• Russian-Serbian ‘Slavic Shield’ aerial defense exercise to be held annually

    The Slavic Shield joint exercise for anti-air divisions from Russia and Serbia will become an annual event, Russian anti-air commander Yuri Grekhov told Echo of Moscow radio station in an interview.

    The commander noted that the countries are currently considering numerous options for joint exercises. One such option would be to conduct exercises annually, but alternating the host country, i.e. one year in Russia, the next in Serbia. However, other formats are also possible.

    “Next year we are …

  • Israel extradites Russian hacker Burkov to US

    Israeli authorities extradited Russian hacker Aleksey Burkov to the United States. Burkov is suspected of involvement in banking security crimes. Moscow tried to protest this decision and return the hacker to Russia, reports Deutsche Welle.

    According to the suspect's lawyer Michael Ironi, Burkov was taken to the airport on November 12, from where he was transported to the United States.

    Burkov's appeal against the decision to extradite him to the United States was rejected on November 10 by …

  • Russia urges Ukraine to extend Donbas special status law

    The Russian delegation to the Trilateral Contact Group (TCG) has urged Kyiv to enter into direct negotiations with the so-called Luhansk and Donetsk Peoples Republics about enshrining the special status of the Donbas in Ukraine’s Constitution, said Russian representative to the TCG Boris Gryzlov, as cited by Interfax-Ukraine.

    The Russians are concerned that the Ukrainian law on the special status of the Donbas expires on December 31.

    “The Russian delegation urged Kyiv to ensure that this law …

  • Ukrainian Foreign Minster: Zelensky and Putin unlikely to meet in Kazakhstan

    Nursultan Nazarbayev did in fact offer to help Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky arrange a meeting with Vladimir Putin, but it was an offer without specifics, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Vadym Prystaiko told BBC in a comment.

    Prystaiko explained that he was present at the meeting between Nazarbayev and Zelensky in Japan, where the matter was discussed. According to the foreign minister, the former president of Kazakhstan made a “general offer to help organize such a meeting”, which was …

  • Russian Kalashnikov concern to produce NATO-standardized AK-12

    The chief designer of the Kalashnikov concern, Sergey Urzhumtsev, told RIA Novosti in an interview  that the new generation of Kalashnikov assault rifle, AK-12, can get a 5, 56x45mm caliber version which is standardized by NATO.

    According to him, most of the rifles are of 5.45 and 7.62 calibers. But now Kalashnikov has an export order for the AK-12 of caliber 7.62x51mm. "Also, we plan to develop a 5.56x45mm AK-12 according to NATO standard," said Urzhumtsev.

    The Russian army adopted the AK-12 …