Exclusive
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Ukraine destroys first Bastion launcher—and two of Russia's 40 hypersonic Zircons. After peeling back Russian air defenses in Crimea, Ukrainian drone operators are now hunting down Russia's best missiles on the ground. |
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FPV drone strikes in Baghdad expose US vulnerability. Fortifications are no longer enough to guard against a cheap yet persistent threat |
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Ukrainian grain was stolen, relabeled Russian, and sold to a UN food program supplier—the paperwork said nothing about Mariupol. The same Russian family builds attack drones for Russia's war on Ukraine and exports stolen Ukrainian wheat. Some of it reached a UN food program supplier in Türkiye. |
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Russia building satellite network to replace Starlink, launches first 16 into orbit. Large-scale deployment still years away, but Russia has all it needs to make it happen |
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Russia sells its oil while arming the enemy Washington is bombing. Russian oil is moving. Iranian is not. The difference goes straight to Ukraine's front line. |
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Zaluzhnyi now blames Zelenskyy for the counteroffensive. He wasn't always so sure.. Ukraine's cursed 2023 counteroffensive ran into Europe's largest fortified belt without air cover. The blame game between Kyiv's leaders lets the biggest culprit off the hook. |
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Denmark outspends everyone on Ukraine. I walked the streets to find out why.. Danes head to the polls on 24 March, but Ukraine barely registers as a campaign issue—because 70% already agree on keeping the world's highest per-capita support going. |
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Mesh networked "smart mines" under development by Poland, Estonia, Ukraine. Likely to be used along the borders of Russia and its allies |
Military
Ukraine built the ground drone playbook. Russia copied it. Now Ukraine is destroying the copies near Vovchansk. This sector in northeastern Ukraine has become a technology duel: Russians are deploying their own unmanned ground vehicles to survive Ukraine's kill zone — and Ukrainians are hunting and destroying them, the Ukrainian military says.
Russia's Baltic coast took three hits in one night: gas hub, oil terminal, military icebreaker — all confirmed by Ukraine (updated). Russia's governor described the Ust-Luga fire as minor while black smoke rose over the port by morning. The SBU called the strike a "symbolic gift on SBU Day" and confirmed the Primorsk terminal — hit two nights earlier — was still burning.
Bombs fall on Russia's Leningrad Oblast for first time since WWII. Ukrainian military says they could be launched not from jet but A-22 civilian ultralight. These systems can strike targets up to 1,600 km away.
Reuters: 40% of Russia's oil exports offline, mostly due to Ukrainian drone strikes — worst disruption in Russian history. Russia earns roughly a quarter of its state budget from oil and gas. This week's attacks halted oil loadings at both Russian Baltic Sea terminals.
Drones crash in Estonia and Latvia overnight — stray Ukrainian or deliberate Russian, origin unclear. A drone struck the chimney of Estonia's Auvere power plant while another exploded in Latvia's Krāslava district, both entering from Russia; no injuries were reported, investigations are underway, and Estonia's government called an emergency meeting.
Intelligence and technology
Russia's ballistic missiles now change trajectory mid-flight. Europe needs 400% increase in air defense or face defeat. Russia reduced the effectiveness of Ukraine's Patriot interceptors, requiring more than one missile per intercept.
Ukrainian drone pilots get round-the-clock support from another continent. While Kyiv sleeps, Australian experts run night shift. Australian experts work Kyiv time to aid pilots and test equipment.
NATO and Ukraine just launched their first joint defense tech competition. €10 million is the prize. The competition has been launched under the UNITE — Brave NATO program, bringing together companies from Ukraine and NATO member states.
International
Dutch opposition slams government: Financial aid to Ukraine nearly halved and far-right say "it's not our war". MPs demand answers—€2 billion in approved aid still delayed, reasons unclear.
Ukraine is asking world to sign appeal to expel Russia from UNESCO after 17th-century Lviv monastery attack. Ukraine's Institute of National Memory has launched an open appeal to UNESCO and international partners calling for Russia's expulsion from the organization.
Ukraine is developing first-ever Africa strategy, Budanov announces. Russia already has fighters from 36 African countries fighting in Ukraine. Ukraine is developing its first-ever strategy for expanding relations and presence on the African continent.
Humanitarian and social impact
At ports and railways first civilian air defense groups will appear in Ukraine. Last night, Russians killed a civilian on a commuter train in Kharkiv.
Political and legal developments
Putin watched Khamenei get killed. Then disappeared from public view for nine days. Then shut down Moscow's internet. Moscow's internet went dark after Khamenei was killed.
US and Czech citizens placed in pretrial detention over arson at plant supplying Ukraine — Czech intelligence asks if Russia used pro-Palestinian group as cover. A court in Pardubice remanded two of the three detained suspects; one shouted "Free Palestine" as police escorted him into the courthouse, despite the target of their crime having nothing to do with Israel.
Russia's oil revenues hit four-year high amid Iran's war. And Ukraine is paying price. Russia earns $270 million a day from exports.
