Dock repair of the Russian Kilo-class Rostov-on-Don (B-237) submarine, which was hit by Ukrainian Storm Shadow missiles on September 13, 2023 has been completed.

Repair of the submarine continues afloat now.

Source: Tass

Greece is preparing to decommission 32 older F-16 Block-30 fighter jets and now Ukraine wants them.

The preferred method for Greece to transfer these jets is to sell them back to the United States, which would then upgrade them and pass them on to Ukraine.

Source: AJ

Bad news for Taiwan too: Donald Trump says Taiwan should pay the US for its defense guarantees.

— He claimed Taiwan "stole our chip business" and "should pay [the US] for defence".

— Trump compared the US to an insurance company, stating: "You know, we're no different than an insurance company. Taiwan doesn't give us anything."

— Trump questioned US ties to Taiwan and said it would be "very, very difficult" for the US to defend Taiwan against a Chinese attack.

— He suggested that China is reluctant to attack Taiwan only because it would destroy the chip manufacturing industry.

— Trump accused Taiwan of taking "almost 100 per cent of our chip industry".

Trump is incredibly lucky to be still alive

Very intense Iron Dome interceptions of Hezbollah rockets last night.

No limits in Israel’s brutality: Gaza man with Down's syndrome attacked by IDF dog and left to die.

— Muhammed Bhar, a 24-year-old man with Down's syndrome and autism was attacked by Israeli army dog, biting his chest and arm despite her pleas to the soldiers.

— The soldiers allegedly separated Muhammed from his family, saying they would bring a military doctor to treat him.

— Hours later, the family was forced to leave at gunpoint without Muhammed. Two of his brothers were arrested.

— The family returned a week later to find Muhammed dead on the floor. There were signs of attempted first aid, including a tourniquet and bandages.

Source: BBC

Germany will halve military aid to Ukraine in 2025.

In 2025, Germany intends to allocate €4 billion for military assistance to Ukraine.

This is half as much as this year (€8 billion).

Russian train loaded with T-54 tanks removed from storage in Moscow region, heading to Ukraine.

Trump on Taiwan:

Taiwan is 9,500 miles away. It’s 68 miles away from China.

A slight advantage, and China’s a massive piece of land, they could just bombard it.

They don’t even need to—I mean, they can literally just send shells.

Russian Su-34 bomber aircraft dropping 3-ton FAB-3000 aerial bomb with an UMPK guidance kit.

In order to hit targets further than 50 kilometers, the Su-34 has to climb to a height of about 10 kilometers. (32,808 feet)

Another exchange of POWs took place between Ukraine and Russia according to the 95 to 95 formula.

The exchange took place through the mediation of the UAE.

Just the pure beauty and the perfection of F-22.

Russia’s vast stocks of Soviet-era weaponry are running out, The Economist reports.

— After two years of war, Russia has lost an estimated 3,000 tanks and 5,000 other armored vehicles. The actual numbers may be higher.

— Russia is relying heavily on refurbishing old Soviet-era equipment from storage rather than producing new tanks and vehicles.

— In 2023, about 85% of the 1,530 tanks delivered to the front were refurbished old models, not new productions.

— Russia's ability to produce new tanks is limited. Estimates range from 28-90 new tanks per year, with some experts suggesting as few as 30 truly new tanks annually.

— Artillery barrel production is a significant issue, with only two factories capable of producing about 100 barrels each per year, far below the thousands needed. Russia is cannibalizing old towed artillery to replace barrels on self-propelled howitzers, but this solution is unsustainable.

— Of the estimated 3,200 tanks in storage, up to 70% may be unusable due to poor storage conditions since the 1990s.

— Experts predict that Russian tank and infantry vehicle refurbishment from storage will reach a "critical point of exhaustion" by the second half of 2025.

Germans fighting for Putin.

— According to estimates by German security authorities, several hundred German citizens are fighting on the Russian side in the Ukraine war.

— Many are motivated by Russian propaganda about fighting "fascism" in Ukraine.

— Some fighters hold multiple passports, making it easier to travel.

— German authorities seem to have limited information about these fighters.

— The legal situation for prosecuting these fighters in Germany is unclear.

Source: ZDF

Poland, as part of an agreement on security guarantees, pledged to allocate 0.25% of its GDP to Ukraine for the purchase of weapons.

Polish state company sold parts used in Iranian kamikaze UAVs, used against Ukraine by Russia.

— A Polish state-owned company allegedly sold parts used in Iranian combat drones, according to a report by private broadcaster Radio Zet.

— Polish prosecutors have been investigating this issue since 2022. The investigation focuses on the possible export of dual-use products manufactured in Poland without proper permits.

— The company involved is WSK Poznan, belonging to the Industrial Development Agency. WSK Poznan allegedly sold fuel pumps to Iran Motorsazan Company, which produces agricultural tractors.

— These pumps allegedly ended up in Iranian factories producing military unmanned aerial vehicles.

Türkiye has secured rights to explore for natural gas and oil in three offshore blocks within Somalia's territorial waters.

— The MTA Oruç Reis, a state-of-the-art seismic research vessel, is scheduled to depart for Somalia at the end of September. It will be accompanied by support ships to assist in the exploration efforts.

— In February 2024, Türkiye and Somalia signed a 10-year memorandum of understanding to strengthen their defence and maritime security partnership.

— Under the deal, Türkiye will help reconstruct, equip, and train the Somali Navy, as well as receive 30% of the revenue from Somalia's exclusive economic zone.

— This is intended to help Somalia better police its territorial waters and combat issues like illegal fishing and piracy.

Iran working on nuclear weapons?

— The Biden administration privately warned Iran in June 2024 about suspicious nuclear activities, Axios reports.

— The warning expressed serious concerns about Iranian research and development that could be used for nuclear weapons production. Both U.S. and Israeli intelligence detected concerning nuclear activities by Iranian scientists in recent months.

— Around March 2024, intelligence services found evidence of Iranian scientists engaging in computer modeling and metallurgical research potentially related to nuclear weapons development. The exact purpose of the computer modeling was unclear.

— There are fears that Iran might be trying to make progress towards nuclear weaponization during the U.S. presidential election period.

— Iran responded to the U.S. concerns, providing explanations for the nuclear activities. They stressed there has been no change in policy and denied working on nuclear weapons.

New FPV drone simulator used by Ukrainian forces.

Ukrainian high explosives FPV drones demolishing Russian Army targets. (Compilation)

These drones are often equipped with thermobaric and high-explosive fragmentation.

Iranian Navy is still trying to pull out its sank Sahand frigate.

Iranian Navy frigate Sahand sank in shallow waters at the port of Bandar Abbas on July 9, 2024, after initially capsizing on July 7.