A Just Russia

Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski has questioned Russia's status as a permanent member of the UN Security Council, arguing that Moscow took over the Soviet Union's seat in 1991 without a vote. He contrasted this with China, where the UN formally decided that the People's Republic of China would represent the country. His comments fuel ongoing debate about whether Russia's seat is legitimate.

American intelligence has reportedly warned several European governments that Russia may be preparing a drone attack on one of three Mediterranean countries: Spain, France, or Italy. The warning, attributed to the CIA, was shared with allied capitals. The report is spreading rapidly across European countries and drawing concern about Russian covert action on NATO and EU soil.

Ukraine has begun striking Russian border crossings with Belarus, responding to recent Russian attacks on Ukrainian border crossing points. A Ukrainian drone strike reportedly landed next to a crossing on the Russia-Belarus border. The exchanges mark an expansion of cross-border attacks, with border infrastructure on both sides now targeted as the war's front lines of logistics and supply come under pressure.

Russia's oil production is expected to drop to 494 million tonnes in 2026, a 3.4% decline from the previous year and the lowest level since 2009, according to Le Grand Continent. Observers are weighing what the decline means for Russia's economy, its refining capacity, and global energy markets amid ongoing sanctions pressure.

Russia has started rationing fuel after a large-scale Ukrainian drone strike hit refinery and energy infrastructure, with reports suggesting Ukrainian long-range drone technology is outpacing Russian defences. The shortages are forcing regional restrictions on petrol and diesel supplies, adding pressure on Moscow's war economy as the conflict grinds on.

Ukraine launched strikes targeting Moscow on the first day of Russia's presidential election, in which Vladimir Putin is seeking another term. The timing is widely seen as a symbolic message aimed at undermining the vote's legitimacy, which Western governments and Kyiv have dismissed as staged. The attack follows months of Ukrainian drone strikes deep into Russian territory, and it comes as Russian authorities report attempts to disrupt polling.

Russian strikes are increasingly directed at Ukraine's data centers, infrastructure that underpins government services, banking, and communications. The attacks fit a broader campaign against Ukrainian energy and digital infrastructure, aiming to disrupt state operations and public life. Analysts note that destroying data facilities can be harder to reverse than hitting the power grid, raising concerns about the long-term resilience of Ukraine's digital state.

US intelligence has reportedly warned Spain, France and Italy that Russia may be preparing drone attacks against targets in Southern Europe. The warning was reported by Spain's El Mundo, which said the intelligence was shared with European governments following CIA Director briefings. The news is spreading quickly across European social media, with users discussing what the reported threat could mean for southern Europe's security.

Le Parisien reports that Mykhailo Fedorov, Ukraine's digital transformation minister, is backing a new push to field an 'army of robots' on the battlefield, aiming to replace human soldiers in frontline combat roles. The plan reflects Ukraine's drive to offset manpower shortages and reduce casualties by scaling up unmanned ground systems and other autonomous platforms as the war with Russia grinds on.

Attention is on the actual number of Russian soldiers killed in the war in Ukraine, a figure that remains difficult to verify as official Russian reporting is widely considered incomplete. Independent researchers, journalists and Western officials have offered estimates far above Moscow's acknowledged losses, and debate continues over the true scale of casualties as the fighting goes on.

Russian forces carried out large-scale strikes on Kyiv, with reports claiming hits on Ukrainian military hubs and what Moscow describes as NATO specialists present in the country. The claims of foreign casualties have not been independently verified, and Ukrainian officials have not confirmed the extent of the damage. The strikes mark a further escalation in Russia's sustained bombardment of the Ukrainian capital.

Russia has restored its Perimeter system, a semi-automated mechanism designed to launch a retaliatory nuclear strike if Russian leadership is wiped out, according to The Sunday Times. The Cold War-era system, sometimes called 'Dead Hand', is intended to guarantee retaliation even if command structures are destroyed. Confirmation is difficult given the system's secrecy, and Moscow has not officially commented on the report.

Germany's foreign minister met Russian counterparts in a rare direct encounter, urging Moscow to abandon what Berlin called a dangerous escalation of the war in Ukraine. The meeting stands out amid the near-total breakdown of high-level contacts between Berlin and Moscow since Russia's full-scale invasion, and is being watched for signs of any diplomatic opening.

Reporting by The Atlantic describes a covert administrative apparatus Russia is constructing in occupied Ukrainian territories, including proxy governance, local collaborators, and parallel institutions that consolidate control behind the front lines. The article argues this is a deliberate effort to make annexation permanent, shaping how analysts and policymakers view the prospects for any territorial settlement in the war.

German international broadcaster DW reports that Russia is expected to step up hybrid warfare against Europe, a term covering sabotage, disinformation, cyberattacks and other deniable pressure tactics short of open conflict. The report adds to growing warnings from European governments and security services about Russian covert activity targeting infrastructure, elections and public opinion across the continent, as the war in Ukraine continues to strain relations between Moscow and the West.

Claims are circulating that Russian forces are suffering losses of around 2,000 troops per day, with roughly 60% of casualties proving fatal. The figures suggest sustained and severe attrition in Russia's war effort, though the source and methodology behind the numbers are not specified. The report is drawing wide attention as the Ukraine war continues with heavy daily combat.

A Ukrainian official says the country is using drones to airdrop food supplies into a city surrounded by Russian forces. The delivery method is being used where ground convoys cannot safely reach residents, highlighting the worsening humanitarian conditions in besieged areas as the war with Russia continues.

Europe and NATO are drawing up plans for a potential widening of the war in Ukraine, according to CNN reporting. The piece examines how European governments are reassessing defense readiness amid fears the conflict with Russia could spill beyond Ukraine's borders. The report has drawn significant attention from readers debating Europe's preparedness for a larger confrontation.

Germany and Russia are holding their first direct talks since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, according to DW. The reported meeting has prompted questions about why the two governments are re-establishing contact now, with observers weighing what it could mean for diplomacy over the war, sanctions policy, and Europe's broader posture toward Moscow as the conflict continues.

Russia's military says it carried out strikes on vessels in Ukraine, continuing a campaign that has repeatedly targeted Ukrainian ports and shipping infrastructure on the Black Sea and Danube. The claim has not been independently verified, and Ukrainian officials have not confirmed the extent of any damage or casualties.

Ukraine's Operation Vivaldi has reportedly erased recent Russian gains, with robots playing a central role in the fighting. Unmanned systems carried out combat airdrops of supplies and cleared minefields, reducing risks to Ukrainian soldiers. The operation is being discussed as another example of how drones and ground robots are increasingly taking on dangerous battlefield tasks in the war with Russia.

French news programme 24H Pujadas on LCI is covering a United States alert about Russian nuclear weapons potentially being placed in orbit. The report examines warnings from US officials about Russia's space-based nuclear capabilities and what this development could mean for international security and arms control.

Ukraine's former defense minister has announced an initiative called the 'Army of Robots', aimed at speeding up the development and deployment of autonomous weapons systems on the battlefield. The plan reflects Ukraine's push to scale up robotic and unmanned platforms amid the ongoing war with Russia, and is likely to fuel debate over the growing role of autonomous systems in modern warfare.

Germany is moving against Berlin's so-called Russian House, which remained open throughout Russia's war in Ukraine despite EU sanctions. The cultural institution had been protected by a reciprocal arrangement covering Moscow's Goethe-Institut, but Berlin now links it to sabotage activity, prompting the push to close it.