Exclusive

North Korea’s troops, shells, missiles aided Russia in war against Ukraine, breaching UN sanctions, report confirms. Pyongyang’s shipment of arms and troops to Russia and Moscow’s return of fuel and weapons broke UN rules, according to the Multilateral Sanctions Monitoring Team.

Military

Russian forces may launch its offensive on unexpected region bordering Ukraine’s Kyiv Oblast. The 2022 invasion route may reopen as Chernihiv could be the target of Russia in the war.

Ukraine’s terminal guidance FPV drone bypasses Russian jamming in new footage. The drone locks on target and continues mission after losing signal, video shows.

Frontline report: Putin’s helicopter dodges friendly fire as Ukrainian drone swarm engulfs Moscow. Russian air defenses fired wildly into Moscow’s skies, nearly downing their own president’s helicopter.

Grenade explosion kills Russian commander behind 2022 Mariupol deadly airstrikes. Russian media say former airstrike commander Zaur Gurtsiyev had been serving as Stavropol deputy mayor since September 2024.

Drones attack Moscow. Strategic defense plant burns in Saint Petersburg. Russia experienced drone strikes, airport delays, and a major fire at a strategic defense plant.

Frontline report: Poland orders 500 HIMARS and 1,000+ tanks as Russia’s shadow creeps through Belarus. Poland is tripling its army and investing over $50 billion in defense as Russia maneuvers behind Belarus.

ISW: Putin’s propaganda drills near NATO borders in Belarus shrink as real war consumes his army. Many Russian combat units from past Belarus-based Zapad drills are now on the frontlines in Ukraine.

Intelligence and technology

North Korea supplied Russia with 9 mn rounds of ammunition and 100 ballistic missiles since 2023. North Korea has shipped more than 20,000 containers of military supplies to Russia since September 2023, enough to equip three full brigades, according to a new international monitoring report.

Bloomberg: China cuts drone sales to Europe, but still supplies Russia. Beijing rejected allegations that it selectively restricts drone exports, calling the claims “baseless accusations.”

Forbes: Ukraine’s $10K drone motherships with laser vision replace $5M missiles. Technology developed by startup could reshape future wars.

Hackers linked to Russia target UK Ministry of Defence staff with fake news emails. Britain’s Ministry of Defence faced more than 90,000 cyber attacks from hostile states in two years, double the previous period.

Swiss clear Leopard 1 tank sale to Germany, unless reexported to Ukraine. It’s unclear if Berlin even needs them under this condition.

China dissects Russia’s mistakes in Ukraine while building world’s largest naval arsenal for potential Taiwan war. Beijing is regarding a drawn-out, grinding war, one it believes it can outlast.

Russia’s underground nuclear missile sites mapped in leak. Danwatch and Der Spiegel analyzed millions of files and hundreds of detailed blueprints, exposing the scope of Russia’s secretive nuclear weapons modernization.

German long-range Taurus missiles for Ukraine “within realm of possibility,” Chancellor says. But hesitation continues.. Friedrich Merz emphasized that the weapons system requires several months of soldier training that could make deliveries ineffective in the near term.

International

UK at OSCE: Russia chooses war over people as defense spending surpasses social programs. Russia burns $450 billion in energy revenue and empties wealth fund.

UK and Germany to lead next Ramstein meeting without US leadership. The Ukraine Defense Contact Group will convene at NATO headquarters on 4 June under continued British and German leadership

Türkiye and Belgium plan to join international drone coalition for Ukraine. Coalition member states have committed $3 bn to support Ukraine in 2025, up from $2 bn delivered last year.

Humanitarian and social impact

Russia kills six civilians in Ukraine as only half of drones are downed during nighttime attack. Russian drones and guided bombs struck homes and infrastructure in at least nine locations. Moscow’s attacks killed at least six and injured over 30 civilians across Ukraine.

Political and legal developments

Czech court convicts teacher for calling Ukrainian soldiers “Nazis” in classroom. She also told teenagers that the war in Ukraine was fake.

Trump still hopes to do business with Kremlin, even as number of Ukrainian civilians killed, including children, continues to grow each day. US officials have developed an economic weapon against Russia but the order has yet to come.

New developments

Mountaineer Samoilova becomes the first Ukrainian to conquer the world’s five main peaks. Antonina Samoilova carried a fallen Ukrainian soldier’s chevron to the summit of Kangchenjunga, completing her historic conquest of the world’s main peaks.

Victoria Roshchyna posthumously receives journalism award for courage under extreme conditions. The “Honor of the Profession 2025” competition recognized a journalist who disappeared while trying to report from Russian-occupied areas.

Book Arsenal festival opens in Kyiv with 100 publishers participating. The XIII International Book Arsenal Festival opens today in Kyiv with participation from 100 major and 12 small publishing houses.

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