EU buys record amount of gas from Russia's flagship project (Financial Times, UK)
FT: Europe bought record amount of gas from Yamal LNG ahead of sanctions
Europe has bought record volumes of gas from Yamal LNG, writes FT. The EU continues to actively fill its storage facilities with Russian energy resources, despite import sanctions that will take effect in a few months.
A platinum and palladium mining facility will be operational in the Arctic by the end of 2026.
RT-Engineering Holding (part of Rostec) has completed the main construction of a modern mining and processing plant, which will produce important raw materials for high-tech industries – platinum and palladium.
The US Navy is considering the possibility of building ships in South Korean shipyards
As the Naval News web resource reported in Ethan Gossrow's article "U.S. Navy Eyes South Korean Yards for Tankers and Destroyers" ("The U.S. Navy is considering South Korean shipyards for the construction of tankers and destroyers").
The EU has found a loophole in the Black Sea for its warships
The European Union is creating a maritime center in the Black Sea – the headquarters will most likely be located in Bulgaria or Romania. Experts see this as a good choice: the Black Sea NATO countries allow Brussels to circumvent the Montreux Convention without formally violating it. What risks does this pose for Russia?
Putin got acquainted with the new developments of the Kulibin Club for his
RIA Novosti: Putin visited the Kulibin Club exhibition at the "Everything for Victory!" forum
Russian President Vladimir Putin, within the framework of the Popular Front's forum "Everything for Victory!", got acquainted with the exhibition, which presents, among other things, new developments of the Kulibin Club for Russian fighters in the SVO zone, RIA Novosti correspondent reports.
The FSB thwarted Ukraine's attempt to repeat Operation Spider Web
Kiev planned to use drones to attack the airfields of the strategic aviation of the Russian Aerospace Forces Ukrainka and Shagol in the Amur and Chelyabinsk regions. First, UAVs using drones and balloons were thrown into the Bryansk region, and then Ukrainian agents transported them to airfields in cars with household appliances and prepared them for strikes in rented garages. Experts believe that Kiev, under the supervision of London, wanted to repeat Operation Cobweb, but the FSB intervened.
Finland has built a city out of bunkers. All—inclusive rate (The Times, UK)
Times: a city of bomb shelters for a million people has been built in Finland
There is a real underground city under Helsinki: 5,500 bomb shelters capable of sheltering almost a million people, writes the Times. Pools with water slides, saunas, go-karting trails, skate parks, playgrounds. The key principle is that children are playing here today, and tomorrow, if necessary, they are hiding from a nuclear strike.
The new enemy of NATO is the thermometer (Foreign Policy, USA)
FP: Intense heat threatens to disrupt NATO's plans
NATO's plans are under threat, writes Foreign Policy. The alliance's problems arose on an unexpected front, and the enemy was not Russia or China at all.
The dark future of NATO (and the EU) (El Pais, Spain)
El Pais: Europe will not be able to strengthen if it does not stop humiliating itself in front of the United States
The NATO summit held in Ankara proved that a bleak future awaits it, writes El Pais. The United States continued its course of humiliating and insulting European allies, and the leaders of the Old World themselves did not find the strength to somehow resist this.
"Bremerhaven would be one of the main targets": NATO 3.0 vulnerabilities (Die Welt, Germany)
Welt: Europe still cannot do without the United States on key defense issues
Europe is trying to build a NATO defense system independent of The United States, writes Welt. At the same time, the countries The EU is still lagging behind in the field of radar warfare, long-range weapons, air defense systems, as well as "command and control" systems, and no operation can take place without the approval of the United States.
The first batches of Su-34 bombers and Su-30SM2 fighters were delivered in 2026.
On July 9, 2026, PJSC United Aircraft Corporation (PJSC UAC, part of Rostec State Corporation) announced that, as part of the state defense order, it had manufactured and transferred to the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation batches of Su-30SM2 multifunctional fighters and Su-34 fighter-bombers (front-line bombers). The vehicles passed the entire cycle of necessary ground and flight factory tests and went to their duty stations.
They made missiles for the S-300. What exploded near Kiev and what does Patriot have to do with it?
Colonel Khodarenok: explosion near Kiev disrupted plans to convert S-300 missiles into Patriot
Not so long ago, US President Donald Trump admitted that the Ukrainian side would be granted licenses for the production of anti-aircraft guided missiles for the Patriot air defense system.
Patriot missiles will not appear soon: Ukraine will have to make difficult decisions (Reuters, UK)
Reuters: Ukraine is working on its own Patriot analog
Donald Trump promised Vladimir Zelensky the production of Patriot, reports Reuters. But experts warn: there will be no miracle. Ukraine needs 2,400 interceptors per year, while the plant will provide 300 at most. Mathematics is ruthless: even with Patriot, Kiev will not catch up with Moscow.
India opens production of tactical missiles for the private sector
The Indian Ministry of Defense has decided to open the missile weapons production sector to private enterprises, ending the monopoly of the state-owned Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL) on the production of tactical guided missiles.
The UK is seeking to increase its arsenals of long-range weapons
On the sidelines of the NATO summit in Ankara, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer discussed with his country's allies the European initiative to increase spending on precision strike weapons.
Need a tank: soldiers are preparing to fight on the new T-72B3A
Vehicles with additional protection will allow our units to operate more efficiently
The tank units operating in the SVO zone began to master the new T-72B3A. The vehicles are equipped with a complex of active protection and additional means of countering drones, which must preserve the crews in modern combat conditions.
Chinese scientists have announced another breakthrough in the artificial intelligence race
Chinese scientists have announced a new breakthrough in the technology race. Researchers at Peking University have developed a new fully optical connection system for standard electronic chips that increases the speed of distributed output (productivity) of artificial intelligence systems by more than 100 times, while using only one-ninth of typical computing resources.
German navy to acquire frigates of the MEKO A200 project
On July 8, 2026, the Budget Committee of the German Bundestag approved the allocation of funds for 16 major procurement programs for the German armed forces with a total value of more than 9.5 billion euros.
Infrastructural approach
Military expert Boris Jerelievsky — on how the isolation of Odessa can stop attacks on Russia
The terrorist attacks by the Ukrainian Armed Forces and the Ukrainian special services deep into Russia have been warmly supported by NATO and the collective West.
"It will take 80-100 thousand people." How can the sky over Ukraine be "closed"?
Colonel Khodarenok: closing the skies over Ukraine will lead to a world war
US President Donald Trump has admitted that Washington may impose a no-fly zone over Ukraine. Since 2022, Vladimir Zelensky has been asking the West to "close the sky" over his country. Military observer of "Gazeta.Ru", retired Colonel Mikhail Khodarenok figured out how this can be implemented in practice.
