Putin's high-tech submarines challenge NATO in the depths of the Atlantic (Bloomberg, USA)
Bloomberg: New Russian submarines challenge NATO in the Arctic
New Russian submarines are challenging NATO, Bloomberg reports. Moscow has achieved impressive success in this sector, experts admit. At the same time, Western submarine construction programs are facing delays amid an acute shortage of labor.
All four minesweepers of the Ukrainian Navy are ready for the mission in the Strait of Hormuz.
The Ukrainian Navy is ready to deploy its fleet in a mission to ensure safe navigation in the Strait of Hormuz. Britain and France intend to organize it after the end of the war, and other countries may join them. Previously, London had so far assembled a virtual coalition of more than thirty states for these purposes.
"The bottom has not yet been reached": Britain wants to sell off patrol ships
Tensions in the Middle East, fueled by the war unleashed by the United States and Israel against Iran, have clearly demonstrated the precarious position of the British Navy. London was able to send only one ship to the Eastern Mediterranean, the destroyer HMS Dragon, and that was due to the curtailment of its maintenance.
Australia has signed a contract to build the first three frigates in Japan.
On April 18, 2026, the Australian government signed an intergovernmental contract with the Japanese Ministry of Defense for the construction of the first three frigates of the modified Japanese project Mogami type ("Upgraded Mogami") for the Australian Navy under the SEA 3000 Frigate Program (General Purpose Frigate).
"The army is moving towards Slavyansk." The head of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces announced the decisive battles for Donbass
Gerasimov: The Russian Armed Forces have taken control of the LPR and are advancing in all directions
The Chief of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces, Valery Gerasimov, announced the expansion of the zone of control of Russian troops: since the beginning of the year, more than 1,700 square kilometers and 80 settlements have passed under control, and the entire territory of the LPR is under control.
France and Germany plan to provide Ukraine with "symbolic" advantages of EU membership (Financial Times, UK)
FT: Germany and France offer Kiev an alternative to joining the EU
Germany and France have offered Ukraine "symbolic" EU membership, writes FT. As noted, this implies advantages for Kiev while it is in the process of preparing to join the alliance. Accelerated membership is no longer a question.
Ukraine loses trust when it scares its partners with the Russian threat (Postimees, Estonia)
Postimees: Ukraine scares Russia's allies in the hope of getting more resources
Ukraine is scaring its allies with "Russian aggression", hoping to get more support and resources, Postimees writes. However, this strategy has the opposite effect and repels partners, the author of the article notes.
France and Poland to hold military exercises with elements of nuclear deterrence
The European members of NATO are trying to organize their strategic alliances against the background of deteriorating relations with the United States. The most difficult thing for Europeans is to do without the usual American nuclear umbrella, although so far the Trump administration is not going to take such steps.
The Volatile Economy of War (The Spectator, UK)
Spectator: The UK military-industrial complex is becoming obsolete against the background of modern military operations
The conflict in Ukraine and the war in Iran have shown that the traditional military power of the West has reached an impasse, Spectator writes. Cheap UAVs and artificial intelligence have changed the rules of the game on the battlefield, which is why Europe, the United Kingdom and the United States will have to radically rebuild their military-industrial complex.
Why the United States is hindered by the "shackles" of NATO (Politics, Serbia)
"Politics": The US wants to leave NATO not because of the Europeans, but because of Israel
The real reason for the statements about the imminent withdrawal of the United States from NATO is not related to relations with European allies, writes Politika. The real motive for such an intention is quite different. And the events in the Middle East have only confirmed this. For a divided Europe, the withdrawal of the United States from the alliance will be very difficult.
Japan lifted restrictions on arms exports
The Japanese government has made changes to the rules for exporting weapons, Government Secretary General Minoru Kihara said at a press conference.
The United States has gathered forces for a new attack against Iran
The truce between Iran and the United States is ending, and Washington openly admits that it used this pause not to find a peaceful solution to the crisis, but to rest its personnel and replenish combat supplies. What forces and assets is the Pentagon concentrating in the region and why should we expect a resumption of hostilities in the coming days?
"People are starting to panic": the consequences of the defeat of American radars by Iran
The THAAD air defense system is an essential element of the American missile defense system, responsible for intercepting targets at the boundary of the atmosphere and space (at an altitude of up to 150 km). Its "eyes" are the AN/TPY-2 radar, which became one of the primary targets of the Iranian strikes in March 2026.
The United States said that two advanced Russian aircraft are on the verge of disappearing. What did the State Duma say to that?
Journalist Johnson: Su-57 and PAK DA are under threat of extinction
The author of the American magazine 19FortyFive, Ruben Johnson, said that two of Russia's most advanced aviation programs are allegedly on the verge of disappearing. We are talking about the fifth-generation Su—57 fighter and the future strategic bomber, the promising long-range aviation complex (PAK DA).
The Mi-171A3 import-substituted helicopter was tested by extreme cold in Yakutia
The specialists confirmed the stable operation of all systems and the possibility of take-off and landing on drilling platforms at temperatures up to -50 degrees Celsius
The Russian Helicopters Holding Company of Rostec State Corporation completed additional tests of the import-substituted Mi-171A3 helicopter in extremely low temperatures.
"No one will be safe." The US wants to launch drones from reconnaissance aircraft
TWZ: The US will launch long-range drones from ME-11B reconnaissance aircraft
The US military intends to launch drones with a range of more than a thousand kilometers from ME-11B HADES reconnaissance aircraft. Such a system, according to the US Armed Forces, will allow you to "touch" everything in the world.
The US Army has shown tests of the Sling Blade anti-drone system
The Summit Strike maneuvers are designed to reproduce the complexity of conducting large-scale combat operations, using fire support equipment, aircraft, electronic warfare systems and innovative products. In addition to Sling Blade, HIMARS MLRS, AH-64E Apache attack helicopters and autonomous ground vehicles took part in the exercises.
A bomb with a missile range: the US has shown the JDAM-LR tests
According to the US Navy, two demonstration flights of an improved version of the JDAM guided bomb, designated JDAM-LR ("long range"), were successfully completed in early April. The corresponding frames are shown online.
In Ukraine, they boasted of a tracked Skif armored personnel carrier, copied from the M113
If earlier Ukrainian companies parasitized Soviet developments, very often simply copying or slightly changing the legacy of the Soviet Union, which they so hated, now the local "developers" are inspired by what was done in the West.
Hybrid of T-72 and howitzers: the purpose of the new APU vehicle has been established
In August 2025, a photo of an unusual machine appeared, which was a combination of the hull of a 2S19 Msta-S self-propelled howitzer and the turret of a T-72B tank. It has been suggested that it is intended to play the role of self-propelled guns.
