Ukraine:
It is indisputable that the main criterion for assessing the armed forces of any country is its ability to effectively perform tasks under wartime conditions. Nevertheless, the ability to use the defense budget as efficiently as possible can be an equally important way of assessment—when each unit of investment can achieve the greatest possible positive net effect. This approach is especially useful to understand the changes that have taken place in Ukraine’s armed forces since 2014.

Since the start of confrontation with Russia, Ukraine’s defense spending has increased several times. In 2013, the budget of the armed forces of Ukraine was 15.2 billion hryvnia; in 2017, this figure was 64.4 billion hryvnia. In 2018, Ukraine has allocated a record 86.14 billion hryvnia for defense needs. However, such a spectacular growth looks less radical if you present the dynamics of the Ukrainian defense budget in dollar terms. Ukraine spent $1.9 billion on defense in 2013, $2.35 billion in 2017 and $3.02 billion in 2018. In dollar terms, the military’s budget has not seen a significant increase over the last four years.

However, compared to early 2014, Ukraine’s armed forces have improved considerably. First of all, the Ukrainian armed forces have grown from 157,000 (of which 120,000 were servicemen) in 2014 to 250,000 (of whom 204,000 are servicemen) today. At the same time, in the beginning of Russian aggression, only six thousand people—one brigade—were in complete readiness and able to execute the political leadership’s orders. In 2013, the armed forces of Ukraine did not conduct any training at the brigade or regimental level. In 2016, the White Book of Ukraine’s ministry of defence logged twenty brigade-level exercises; ground forces conducted twenty-six exercises at the brigade level in 2017.

The situation for armoured forces has similarly improved. In 2014, large numbers of tanks were inoperable. Since then, there has been a strong drive to purchase new or modernise old tanks and armoured vehicles. The armed forces received a total of 4,142 tanks and armoured vehicles in 2014, 3,227 units in 2015 and 530 units in 2016. Today, Ukraine has satisfied its needs for tanks and armoured vehicles.

Ukraine’s air force has also qualitatively changed for the better. Today, the air force has as many as seventy-one fully functioning fourth-generation fighters (Su-27s and MiG-29s). The air force has also increased the number of flying hours per crew from thirty-six to forty-six hours per year. Between 2014 and 2017, up to sixty fighters and bombers were modernized or repaired. Additionally, work is underway to repair air-defense systems. By mid-2017, up to 65 percent of S-300PS/PT1s and 20 percent of Buk-M1 systems were repaired. Today the armed forces have twenty-five divisions of the S-300PS/PT1 systems, ten Buk-M1 divisions and one S-300V1 division.

Activities in missile development are also worth mentioning. State trials of the Vilha system are planned for March 2018. This surface-to-surface missile system was developed on the basis of the Smerch multiple-launch rocket system. It will allow Ukraine’s armed forces to conduct precision strikes as far away as 120 kilometers and serve as a replacement of the outdated tactical missile complex Tochka-U. Development of the Neptune antiship cruise missile is also underway. The missile’s first public tests were conducted in January of this year. Once testing is completed, Neptune will be deployed as a coastal missile complex, and eventually be installed on missile boats and fighter jets.

Over the past four years, Ukraine has managed to strengthen its defensive capabilities without a radical increase in funding. One reason for this is that the proportions of the defense budget distribution have changed: the share for procurement and modernization for weapons increased by 10 percent since 2014. To understand how allocated funds are spent, it should be mentioned that in 2013, Ukraine spent 10 percent ($190 million) of its military budget on procurement—only got two modernized airplanes, five different radar systems, one training complex for pilots, 194 navigation devices and twenty-eight radios! Another reason is the development of an internal audit and control system—as stipulated in the Strategic Defense Bulletin—which helps to effectively utilize scarce resources. Overall, available resources are being marshalled more efficiently. Ukraine has made more strides to eliminate gaps in combat readiness in four years than in the previous twenty.

Mykola Bielieskov is Deputy Director of the Institute of World Policy in Kiev, Ukraine.
http://nationalinterest.org/blog/the-buzz/ukraines-military-back-24674
 
Georgia
This year's Agile Spirit will for the first time include naval elements.

Agile Spirit defence drills in Georgia to feature amphibious operations for first time


This year’s Agile Spirit multinational defence exercise in Georgia will include sea component for the first time, with the drills set to involve troops from the host country and its international partners.

The Ministry of Defence of Georgia announced the news earlier today, as minister Levan Izoria met Major General Russell Sanborn, US Marine Corps Forces Commander in Europe and Africa.

[The 2018 Agile Spirit] will be special for involving an addition of a new element in the form of [developing] amphibious capacities [of participating troops], which will create a more solid basis for following exercises", Izoria said following the meeting.

....

Set to augment the elements comprising the drills, the addition was noted as "very important for regional security" by the head of the ministry, whose meeting with Sanborn reviewed Georgia's contribution to international peace and security missions.

Beside discussing participation of troops from the country in ongoing campaigns such as the Resolute Support effort in Afghanistan, the two sides also reviewed the Georgia Defence Readiness Program, a joint US-Georgia initiative.

The program, developed between the Defence Ministry and the US Defence Department, aims to improve combat readiness of the Georgian Armed Forces.

The meeting between Izoria and Sanborn also marked a recognition of efforts by the US Marine Corps stationed in Georgia for preparing Georgian service members for their ongoing participation in the Resolute Support mission.

In a formal move, Marine Corps' Lieutenant Colonel Matthew Corbaty was distinguished with the Georgian Defence Ministry's General Kvinitadze Medal by Izoria.

This year's Agile Spirit drills will be held in Georgia in the summer.

Link: http://agenda.ge/news/98313/eng
 
Ukrainian Soldiers Tell of Fighting in Europe’s Forgotten War

At this very moment, a war rages on in Europe. It is a war with no monuments. No parades. No victories. Only casualties.

Many Americans have forgotten or “moved on” from the idea of Russian aggression in Europe, while our friends and allies in Ukraine are embroiled in a struggle for territorial integrity. But a very real and tactile conflict exists today that is contributing to a humanitarian crisis not seen in Europe since the Yugoslav civil wars of the 1990s.

But how did Ukraine get into this position? And where is it going?

The Path to War

In the 2000s, several successive Ukrainian governments sought closer ties with the European Union (EU). One of the keys to achieving this goal was an association agreement with the EU that would have provided Ukraine with monetary assistance in return for reforms.

In November of 2013, protests erupted in Kiev after then-President Viktor Yanukovych and his pro-Russia government refused to sign the EU agreement, choosing instead to pursue a Russian loan bailout and closer ties with Russia.

The protestors were young, pro-EU Ukrainians who would eventually occupy Maidan Nezalezhnosti (Independence Square) in the capital Kiev. This occupation would become known as the “Euromaidan” and would see the ousting of Yanukovych, who fled to Russia amid the violent protests in late February of 2014. ...MORE

https://inhomelandsecurity.com/ukra...uropes-forgotten-war&utm_campaign=20180413IHS
 
Escalation in Donbas: Ukraine reports 52 enemy attacks, 1 KIA, 5 WIAs in last day

Russia's hybrid military forces attacked Ukrainian army positions in Donbas 52 times in the past 24 hours, with one Ukrainian soldier reported as killed in action (KIA) and another five as wounded in action (WIA). "In the Luhansk sector, militants fired proscribed 152mm and 122mm artillery systems, 82mm mortars and grenade launchers at the Ukrainian positions near the village of Zaitseve," the press center of the headquarters of Ukraine's military operations reported on Facebook Friday morning.

Read more on UNIAN: https://www.unian.info/war/10083458...2-enemy-attacks-1-kia-5-wias-in-last-day.html
 
Ukraine:
Ukraine's Mi-2MSB "Nadiya" helicopter has made its maiden flight. Taking place on April 16, the helicopter comes with a new AI-450M engine, upgraded avionics, and new weapons pylons, with work being carried out by PJSC Motor Sich. Its mission is primarily intended for patrolling roads, monitoring pipelines and gas pipelines. Units will be delivered to the State Emergency Service, air medical aviation, State Border Guard Service and for other defense purposes.
 
Ukraine:
Ukraine's Mi-2MSB "Nadiya" helicopter has made its maiden flight. Taking place on April 16, the helicopter comes with a new AI-450M engine, upgraded avionics, and new weapons pylons, with work being carried out by PJSC Motor Sich. Its mission is primarily intended for patrolling roads, monitoring pipelines and gas pipelines. Units will be delivered to the State Emergency Service, air medical aviation, State Border Guard Service and for other defense purposes.

Honestly, meh. Also, don't think the Border Guards will take them. They might even be passing Mi-8s to the armed forces since they'll be upgrading their fleet with AS550 Fennec or S555 Fennec 2
 
I can't help but be amazed about the timing of this Donbas offensive,. Maybe Puti thinks he can pull some crap there while the sheeple of the world are focused on Syria?... just wonder'in

There is no offensive. Flare ups are possible, but full scale fighting won't happen at least AFTER World Cup in Russia. Also late July - August is the best time to conduct offensive operations in Donbas due to dry weather.
 
Armenian PM Sarkisian Resigns, Thousands Celebrate In Yerevan
Thousands of jubilant Armenians have poured into Yerevan's main square to celebrate the resignation of Prime Minister Serzh Sarkisian, who stepped down amid widespread street protests over his election to the newly powerful post following 10 years as president.

"Dear proud citizens of the Republic of Armenia, you have won!" protest leader Nikol Pashinian told the crowd packed into Republic Square on April 23.

He suggested that there were no foreign countries involved in the protest movement, calling it a "purely Armenian velvet revolution."

In a dramatic turn of events a day after he had rejected opposition demands for his resignation, Sarkisian made a pointed and direct statement to the country on April 23, saying that he was acquiescing to calls from Pashinian and the demonstrators the opposition lawmaker had led for 11 days and leaving office.

"The movement of the street is against my tenure. I am fulfilling your demand," Sarkisian said in a statement on the prime minister's website.

"Nikol Pashinian was right. I was wrong," he said, adding a suggestion ...MORE

https://www.globalsecurity.org/mili...3-rferl02.htm?_m=3n.002a.2273.ph0ao0037n.23c3
 
Armenian Protest Leader Pashinian Says He's Ready To Rule If Country Wants It
YEREVAN -- Armenian lawmaker Nikol Pashinian, the leader of opposition protests that pushed longtime leader Serzh Sarkisian to abruptly step down as prime minister, says he is ready to step in and lead the country if people want.

After leading thousands of supporters in a procession to a hilltop memorial complex in Yerevan to mark the anniversary of the World War I-era massacre of their ancestors in Ottoman Turkey, Pashinian told reporters on April 24 that the rule of Sarkisian's Republican Party is over.

After the pause for the memorial ceremonies, high politics will begin again on April 25, when Pashinian, 42, is set to meet with acting Prime Minister Karen Karapetian to discuss what comes next for the South Caucasus country of some 3 million.

However, a leader of his Civil Contract party, Tigran Avinian, later told RFE/RL that the meeting will not take place. He declined to elaborate. ...MORE

https://www.globalsecurity.org/mili...4-rferl03.htm?_m=3n.002a.2274.ph0ao0037n.23e4


Belarusian Leader Has Harsh Words For Russia, West -- And Warning For Moscow
Belarusian President Alyaksandr Lukashenka has used an annual address to criticize both the West and Russia, accusing Western countries of "inciting trade wars" and charging that Moscow has blocked Belarusian goods from the Russian market.

In the wide-ranging televised speech to parliament on April 24, Lukashenka also handed Russia a coded warning against "isolation" and signaled that badly strained ties between Moscow and the West will not stop Belarus from seeking closer relations with the European Union and United States.

In "the current difficult situation the world has entered, Belarusians must stay strong to preserve unity and stability," the authoritarian leader said.

The address was in line with previous speeches in which Lukashenka, who has been president since 1994, has said that solidarity is needed in the face of what he casts as threats to Belarus from both east and west. ...MORE

https://www.globalsecurity.org/wmd/...4-rferl01.htm?_m=3n.002a.2274.ph0ao0037n.23e9
 
Ukraine receives U.S. Javelin systems: Poroshenko

Ukraine has received the first U.S. Javelin missiles and launch units, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko said on Monday.
In March the U.S. State Department approved the possible sale of Javelin systems to Ukraine at an estimated cost of $47 million.
“I can confirm that the long-awaited weapon arrived in the Ukrainian army” Poroshenko said on Facebook.
Kiev and Washington believe that the Javelin system will help Ukraine build its long-term defense capacity.
The United States has been one of Kiev’s staunchest supporters since Moscow’s annexation of Crimea in 2014 and the subsequent outbreak of fighting in Ukraine’s eastern Donbass region that has killed more than 10,000 people.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-...e047&utm_medium=trueAnthem&utm_source=twitter
 
U.S. Confirms Delivery Of Javelin Antitank Missiles To Ukraine
KYIV -- The United States has confirmed to RFE/RL its delivery of American-made, Javelin antitank missile systems to Ukraine in a move that is welcome in Kyiv but will almost certainly enrage Moscow amid a four-year conflict that pits Russia-backed separatists against Ukrainian national troops.

"They have already been delivered," a U.S. State Department official confirmed on April 30 in response to an RFE/RL query on the handover of Javelins.

In a statement posted on Facebook, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko also confirmed the delivery and said his country continues "to strengthen our defense potential in order to repel Russian aggression."

"I am sincerely grateful for the fair decision of [U.S. President] Donald Trump in support of Ukraine, in defense of freedom and democracy," Poroshenko wrote. "Washington not only fulfilled our joint agreement, it demonstrated leadership and an important example."

Ukrainian Defense Minister Stepan Poltorak wrote on his ...MORE

https://www.globalsecurity.org/wmd/...0-rferl01.htm?_m=3n.002a.2279.ph0ao0037n.23jo
 
Czech Government Says Nerve Agent Mentioned By Zeman Not Novichok
The Czech-made nerve agent that President Milos Zeman described in a television interview as Novichok is of a different type than the toxin Britain says was used to poison a former spy, the Czech Foreign Ministry said in a statement on May 4.

Novichok -- first developed in the Soviet Union -- was identified by Britain as the type of agent used to poison Sergei Skripal and his daughter, Yulia, in the English city of Salisbury on March 4. London blamed the poisoning on Russia.

In a TV interview broadcast on May 2, Zeman said the military reports he was citing identified the type of Novichok used in the poisoning as A-234, while that produced in the Czech Republic was type A-230 is different from the one called Novichok.

"The nerve-paralyzing poison used in the U.K. attack is called A-234 and is therefore a different variant than the one tested by the Czech Military Research Institute in Brno," the ministry statement said.

It said that a few milliliters-- of A-230 was produced, tested, and destroyed by the institute in the southeastern city Brno in order to study ways to defend against it. ...MORE

https://www.globalsecurity.org/inte...4-rferl01.htm?_m=3n.002a.2283.ph0ao0037n.23ov

"We did produce and store
 
Armenian Protest Leader Formally Appointed Prime Minister
YEREVAN -- Armenia's Prime Minister-elect Nikol Pashinian has met with President Armen Sarkisian, who formally signed into power Pashinian's appointment.

The meeting on May 8 came hours after parliament elected Pashinian as the country's prime minister in a 59 to 42 vote.

Sarkisian asked the new premier "to form a government as soon as possible and engage in the resolution of the problems which our state, government, the entire nation, and the country...are facing," the president's and the country...are facing," the president's press office said.

Ahead of the vote, the parliamentary faction leader of the ruling Republican Party of Armenia (HHK), Vahram Baghdasarian, announced that the HHK would provide Pashinian with 11 votes -- enough to give him, together with opposition lawmakers, the minimal amount of support needed to be elected.

While the events unfolded in parliament, Yerevan's central Republic Square was thronged with thousands of people who responded to Pashinian's call for them to gather there and ensure the HHK would follow through on its promise to elect him.

Celebrating after the vote, in what Pashinian described as "an epochal victory," many of Pashinian's supporters at Republic Square wore white clothing -- either T-shirts, hats, or dressed completely in white. ...MORE

https://www.globalsecurity.org/mili...8-rferl02.htm?_m=3n.002a.2286.ph0ao0037n.23s1
 

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