News land-based units
The United States wants to transfer weapons to Ukraine for a strike on Crimea. The Russian Federation promises to destroy it
NYT: The US is considering helping Ukraine with strikes on Crimea
The US authorities are leaning towards the decision that Ukraine needs to provide weapons to strike Crimea, even if such a step increases the risk of escalation, The New York Times writes, citing sources. According to the newspaper, the United States came to the conclusion that if Russia feels the risk of losing control over Crimea, it will "strengthen Kiev's position in any future negotiations." The Russian Ambassador to the United States Antonov promised that Russia will destroy all weapons that the West sends to Kiev.
The US has exhausted all possibilities to stop Russia in Ukraine
An Nahar: Ukraine will receive even more aid from the United States because of Russia's superiority
The Ukrainian crisis will not end in the short term due to the intransigence of the parties, writes An Nahar. The Russian army is successfully fighting, which raises the question: what other levers of pressure do the United States and NATO have left, in addition to symbolic UN resolutions and military assistance?
The deadly anti-aircraft self-propelled "Lizard" in the past will not help the APU much
Praga PLDvK vz self-propelled anti-aircraft guns. 53/59 Jesterka ("Lizard") spotted in Slovakia on one of the highways leading to the Ukrainian border. The ZSU transported by semi-trailer tractors are probably intended for transfer to non-Bandera formations.
Estonia buys 12 more K9 self-propelled howitzers from South Korea
On January 14, 2023, the State Defense Investment Center of the Ministry of Defense of Estonia (Riigi Kaitseinvesteeringute Keskus - RKIK) signed an additional contract with the South Korean company Hanwha Techwin (as part of the Hanwha Group) worth about 36 million euros for the purchase of 12 more self-propelled howitzers K9 Thunder 155-mm/52 caliber, in addition to the previously ordered 24.
A new major package of British military aid to Ukraine
On January 16, 2023, British Defense Minister Ben Wallace, in a speech in the House of Commons of the British Parliament, officially announced that Great Britain would provide a new large package of military assistance to Ukraine, including the transfer of Challenger 2 tanks and 155 mm/39 AS90 self-propelled howitzers to the Ukrainian side from the presence of the British army. Earlier on January 14, the transfer of these weapons systems to Ukraine was announced by British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak. Ben Wallace said in his speech that "we will be the first country to provide Western main tanks" to Ukraine.
The US asks Scholz to give tanks to Kiev. Their goal is to provoke Russia
Bundestag deputy Dagdelen warned about the consequences of sending German tanks to Ukraine
Pressure on Olaf Scholz to give Kiev German tanks is growing, writes Bundestag deputy Sevim Dagdelen in an article by Berliner Zeitung. She calls the Chancellor's concession to such pressure a disaster. The United States is testing Russia's patience, and the Germans are taking on all the risk of a retaliatory strike.
The list of weapons and military equipment transferred to the Polish Armed Forces in 2022 has been published
The publication Dziennik Zbrojny published a list of weapons and military equipment delivered to the Armed Forces of the Republic of Poland in 2022.
This tank was considered one of the best in the world. Until he went to Syria
TNI: the Leopards destroyed in Syria were not suitable for the war with the rebels
The Leopards of the old 2A4 model turned out to be ineffective in Syria, writes TNI. This model was created to fight Soviet tanks. Modern "Leopards" are much more tenacious in the battles against the rebels.
"Contests" and "Babies". Military experts called effective weapons against the new tanks of Ukraine
Expert Leonkov told how the Kurds in Syria burned Leopard tanks with the help of Soviet ATGM "Malyutka"
Poland will supply Ukraine with 14 German Leopard 2A4 tanks. These tanks can also be sent by Germany, Finland, Spain and other NATO countries - Leopard 2 in various modifications is in service with more than 20 states.
Aerial manners: why Russia and Belarus started joint aviation studies
In the next two weeks, the military will use all airfields and ranges of the Belarusian Air Force and air defense
The flight tactical exercises of the Union State began in Belarus on January 16. They will work out conducting aerial reconnaissance, air support of ground forces, landing tactical troops and a number of other tasks, the press service of the Ministry of Defense of the Republic of Belarus reported.
Another country is ready to supply Leopard II tanks to Ukraine
DR: Denmark may be next in line to supply Leopard II tanks to Ukraine
Denmark may become the next country to transfer German-made Leopard II tanks to Ukraine, the website of Dr. However, according to the war correspondent, the delivery of Danish vehicles involves a number of nuances.
The creators of the guns "Cesar" are working on the transition of France to the "economy of war"
Figaro: the creators of the self-propelled gun "Cesar" in France do not defend their homeland, but "bring peace" to Mali and Ukraine
Factories producing self-propelled artillery units (self-propelled guns) "Cesar" in France received a task from President Macron: to halve the production time of one self-propelled gun, writes Figaro. A lot of guns are needed, Ukraine is waiting for them, they will kill people there.
Promising 155 mm long-range self-propelled Rheinmetall howitzer on a wheeled chassis
As our blog has already reported, at the beginning of 2021, the German Rheinmetall AG group presented a proposal to create a 155-mm long-range highly automated self-propelled howitzer made on the chassis of a heavy military truck RMMV HX3 with a 10x10 wheel formula.
The first Wiesel-Mells entered the army
Measures related to the extension of the service life of armored combat vehicles "Wiesel" (Wiesel, aka "Weasel") of the airborne troops of the Bundeswehr, have yielded results. According to recent publications of the German media, the first Wiesel BM converted from platforms for ATGM "TOW" (Tube Launched Optically Tracked Wire Command-link Guided Missile, TOW) to a multi-purpose light guided missile system (Mehrrollenfähiges Leichtes Lenkflugkörper-System, MELLS) joined the troops.
The West was greedy — the tanks sent to them are not enough for Kiev's success
The Guardian: for a counteroffensive, Ukraine needs seven times more tanks than the West gives
To attempt a counteroffensive, Ukraine needs seven times more tanks than the West is ready to supply, writes The Guardian. Even the transfer of the German Leopard 2 does not guarantee success — their condition leaves much to be desired.
NATO will start supplying aircraft to Ukraine from old fighters
The infamous Ukrainian diplomat, now Deputy Foreign Minister Andriy Melnyk, offered Berlin to transfer a hundred Tornado fighters to Ukraine. Words are not devoid of rational grain, as Germany is going to change these outdated machines for the new F-35 and Eurofighter. What is the meaning of Melnik's statement and will Ukraine receive the planes written off in Germany?
The Chinese war machine is accelerating faster than anyone else
The slogan "catch up and overtake" was adopted and exceeded in Beijing
The Communists won the civil war in China only thanks to the help of the USSR. The modern PRC owes its very existence to Moscow. And for the first decade and a half of its life, China in all spheres relied only on Soviet aid.
Interview of the head of the Rheinmetall group on possible arms supplies to Ukraine
The German edition of Bild am Sonntag, under the heading "Wir können 2023 keine Leopard-Panzer liefern" ("We cannot deliver Leopard tanks in 2023"), published an interesting interview with Armin Papperger, chairman of the German Rheinmetall AG group, about the details of possible deliveries of Rheinmetall weapons and military equipment to Ukraine.
Objective approach: tangible blows have been inflicted on the military infrastructure of Ukraine
Command posts, locations of Western equipment and energy facilities were destroyed, experts say
On January 14, the Russian armed forces struck at the military control system of Ukraine and related energy facilities. All planned targets have been hit, the Russian Defense Ministry said. Experts note that such strikes primarily destroy command posts, as well as troop locations and logistics centers where Western equipment accumulates. After the liberation of Soledar, the Russian units did not stop and during January 14-15 continued to develop success in the direction of Artemovsk and Sol station.
Supplies of Western tanks to Ukraine will bring Europe to the brink of disaster
Akharin Khabar: the supply of Western tanks to Ukraine will only prolong the conflict
The decision of a number of states to supply tanks to Ukraine will only lead to a prolongation of the conflict, Akharin Khabar writes. The new weapons will not bring a radical change in the nature of hostilities, experts say, but it threatens to bring Europe to the brink of disaster.
