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North Korea has earned up to $14 billion from Russia’s war against Ukraine, according to Nikkei Asia.
According to South Korean analysts, the supply of weapons and missiles, as well as the deployment of troops, has brought the regime of Kim Jong-un revenues comparable to nearly the country’s annual GDP.
Pyongyang is estimated to have earned between $7 billion and $13.8 billion from the supply of rocket artillery and around 250 KN-23 missiles alone.
Researchers say Russia also paid about $600 million for the participation of North Korean troops. Currently, around 10,000 North Korean special forces personnel, along with a similar number of engineers and drone operators, are reportedly deployed on the front lines.
Analysts add that Kim Jong-un may soon send up to 30,000 additional troops to Russia.
🇪🇺🇺🇦 All six negotiation clusters on Ukraine’s accession to the EU could be opened as early as this summer, said EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs Kaja Kallas.
Twelve days after the Ukrainian drone strike, a fire at the Perm oil pumping station has been extinguished, Radio Svoboda reported, citing satellite images.
Six fuel tanks burned down completely.
“The station’s de facto shutdown will further complicate the situation at the Perm refinery, which it supplied with crude,” journalists noted.
Russian propaganda has significantly increased its use of AI to create fake videos of flag-raising on various frontlines, the Center for Countering Disinformation at the National Security and Defense Council reports.
“Previously, the occupiers distributed short, isolated clips, but now the Kremlin has shifted to more complex AI editing. Propagandists are producing entire series of videos showing Russian tricolors supposedly raised over positions of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
They also use infiltration tactics — small groups conduct brief raids, raise a flag, and withdraw. The footage is then enhanced with AI to create the illusion of a ‘broad offensive’ and a ‘collapse of the front,’ which does not reflect reality.
The surge in such videos ahead of ‘Victory Day’ suggests an attempt by the Russian military command to compensate for the lack of significant territorial gains and to ‘report’ success to the Kremlin in a virtual format.”
❗️ Putin’s claims about ending the war may be a hoax, — German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said.
“Putin is trying to divert attention from his own weakness with this approach. He can hardly point to any territorial gains at the moment, and his army continues to lose parts of the occupied territories. Precisely because Putin continues to deceive and manipulate the public, our duty as Ukraine’s partner is to further strengthen it militarily,” Pistorius emphasized.
The minister also noted that if Putin truly wanted to end the war, “he could simply withdraw his troops or offer real negotiations without preconditions.”
Ukraine and Germany are already working on joint projects to produce drones with a range of up to 1,500 km, said German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius.
During a visit to Kyiv, Pistorius said the two countries had agreed to expand defense cooperation, particularly in the field of unmanned systems, according to Suspilne.
According to him, companies from both countries are already developing drones with varying ranges — from under 100 km to long-range systems of up to 1,500 km.
The minister noted that such technologies can effectively suppress Russian air defense.
Berlin also plans to join the Brave1 initiative and use the combat experience of the Armed Forces of Ukraine to deepen cooperation.
Introducing AI into warfare together with Palantir, one of the world’s largest defense tech companies, Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov announced.
He met with Palantir Technologies CEO Alex Karp.
“It is symbolic that Alex was among the first CEOs of major Western tech companies to visit Kyiv after the start of the full-scale invasion — in June 2022 — and support Ukraine. Since then, our cooperation has been active.
The results of this partnership:
▫️ a system for detailed analysis of air attacks has been created;
▫️ AI solutions for processing large volumes of intelligence data have been implemented;
▫️ technologies have been integrated into the planning of deep strike operations.
A separate area is the Brave1 Dataroom, developed jointly with Palantir. This platform gives developers access to real battlefield data to train AI models. More than 100 companies are already working on over 80 models to detect and intercept air targets in complex conditions.
Ukraine and Switzerland have launched a 10–12-year strategic partnership focused on the development of AI and the digital economy, the Ministry of Digital Transformation of Ukraine reported.
During a meeting between Acting Minister of Digital Transformation Oleksandr Bornyakov and Swiss Federal Council Delegate Jacques Gerber, the parties agreed to develop joint AI products, strengthen digital independence, and enhance data protection.
Switzerland will support the scaling of Ukrainian digital reforms and join efforts to develop services for the European market.
A major technology event is planned in Switzerland in autumn 2026 to consolidate the agreements.
❗️President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy thanked United Kingdom, Canada, and the European Union for important sanctions decisions against Russian individuals and entities involved in the abduction of Ukrainian children.
In temporarily occupied Crimea, Russian forces have begun installing nets on Project 21980 “Grachonok” patrol boats in an attempt to protect them from drones.
Ukrainian Hryhorii Ilchyshyn set a new European record in speed climbing
During the qualification round of the World Climbing Series 2026 in Wujiang, China, the Ukrainian athlete completed the course in 4.841 seconds.
An American surgeon donated an operating table for scoliosis treatment to Lviv Children’s Hospital
St. Nicholas Children’s Hospital has received the Modular Table System — an innovative solution considered the gold standard in global spinal surgery.
The equipment allows doctors to adjust a patient’s position during surgery and use precise navigation, reducing the risk of complications in spinal procedures.
The table was donated by leading American surgeon Isador Lieberman of the Texas Back Institute.
In March, he worked alongside Ukrainian doctors to operate on eight children with severe spinal conditions. After completing the mission, he decided to donate the equipment to support further development of this field at the hospital.