UNITED24 Media Telegram Highlights
❗️Ukraine has received over $150 billion in total military assistance through Ramstein.
Additionally:
▪️ $5 billion was attracted through the PURL mechanism for the rapid purchase of American weapons;
▪️ $5.7 billion was allocated for the purchase of Ukrainian drones;
▪️ $5.5 billion — new support packages agreed at the last meeting in April 2026.
Weapon systems provided to Ukraine:
▪️ Patriot, NASAMS, IRIS-T air defense systems;
▪️ Leopard and Abrams tanks;
▪️ HIMARS missile systems;
▪️ PzH 2000 self-propelled guns;
▪️ M113 armored personnel carriers;
▪️ F-16 and Mirage-2000 aircraft;
▪️ long-range missiles, ammunition, and UAVs.
Territories located 1,500–2,000 km inside Russia are no longer a “peaceful rear.” The freedom-loving Ukrainian “bird” flies there whenever and wherever it wants, said the commander of the Unmanned Systems Forces, Robert “Magyar” Brovdy, in an interview with the BBC Ukrainian Service.
Russia is seeking to restore what it had before the collapse of the USSR and is the number one threat to NATO, said Giuseppe Cavo Dragone, Chairman of the NATO Military Committee, in an interview with RBC-Ukraine.
The acquisition of stolen goods in all normal countries entails legal liability. This applies, in particular, to grain stolen by Russia. The Israeli authorities cannot but know which ships and what cargo arrive at the country’s ports, — President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
⚡️ A large-scale power outage occurred in the north of Sumy region due to a Russian attack, the regional energy company reported.
In addition, strong gusts of wind caused damage to networks and outages in the Seredyno-Budska, Bilopilska, Konotopska, Romenska, Krasnopilska, Krolevetska, and Yampilska communities.
More than 10,000 homes are without power due to bad weather.
🇮🇹👏 Following colleagues from Lithuania and Finland, Italy’s Minister of Culture will not attend the Venice Biennale due to Russia’s participation.
Alessandro Giuli has officially announced a boycott of the opening of the 61st Venice Biennale, scheduled for May 9.
❗️Russia’s oil and gas revenues are expected to rise in May but remain below last year’s overall level, according to Reuters.
The agency estimates Russian budget revenues from oil and gas in May at around 650 billion rubles ($8.65 billion), compared to 512.7 billion a year earlier.
However, revenues for January–May 2026 are projected to be lower than last year — 2.94 trillion rubles compared to 3.16 trillion.
Reuters notes that rising oil prices amid the conflict in the Middle East are benefiting Russia, but the effect is partly offset by Ukrainian drone strikes on energy infrastructure.
Goldman Sachs warns of the risk of oil rising to nearly $120 per barrel, — FT.
According to the publication, the bank raised its baseline forecast for Brent crude for the fourth quarter from $80 to $90 per barrel if Middle East exports normalize by the end of June.
In a worst-case scenario, if supplies recover only by the end of July and production in the Persian Gulf declines by 2.5 million barrels per day, Brent could average nearly $120.
Ship traffic through the Strait of Hormuz is currently almost completely halted, and oil prices have risen by more than 20% since April 17 due to the breakdown of US–Iran negotiations and the tightening of the blockade of the Strait.
Goldman also warns that the economic impact could be greater than indicated by oil prices alone, due to the risk of shortages of petroleum products and the scale of the market shock.
Global military spending in 2025 increased by 2.9% to $2.88 trillion, marking the 11th consecutive year of growth, according to a report by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI).
Countries spent 2.5% of global GDP on arms last year, the highest level since 2009. However, the growth rate slowed compared to 2024, when it reached nearly 10%. This was due to a decrease in US military spending. Excluding the US, total global spending increased by 9.2%.
“Global military spending rose again in 2025 as states responded to another year of wars, uncertainty, and geopolitical upheaval with large-scale arms programs. Given the range of current crises, as well as the long-term goals of many states regarding military spending, this growth is likely to continue in 2026 and beyond,” said Xiao Liang, co-author of the report and a researcher in the SIPRI Military Expenditure and Arms Production Programme.
According to SIPRI, Russia increased its military spending by 5.9% to $190 billion (7.5% of GDP). It remained in third place after the United States ($954 billion) and China ($336 billion). Researchers note that the growth rate of Russian military spending has been the slowest since the start of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Despite this, its share of government spending reached 20%, the highest level ever recorded by SIPRI for Russia.
Despite ongoing economic pressure and sanctions, Russia has continued to increase military spending while adjusting its procurement strategy, SIPRI writes. As the war has turned into one of attrition, Moscow has shifted to purchasing large volumes of cheaper weapons systems to contain costs. The use of unmanned aerial vehicles has expanded significantly, partly offsetting losses of more expensive equipment such as aircraft and armored vehicles.
Sanctions have also increased Russia’s costs, forcing the Kremlin to seek new ways to import dual-use components and advanced technologies. The restructuring of supply chains has led to an overall rise in expenses.
Ukraine ranked seventh in total military spending in 2025, up 20%. The country spent $84.1 billion, a historic high, accounting for 40% of GDP and 63% of public spending.
“In 2025, military spending as a share of public spending reached its highest level on record in both Russia and Ukraine. Spending is likely to continue rising in 2026 if the war continues, with Russia’s oil revenues increasing and a large European Union loan expected for Ukraine,” said SIPRI researcher Lorenzo Scarazzato.
Total military spending in Europe reached $864 billion in 2025, up 14%, the highest level ever recorded by SIPRI. Europe was the main contributor to the global increase over the year. Over the past 10 years, since 2016, military spending by European countries has doubled.
The United States remains the world leader in military spending, despite a steady decline since 2020. In 2025, spending decreased by another 7.5% to $954 billion, but it still exceeds China’s military spending by 2.8 times.
Ukrainian heavyweight boxer Andrii Novytskyi knocked out an American opponent and defended his WBC championship belt.
Ukraine wins the European Wrestling Championship medal count for the first time in history.
According to the tournament results, Ukrainian athletes won 11 medals: six gold, one silver, and four bronze.
Previously, the team’s best result was second place.