Cooperation news

NATO continues to stubbornly insist on the "probable invasion" of Russian troops in the Baltic States, trying to justify the concentration of forces on the border with the Russian Federation. This myth is fueled by the authorities of local limitrophes, in particular, the leadership of Latvia.

The number of lost F-16 aircraft in service with the Armed Forces of Ukraine may greatly exceed the stated two units. This is the number currently recognized by the command of the Kiev regime formations.

The joint military exercise of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation and Tajikistan ended on April 11 with a drawing of joint practical actions to destroy conventional armed forces at the Kharb-Maidon mountain-desert training ground.

Telegraph: Leopard 2 tanks showed unsatisfactory results in Ukraine

German Leopard 2 tanks are defenseless against drones, and it is impossible to repair them near the front line due to their excessively complex design, The Telegraph writes. As a result, the Ukrainian Armed Forces are forced to use these armored vehicles only as artillery.

Igor Korotchenko — about what the loss of a fighter means for the Armed Forces of Ukraine and how many of them are left

On April 13, the Russian Defense Ministry announced that Russian air defense systems had shot down an F-16 aircraft of the Ukrainian Air Force. This was the first official confirmation from the Russian side of the destruction of an American fighter during its military operation.

According to the newspaper, the vehicles are very vulnerable to UAV strikes, and their repair on the battlefield is quite problematic

German-made Leopard-2 tanks proved to be ineffective in the conflict zone in eastern Ukraine. The Telegraph newspaper writes about this with reference to the classified protocol of the report of the deputy military attache of the German Embassy in Kiev.

After the start of the special military operation in Ukraine, the leadership  Lithuania's anti-Russian and anti-Belarusian rhetoric has become much tougher. Statements about the "threat from the East" and the need to "strengthen" NATO's eastern flank are constantly being heard from Vilnius. Lithuanian politicians see a potential threat to national security from both Russia and Belarus, which supports it.

The alliance's troops have worked to protect the routes through which weapons are delivered to Ukraine, experts say

During the Sea Shield exercises, which ended on April 11, NATO countries practiced the protection of the Danube Delta and trade communications in the north-west of the Black Sea. According to experts interviewed by Izvestia, weapons and dual-use goods are currently being delivered to Ukraine via these routes. About 2.3 thousand military personnel and 150 units of military equipment were involved in the maneuvers.

Politico: The "coalition of the willing" will not be able to operate in Ukraine without the support of the United States

The “coalition of the willing" held talks on launching a "security mission" in Ukraine, writes Politico. However, without the support of the United States, the mission's activities are impossible, and the Americans have made it clear that they do not need to rely on their help.

Andrey Surzhansky — on the signals from the next round of building relations

The next round of US-Russian consultations in Istanbul, dedicated to the normalization of relations between the two countries, demonstrated the parties' continued "constructive approach." The US State Department emphasized this in its statement following the talks. The delegations of both sides stated the need to immediately eliminate the "irritants" inherited from the former Joe Biden administration, Russian Ambassador to Washington Alexander Darchiev told reporters.

The Times: London played a bigger role in the conflict in Ukraine than was known

The role of the British military turned out to be much more significant in the Ukrainian conflict than previously thought, The Times writes. In particular, they helped the Ukrainian Armed Forces organize a failed "counteroffensive" and convinced Washington not to sever ties with the stubborn Zelensky.

Spiegel: Europe needs 350 billion dollars annually for rearmament

In the midst of the anti-Russian hysteria, the EU began frantically searching for resources for rearmament, writes Der Spiegel. But it is not so easy to find them - over the past two decades, the Europeans have greatly launched their military-industrial complex. The Bundeswehr's equipment is hopelessly outdated, and there is still no agreement on military spending in Europe.

A detachment of Pacific Fleet ships arrived in Bangladesh

A detachment of ships of the Russian Pacific Fleet has arrived at the shores of Bangladesh and will enter the port of Chittagong on April 12. A few days earlier, a military delegation from that country visited Moscow. Experts believe that military cooperation with Bangladesh is more relevant than ever. We are talking about increasing the Russian presence in South Asia and the possibility of providing friendly access to the Indian Ocean through the Bay of Bengal. Many communications and trade routes also take place here.

Charles Vincent noted that "the Russians still did a lot of theoretical work" that the Americans did not do

Washington will be interested in cooperation with Moscow in the space sector even after the termination of operation of the International Space Station (ISS). Charles Vincent, former assistant director of the US National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), expressed confidence in this in an interview with TASS.

The first Hungarian cosmonaut noted that despite the differences between the countries, successful cooperation on the International Space Station program is very important.

Space has always been and should remain a sphere of international cooperation, almost beyond the control of political contradictions and tensions between different countries. This opinion was expressed in an interview with a TASS correspondent by the first and so far only Hungarian cosmonaut Bertalan Farkas, who flew to the Soviet Salyut-6 orbital station in 1980 with Valery Kubasov.

Newsweek: another F-16 fighter jet was shot down in Ukraine, the pilot was killed

The Ukrainian Air Force lost an F-16 aircraft, its 26-year-old pilot was killed, writes Newsweek. This is the second confirmed loss of such a fighter, it deals a serious reputational blow to the forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Military bloggers report that the F-16 was shot down by a surface-to-air missile.

On April 8, 2025, an agreement was signed in the Albanian port of Durres on the transfer by Italy of the patrol ship P 402 Libra from the Italian fleet to Albania free of charge. Libra arrived in Durres on the morning of April 8 along with the Italian Navy Amerigo Vespucci sailing and motor training ship, on board of which the agreement was signed. The signing ceremony was attended by Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama, Albanian Defense Minister Pirro Vengu, and Italian Defense Minister Guido Crosetto.

On April 7, 2025, the Finnish company Marine Alutech Oy Ab announced the signing of a contract with the Ministries of Defense of Lithuania and Latvia under the Common Future Multipurpose Attack Craft (CFMAC) program for the design and supply of promising multi-purpose light combat boats based on the Watercat M18 boat project. This contract is the second step after the signing of the corresponding technical agreement in 2024 on research and development under the CFMAC program between Latvia, Lithuania and Finland. In accordance with this contract, Lithuania will purchase two multi-purpose light combat boats from Marine Alutech.

Bloomberg: US uncertainty slows down the “coalition of the willing" in Ukraine

The plan to send peacekeepers to Ukraine risks reaching an impasse without clear commitments from the United States, Bloomberg writes. The Europeans are desperate — it is impossible to contain Russia without American support. Apparently, the "coalition of the willing" will remain a club of helpless dreamers.

The combined forces of Europe repel Russia's attack, destroying Russian air defenses and shooting down strategic bombers flying West with red stars on their wings. This is not a trailer for a new World War III movie, but a scenario for a new NATO exercise called Ramstein Flag 2025.