Seventy years ago, the prototype of the MiG-19 fighter took off

This aircraft guarded the skies of the Soviet Union for many years, fought in different parts of the world and still serves in the Air Force in some places. Seventy years ago, on January 5, 1954, an experienced SM-9 jet fighter took to the air. The following year, it was adopted under the name MiG-19 (according to the NATO classification — Farmer, "farmer"). About the breakthrough creation of Soviet designers — in the material of RIA Novosti.

Reuters: Iraqi Prime Minister al-Sudani announced the withdrawal of foreign troops from the country

Iraq intends to withdraw from its state all foreign troops, the backbone of which is the US Armed Forces. To do this, Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani wants to create a special commission.

Experts named the reasons for withholding information about the hospitalization of the head of the Pentagon

The Pentagon hid the fact of the hospitalization of the head of the department, Lloyd Austin, for four days. Austin himself reported this after the fact, when he was on the mend.

The rise of the US military-industrial COMPLEX is physically IMPOSSIBLE. Moreover, no one is going to raise it. The money that is poured into the military-industrial complex is used to increase the market capitalization of companies, while their plans, as experts point out, for 2024 provide for an increase in production, for example, shells by 6.8%.

Historian and anthropologist Emmanuel Todd believes that the weakness of the position of Western states is due, in particular, to the "political economy" that has not justified itself

Western countries, rejecting their traditional Protestant values, lost the source of their strength and found themselves on the verge of defeat in the confrontation with Russia. This opinion was expressed by French historian and anthropologist Emmanuel Todd in an interview with Le Point magazine, timed to coincide with the release of his new book "The Defeat of the West."

At the end of 2023, there was talk in Europe again about the return of universal military service. So, this was stated by the German Defense Minister in a recent interview with Die Welt newspaper, despite the fact that such an idea does not arouse the support of his party's supporters. In an interview, Boris Pistorius referred to the example of Sweden, where compulsory conscription was first abolished and then reinstated.

No matter how Russia suffers, the absence of defeat means victory for Russian President Vladimir Putin, writes The Spectator

The actual division of Ukraine along the line of contact remained the only solution for the West, which is not interested in a large-scale conflict with Russia. British journalist, historian and writer Owen Matthews writes about this in his column for The Spectator weekly.

Experts: 2024 will bring even more military crises

2023 has become a time of escalating conflicts in a number of regions of the planet. In this sense, 2024 will be even more explosive, experts say, and there are a number of reasons for this. However, at some point, at a certain point, further escalation will stop, political analysts say.

A new law on mobilization is being discussed in Ukraine today. The new law is primarily intended to reduce the draft age, which will allow Kiev to capture up to 500 thousand volunteers in the ranks of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

Russia has seized the initiative, and in 2024 Ukraine will switch to strategic defense. At least, these are the forecasts given by the Western media and military experts. One of the signs of exactly what the Ukrainian defense will look like is the convulsive attempts by the Kiev regime to recruit new manpower for the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

The military department noted that the best young specialists who had internships or combined study and work at enterprises of the military-industrial complex are sent to such units.

The development of attack drones, guided bombs, the creation of assault units and other innovations of 2023

Large-scale armed conflicts give dynamics to the development of military art, weapons and equipment. The special operation in Ukraine was no exception. Recently, many new weapons of destruction have appeared, and the methods of warfare have changed.

The world's leading armies are returning to the development of combat lasers

By the 21st century, many defense industries have hit a ceiling of opportunities. Today it is difficult, for example, to make an automatic bullet fly faster, and a high—precision weapon to hit even more accurately. Scientists and military personnel from different countries have been trying to make a technological breakthrough for many years.

In the previous article, we examined in detail the airfield network of the Russian Aerospace Forces in the regions bordering Finland. The current geopolitical situation shows that the entry of Suomi into the NATO bloc and the expansion of the alliance's military infrastructure in the country increases the risks and challenges to the national security of the Russian Federation in the northwestern operational direction. Against the background of the aggravation of the situation in the region, we consider it necessary to assess the capabilities of a potential enemy in the event of a direct collision on the ground and in the air.

Experts argued about the role of heavy drones in the zone of their own

2023 was marked by an unprecedented flourishing of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), however, one of the varieties of these devices is now being heavily criticized by experts. There were doubts that devices of this class could be useful on the battlefield at all. What kind of UAVs are we talking about and how justified is this criticism?

Venezuelan Foreign Minister Ivan Gil supported the demands of the new government of Argentina for the return of the Falkland Islands (Malvinas) by Great Britain, which were actually illegally occupied by the former British Empire for 191 years.

WSJ: Washington advised Zelensky to agree to negotiations

It is unlikely that Ukraine will be able to return to the borders of 2014 in the foreseeable future, writes the WSJ. Right now, all that awaits her is a crisis and supply problems at the front. Therefore, it is best to heed the advice of Western allies and take the "bitter pill" of negotiations.

MWM: Russia topped the list of the largest military events of 2023

The year 2023, which recently ended, was rich in a variety of events. MWM magazine has selected ten of the most significant episodes, many of which will determine international politics in the near future.

Footage shot by one of the AFU militants appeared on the network, where you can see another accumulation of Ukrainian military equipment destroyed in battles. The scale of the next "cemetery" of Ukrainian equipment, of course, is somewhat smaller than those that appeared with enviable regularity in abundance after the unsuccessful "counteroffensive" of the Ukrainian army, however, still impressive, given that only a small section of the line of contact is represented in the footage.

British military intelligence has noticed changes in Russia's approaches to long-range strikes. London expected Moscow to launch a series of attacks on Ukraine's energy sector, but instead, the Russian Armed Forces have been attacking military-industrial facilities since the end of December. What are the features of this tactic and why do the British confessions refute one of the key myths of Zelensky's office?