Hello,

This week, Russia launched a hypersonic missile alongside hundreds of drones at Kyiv, killing four and damaging every district of the city.

Elsewhere, a Russian drone struck a residential building in Romania, prompting calls to invoke NATO’s Article 4, while US-Iran ceasefire negotiations remain unresolved.

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1️⃣ 🇷🇺🇺🇦 Russia launches massive strike on Kyiv with hypersonic missile: Russia deployed its Oreshnik hypersonic ballistic missile for the third time in the war, as part of a broader assault involving 600 drones and 90 missiles that killed four and injured roughly 100. The attack damaged every district of Kyiv, including a water facility, schools, the Foreign Ministry, and government headquarters, drawing condemnation from European leaders.

2️⃣ 🇨🇿 Czech ammo initiative for Ukraine loses half its funders: Participation in Czechia's artillery shell procurement program dropped from 18 contributing nations to nine following the December 2025 inauguration of PM Andrej Babis, who campaigned on an anti-Ukrainian platform. Czech President Petr Pavel warned the program, which supplies up to 50% of all large-caliber ammunition Ukraine receives, cannot easily be replaced.

3️⃣ 🇨🇦🇩🇪 Canada signs LNG export deal with Germany: Canada agreed to export up to 1 million metric tons of liquefied natural gas annually to German energy utility SEFE from the proposed $10-billion CAD Ksi Lisims terminal in British Columbia, which has permits but has not yet reached a final investment decision. The agreement advances Prime Minister Mark Carney's goal of doubling non-U.S. trade within a decade, as Canada currently exports nearly all of its energy to the United States.

4️⃣ 🇷🇺 GCHQ puts Russian war dead at nearly 500,000: GCHQ director Anne Keast-Butler revealed in her first public speech that close to 500,000 Russian soldiers have been killed since the 2022 invasion, while warning Russia is waging an undeclared hybrid war against the UK and NATO allies. President Zelenskyy stated in February that Ukraine had lost 55,000 soldiers, though both sides have been reluctant to detail their own casualties.

5️⃣ 🇪🇺🇨🇳 France leads push for tougher EU trade defences against China: France, the Netherlands, Spain, Italy, and Lithuania called for a new cross-sector EU trade defence tool allowing the bloc to impose duties or quotas on national security grounds, ahead of a Commission strategy debate on China. The proposal comes as the EU's trade deficit with Beijing hit €360 billion in 2025, though Germany and Poland declined to sign the paper.

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🇺🇸🇮🇷 Trump meets advisers on Iran deal, no decision announced

US President Donald Trump concluded a roughly two-hour White House Situation Room meeting with national security advisers on a tentative agreement to extend the Iran ceasefire by 60 days and reopen the Strait of Hormuz, without announcing a decision. 

Iran's foreign ministry spokesman said the agreement had not been finalised, while a senior US official confirmed the meeting had ended but would not say whether Trump had signed off on the deal. 

The proposed agreement would see Iran remove sea mines from the strait within 30 days, with the US gradually lifting its port blockade and easing sanctions in return. 

Key disputes remain, including the fate of Iran's 440.9 kilograms of uranium enriched to 60 per cent purity, a short technical step from weapons-grade, with Trump demanding its removal and destruction.

Iran's chief negotiator also signalled deep distrust, stating no steps would be taken before the other side acts first.

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1️⃣ 🇷🇴🇷🇺 Russian drone strikes NATO member Romania: A Russian drone crossed into Romanian airspace and struck an apartment building in the city of Galați, injuring two people and triggering an emergency national defence meeting, the expulsion of Russia's consul general, and calls to invoke Article 4 of the NATO treaty. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte affirmed the alliance would defend "every inch" of allied territory, while Putin suggested the drone may have been a stray Ukrainian weapon.

2️⃣ 🇮🇱 Netanyahu orders IDF to expand Gaza control to 70%: Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu publicly directed the IDF to extend territorial control in Gaza from 60% to 70%, further contradicting the October 2025 ceasefire terms that capped Israeli presence at 53%. Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz separately pledged that Hamas would not govern Gaza either civilly or militarily, while far-right ministers publicly backed a plan for what they described as the “voluntary emigration” of Palestinians from the territory.

3️⃣ 🇺🇸🇷🇺 Rubio flags escalation concerns over Russia's Baltic campaign: Secretary of State Marco Rubio described Russia's campaign against the Baltic states as "concerning," warning that such pressure could spark into something bigger, while noting the US is closely monitoring the situation and engaged with NATO. Russia has repeatedly alleged, despite firm denials from the Baltic nations, that they are coordinating with Ukraine to launch drone attacks against Russian territory.

4️⃣ 🇺🇸🇴🇲 Trump threatens to attack Oman over Hormuz dispute: President Trump threatened to "blow up" Oman if it cooperated with Iran to impose transit fees on ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz, reflecting months of US frustration with Muscat after its foreign minister publicly contradicted Washington's justification for the war on Iran. Oman holds the oldest US diplomatic ties in the Gulf, dating to 1790, and shares territorial waters in the strait with Iran, making its cooperation essential to any toll arrangement.

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