• Estonian President warns against ceding Eastern Ukraine to Russia, urges stronger military support

    Speaking at the 8th Ukrainian Lunch event on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference, organized by the Yalta European Strategy (YES) and the Viktor Pinchuk Foundation, President of Estonia, Alar Karis, has issued a stark warning that leaving Eastern Ukraine under Russian control could spell disaster for Europe. The European Union has already implemented 16 packages of sanctions against Russia, but Karis noted that there are still ways to circumvent these sanctions, demanding increased …

  • Chinese companies invest in occupied Ukrainian territories amid Russia’s financial struggles

    Several private Chinese companies have begun operations in temporarily occupied areas of Ukraine, supplying essential equipment and helping rebuild destroyed factories, reports NV, suggesting that these business activities likely have the backing of the Chinese Communist Party. Chinese entrepreneurs from varying sectors such as energy, agriculture, and light industry are traveling to these regions to form joint Chinese-Russian companies and are actively seeking local workers.

    "Currently, …

  • Ukrainian Forces liberate Pishchane in strategic counterattack in Donetsk region

    The Ukrainian Armed Forces have launched their first counterattack in a year, succeeding in liberating the village of Pishchane in the Donetsk region, reports BILD.

    For the first time in a year, the Ukrainian army has managed to push back the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation in the Donetsk region. The Ukrainian military successfully freed the village of Pishchane, located five kilometers from Pokrovsk. Additionally, according to journalists, Ukrainian forces have advanced two kilometers …

  • Russia faces looming fuel shortage as railway network falters amid war and sanctions

    In Russia, the economic landscape is facing a formidable challenge: the country’s railway network is failing to manage the crucial transportation of oil and petroleum products, potentially leading to a gasoline shortage across the nation. The Russian newspaper Kommersant reports that Russian Railways (RZD) is struggling with the dispatch of fuel tanks, raising the threat of supply disruptions in the domestic market. Oil powerhouses "Rosneft" and "Gazprom Neft" have already sounded the alarm …

  • Russia expands military presence in Libya following Syrian regime collapse

    Following the Syrian regime collapse on December 8, 2024, Russia has stepped up its military presence in Libya, where Marshal Khalifa Haftar is a key ally, controlling eastern and southern parts of the country, reports Le Monde.

    According to diplomatic sources cited by the French publication, Russian cargo planes are landing at the al-Khadim and al-Jufra bases an average of four times a week. Le Monde highlights ongoing restoration efforts at the Maaten al-Sarra airbase in southeastern Libya, …

  • Germany to supply Ukraine with 6,000 advanced AI-powered kamikaze drones

    Germany has announced the delivery of 6,000 advanced HX-2 kamikaze drones to Ukraine, manufactured by the German defense tech company Helsing.

    These drones, equipped with artificial intelligence, are designed to target Russian artillery, armored vehicles, and command posts, Bild reported on Thursday, February 13.

    The initial announcement about supplying AI-based strike drones to the Ukrainian Armed Forces from Helsing was made in November 2024. Bild initially reported it, and it was later …

  • Ukraine unveils key individuals behind Russia's sanction-evading 'shadow fleet'

    The Main Intelligence Directorate of Ukraine’s Ministry of Defense has released new data on the captains steering Russia's elusive "shadow" tanker fleet. Captains hold ultimate authority on a ship, possessing vital knowledge about its ownership, the value of its cargo, and the vessel’s conditions. According to this fresh disclosure on the War&Sanctions website, information about 57 captains and 45 vessels involved in transporting sanctioned oil is now in the public domain. Some of these tankers …

  • Sudan and Russia finalize naval base agreement

    Sudan's Foreign Minister Ali Yusuf Sharif announced that Sudan and Russia are is in full agreement on establishing a Russian naval base in Sudan.

    This statement was made during a joint press conference with Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. The agreement for constructing the naval facility in Port Sudan was initially signed in 2020, with discussions starting as early as 2017.

    The base is intended to host up to four Russian ships and no more than 300 personnel. The agreement faced …

  • Russian regions hit with massive drone attack

    In the Russian city of Lipetsk, a woman sustained injuries following a drone incident, according to Lipetsk regional governor Igor Artamonov.

    As reported on Thursday, February 13, via his Telegram channel, debris from the unmanned aerial vehicle left the employee of the Lipetsk Aeration Station, a key water treatment facility in southern Lipetsk, with shrapnel wounds. She has since been hospitalized.

    Significantly, the station is located near the Novolipetsk Steel Plant, highlighted as one of …

  • Trump's surprise phone call with Putin shakes Europe, raises concerns for Ukraine amid Russia's gains

    According to Carlo Masala, an expert from Munich's Bundeswehr University, the U.S. withdrawal from the Russia-Ukraine war signifies a victory for Russia. However, Ukrainian officials dismiss this perspective as "utter nonsense."

    Talks between Russia and the United States are unfolding "over the heads" of Ukrainians and Europeans, presenting an "apocalyptic" scenario, Masala expressed in an interview with German tabloid BILD.

    U.S. President Donald Trump's phone call to Russia and talks with …