UNITED24 Media Telegram Highlights
NATO is preparing for possible Russian attacks on energy infrastructure, said Secretary General Mark Rutte.
Russia’s war against Ukraine has shown that energy systems are likely to become primary targets in any potential attack on NATO, according to his 2025 annual report.
All NATO countries have reached the 2% of GDP defense spending target for the first time, with total spending rising to $1.4 trillion, Euractiv reports.
In 2025, alliance members increased defense spending to more than $1.4 trillion, up from $1.3 trillion the previous year. Europe and Canada boosted spending by 20% in real terms.
Record spending in Europe and Canada reached $574 billion, with 34% allocated to arms procurement. They now account for about 41% of NATO’s total spending, with the rest coming from the United States.
The highest shares of GDP were recorded in Poland (4.3%), Lithuania (4%), Latvia (3.74%), and Estonia (3.42%). The United States stands at 3.19%.
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte called 2025 a “watershed” year and said allies must move toward a new target of 5% of GDP by 2035 and increase arms production.
Russia has sold a Ukrainian gold deposit in the occupied Luhansk, Alchevskpromgroup received the rights to develop the Bobrykiv gold deposit in Luhansk.
The Bobrykiv deposit has reserves of about 1.64 tons of gold, which at current prices could be worth nearly $260 million.
According to Reuters, Moscow is putting dozens of assets in the occupied territories up for online auction.
A drone attack damaged three oil tankers and five fuel storage tanks at the port of Ust-Luga, suspending operations, according to ASTRA analysts.
Following the strike on March 25, five fuel oil and gas condensate storage tanks at the terminal caught fire, along with berths and a pumping station.
Three tankers — the Aisopos, Sea Hymn, and Fiesta — were damaged while moored. Infrastructure belonging to Novatek was also affected: process units, a substation, a building, and a dormitory were damaged. The fire spread across storage tanks covering more than 15,000 square meters.
Damage was also reported to a port crane and the Portenergo platform, and port operations have been suspended. The Vyborg Shipyard was also hit, with two boats damaged.
An investigation has been launched in Slovakia against Prime Minister Robert Fico. One of the reasons cited is the interruption of emergency electricity supplies to Ukraine.
The Slovak opposition filed a lawsuit against Fico in February, supported by more than 13,000 people.
The signatories accuse him of high treason, abuse of power, inhuman treatment, breach of duty in managing foreign property, and a terrorist act. The case has been transferred from the Slovak Prosecutor General’s Office to a regional prosecutor’s office, and then to the police.
Among the key allegations is the interruption of emergency electricity supplies to Ukraine. The Slovak Prime Minister reportedly took this step in response to the halt of Russian oil transit through the Druzhba pipeline.
Hungarian government planes used by Viktor Orbán and Péter Szijjártó to fly to Moscow may have secretly transported money and jewelry from Russia, Hungarian investigative journalist Szabolcs Pányi said.
According to him, intelligence services of at least six EU and NATO member states received this information in 2016–2017. They reportedly have a recording of a conversation between two Russian officials tasked with preparing such a shipment.
[...] In Hungary, Pányi has been accused of “espionage.” He believes the case is retaliation by the government of Viktor Orbán for his investigation into calls made by Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó to his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov, during which he allegedly informed Moscow about EU leaders’ closed-door discussions. Szijjártó himself acknowledged such contacts.
“We do not see a sincere desire from Russia to end the war, and we share this with our partners. The United States believes that Putin wants the war to end. Here we have completely different views,” Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in an interview with Le Monde.
Main points:
▫️ Ukraine wants to accelerate the end of the war by increasing pressure on Russia. Kyiv believes Putin does not want peace, while the U.S. sees Russia as willing to negotiate, which reduces pressure.
▫️ Russia is suffering heavy losses — about 30,000–35,000 personnel per month — and is struggling to mobilize, recruit, and train forces.
▫️ It remains unclear whether Russia will announce large-scale mobilization. So far, it has relied on contract soldiers with high pay.
▫️ Sanctions are critical because they affect funding. “Money is drones, money is people,” Zelenskyy said, stressing that reduced revenues weaken Russia’s ability to sustain its forces.
▫️ The United States and countries in the Middle East — Saudi Arabia, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Jordan, and Kuwait — have contacted Ukraine regarding cooperation on defense and security. Ukrainian expert teams are already working on site.
▫️ Existing air defense systems such as Patriot missile system and THAAD are not sufficient alone against dense drone attacks. Modern interceptors are needed.
▫️ Ukraine is discussing potential exchanges: supplying certain systems and expertise while seeking air defense missiles from Middle Eastern partners.
▫️ Ukraine’s defense industry is operating at about half capacity due to limited funding. Kyiv is ready to sell surplus systems and share expertise, particularly in interceptor drones.
▫️ Russia’s budget deficit has been growing, with projections of around $100 billion in 2026. However, easing sanctions on energy exports has increased its revenues.
▫️ Providing Ukraine with a loan is a position previously agreed upon by EU leaders. If this mechanism is blocked, Kyiv expects alternative solutions to avoid underfunding its military.
The Posipaky unit set a powerful record: in one day, its fighters destroyed 43 enemy drones using General Chereshnya interceptors. Among the downed targets were Molniya, Lancem, Mavik, and Prince Oleg.
The Greeks have equipped their Leopard tanks with anti-drone protection, drawing on the experience of the Ukrainian military.
The building of the Bernardine Monastery ensemble in Lviv has been declared uninhabitable.
A survey of the 17th-century monastery complex after the March 24 attack has been completed.
The structure has been officially classified as unsafe: the roof, floors, and load-bearing walls have been destroyed, with major collapses and fire damage recorded inside.