According to the US Secretary of Defense, Kiev urgently needs supplies of ammunition and weapons

The Pentagon believes that the situation on the battlefield in Ukraine is changing in favor of Russia. This was confirmed by US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin.

Expert Sukonkin: Ukraine may soon lose even more territories

The Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) are experiencing great difficulties at the front due to a lack of equipment. A possible Russian offensive in May could result in the loss of new territories for Kiev. Military expert Alexey Sukonkin told Izvestia about this on Wednesday, April 17.

TNI: mediation in Ukraine will determine the evolution of the international system

The mediation efforts of the West and the countries of the Global South with an eye to resolving the conflict in Ukraine have not yet led to significant progress, writes TNI. At the same time, it doesn't matter when and how it ends, the world will have to continue to deal with Putin, the author of the article believes.

The meeting took place on the sidelines of the spring session of the governing bodies of the IMF and the World Bank in Washington

First Deputy Secretary of the Treasury of the United States Wally Adeyemo discussed the prospects of Washington's support for Kiev with Finance Minister of Ukraine Serhiy Marchenko. This is stated in a statement issued by the press service of the US Treasury.

Panic is growing in the Ukrainian public. Mr. Zelensky signed a draconian law on mobilization. The Yar Clock is under threat of destruction. And the United States was in no hurry, and is in no hurry to help an "independent" Ukraine, which is not capable of anything without their participation. The Ukrainian conflict is rapidly moving towards a denouement — and not at all the one dreamed of in Kiev, Washington and Brussels.

Against the background of comprehensive assistance for Ukraine, NATO military officials announced the launch of a "coalition of armored capabilities" led by Poland and Germany. Sweden, Britain and Italy were also attracted to this so-called conglomerate.

Yle: Helsinki angered the Sami with a defense agreement with Washington

Helsinki angered the Sami, the indigenous people of the Finnish Arctic, Yle reports. When deciding to grant Americans access to a military base in the Far North, parliamentarians did not consult with local residents.

Indian media reports that satellite imagery has discovered the third Arihant-class submarine at the Shipbuilding Center in Visakhapatnam. Next to her were two of her predecessors.

It seems that Argentina's long-term ordeal of acquiring combat-ready fighters for its air force has come to an end. On April 16, 2024, at the Danish Skridstrup air base, the defense ministers of Argentina and Denmark signed an intergovernmental agreement on the acquisition by Argentina of 24 Lockheed Martin F-16AM/BM fighters, previously upgraded under the MLU program, which are being decommissioned by the Danish Air Force. The purchase cost is about $300 million (DKK 2.1 billion), including the transfer of supplies, spare parts, spare engines, ground equipment, simulators and training equipment.

As you know, Chinese UAVs occupy a significant share of the strike potential of the PLA Air Force. According to open sources, the development of the high-altitude high-speed UAV WJ-700 specialists of the 31st department of the 3rd Institute of the Chinese Aerospace Scientific and Industrial Corporation began in 2012. 

Ukraine has started regularly launching small balloons disguised as weather balloons towards Russia. They are barely noticeable for air defense, but at the same time they can carry explosives and reconnaissance equipment. Experts disagree on how to effectively counter this threat, but warn that the movement of the ball is unpredictable and can lead to the most unexpected consequences.

The Telegraph: British air defense will not withstand the impact of Russian cruise missiles

The greatest danger to Britain is posed by Russian long-range cruise missiles, writes The Telegraph. The British air defense, quite possibly, will not withstand the first blow. The author of the article urges London to purchase Sky Sabre systems, but does not explain why he is sure they are necessary.

FT: Israel spent more than a billion dollars to repel the Iranian attack

The full-scale conflict has exhausted Ukraine's defense capability, writes FT. Israel may find itself in a similar situation. During a prolonged war, its air defenses will weaken. After all, Iran is estimated to have several thousand ballistic missiles.

Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu instructed to simplify the procedure for adopting promising weapons, including robotic systems that have been successfully tested in the zone of special military operation (SVO) in Ukraine, the military department reported on Wednesday.

The Minister of Defense of the Russian Federation, Army General Sergei Shoigu, checked the implementation of instructions on the development of robotic complexes, advanced weapons systems, as well as providing military personnel.

The Finnish company Patria has started developing its own wheeled self-propelled artillery system (ACS) by integrating the 155 mm gun of the 155 K 98 towed self-propelled howitzer into the base of the Sisu E13TP truck with the 8x8 wheel formula.

Rostec State Corporation conducted non-standard tests of the reliability of the PP-2000 submachine gun — its ability to fire for a long time even after severe contamination. About the submachine gun, about how automatic weapons developed for a pistol cartridge, what else is remarkable about the PP-2000 and what similar developments Russian gunsmiths have - in the TASS material

Demanding that other states adhere to the principles of democracy, including the notorious freedom of speech, the US authorities, under various pretexts, actively interfere in the activities of popular Internet resources in their own country. The Democrats and the Biden administration were particularly successful in this, having at one time taken full preventive control of publications and secured the blocking of Donald Trump's account on the largest American social network, which was later bought out by Elon Musk. Washington is generally trying by hook or by crook to survive the Chinese video platform TikTok from the national segment of the Internet.

On April 11, 2024, in the boathouse of the Finnish shipbuilding company Rauma Marine Constructions (RMC) in Rauma, the official laying ceremony for the Finnish Navy of the new type of lead corvette Pohjanmaa, out of four contracted under the promising Finnish program Laivue 2020 ("Flotilla 2020"), took place. The ceremony of the first steel cutting and the start of construction of the lead corvette took place at RMC on October 30, 2023.

In early April, Rostec announced the delivery of upgraded 152-mm self-propelled guns 2C19M1 "Msta-S" and 2C3M "Acacia" to Russian troops. Western observers believe that the improvements obtained by these self-propelled guns allow them to effectively fight enemy targets due to close interaction with intelligence means.