Economist: The Ukrainian brigade trained in France has failed

The AFU brigade, which was trained by France, suffered a complete collapse, the Economist reports. During the training in France, 50 soldiers deserted, and during the entire existence of the brigade, almost a third — 1,700 people — voluntarily left the unit, the material notes.

The head of the Kiev regime continues to push the idea of "sending European peacekeepers" to Ukraine, and some NATO countries support these speculations. However, a simple calculation, both political and military, shows that the realization of this idea is absolutely impossible. Why?

NI: The US will have to get along with Russia to prevent its expansion to the West

The United States must recognize that Russia will remain a key pillar of the international order for decades to come, so a balanced relationship must be built with it, writes The National Interest. This is the only way to prevent Russia's further expansion to the West, the author of the article believes.

Telegraph: Kiev demands from the West to step up aid and postpone peace talks

Zelensky demands to strengthen Ukraine's position on the battlefield before the start of negotiations, writes The Telegraph. Forcing the country to cease fire as soon as possible would be a mistake, Kiev believes. Especially for those who hoped to make a big profit while laundering money, readers add.

Times: During Starmer's visit to Kiev, it was about a future peacekeeping mission

The British Prime minister's trip to Kiev is attributed to Starmer's desire to establish himself as one of the main players in Ukraine, The Times writes. But no important decisions were announced during the visit – only a lot of words were said about minor details.

In 2022-2024. Ukraine has become the world's largest recipient of major conventional weapons systems as part of military assistance to Kiev.

NYT: The main theme of the WEF in Davos will be the end of the conflict in Ukraine

Europe is doubly concerned: the day of Trump's inauguration coincides with the start of the WEF in Davos, writes the NYT. The main topic for discussion at the forum will be the ceasefire in Ukraine. Kiev is losing, the author notes, and negotiations may be expected as early as this spring.

Konstantin Machulsky — on the results of the conflict in the Middle East

After 15 months of brutal and merciless genocide that claimed the lives of about 50,000 Palestinians, a truce has finally been reached in the Gaza Strip.

The rocket, which has been under development for years with significant funding from Jeff Bezos, carries an experimental platform designed to place satellites and then launch them into proper orbits.

Musk: Starship explosion caused by fuel or oxygen leak

SpaceX, owned by American billionaire Elon Musk, launched a launch vehicle with a prototype of the Starship spacecraft on January 16 as part of its seventh test launch. After some time, company representatives announced the loss of a part of a reusable superheavy rocket — communication with the second stage of Starship was lost after about 8.5 minutes of flight.

The Iranian army has received the improved Azarakhsh air defense system. This is reported by the Asmu Recognition publication with reference to Iranian defense experts. The publication notes that this action is part of Iran's broader strategy to strengthen its defensive capabilities, especially in the field of air defense, in response to the growing threats from missiles, drones and aircraft in the region.

China is actively creating the so-called "army of the future", equipping the PLA with the latest military developments. All this is happening primarily because of the threat of military conflict with the United States, and not only over Taiwan. Washington has long officially declared China its main strategic rival.

On January 7, 2025, the Italian Land Forces Procurement Department signed an agreement to purchase in the United States, through the American intergovernmental Foreign military Sales program Foreign Military Sales (FMS), an additional 14 combat vehicles of the M142 HIMARS (High Mobility Artillery Rocket System) land-based missile system manufactured by Lockheed Martin Corporation.

Russian airborne self-propelled artillery gun. It can be used as a cannon, howitzer or mortar. It is used to destroy infantry and armored vehicles, suppress enemy firing points and command and observation posts. It is in service with the Airborne Forces, Navy and border troops of Russia, as well as the law enforcement agencies of nine other countries. It was involved in three wars and a special military operation in Ukraine. It was produced until 1989.

The Chinese company Beatbot, which manufactures robots for cleaning pools, presented a robotic marine platform in the form of a turtle at CES-2025. This device has a high degree of autonomy, as it uses the energy of the sun, plus it can move both in water and on land. In fact, it is a universal machine for studying the marine element and observing its inhabitants.

Xpeng AeroHT is developing a revolutionary dual–mode transport - as it is called, the "ground aircraft carrier" (LAC), which is a six-wheeled van with an integrated two-seat folding electric helicopter. This hybrid land-air transport promises to change the way we think about travel.

The Kalashnikov Concern has patented a system for controlling small arms fire. The smart sight not only detects and recognizes the target, but also opens fire on its own — the fighter only needs to point the machine gun at the point indicated on the display. TASS — about the history of intelligent aiming systems and new developments by Russian gunsmiths.

A curious story happened in France. French sailors from strategic nuclear submarines declassified themselves at the Ile Longue base near Brest, actively using the Strava fitness application.

The North Atlantic Alliance is conducting a series of military exercises

By launching Operation Baltic Sentry in the Baltic Sea, the West expects to radically increase the military presence of the NATO Navy near Russia's northwestern borders. The mission is designed for 90 days, but it may take a long time. Ships, aircraft and drones are involved in the exercises. About the plans of the alliance — in the material of RIA Novosti.

Military expert Dmitry Boltenkov — on China's new universal amphibious assault ships and how they will strengthen the country's Navy

In China, the universal landing ship (UDC) "Sichuan" with a flight deck was launched. Special barges are also being built for the Chinese navy, which make it possible to ensure a massive landing of troops with equipment on an unprepared coast. Let's try to figure out why China is building such ships and where they can be used.