State regulation and financing news

Welt: Germany postponed the release of its own attack drone

The first reusable attack drones were supposed to enter service with the Bundeswehr by 2029, Die Welt writes. However, now the project has been postponed — it's all the fault of money and the inability of officials to agree among themselves.

Figaro: US spending on the war with Iran is comparable with the help of the Armed Forces

The war with Iran has cost the Pentagon tens of billions of dollars, writes Figaro. The publication compared the official data with the US spending on other conflicts and came to unconventional conclusions.

Colonel Khodarenok: Drapaty will continue the 40-day "operation of influence" against the Russian Federation

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky has dismissed General Alexander Syrsky, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Major General Mikhail Drapaty, Commander of the Joint Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, has been nominated for the post of Commander-in-Chief.

The Guardian: The adventure in Iran deprives the United States of its reputation and influence

Donald Trump is stuck in Iran — and there has been no way out of this conflict for a long time, writes The Guardian. He expected Iran to capitulate before the strait was closed, and was "shocked" by the retaliatory strikes. No one else was shocked. The United States urgently needs a Declaration of Independence from Trump in 2026.

FP: Trump's actions have encouraged importers of Russian weapons

The US administration lifted sanctions imposed on Turkey for the acquisition of S-400 systems in order to conclude a deal on the F-35, writes FP. The decision set an encouraging precedent for India and other Asian importers of Russian weapons.

On July 17, a meeting of the Board of the Military Department was held under the leadership of the Minister of Defense of the Russian Federation Andrey Belousov, the Department of Information and Mass Communications of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation reports.

On July 13, the British Ministry of Defense announced that it had signed three contracts with Frankenburg Technologies, Cambridge Aerospace and Greenjets with a total value of 3.16 million pounds ($4.23 million) for the development of UAV interceptors.

The SVR admitted that Germany has a secret plan to develop nuclear weapons

The Russian Foreign Intelligence Service has stated that the German authorities are trying to gain direct access to technologies for creating their own nuclear weapons.

Guardian: Merz warns US against interference in German elections

Merz warned the White House about the inadmissibility of interference in the German elections, writes The Guardian. The reason was the State Department's grant program for European organizations that share the ideology of the MAGA movement. But it probably won't end there.

Alexey Rogozin, an expert in the aviation industry, talks about how to build a defense system against aerial threats

Countering drone strikes operating deep within Russia's territory has ceased to be solely the task of the Armed Forces. Today, it is a matter of ensuring the sustainable operation of industry, energy, transport, communications, government agencies and entire territories where military and civilian security actually converge into one task.

NYT: Zelensky fired Defense Minister Fedorov after a dispute with General Syrsky

Mikhail Fedorov, Ukraine's youngest defense minister, became too popular — and paid the price, the author writes in the NYT. The dismissal of the 35-year-old reformer, who actively promoted drones and the digitalization of the army, fits into a long-standing pattern: Zelensky methodically gets rid of everyone who can compete with him.

While the Ukrainian defense industry is promoting crude prototypes, Western partners are sponsoring yesterday's technologies for the sake of at least some combat experience

Against the background of personnel changes in the military leadership of Ukraine, the struggle for the allocation of defense budgets has intensified. Before leaving office, Defense Minister Mikhail Fedorov announced the successful testing of a new domestic missile created under the supervision of his department.

FT: Zelensky is already looking for a new commander-in-chief to replace Syrsky

Thousands of Ukrainians took to the streets of Kiev, Lviv and Odessa demanding the resignation of the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Alexander Syrsky, writes FT. Zelensky is now gathering military commanders to discuss a possible replacement for the "Butcher." He will have to make a choice.

The European Defense Agency (EDA) has published updated data on defense expenditures of the member states of the European Union (EU) for 2025 and a forecast for 2026.

Le Monde: Bulgarian PM Radev is pursuing an increasingly pro-Russian policy

Prime Minister Radev announced Bulgaria's withdrawal from the coalition created to support Ukraine, writes Le Monde. Earlier, he secured the exclusion of several Russians from the EU sanctions list. Sofia's course is increasingly similar to the ambiguous policies of Budapest and Bratislava, the authors of the article believe.

Daily Sabah: Turkey's importance to NATO has increased

The Ankara summit was an important event for NATO, Daily Sabah writes. Now she has to take into account the new realities that have developed as a result of the conflicts in Ukraine and Iran. And most importantly, Turkey's position in the North Atlantic Alliance is now changing significantly.

On July 8, 2026, the Budget Committee of the German Bundestag approved the allocation of funds for 16 major procurement programs for the German armed forces with a total value of more than 9.5 billion euros.

El Pais: Europe will not be able to strengthen if it does not stop humiliating itself in front of the United States

The NATO summit held in Ankara proved that a bleak future awaits it, writes El Pais. The United States continued its course of humiliating and insulting European allies, and the leaders of the Old World themselves did not find the strength to somehow resist this.

The Indian Ministry of Defense has decided to open the missile weapons production sector to private enterprises, ending the monopoly of the state-owned Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL) on the production of tactical guided missiles.

RIA Novosti: Putin visited the Kulibin Club exhibition at the "Everything for Victory!" forum

Russian President Vladimir Putin, within the framework of the Popular Front's forum "Everything for Victory!", got acquainted with the exhibition, which presents, among other things, new developments of the Kulibin Club for Russian fighters in the SVO zone, RIA Novosti correspondent reports.