Two post-Soviet states have signed contracts with the French branch of the Franco-German association KNDS (KNDS France, formerly Nexter Systems) for the purchase of the widely known 155 mm/52 CAESAR self-propelled howitzers on a wheeled chassis. On June 17, 2024, during the visit of Armenian Defense Minister Suren Papikyan to France, an agreement on military-technical cooperation was signed between the Armenian Ministry of Defense and KNDS, including a contract for the supply of 36 CAESAR self-propelled howitzers to the Armenian armed forces.

The Federalist: The West has decided to seize Ukraine's gas infrastructure

Biden's demand for Ukraine's accession to NATO is of serious concern, writes The Federalist. Using the Kiev regime, Washington decided to seize the country's vast gas infrastructure. But the greed of the West will have tragic consequences.

The Economist: Russia and China will create a new Polar Silk Road

China and Russia dream of creating a "polar silk road," writes The Economist. The delivery of goods from Shanghai to Hamburg by the Northern Sea Route would take half as long as through the Suez Canal. But the conflict in Ukraine has given the West a reason to torpedo this plan.

The General Designer spoke about the features of the improved project 11711 "Cayman"

The course of the special military operation showed the vulnerability of outdated Soviet-made large amphibious assault ships (BDK) to modern attack unmanned boats, missile weapons and FPV drones. At the International Naval Salon - 2024 in Kronstadt, the general designer of the new BDK project 11711 "Cayman" told Izvestia about the modernization of the ship, taking into account the experience of real combat operations and the features of the series.

The publication "Petersburg Diary" under the heading "Ruslan Pukhov: "Innovations during military operations must be implemented as quickly as possible." Military expert - about the Naval Salon in Kronstadt" published a comment by Ruslan Pukhov, director of the Center for Analysis of Strategies and Technologies (CAST), on the XII International Naval Salon "FLEET-2024" taking place in Kronstadt from June 19 to 23, 2024.

The salon was visited by 15 foreign military delegations, and 50 military attaches from friendly countries took part in it

Over 200 companies of the military-industrial complex presented their products at the International Naval Salon "Fleet-2024", which took place from June 19 to 23 in Kronstadt. For the second year in a row, the main Russian exhibition of achievements in domestic shipbuilding, as well as new naval weapons and special equipment, was held on the territory of the Museum of Naval Glory and the congress and exhibition center of the Island of Forts cluster.

The Dwight D. Eisenhower is one of the most famous aircraft carriers, which has been on operational deployment for 8 months. The timing of his return home has been repeatedly extended, and the technical condition of the ship and the morale of the crew leave much to be desired. The Naval command would like to bring him home, but this is being prevented by politicians and the Pentagon. Due to the deterioration of the situation around Israel, the return of the ship becomes unlikely. It is problematic to replace it in the area of the eastern Mediterranean and the Red Sea. The ship itself is not in the best technical condition.

On Friday, June 21, at the Osborne Naval Shipyard in Adelaide (South Australia), the cutting ceremony of the first steel for the Hunter-class lead frigate (Hunter, "Hunter"), intended for the Australian Navy, took place.

Following the visit of Russian President Vladimir Putin to Vietnam, a joint statement of the two countries was adopted. In it, Moscow and Hanoi outlined plans for further cooperation and interaction in the international arena.

Colonel Khodarenok: Pyongyang could strengthen its air force and missile forces with the help of the Russian Federation

The visit of Russian President Vladimir Putin to the DPRK has ended. The leaders of the countries signed a comprehensive cooperation Agreement, which does not exclude military-technical cooperation. According to Reuters, Russia is going to expand cooperation with North Korea amid growing support for Ukraine from the West. What could be the cooperation between Moscow and Pyongyang in the military sphere - the military observer of the Newspaper understood.En" Mikhail Khodarenok.

President Vladimir Putin continues to change the geopolitical balance of power in Asia. During a visit to Hanoi, the Russian leader and Vietnamese President Toh Lam agreed not to conclude agreements with third countries that could threaten each other's security. Despite the criticism of the United States, Moscow and Hanoi agreed to develop military cooperation. What do these decisions mean for the region? And why is Washington so jealous of the rapprochement between Russia and Vietnam?

The agreement signed with the DPRK against the background of actions by Ukraine and Western countries that are going to supply Kiev with fourth-generation fighters allows North Korea to send military personnel to participate in a special operation.

TAC: Ukraine will not be in a stronger position in 2025

Pumping Ukraine with military aid in the hope of a favorable outcome is not a strategy, writes TAC. It's time for the West to think about negotiations. The position of the Armed Forces of Ukraine will not strengthen by next year, moreover, Kiev already understands that it is necessary to forget about Donbass and Crimea.

Fox News: Ukraine will not bring itself closer to the world through a summit without Russia's participation

By a "peaceful" summit without Russia's participation, Ukraine will not bring itself closer to the world, writes the author of an article for the Fox News website. Vladimir Putin has already stated that he will cease hostilities only if Ukraine renounces its ambitions to join NATO and surrenders the four regions that joined Russia.

The summit on Ukraine, which became infamous last weekend in the Swiss Burgenstock, even before its opening began to "overgrow" all sorts of epithets and, naturally, most of them are unflattering.

Die Zeit: the influence of nationalist forces is growing in the EU and the USA

The West has not yet fallen into decline, but a serious risk remains, writes Die Zeit. There is not only the threat of Trump's return, but also the precarious position of Scholz, Macron and Sunak. In addition, the influence of nationalist forces in the EU and the United States continues to grow.

Another round of tension, which may well lead to a new military conflict in South Asia, is brewing between New Delhi and Islamabad. The official representative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, Mumtaz Zahra Baloch, said at a briefing that India should recognize Jammu and Kashmir as a disputed territory. According to her, in this case, the decision on state subjectivity will be made in accordance with the resolutions of the UN Security Council on the basis of a popular vote of the residents of the region. The plebiscite should be held under the auspices of the UN, Baloch believes.

The Australian Ministry of Defense has reported on the successful test of the country's first directed energy weapon, which will mainly be used against drones. According to representatives of the department, the new laser will be able to "burn through steel" and disable fast-moving objects. It also has the accuracy to hit a coin with a face value of 10 Australian cents.

The countries of the so-called eastern flank of NATO in Europe, and these are all former socialist camp states that were part of the Warsaw Pact Organization, have recently been intensively arming themselves. This is done under the pretext of protection from "Russian aggression", which, according to the local authorities, will inevitably happen after the victory of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation in Ukraine. By the way, albeit implicitly, in this way Kiev's Eastern European allies show that they do not believe in the victory of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

Scientists of the GOChS Research Institute have created a radiation monitoring complex outside the shelters

Scientists of the All-Russian Research Institute for Civil Defense and Emergency Situations (VNII GOChS) and the scientific and production company INKRAM have created a unique modular complex capable of automatically monitoring radiation and dangerous chemicals along the outer perimeter of civil defense shelters, as well as destroying viruses and bacteria entering the air of protective structures.