In 2017, fighter aircraft from the Baltic Air Patrol mission deployed in Lithuania and Estonia escorted more Russian military aircraft flying near the borders of the Baltic countries than in any other year except for 2015, reports Delfi news agency, referring to the data of the Ministry of Defense of Lithuania.

Last year, NATO fighters escorted about 130 aircraft flying over the Baltic Sea. In the year before that, fighters were scrambled about 110 times. There were 160 such escorts in 2015 …

The Genocide and Resistance Research Center of Lithuania says that the well-known Lithuanian actor, People’s Artist of the USSR, Donatas Banionis, who passed away in 2014, as well as the Lithuanian violinist and conductor, People’s Artist of the USSR Saulius Sondeckis, who died in 2016, worked for the KGB during the Soviet period, reported by Delfi news agency, citing a statement by the center.

The statement claims that Banionis worked in the KGB under the alias “Bronos”, and provided …

Russia has begun testing the tenth prototype of the T-50/Su-57, the future Russian multifunctional fifth generation fighter (PAK FA). This was announced by the press service of the United Aircraft Corporation (UAC) on Facebook.

According to the UAC’s infographic, the fighter’s first flight took place on December 23, 2017. Before this, nine PAK FA models with “first stage” engines had been flight tested.

On December 5, 2017, the first flight of the latest fighter with a second stage engine …

Russian airbase in Khmeimim came under attack by makeshift drones, reports Directorate 4 Telegram channel.

Several drones were reportedly shot down by the Russian military. The damage caused by the attack is not known. However, multiple makeshift drones carrying explosives can break into the perimeter of the base and drop their loads on the equipment stored outdoors.

Ahrar Al-Alawi(Alawite rebels) group took responsibility for the recent attacks on the Russian airbase. The group  vowed to …

As of the end of 2017, about 5,000 residents of the annexed Crimea were called for service in the Russian army, as there has been a tendency to increase the number of recruits, stated a member of the Crimean Human Rights Group, Irina Sedova, on Krym.Realii radio.

According to her, the Crimean authorities began to bring criminal cases for evasion from service in the Russian army.

"We are developing recommendations on how to react in such situations. The main loophole is not to be listed on a …

Authorities of the so-called DPR (Donetsk People’s Republic) have banned the import of excisable goods (vodka, cigarettes, petroleum products and liquefied gas) from the LPR (Luhansk People’s Republic).

"Resolution of the Council of Ministers" No. 16-12 of December 7 entered into force on December 27.

"To prohibit the importation into the territory of the DPR of excisable goods, regardless of the country of origin (with the exception of transit to the territory of the Russian Federation), …

Turkey has signed a contract with the French-Italian military enterprise, the Eurosam, to conduct research on the development of a new anti-aircraft defense system.

“The future system, equipped with modern technical abilities to defend against the most dangerous threats (stealth aircraft, winged, and ballistic missiles) will be ready by the mid-twenties,” a press-release from the company said.

The research which will be conducted over 18 months will lay the foundation for a contract to …

The Georgian National Legion, which is fighting in the Donbas as part of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, declared they were withdrawing from the 54th brigade because of the "incompetence and illegal actions of its command", as stated in a Facebook post of the military the unit.

"On December 20, 2017, the entire Georgian Legion left the 54th Brigade because of the incompetence of commander Oleksiy Maystrenko and his entourage, as well as illegal orders issued by him. We will relay the details of …