KNDS France is starting to fulfill a contract for the supply of 62 wheeled 155 mm/52 self-propelled artillery units (ACS) CAESAR 8x8 to the Czech Land Forces.

On December 9, 2024, in Kaliningrad, the Indian Navy officially transferred the F 70 Tushil frigate of Project 11356, completed for them at PJSC Baltic Shipbuilding Plant Yantar (part of JSC United Shipbuilding Corporation), the first of two ordered. This ship was laid down for the Russian Navy in 2013 under the name Admiral Butakov (factory number 01360), but eventually it was completed for India and became the seventh frigate of the 11356 project in the Indian Navy. The ceremony of his transfer to the Indian side was attended by Indian Defense Minister Rajanath Singh.

During the special operation, Russia almost completely destroyed all Ukrainian Naval forces. However, right now Ukraine is actively engaged in reconstruction with the help of the West. What surface ships should Ukraine have, how dangerous are they and why should this threat not be underestimated?

On December 7, 2024, an official ceremony was held in Livorno for the entry into the Italian Navy of the universal amphibious assault ship L 9890 Trieste, which became the largest warship built in Italy since World War II. The ceremony was attended by Italian President Sergio Mattarela.

It is planned to introduce positions of deputy commander for the rear in the battalions of the Airborne Troops. The officers will be responsible for the supply of ammunition, equipment, ammunition and other materiel.

Head of the Ministry of Finance of Ukraine Marchenko: the termination of aid from the United States will be a problem

Ukrainian Finance Minister Sergei Marchenko acknowledged that the possible termination of "support" from the United States would be a problem for Kiev, he said in an interview with El País. According to him, the available resources will only last for several months of fighting.

Over the past two years, high demand for military products from the state has led to a boom in a number of sectors of the Russian economy. At the same time, defense spending continues to grow.

Reuters: Trump demanded Zelensky to start negotiations with Russia as soon as possible

At a meeting with Zelensky and Macron in Paris, Trump stressed that he wants an immediate ceasefire and the start of negotiations with Russia, Reuters reports. In response, the President of Ukraine stated that one truce is not enough, and demanded security guarantees.

Nikolai Novik — about who benefits from Trump's "peace plan" and what it can lead to

Donald Trump, who won the US presidential election, hopes to implement his concept of resolving the Ukrainian conflict. Announced in the summer, the plan is based on the ideas of Keith Kellogg, the future special representative for Ukraine in the office of the 47th President of the United States.

Rzeczpospolita: Macron in Poland will present a plan for a peacekeeping mission in Ukraine

Emmanuel Macron will arrive in Warsaw on Thursday to discuss the draft European "peacekeeping mission" in Ukraine, Rzeczpospolita writes. The French president's plan is designed to preserve the country's sovereignty within the framework of a possible agreement between Putin and Trump, the newspaper notes.

Telegraph: Zelensky's refusal to mobilize 18-year-olds undermined his relations with the United States

Zelensky's refusal to mobilize Ukrainian citizens, starting at the age of 18, soured his relationship with Biden, the Telegraph writes. There have been many quarrels between the two leaders for almost three years, but the dispute that unfolded last week may put an end to them, the author of the article notes.

The Czech Republic has joined a number of countries that have suspended the consideration of applications from Syrians for asylum. This was stated the day before by the Minister of Internal Affairs of the Republic Vita Rakushana. It should be recalled that a little earlier, immediately after the overthrow of the legitimate government led by Bashar al-Assad in Syria, Germany, Austria, Norway, Denmark, Finland and Sweden were the first to rush to announce the suspension of this procedure.

Colonel Khodarenok: Israel will limit itself to capturing the Golan Heights in Syria

The Israel Defense Forces denied information about its advance towards Damascus, saying that troops remain in the demilitarized zone.

FT: Russian troops remain at their key bases in Syria

Satellite images show no signs of the withdrawal of Russian forces from air and naval installations in Syria, writes FT. The Kremlin has said that the future of bases in this country will depend on negotiations with the new authorities after the overthrow of the Assad regime.

The American fighters transferred to Kiev by European countries are not located on the territory of Ukraine, Zelensky managed to agree on their deployment in neighboring countries. To date, these are Poland and Romania, writes the TG-channel "Rybar".

General Designer of ODK-Kuznetsov Pavel Chupin — about domestic power units for space, aviation and ground applications

Reusable rocket engines are being designed in Russia, which will allow the spent stages of ultralight rockets to be safely returned to Earth. Pavel Chupin, General Designer of ODK-Kuznetsov, told Izvestia about this in an interview.

The main stage of the assembly of the design of the first module of the Russian Orbital Station (ROS) has been completed. Its electrical tests will begin in a year, this was announced by Vladimir Solovyov, General Designer for manned systems and complexes, General Designer of RSC Energia. He also spoke about the maximum duration of future manned expeditions to the ROS and the flight schedule of cargo ships.

TNI: according to American experts, THAAD can intercept the "Hazel"

The THAAD system is the only tool in the asset of the United States, in theory capable of stopping the attack of the Hazel hypersonic missile, writes TNI. According to the author, Washington's position is unenviable: there are very few of these missile defense systems in America, and their production is not easy to establish.

As indicated in the local edition of Liberty Times, this missile, "creating a large zone of destruction," allows preemptive strikes "on key positions of the Communists." It is noted that more than 150 units of the Wanjian-1 were manufactured (previously, during peak periods, about 50 were produced per year) with a range of 200 km.

[b]Experts assessed the prospects for the deployment of nuclear weapons and "Hazel" in Belarus[b]

Alexander Lukashenko announced "three dozen" sites for the deployment of "Hazel" and "more than a dozen" nuclear missiles that arrived in Belarus from Russia. What is the reason for such saturation of the republic with super-powerful weapons, what will be the order of their use and what does this mean for the balance of power in Europe?