30 April 2026 | Kyiv / Moscow / Tel Aviv / Washington
KYIV, Ukraine – Two years ago, Ukraine was begging for weapons. Now, it has enough to share.
Ukraine is producing a surplus of up to 50% in some types of weapons – and military cooperation "is already under way" with countries in the Middle East, the Gulf, Europe, and the Caucasus, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Tuesday. Deals involve the production and supply of drones and missiles, as well as software and technology.
Kyiv has even handed a proposal to the United States – the world's largest military power – for cooperation on drones, defense systems, and other types of weapons for use in the air, on land, and at sea.
From a nation on the brink of collapse to a weapons exporter in just four years. The transformation is nothing short of remarkable.
⚡ THE NUMBERS: Up to 50% surplus in some weapons • 1,500km drone strike range • 8 injured in Kharkiv • 1 killed in Summy • Russia's first quarterly contraction since early 2023 (-0.3%)
1,500 KILOMETRES DEEP: DRONES STRIKE THE URALS
While Zelenskyy spoke of cooperation, his forces were striking deep inside Russian territory. Another oil facility deep inside Russia – at Perm, 1,500km (900 miles) from Ukraine – was on fire Wednesday after what Ukraine's president said was his country's latest long-range drone attack.
NASA's satellite fire monitoring system showed a hotspot over an array of tanks and a large surrounding area near Perm. Ukraine's SBU security service said it struck a Transneft pumping station as part of efforts to target Russia's revenue-earning energy infrastructure.
"We will continue to extend these ranges," Zelenskyy wrote on X, praising the "precision" of Ukraine's Security Service. "Every strike is aimed at reducing Russia's military industry, logistics, and oil exports."
Closer to the Black Sea, plumes of black smoke towered over the southern Russian oil town of Tuapse on Wednesday. Residents wore face masks after multiple Ukrainian drone strikes on a major oil refinery in the coastal town. It was the latest in a series of attacks that have turned the skies over Tuapse dark and left black rain falling on nearby beach resorts.
THE HUMAN COST: BURNING ON BOTH SIDES
The war's toll continues to mount. Eight people were injured in an attack on the Kharkiv region. In the Sumy region, a 60-year-old woman died as a result of an attack. In the southern Odesa region, Russian forces struck Izmail, damaging a hospital and infrastructure.
On the other side of the border, a Ukrainian strike killed three passengers of a minibus and wounded eight people in the Russian border region of Belgorod, the local governor said on Wednesday. Ukraine denies targeting civilians.
The strikes come as Russia announced that its annual Victory Day parade on 9 May will be held without military hardware for the first time in almost two decades. The defence ministry cited "the current operational situation" – code for fear of Ukrainian drone attacks.
— Ruslan Leviev, independent analyst
Last year's grand parade, for the 80th anniversary of Victory Day, featured tanks, rocket launchers, and drones. This year, nothing. The Kremlin cited "Ukrainian terrorist activity" as the reason behind the changes.
STOLEN GRAIN AND A DIPLOMATIC SPAT
Ukraine has asked Israel to seize a vessel it claims is carrying grain looted from Russian-occupied Ukrainian soil, triggering a rare diplomatic spat between the two countries.
Ukraine said the cargo vessel Panormitis, sailing under a Panamanian flag, was en route to dock in Haifa. "The Ukrainian side is asking its Israeli partners to seize the vessel and its cargo, conduct a search, seize the vessel's and cargo documentation, take grain samples, and question the crew members," Prosecutor General Ruslan Kravchenko said.
The vessel's Greece-based management company denied it was carrying any grain from occupied Ukraine, saying its cargo was Russian.
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar pushed back against Ukrainian claims that Israel was allowing stolen grain into its ports, accusing Kyiv of engaging in "Twitter diplomacy" and failing to provide evidence. He added that the formal petition was "now being examined by the relevant authorities."
But the Israeli outlet Haaretz reported on Sunday that Israel had been buying grain allegedly looted by Russia from occupied Ukrainian territory for at least two years. An EU spokesperson told Haaretz that the bloc was mulling sanctions on Israeli individuals and entities aiding Russia.
"The European Union has taken note of the reports that a Russian shadow fleet vessel carrying stolen Ukrainian grain has been allowed to unload at Haifa port in Israel," said EU foreign affairs spokesperson Anouar El Anouni.
RUSSIA'S ECONOMY SHRINKS FOR FIRST TIME SINCE 2023
The Russian economy contracted by 0.3% in the first quarter, marking its first quarterly contraction since early 2023, preliminary data showed on Wednesday. The war, western sanctions, and high interest rates are finally taking their toll.
Russia's economy had been growing since the first quarter of 2023 in what analysts have described as unsustainable, unproductive growth fuelled by production for military purposes that does not improve the economy in the long term.
Reports of falling profits or losses by Russia's major companies show that with the key interest rate at 14.5% and little foreign investment, Russian companies are struggling to invest and grow.
KIM JONG-UN PRAISES SOLDIERS WHO BLEW THEMSELVES UP
In a chilling glimpse into North Korea's role in the war, Kim Jong-un has praised North Korean soldiers who blew themselves up with grenades in order to avoid capture while fighting Ukrainian forces in Russia's western Kursk region.
In 2024, North Korea sent about 14,000 troops to join Russia's war against Ukraine. According to South Korean and Ukrainian officials, more than 6,000 were killed in intense fighting. The extreme battlefield policy – choosing death over capture – is now confirmed.
WHAT COMES NEXT?
Ukraine is no longer just defending. It is producing. It is exporting. It is striking deeper than ever before.
The "Vampire" drone-bomber on display at the exhibition in Ukraine is not a prototype. It is a weapon that is already being used. And according to Zelenskyy, there are more where that came from.
"We will continue to extend these ranges," he said.
Russia's economy is shrinking. Its Victory Day parade will be a shadow of its former self. Its refineries are burning. And its casualties – including thousands of North Korean troops – continue to mount.
But Ukraine is also bleeding. Civilians are dying. Cities are being destroyed. And the path to peace remains as elusive as ever.
Stay updated with the latest Russia-Ukraine war headlines on our Russia-Ukraine War Page.
