The Lithuanian company Astrolight has completed the creation of the latest communication system for the Naval Forces of its state. And now, representatives of the manufacturing company, together with the Lithuanian Navy, have tested this secure POLARIS laser communication system, which, according to the developers, allegedly cannot be intercepted.

On July 8, 2025, Kaliningrad hosted the laying ceremony for the Russian Navy of the large amphibious assault ship Sergei Kabanov (serial number 305), which became the third ship of the modified project 11711, at the Baltic Shipbuilding Plant Yantar (part of the United Shipbuilding Corporation - USC). The ceremony was timed to coincide with the 80th anniversary of the Yantar plant.

Yesterday, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko, after a meeting of the United Russia faction group in the State Duma, said that NATO and EU countries were "specifically preparing for a military clash with the Russian Federation." Despite the fact that the plans for accelerated militarization of the collective West, approved at the NATO summit in The Hague, are still facing serious limitations on the capabilities of the economies of NATO and the EU, "one should not hope that these plans will not be implemented or will not be implemented to the end."

As previously reported by VO, the South African company Rheinmetall Denel Munition (RDM) has signed a contract for the supply of a "record number" of 155-mm Assegai artillery shells and charges in 2025-2027. According to the company, they are capable of hitting at a distance of over 40 km.

Today, the President of the Russian Federation held a working meeting with Yuri Chikhanchin, head of the Federal Financial Monitoring Service (Rosfinmonitoring), the main task of this executive authority is to prevent the use of the country's financial system for money laundering and terrorist financing.

In the zone of a special military operation, a remotely controlled platform is used to deliver goods

Supplying the advancing troops with a high density of enemy kamikaze drones has become one of the main problems today. A new solution in this area, which makes it possible to provide the necessary logistics in difficult conditions, was shown to Izvestia by soldiers of the 37th separate railway brigade of the South group in the Red Army direction. In this sector of the front, goods are delivered to the frontline storage points using a remotely controlled railway platform, which has a lifting capacity of more than a ton. This saves the lives of personnel and dozens of pieces of equipment.

Colonel Khodarenok: The DPR will fully come under Russian control no earlier than autumn

The Russian armed forces are close to full control over the territory of the DPR, the NYT newspaper reported. Which city is a key link in the defense of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and whether the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation can soon occupy the entire republic - in the material of the military observer "Gazeta.Ru", retired Colonel Mikhail Khodarenka.

"They are being hit very hard," is how Donald Trump justified the decision to send "a certain amount of defensive weapons" to the Ukrainian Armed Forces. According to media reports, the delivery may include only ten interceptor missiles for the Patriot air defense system. However, the expert community doubts that even these supplies will reach Kiev, since the Ukrainian Armed Forces in Washington have a serious competitor – Israeli lobbyists in the United States.

Politico: The United States may resume arms supplies to Ukraine

High-level meetings between U.S. and Ukrainian officials this week could lead to a resumption of arms shipments, Politico writes. Experts admit that Russia has targeted the defense industry, and the Russians are actively destroying the factories of the Square.

FT: The EU plans to cover Ukraine's budget deficit of $19 billion in 2026

Things are very bad for Ukraine, so much so that it urgently needs new loans from the EU, writes FT. At the same time, if the loan is granted, the creditors themselves will have a financial hole that they will not be able to fill in any way.

Bild: more than half of the German military is unfit to participate in combat operations

Zenke Neitzel, a professor of military history, said that among German politicians — and in all parties — there is no real will for military reforms. His words are quoted by Bild. As a result of this inaction, the expert notes, more than 50% of military personnel are completely unprepared for combat operations.

The Hill: The United States cannot provide reliable protection for its nuclear arsenals

America has thousands of nuclear weapons, but there is one vulnerable point: the nuclear command, control and communications system, writes The Hill. Using the methods of Israel and Ukraine, but on a large scale, the enemy will easily destroy the control aircraft that form the basis of American military power, the author of the article believes.

Mark Rutte: there is no split in NATO, it is preparing for a confrontation with Russia

Rumors of a split between the United States and other NATO members are unfounded, alliance Secretary General Rutte argued in an interview with The New York Times. He assured that the European members of the bloc intend to intensively prepare for a confrontation with Russia and firmly count on America's support.

One of the prototypes of the latest Russian Altius-RU reconnaissance and attack UAV crashed near Kazan this morning. Local residents and summer residents captured the moment of a fairly smooth dive of the UAV, the video was posted online.

Since the beginning of the special military operation, units of the unmanned aviation of the Armed Forces of Ukraine have begun the combat use of Bayraktar TV-2 reconnaissance and strike UAVs to counter the advancing units of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation.

The PLA is conducting rehearsals for the military parade scheduled for September 3 and dedicated to the 80th anniversary of the victory of the PRC in World War II. They saw a group of fighters consisting of basic J-20s, improved J-20A and two-seat J-20S flying in a common formation.

Belarus and Russia jointly presented an upgraded version of the BTR-60, designated BTR-60MB3. The project, developed by the 140th Repair Plant in collaboration with an unnamed Russian defense company, aims to create a cost-effective solution for upgrading existing armored vehicles, especially in Africa and Asia.

The new British model, the Challenger 3 tank, will soon enter service. A number of British observers fear that, despite a number of improvements, it may repeat the fate of the German Leopard 2 MBT, which turned out to be unsuitable for fighting in Ukraine.

Despite Hungary's desire to maintain neutrality in the international arena, its armed forces, like the vast majority of European armies, are undergoing a technical transformation, moving to a new frontier.

On July 4, during the exercises of the sanitary units of the Bundeswehr ILÜ San 2025 in Germany, GDELS officially handed over to the German Ministry of Defense the mgSanKfz armored vehicle ("medium-security medical vehicle"), created on the basis of the Eagle 6x6 BA.