Category: Russian Federation

  • MIL-OSI Russia: The government will allocate over 4 billion rubles for the purchase of agricultural machinery for leasing

    Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

    Source: Government of the Russian Federation – An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

    Documents

    Order dated March 27, 2025 No. 737-r

    Order dated March 27, 2025 No. 738-r

    The government continues to work on updating the agricultural machinery fleet and reducing the financial burden on farmers. More than 4 billion rubles will be allocated from the federal budget for the purchase of agricultural machinery, which will then be leased. The orders to this effect were signed by Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin.

    The funds reserved in the federal budget are intended for Rosagroleasing. The decisions will allow for the purchase of various agricultural machinery. It will be transferred to farmers, including under preferential leasing agreements.

    In total, 4.5 billion rubles of budget investments are planned to be allocated for these purposes in 2025. This will allow purchasing at least 300 units of domestic agricultural machinery.

    Commenting on the decision taken at a meeting with deputy prime ministers on March 31, Mikhail Mishustin noted that this issue was discussed during the Government’s recent annual report to the State Duma.

    “It is important that farmers receive new machines as soon as possible. The demand for agricultural machinery is growing now, which means that the industry should not have a shortage of the necessary components for harvesting,” the Prime Minister emphasized.

    The work is being carried out within the framework of the state program “Development of industry and increasing its competitiveness.”

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    MIL OSI Russia News

  • MIL-OSI Russia: The government is launching new programs in the field of creating agricultural machinery and producing veterinary drugs

    Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

    Source: Government of the Russian Federation – An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

    Document

    Resolution of March 27, 2025 No. 395

    The Government, on the instructions of the President, continues to work to achieve technological sovereignty in the field of agricultural engineering and to form a sustainable system of national biological security. A resolution has been signed supplementing the Federal Scientific and Technical Program for the Development of Agriculture with two new subprograms: “Agricultural Machinery and Equipment” and “Development of Technologies for the Production of Veterinary Medicines.”

    The total funding for the first subprogram, which will be implemented in 2025–2030, will amount to approximately 15.8 billion rubles. Federal budget funds will amount to over 13.1 billion rubles, and attracted investments will amount to over 2.7 billion rubles. The implementation of the subprogram activities, in particular, involves the development and creation of modern tractors, self-propelled combines for harvesting grain, potatoes, beets and other agricultural crops. It is also planned to create domestic equipment for the maintenance and harvesting of fruit and berry plantations and vineyards, modern sprayers, fertilizer spreading machines, seeders, milking systems, and egg sorting machines. It is expected that at least 27 new types of agricultural machinery will be developed by 2030.

    The implementation of the second subprogram, dedicated to the development of veterinary drug production, is also planned for 2025–2030. The volume of funding from the state will amount to more than 4.4 billion rubles. Another 12 billion rubles are planned to be raised from extra-budgetary sources. The main goal of the subprogram is to create new, competitive domestic veterinary drugs and meet the domestic needs of the livestock industry for such drugs. For this purpose, it is planned to develop and clinically test new vaccines and veterinary drugs for pigs, poultry, cattle, and farmed fish, and then launch them into industrial production.

    Successful implementation of the subprogram will allow achieving a 70% level of provision of livestock with domestic veterinary drugs by 2030. By the same date, the level of provision with Russian vaccines should be 61%.

    During a meeting with deputy prime ministers on March 31, Mikhail Mishustin instructed Dmitry Patrushev to monitor the progress of the subprograms. “We need to ensure that all these projects go into production as soon as possible and become available to consumers,” the Prime Minister emphasized.

    The signed document introduces changes toGovernment Resolution of August 25, 2017 No. 996.

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    MIL OSI Russia News

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Dmitry Chernyshenko: Almost 8 million users and over 130 thousand organizations are registered on the Dobro.rf platform

    Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

    Source: Government of the Russian Federation – An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

    “President Vladimir Putin emphasizes that compassion and support for those in need have always been present in the hearts of our people, and the fact that young people are involved in volunteer activities is doubly, triply important. Since 2025, work to involve young people in volunteer and social activities has been carried out within the framework of the national project “Youth and Children”. Almost 8 million users and over 130 thousand organizations have already registered on the Dobro.rf platform, which have implemented more than 100 thousand projects. We encourage all volunteers to register on the platform. This will ensure the implementation of support measures for volunteers and provide guarantees of safety in work,” said Dmitry Chernyshenko.

    The head of Rosmolodezh Grigory Gurov emphasized that over 10 years, Russia has managed to create a powerful movement of caring people, form a culture of participation and mutual support, and increase the share of Russians in volunteer projects from 3% to 28%. The volunteer community has become a support for the state in the socio-economic sphere.

    “We are creating all the conditions for the development of infrastructure and support of specialized initiatives. Our mission until 2030, including within the framework of the new national project “Youth and Children” is to reveal the potential of every Russian, to cultivate trust and partnership between people, communities and the state. We see that the potential for civic activity exists in all ages: from childhood to “silver”. This is confirmed by the VTsIOM study, according to which the number of Russians ready to engage in volunteer activities has grown from 20% to 67%,” said Grigory Gurov.

    Today, the Dobro.rf ecosystem is the largest community in the “third sector”, which includes services for the development of civil society and a culture of mutual assistance, support for volunteering and NGOs, training, mentoring, donation, volunteer programs in schools and universities, and international cooperation programs. Dobro.rf is a national social brand created with the support of President Vladimir Putin.

    The flagship projects of the ecosystem are the Dobro.rf platform, where all volunteer projects are collected, and the all-Russian mutual aid project

    “The platform’s tools help people choose a project they like to become a volunteer, and volunteer organizers find assistants and partners. Users can receive material and non-material incentives for their activity, undergo training, and fill out volunteer books to record the hours spent as a volunteer. Event organizers have the opportunity to search for grants or other support measures through the platform,” emphasized Artem Metelev, head of the Dobro.rf ecosystem and chairman of the State Duma Committee on Youth Policy.

    Dobro.rf is also developing the Service Learning program, which has already provided socially oriented project-based learning in 415 universities, as well as the Mentor.rf project, which has united large organizations and verified mentors from various fields. Under the Dobro.Center project, federal franchises of social assistance centers have been opened in more than 600 municipalities, and with the help of the Dobro.Navigator aggregator of support measures for NGOs and individuals, over 3.5 thousand support measures have been created for about 1 thousand organizations.

    For users of the ecosystem, a Single ID has been introduced for all services: State Services, My Documents, Dobro.rf and DobroCenter.

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    MIL OSI Russia News

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Dmitry Patrushev: Protecting biological diversity is one of the most important tasks in the environmental protection sphere

    Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

    Source: Government of the Russian Federation – An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

    Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Patrushev took part in the first meeting of the Coordination Committee for the support of environmental and nature conservation projects. It was chaired by First Deputy Chief of Staff of the Presidential Executive Office of Russia Sergei Kiriyenko.

    “The activities of the Presidential Fund for Ecological and Nature Conservation Projects will be aimed, among other things, at preserving rare and endangered species of plants and animals. Our country has unique biological diversity, and its protection is one of the most important tasks in the environmental sphere. However, we cannot do without consolidating the efforts of the authorities and the public. We need educational projects in the field of protecting wild animals, plants and unique ecosystems. We have many areas in which to prove ourselves and contribute to the environmental well-being of our country,” said Dmitry Patrushev.

    The Deputy Prime Minister cited the example of the Arctic zone, where work on ecological improvement of territories, preservation of biodiversity has been underway for several years, with the active involvement of businesses, public organizations and volunteers. Dmitry Patrushev emphasized that these activities must be continued, including in dialogue with the presidential foundation.

    The Russian Nature Reserve Fund is one of the largest in the world. It is about 12 thousand specially protected natural areas. The Deputy Prime Minister added that one of the grant areas chosen is to promote the development of human resources in specially protected natural areas, as well as charitable and volunteer activities on their basis.

    The Presidential Fund for Ecological and Nature Conservation Projects was registered on March 3, 2025. It was created in accordance with the decree of the President of Russia. The main grant areas include the protection of rare and endangered animal species, as well as their habitats, the study and monitoring of biodiversity, information and educational projects in the field of protecting wild animals, unique and relict ecosystems, as well as plant species listed in the Red Books.

    The First Deputy Chief of Staff of the Presidential Executive Office of Russia Sergei Kiriyenko has been appointed Chairman of the Coordination Committee for the Support of Environmental and Nature Protection Projects. His deputies are the Special Representative of the President of Russia for Environmental Protection, Ecology and Transport Sergei Ivanov and Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Patrushev.

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    MIL OSI Russia News

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Financial News: Suspicious Transactions Declined by 21% in 2024

    Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

    Source: Central Bank of Russia –

    They fell from 113 billion rubles to 90 billion rubles. This reduction was more significant than in the previous 2 years (by 5% in 2022 and by 12% in 2023), it says. in the analytical material Bank of Russia.

    Transactions with signs of transferring funds abroad decreased by 17% over the year, to 25.6 billion rubles. As before, they were mainly carried out using advance payments for import deliveries without subsequent import of goods into Russia. The volume of these schemes decreased by a third. At the same time, the share of suspicious transfers to non-residents for goods that are allegedly purchased from them on the territory of Russia without crossing the border increased.

    The volume of illegal cashing decreased by 22%, to 64.2 billion rubles. Cashing on payment cards of companies and individual entrepreneurs decreased more significantly, more than 2 times.

    Banks have been able to effectively combat the risks of money laundering and terrorist financing, including through the development of online tools for monitoring suspicious transactions, as well as the prompt identification of risks on the Know Your Customer platform.

    In October 2024, the Bank of Russia opened service, with the help of which anyone can check whether a company belongs to the high-risk level on the platform. The service has proven to be in demand among businesses: since its opening, it has been accessed more than 200 thousand times.

    Preview photo: UnderhilStudio / Shutterstock / Fotodom

    Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    Please Note; This Information is Raw Content Directly from the Information Source. It is access to What the Source Is Stating and Does Not Reflect

    HTTPS: //VVV.KBR.ru/Press/Event/? ID = 23504

    MIL OSI Russia News

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Working visit of Alexey Overchuk to China

    Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

    Source: Government of the Russian Federation – An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

    On March 27–28, Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation Alexey Overchuk paid a working visit to the People’s Republic of China (Hainan Island), heading the Russian delegation at the annual Boao Forum for Asia.

    During his speech at the session “Creating favorable conditions for peaceful development and ensuring overall economic security,” the Deputy Prime Minister spoke in detail about the creation of international partnerships aimed at forming a reliable basis for sustainable economic growth in the Eurasian region, including the construction of transport and logistics systems and an independent payment infrastructure.

    Alexey Overchuk spoke about the initiative of the Greater Eurasian Partnership, put forward by Russian President Vladimir Putin, which implies the interconnectedness of the economies of Eurasia and is based on the idea of economic security and integration.

    The Deputy Prime Minister noted that the Northern Eurasia macro-region serves as an example of multi-level economic integration, where such associations as the Union State of Russia and Belarus, the Eurasian Economic Union, and the Commonwealth of Independent States operate.

    At the same time, in Asia there is the Chinese initiative “One Belt, One Road”, ASEAN, the Organization of the Gulf States and other organizations that unite the countries and regions of the global South. Many countries of Asia and Eurasia, including the three largest economies of the continent – China, India and Russia, participate in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and BRICS. Russia and China are also members of APEC.

    The Deputy Prime Minister stressed that the unification of these multilateral efforts will lead to the creation of the impetus needed to build a more sustainable future and socio-economic progress, develop and implement new technologies, increase economic connectivity, and strengthen intercultural communication in Eurasia.

    During the visit, the Deputy Prime Minister held talks with Vice Premier of the State Council of the People’s Republic of China Ding Xuexiang. During the conversation, it was noted that further development of strategic partnership in all sectors of the economy meets the interests of both countries. The trusting dialogue between the leaders of the two countries, Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping, plays a decisive role in the development of Russian-Chinese cooperation. Mutual high-level visits are planned for the spring-autumn of 2025, timed to coincide with the celebrations of the 80th anniversary of Victory in World War II.

    Alexey Overchuk emphasized that Russia is ready to jointly implement the agreements reached by the heads of the two states and continuously deepen Russian-Chinese relations of comprehensive partnership and strategic interaction.

    “Russia and China need to expand trade relations, scientific and technical cooperation, and create new production and cooperation chains,” said the Deputy Prime Minister.

    During the talks, it was noted that China remains Russia’s main foreign trade partner. By the end of 2024, mutual trade approached the $245 billion mark. Over 95% of bilateral settlements are conducted in rubles and yuan.

    The parties are implementing joint projects in industry, energy, high technology, space, transport, automotive engineering and other sectors.

    Cultural and humanitarian ties are actively developing. The countries’ mutual interest in each other’s history, culture and traditions is high and continues to grow. The cross-cultural years of Russia and China are being held successfully, more than half of the 230 events of the Russian part have been held.

    Alexey Overchuk also invited representatives of the leadership and business community of the PRC to take part in international economic forums held in Russia – the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum in June and the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok in September 2025.

    Vice Premier of the State Council of the People’s Republic of China Ding Xuexiang stressed that relations between China and Russia have become a model of cooperation between major neighboring powers, stating that Beijing, together with Moscow, is ready, in line with the important agreements reached by the heads of state of the two countries, to deepen political contacts and strengthen practical cooperation for the benefit of the peoples of the two countries.

    On the sidelines of the forum, Alexey Overchuk held talks with the Chairman of the Provisional Government of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh Muhammad Yunus. During the meeting, it was noted that the countries are striving to strengthen friendly relations and develop trade and economic ties on a mutually beneficial basis. According to the results of 2024, mutual trade between Russia and Bangladesh amounted to 2.66 billion dollars.

    The parties discussed issues of cooperation in the fields of industry, energy, food security, and the cultural and humanitarian sphere. The Deputy Prime Minister noted the need to continue work to expand the regulatory framework for bilateral cooperation, emphasizing the importance of activating the format of the Russian-Bangladesh Intergovernmental Commission on Trade, Economic, Scientific and Technical Cooperation for the development of bilateral relations.

    During the Russian-Pakistani meeting, which also took place on the sidelines of the forum, Deputy Prime Minister Alexey Overchuk and Minister of Finance of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan Muhammad Aurangzeb considered priority issues on the bilateral agenda, including cooperation in energy and food security.

    The parties noted the active development of Russian-Pakistani cooperation. In 2024, a series of mutual visits took place between governments and parliaments.

    Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    MIL OSI Russia News

  • MIL-OSI Global: Nuclear war threat: why Africa’s pushing for a complete ban

    Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Olamide Samuel, Track II Diplomat and Expert in Nuclear Politics, University of Leicester

    At a time of heightened geopolitical tensions between Russia and Ukraine, intensified by strategic dynamics involving the US, Nato and Russia over Europe’s security, nuclear weapons are back on the agenda.

    In recent times, Russia has openly threatened to use nuclear weapons. The UK and France are considering ways to rapidly increase their nuclear weapons stockpiles.

    Germany, Poland, Sweden, Finland, South Korea and Japan are now seeking nuclear weapons capabilities.

    Even a limited nuclear war in Europe would lead to catastrophic global climatic effects. Huge amounts of debris thrown high into the atmosphere would block sunlight, causing global temperatures to drop sharply. It would be much harder to grow food around the world.

    This would severely threaten Africa’s food security, exacerbating mass migration, disrupting supply chains and potentially collapsing public order systems.

    How should African countries respond to this growing threat?

    Based on my experience in nuclear non-proliferation and politics, I argue that African leaders need to proactively confront the risks, while there is still time.

    All African states, except for South Sudan, abide by the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. This is an international agreement which limits the spread of nuclear weapons. And 43 African states have gone further to join the African Nuclear Weapons Free Zone Treaty (Treaty of Pelindaba). This was negotiated in the belief that it would “protect African states against possible nuclear attacks on their territories”.

    As conflict and uncertainty pushes many western leaders to support the madness of nuclear weapons proliferation, African leaders are in a unique position to push back against this.

    Africa’s strength in numbers in the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, also known as the Nuclear Ban Treaty, is a vehicle the continent can use to address nuclear weapons risks, head-on.

    Global divide

    On one side, nuclear-armed states cling to deterrence for their national security. They insist that possessing nuclear arsenals keeps them safe.

    At present, there are nine nuclear-armed states: the US, Russia, the UK, China, France, India, Pakistan, Israel and North Korea. These countries possess around 12,331 nuclear warheads (as of 2025).

    The use of only 10% of these weapons could disrupt the global climate and threaten the lives of up to 2 billion people.

    On the other side, African countries and other non-nuclear-weapon states such as Ireland, Austria, New Zealand and Mexico highlight how deterrence creates unacceptable risks for the entire international community.

    This global majority – the 93 countries that have signed the Nuclear Ban Treaty and 73 that are party to it – argue that real safety comes from eliminating nuclear threats.

    The Nuclear Ban Treaty became international law on 22 January 2021. It is the first instance of international law challenging the legality and morality of nuclear deterrence.

    Since 2022, states parties to the Nuclear Ban Treaty have held formal meetings to address current nuclear risks. In March 2025, at their third meeting, 17 African states officially recognised nuclear deterrence as a critical security concern. They called on nuclear armed states to end deterrence.

    The deterioration of the international security environment is so palpable that there has been a noticeable shift in nuclear ban states’ perception of nuclear threats. Nuclear disarmament is no longer just a humanitarian or moral concern to these states, it is now a national security concern.

    South Africa warned that

    any use of nuclear weapons would result in catastrophic humanitarian consequences that would have a global impact.

    Ghana likewise stressed that Africa is not immune to nuclear war’s fallout:

    Africa, despite its geographic distance from the immediate hotspots of nuclear conflict, is not immune to the repercussions of nuclear weapons.

    Africa bears a unique historical connection to nuclear issues. Nuclear testing in the Sahara Desert in the 1960s, when France detonated nuclear bombs in Algeria, had devastating consequences. Widespread radioactive contamination harmed local communities, caused long-lasting health problems, displaced populations, and left large areas environmentally damaged and unsafe for generations.

    For its part, Nigeria recalled that Africa had “long acknowledged the existential threat nuclear weapons posed to human existence.”

    The meeting determined that it is unacceptable that states parties are exposed to nuclear risks, “created without their control and without accountability”. It stressed that eliminating nuclear risks “is a prime and legitimate concern and national responsibility” of states.

    Next steps

    Delegates effectively asked whether their own national security concerns had less value than those of nuclear-armed states. I think this is a valid question.

    Africa’s leaders and their allies in the Nuclear Ban Treaty are reframing what “national security” means in the nuclear age.

    Rather than accepting a world perpetually held hostage by the madness of nuclear deterrence, they are asserting that the security of nations – and of peoples – is best served by dismantling this threat to humanity.

    They are prioritising human life, development and international law over the threat of overwhelming force.

    The outcome of this contest will have profound implications, not just for Africa but for the entire globe.

    Olamide Samuel is affiliated with the Open Nuclear Network.

    ref. Nuclear war threat: why Africa’s pushing for a complete ban – https://theconversation.com/nuclear-war-threat-why-africas-pushing-for-a-complete-ban-253171

    MIL OSI – Global Reports

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Nuclear war threat: why Africa’s pushing for a complete ban

    Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Olamide Samuel, Track II Diplomat and Expert in Nuclear Politics, University of Leicester

    At a time of heightened geopolitical tensions between Russia and Ukraine, intensified by strategic dynamics involving the US, Nato and Russia over Europe’s security, nuclear weapons are back on the agenda.

    In recent times, Russia has openly threatened to use nuclear weapons. The UK and France are considering ways to rapidly increase their nuclear weapons stockpiles.

    Germany, Poland, Sweden, Finland, South Korea and Japan are now seeking nuclear weapons capabilities.

    Even a limited nuclear war in Europe would lead to catastrophic global climatic effects. Huge amounts of debris thrown high into the atmosphere would block sunlight, causing global temperatures to drop sharply. It would be much harder to grow food around the world.

    This would severely threaten Africa’s food security, exacerbating mass migration, disrupting supply chains and potentially collapsing public order systems.

    How should African countries respond to this growing threat?

    Based on my experience in nuclear non-proliferation and politics, I argue that African leaders need to proactively confront the risks, while there is still time.

    All African states, except for South Sudan, abide by the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. This is an international agreement which limits the spread of nuclear weapons. And 43 African states have gone further to join the African Nuclear Weapons Free Zone Treaty (Treaty of Pelindaba). This was negotiated in the belief that it would “protect African states against possible nuclear attacks on their territories”.

    As conflict and uncertainty pushes many western leaders to support the madness of nuclear weapons proliferation, African leaders are in a unique position to push back against this.

    Africa’s strength in numbers in the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, also known as the Nuclear Ban Treaty, is a vehicle the continent can use to address nuclear weapons risks, head-on.

    Global divide

    On one side, nuclear-armed states cling to deterrence for their national security. They insist that possessing nuclear arsenals keeps them safe.

    At present, there are nine nuclear-armed states: the US, Russia, the UK, China, France, India, Pakistan, Israel and North Korea. These countries possess around 12,331 nuclear warheads (as of 2025).

    The use of only 10% of these weapons could disrupt the global climate and threaten the lives of up to 2 billion people.

    On the other side, African countries and other non-nuclear-weapon states such as Ireland, Austria, New Zealand and Mexico highlight how deterrence creates unacceptable risks for the entire international community.

    This global majority – the 93 countries that have signed the Nuclear Ban Treaty and 73 that are party to it – argue that real safety comes from eliminating nuclear threats.

    The Nuclear Ban Treaty became international law on 22 January 2021. It is the first instance of international law challenging the legality and morality of nuclear deterrence.

    Since 2022, states parties to the Nuclear Ban Treaty have held formal meetings to address current nuclear risks. In March 2025, at their third meeting, 17 African states officially recognised nuclear deterrence as a critical security concern. They called on nuclear armed states to end deterrence.

    The deterioration of the international security environment is so palpable that there has been a noticeable shift in nuclear ban states’ perception of nuclear threats. Nuclear disarmament is no longer just a humanitarian or moral concern to these states, it is now a national security concern.

    South Africa warned that

    any use of nuclear weapons would result in catastrophic humanitarian consequences that would have a global impact.

    Ghana likewise stressed that Africa is not immune to nuclear war’s fallout:

    Africa, despite its geographic distance from the immediate hotspots of nuclear conflict, is not immune to the repercussions of nuclear weapons.

    Africa bears a unique historical connection to nuclear issues. Nuclear testing in the Sahara Desert in the 1960s, when France detonated nuclear bombs in Algeria, had devastating consequences. Widespread radioactive contamination harmed local communities, caused long-lasting health problems, displaced populations, and left large areas environmentally damaged and unsafe for generations.

    For its part, Nigeria recalled that Africa had “long acknowledged the existential threat nuclear weapons posed to human existence.”

    The meeting determined that it is unacceptable that states parties are exposed to nuclear risks, “created without their control and without accountability”. It stressed that eliminating nuclear risks “is a prime and legitimate concern and national responsibility” of states.

    Next steps

    Delegates effectively asked whether their own national security concerns had less value than those of nuclear-armed states. I think this is a valid question.

    Africa’s leaders and their allies in the Nuclear Ban Treaty are reframing what “national security” means in the nuclear age.

    Rather than accepting a world perpetually held hostage by the madness of nuclear deterrence, they are asserting that the security of nations – and of peoples – is best served by dismantling this threat to humanity.

    They are prioritising human life, development and international law over the threat of overwhelming force.

    The outcome of this contest will have profound implications, not just for Africa but for the entire globe.

    – Nuclear war threat: why Africa’s pushing for a complete ban
    – https://theconversation.com/nuclear-war-threat-why-africas-pushing-for-a-complete-ban-253171

    MIL OSI Africa

  • MIL-OSI: Salad Disrupts AI Transcription Market: Highest Accuracy at the Lowest Cost

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    SALT LAKE CITY, March 31, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Salad Technologies, a leader in distributed cloud computing, today announced the launch of the upgraded Salad Transcription API, delivering the highest accuracy in the industry for AI batch transcription at the lowest cost.

    Ranking No.1 in an accuracy benchmark (95.1% accuracy rate), Salad’s API outperforms all major market alternatives, such as Deepgram, Assembly AI, Amazon Transcribe, Google Speech-to-Text, and OpenAI Whisper. The API is priced at just $0.16 per hour – at least 40% lower than competing APIs

    Designed for high-volume enterprise batch transcription, this launch sets a new industry standard – combining cutting-edge AI accuracy with unprecedented affordability. With asynchronous processing, the API can transcribe millions of hours of audio in parallel, making it genuinely built for scale.

    “There is an epidemic of overcharging in AI transcription today. Enterprises and startups have been forced to overpay for Transcription APIs as providers passed on the high cost of custom model research, large team sizes, and datacenter GPUs for inference to customers,” said Bob Miles, CEO of Salad Technologies. 

    “With Salad’s Transcription API, we’ve broken that cycle – delivering best-in-class accuracy while halving the cost to customers. Without training a proprietary model, Salad has taken an open source, multi-step, multimodal approach to ship the most powerful, cost-effective batch transcription API available today.”

    The API delivers transcription, translation, summarization, custom prompts, and custom vocabulary as a fully unified solution – no hidden fees, upcharges, or secondary API calls – just one all-inclusive rate for every advanced feature.

    Accuracy Benchmark Results

    Results from an accuracy benchmark over the CommonVoice5.1 dataset show the Salad Transcription API achieved the highest Word Accuracy Rate in English (95.1%), Spanish (96.8%), and German (96.3%) and the lowest Word Error Rate (WER).

    The benchmark processed over 1 million audio files, surpassing 4,500 hours of audio, and with new in-house optimizations, Salad Transcription API outperformed all six major API providers in accuracy across multiple languages.

    The API also shows industry-best accuracy for Russian (96.3%), Italian (93.3%), Portuguese (92%), and French (92%). 

    “With this API, our goal is to democratize the AI Transcription landscape and help companies realize massive cost savings at a price point that unlocks new use cases with the industry’s best accuracy,” said Bob Miles, CEO of Salad Technologies. 

    For more information, visit the website: https://salad.com/transcription

    About Salad Technologies

    Salad Technologies is a leader in distributed cloud computing, leveraging idle consumer and datacenter GPUs to deliver high-performance compute at industry-low costs. Our mission is to democratize cloud computing by utilizing latent consumer resources to power a sustainable, affordable, and environmentally friendly cloud for everyone.

    Media Contact:
    Prashanth Shankara
    prashanth.shankara@salad.com

    A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/ccd7d05b-7ce3-42fd-82a0-aa7225d18f8a

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Lectures on the “star” graduating class of 1885 were held at SPbGASU

    Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

    Source: Saint Petersburg State University of Architecture and Civil Engineering – Saint Petersburg State University of Architecture and Civil Engineering –

    Within the framework of the V National (All-Russian) scientific and practical conference with international participation “Reconstruction and restoration of architectural heritage” (RRAN-2025), a lecture block “On the 140th anniversary of the “star graduation” was held. Its initiators were Associate Professor of the Department of Urban Development of SPbGASU, PhD in Architecture Svetlana Levoshko, PhD in Philosophy, independent researcher Elena Travina and Director of the Historical and Information Center of SPbGASU Elena Klimenko.

    The reason to celebrate this date is truly loud: in 1885, the Institute of Civil Engineers (IGI, now SPbGASU) graduated a galaxy of architects and engineers who became world-class professionals and made a huge contribution to the development of our country. Among them are the director of IGI, architect, statesman Vasily Kosyakov (1862-1921), civil engineer Gavriil Baranovsky (1860-1920), architect Nikolay Sokolov (1859-1906). As the researchers who spoke emphasized, new details are still being revealed in the biographies and professional activities of these outstanding individuals.

    Professor of the Department of Urban Development of SPbGASU Sergey Semenov called holding such meetings a good idea, since the accumulation and preservation of information is of great value. It is no coincidence that during the Great Patriotic War, the Nazi troops primarily sought to destroy museums, libraries and educational institutions, including our university.

    “Graduates who have become outstanding engineers and architects confirm the highest level of training of specialists at our university at all times. The basic knowledge base was mastered by students even with low academic performance. Thus, Mikhail Eisenstein, the father of the famous director, worked as the chief architect of Riga and built several streets, some buildings of which are recognized as cultural heritage sites. The best graduates are a good example for students,” noted Sergey Semenov.

    Moderator of the lecture block Svetlana Levoshko clarified that the discussion will be about “star” graduates who have made a great contribution to the development of the industry and the country.

    The Kosyakovs’ example: talent and hard work lead to success

    Doctor of Art History, Academician of the Russian Academy of Arts, Professor of the Faculty of Arts of Moscow State University, graduate of the Leningrad Institute of Civil Engineering (now St. Petersburg State University of Architecture and Civil Engineering) in 1983. Sergei Savelyev initially wrote three books about Nikolai Vladimirovich Sultanov (1850–1908), Director of the Institute of Civil Engineers (1895–1903), Russian architect, civil engineer, art historian and architectural historian, restorer, teacher, and full member of the Imperial Academy of Arts.

    “Vasily Antonovich Kosyakov was a student of Nikolay Vladimirovich Sultanov and a graduate of the IGI architectural and construction school, the largest in Europe at the time, comparable to German and French schools. Only thanks to such a powerful school did Kosyakov develop into a major architect and statesman: he was an elected director of the IGI and held many other posts, including a member of the economic administration of the Holy Synod. At the end of his life, he became an architect of the Imperial Court, that is, he reached heights in his professional service activities. This indicates that talented people had every opportunity for development in the Russian Empire. Vasily Kosyakov was of humble origin – his father was a master of the kitchen workshop, in other words, a cook. During his years of study at the IGI, Kosyakov wrote a petition for a scholarship and even received a certificate of poverty. In essence, a person who had neither a status nor a financial starting point, reached heights solely due to his talent and hard work. For today’s students, this is a great example,” noted Sergey Savelyev.

    He added that Vasily Kosyakov is inseparable from the work of his two brothers Vladimir and Georgy. Georgy studied at the Academy of Arts, in the workshop of L. N. Benois and was an excellent artist, watercolourist, member of the society of architects and artists, artists of watercolour painting, participated in exhibitions. The ornamentation in Vasily Kosyakov’s projects appears precisely thanks to him. Their joint famous work of architecture is the Naval Cathedral in Kronstadt. Vladimir Kosyakov also studied at the IGI and was a remarkable architect and artist.

    “The example of the Kosyakov brothers is relevant for today’s students: you need to do graphics, draw, despite the computer programs. Each of the brothers had a certain professional profile. Vasily could do everything: he is a universal specialist in organizing construction. Georgy is a master of watercolors, an architect and artist. Vladimir was also involved in organizing construction work, a school for foremen for construction work, that is, he worked as a foreman. The qualifications of builders at that time were at a very high level largely due to the fact that the architectural community took the training of construction workers into its own hands,” explained Sergei Savelyev.

    He emphasized that the Kosyakovs’ theme is inexhaustible. In the course of the research, it is possible to discover more and more new materials, since their activity falls on the “silver age”: the heyday of Russian literature and fine arts, painting and architecture of the late 19th – early 20th centuries. And these people constituted one of the important pages of the IGI school. Many beautiful churches, public buildings, engineering structures were built. By 1917, the IGI architectural and construction school was on the rise. Today, it continues the traditions and serves as a magnificent foundation for new achievements.

    Engineer Baranovsky and architect Sokolov

    Elena Travina recalled that civil engineer Gavriil Vasilyevich Baranovsky (1860–1920) is known for his buildings, which became “postcard views” of St. Petersburg. His creative path began in 1881 in the building of the Construction School/Institute of Civil Engineers.

    “The engineer made a decent career, having risen to the rank of actual state councilor and sitting on all sorts of commissions and committees. But what do we know about the man Gavriil Baranovsky: his family, youth, friends, hobbies? Over more than ten years of research, we managed to find photographs, documents, projects that were previously unknown and not introduced into scientific circulation. They allowed us to imagine the image of Baranovsky – a son, husband, father, friend, a man who completely devoted himself to his favorite business – architecture, but at the same time a versatile personality. His son characterized his father as a mathematician, philologist, artist, lawyer and philosopher. Without all this knowledge, Gavriil Baranovsky would not have been able to publish the magazine “Builder”, create the seven-volume “Architectural Encyclopedia of the Late 19th – Early 20th Century”, work on the legal subtleties of the Construction Code and write the philosophical treatise “World Matter and Its Derivatives. Geometric Manifestation of the Ontological Problem”, explained Elena Travina.

    On July 30, 1920, his funeral service was held in the Dukhovskaya Church in the village of Kellomäki (now the village of Komarovo in the Kurortny District of St. Petersburg). In 2020, a cenotaph was erected in his memory at the local cemetery (designed by architect R. M. Dayanov).

    Let us recall some of Baranovsky’s famous works: the Eliseev Brothers Trading Company building on Nevsky Prospect and the Moscow Eliseevsky store on Tverskaya (together with V. V. Voeikov and M. M. Peretyatkovich).

    Doctor of Architecture, Associate Professor, Head of the Department of History of Architecture, Art and Architectural Restoration at the Southern Federal University Anna Ivanova-Ilyicheva spoke about the architect Nikolai Matveevich Sokolov (1859–1906). Sokolov worked as the chief architect of Rostov-on-Don and left behind a rich architectural heritage.

    Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    MIL OSI Russia News

  • MIL-OSI Russia: HSE and Gorki Leninskiye Museum-Reserve Sign Cooperation Agreement

    Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

    Source: State University Higher School of Economics – State University Higher School of Economics –

    The main objectives are joint scientific research and project activities, assistance in training scientific and pedagogical personnel and advanced training of specialists in the humanities. The document was signed by the dean Faculty of Humanities HSE University Felix Azhimov and Director of the Gorki Leninskiye Museum-Reserve Evgeny Saramud.

    During the interaction, students and postgraduates of the faculty will have the opportunity to undergo practical training and internships at the museum in their field, and for research staff, the agreement provides for the holding of joint events – seminars, conferences, round tables, master classes, symposiums.

    “This agreement will create a platform for deep and meaningful research, and will also provide students with a unique opportunity to apply the theoretical knowledge they have acquired in practice through direct interaction with the country’s cultural and historical heritage,” said the Dean of the Faculty of Humanities at HSE.

    “Our cooperation with the Faculty of Humanities of the Higher School of Economics will open up significant prospects for the development of educational and scientific initiatives. I am sure that we will implement many joint projects, actively exchange knowledge and new educational formats that will contribute to the progress of science and museum activities,” said Yevgeny Saramud, Director of the Gorki Leninskiye Museum-Reserve.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Remarks

    Source: NATO

    First of all, thank you so much, Mr President, dear Donald again for hosting me and also for taking time in Florida a couple of weeks after you were re-elected. And of course, our phone call a couple of weeks ago.

    And I must say, Trump 45 you basically, you originated the fact that in Europe, we’re now spending, when you take it to aggregate 700 billion more on defence than when you came in office in 2016/2017. But that was Trump 45. But then when you look at Trump 47 what happened the last couple of weeks is really staggering. The Europeans committing to a package of 800 billion defence spending. The Germans now potentially up to half a trillion extra in defence spending. And then, of course, you have Keir Starmer here – the British Prime Minister – and others all committing to much higher defence spending. They’re not there. We need to do more. But I really want to work together with you in the run up to the Hague Summit to make sure that we will have a NATO which is really reinvigorated under your leadership, and we are getting there.

    We’ll also discuss defence production, because we need to produce more weaponry. We are not doing enough, and not in the US, not in Europe, and we are lagging behind when you compare to the Russians and the Chinese, and you have a huge defence industrial base. Europeans buying four times more here than the other way around, which is good, because you have a strong defence industry, but we need to do more there to make sure that we ramp up the production and kill the red tape. So I would love to work with you on that.

    And finally, Ukraine. You broke the deadlock, as you said – all the killing, the young people dying, cities getting destroyed. The fact that you did that, that you started the dialogue with the Russians and the successful talks in Saudi Arabia, now with the Ukrainians, I really want to commend you for this. So, well, The Hague is my hometown. I’d love to host you there in the summer and work together to make sure that it will be a splash. A real success – projecting American power on the world stage.

    MIL Security OSI

  • MIL-OSI Security: NATO Secretary General visits the United States of America

    Source: NATO

    On Thursday 13 and Friday 14 March [2025] NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte visited Washington DC to meet the President of the United States of America Donald J. Trump.

    Discussions throughout the trip centred on the urgent need to increase defence spending and production, bring a lasting end to the war against Ukraine, and on other priorities for the forthcoming NATO Summit in The Hague.
     
    On Thursday, the Secretary General participated in a bilateral meeting with President Trump in the Oval Office of the White House. Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, National Security Adviser Mike Waltz, Counselor of the State Department Michael Needham, US Special Envoy for Ukraine and Russia Lieutenant General (ret.) Keith Kellogg, and Ambassador-Nominee Matthew Whitaker, were in attendance. Mr Rutte praised the President for his pivotal role in accelerating Allied defence investment and breaking the deadlock on the war in Ukraine. The conversation continued over a working lunch.
     
    While in Washington, Mr Rutte also met with Senate Majority Leader, John Thune, and a number of other Senators, both Republican and Democrat, and took part in a working lunch hosted by the Atlantic Council.

    MIL Security OSI

  • MIL-OSI Security: NATO Aviation Committee meets in New Zealand to discuss future cooperation on air activities

    Source: NATO

    The NATO Aviation Committee was hosted by the Royal New Zealand Air Force in Christchurch, on 18-20 March 2025. This was the first time a NATO senior policy level committee met in the Indo-Pacific region, and a demonstration of NATO’s commitment to boosting cooperation with its four Indo-Pacific partners (Australia, Japan, New Zealand, and the Republic of Korea).

    Over 100 participants – including from partner countries and international organisations – shared views on the challenges faced by the military aviation of Allied and partner countries, and on the prospects of enhanced resilience, interoperability and civil-military cooperation.

    In the margins of the meeting, a NATO Industry Seminar brought together senior civil and military officials and industry leaders from the region, to better understand the strategic importance of aviation and space capabilities, share lessons learned, and enhance the safe development of cutting-edge commercial innovation. NATO officials also engaged with government officials and representatives of local universities to discuss NATO’s relations with New Zealand.

    In the current context of increasing geopolitical competition, NATO and New Zealand have been strengthening their relations to address shared security challenges and to contribute to defending international law. They also cooperate as part of NATO’s broader relations with its partners in the Indo-Pacific region. New Zealand has made valuable contributions to NATO-led operations and missions for many years, and in support to Ukraine – including through the NATO Security Assistance and Training for Ukraine (NSATU) – following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

    “The Euro-Atlantic region and the Indo-Pacific region are closely interlinked; we have had historic links for decades, and currently we face many of the same security challenges, and share the same values and the same strong interest in protecting international law,” NATO’s Assistant Secretary General for Defence Investment, Taja Jaakkola highlighted. “Let me be clear: this is not about NATO going to the region. NATO is and will remain a regional alliance whose aim is to protect its own region – North America and Europe; but we need to have a global outlook, and we see our partnerships with countries in the Indo-Pacific region as key in the current context; we have had closer dialogue in the last three NATO Summits with the leaders of Australia, Japan, the Republic of Korea and New Zealand; this dialogue is very important to better understand the challenges we face in our respective regions, and share best practices about how we deal with them,” she underscored.

    “NATO is a longstanding and likeminded security partner for New Zealand; our enduring partnership is key to providing the doctrine, tactics, training and procedures that underpin the New Zealand Defence Force’s interoperability with key partners; the finalisation last year of the New Zealand NATO Individually Tailored Partnership Programme demonstrates our intent to continue partnering with the Alliance on shared security challenges, including emerging disruptive technologies, cyber defence, industrial cooperation and climate change,” said New Zealand’s Associate Minister of Defence, Chris Penk. “With the launch last year of the ‘New Zealand Space and Advanced Aviation Strategy’ New Zealand aims to have an aviation regulatory environment that supports innovation while maintaining safety and protecting our national interests, including national security and New Zealand’s foreign policy interests; this strategy will support the growth and development of New Zealand’s space and advanced aviation sectors, with a view to New Zealand becoming an even greater hub of space and aviation activity,” he added.

    The Aviation Committee advises the North Atlantic Council on a “Total System Approach to Aviation (TSAA)” in support of NATO’s core tasks (collective deterrence and defence, crisis prevention and management, and cooperative security). It contributes to making Allied air activities more effective and to mitigate hazards, safety and security risks to air activities. It is NATO’s primary forum for the engagement of international aviation organisations and institutions at the policy and technical levels.

    MIL Security OSI

  • MIL-OSI Security: Secretary General reaffirms transatlantic unity in Warsaw: There is no alternative to NATO

    Source: NATO

    NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte visited Warsaw on Wednesday (26 March 2025), where he met Polish President Andrzej Duda, Prime Minister Donald Tusk, Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz, and Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski. The Secretary General then gave a speech at a public event co-hosted by the Warsaw School of Economics and the Polish Institute of International Affairs.

    Secretary General Rutte praised Poland for its leadership within the Alliance, including its strong support to Ukraine and record-high defence spending, set to reach 4.7% of GDP this year. “Poland’s investment in defence is an example to all Allies. Not only do you top the NATO charts, you plan to spend even more,” he said. 
     
    In his keynote speech, the Secretary General underlined the strength of the transatlantic bond and laid out NATO’s path to the upcoming Summit in The Hague.
     
    “When it comes to keeping Europe and North America safe, there is no alternative to NATO,” he said, stressing that it is not possible to imagine the defence of Europe without the Alliance.

    As Russia’s war against Ukraine rages on and its military cooperation with China, Iran, and North Korea intensifies, Mr Rutte warned that President Putin “has not given up on his ambition to reshape the global security order.” He underlined that a strong transatlantic Alliance remains the foundation of European security and that stronger European Allies are a unique strategic asset to the United States – allowing America, he said, to “promote peace through strength on the global stage.”

    Secretary General Rutte reiterated his confidence in the United States’ continued commitment to NATO and Article 5. “Listen to President Trump, who has repeatedly stated his commitment to a strong NATO. Listen to the strong bipartisan support in the US Congress,” he said. “And listen to the American people,” three-quarters of whom support NATO according to a recent Gallup poll.

    Mr Rutte also emphasised that the US commitment to NATO comes with a clear expectation: that European Allies and Canada take on greater responsibility for our shared security.

    Looking ahead to the NATO Summit in The Hague, the Secretary General said the Alliance would “begin a new chapter for our transatlantic Alliance. Where we build a stronger, fairer and more lethal NATO, to face a more dangerous world.”

    MIL Security OSI

  • MIL-OSI Video: A Stronger Europe: EU Safety and Preparedness

    Source: European Commission (video statements)

    On 01 April, 2025 during the European Plenary Session, Commission President Ursula von der Leyen shares the conclusions of the European Council meeting of 20 March 2025 Russia’s war crimes in Ukraine. With focus on the EU Safety and Preparedness.

    Follow us on:
    -X: https://twitter.com/EU_Commission
    -Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/europeancommission/
    -Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EuropeanCommission
    -LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/european-commission/
    -Medium: https://medium.com/@EuropeanCommission

    Visit our website: http://ec.europa.eu

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sthgu2b_M7w

    MIL OSI Video

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Professor Galina Tokunova awarded the title of “Honored Worker of Higher Education”

    Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

    Source: Saint Petersburg State University of Architecture and Civil Engineering – Saint Petersburg State University of Architecture and Civil Engineering –

    By decree of the President of Russia, Dean of the Faculty of Economics and Management of SPbGASU Galina Tokunova was awarded the honorary title of “Honored Worker of Higher Education of the Russian Federation”.

    Galina Fedorovna is a Doctor of Economics, author and co-author of more than 100 published scientific and educational works, including three monographs, 93 scientific articles and three educational and methodological manuals.

    We congratulate Galina Fedorovna on being awarded the honorary title and wish her further success in her scientific and teaching activities.

    Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    MIL OSI Russia News

  • MIL-OSI Russia: SPbGASU entered the premier league of the National Aggregated Rating for the second year in a row

    Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

    Source: Saint Petersburg State University of Architecture and Civil Engineering – Saint Petersburg State University of Architecture and Civil Engineering –

    Saint Petersburg State University of Architecture and Civil Engineering has strengthened its position and re-entered the Premier League National Aggregate Rating 2025.

    The rating is being published for the seventh time and has effectively become a single scale for assessing Russian universities, helping applicants, experts, and the educational institutions themselves navigate the diversity of higher education in the country. The rating also contributes to the development of the universities themselves, expanding the range of opportunities to determine their strengths, identify weaknesses, and develop programs that will allow them to remain competitive in the rapidly changing world of education.

    Portal Best-Ded.ru continues to improve, making the research results available to a wider audience. Thanks to the mobile version of the site, all interested parties, including applicants, parents, teachers and university representatives, can now get acquainted with the rating and its data.

    In 2025, NAR included 708 universities, which, according to the rules and criteria of the ranking, are divided into 10 leagues. The most prestigious is the Premier League, the “green zone” of the ranking.

    Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

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  • MIL-OSI Global: UK nuclear deterrent: the mutual defense agreement is at risk in a Trumpian age

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Becky Alexis-Martin, Peace Studies and International Development, University of Bradford

    Keir Starmer aboard one of the UK’s Vanguard class submarines. CC BY-NC-ND

    Prime Minister Keir Starmer recently boarded one of the UK’s four nuclear-armed submarines for a photo call as part of his attempts to demonstrate the UK’s defence capabilities as tensions with Russia continue.

    However, Starmer faces a problem. The submarine, and the rest of the UK’s nuclear fleet, is heavily reliant on the US as an operating partner. And at a time when the US becomes an increasingly unreliable partner under the leadership of an entirely transactional president, this is not ideal. The US can, if it chooses, effectively switch off the UK’s nuclear deterrent.

    British and US nuclear history is irrevocably interwoven. The US and UK cooperated on the Manhattan project, under the 1943 Quebec agreements and the 1944 Hyde Park aide memoire. This work generated the world’s first nuclear weapons, which were deployed on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945.

    It also led to the first rupture. In 1946, the US classified UK citizens as “foreign” and prevented them from engaging in secret nuclear work. Collaboration with the UK immediately ceased.

    The UK decided to develop its own arsenal of nuclear weapons. The successful detonation of the “Grapple Yhydrogen bomb in April 1958 cemented its position as a thermonuclear power.

    In the meantime, however, Russia’s launch of the Sputnik satellite in 1957 had demonstrated the lethal reach of Soviet nuclear technology. This brought the US and UK back together as nuclear partners.


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    Talks on how to counter the Russian threat became the foundation of an atomic partnership that endures to the present day. This mutual defence agreement, signed in 1958, has provided the UK with affordable access to the latest nuclear technology and a reliable western ally. The treaty has been amended and adapted over time to reflect changes in the US-UK working relationship and the two are now so entangled that it is very hard to leave the co-dependent relationship.

    Both sides have benefited from security and protection, especially during the cold war. However, Trump’s new “special relationship” with Russia’s Vladimir Putin has reconfigured the global order of geopolitics.

    Serious concerns are now being raised about the UK’s nuclear capacity, given the unpredictability and potential unreliability of the new US administration. Trump could ignore or threaten to terminate the agreement in a show of power or contempt.

    The UK’s nuclear subs

    The UK’s Trident nuclear deterrence programme consists of four Vanguard nuclear-powered and armed submarines. The UK has some autonomy, as it is operationally independent and controls the decision to launch.

    However, it remains dependent on the US because the nuclear technologies at the heart of the Trident system are US designed and leased by Lockheed Martin – and there is no suitable alternative. The Trident system therefore relies on the US for support and maintenance.

    The UK is currently in the process of upgrading the current system. But its options seem limited. If the US were to renege on its commitments, the UK would either have to produce its own weapons domestically, collaborate with France or Europe or disarm. Each scenario creates new issues for the UK. Manufacturing nuclear weapons from scratch in the UK, for example, would be a costly and protracted activity.

    Technical collaboration with France seems the most plausible back-up option at the moment. The two countries already have a nuclear collaboration treaty in place. France has taken a similar submarine-based approach to deterrence as the UK and French president Emmanuel Macron has suggested its deterrent could be used to protect other European countries. Another alternative would be to spread the cost across Europe and create a European deterrence – but both strategies just re-embed the UK’s current nuclear reliance.

    The UK is reliant on others for its nuclear deterrent.
    Number 10/Flickr, CC BY-NC-ND

    While these weapons may deter a hostile nuclear strike, they have failed to prevent broader acts of aggression. Nuclear weapons have not been used in warfare for 80 years. Perhaps it is time to completely and permanently unshackle the UK from nuclear deterrence, and consider alternative forms of defence.

    The UK’s nuclear arsenal is expensive to maintain. The cost of replacing Trident is £205 billion. In 2023, the Ministry of Defence reported that the anticipated costs for supporting the nuclear deterrent would exceed its budget by £7.9 billion over the next ten years. This funding could be channelled into more pressing security threats, such as cybersecurity, terrorism or climate change.

    Nuclear weapons will become strategically redundant if the UK cannot act independently. As Nato and the US dominate the global nuclear stage, the UK’s capacity to respond has become contested. The time has come to decide whether the US is really our friend – or a new foe.

    Becky Alexis-Martin does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    ref. UK nuclear deterrent: the mutual defense agreement is at risk in a Trumpian age – https://theconversation.com/uk-nuclear-deterrent-the-mutual-defense-agreement-is-at-risk-in-a-trumpian-age-252674

    MIL OSI – Global Reports

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Rosneft held snowboarding competitions dedicated to the 80th anniversary of Victory

    Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

    Source: Rosneft – Rosneft – An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

    Rosneft held corporate snowboarding competitions dedicated to the 80th anniversary of the Victory. More than 100 oil industry athletes from 35 subsidiaries of the Company gathered at the ski center in Baikalsk (Irkutsk Region).

    The competition took place on the famous mountain track on the Khamar-Daban ridge. Snowboarders competed in the discipline of “parallel slalom” on a track 450 m long. Professional judges worked on the slope, who monitored the descent of the athletes.

    Among men, the winner for the second year in a row was an employee of Taas-Yuryakh Neftegazodobycha. The first among women, also for the second year in a row, was an employee of the corporate scientific center in Tyumen. In the team competition, the best were recognized as snowboarders from Uvatneftegaz, second place went to RN-Vankor, and bronze was won by the corporate scientific center in Tyumen.

    The award ceremony for the winners and runners-up took place at the 900-meter mark of Mount Sobolinaya, which offers a breathtaking view of Lake Baikal. All participants received prizes and commemorative medals. In addition, a tour of the lake was organized for the athletes.

    For the sixth year in a row, corporate snowboarding competitions have been held with the support of the Angarsk Petrochemical Company (part of the Rosneft oil refining complex).

    Reference:

    Rosneft actively supports mass and professional sports. The Company holds large-scale corporate competitions in the regions of its presence dedicated to the 80th anniversary of the Victory. Among them: Rosneft Winter Sports Games in Krasnoyarsk, a series of races Rosneft Ski Track in Angarsk, Ufa, Krasnoyarsk and Nefteyugansk and the winter extreme race Taiga-Trail in Khanty-Mansiysk Autonomous Okrug-Yugra. Ski races in honor of the 80th anniversary of the Victory were also held in Komsomolsk-on-Amur. Ice arenas, sports complexes and multifunctional sports grounds are being built in the regions with funds from the Company and its subsidiaries.

    As part of the corporate sports and health movement “Energy of Life”, employees regularly engage in sports and compete in various sports disciplines. In 2024, almost 128 thousand employees of the Company engaged in sports as part of the “Energy of Life” movement. At the same time, more than 92 thousand employees took part in competitions in various sports.

    Department of Information and Advertising of PJSC NK Rosneft March 31, 2025

    Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    MIL OSI Russia News

  • MIL-OSI Russia: SPbPU is introducing the “Service Learning” program

    Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

    Source: Peter the Great St Petersburg Polytechnic University – Peter the Great St Petersburg Polytechnic University –

    Polytechnic University has begun implementing the Service Learning program, aimed at solving real social problems with the help of students and teachers. The Higher School of Linguistics and Pedagogy of the Humanitarian Institute has been particularly active in its implementation. The program has developed initiatives to support children and families in difficult life circumstances, including those whose loved ones are on duty. One of the key partners of the project is the Family and Children Assistance Center of the Kalininsky District of St. Petersburg.

    The first event within the program was held at the Kalininsky District Family and Children Assistance Center. Students and teachers of the Psychological and Pedagogical Education program held a series of psychological games designed to develop communication skills and unite the participants.

    The children completed trust exercises, learned to interact in a team and overcome game challenges. The atmosphere was friendly and open. The students not only passed on useful skills to the children, but also gained valuable experience working with a mixed-age group of children.

    It is very pleasant to interact with children who are ready to work. The children worked hard, doing various exercises, quickly joined in and helped each other. Seeing the bright emotions of children after the exercises and feeling their friendly atmosphere is something that deserves special attention, – shared her impressions 1st year student Ekaterina Katashuk.

    The children were very active, worked well in a team and learned a lot. The atmosphere was friendly and positive for everyone throughout the event! – said first-year student Veronika Lipkina.

    The Service Learning program at SPbPU is actively developing, uniting students, teachers and social partners to solve important social problems. A special role in the implementation of the initiative is played by the Higher School of Linguistics and Pedagogy of the Humanitarian Institute, which has become one of the key platforms for the implementation of the program.

    In the near future, it is planned to attract more participants, as well as introduce new methods aimed at increasing the effectiveness of working with children. Particular attention is paid to the use of modern technologies in the educational process. One of such innovations will be an interactive sandbox – innovative equipment that helps to simulate various situations, develop children’s imagination, fine motor skills and spatial thinking.

    The implementation of the program not only helps children who find themselves in difficult life circumstances, but also contributes to the professional and personal growth of students. Such experience allows future specialists to apply theoretical knowledge in practice, develop social responsibility and strengthen important teamwork skills.

    Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    MIL OSI Russia News

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Polytechnic students reach the final of the All-Russian competition “INTEGRAPH”

    Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

    Source: Peter the Great St Petersburg Polytechnic University – Peter the Great St Petersburg Polytechnic University –

    The finalists of the All-Russian Youth Competition of Strategic Communications “INTEGRAPH”, founded on the basis of the School of Communications of the National Research University Higher School of Economics, have been determined. The Polytechnic team was shortlisted. In the final, it will present its solution to leading experts in the field of communications. The jury includes representatives of leading companies: VK, Avito, Unilever Rus and Health

    A total of 714 students from 64 universities and 24 cities of Russia took part in the competition. Five teams in each direction from St. Petersburg, Kirov, Saratov, Volgograd, Nizhny Novgorod, Rostov-on-Don, Voronezh, Krasnoyarsk and Moscow made it to the finals.

    The Polytechnic team consists of fourth-year students of the Higher School of Industrial Management of IPMEiT: Yulia Mikhailova, Nikita Nikolaev, Ksenia Sergeeva and Fyodor Cherukhin.

    “INTEGRAPH” is held in two stages – at the first, correspondence stage, student teams developed a communication campaign strategy for a partner brand and sent it to experts for evaluation. The teams were presented with four business tasks from the largest Russian brands to solve. Ahead of the students is the second stage of the competition – open defenses, which will be held on April 22 in Moscow.

    Participation in the competition was a great opportunity for us to test our strengths and immerse ourselves in real cases. The final is not only a joyful event, but also confirmation that our efforts were not in vain. We are looking forward to an interesting exchange of experience, new acquaintances and, of course, vivid impressions from the final, – shared Yulia Mikhailova.

    The finalist teams will present their solutions to industry experts and also complete additional tasks prepared by the competition organizers.

    Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

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  • MIL-OSI Russia: With the support of Rosneft, the accreditation center was modernized at the Yugra Medical Academy

    Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

    Source: Rosneft – Rosneft – An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

    Samotlorneftegaz, one of Rosneft’s largest production assets, provided financial support for the modernization of one of the key divisions of the Khanty-Mansiysk State Medical Academy – the Simulation and Accreditation Center. The project was implemented within the framework of an agreement between Rosneft and the Government of the Khanty-Mansiysk Autonomous Okrug – Yugra.

    The modernization of the Center allowed to increase the number of specialties for training and accreditation from 19 to 24. For conducting an objective clinical examination, the center is equipped with six transforming stations. Every year, up to 500 doctors can undergo accreditation and confirm their qualifications.

    The project included a comprehensive equipping of the Medical Academy with modern training equipment. For example, a simulator with a real-time feedback system allows practicing resuscitation skills.

    The Academy also has a virtual operating unit that is as close to real conditions as possible. In this space, students and residents can practice the sequence of actions during endoscopic surgical interventions and automatically receive an objective assessment of their operational activities.

    Future doctors have access to a modern laparoscopic simulator, which includes 17 training modules and more than 70 practical tasks. The simulator program includes didactic materials with anatomical 3-D models, video recordings of real operations and interactive instructions with the ability to assess the correctness of the manipulations performed.

    The center’s offices are equipped with additional medical equipment, specialized furniture, computers, and an audio and video surveillance system, which allows for effective use in the learning process. More than 400 students and residents are trained annually in the center of the medical academy within the framework of the main educational program.

    Rosneft, following the principles of social responsibility, traditionally pays special attention to the creation of a favorable social environment in the regions of presence. Thanks to the Company’s support, projects to strengthen the material and technical base of healthcare institutions are regularly implemented.

    Reference:

    JSC Samotlorneftegaz is one of the key production enterprises of Rosneft. It conducts production activities in the Khanty-Mansiysk Autonomous Okrug – Yugra. It develops the largest Samotlor field in Russia, discovered in 1965.

    As part of the cooperation between Rosneft and the Government of the Khanty-Mansiysk Autonomous Okrug-Yugra, the company provides support in equipping educational institutions in the region with modern equipment. For example, the Multidisciplinary College of the Yugra State University has equipped educational laboratories for “Assessment of the Chemical and Physical Quality of Oil and Gas” and “Oil and Gas Processing”; the Nizhnevartovsk branch of the Tyumen Industrial University has opened a computer room with an interactive simulator of well development and operation and equipped laboratories for the physical and chemical study of oil and gas, as well as electrical engineering and electronics. A simulation trainer for a primary oil refining unit has also been purchased for the Yugra State University Oil Institute, and a project to introduce a geospatial technology laboratory has been implemented at the Nizhnevartovsk Construction College.

    Department of Information and Advertising of PJSC NK Rosneft March 31, 2025

    Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    MIL OSI Russia News

  • MIL-OSI: Westport Reports Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2024 Results

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    VANCOUVER, British Columbia, March 31, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Westport Fuel Systems Inc. (“Westport”) (TSX: WPRT / Nasdaq: WPRT) today reported financial results for the fourth quarter and year ended December 31, 2024, and provided an update on operations. All figures are in U.S. dollars unless otherwise stated.

    “The past year has been transformative for Westport as we sharpened our strategic focus, advanced our clean transportation technologies, and enhanced operational efficiencies. We have made significant strides in aligning our operations with our competitive strengths, improving margins, and reinforcing our commitment to delivering cost-effective solutions that drive decarbonization in the transportation sector. We have also transformed our culture to be one built on discipline and excellence, driving a high-performance mindset in everything we do.

    The launch of Cespira, our joint venture with Volvo Group, was a key milestone for us in 2024. Cespira is committed to accelerating the commercialization of HPDI™ technology with carbon-neutral fuels like hydrogen and renewable natural gas. This partnership underscores the industry’s recognition of HPDI as a leading solution to enable affordable, sustainable heavy transport.

    Additionally, we are taking bold steps to streamline our operations and strengthen our financial footing, allowing us to focus on areas with the highest growth potential. A prime example of this strategic realignment is our recently announced proposed divestiture of the Light-Duty business. This decision is expected to enable us to concentrate fully on providing affordable solutions for hard to decarbonize mobility applications like long haul and heavy-duty trucking that can take advantage of the unique, practical and affordable HPDI technology and our world class high-pressure components and systems technologies and scalable alternative fuel solutions, ensuring that we remain at the forefront of emissions-reducing innovations that are cost effective.

    Looking ahead, we are focused on scaling our alternative fuel-based solutions, including advancements in CNG, RNG, and hydrogen systems, while navigating a rapidly evolving transportation landscape. Hydrogen remains a critical component of the future but, in the meantime, we are delivering practical, commercially viable low-carbon solutions today such as natural gas and renewable natural gas solutions which, in some cases, can represent a lower total cost of ownership than incumbent technologies. Driven by these environmental and economic considerations we are seeing a global resurgence of interest in the heavy-duty transport sector towards utilizing natural gas as an alternative to diesel. While we will continue to invest in technology, we are positioned to take advantage of markets that are embracing products enabled by our years of investment in innovation as the world pivots to more practical and cost-effective solutions to decarbonize.  

    We are committed to providing sustainable, high-performance solutions that help our customers achieve their commercial and environmental goals, now and for years to come.”

    Dan Sceli, Chief Executive Officer

    2024 Highlights

    • Revenue was $302.3 million for 2024 and $75.1 million for the fourth quarter. Full year results were primarily driven by the transition of the Heavy-Duty OEM business into Cespira, partially offset by an increase in revenue in our Light-Duty segment. Cespira earned $22.8 million for the three months ended December 31, 2024 and $43.1 million for the period from June 3, 2024 through to December 31, 2024.
    • Net loss for the year ended December 31, 2024 was $21.8 million, or $1.27 loss per share, compared to net loss of $49.7 million for the prior year. Net loss for the fourth quarter in 2024 was $10.1 million, or $0.59 loss per share, compared to net loss of $13.9 million, or $0.81 loss per share, for the same period in 2023. For the year, the net positive change was primarily a result of improvements in gross margin, a $15.2 million gain on deconsolidation of the HPDI business in the formation of the joint venture with Volvo Group on June 3, 2024, reductions in operating expenditures and depreciation and amortization expense due to continuation of the HPDI business in Cespira, partially offset by higher income tax expense and foreign exchange losses in the year.
    • Adjusted EBITDA1 loss of $11.2 million, compared to a loss of $21.5 million in the prior year. Adjusted EBITDA for the fourth quarter was a loss of $1.8 million.
    • Cash and cash equivalents were $37.6 million for the year ended December 31, 2024. Cash provided by operating activities during the year was $7.2 million.
    • Announced the closing the HPDI joint venture, Cespira, with Volvo Group, working together to accelerate the commercialization and global adoption of the HPDI™ fuel system technology for long-haul and off-road applications.

    1 Adjusted earnings before interest, taxes and depreciation is a non-GAAP measure. Please refer to GAAP and NON-GAAP FINANCIAL MEASURES in Westport’s Management Discussion and Analysis for the reconciliation.

    Consolidated Results            
    ($ in millions, except per share amounts)     Over / (Under)
    %
        Over / (Under)
    %
      4Q24 4Q23 FY24 FY23
    Revenue $75.1 $87.2 (14)% $302.3 $331.8   (9)%  
    Gross Profit(2) 14.3 8.0 79% 57.6 48.9   18%  
    Gross Margin(2) 19% 9% 19% 15%    
    Income (loss) from Investments Accounted for by the Equity Method(1) (2.0) 0.1 (2,100)% (5.4) 0.8   (775)%  
    Net Loss (10.1) (13.9) 27% (21.8) (49.7)   56%  
    Net Loss per Share – Basic (0.59) (0.81) 27% (1.27) (2.90)   56%  
    Net Loss per Share – Diluted (0.59) (0.81) 27% (1.27) (2.90)   56%  
    EBITDA (2) (6.1) (10.9) 44% (6.6) (35.9)   82%  
    Adjusted EBITDA (2) (1.8) (10.0) 82% (11.2) (21.5)   48%  

    (1)This includes income or loss primarily from our investments in Cespira and Minda Westport Technologies Limited
    (2)Gross margins, EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA are non-GAAP measures. Please refer to GAAP and NON-GAAP FINANCIAL MEASURES for the reconciliation to equivalent GAAP measures and limitations on the use of such measures.

    Segment Information

    Light-Duty Segment

    Revenue for the three months and year ended December 31, 2024 was $68.0 million and $262.2 million, respectively, compared with $63.4 million and $263.6 million for the three months and year ended December 31, 2023.

    Light-Duty revenue increased by $4.6 million for the three months ended December 31, 2024 as compared to the prior year. This was primarily driven by a significant increase in sales of LPG fuel system solutions to a global Original Equipment Manufacturer (“OEM”) for their Euro 6 vehicle applications in our light-duty OEM business and an increase in delayed OEM business, partially offset by lower revenues in other business lines.

    Light-Duty revenue decreased by $1.4 million for the year ended December 31, 2024 compared to the prior year. This was primarily driven by a decrease in sales in our delayed OEM business in the first half of 2024, decrease in sales to customers in developing markets, and our fuel storage business. This was partially offset by the aforementioned increase in sales of LPG fuel system solutions in our light-duty OEM business.

    Gross profit increased by $2.0 million to $14.0 million, or 21% of revenue for the three months ended December 31, 2024, as compared to $12.0 million, or 19% of revenue, for the same prior year period. This was primarily driven by a change in sales mix with an increase in sales to European customers and a reduction in sales to developing regions along with an increase in sales volumes.

    Gross profit for the year ended December 31, 2024 increased by $6.3 million to $55.4 million, or 21% of revenue, compared to $49.1 million, or 19% of revenue, for the prior year. This was primarily driven by a change in sales mix with an increase in sales to European customers and a reduction in sales to developing regions. The segment’s manufacturing operations continues to implement operational improvement initiatives lowering its manufacturing overhead costs in the year. For the year ended December 31, 2024, Light-Duty recorded inventory write-downs of $2.1 million related to our restructuring activities in India for $0.9 million and $0.5 million related to components for markets that we have exited, and the remainder due to our periodic analysis of excess and obsolete inventory.

    Westport began supplying its Euro 6 LPG fuel system to its global OEM customer in early 2024. This production supply agreement has been instrumental in improving revenue and delivering higher margins, which more than offset the decline in revenue as a result of a key delayed OEM customer continuing to work through their inventory. Production for the Euro 7 LPG fuel system for the same global OEM customer is anticipated to begin mid-to-late 2025.

    High-Pressure Controls & Systems Segment

    Revenue for the three months and year ended December 31, 2024 was $1.4 million and $8.8 million, respectively, compared with $2.5 million and $12.0 million for the three months and year ended December 31, 2023. Revenue for the three months ended December 31, 2024 decreased by $1.1 million compared to the prior year period. Revenue for the year ended December 31, 2024 decreased $3.2 million compared to the prior year.

    The decrease in revenue for the three months and year ended December 31, 2024 compared to the prior year periods continues to be primarily driven by the general slowdown in hydrogen infrastructure development, leading to a slower adoption of automotive and industrial applications powered by hydrogen.

    Gross profit for the three months ended December 31, 2024 decreased by $0.4 million to nominal, or 0% of revenue, compared to $0.4 million, or 16% of revenue, for the same prior year period. This was primarily driven by lower sales volumes, increasing the per unit manufacturing costs in the quarter.

    Gross profit for the year ended December 31, 2024 decreased by $1.3 million to $1.5 million, or 17% of revenue, compared to $2.8 million, or 23% of revenue, for the prior year. This was primarily driven by decrease in sales volume for the year. The segment recorded $0.8 million in inventory write-downs in the year due to slow-moving inventory.

    Heavy-Duty OEM Segment

    Revenue for the three months and year ended December 31, 2024 includes revenue until the closing of the transaction to form Cespira, which occurred on June 3, 2024. Revenue for the three months and year ended December 31, 2024 was $5.7 million and $31.3 million, respectively, compared with $21.3 million and $56.2 million for the three months and year ended December 31, 2023.

    The decrease in revenue for the three months and year ended December 31, 2024 is a result of the continuation of the business in Cespira. Refer to the “Selected Cespira Financial Information” for more information on the performance of the business. Revenue earned in the three months ended December 31, 2024 reflects revenue earned from a transitional services agreement in place with Cespira that we expect to expire by the end of Q2 2026.

    Gross profit for the three months ended December 31, 2024 increased by $4.7 million to $0.3 million, or 5% of revenue, compared to negative $4.4 million or negative 21% of revenue, for the three months ended December 31, 2023. The Heavy-Duty OEM segment was impacted by a $4.5 million inventory write-down in the prior year period.

    Gross profit increased by $3.7 million to $0.7 million, or 2% of revenue, for the year ended December 31, 2024 compared to negative $3.0 million, or negative 5% of revenue, for the prior year. Heavy-Duty OEM recorded $0.4 million in inventory write-downs in the year. The segment was impacted by the aforementioned inventory write-down of $4.5 million in the prior year.

    Selected Cespira Financial Information

    We account for Cespira using the equity method of accounting. However, due to its significance to our long-term strategy and operating results, we disclose certain financial information from Cespira in notes 8 and 22 in our consolidated financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2024 and the period from June 3, 2024 to December 31, 2024.

    The following table sets forth a summary of the financial results of Cespira for the three months ended December 31, 2024 and the period between June 3, 2024 to December 31, 2024:

      (in millions of U.S. dollars)   Three months ended December 31,   Change   Year ended December 31,   Change
        2024   2023   $   %   2024   2023   $   %
    Revenue   $ 22.8     $     $ 22.8     %   $ 43.1     $     $ 43.1     %
    Gross profit     1.4             1.4     %     0.5             0.5     %
    Gross margin1     6 %     %             1 %     %        
    Operating loss     (4.8 )           (4.8 )   %     (12.1 )           (12.1 )   %
    Net loss attributable to the Company     (2.6 )           (2.6 )   %     (6.7 )           (6.7 )   %

    1Gross margin is non-GAAP financial measure. See the section ‘Non-GAAP Financial Measures’ for explanations and discussions of these non-GAAP financial measures or ratios.

    Cespira revenue was $22.8 million for the three months ended December 31, 2024. For the prior year period, the Heavy-Duty OEM segment, which included our HPDI business, earned $21.3 million. This was primarily driven by an increase in HPDI fuel systems sold in the period.

    Cespira gross profit was $1.4 million for the three months ended December 31, 2024. For the prior year period, the Heavy-Duty OEM segment had negative $4.4 million in gross profit primarily driven by the aforementioned $4.5 million inventory write-down in the prior year period.

    Cespira incurred operating losses of $4.8 million for the three months ended December 31, 2024. For the prior year quarter, the Heavy-Duty OEM had operating losses of $9.3 million. Aside from the aforementioned inventory write-down in the prior year period, the Heavy-Duty OEM had comparable operating losses compared to Cespira.

    As previously announced, Westport and Weichai are parties to a technology development and supply agreement which contains an obligation for Weichai to order, and Westport to supply, certain volumes of HPDI fuel system components prior to December 31, 2024. Significant orders for HPDI fuel system components against this agreement were not received prior to year-end. Westport and Cespira continue to collaborate with Weichai Power Co. Ltd (“Weichai Power”) on an HPDI fuel system equipped version of the Weichai Power engine platforms. The parties are currently discussing the next stages of this work and the obligations of each party going forward.

    Liquidity and Going Concern

    In addition, as disclosed in Westport Management Discussion & Analysis, for the year ended December 31, 2024, we continue to sustain operating losses and use cash to support our business activities. Cash provided by operating activities was $7.2 million for the year ended December 31, 2024 was primarily driven by reductions in working capital.

    As at December 31, 2024, we had cash and cash equivalents of $37.6 million and long-term debt of $33.7 million, of which $14.7 million was current. Based on our projected capital expenditures, debt servicing obligations and operating requirements under our current business plan, we are projecting that our cash and cash equivalents will not be sufficient to fund our operations through the next twelve months from the date of the issuance of this MD&A. These conditions raise substantial doubt about Westport’s ability continue as a going concern within one year after the date our December 31, 2024 Consolidated Financial Statements are issued.

    We plan to improve our liquidity position by selling certain subsidiaries in Europe and Argentina which comprise substantially all the assets and liabilities reported within the Light-Duty segment and continue our cost reduction initiatives. On March 30, 2025, we entered into a share purchase agreement (“SPA”) with a wholly-owned investment vehicle of Heliaca Investments Coöperatief U.A. (“Heliaca Investments”), a Netherlands based investment firm supported by Ramphastos Investment Management B.V. a prominent Dutch venture capital and private equity firm, to sell all of the issued and outstanding shares of Westport Fuel Systems Italia S.r.l for a base purchase price of $73.1 million (€67.7 million), subject to certain adjustments and potential earnouts of up to an estimated $6.5 million (€6.0 million) if certain conditions are achieved, in accordance with the terms of the Share Purchase Agreement. If we are successful in closing the sale, we will receive sufficient cash to fund our operations for the next twelve months and alleviate the risk of substantial doubt identified. As of the date of issuance of our December 31, 2024 financial statements, we are seeking shareholder approval of the plan to complete the sale of these businesses to the buyer. As such, there can be no assurances that Westport will be successful in obtaining sufficient funding. Accordingly, we concluded under the accounting standards that these plans do not alleviate the substantial doubt about Westport’s ability to continue as a going concern.

    Divestment of the Light-Duty Business and 2025 Outlook

    Westport recently announced the proposed divestment of its Light-Duty business, which includes the light-duty OEM, delayed OEM, and independent aftermarket businesses (the “Transaction”). The Transaction is designed to focus the Company’s strategy and streamline its operations allowing Westport to direct its energy on solution to address hard to decarbonize sectors like long-haul, heavy-duty trucking and off-road applications that can take advantage of Cespira and our High-Pressure Controls & Systems technology – where Westport sees the largest opportunities to grow and where the Company has a unique and differentiated offering generating interest with customers as the world transitions to a more practical and easier to adopt approach to decarbonization.

    Highlights of the Transaction include:

    • Provides immediate up front proceeds to alleviate liquidity concerns, strengthening the balance sheet and funds near-term growth in Cespira and the High-Pressure Controls & Systems business;
    • Brings forward more cash today than the Light-Duty business was projected to earn over 5-years on an undiscounted cash basis; and
    • Enables management to focus exclusively on the higher growth HPDI and high-pressure segments.

    In light of the evolving market and regulatory environment, over the long term, the Light-Duty business’ ability to grow LPG / CNG sales in developed markets is expected to continue facing increased competition from pure electrification or petrol – electrification hybrids.

    The base purchase price of the Transaction is $73.1 million (€67.7 million), subject to certain adjustments and potential earnouts of up to an additional $6.5 million (€6.0 million) if certain conditions are achieved, in accordance with the terms of the Share Purchase Agreement. The purchaser is a wholly-owned investment vehicle of Heliaca Investments Coöperatief U.A. (“Heliaca Investments”), a Netherlands based investment firm supported by Ramphastos Investment Management B.V. a prominent Dutch venture capital and private equity firm.

    Net proceeds from the transaction are to be used to bolster the balance sheet, fund organic growth opportunities through Cespira and High-Pressure Controls & Systems over the near term as well as opportunistic bolt on acquisitions. The Transaction ultimately eliminates future restructuring costs required by the Italian operations in the light-duty business.

    Westport is shifting to a smaller, more focused organization, that is positioned to provide solutions to decarbonize challenging segments of the mobility and industrial markets.​ Westport has 30 years of experience delivering component solutions and developing HPDI fuel technology​. We are focused on scaling our alternative fuel-based solutions, including advancements in CNG, RNG, and hydrogen systems, while navigating a rapidly evolving transportation landscape.

    The Company anticipates that the closing of the transaction will occur late in Q2 2025, subject to receiving shareholder approval.

    Conference call

    Westport has scheduled a conference call for Monday, March 31, 2025, at 10:30 am Pacific Time (1:30 pm Eastern Time) to discuss these results. To access the conference call please register at https://register.vevent.com/register/BI1ba7402b85a5491292e48354a2e80b90

    The live webcast of the conference call can be accessed through the Westport website at https://investors.wfsinc.com/

    Participants may register up to 60 minutes before the event by clicking on the call link and completing the online registration form. Upon registration, the user will receive dial-in info and a unique PIN, along with an email confirming the details.

    The webcast will be archived on Westport’s website at https://investors.wfsinc.com

    Financial Statements and Management’s Discussion and Analysis

    To view Westport full financials for the fourth quarter and year ended December 31, 2024, please visit https://investors.wfsinc.com/financials/

    About Westport Fuel Systems

    At Westport Fuel Systems, we are driving innovation to power a cleaner tomorrow. We are a leading supplier of advanced fuel delivery components and systems for clean, low-carbon fuels such as natural gas, renewable natural gas, propane, and hydrogen to the global transportation industry. Our technology delivers the performance and fuel efficiency required by transportation applications and the environmental benefits that address climate change and urban air quality challenges. Headquartered in Vancouver, Canada, with operations in Europe, Asia, North America, and South America, we serve our customers in approximately 70 countries with leading global transportation brands. At Westport Fuel Systems, we think ahead. For more information, visit www.wfsinc.com.

    Cautionary Note Regarding Forward Looking Statements
    This press release contains forward-looking statements, including statements regarding future strategic initiatives and future growth, future of our development programs (including those relating to HPDI and Hydrogen) including testing to the HPDI fuel system, scaling our alternative fuel-based solutions, our expectations for 2025 and beyond, including the demand for our products, the future success of our business and technology strategies, shareholder approval of the Transaction, our ability to successfully close the Transaction and realize the benefits therefrom, including, potential earn-out payments, the Transaction alleviating liquidity concerns, our focus on providing affordable solutions to decarbonize long haul and heavy-duty trucking, our ability to bolster our balance sheet, fund organic growth as well as opportunistic bolt on acquisitions, a shift to operating as a smaller, more efficient organization. These statements are neither promises nor guarantees, but involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties and are based on both the views of management and assumptions that may cause our actual results, levels of activity, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, levels of activities, performance or achievements expressed in or implied by these forward-looking statements. These risks, uncertainties and assumptions include those related to our revenue growth, operating results, industry and products, changes in business strategy, shifts in market demand, the general economy including impacts due to inflation, the effects of competition and pricing pressures, conditions of and access to the capital and debt markets, solvency, governmental policies, trade restrictions or other changes to international trade agreements, sanctions and regulation including the imposition of tariffs, technology innovations, fluctuations in foreign exchange rates, operating expenses, continued reduction in expenses, ability to successfully commercialize new products, the performance of our joint ventures, the availability and price of natural gas, new environmental regulations, the acceptance of and shift to natural gas and hydrogen vehicles, the relaxation or waiver of fuel emission standards, the inability of fleets to access capital or government funding to purchase natural gas vehicles, the development of competing technologies, our ability to adequately develop and deploy our technology, the actions and determinations of our joint venture and development partners, the effects and duration of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, supply chain disruptions as well as other risk factors and assumptions that may affect our actual results, performance or achievements or financial position discussed in our most recent Annual Information Form and other filings with securities regulators. Readers should not place undue reliance on any such forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date they were made. We disclaim any obligation to publicly update or revise such statements to reflect any change in our expectations or in events, conditions or circumstances on which any such statements may be based, or that may affect the likelihood that actual results will differ from those set forth in these forward-looking statements except as required by National Instrument 51-102. The contents of any website, RSS feed or twitter account referenced in this press release are not incorporated by reference herein.

    Inquiries:
    Investor Relations
    T: +1 604-718-2046
    invest@wfsinc.com

    GAAP and Non-GAAP Financial Measures

    Our financial statements are prepared in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“U.S. GAAP“). These U.S. GAAP financial statements include non-cash charges and other charges and benefits that may be unusual or infrequent in nature or that we believe may make comparisons to our prior or future performance difficult. In addition to conventional measures prepared in accordance with U.S. GAAP, Westport and certain investors use EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA as an indicator of our ability to generate liquidity by producing operating cash flow to fund working capital needs, service debt obligations and fund capital expenditures. Management also uses these non-GAAP measures in its review and evaluation of the financial performance of Westport. EBITDA is also frequently used by investors and analysts for valuation purposes whereby EBITDA is multiplied by a factor or “EBITDA multiple” that is based on an observed or inferred relationship between EBITDA and market values to determine the approximate total enterprise value of a company. We believe that these non-GAAP financial measures also provide additional insight to investors and securities analysts as supplemental information to our U.S. GAAP results and as a basis to compare our financial performance period-over-period and to compare our financial performance with that of other companies. We believe that these non-GAAP financial measures facilitate comparisons of our core operating results from period to period and to other companies by, in the case of EBITDA, removing the effects of our capital structure (net interest income on cash deposits, interest expense on outstanding debt and debt facilities), asset base (depreciation and amortization) and tax consequences. Adjusted EBITDA provides this same indicator of Westports’ EBITDA from continuing operations and removing such effects of our capital structure, asset base and tax consequences, but additionally excludes any unrealized foreign exchange gains or losses, stock-based compensation charges and other one-time impairments and costs which are not expected to be repeated in order to provide greater insight into the cash flow being produced from our operating business, without the influence of extraneous events.

    Segment Information

    EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA are intended to provide additional information to investors and analysts and do not have any standardized definition under U.S. GAAP, and should not be considered in isolation or as a substitute for measures of performance prepared in accordance with U.S. GAAP. EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA exclude the impact of cash costs of financing activities and taxes, and the effects of changes in operating working capital balances, and therefore are not necessarily indicative of operating profit or cash flow from operations as determined under U.S. GAAP. Other companies may calculate EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA differently.

    Segment earnings or losses before income taxes, interest, depreciation, and amortization (“Segment EBITDA”) is the measure of segment profitability used by the Company. The accounting policies of our reportable segments are the same as those applied in our consolidated financial statements. Management prepared the financial results of the Company’s reportable segments on basis that is consistent with the manner in which Management internally disaggregates financial information to assist in making internal operating decisions. Certain common costs and expenses, primarily corporate functions, among segments differently than we would for stand-alone financial information prepared in accordance with GAAP. These include certain costs and expenses of shared services, such as IT, human resources, legal, finance and supply chain management. Segment EBITDA is not defined under US GAAP and may not be comparable to similarly titled measures used by other companies and should not be considered a substitute for net earnings or other results reported in accordance with GAAP. Reconciliations of reportable segment information to consolidated statement of operations can be found in section “NON-GAAP FINANCIAL MEASURES & RECONCILIATIONS” within this press release.

      Year ended December 31, 2024
      Light-Duty   High-Pressure Controls & Systems   Heavy-Duty OEM   Cespira   Total Segment
    Revenue $ 262.2   $ 8.8     $ 31.3     $ 43.1     $ 345.4  
    Cost of revenue   206.8     7.3       30.6       42.6       287.3  
    Gross profit   55.4     1.5       0.7       0.5       58.1  
    Operating expenses:
    Research & development   13.0     4.4       4.2       4.7       26.3  
    General & administrative   19.2     1.0       3.1       5.6       28.9  
    Sales & marketing   9.9     0.7       0.9       1.0       12.5  
    Depreciation & amortization   2.6     0.3       0.1       1.7       4.7  
    Equity income   1.3                       1.3  
    Add back: Depreciation & amortization1   6.4     0.5       1.4       3.8       12.1  
    Segment EBITDA $ 18.4   $ (4.4 )   $ (6.2 )   $ (8.7 )   $ (0.9 )
      Year ended December 31, 2023
      Light-Duty   High-Pressure Controls & Systems   Heavy-Duty OEM   Total Segment
    Revenue $ 263.6   $ 12.0     $ 56.2     $ 331.8  
    Cost of revenue   214.5     9.2       59.2       282.9  
    Gross profit   49.1     2.8       (3.0 )     48.9  
    Operating expenses:
    Research & development   13.1     3.6       9.3       26.0  
    General & administrative   21.6     1.3       6.4       29.4  
    Sales & marketing   10.6     0.7       2.9       14.1  
    Depreciation & amortization   3.2     0.2       0.4       3.8  
    Equity income   0.8                 0.8  
    Add back: Depreciation & amortization1   6.7     0.4       4.9       11.9  
    Segment EBITDA $ 8.1   $ (2.6 )   $ (17.1 )   $ (11.6 )


    NON-GAAP FINANCIAL MEASURES RECONCILIATION

    Gross Profit   Years ended December 31,
    (expressed in millions of U.S. dollars)   2024   2023
    Revenue   $ 302.3   $ 331.8
    Less: Cost of revenue   $ 244.7   $ 282.9
    Gross Profit   $ 57.6   $ 48.9
    Gross Margin as a percentage of Revenue   Years ended December 31,
    (expressed in millions of U.S. dollars)     2024       2023  
    Revenue   $ 302.3     $ 331.8  
    Gross Margin   $ 57.6     $ 48.9  
    Gross Margin as a percentage of Revenue     19 %     15 %
      Year ended December 31, 2024
      Total Segment   Less: Cespira   Add: Corporate & unallocated   Total Consolidated
    Revenue $ 345.4   $ 43.1   $     $ 302.3  
    Cost of revenue   287.3     42.6           244.7  
    Gross profit   58.1     0.5           57.6  
    Operating expenses:
    Research & development   26.3     4.7           21.6  
    General & administrative   28.9     5.6     14.4       37.7  
    Sales & marketing   12.5     1.0     1.2       12.7  
    Depreciation & amortization   4.7     1.7     0.4       3.4  
    Equity income (loss)   1.3         (6.7 )     (5.4 )
      Year ended December 31, 2023
      Total Segment   Add: Corporate & unallocated   Total Consolidated
    Revenue $ 331.8   $   $ 331.8
    Cost of revenue   282.9         282.9
    Gross profit   48.9         48.9
    Operating expenses:
    Research & development   26.0         26.0
    General & administrative   29.4     14.8     44.2
    Sales & marketing   14.1     2.2     16.3
    Depreciation & amortization   3.8     0.5     4.3
    Equity income   0.8         0.8
    Reconciliation of Segment EBITDA to Loss before income taxes   Years ended December 31,
        2024       2023  
    Total Segment EBITDA   $ (0.9 )   $ (11.6 )
    Adjustments:
    Depreciation and amortization     8.7       12.5  
    Cespira’s Segment EBITDA     (8.7 )      
    Cespira’s equity loss     6.7        
    Corporate and unallocated operating expenses     15.6       17.0  
    Foreign exchange loss     6.2       4.0  
    Loss on sale of assets     0.7        
    Gain on deconsolidation     (15.2 )      
    Loss on sale of investment     0.4        
    Impairment of long-term investment           0.4  
    Loss on extinguishment of royalty payable           2.9  
    Interest on long-term debt and accretion of royalty payable     2.8       3.0  
    Interest and other income, net of bank charges     (1.2 )     (2.7 )
    Loss before income taxes   $ (16.9 )   $ (48.7 )
    EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA                
    Three months ended   31-Mar-23   30-Jun-23   30-Sep-23   31-Dec-23   31-Mar-24   30-Jun-24   30-Sep-24   31-Dec-24
    Income (loss) before income taxes   $         (9.7 )   $         (13.0 )   $         (12.0 )   $         (14.0 )   $         (12.9 )   $         6.8             $         (2.5 )   $         (8.3 )
    Interest expense, net             0.4                       (0.1 )             0.2                       (0.2 )             0.5                       0.5                       0.4                       0.2          
    Depreciation and amortization             3.0                       3.0                       3.2                       3.3                       3.2                       1.7                       1.8                       2.0          
    EBITDA   $         (6.3 )   $         (10.1 )   $         (8.6 )   $         (10.9 )   $         (9.2 )   $         9.0             $         (0.3 )   $         (6.1 )
    Stock based compensation (recovery)   $         0.7             $         0.8             $         (0.3 )   $         1.4             $         0.3             $         1.2             $         (0.1 )   $         —          
    Unrealized foreign exchange (gain) loss   $         1.1             $         2.4             $         1.4             $         (0.9 )   $         1.8             $         0.1             $         (1.1 )   $         5.4          
    Loss on extinguishment of royalty payable   $         —             $         2.9             $         —             $         —             $         —             $         —             $         —             $         —          
    Severance costs   $         —             $         —             $         4.5             $         —             $         0.5             $         0.2             $         0.1             $         0.1          
    Gain on deconsolidation   $         —             $         —             $         —             $         —             $         —             $         (13.3 )   $         —             $         (1.9 )
    Loss on sale of investment   $         —             $         —             $         —             $         —             $         —             $         —             $         0.4             $         —          
    Restructuring costs   $         —             $         —             $         —             $         —             $         —             $         0.8             $         0.2             $         —          
    Loss on sale of assets   $         —             $         —             $         —             $         —             $         —             $         —             $         —             $         0.7          
    Impairment of long-term investment   $         —             $         —             $         —             $         0.4             $         —             $         —             $         —             $         —          
    Adjusted EBITDA   $         (4.5 )   $         (4.0 )   $         (3.0 )   $         (10.0 )   $         (6.6 )   $         (2.0 )   $         (0.8 )   $         (1.8 )
    WESTPORT FUEL SYSTEMS INC.
    Consolidated Balance Sheets
    (Expressed in thousands of United States dollars, except share amounts)
    December 31, 2024 and 2023
        December 31,
          2024       2023  
    Assets        
    Current assets:        
    Cash and cash equivalents (including restricted cash)   $ 37,646     $ 54,853  
    Accounts receivable     73,054       88,077  
    Inventories     53,526       67,530  
    Prepaid expenses     5,660       6,323  
    Total current assets     169,886       216,783  
    Long-term investments     39,732       4,792  
    Property, plant and equipment     41,956       69,489  
    Operating lease right-of-use assets     19,019       22,877  
    Intangible assets     5,277       6,822  
    Deferred income tax assets     9,695       11,554  
    Goodwill     2,876       3,066  
    Other long-term assets     3,180       20,365  
    Total assets   $ 291,621     $ 355,748  
    Liabilities and Shareholders’ Equity        
    Current liabilities:        
    Accounts payable and accrued liabilities   $ 88,123     $ 95,374  
    Current portion of operating lease liabilities     2,624       3,307  
    Short-term debt           15,156  
    Current portion of long-term debt     14,660       14,108  
    Current portion of warranty liability     3,861       6,892  
    Total current liabilities     109,268       134,837  
    Long-term operating lease liabilities     16,433       19,300  
    Long-term debt     19,067       30,957  
    Warranty liability     1,456       1,614  
    Deferred income tax liabilities     4,029       3,477  
    Other long-term liabilities     4,343       5,115  
    Total liabilities     154,596       195,300  
    Shareholders’ equity:        
    Share capital:        
    Unlimited common and preferred shares, no par value        
    17,282,934 (2023 – 17,174,502) common shares issued and outstanding     1,245,805       1,244,539  
    Other equity instruments     9,472       9,672  
    Additional paid-in-capital     11,516       11,516  
    Accumulated deficit     (1,096,275 )     (1,074,434 )
    Accumulated other comprehensive loss     (33,493 )     (30,845 )
    Total shareholders’ equity     137,025       160,448  
    Total liabilities and shareholders’ equity   $ 291,621     $ 355,748  
    WESTPORT FUEL SYSTEMS INC.  
    Consolidated Statements of Operations and Comprehensive Income (Loss)  
    (Expressed in thousands of United States dollars, except share and per share amounts)  
    Years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023  
        Years ended December 31,
          2024       2023  
    Revenue   $ 302,299     $ 331,799  
    Cost of revenue     244,708       282,862  
    Gross profit     57,591       48,937  
    Operating expenses:        
    Research and development     21,587       26,003  
    General and administrative     37,679       44,234  
    Sales and marketing     12,676       16,278  
    Foreign exchange loss     6,248       3,974  
    Depreciation and amortization     3,367       4,299  
    Loss on sale of assets     703       32  
          82,260       94,820  
    Loss from operations     (24,669 )     (45,883 )
             
    Income from investments accounted for by the equity method     (5,402 )     780  
    Gain on deconsolidation     15,198        
    Loss on sale of investment     (352 )      
    Loss on extinguishment of royalty payable           (2,909 )
    Interest on long-term debt and accretion of royalty payable     (2,797 )     (2,981 )
    Impairment of long-term investment           (413 )
    Interest and other income, net of bank charges     1,161       2,690  
    Loss before income taxes     (16,861 )     (48,716 )
    Income tax expense (recovery):        
    Current     3,183       1,786  
    Deferred     1,797       (784 )
          4,980       1,002  
    Net loss for the year     (21,841 )     (49,718 )
    Other comprehensive income (loss):        
    Cumulative translation adjustment     (2,535 )     4,473  
    Ownership share of equity method investments’ other comprehensive loss   $ (113 )   $  
        $ (2,648 )   $ 4,473  
    Comprehensive loss   $ (24,489 )   $ (45,245 )
    Loss per share:        
    Net loss per share – basic and diluted   $ (1.27 )   $ (2.90 )
    Weighted average common shares outstanding:        
    Basic and diluted     17,248,090       17,173,016  
    WESTPORT FUEL SYSTEMS INC.
    Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows
    (Expressed in thousands of United States dollars)
    Years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023
        Years ended December 31,
          2024       2023  
             
    Operating activities:        
    Net loss for the year   $ (21,841 )   $ (49,718 )
    Adjustments to reconcile net loss to net cash provided by (used in) operating activities:        
    Depreciation and amortization     8,661       12,490  
    Stock-based compensation expense     1,066       1,727  
    Unrealized foreign exchange loss     6,248       3,974  
    Deferred income tax expense (recovery)     1,797       (784 )
    Loss (income) from investments accounted for by the equity method     5,402       (780 )
    Interest on long-term debt and accretion of royalty payable     74       9  
    Impairment of long-term investment           413  
    Change in inventory write-downs to net realizable value     3,283       7,066  
    Gain on deconsolidation     (15,198 )      
    Loss on sale of investment     352        
    Net loss on sale of assets     627       32  
    Loss on extinguishment of royalty payable           2,909  
    Change in bad debt expense     282       56  
    Changes in operating assets and liabilities:        
    Accounts receivable     25,567       5,340  
    Inventories     (6,836 )     9,481  
    Prepaid expenses     (153 )     2,869  
    Accounts payable and accrued liabilities     2,233       (2,448 )
    Warranty liability     (4,380 )     (5,829 )
    Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities     7,184       (13,193 )
    Investing activities:        
    Purchase of property, plant and equipment     (16,923 )     (15,574 )
    Proceeds on sale of investments     29,994        
    Proceeds on sale of assets     998       161  
    Dividends received from investments accounted for by the equity method     297        
    Capital contributions to investments accounted for by the equity method     (9,900 )      
    Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities     4,466       (15,413 )
    Financing activities:        
    Drawings on operating lines of credit and long-term facilities     19,336       46,367  
    Repayment of operating lines of credit and long-term facilities     (44,546 )     (39,904 )
    Payment of royalty payable           (8,687 )
    Net cash used in financing activities     (25,210 )     (2,224 )
    Effect of foreign exchange on cash and cash equivalents     (3,647 )     (501 )
    Net decrease in cash and cash equivalents     (17,207 )     (31,331 )
    Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of year (including restricted cash)     54,853       86,184  
    Cash and cash equivalents, end of year (including restricted cash)     37,646       54,853  

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI Global: The best space telescope you never heard of just shut down

    Source: The Conversation – Global Perspectives – By Laura Nicole Driessen, Postdoctoral Researcher in Radio Astronomy, University of Sydney

    ESA / Gaia / DPAC, CC BY-SA

    On Thursday 27 March, the European Space Agency (ESA) sent its last messages to the Gaia Spacecraft. They told Gaia to shut down its communication systems and central computer and said goodbye to this amazing space telescope.

    Gaia has been the most successful ESA space mission ever, so why did they turn Gaia off? What did Gaia achieve? And perhaps most importantly, why was it my favourite space telescope?

    Running on empty

    Gaia was retired for a simple reason: after more than 11 years in space, it ran out of the cold gas propellant it needed to keep scanning the sky.

    The telescope did its last observation on 15 January 2025. The ESA team then performed testing for a few weeks, before telling Gaia to leave its home at a point in space called L2 and start orbiting the Sun away from Earth.

    L2 is one of five “Lagrangian points” around Earth and the Sun where gravitational conditions make for a nice, stable orbit. L2 is located 1.5 million kilometres from Earth on the “dark side”, opposite the Sun.

    L2 is a highly prized location because it’s a stable spot to orbit, it’s close enough to Earth for easy communication, and spacecraft can use the Sun behind them for solar power while looking away from the Sun out into space.

    It’s also too far away from Earth to send anyone on a repair mission, so once your spacecraft gets there it’s on its own.

    Keeping L2 clear

    L2 currently hosts the James Webb Space Telescope (operated by the USA, Europe and Canada), the European Euclid mission, the Chinese Chang’e 6 orbiter and the joint Russian-German Spektr-RG observatory. Since L2 is such a key location for space missions, it’s essential to keep it clear of debris and retired spacecraft.

    A final status update from Gaia.
    ESA, CC BY-SA

    Gaia used its thrusters for the last time to push itself away from L2, and is now drifting around the Sun in a “retirement orbit” where it won’t get in anybody’s way.

    As part of the retirement process, the Gaia team wrote farewell messages into the craft’s software and sent it the names of around 1,500 people who worked on Gaia over the years.

    What is Gaia?

    Gaia looks a bit like a spinning top hat in space. Its main mission was to produce a detailed, three-dimensional map of our galaxy, the Milky Way.

    To do this, it measured the precise positions and motions of 1.46 billion objects in space. Gaia also measured brightnesses and variability and those data were used to provide temperatures, gravitational parameters, stellar types and more for millions of stars. One of the key pieces of information Gaia provided was the distance to millions of stars.

    A cosmic measuring tape

    I’m a radio astronomer, which means I use radio telescopes here on Earth to explore the Universe. Radio light is the longest wavelength of light, invisible to human eyes, and I use it to investigate magnetic stars.

    But even though I’m a radio astronomer and Gaia was an optical telescope, looking at the same wavelengths of light our eyes can see, I use Gaia data almost every single day.

    I used it today to find out how far away, how bright, and how fast a star was. Before Gaia, I would probably never have known how far away that star was.

    This is essential for figuring out how bright the stars I study really are, which helps me understand the physics of what’s happening in and around them.

    A huge success

    Gaia has contributed to thousands of articles in astronomy journals. Papers released by the Gaia collaboration have been cited well over 20,000 times in total.

    Gaia has produced too many science results to share here. To take just one example, Gaia improved our understanding of the structure of our own galaxy by showing that it has multiple spiral arms that are less sharply defined than we previously thought.

    Not really the end for Gaia

    It’s difficult to express how revolutionary Gaia has been for astronomy, but we can let the numbers speak for themselves. Around five astronomy journal articles are published every day that use Gaia data, making Gaia the most successful ESA mission ever. And that won’t come to a complete stop when Gaia retires.

    The Gaia collaboration has published three data releases so far. This is where the collaboration performs the processing and checks on the data, adds some important analysis and releases all of that in one big hit.

    And luckily, there are two more big data releases with even more information to come. The fourth data release is expected in mid to late 2026. The fifth and final data release, containing all of the Gaia data from the whole mission, will come out sometime in the 2030s.

    This article is my own small tribute to a telescope that changed astronomy as we know it. So I will end by saying a huge thank you to everyone who has ever worked on this amazing space mission, whether it was engineering and operations, turning the data into the amazing resource it is, or any of the other many jobs that make a mission successful. And thank you to those who continue to work on the data as we speak.

    Finally, thank you to my favourite space telescope. Goodbye, Gaia, I’ll miss you.

    Laura Nicole Driessen is an ambassador for the Orbit Centre of Imagination at the Rise and Shine Kindergarten, in Sydney’s Inner West.

    ref. The best space telescope you never heard of just shut down – https://theconversation.com/the-best-space-telescope-you-never-heard-of-just-shut-down-253343

    MIL OSI – Global Reports

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Cultural adaptation of foreigners: students of the State University of Management visited the Museum of Time and Clocks

    Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

    Source: State University of Management – Official website of the State –

    Students of the State University of Management, who came to study in Russia from Vietnam, India, China, Nepal and Ethiopia, visited the Museum of Time and Clocks on an excursion.

    The museum opened in November 2022 in Moscow with the support of the Presidential Foundation for Cultural Initiatives and the National Association of Watchmakers. The museum includes a retrospective exhibition dedicated to the development of watchmaking in Russia, temporary exhibitions, an event space for public lectures, conferences, master classes, discussions and round tables.

    Most of the students of the State University of Management who visited the museum are currently studying at the preparatory department and are actively studying Russian, getting acquainted with our culture and history. One of the most interesting methods of immersion in the Russian environment for them was visiting museums.

    This time, foreign students, accompanied by teacher Natalia Krylova, not only enthusiastically practiced their Russian language skills, but also learned about the history of Russian and Soviet watchmaking.

    Time flew by. We are sure that the children have good memories of the excursion.

    Subscribe to the TG channel “Our GUU” Date of publication: 03/31/2025

    Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    MIL OSI Russia News

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Polytechnic University Presents New Projects with Artificial Intelligence

    Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

    Source: Peter the Great St Petersburg Polytechnic University – Peter the Great St Petersburg Polytechnic University –

    Opening the eighth seminar on artificial intelligence, Vice-Rector for Research Yuri Fomin noted that the discussions demonstrated the diversity and scale of the use of AI technologies by Polytechnic University scientists. This time, two reports were devoted to the use of AI methods in digital engineering of molecular and biomolecular systems and in the management of processes in a high-tech medical organization.

    The first topic was covered by Mikhail Ryazantsev, professor at the Higher School of Biomedical Systems and Technologies, director of the Scientific Research Institute “Digital Technologies in Medical and Biological Systems”. The speaker talked about the methods of machine learning and molecular systems engineering used, aimed at automating the development and optimization of the properties of molecular systems and processes, as well as synthesis and adaptation for industrial production.

    Effective automation requires an iterative process where the results of high-performance computing and/or experiments are used to train ML models, which in turn guide further development and optimization steps. It is also important to have a platform for integrating all the tools into a single workflow.

    Mikhail Nikolaevich spoke about the methods of directed evolution, combined design and the results achieved in optimizing protein properties. The professor emphasized that today chemistry is increasingly becoming an engineering science, including through the use of artificial intelligence, and the development of the industry requires appropriate software.

    Igor Ilyin, Director of the Higher School of Business Engineering and Head of the Laboratory for Interdisciplinary Research and Education on Technological and Economic Problems of Energy Transition (CIRETEC GT), reported on solutions to pressing problems of medical institutions that need to optimize medical, management, and support processes.

    The professor spoke about the characteristics and key aspects of the formation of the “smart clinic” architecture, as well as about digital technologies used in healthcare and projects being implemented. In particular, Igor Vasilyevich’s team is developing a system for supporting medical decision-making based on deep learning algorithms at the request of one of the largest medical centers in the country. Daniel Alliti, a postgraduate student at the Higher School of Business and Management of the Institute of Medical and Economics and Technology, spoke in more detail about the system. The system, being developed based on deep learning algorithms, should increase the efficiency of diagnostics and forecasting by 10%, reduce the number of medical errors leading to the death of the patient, reduce the routine tasks of doctors, freeing up time for receiving patients.

    The seminar participants, who included undergraduate and graduate students, asked many questions regarding the methods and speed of computations, the operating systems used, responsibility for diagnoses made using AI, the use of terminology, etc.

    It is gratifying that we have such a wide range of questions – from narrow technical to philosophical. This suggests that the topic of using artificial intelligence is truly interdisciplinary and inexhaustible, – commented on the results of the seminar Yuri Fomin.

    The Vice-Rector for Research also supported the proposal to create a glossary on the topic of artificial intelligence so that there would be a common understanding of terms among participants in interdisciplinary research groups.

    Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    MIL OSI Russia News

  • MIL-OSI Russia: To mark the 80th anniversary of the Victory, the Polytechnic launched a student video blog

    Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

    Source: Peter the Great St Petersburg Polytechnic University – Peter the Great St Petersburg Polytechnic University –

    In the Year of the Defender of the Fatherland and on the eve of the 80th anniversary of the Victory, the Polytechnic will publish a student video blog, “The Memory of Glory Lives.”

    Today it is difficult to imagine that the Main Building of the Polytechnic University once housed a military hospital, the windows of the Chemical Building were crosswise sealed with paper tape, and in place of a cozy park alley there was a gaping two-meter shell crater. Hurrying about our business, we pass by monuments, memorial plaques and rarely think about what they symbolize, what they can tell us.

    Our university has many places associated with the Great Patriotic War. What events took place here in those distant years? The video blog “Memory of Glory is Alive” and its host, IMMiT SPbPU student Yegor Bredikhin, answer these questions.

    In the vlog episodes, he will talk about the university’s memorable locations and the unforgettable stories they have kept for decades.

    “This project has become another page in the educational work of the university, which includes our own initiatives, such as “Stories of Polytechnic Families”, and participation in all-Russian events, such as “Scientific Regiment”, – said the head of the Public Relations Department Marianna Dyakova. – In the year of the 80th anniversary of the Victory, we decided to make a video project together with students about the places inside the Polytechnic associated with the Great Patriotic War. Students, especially those who are just starting to study, know almost nothing about them. And if they hear from other students the history of the monument, the memorial plaque, it will be perceived with trust and understanding, and will cause reciprocal emotions. We don’t want the project to be didactic, we want to touch the souls and hearts of the Polytechnicians, so that every student who watches the video, passing by such a significant place, stops for a second, thinks about the Great Patriotic War, about the cost of how many lives the victory was achieved.”

    The premiere of the first issue dedicated to the Monument to the Fallen Polytechnicians has already taken place. The most famous monument on the Polytechnic campus was opened on September 23, 1967. It was built with funds from teachers, employees, students and graduates of the M. I. Kalinin LPI. Two military helmets lying on the pedestal were found at the battle sites.

    Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    MIL OSI Russia News

  • MIL-OSI Russia: SUM shares experience: the second webinar on the exchange of best practices of project-based learning for university representatives was held

    Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

    Source: State University of Management – Official website of the State –

    On March 28, the second online seminar in 2025 was held for teachers and staff of higher education institutions, dedicated to the issues of introducing project-based learning into the educational process.

    The webinar was organized by the State University of Management as an interregional educational and methodological center for project-based learning and the Association of Project-Oriented Organizations of Science and Higher Education.

    The webinar featured three diverse reports. Each speaker shared the unique experience of their educational institution, telling about cases of successful implementation of project activities among students.

    Head of the Department of Advertising and Public Relations of the State University of Management Vasily Starostin covered the issues of organizing project work of marketing students from the point of view of the experience of the Institute of Marketing of the State University of Management. The audience was especially interested in the methodology of setting the task for the implementation of project work by students of the 1st to 3rd years of the bachelor’s degree.

    Elena Stukalova, head of the startup studio at the Financial University, shared her experience in developing student startup projects. Participants learned what tools and resources are used to support young entrepreneurs as part of the educational process.

    Director of the Institute of Creative Industries of VVSU Inna Klochko spoke about the organization of project activities at Vladivostok State University. Examples of successful projects implemented at the university became clear evidence of the effectiveness of the proposed approaches.

    The State University of Management expresses gratitude to all participants and speakers for productive cooperation and hopes for further development of mutually beneficial dialogue within the framework of the exchange of best practices of project-based learning.

    Subscribe to the TG channel “Our GUU” Date of publication: 03/31/2025

    Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    MIL OSI Russia News

  • MIL-OSI Russia: List of support measures for SVO participants and their children

    Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

    Source: State University of Management – Official website of the State –

    The State University of Management reminds you of the list of support measures for SVO participants and their children that are available to them at our university.

    Federal Law No. 273-FZ of December 29, 2012 “On Education in the Russian Federation” provides special rights (benefits) for admission to bachelor’s and specialist’s degree programs for SVO participants and their children, including the right to admission at the expense of budgetary allocations within a separate quota.

    Benefits for admission of children of SVO participants also apply to adopted children. Classification as a category of persons entitled to admission within a separate quota is confirmed by a corresponding certificate provided in the established manner.

    Also, participants of the SVO and their children are granted the right to be admitted to preparatory departments of educational organizations for training at the expense of budget funds. The list of educational organizations in whose preparatory departments training is carried out at the expense of budgetary allocations of the federal budget for the 2025/26 academic year was approved by order of the Ministry of Education and Science of Russia dated November 15, 2024 No. 765.

    In accordance with the order of the Ministry of Education and Science of Russia dated August 28, 2023 No. 822 “On approval of the procedure and cases of transition of persons studying in educational programs of secondary vocational and higher education from paid education to education at the expense of budgetary allocations of the federal budget, budgets of constituent entities of the Russian Federation and local budgets or at the expense of the organization’s own funds carrying out educational activities, including funds received from income-generating activities, voluntary donations and targeted contributions of individuals and (or) legal entities” children of persons taking or who took part in SVO, studying in an educational organization on the basis of an agreement on the provision of paid educational services, who do not have academic debt, disciplinary sanctions, or arrears in tuition fees at the time of filing the application, are classified as persons having a priority right to transition from paid education to free education.

    Subscribe to the TG channel “Our GUU” Date of publication: 03/31/2025

    Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    MIL OSI Russia News