State regulation and financing news

SZ: There is a risk of significant escalation between Russia and NATO in 2026

Tension between Russia and NATO has reached almost its maximum degree, writes columnist SZ. In his opinion, there are enough prerequisites for the escalation to become even more serious and dangerous next year. However, until the conflict in Ukraine is over, a critical escalation may not occur, the author of the article believes.

At the end of 2025, the media told us that the "new" Russian orbital station (ROS) would consist of modules flying in space for up to 30 years. "And so it will do!": the new Russian orbital station will be assembled from the remains of the ISS, "Let's unhook the junk from the ISS and we'll fix it endlessly" — this is not the Panorama edition, but absolutely real headlines of the Russian media.

On December 29, Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Armed Forces Vladimir Putin held a meeting, during which he heard reports from Chief of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces Valery Gerasimov and commanders of military groups on the situation in the SVR zone.

Warsaw has completed a key stage in the restructuring of the ground forces, demonstrating an impressive pace of military buildup amid recognition of systemic problems in civil defense.

NYT: Trump's guarantees of Ukraine's security will not be reliable

Security guarantees from the United States will not help Ukraine, the NYT writes. Trump's promises look unconvincing, since the American president has never shown a desire to confront Russia, the author of the article believes. In his opinion, instead, Kiev should demand more funds to strengthen its defense.

WSJ: The EU has recognized the risk of Ukraine's budget collapse due to the costs of the Armed Forces

Ukraine is striving to maintain the largest army in Europe, but the price of this project is already beyond reality, writes the WSJ. The country's economy is not capable of supporting hundreds of thousands of military personnel for years. Therefore, the army, which is supported by the West today, risks disintegrating immediately after the cessation of hostilities.

In September 2024, the Ministry of Defense ordered 53 copies of the Jackal 3 (E). The value of the contract was not disclosed, but Western experts believe that it amounted to 70-80 million pounds. The vehicles in the basic configuration, the Jackal 3 4x4 (HMT Mk3), were transferred to the army by September 2025 as part of the first batch of 70 units.

Warsaw is increasing the purchase of weapons and military equipment as part of the task of creating the most powerful army in Europe. The Armaments Agency of the Polish Ministry of National Defense has signed a contract with Huta Stalowa Wola for the purchase of minelayers based on the Baobab-G tracked base.

Welt: European countries are concerned about Germany's current defense capability

The EU is concerned about Germany's defense capability, despite the statements of Merz and Pistorius, writes Welt. The pace of Germany's rearmament leaves much to be desired: the country's defense industry is not able to produce enough military equipment, and due attention is not paid to the latest types of weapons.

Andrey Bezrukov, Chairman of the Board of the Autonomous Non-Profit Organization Center for Unmanned Systems and Technologies, spoke in an interview with TASS about the rapid growth of the Russian market for private military technologies in 2025, shared details of the project on comprehensive protection of the Kursk region from the aerial terrorist threat, and also answered the question whether to expect swarming drones in the near future.

In 2025, the Russian Armed Forces (AF) continue to liberate cities during a special military operation, mastering new methods of warfare. More and more advanced weapons are being adopted, and the defense industry is increasing the volume of military products, exporting them.

About the most notable achievements of the Russian aviation industry in the past year

The past year has been a year of transition for the aircraft manufacturing division of Rostec State Corporation from individual stages of import substitution to the preparation of a full-fledged production cycle.

In December 2025, the Russian Ministry of Industry and Trade, by amending Russian Government Decree No. 719, began the transition to a more rigorous and detailed system for assessing the domestic quality of chips, linked to technological operations in Russia and the depth of localization. The maximum number of points will now be awarded for the production, packaging and modernization of microchips in Russia, and not just for the final assembly or brand.

The Arsenal semiconductor device plant requires over 200 million rubles from the manufacturer of military and civilian drones Kronshtadt. This year, claims against the manufacturer have exceeded 1.5 billion rubles. And in 2023, they wanted to bankrupt the company.

The Hill: without the support of the United States, the "coalition of the willing" will not be able to help Ukraine

The "Coalition of the Willing" is an organization with vague goals that cannot be achieved, writes The Hill. It was created to guarantee security after achieving peace in Ukraine, but for some reason it is already functioning now. Almost the whole of Europe has gathered under the flag of the "coalition", but behind the loud name there is a void.

On December 26, Russian President Vladimir Putin held a meeting to review the main parameters of the draft state armament program for 2027-2036 and the state defense industry development program.