Author: Michael

DONETSK, UKRAINE – APRIL 18: Ukrainian soldiers fire targets on the front line in the direction of the city of Ugledar, Donetsk, Ukraine as Russia-Ukraine war continues on April 18, 2023. Heavy weapons are being used in the direction of Ugledar city, which is known as the front where the heaviest tank clashes are occurred. (Photo by Muhammed Enes Yildirim/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images).

The long-expected Ukrainian counteroffensive against Russia is underway, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed today.

In the 1980s, the Belgian FN company embarked on the development of the FN BRG-15, a large-caliber heavy machine gun. This powerful weapon showed great potential, but financial and other challenges ultimately hindered it.
Caliber and Ammunition
The FN BRG-15 heavy machine gun was designed to utilize a new 15.5mm caliber, offering increased power compared to the standard 12.7mm and even surpassing the 14.5mm heavy machine guns. The FN company conducted extensive research and development to create 15mm ammunition, ultimately settling on the 15.5mm x106mm caliber.

Unexpected factors made the raid of two Ukrainian brigades in Zaporizhzhia fail; the most modern Leopard 2A6 tank was destroyed.

On the morning of June 8, the 33rd Mechanized Brigade and 47th Shock Brigade of the Ukrainian army gathered many Leopard 2 main tanks and Bradley infantry fighting vehicles to launch a large-scale attack against the front line. Russia near the Malaya village of Tokmachka in Zaporizhzhia province.
Two Ukrainian brigades had to pass through a dense minefield to get close to the Russian trenches.

Officials in Poltava province, central Ukraine, said that the Myrhorod military airport was attacked by Russia early this morning, causing damage to equipment and infrastructure.

“The enemy used 8 cruise and ballistic missiles of the Iskander system and 35 suicide drones (UAVs) Shahed-136/131 to attack one of the military airfields in Poltava province, along with the areas in the Kharkov province in the north and Odessa in the south,” the Ukrainian Air Force said in a statement today.

Before being delivered to Romania, all aircraft will have to undergo maintenance. Therefore, Defense Materiel has extended the agreement with Kongsberg Aviation Maintenance Services (KAMS) to maintain the F-16 fighters for sale to Romania. This implies the preparation of a total of 32 F-16 fighters. The agreement also includes technical assistance and support for the training of Romanian technical personnel. The value of the extended contract with KAMS exceeds 700 million crowns (65 million dollars).

The British government on Saturday described mixed progress by Ukrainian and Russian forces fighting in southern and eastern Ukraine over the past 48 hours.
“In some areas, the Ukrainian forces have probably made good progress and have penetrated the first line of the Russian defenses. In others, Ukrainian progress has been slower,” the British Defense Ministry said in a statement.
Kyiv confirmed heavy fighting in the eastern Donetsk region on Friday, and a military spokesman said Ukrainian forces had gained more ground near the devastated city of Bakhmut.

Military families struggling with employment are set to receive new aid under a new executive order signed by President Joe Biden this week. The nearly 20 actions in the directive are designed to help military spouses get hired and maintain stability in their careers despite service-related moves.
He signed the order while visiting Fort Liberty, formerly known as Fort Bragg, on Friday, June 9. Fort Liberty is the largest U.S.

Germany plans to buy Israel’s Arrow-3 missile defense system for nearly 4 billion euros in total and will ask lawmakers to release advance payments of up to 560 million euros next week, Bloomberg news agency reports.
The news comes in the context of a meeting between Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz in Berlin this afternoon. According to the report, the German government has decided in favor of the Israeli system and against the American THAAD system produced by Lockheed Martin.

Today, the Slovak National Director of Defense Capabilities, Dalibor Pavolka, and his German counterpart, Thomas Frankenberger, signed a donation agreement at the Ministry of Defense of the Slovak Republic, whereby the Federal Republic of Germany will donate two systems to Slovakia. Very Short Range Air Defense MANTIS (VSHORAD) bolsters the country’s air defenses on its eastern border with Ukraine, otherwise protected by domestic and allied GBAD capabilities.

US President Joe Biden will meet outgoing NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg at the White House on Monday as the fight to secure his successor intensifies.
Although the White House says the official agenda for the meeting is to discuss the alliance’s summit in Vilnius, Lithuania, in July, the question of who will take the NATO helm next during this difficult period of its 74-year history will undoubtedly be one of the main themes, as the alliance grapples with Russia’s war in Ukraine.