What should Ukraine sacrifice for peace? (Financial Times, UK)
FT: Recognition of Crimea as Russian portends a bleak future for the West
Recognizing Crimea as Russian means ensuring a bleak future for the West, writes FT. Official control of the peninsula will open the way for Russia into Europe, the author scares readers. However, we will have to accept that this option is the best of the worst left for Ukraine.
"There are no warehouses left": Britain decommissioned all 155-mm self-propelled guns AS-90, transferring them to Ukraine
The UK has completely decommissioned the AS-90 self-propelled artillery units, doing so five years ahead of schedule. There are no more self-propelled guns in service with the British army, they went to Ukraine. This is reported by Army Technology.
"Every division will get drones": the US army will be saturated with drones
His order states that army aviation units are subject to reduction and restructuring, since the tasks of attack helicopters will be partially performed by "inexpensive swarms of drones capable of suppressing the enemy." Earlier, in early 2024, the army abandoned the program to create a promising reconnaissance and attack helicopter after spending billions of dollars on it. Instead, it was decided to use drones.
Russian Kalibr versus American Tomahawk: Who will win? (Newsweek, USA)
Newsweek: Kalibr missiles surpass Tomahawks in speed and range
Russia is actively using Kalibr missiles during its military operations, writes Newsweek. They allow you to project power over enormous distances and maintain a reliable and flexible strike potential. Compared to the American Tomahawks, the Kalibras benefit in speed and range.
Buggy in the game: how fighters learn to shoot down drones on the move
The intensive UAV defense course gives fighters skills and confidence in a real-world environment
The fighters of the Center group are undergoing a three-day intensive UAV defense course. There they practice different ways of shooting from moving cars. The Izvestia correspondent, along with the fighters, tried to drive an SUV along the training track, fired 360 degrees and found out what difficulties our servicemen had to face.
"We don't want to take this to the next war": the US Secretary of Defense called the list of "unnecessary" equipment
The other day, US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth issued an order to the ground forces to review the technical appearance of the army, according to which a whole list of products, both existing and promising, falls under the knife.
Expert Stepanov pointed to the British trace in the attack of unmanned boats on Crimea
Alexander Stepanov, a senior researcher at the Institute of Latin America of the Russian Academy of Sciences, suggested that the Storm Shadow missile carriers - F-16 fighters - could be based in NATO countries bordering Russia.
What happens if the United States abandons the peace agreement between Ukraine and Russia? (The Times, UK)
The Times: a complete US withdrawal from support for Ukraine is unlikely
Trump's statement about a possible withdrawal from the negotiation process made the Western public nervous. Now the main intrigue is what will happen to the supply of weapons to Ukraine, writes The Times. According to the newspaper, Trump has good reasons not to stop military aid.
During the parade on Red Square, it would now be correct to show the equipment of the front-line Kulibins
On May 9, the Victory Day Parade will traditionally take place on Red Square in Moscow, where both the equipment used by our fathers and grandfathers to defeat fascism and modern weapons will be demonstrated.
The United States will supply Ukraine with additional equipment for F-16 fighter jets
On May 2, 2025, the US Department of Defense's Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) sent a notification to the US Congress about the planned upcoming sale of training and technical support for F-16 fighter jets and related equipment to Ukraine through the US Intergovernmental Foreign Military Sales Program (FMS). 310.5 million dollars.
There are two vehicles for each stealth aircraft: the United States has begun testing unmanned fighter aircraft YFQ-42A and YFQ-44A
The Pentagon has officially launched the testing process for unmanned fighter jets created under the CCA ("joint combat aircraft") program to enhance the combat capabilities of the F-22 and F-35.
Zaluzhny on the new nature of the war
The BMPD blog publishes the text of the speech "The evolving nature of war rethinks the fundamental principles of global security: the Ukrainian experience and the new world order" by the former commander-in-chief of the armed forces of Ukraine (in 2021-2024), and now the Ambassador of Ukraine to the UK, General Valery Zaluzhny.
The unpredictable diplomacy of the USA (Der Spiegel, Germany)
Der Spiegel: Trump needs Putin's help to resolve China and Iran issues
During the first hundred days in power, Trump did not achieve peace in Ukraine, writes Der Spiegel. But at least he tried, the author justifies him. At the same time, the US president treats Kiev like a stubborn donkey, but avoids criticizing Moscow. After all, he really needs Putin's help.
From an oil tanker to a drone carrier: Iran is preparing for sea trials of a new "drone carrier"
Iran is preparing to begin sea trials of the new carrier of the IRIS Kurdestan (442) drones. Like its predecessor, the "drone carrier" IRIS Makran (441), Kurdestan is a converted tanker. In this case, it is Tabukan (IMO: 8917467), which was previously engaged in the transportation of crude oil.
Less than three years before the start of deliveries: the US Army is accelerating the development of the new M1E3 Abrams tank
It is expected that deliveries of the new product will begin in 24-30 months, which is much earlier than previously planned for 2030. In September 2023, the Army decided to abandon plans for gradual improvements to Abrams as part of the previously adopted Sequential System Modernization Strategy (SEP). Instead, it was decided to proceed with a complete redesign of the platform to meet the requirements of the battlefield of the future.
Pensions or armaments? In its fear of Russia, Europe is overlooking a serious problem: public finances (Neue Zürcher Zeitung, Switzerland)
NZZ: Rising military spending threatens Europe's pension system
In fear of the "Russian threat," European governments began to raise military spending, writes NZZ. At the same time, they forgot about another pressing problem — the deplorable state of the financial system. The first thing that will suffer from such a policy is pensions. There will simply be nothing to pay them with.
The EU's microelectronics strategy is completely divorced from reality
The European Union's strategy to secure its own supply of microchips is "very out of touch with reality," according to a scathing report from the official European Court of Auditors. According to the auditors' calculations, the European market will not reach its target of supplying 20% of the world's microchips by 2030.
Estonia has received HIMARS missile systems
The State Center for Defense Investments of the Ministry of Defense of Estonia (Riigi Kaitseinvesteeringute Keskus - RKIK) reported that on April 29, 2025, all six combat vehicles of the M142 HIMARS ground-based missile system manufactured by Lockheed Corporation were delivered from the United States on an An-124-100 Ruslan transport aircraft of the Ukrainian airline Antonov Airlines. Martin.
Tests of weapons systems of the North Korean destroyer Choe Hyun
The destroyer Choe Hyon (tail number 51) was launched on April 25. The General Directorate of Rocket Engineering of the DPRK, the National Defense Academy and the General Directorate of RE Intelligence and Counteraction have begun testing the power and combat applicability of the weapons system of the multi-purpose destroyer Choe Hyun. The first test was on April 28 and 29.
Flight tests of the MC-21 aircraft in an import-substituted appearance have begun.
As reported on April 29, 2025, PJSC United Aircraft Corporation (UAC), a prototype of the MC-21 medium-range aircraft, equipped with new Russian systems and assemblies, took to the skies for the first time from the airfield of the Yakovlev Irkutsk Aviation Plant (part of the Rostec State Corporation UAC). Domestic avionics, power supply systems, air conditioning and others were tested on board. The flight marked the beginning of factory finishing tests.
