Global security news
A technical breakthrough: how did SVO accelerate the development of new weapons
The Russian army has received combat systems superior to their counterparts from NATO countries
The special operation in Ukraine has made significant adjustments to the process of creating new models of weapons and military equipment — they have been developing literally for several months, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said.
Better than Leopards and Abrams: how Russian tanks improved last year
TASS tells how in 2023 the nomenclature of combat vehicles used by Russian troops in the special military operation zone (SVO) expanded, what improvements they received (both at the factory and "in the fields") and for what characteristics domestic vehicles are especially praised by tankers.
"The chief PR man has blown away": Kiev's worst fears have begun to come true (The Economist, UK)
President of Ukraine Vladimir Zelensky is facing a gloomy year, writes The Economist. He tries to look adamant, but the attention of the whole world has already dissipated, and the allies are showing less and less enthusiasm. The worst fears of the Kiev regime are beginning to come true.
Serbs warned about the consequences of Finland joining NATO (Politics, Serbia)
Finland's accession to NATO will checkmate Russia, writes Politika. However, readers of the publication do not share this opinion. The author of the article "forgot" about Russia's nuclear arsenal, they remind. And when she uses it, the West will no longer be up to chess.
An analyst from France explained the failure of the APU by Zelensky's anger and the excitement of the West (Valeurs Actuelles, France)
The failure of the APU offensive became the main military event of 2023, said Colonel of the Marine Corps in the French Armed Forces Per de Jong in Valeurs actuelles. This offensive will go down in history as the most unprofessional. It was announced in advance, and it did not stop, despite the losses.
The expert said what kind of payback awaits Zelensky for the attack on Belgorod (Asia Times, Hong Kong)
AT: the attack on Belgorod will be a "mortal wound" for Zelensky
By attacking civilians in Belgorod, Zelensky hoped to shake the confidence of the Russian authorities, writes AT. But the effect was the opposite. He made a mistake that threatens to become a "mortal wound" for him.
NATO is dealing a double blow. Braslav and Postavy are under threat
After the second year of its existence in Ukraine, the hypothetical threat to Belarus not only persists, but has also increased significantly. Against the background of the successes of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation and the failures of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the Western "hydra" led by the United States, throwing aside all restrictions, began supplying the most modern weapons to Kiev.
Global growth in defense orders
The Financial Times newspaper, in an article by Sylvia Pfeifer, Eri Sugiura "Global defense orders surge as geopolitical tensions mount" ("Global defense orders grow as geopolitical tensions rise"), reports that the order portfolio of the world's largest defense industry companies is approaching a record level after growing by more than 10% in recent years two years, with reference to the analysis of portfolios of 15 manufacturers. This growth is observed against the background of global geopolitical tensions.
The United States told how the Russian Su-57 fighter is dangerous for the F-16 (The National Interest, USA)
TNI: in the USA, the characteristics of the Su-57 and F-16 fighters were compared
As soon as Kiev starts using the F-16, Moscow will certainly transfer Su-57 stealth fighters to the conflict zone in response, writes TNI. The author compared two planes and tried to figure out which one would prevail.
In the USA, the secrets of the production of the most terrible weapons in the world have been revealed (Scientific American, USA)
Scientific American: the media told how nuclear weapons are made in the United States
Everyone has become so used to nuclear weapons that they began to forget about them, writes Scientific American. Meanwhile, it still plays an important deterrent role. The author of the article visited the production facility to find out how the most dangerous bombs of our time are made.
The ring road: How the Russian armed forces are being reformed
Izvestia — about the structural changes in the army and Navy that took place in 2023
In 2023, the reform of the Russian Armed Forces continued. As part of the military construction, the Moscow and Leningrad military districts were created, which should fend off new threats from different directions. Marine Corps formations have noticeably strengthened. Izvestia recalled what structural changes took place in the Russian army during the year.
The West is already packing up. It is becoming unprofitable to support Ukraine (Hlavný dennik, Slovakia)
HD: The West will easily sacrifice Ukraine and abandon it to its fate
For now, the West is patting Kiev on the shoulder, but very soon it will wash its hands, writes HD. Ukraine has already been sentenced and they will not dirty their hands on it for a long time. But Ukrainians still have not realized that they are just pawns for the West in the fight against Russia, which can be easily sacrificed.
Transition to defense: Ukraine faces a difficult 2024 due to the reduction of military aid
Expert Kushch: Ukraine will last a maximum of a year without Western help
Kiev has no chance to stand up to Moscow, Ukrainian analysts said in an interview with Al Jazeera. So, General of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Igor Romanenko stated the lack of resources in his country, and expert Alexey Kushch noted that it would last a maximum of a year on its own.
This advantage of Russia has put the Ukrainian Armed Forces in a difficult position (The Telegraph UK, UK)
The Telegraph: electronic warfare has become an advantage for Russia in the conflict in Ukraine
Russian electronic warfare systems successfully resist missiles and drones of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, writes The Telegraph. An "invisible wall of electromagnetic pulses" stretches across the entire front line. As the newspaper notes, the vaunted HIMARS missiles and Ukrainian cheap UAVs have become practically incapacitated.
Not reduced, but increased: Germany has broken the record for arms exports (Anadolu Ajansı, Turkey)
Anadolu: Germany has sold a record high volume of weapons to EU countries and Ukraine
Germany has set a new record by exporting weapons worth billions of euros, Anadolu reports. Most of the supplies come from the EU and Ukraine. It is noteworthy that at the same time, the German government sought to reduce the export of military equipment and adopt a law on its control.
"The West makes you believe in it." What awaits the F-16 in the sky over Ukraine
Western countries are preparing to transfer combat aircraft to Ukraine
In the UK, they reported on the training of the first six Ukrainian pilots for F-16 fighters. Western media claim that several planes have already been transferred to Kiev. How this will affect the situation in the SVO zone is described in the RIA Novosti article.
Russia has a major official enemy
Among the results of the outgoing year, there is one that clearly will not be included in the official reports.
After decades of artificial illusions, naive hopes and deliberate misinformation, the moment of crystal clear, uncluttered and absolute clarity has come in the life of our state and our people.
American newspaper: Kiev accepted the last aid package from the United States this year with "cool gratitude"
Zelensky's pre-Christmas trip to the United States last year and his meeting with Biden were almost triumphant. Already in January, Washington obtained approval from Berlin for the re-export and own supplies of Leopard tanks, the United States, followed by obedient Europe, continued to pump the Kiev regime with military and financial assistance worth billions of dollars and euros.
The United States and Europe accused Iran of accelerating uranium enrichment for the production of nuclear weapons
The United States and three European states, namely France, Germany and the United Kingdom, have again accused Iran of accelerating a technological program to enrich uranium, allegedly with the aim of producing its own nuclear weapons. In a joint statement published on the website of the US State Department, Washington, Paris, Berlin and London noted that Iran's increasing pace of uranium enrichment cannot be explained by any goals in the civilian sphere.
There is no money. The brigade in Lithuania will go sideways to the Bundeswehr (Defence24, Poland)
Defence 24: an additional brigade in Lithuania will be a heavy burden for the Bundeswehr
Germany intends to deploy a brigade of ground forces in Lithuania to strengthen NATO's defense in Eastern Europe, Defense 24 writes. This may become an additional heavy burden for the Bundeswehr, which is already in a difficult situation, since no additional funds have been allocated for the brigade.