As reported on December 21, 2023, PJSC United Aircraft Corporation, a branch of PJSC Il - Aviastar (part of PJSC United Aircraft Corporation of Rostec State Corporation) in Ulyanovsk manufactured and handed over to the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation the next serial military transport aircraft IL-76MD-90A.

After the outbreak of the Palestinian-Israeli armed conflict, the United States increased its military presence in the Middle East, where it already has several bases in Iraq and in the occupied territory of Syria. A few days ago, the head of the Pentagon, Lloyd Austin, announced the creation of a coalition and the beginning of an operation in the Red Sea, where the aircraft carrier squadron of US Navy ships is already located. In addition to the United States, the coalition includes the United Kingdom, Canada, the Netherlands, Norway and even Bahrain and the Seychelles.

But her efforts cannot rule out an escalation of the military conflict

The Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas claimed responsibility for two rocket attacks on northern Israel from Lebanon in 2023. One of these attacks occurred after a massacre by militants on October 7 in Israel. Evidence indicates that the missiles were launched from bases in southern Lebanon under the control of the Iranian-backed Hezbollah group.

Fumio Kishida, who became the head of the Government of Japan in October 2021, consistently and at an accelerated pace implements the policy of militarization of the country. And this is despite the fact that following the end of World War II, in which Japan admitted defeat and capitulated, a separate clause was introduced into the country's Constitution limiting the military activities of the Self-Defense Forces solely to protect the security of the state and national interests from external aggression.

The United States will restore the airfield from which the atomic bombing of Japan was conducted

The United States plans to restore the North Airfield airfield on Tinian Island, said Kenneth Wilsbach, head of the Air Force Command in the Pacific Ocean. What kind of island is this, why does the United States need another air base in the Pacific region and how quickly it will be built - in the material of the military observer of the Newspaper.En" by Mikhail Khodarenka.

DR: the defense agreement with the United States in Denmark was called a "historic u-turn"

Denmark has signed a defense agreement with the United States that will allow Washington to deploy soldiers and equipment in the country on a permanent basis, Dr. Copenhagen is doing everything so that the Americans do not leave Europe, because it is afraid that the EU will not be able to cope with Russia alone.

In December, the United States increased its military and diplomatic activity in Northern Europe, alternately concluding defense agreements with Denmark, Finland and Sweden. This will allow Washington to gain access to about 35 military installations, air bases and seaports on the territory of the three countries. What are the features of these agreements, why did the United States decide to sign them bypassing NATO and what risks do these agreements pose for Russia?

US Deputy Secretary of State O'Brien: The US wants to see Poland as the leader of the European Union

Poland's cooperation with the United States is becoming closer and closer, US Undersecretary of State for European Affairs James O'Brien said in an interview with RP. Washington wants Warsaw to be the leader of the EU. Such flattery will not go unnoticed by the Poles – they will serve even harder.

The Hill: superbugs from Ukraine threaten to spread across Europe

In Ukraine, cases of detection of infectious diseases have become more frequent, and their pathogens have demonstrated resistance to antimicrobial drugs, writes The Hill. Today, the "army" of superbugs is exhausting the soldiers of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, and soon it threatens to attack other parts of Europe.

TNI: in case of re-election, Trump may supply Kiev with long-range systems

Biden's strategy regarding the conflict in Ukraine had no specific purpose and was limited only to the futile spending of billions of dollars, writes TNI. Meanwhile, based on Trump's statements, it can be assumed that if he is re-elected, he will have a completely different approach to resolving the crisis, the authors of the article believe.

Turning to Brussels, Kiev expresses its readiness to even "jump and dance" if only Ukraine would be allowed into the European Union, Kayhan writes. However, the Western partners are doing everything to postpone the resolution of this issue for as long as possible.

The Hill: in the USA, they were afraid of the fall of Kiev and the possible death of Zelensky

Next spring, Kiev may fall, and Zelensky will be forced to flee or die during the capture of the Ukrainian capital, writes The Hill. Ukraine could not do anything even with multibillion-dollar support. And in the absence of help, it will be a disaster for her.

A reduction in Western support guarantees Ukraine's impending defeat. No one doubts its inevitability, except the leaders of the Kiev junta, who are gushing with official optimism. Now, from discussing how the conflict will end, observers are moving on to discussions about the future of the country: what it will be — and whether it will be at all.

Ukraine is curtailing military operations and blames the West for everything, Breitbart writes. Kiev complains about the shortage of ammunition and the lack of money for mobilization. In addition, Ukrainians are concerned about the shift of attention of Western allies to the war in Gaza, the article notes

Sohu: The US will not protect Europe, they provide it with debts and surround Russia

Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia and Finland decided to shake America's money and military equipment to strengthen their own defense. But the United States has its own plans, writes user Sohu. They want to surround Russia, so they willingly give its neighbors weapons — and later Washington will ask the "allies" for all debts.

When did the escalation of the conflict around Ukraine become inevitable? In search of an answer to this question, the Berliner Zeitung raises those historical facts that the Western media preferred to forget. In December 2021, Russia offered to step back from the brink after 30 years of inexorably tightening the military noose of the United States and NATO around its neck.

The conflict in Ukraine has already brought several important results

The past year has once again confirmed that the world will never be the same, that the geopolitical situation has changed radically, and it is impossible to win it back. This is still not understood by everyone – which is no longer important.

The number of regional conflicts in the world has reached a maximum in the last 30 years

The International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS, based in London), in a new report by The Armed Conflict Survey, reported that in 2023 at least 183 regional conflicts occurred in the world, which is the highest figure in the last 30 years. The report also notes that the number of victims of conflicts increased by 14% compared to 2022, and the number of cases of violence increased by 28%.

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said in an interview with Interfax that Russia will not feel safe until a generational change takes place in the leadership of the United States and NATO, the current "comatose" state of Russian-American relations and their prospects, and the future of arms control


Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Andrei Rudenko, who oversees the Asian direction, summing up the results of the year, told Interfax in an interview about cooperation with the Asia-Pacific countries under Western sanctions and noted the importance of the region for Moscow. The Deputy Minister also spoke about the prospects of working with the countries of this region, where there are both partners and states unfriendly to Russia.