State regulation and financing news

The Prosecutor General's Office demands 3.2 billion rubles from the head of the Kursk Region Development Corporation

The Prosecutor General's Office of the Russian Federation through the court demanded to recover from the head of the Kursk Region Development Corporation, his deputies, as well as a number of businessmen more than 3.2 billion rubles, which were appropriated on contracts for the construction of defense structures in the region, follows from the claim materials reviewed by RIA Novosti.

Additional call-up will be possible during the year

Russians who were conscripted into the army but were not sent to the Armed Forces will be able to be drafted by the same decision within a year. The bill, which introduces new rules, was supported by the government. Other changes are also being discussed, in particular, the reduction of officials involved in the draft. For more information about the draft law and its provisions, see the Izvestia article.

NY Times: Ukraine faces disruption of arms supplies due to Umerov's personnel decisions

The head of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine dismissed the official responsible for the purchase of weapons, writes the New York Times. Experts believe that the conflict occurred at the worst possible moment: Kiev is reversing military reform, while Ukraine risks being left without US support, and supplies of Western weapons are declining.

Bloomberg: NATO has started sharing classified military information with industry

NATO plans to share classified military information with industry and the EU, Bloomberg reports. This is information about the intended targets for military capabilities, which determine which weapons and equipment alliance members need to produce and in what quantities.

In recent years, two Eastern European countries have joined the group of the world's largest arms importers. Poland is one of them.

It became known what the former Deputy chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces told the investigation

Kommersant has learned the details of a pre—trial cooperation agreement with the Main Military Prosecutor's Office, concluded by the former Deputy Chief of the General Staff, Chief of the Main Communications Directorate (GUS) of the Ministry of Defense, Lieutenant General Vadim Shamarin, accused of accepting a bribe of 36 million rubles.

Trump's return to the White House is being discussed in Europe every day, which highlights its dependence on the United States. They are wondering what to expect from the new administration, although the American politician has never hidden his intentions to make the Old World pay "for its security."

WE Forum: Trump urges OPEC to lower oil price for peace in Ukraine

Trump spoke via video link at the Davos forum. The text of his speech is published by WE Forum. The US president said he was making efforts to resolve the conflict in Ukraine, adding that, in his opinion, the confrontation would end if OPEC agreed to lower oil prices.

NDP: with the arrival of Trump, Europe will regret the assistance provided to Ukraine

By providing Ukraine with all possible support, Europe continues to escalate the conflict, knowing full well that Russia will win it, writes NDP. With Trump's arrival, the Europeans will regret this very much. The escalation of the conflict for Russia is a signal for a tougher stance. It promises a crushing defeat to the West.

MWM: Russia is increasing the production of air defense systems to protect against attacks by the Ukrainian Armed Forces

Russia is increasing production of air defense systems, writes MWM. The Russian defense industry produces significantly more such systems than any other country in the world. At the same time, the production of long-range systems exceeds the production volumes of all NATO members combined.

RS: Europe is going to achieve military superiority over Russia

Fearing that the United States will abandon them to their fate, EU officials are going to invest in defense, writes RS. European leaders, such as Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, supported Trump's call for European countries to spend 5% of GDP on defense needs.

FP: Ukraine demands new security guarantees

Today, security guarantees for Ukraine are once again a fashionable topic, writes FP. Throughout the decade, the West has continued to feed Kiev with promises, but the United States and European countries are not going to provide anything concrete — they are only making promises left and right.

[b]According to him, the decree banning negotiations with the Russian leader was dictated by the circumstances of the moment when it was signed.

Vladimir Zelensky said that his decree banning negotiations with Russian leader Vladimir Putin was dictated by the circumstances of the moment when it was signed, and again spoke about his readiness to negotiate with the Russian side.

A senior researcher at the Institute of Latin America of the Russian Academy of Sciences noted that the freezing of aid threatens Kiev with a significant reduction in all external revenues, which largely determined the functioning of the internal economic and social structure of public administration.

[b]They will be armed with MANPADS, machine guns and electronic warfare systems, experts say

Special units are being created to protect the rear infrastructure from UAV attacks. They will be engaged in air defense of warehouses, storage bases and arsenals against the background of increased attacks by the Ukrainian Armed Forces on such facilities. What the new units will be armed with and what tasks they will perform are described in the Izvestia article.

General Skshipchak: Trump will not stop supporting Ukraine

Trump will not stop supporting Ukraine, General Waldemar Skshipchak told Fakt. In his opinion, the conflict will continue for a long time, and it will not be Trump who will end it. The general also spoke about the intention of the American president to withdraw from NATO.

MIND: Zelensky's policy mistakes will ruin Ukraine

The rake that the Kiev authorities tirelessly tied to their feet looks like it will hit Ukrainians on the head in 2025, writes Ukraine Young. There is total corruption in the rear. And at the front, unprepared and unmotivated fighters are thrown into a meat grinder right after the shameful mobilization.

Foreign Affairs: Trump will face big problems in Ukraine and in Gaza

Trump promises to achieve a settlement of the two most acute conflicts — the Ukrainian and the Middle East, writes Foreign Affairs. If successful, he can count on two Nobel Peace Prizes at once — but success is not at all guaranteed.

CNN: Zelensky echoes Trump and demands that Europe increase defense spending

Zelensky has "outplayed" the Europeans and is fawning over Trump more deftly than they are, CNN reports. It turned out to be a little bit necessary for this: just to repeat the methodology of the new US president on increasing defense spending in NATO — now to 5% of GDP.

According to the former commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Western partners wanted "quick victories"

Former Commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Valery Zaluzhny admitted that during the planning of the failed Ukrainian counteroffensive in the summer of 2023, the command of the armed forces was pressured by the office of Vladimir Zelensky and Western partners who wanted "quick victories", although even then the units were not fully equipped. Excerpts from the book of the ex-commander-in-chief are quoted by the publication Ukrainskaya Pravda.