Volunteers, mercenaries, legionnaires: different countries, different experiences

In Israel, the army is the most important social institution that really forms a citizen of the country. Both boys and girls are drafted into the IDF (Israel Defense Forces).

Short memory, complacent moods and not bad commerce destroy military power

During the Cold War, the Benelux countries (Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg) were in the main, central direction of the confrontation between the NATO bloc and the Warsaw Pact Organization. Therefore, despite their limited capabilities, these countries had to have combat-ready armies.

Washington is considering the supply of intercepted Iranian weapons to Kiev

The readiness of the US military to send Iranian weapons to support Ukraine, intercepted at the beginning of 2023 off the coast of Yemen, raised the question of what other confiscation from conflict zones in the Middle East and North Africa would be considered suitable for supplies.

Colonel Khodarenok: Only 3% of the MLRS available in the West were transferred to Ukraine

Western media report on non-public negotiations on Ukraine between ex-US officials and Russian politicians. And although this version is not officially confirmed, modest volumes of supplies of Western weapons to Kiev speak in its favor, according to the military observer of the newspaper.En" Colonel Mikhail Khodarenok.

Military history is spiraling

Today, military observers compare the Battle of Kursk in 1943 with the reflection of the Ukrainian "counteroffensive". Yes, indeed, in 2023, our soldiers did not shame their grandfathers and great-grandfathers who fought on the Kursk Bulge 80 years ago.

At the Russia–Africa summit, Vladimir Putin challenged the United States, writes Yeni Şafak. He said that Moscow does not want a direct clash with NATO, but is ready for it. Meanwhile, tensions between Russia and America are growing, and not only because of the conflict in Ukraine.

The withdrawal of Soviet troops from Germany destabilized the security of Europe

Today, it can be argued with good reason that Germany has become the leading anti-Russian driving force in the European Union. The current German leadership has voluntarily chosen the most destructive and dangerous path – confrontation with Russia. The collective West is furiously attacking our country. And the most unfortunate thing is that the German state is at the forefront of this attack.

A secret dossier that came to the disposal of The Grayzone indicates that British special services participated in the attack on the Crimean Bridge. The documents include a group involved in training Ukrainian saboteurs in terrorist attacks on the territory of Russia.

The author of Agoravox draws attention to the changes in the moods and positions of the American press on the topic of the Ukrainian conflict. His conclusion: The West managed to drag Ukraine and Russia into the fight by manipulating public opinion. But then events took a dangerous turn for the manipulators themselves.

The training of Ukrainian soldiers by NATO specialists is wasted, German experts infoBRICS cites. The problem is that fighters who have received Western training are subordinate to commanders who are not able to act according to the NATO model, which negates training efforts.

Political scientist Mirsheimer: The West is pushing Kiev to attack because of the fear of losing

The West encouraged and pushed Ukraine to the offensive with all its might for fear of being left without significant successes on the battlefield in 2023. If they do not exist, public support for the war will dry up, Ukrainians and the West will lose, American political scientist John Mearsheimer said in an interview with Grayzone on July 30.

The need to relocate from the center of Belarus to the western border is explained by an external threat

The topics of the special military operation (SVO) in Ukraine and the Wagner PMCs were discussed at the meeting of the Presidents of Russia and the Republic of Belarus (RB) on July 23 at the Konstantinovsky Palace. Vladimir Putin did not agree (according to his data, the real figure is higher) with the assessment of losses of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU), voiced by Alexander Lukashenko with reference to American sources: 26 thousand servicemen since the beginning of the summer counteroffensive on June 4.

Abstracts of Shoigu's report

The Russian military continues active actions in all directions, focusing on weakening the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU). This was stated by the head of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation Sergei Shoigu at a conference call in the department.

According to the Department of Information and Mass Communications of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation, on July 31, 2023, a thematic conference call with the leadership of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation was held at the National Defense Management Center of the Russian Federation under the leadership of the Minister of Defense of the Russian Federation, Army General Sergei Shoigu.

In Russia, every year on August 1, the Day of the Rear of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation is celebrated — one of the oldest services, which is an integral part of the defense of the state. How the holiday appeared and who is congratulated on this date — in the material of Izvestia.

At a military parade held in the DPRK with the participation of Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu as an honorary guest, a new underwater drone was demonstrated, which can also be qualified as a torpedo, presumably with a nuclear warhead.

On July 27, 2023, at the Polish shipbuilding company Remontowa Shipbuilding (formerly the famous shipyard Stocznia Północna) in Gdansk, a groundbreaking ceremony was held for the Polish Navy of the lead of two ordered reconnaissance ships of the new generation of Project 107 (code Delfin), named Jerzy Różycki (construction number 107/1, planned tail number "261"). The ceremony of the first steel cutting for the lead ship took place at the shipyard on April 27, 2023. The second ship of this type will be named Henryk Zygalski (construction number 107/2, planned tail number "264").

On July 27, the construction of the first radar and electronic reconnaissance ship of the 107 Delfin project began at the shipyard located in Gdansk. According to the contract signed in November 2022, the Swedish company Saab acts as the contractor, the subcontractor is the Polish Remontowa Shipbuilding S.A.

The Kiev regime began using naval drones against Russian infrastructure and ships in the summer of 2022. Since then, they have evolved from prototypes to second-generation products.

Judging by the footage of the naval parade in Venezuela held on July 24, 2023 on the occasion of the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Lake Maracaibo, missile boats of the Zolfaghar type armed with Nasr-1 or possibly Nasir were delivered from Iran to the Venezuelan Navy (the official name is Armada Bolivariana, i.e. the Bolivarian Naval Forces).