- Ukraine: Russian Missiles Contain New Western Components – Ukrainian sanctions commissioner Vladyslav Vlasiuk claims that fragments from Russian Kh-101 missiles recovered after the recent massive attack on Kyiv contained Western components manufactured as recently as 2025 and 2026. Kyiv Post reports that among the companies whose parts were identified are Texas Instruments, AMD, Nexperia, and Harting Technology Group. The Ukrainian official states that Russia is using missiles „directly from the production line,” indicating that Moscow is still able to obtain Western technologies despite sanctions. He also said that authorities have managed to block several supply chains to Russia, including some related to NVIDIA products used for drones.
- Czech Expert: Moscow’s Threats with „Ultramodern” Weapons Have Lost Their Impact – Repeated threats from Russia regarding its new strategic weapons no longer impress the West as they did in the past, says Czech analyst Tomáš Pojar, former national security advisor to the Prague government. In an interview with Ukrinform, he stated that Moscow uses rhetoric about „cutting-edge weapons” too often, and the psychological effect has diminished. The comments come after the Kremlin announced a new test of the Sarmat nuclear missile. Pojar says that such a test would have caused much more media impact in Europe a few years ago. The analyst admits that there are still Western politicians who take Moscow’s threats seriously, but he believes that Russia’s displays of strength no longer fundamentally change the West’s attitude.
- UN Calls for Emergency Meeting – The UN Security Council will hold an emergency meeting on Tuesday regarding the escalation of Russian attacks on Ukraine. The request was made by Latvia and supported by several European states following the wave of bombings that killed at least 24 people in Ukraine. Ukrainian Ambassador to the UN Andrii Melnyk said that in just one week, Russia launched approximately 600 drones and 16 ballistic missiles on Ukrainian cities.
- Special Tribunal to Prosecute Putin – A group of 36 states and the European Union has approved the creation of a special tribunal to prosecute the leadership of Russia for „aggression” against Ukraine. Kyiv Post reports that the agreement was adopted at the Council of Europe meeting in Chisinau and targets even those close to Vladimir Putin. Ukrainian authorities say the tribunal is intended to fill the existing legal gap since the International Criminal Court cannot prosecute Russia for starting the war.
- Over 4.3 Million Ukrainians Under Protection in the EU – More than 4.3 million Ukrainians continue to benefit from temporary protection in the European Union, with the majority residing in Germany, Poland, and the Czech Republic, according to Eurostat data. Germany hosts over 1.27 million Ukrainian refugees, while Poland has nearly 961,000. The total number of individuals under temporary protection slightly decreased in March, but experts say this does not necessarily mean the refugees are returning to Ukraine. The decrease may be explained by document expirations or people moving between EU states. The European mechanism for temporary protection for Ukrainian citizens has been extended until March 2027.
- Ukrainian Helicopter Pilots Training in the UK – The Ukrainian General Staff has released images of helicopter pilots training in the UK as part of the multinational operation Interstorm. According to Ukrinform, the program is organized by the Royal Air Force together with NATO allies and aims to train instructors who will later prepare new generations of Ukrainian pilots. Kyiv is seeking to quickly adapt its military to Western standards and enhance its aerial capabilities, given that drones and aviation have become essential in the current warfare.
- Putin to Visit China After Trump’s Visit – Vladimir Putin will make an official visit to China on May 19 and 20, as announced by the Kremlin and reported by TASS. The Russian leader is set to discuss bilateral relations and major international and regional issues with Xi Jinping. The visit comes right after the Beijing summit between Xi and American President Donald Trump. The Kremlin states that following the meeting, several documents and a high-level joint declaration will be signed. The relationship between Moscow and Beijing remains crucial for Russia amid Western sanctions and international isolation resulting from the war in Ukraine.
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