Ukrainian engineers upgrade tanks for war (VIDEO)

November 29, 2015 (UATODAY) Advanced tank "Azovets" is ready for testing and battlefield. In this largely abandoned former industrial park in the Kyiv suburbs, a new weapon is being developed. It's one which could potentially revolutionize modern warfare. The Russian-led war in eastern Ukraine has sparked the revival of Ukrainian arms industry. This tank has been designed to be used for in-town operations. The tank is armed with twin quick-firing aircraft guns and equipped with an enhanced defense system.

See video at:

http://uatoday.tv/news/ukrainian-engineers-develop-new-tank-model-that-could-revolutionize-warfare-486400.html

A Russian plane jet has been shot down by Turkish jets. Turkey says the plane, whose nationality has not been confirmed, violated its airspace

November 24, 2015 (www.independent.co.uk) A Russian aircraft SU-24 jet has been shot down by Turkey as President Francois Hollande prepares to meet President Barack Obama to discuss the international strategy against Isis in the wake of the Paris attacks. Rebels claim they shot both pilots dead as they parachuted to the ground.

The footage appears to show an aircraft bursting into flames as it plummets towards the ground in the Hatay province, near the Syrian border. It is believed to have been an SU-24 jet, operated by both Syrian and Russian forces in the area, but both forces have confirmed the plane was Russian. Turkey’s Dogan news agency claimed the pilot was given as many as 10 warnings as it entered the country’s territory before it was brought down by two Turkish F16 jets at an altitude of 6,000m.A Russian helicopter that was searching for the crew of the shot-down warplane has itself been shot down, hit by rebel fire in Syria. One serviceman was killed, Russia's military said. At another press conference, Nato general secretary Jens Stoltenberg has said "we stand in solidarity with Turkey" following the downing of the Russian plane. Speaking about whether the plane really did enter Turkish airspace, Stoltenberg said the intelligence provided by Nato members was consistent with what Turkey claim. Obama agreed at his press conference, saying: "Turkey, like every country, has the right to defend its territory and its airspace."

U.S. Begins Second Phase of Ukrainian Training, Equipping Mission

November 23, 2015 (US Department of Defense) The United States has begun the second phase of its Fearless Guardian mission to train and equip Ukrainian forces, Pentagon spokesman Navy Capt. Jeff Davis said today. The United States has committed more than $265 million in equipment and training to the mission, Davis told reporters at the Pentagon.

The effort, which Congress approved in 2014, is to help Ukraine better monitor and secure its border, operate more safely and effectively, and preserve and enforce its territorial integrity, the spokesman said. "This is part of our ongoing efforts to contribute to Ukraine's long-term military reform and professionalism, and to help improve Ukraine's internal defense capabilities and training capacity," Davis said.

The phase that began today will train up to five battalions of Ministry of Defense personnel and one battalion of special operations forces personnel, he said. U.S. forces just completed training Ukrainian national guard forces. About 300 U.S. soldiers from the 173rd Airborne Brigade are participating in the training, which is taking place in western Ukraine. NATO allies and other U.S. personnel are participating as well.

Davis said that in addition to the training, the United States will be working with the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense on a training center and other institution-level development.The Ministry of Defense training will be conducted at the International Peacekeeping and Security Center at Yavoriv, and the special operations forces training will be conducted in Khmelnitsky.

Official visit of the head of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Vladimir Groisman to the Kingdom of Sweden and Republic of Finland

November 16, 2015 (The Voice of Ukraine) On Monday, Chairperson of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Volodymyr Groysman started his official two-day visit to the Kingdom of Sweden and Republic of Finland. He visited the National Archives and "future city" of Hammarby Sjostad in Stockholm.

The Chairperson of the Verkhovna Rada looked through the progenitor of the Constitution of Pylyp Orlyk and studied conceptual and major principles of construction of modern cities using brand new technologies, energy saving concepts, and innovations in the field of provision of housing-public utility services.

"I'd like the decentralization constitutional amendments to be looked through the very same way in some 300 years," Groysman said during his visit to the National Archives. He also added that final voting for the amendments to the Basic Law "will be the last decision required to turn Ukraine into a modern European state."

Antonov An-178 making its Dubai air show debut

November 15, 2015 Ukrainian manufacturer Antonov plans to display the An-178 twin-turbofan transport, making its Dubai Airshow debut. The aircraft, a derivative of the An-158 regional airliner, made its first flight on May 4. Marketed as a military airliner and commercial freighter, the An-178 is designed to replace the widely used An-12 turboprop transport.

Congress Passes Bill Giving Lethal Aid To Ukraine

November 10, 2015 (Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty)   US Congress has passed a defense policy bill that authorizes up to $50 million in lethal military aid for Ukraine and mandates a White House response if Russia is deemed to be violating a key arms control treaty. The White House said hours after the $607 billion bill was passed by the Senate on November 10 that President Barack Obama was likely to sign the legislation. The House of Representatives passed a similar version of the bill last week.

President Obama vetoed the previous bill over provisions that forbade the White House from moving the remaining prisoners at the Guantanamo Bay military base in Cuba to U.S. prisons. But he appears to not be threatening a veto on this bill over the Guantanamo prisoner issue this time.

Among other things, the package appropriates $300 million to help Ukraine in its fight against Russian-backed separatists. That includes $50 million for lethal weaponry such as antiarmor weapon systems, mortars, grenade launchers, small arms, and ammunition. The Obama administration has previously resisted calls to provide Ukraine with lethal aid, fearing that could provoke Russia.

The legislation also sets a deadline for the administration to tell Congress whether Russia continues to be in violation of the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces treaty, which eliminated an entire class of nuclear-capable missiles from Europe in the late 1980s. The State Department’s most recent arms control report released in June said Russia was testing a missile system that violated the treaty. Moscow, for its part, has denied the allegations and accused the United States of deploying banned weapons systems. The legislation also includes $715 million for Iraqi forces battling Islamic state militants.

Putin repeats promise to 'defend' Russians abroad while NATO prepares for worst

November 7, 2015 (UATODAY) NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg says the military alliance is ready to defend its members against Russia's growing military threat to European and global security. Russia invaded Ukraine last year, sending Special Forces to seize Crimea and thousands of Russian troops also occupy eastern regions of the country.

"NATO has to be able to defend any ally against any threat. We are able to do that today but we have also to recognize that the world is changing and therefore NATO has to adapt and now we are addressing the challenge of what we call long-term adaptation. We have also increased our presence in the eastern part of the alliance with more pre-positioning and also with the establishment of the small headquarters, the NATO force integration units and they are key because they are the link between national forces and NATO forces," Stoltenberg said.

Over the last two years Russia has conducted numerous large-scale military exercises.

Most recently in October Russian elite Special Forces carried out anti-terrorist operation drills in the southern Krasnodar region bordering Crimean peninsula, annexed from Ukraine.

In Moscow on Thursday, Russian President Putin vowed to protect Russians in conflict areas and said he would ensure Russians "living abroad" would always have "their interests" protected.

See video and read more at http://uatoday.tv/politics/putin-repeats-promise-to-defend-russains-abroad-while-nato-prepares-for-worst-528389.html

President Poroshenko legalizes foreigners in Ukrainian Army

November 3, 2015 (UNIAN News Agency) Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko signed the Law "On amendments to some legislative acts of Ukraine concerning military service in the Armed Forces of Ukraine by foreigners and stateless persons," the presidential press service has told UNIAN. The Law, which was adopted by the Verkhovna Rada on October 6, 2015 provides for foreigners and stateless persons to be liable for contracted military service in the Armed Forces of Ukraine and other ukrainian military formations. This will enhance combat capabilities of the Armed Forces and other military formations, as the country will receive more combat-capable, experienced and motivated battalion-level units totaling up to a thousand troops. Due to foreigners joining the ranks of the Ukrainian Army and other military formations, the need for conscription of the Ukrainian citizens during a special period mobilization will be also reduced.

Read more on UNIAN:http://www.unian.info/politics/1173085-poroshenko-legalizes-foreigners-in-ukrainian-army.html