🇪🇺❗️European countries are preparing for a possible attack by Russia in the next two years, — Politico.

Putin will invade countries near the Baltic Sea and islands in the Arctic — he has already militarized a shadow fleet.

The dictator wants to sow discord in NATO over the question of whether this action will activate Article 5 of the Alliance on mutual defense, the publication writes.

“Putin may escalate the conflict towards another neighbor, trying to avoid humiliating negotiations with Ukraine.”

European officials have warned that the war in Ukraine is draining the Russian Federation’s resources, so they are looking for a way out. And this way out is not peace talks, but an expansion of the war. The start of new wars could give Russia a trump card up its sleeve.

🇺🇸 Meanwhile, the US is leaving Europe without long-range missiles, making it defenseless against the Russian Federation, - FT.

The Americans will withdraw their weapons faster than European countries can develop alternatives.

Therefore, it seems that the only help expected from the US will be to advise the Europeans to start negotiations with Russia.

👀💥 CyberBoroshno:

On the night of 30/04/2026, Navy hit FSB patrol boat "Sobol" and anti-sabotage boat "Grachonok" with maritime drones.

💀 According to our information, as a result of the strike on "Grachonok", 9 Russians dead and 2 injured.

❗️European officials fear Russia could use the next year or two to test NATO through a targeted drone, Baltic Sea or Arctic operation, Politico reports. But NATO and several European defense officials say a direct attack remains unlikely while Russia is tied down in Ukraine.

🇲🇱 Masked men abduct prominent Malian lawyer and junta critic in Bamako

Unidentified masked men abducted Malian lawyer and politician Tall from his home in Bamako overnight on May 3, according to family members who spoke to AFP. Two men in balaclavas took him away, while his wife, who attempted to photograph the incident, was manhandled and had her phone seized. The family has filed a formal complaint for abduction. Tall was serving as defence lawyer for military officers arrested by the junta on charges of attempting to destabilise state institutions, and had also filed legal challenges contesting the junta's dissolution of political parties.

The abduction follows large-scale attacks on junta positions across Mali last weekend, including in Bamako and the garrison town of Kati, which left at least 23 dead. Tall, a former ally of the military officers who seized power in 2020, had become a vocal critic of the junta after initially supporting the 2020 coup.

#Mali

🔸 Source

@africaintel

🇺🇸🇮🇷 WSJ: Trump-announced U.S. mission to guide ships out of the Persian Gulf “will not involve U.S. Navy escorts.”

The U.S. will instead “instruct ships on safe routes through the Strait of Hormuz and coordinate with shipping and insurance companies.”

This is described as more of an information-sharing and diplomatic coordination mission rather than a traditional armed escort operation.

Iran has already signaled that any U.S. interference could be viewed as a ceasefire violation.

🇩🇪🇺🇸 Merz: I will not give up on transatlantic relations. I will not give up on working with Donald Trump.

What we’re hearing now is not new—it’s just more dramatic.

The US regularly relocates its troops worldwide. There are still over 30,000 American soldiers in Germany.

🇬🇧🇺🇦 UK wants to join EU loan for Ukraine. Starmer will make a corresponding statement today at the summit in Yerevan, - FT

Britain is not only looking to help with €90 billion in loans. The government wants to open up access to future contracts for its firms.

Правительство РФ спишет еще 21 субъекту РФ задолженность по бюджетным кредитам на общую сумму более 114 млрд рублей, сообщил премьер-министр РФ Михаил Мишустин.

"Правительство продолжает поддерживать развитие региональной инфраструктуры и формирование на местах привлекательных условий для бизнеса. Одним из наиболее эффективных инструментов в этой работе стало списание 2/3 задолженности по бюджетным кредитам. Сегодня мы такую помощь окажем еще 21 субъекту РФ, их долг в общей сложности будет сокращен более чем на 114 млрд рублей", - сообщил он на оперативном совещании с вице-премьерами.

Эта мера коснется Удмуртской, Чувашской республик, Карелии, Коми, Мордовии, Краснодарского, Пермского и Хабаровского краев, а также Еврейской автономной области, Воронежской, Калининградской, Кемеровской, Магаданской, Нижегородской, Омской, Пензенской, Псковской, Самарской, Томской, Ярославской областей, Ненецкого автономного округа.

@interfaxonline

🇺🇦🇦🇲 Zelensky arrives at the European Political Community summit in Yerevan today

A number of important bilateral meetings are expected to take place within the framework of the summit. A total of 48 heads of state and government will participate.

🇺🇸🇺🇦 Former US Special Representative Keith Kellogg has a strong message for Moscow:

"If Russia were really winning, it would be on the other side of Dnipro river, in Kharkiv, in Kyiv. That's not the case. My message to Moscow is simple: you're not winning, you're losing."

🇪🇺🇺🇦 Ursula von der Leyen:

Ukraine's needs remain as urgent as ever. Our EU €90B loan is providing vital funding for budgetary and defence needs.

We are integrating our defence industries. We are investing in Ukraine’s drone production.

And we are associating Ukraine to our Drone Defence and Air Shield projects. So the EU is tackling this head-on.

🤬 Russia launched a missile strike on Merefa in the Kharkiv region. A private house and a car caught fire, other private houses, a shop and a service station were also damaged.

😢 4 dead and 16 injured… The dead were 50- and 63-year-old men and 41- and 52-year-old women.

🇺🇦 Zelensky: A good meeting in the Washington format on the sidelines of the European Political Community summit.

We discussed in detail the strengthening of air defense: the production of the necessary European systems and missiles, support for the PURL program and the possibility of providing Europe with its own anti-ballistic means.

Thank you to Canada for the new contribution to the PURL program. Before the meeting, Mark Carney announced an additional $200 million.

Mark Rutte assured that the supply of anti-ballistic missiles to Ukraine continues within the framework of previous agreements.

Grateful for the European support package of 90 billion euros. It is important that the funds start flowing as soon as possible and Ukraine can implement resilience plans in preparation for winter.

🦅🇺🇦 Ukrainian drones may fly at the parade on May 9 in Moscow, — Zelensky.

😡 Russian forces struck the city of Merefa in the Kharkiv region, killing four people.

At least eight people were injured and are receiving medical assistance, the regional military administration reported.

Private homes and apartment buildings, four shops, and a service station were damaged.

The fire caused by the attack has been extinguished.

Вооруженный до зубов Су-35С:

▪️1 ракеты "воздух-воздух" малой дальности Р-74;
▪️1 ракета "воздух-воздух" средней дальности Р-77-1;
▪️2 ракеты "воздух-воздух" средней дальности Р-77М;
▪️1 ракета "воздух-воздух" большой дальности Р-37М;
▪️1 противорадиолокационная ракета Х-31ПМ

Военный Осведомитель.

🇺🇦❗️ Zelensky: "This summer will be the moment when Putin will decide what to do next. To expand this war or to move to diplomatic paths. And we must push him in the direction of diplomacy…"