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The Russian Ministry of Defence has confirmed that an expedition has been launched to attempt to locate a Soviet Navy submarine that was lost off the northern coast of Japan in the closing weeks of World War II. Russian Navy hydrographic ships will begin combing the waters of La Perouse Strait between Japan and the Sakhalin region with the aim of finding the wreckage of the Leninets-class submarine L-19. The submarine’s crew last made radio contact in late August 1945, just days following Emperor Hirohito’s announcement of Japan’s surrender to the Allies to bring an end to the hostilities. An earlier attempt to locate the wreck was made in 2006. However, this expedition found only a freighter and the US Navy Gato-class submarine USS Wahoo, which was lost along with its entire crew as a result of a Japanese air attack in October 1943. The search for L-19 will focus on the western portion of La Perouse Strait, which is where the submarine’s crew last reported their position. The submarine, along with its entire 62-strong crew, was lost due to still unknown causes on its first and only wartime patrol since entering service in 1939.

During WW2 the Soviet Union supplied the US with certain raw materials and products. The scheme for this supply was "Reverse Lend-Lease". The Soviet Union was able to pay back by providing what the US might need. The list below shows the deliveries. Item/Quantity Chromium ore (tons): 300.000 Manganese ore (tons): 32.000 Platinum: * Tin: * Petroleum (tons): 1.070 Fruit (tons): 6 Vegetables (tons): 102 Meat (tons): 23 Eggs (doz.): 17.643 Railroad freight (ton-miles, est.): 9.538.050 Railroad passenger (passenger-miles, est.): 1.345.560 Truck freight (ton miles): 60.000 Labor ($): 280.000 Aggregate value (U.S. wartime est.): $ 2.200.000 * Negligible quantities Source: "History of the U.S. Military Mission to Moscow," Modern Military Records Division, R.G. 165, Box 146, OPD 336TS, N.A., 356-57; Oleg Rzheshevsky, World War II; Myths and the Realities (Moscow: Progress Publishers, 1984), 190. Feeding the Bear: American Aid to the Soviet Union, 1941-1945, by Hubert P. Van Tuyll. Westport, Connecticut: Greenwood Press, Inc. 1989 I haven't been able to find details on the negotiations and how it was agreed. The food, petroleum and freight is likely to be included because of US troops/personnel being based in the Soviet Union. Chrome ore and manganese deliveries are more interesting. In the link below it is possible to find the US production during the war. The % of manganese supplied by the USSR is not very significant when compared to the local output (~3%), but chromium is more significant. Local output reduces by a quarter in 1944 (145.600 vs 45.600 tons) and reduces to a trickle in 1945 (14.000). Finally, what does the "aggregate value" include? I can't get how all those items are worth just $ 2.200.000.

It is pretty well known that MiG lost a big market in eastern Europe, first when USSR applied the "Sinatra doctrine" and then when the Soviet Union dissolved. I have been trying to get some idea of the number of Fulcrum to be acquired by Yugoslavia and Warsaw Pact nations if the Communist governments would have stayed in the power. This is so far what I have: - Yugoslavia: 16 MiG-29, first country in Eastern Europe to receive them. 28 more were planned. - Romania: 16 MiG-29. There were rumours about a total of 30 to be acquired. - East Germany: 24 MiG-29, all transferred to Luftwaffe after reunification. No details if more were expected. - Czechoslovakia: 20 MiG-29. Fleet divided between Czech Republic and Slovakia. - Poland: 12 acquired from USSR, 10 from Czech Republic, and 22 from Germany. - Hungary: 28 MiG-29 received in 1993 to pay for Russian debt. All retired and offered for sale. - Bulgaria: 22 MiG-29 received in 1989-90. Maybe our Eastern European colleagues could provide more details. Were there contracts for more MiG-29 being negotiated in 1990-91?

After more than 40 years, T-64 will be exported. Democratic Republic of Congo has signed a contract for the delivery of 50 T-64BV1. According to bmpd, the cost was ~11 million $. It seems that the tanks were bought at scrap value and customer will pay for reburbishment, which will be done in Kharkov. http://bmpd.livejournal.com/742817.html Even if contract is modest in financial terms, it is an important breakthrough for Ukraine. T-72s are almost depleted, thus in the last years T-64 has been offered for sale. If modernized to Bulat standard it is still a very valid solution in most parts of the world.