According to several sources, Russian military forces have occupied several installations in lower Ukraine, principally around the Crimean region. The new Ukrainian government says it has been invaded by Russia and has appealed for the United States and United Kingdom to protect it, as guaranteed under a 1994 agreement. The move came after a series of armed takeovers and provocations in the Crimea region that began on Thursday with the seizure of the regional parliament building and continued on Friday. Soldiers without national insignia have been seen blocking off and guarding the region’s airports and other military assets, including helicopters, trucks and naval vessels have been reported in and around the area.

The so-called Budapest Memorandum, signed as part of a deal that saw Ukraine give up its nuclear weapons in 1994, is now being examined closely to see what the repercussions would be for the global community. According to the agreement, the US, UK and Russia all agreed to protect the sovereignty and “territorial agreement” of Ukraine, meaning any Russian support for an attempt to declare Crimean independence would be in violation of their international obligations.

The three powers committed to “respect the independence and sovereignty and the existing borders of Ukraine” and “refrain from the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of Ukraine”. Significantly, the wording suggests Russia’s insistence that Ukraine forgo an EU trade deal may have already breached the terms of the agreement. The signatories agreed to “refrain from economic coercion designed to subordinate to their own interest the exercise by Ukraine of the rights inherent in its sovereignty and thus to secure advantages of any kind”.

At this year’s Toy Fair held in New York City, Unimax, the makers of the wildly popular Forces of Valor line of military replicas, confirmed that several new vessels can be expected over the course of 2014. Two new aircraft carriers are currently getting their keels laid for late year release, including the USS Kitty Hawk (CV-63) and USS Hornet (CV-8). Also, scheduled to sortie with their growing fleet is the battleship USS Arizona (BB-39), which should make port in June.

In the air, several new warplanes are in the FOV defense budget, including a 1:72 scale rendition of a Sikorsky CH-53E Super Stallion heavy lift helicopter, a Lockheed F-117A Nighthawk stealth fighter, US Navy F-35B Joint Strike Fighter, and, of course, the previously announced MV-22 Osprey, which will indeed feature tilting rotors and a drop down rear ramp.

The Company plans on taking a breather with their military vehicle range, although a handful of repaints are still on the docket.

With the myriad of 2014 Toy Fairs just around the corner, The Collectors Showcase is one of the first companies to start providing details concerning their 2014 roster. Besides the usual litany of first-rate, 1:30 scale collectibles from different epochs, the Austin, Texas-based company now plans on dabbling in the wargaming market by offering a new range of 1:28 scale military miniatures called Collectors Battlefield Wargaming System.

Their first rule set, D-Day: Battle of Carentan, is already being shown on their web site, and should be available as early as February. Several vehicles and figure packs are included in the mix, as are separate rules sets and other accessories. We will begin listing each of the sets and hope to take pre-orders shortly.

As always, we give thanks for all of the many blessings we’ve received this past year, both personally and professionally. Moreover, I give thanks to our brand new son-in-law, Samir, who recently underwent a bone marrow harvest to save a child’s life, then returned to his surgical duties the very next day. I also give thanks to our prospective son-in-law, Jason, who will soon graduate from the correction officers academy and serve under the auspices of the New York City Department of Correction. Besides my wonderful wife, Robin, and our fantastic daughters, Linda and April, I give thanks for the many memories I had with my recently departed dog, Cookie, who was profiled earlier this month. A new furry friend will likely join our entourage shortly, making this an especially joyous holiday season.