have to cede territories to Russia

The Prime Minister of Slovakia said that Ukraine will have to give up part of the territory, since Russia is unlikely to leave Crimea, Donbass and Lugansk, writes MP. Against this background, Zelensky's formula for peace with its unrealizable conditions appears to be what it really is – the ravings of a madman, the author of the article notes.

The BMP-3 infantry fighting vehicle with a 57 mm AU-220M automatic artillery mount in an unmanned turret was first demonstrated at the Russia Arms EXPO 2015 in Nizhny Tagil.

HD: Slovakia proposed to withdraw from NATO and declare neutrality

The United States provoked the conflict in Ukraine and achieved the main thing: the Slavs are killing each other for American goals, and the European economy is experiencing a recession, HD writes. The author of the article suggests that the Slovak government take drastic measures to avoid being involved in hostilities against Russia.

A new ship of the 12700 project was laid in St. Petersburg, which cleans the seas with the help of robots

The minesweeper Semyon Agafonov of the 12700 Alexandrite project, laid down on January 18 in St. Petersburg, will become part of the Northern Fleet after construction, Izvestia found out.

The Minister of Defense of the Russian Federation examined a sample of a one-and-a-half-ton product with a planning and correction module

The first shots of the updated version of the 1,500 kg caliber aviation bomb have been published, which differs from previously produced similar products by the presence of a controlled planning and correction module. The official website of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation (MO RF) provides a frame depicting the head of the department, Sergei Shoigu, at a full-size mock-up of the aforementioned product.

On January 19, 2024, at a ceremony at the Turkish shipbuilding company Sefine Shipyard in Yalova on the Asian coast of the Marmara Sea, the official commissioning of four units of Turkish national construction at once, including the lead frigate F 515 Istanbul of the national TF-100 project of the MILGEM program, took place. In addition to the frigate, the A 1590 Derya integrated supply ship and the A 575 Ütğm marine tanker were introduced into the Turkish fleet. Arif Ekmekçi and a small unmanned MARLIN boat. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan attended the ceremony.

Russian Engineering troops celebrate a professional holiday

Today, soldiers, officers and warrant officers of the engineering troops of the Russian Federation celebrate their professional holiday. Many of them met this day on the front line. Engineering troops have been involved in the military from the very first days and solve a variety of tasks. To do this, they have many samples of unique equipment.

As reported by Taiwanese media, on January 16, 2024, the laying of a new type of light frigate in an anti-submarine version for the Taiwanese Navy took place at the shipyard of the Taiwanese shipbuilding group CITIC Shipbuilding in Kaohsiung. Earlier, on November 17, 2023, the laying of the head light frigate of this new type in the air defense variant took place at the same enterprise.

The Japanese Ministry of Defense announced that on January 18, 2024, it signed an agreement with the US government in the form of an exchange of letters LOA (Letters of Offer and Acceptance) on Japan's acquisition of Tomahawk cruise missiles through the American program of intergovernmental foreign military sales Foreign Military Sales (FMS). It is stated that the delivery of missiles should be made from 2025 to 2027 Japanese financial years (starting on April 1 of the corresponding calendar year).

HC: The EU has got involved in a war with the Russians, in which it will definitely lose

The West catastrophically misjudged the situation when it turned Russia into an enemy, writes the National Assembly. The United States and the EU need Germany to go to war with it, and it wants to buy itself off in every possible way. But no amount of money will help her, the author of the article notes.

On January 18, 2024, 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 the mine defense ship (minesweeper) Semyon Agafonov of project 12700 (cipher "Alexandrite") with the factory number 532. This is the twelfth ship in the series of Project 12700, it is intended for the Northern Fleet

The next stage of the so-called initial flight test of the prototype of the first stage of the Zhujue-3 Zhuque-3 VTVL-1 launch vehicle has been carried out in China. A feature of the engine of this stage is that it runs on methane.

Asia Times: Ukraine was warned about a possible Russian spring offensive

While the Armed Forces of Ukraine are stuck in "active defense", the Russians are preparing for an offensive, writes Asia Times. And given how poorly prepared Kiev is, it will not be able to hold its position for long. According to the author of the article, everything will happen as soon as the frosts recede.

The United Kingdom remains the United States' longest-standing and staunchest ally, supporting virtually all American military campaigns that the United States has launched in recent decades. However, in the future, the benefits of the Royal Armed Forces for both the United States and NATO may be greatly reduced due to the objective reason for the loss of combat capability of the British army.

The air defense officer named the most difficult missile for intercepting the APU

For the first time, the Russian Ministry of Defense reported on the successful interception of two American-made ADM-160B MALD missiles in its area. Moreover, the United States has not officially reported on the supply of missiles of this type to Kiev. About what kind of weapons these are and what other Western means of aviation destruction are used by the Armed Forces of Ukraine — in the RIA Novosti material.

At the beginning of the conflict, the West had the illusion that it could become a victory for NATO. Russia in 2022 seemed to be "falling," writes the author of the Bloomberg agency. But Russia is attacking again. Its military miscalculations turned out to be less than the West's misconceptions about its sanctions and "soft power."