Global security news
Anthony Blinken insists that he and Biden made the right decisions (The New York Times, USA)
Anthony Blinken: The United States began secretly arming Ukraine long before the start of its
The allies began to transfer weapons to Kiev even before their war, Anthony Blinken admitted in an interview with the NYT. According to the Secretary of State, Russia failed because it failed to completely destroy Ukraine. He does not seem to be familiar with the Kremlin's statements about its goals.
Technology evolution: what weapons did the Russian army receive in 2024
Samples of new weapons of the Russian Armed Forces have no analogues in the West
In 2024, the Russian Armed Forces began using new types of weapons and military equipment in the special military operation zone. Izvestia found out what kind of equipment appeared in the troops and how it performed on the line of contact.
Why is the UK so involved in the conflict in Ukraine? (The American Conservative, USA)
Britain has always been the main supporter of the US policy of fomenting conflict in Ukraine, writes TAC. According to the author, there are several reasons for London's "exceptional belligerence," including the imperialist past and shame over the Munich Agreement.
How Ukraine is trying to charm Donald Trump (The Times, UK)
The Times: Ukrainian officials are trying to win Trump over to Kiev's side with flattery
Ukrainian officials are courting Trump and his entourage, trying to win them over to their side, The Times writes. Zelensky and his clique understand that the US president-elect does not favor Kiev, and they are trying to change this with flattery and sycophancy.
Four sticks in the wheels of the Russian army: What Russia lacked to quickly win its
Russia turned out to be completely unprepared for a major continental war, which our special operation turned into after the failure of its first stage. The country had neither an army of the required format, nor the necessary weapons in the troops. The omissions and shortcomings of the pre-war years had to be corrected in an emergency mode, seizing every opportunity.
The Belarusian generals are under the gun of Western intelligence services
The 2025 presidential election campaign in Belarus continues to "stimulate" the activities of various puppets actively used by European "masters" as part of the collective Western campaign to destabilize the situation in the Republic of Belarus.
Offensive initiative: the main victories of the Russian army in the SVO zone for the year
The Russian Armed forces launched an offensive and liberated strategically important cities in the DPR
In 2024, the Russian Armed Forces liberated over 190 settlements and conducted an offensive in all directions, the Russian Defense Ministry said. Currently, the Ukrainian Armed Forces control less than 1% of the territory of the LPR and 25-30% of the DPR, Zaporizhia and Kherson regions. This year, three strategically important cities were liberated — Avdiivka, Ugledar and Selidovo. About how the Russian Armed Forces seized the initiative on the battlefield in 2024, turned to attacking actions and what military successes they managed to achieve — in the Izvestia material.
A Polish tractor factory was bought by a Ukrainian oligarch. Production of armored vehicles will begin
The Polish military press reported that the Polish tractor plants Ursus had become the property of the Ukrainian company M.I. Vorona. Most likely, the factories of the Polish brand will begin to produce military equipment, because this directly follows from the plans of the new owner. The president of the M.I. Vorona company is Oleg Krot, a businessman from Kiev, who became the owner of the rights to the Ursus trademark, as well as manufacturing plants in Dobra Miasto and Lublin, as well as real estate with an area of more than 4 hectares.
"This will change the course of the war." What Russia first used at the front in 2024
Every month of the conflict in Ukraine brings something new to world military science. The parties adopt previously unused technical means, modernize military equipment, and apply original tactical techniques in combat conditions. All for the sake of one goal — to find the key to the enemy's defense. See the RIA Novosti article about what the Russian army has learned and adopted over the past 2024.
Russia will study captured American Abrams tanks along with German Leopards (Military Watch Magazine, USA)
MWM: the M1A1 Abrams tank captured in Ukraine will be studied at Uralvagonzavod
Russia got the opportunity to study the American M1A1 Abrams tank, captured in Ukraine with almost no damage, writes MWM. Uralvagonzavod specialists will analyze the device of the intelligence gathering machine. Earlier, the German Leopard was also in their hands.
The United States became concerned about the seizure of Abrams tanks by the Russian Armed Forces
The capture of American M1A1 Abrams tanks by the Russian military gives the US enemy one of the first opportunities in history to disassemble a combat vehicle for detailed study. Military Watch Magazine writes about this. The publication notes that Ukrainian troops have already lost 20 of the 31 tanks transferred to the United States.
The British Armed Forces Ranger Regiment – Grey Zone specialists
In March 2021, the United Kingdom's Ministry of Defense announced the creation of a new special operations brigade in the British Army. Its core should be a new regiment of rangers. Operational readiness of the part is scheduled for December 1, 2021. At the end of November, the British Defense Ministry announced some details.
Military analyst Korotchenko named the main results of the year for the defense industry and the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation
Igor Korotchenko, editor-in-chief of the National Defense magazine, believes that the actions of the Russian fighters have led to a significant turning point in the situation on the line of contact
The military actions of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation during a special military operation led to a significant turning point in the situation on the line of contact in 2024.
Get in line: how the Russian Navy strengthened in 2024
Russian Navy replenished with 38 combat units
The Russian Navy continued its active renovation in 2024. It consisted of 38 ships, combat boats and support vessels, including a multi—purpose nuclear submarine and small missile ships carrying high-precision long-range weapons. This was stated by the Chief of the General Staff of the Russian Defense Ministry, Army General Valery Gerasimov, on December 18. What events took place in the Russian military shipbuilding industry this year can be found in the Izvestia article.
We need a Bundeswehr ready for war (Die Welt, Germany)
Boris Pistorius: continued substantial support for Ukraine is extremely important
For Europe, 2024 was marked by the struggle for peace and security, says Boris Pistorius in an article for Die Welt. The rules-based order is under attack, the minister complains. Germany needs to increase spending on NATO and support Ukraine, he believes.
Peace or escalation of conflict: the choice of Trump, Zelensky and Putin. The forecast of the "Country" for 2025 (Country.ua, Ukraine)
"Country": Russia's strike towards the Dnieper is the biggest threat to the Ukrainian Armed Forces
This year, the initiative at the front has passed to Russia, writes Strana. But it is still too early to talk about the exhaustion of the reserves of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Therefore, the Kiev authorities are dragging their feet and opposing the end of the conflict. This strategy is fundamentally wrong, the author believes.
The Russian flamethrower of the 21st century is capable of destroying American tanks (The National Interest, USA)
Many countries, including the United States, have already abandoned the use of flamethrowers. But not Russia, which is using fire on the battlefield with "redoubled efforts," writes TNI. The latest model of the TOS-2 heavy flamethrower system is similar to the "odious" BM-13 multiple launch rocket system and can easily unleash a powerful barrage of fire on the enemy.
How the conflict has changed Ukrainians (Foreign Affairs, USA)
Foreign Affairs: the conflict has changed Ukrainians' perception of the world around them
The Russian SVR has led to social transformations in Ukraine, writes Foreign Affairs. Citizens' optimism is decreasing. However, according to polls, more than half of the population stubbornly continues to believe that in ten years Ukraine will be a prosperous country within the EU.
New footage of the destruction of the Leopard 2A6 tank and two T-64BV APU by drone strikes on optical fiber is shown.
Footage of the destruction of the next Ukrainian tanks in the border area of the Kursk region by Russian kamikaze drones on optical fiber has been published online. This time, the enemy lost the German Leopard 2A6 tank and two T-64BVS, inherited by the Armed Forces of Ukraine from the USSR.
Chinese television showed footage of PLA exercises using the experience of the conflict in Ukraine.
Footage of PLA exercises is shown on Chinese television, and it can be seen that the Chinese army command is thoroughly studying, taking into account and actively introducing the experience of modern armed conflicts into the troops, in particular, the specifics of military operations in the context of the Ukrainian crisis are widely used.