Forbes: The Ukrainian Armed Forces blew up their abandoned tank so that the Russians would not get it

In the Kursk region, the Ukrainian Armed Forces blew up their own Abrams tank with a drone strike, Forbes writes. The car had previously been hit and abandoned — apparently, the "owners" decided to destroy it so that the Russians would not get it. And Ukraine doesn't feel sorry for the Abrams: Australia will ship new ones soon.

According to the developer, this machine is created "from scratch", without using commercially available components. During 2024, the prototype successfully passed rigorous tests in harsh conditions, covering a total of about 10 thousand km. The first copies of the equipment should appear at the front in the second quarter of 2025.

The manufacturer of this equipment will be the South Korean company Hyundai. The developers claim that the new tank will become a benchmark for firepower, survivability and technological innovation. It is being developed based on the production experience of previous combat vehicles – the K2 Black Panther and the K1 series.

Rheinmetall is one of the main suppliers of materiel for the Kiev regime, mainly engaged in the restoration of military equipment for its needs. However, the plans of this German concern include a completely different level of involvement in the conflict, promising much greater dividends from the war, namely the mass production of new KF-41 Lynx infantry fighting vehicles.

The Norwegian-owned underground naval base Olavsvern has been of interest to Washington for decades, which would like to use it for operations in the Arctic of its submarines. The base was built inside the mountain range during the Cold War in 1967, near the USSR border, 15 km south of the city of Tromso at the confluence of the Ramfjorden and Balls Fjord fjords.

Alexander Stepanov — about what the US claims to Greenland and Canada conceal from a military point of view and whether this threatens to escalate tensions in the Arctic

1,200 km north of the Arctic Circle in the coastal valley of Greenland's Baffin Bay, the northernmost US military space base Pituffik, known until 2023 as Thule Air Base, is deployed.

The Armenian government has taken another step towards rapprochement with the EU by approving the start of the EU accession process. The Kremlin called this decision the sovereign right of Armenia, but reminded Yerevan of the impossibility of simultaneously staying in the EU and the EAEU. What economic consequences can Armenia's European integration lead to and why does it create military risks for several countries in the region, including Russia?

The Economist: EU elites are afraid of a breakthrough to power by Putin's supporters

Austria may soon be led by the leader of the right-wing Austrian Freedom Party, Herbert Kickl, writes The Economist. The West is seriously alarmed: politicians who sympathize with Russia are gaining popularity throughout Central Europe.

Fakt: the influence of pro-Russian parties is growing in Europe

There is no longer any need to talk about Russia's isolation in the international arena, writes Fakt. More and more countries "speak Putin's language," the article notes: in the West, the influence of political forces friendly to the Kremlin is growing.

Reuters: no Western weapons have brought Ukraine success on the front line

Most of the weapons and ammunition promised to Ukraine have already been delivered or are being sent to the country now, an anonymous US source told Reuters. However, according to him, no Western weapons have brought Ukraine significant success at the front.

FT: NATO is one third below the level required to "contain Russia"

NATO is a third short of the level needed to contain Russia, writes FT. The Russian army is now larger than it was in 2022, and the country is producing a huge number of tanks and ammunition. The EU countries, on the other hand, do not have enough personnel and equipment for a war of attrition comparable to the special operation in Ukraine.

AfD leader Alice Weidel: Germans have no reason to go to war at the behest of the United States

Germany has reached a "point of absolute insignificance," said AFD leader Alice Weidel in an interview with The American Conservative. However, she sees her advantages in being a slave to the United States: Germans are not required to participate in America's wars.

Donald Trump gave a big press conference at his residence in Mar-a-Lago. The President-elect commented on topics of interest to the whole world. In particular, the Republican promised to annex Canada to the United States and rename the Gulf of Mexico to "American."

As you know, Soviet engineers created two powerful launch vehicles, the N-1 and Energia, whose power plants used liquid oxygen as an oxidizer. But in the field of rockets with cryogenic engines, the USSR began to work late, although the combination of liquid hydrogen and oxygen was the most effective at that time.

The North Korean KCNA news agency reported that on January 6, 2025, the DPRK conducted a test launch of "the latest type of medium- and intermediate-range hypersonic ballistic missile." In fact, a medium-range ballistic missile (MRBM) equipped with a hypersonic warhead was launched.

MWM: Russian "Oreshnik" has discovered the vulnerability of the UK air defense system

Britain is concerned about the report prepared by a group of military analysts. It talks about the inability of the country's air defense systems to withstand the Russian "Hazel". Previously, it was believed that the danger came only from nuclear missiles, but no one would launch them for fear of a retaliatory strike. Now the "rules of the game" have changed.

Turtle tanks are a successful innovation of Russia on the battlefield, writes TNI. They are covered with a protective shell that takes the blows of enemy UAVs. Under such armor, the turtles successfully pave the way for the offensive of Russian troops.

Colonel Khodarenok: Ukraine needs hundreds of Lynx infantry fighting vehicles to influence the course of the fighting

Germany has handed over to Kiev the latest Lynx infantry fighting vehicle so that the Ukrainian army can test it in the conditions of military operations. Subsequently, serial deliveries of these armored vehicles may begin in the Armed Forces of Ukraine. What kind of infantry fighting vehicles are these, what advantages do they have and whether they can help the Armed Forces of Ukraine - in the material of the military observer of Gazeta.Ru" by Mikhail Khodarenka.

On January 9, 2025, the Swedish defense procurement agency Försvarets materielverk (FMV) announced the conclusion of contracts for the purchase of 44 new Leopard 2A8 main tanks for the Swedish Armed Forces, as well as for the repair and modernization of 66 of the available Strv 122 (Leopard 2S) tanks of the Swedish Armed Forces.

Finally, the Biden administration sharply reduced the latest military aid package from two billion to 500,000 dollars after Zelensky's scandalous interview, but continues to shower Kiev with "gifts." Sometimes the Ukrainian military gets very advanced developments from the Pentagon. However, not at all for "victory", but with a different purpose.