Exclusives
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Russia couldn’t fix its oil revenues. The US Air Force did it.. First-half March data show Russia’s fossil fuel revenues up 14%, as the Hormuz closure reversed India’s retreat from Russian crude. |
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Ukraine charges ruling-party MP with treason — and the case has two separate tracks. One case targets a 2024 post on the 72nd Brigade allegedly enabling rapid Russian redeployment. Another, court-opened, concerns Bezuhla’s 2021 disclosure of operatives during Wagnergate hearings. |
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Ukraine pauses rate cuts as Middle East oil shock rewrites inflation forecast. The NBU had one cut behind it and more planned. Then oil prices spiked. |
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Russia’s tanks are back after a year in hiding. Thursday was a massacre.. In 2025, Russia parked many of its combat vehicles. Now it may shifting them back into drive for a renewed mechanized push. |
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Three years of wartime growth—built almost entirely on government spending. Three years of wartime growth—but the engine is government spending, not a recovering economy. |
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Running restricted goods to Russia used to get you sanctioned. Apparently it now gets you unsanctioned.. Cleared entities include a Turkish network serving Russian intelligence services and a UAE firm that shipped manufacturing equipment to Russia. |
Military
Gas infrastructure hit again: Russia's 2026 drone campaign against Naftogaz passes 30 strikes The latest overnight attack on Poltava and Sumy oblasts adds to a relentless energy strike campaign.
Ukrainian FPV drone downed Russian Ka-52 helicopter — then Magyar's Birds came back to finish the crew The fiber-optic drone couldn't be jammed. The pilots couldn't escape.
Russia orders shell casings from a steel plant in occupied Alchevsk. Ukraine's drones struck it again overnight The facility in Luhansk Oblast was previously targeted in December 2025. The extent of the damage from last night's attack is currently unknown.
Russia hit two grain-loaded ships under Palau and Barbados flags in Odesa port overnight — grain bunker and administrative buildings also damaged The same night, a Russian drone killed a woman being evacuated in Donetsk Oblast — the car was carrying three women over 70 and a man over 60 when it was struck.
ISW: Ukraine's drones pressure Russian command at every level — tactical, operational, strategic — likely disrupting spring offensive Ukrainian forces conducted 365 mid-range strikes between March 2025 and March 2026, a third of them in the last three months alone, using domestically produced drones.
Russia gears up for bigger war — plans to recruit 409,000 more troops for Ukraine front Meanwhile, a spring offensive ignites, and immediately bleeds, with over 3,000 Russian troops lost in just two days.
Russian drones hit Ukrainian city 15 km from Poland. Next day, Belarus moved heavy equipment toward Poland's border Russian Shahed drones struck an energy facility in Novovolynsk.
Hellish rain for occupiers: Russian battalion can no longer fire rockets from 40 tubes in 20 seconds Ukrainian infantry gains breathing room, freedom to maneuver.
Intelligence and technology
Four years of Shahed attacks made Ukraine the world's most sought-after drone defense instructor Eleven countries have asked for help. Some have already received Ukrainian teams and technology.
Russian Su-30 violated Estonian airspace for about a minute — Italy's NATO fighters scrambled The aircraft had no flight plan and no two-way radio contact with Estonian air traffic control.
Russian spies try to sneak into Europe. One arrived with Estonian residence permit and cover story about healthcare Estonia banned him from Schengen.
International
"Big deal" with Washington: Belarus says talks are advancing as ties with Trump's America warm The pattern is familiar: a prisoner release, then a deal on sanctions relief. This time, Lukashenka says the scope is wider than ever.
"Time to resume them": Ukraine sends senior delegation to US after pause in peace talks The Iran war pulled Washington's focus. Saturday's meeting is Kyiv's bid to get it back.
French Navy stops Russian shadow fleet ship in the Mediterranean: "Profiteers of war" Macron says the Deyna's crew helped finance Russia's invasion while evading international law.
Three years. That is how long most NATO military leaders think Alliance has before Russia tests Article 5 By 2029, Russia may attack NATO. The Alliance's military leaders agree on that.
250 Belarusians freed after Washington lifts sanctions on banks and potash — regime calls it "humanitarian" Fifteen of the released prisoners were transferred to Lithuania.
EU summit backs Ukraine's €90 billion loan and opens all accession clusters — but Orbán and Fico still block the money 25 EU leaders formally endorsed Ukraine's loan disbursement by early April and invited the Council to open all EU accession clusters without delay. Hungary and Slovakia declined to support the conclusions.
Middle East or Ukraine: April is when allies must decide which matters more, as both wars lead back to Moscow The war in Iran is consuming the missiles meant for Ukraine.
Russia faked Ukrainian phone numbers to threaten Hungarians in Ukraine — to help Orbán win Hungary's election, Kyiv says Callers impersonating Ukrainian police demanded ethnic Hungarians leave Ukraine and threatened violence, but the SBU traced every call to Russian territory.
Humanitarian and social impact
"100th attack on our team" — Russia kills two elderly women in strike on marked evacuation vehicle An 83-year-old and a 63-year-old died. The drone hit directly beside the humanitarian emblem.
Political and legal developments
71% of Ukrainians don't believe current talks will bring lasting peace — distrusting Russia and doubting their partners Distrust of Russia. Skepticism about Western guarantees. War fatigue rising. The data tells a complex story.
Russia used year of peace talks to set records in drone strikes. Now it has suspended talks, as Ukraine refuses to surrender Russia has suspended trilateral peace talks with the US and Ukraine after a year of negotiations that produced no territorial concessions, record drone and ballistic missile strikes, and plans to recruit an additional 409,000 troops — with the only agreed outcome being prisoner exchanges that began in 2022.
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