The key vulnerability in this plan lies in the gap between the European assembly of the "carcasses" and the Ukrainian installation of the "brains,” suggests military journalist Aleksey Borzenko, deputy chief editor of the Literary Russia newspaper. | Speaking to Sputnik, Borzenko argued that the arrangement remains viable only until Russian missiles target the assembly sites.

■ Russian Security Council lists instances of Ukrainian drones using EU airspace (TASS)
■ Russian security chief issues warning to four NATO states (04/16/26)
✅ Russian MOD Implies Threatening Consequences Against Europe for Being Party to Conflict (Simplicius)

Mick Wallace: Using Shannon Airport as US base facilitates war crimes | Irish politician and former Member of the European Parliament, Mick Wallace, stated that the Irish government has allowed the use of Shannon Airport as a US military base for over 25 years, arguing that this facilitates war crimes committed by the United States and Israel. ● In two separate posts on the X platform, monitored by the Yemeni News Agency (Saba), Wallace indicated that this entails a grave moral and humanitarian responsibility towards child victims in various parts of West Asia.

Sergey Shoigu has cautioned Finland and the Baltic states against allowing Kiev to use their airspace for attacks on Russia | Russia would have the right to retaliate if Finland and the Baltic states are deliberately allowing Ukrainian drones to pass through their airspace, Security Council Secretary Sergey Shoigu said on Thursday.

Either Western air defenses are proving ineffective, or these four countries “deliberately provide their airspace, thereby becoming open accomplices in aggression against Russia,” he added. In the latter case, Moscow has the right to self-defense in response to an “armed attack” under Article 51 of the UN Charter, the security chief stressed. ● In recent weeks, Kiev has intensified drone strikes on Russia in what Moscow has characterized as “terrorist attacks,” with the Russian military regularly reporting hundreds of UAVs downed in a single night.

■ This is what we now know about the drones that fell in Finland (04/12/26)

Evgeny Norin | The US-led military bloc’s illegal strikes on Belgrade in the spring of 1999 forever changed relations between the West and Moscow | On March 24, 1999, student Elena Milincic was at home with her sister and a friend in Belgrade. Suddenly, the quiet evening was interrupted by an air-raid siren. The girls quickly hid under a table. It wasn’t the safest place, but they had gotten lucky – their part of the city wasn’t attacked. ■ Over the next 77 days, these girls and other Belgrade residents became better at hiding from the bombs which threatened to kill them every day. The raids were part of NATO’s military operation against Yugoslavia – a campaign that shook up the world order, and not just in the Balkans. [...] The bombing of Belgrade destroyed the image of a new “rules-based international order.” Of course, it wasn’t the last time that the rule of law and the demands of justice were ignored by the Western countries after the collapse of the Soviet Union – in fact, the bloody Iraq war followed only four years later. However, the events in Yugoslavia had clearly demonstrated that a country that wants to protect its sovereignty from external threats can only rely on its own strength and on proven allies.

■ Under NATO’s shadow, Serbia is being targeted again (RT)

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has launched a scathing critique of the military strikes conducted by the United States and Israel against Iran, describing the offensive as an “absolute disaster” during a session of the Spanish Congress. | Defending his government’s “No to War” stance, Sánchez detailed the staggering toll of the conflict since February 28. He reported nearly 2,000 confirmed deaths and over four million people displaced across Iran and Lebanon. The Prime Minister noted that approximately €12 billion in public funds has already been spent on military operations, leading to a sharp decline in global tourism and maritime trade, while causing a dramatic spike in the prices of hydrocarbons and essential raw materials. ‘Worse Than the Iraq War’ -- Sánchez questioned the legitimacy of the “illegal and unjustifiable” aggression, arguing that the strikes serve only to undermine international law and destabilize the Middle East. He warned that the current crisis is “far worse” than the 2003 Iraq War, with a deeper and more extensive global impact. “All this for what?” Sánchez asked. “To destabilize the Middle East, reignite conflicts in Iraq and Lebanon, and bury Gaza under the rubble of oblivion and indifference.”

■ Spain's Sánchez urges Europe to 'dream big' and end 'Israel' alliance (04/12/26)

Prime Minister Viktor Orban is facing the most serious threat to his power in decades | Turnout in Hungary’s parliamentary election has surpassed a record 16% 54%, 74% 77.8% as polling stations opened nationwide on Sunday in one of Europe’s most consequential votes this year, with Prime Minister Viktor Orban facing his strongest challenge since returning to power in 2010. ● The vote could determine not only who governs Hungary next, but also how far Budapest continues to resist Brussels on issues ranging from Ukraine and sanctions to migration and rule-of-law disputes.

■ Orban concedes defeat after 16 years in power (RT)
■ Hungary's Orban Expects Ukraine to Reopen Druzhba Oil Pipeline Immediately After Elections (Sputnik)
✅ What’s At Stake In The “Battle For Hungary”? (Andrew Korybko)

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez called on Europe to become a moral leader as the US retreats from international cooperation, urging Brussels to suspend its agreement with "Israel", positioning Spain as a model for the rest of the EU. | Sánchez is one of Europe's most vocal critics of Israeli aggression in Gaza and Lebanon. He has also clashed with US President Donald Trump and vehemently opposed the US-Israeli war on Iran. ● Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez on Friday urged Europe to "dream big" and not only defend its interests but become the moral leader in an increasingly turbulent world, as he positioned Spain as the model for the rest of the EU to follow. ● "Europe's challenge is not only to rearm itself to address its security and defense problems, but to also rearm itself morally, so that it can contribute to stable and peaceful development throughout the world," Sánchez said at the European Pulse Forum, an initiative of POLITICO and beBartlet. ● The prime minister said that at a moment when the United States has given up on international cooperation, Europe has an obligation to step up and fill that gap.

London police say they have arrested 523 people at ‌a protest opposing Britain's ban on Palestine Action. | In a post published on X on Saturday, London's Metropolitan Police said they had arrested people at ‌a protest in London's Trafalgar Square for ⁠showing support for a "proscribed organization." The gathering was the first since London's High Court ruled in February that a ban designating the pro-Palestinian group as a terrorist organization was unlawful.

Märta Nummenmaa, Carl Fahllund, Belén Weckström | One of the drones has been detonated in a controlled manner. The other may have exploded when it hit the ground.

What happened? | On Sunday morning, two drones fell near Kouvola. This caused a major security operation. The first drone fell north of Kouvola, the second in the terrain east of Kouvola. The Air Force did not shoot down the drones [emphasis this editor], but "they fell on their own." No one was injured.

The first drone has been defused through a controlled explosion. The explosion was carried out at 11:30 p.m. on Sunday evening, as the authorities assessed that there were explosives in it. The police and the Border Guard have examined the site where the second drone fell. Authorities are investigating whether the drone exploded upon impact with the ground. Scattered drone parts have been found east of Kouvola, and authorities are continuing to search for all remaining parts. The Central Criminal Police Office is investigating the case as a serious public danger, while the Border Guard is investigating a violation of territory.

🚩 Where did the drones come from? | At least one of the drones is a Ukrainian AN196 attack drone. Drones of this type have been used in several Ukrainian attacks on Russia. Ukrainian attacks on Russian targets in the Gulf of Finland have increased recently. The second drone has not yet been identified. The drones flew over the Gulf of Finland in Russian airspace along the Estonian border, Estonian defense authorities told Helsingin Sanomat.

🚩 Why weren't the drones shot down? | Many have questioned whether Finland's defense is capable of fending off drones at all, and why the two drones weren't shot down. Major General Timo Herranen of the Finnish Armed Forces says that Finland could have shot down the drones, but chose not to for security reasons. "We have the ability to react. But unfortunately, no one in the whole world has the ability to completely and comprehensively fend off everything, in all situations and at all altitudes. Not even the USA or Israel. That is a regrettable fact," says Herranen.

How are politicians reacting? | Politicians have emphasized that they are taking the situation seriously. According to Prime Minister Petteri Orpo (Saml), all types of territorial violations are serious. President Alexander Stubb highlights that Finland is prepared to monitor and protect its territory. He says Finns need not worry. “I emphasize that Finland is not facing any military threat,” Stubb said in a statement. The Riksdag’s Defense Committee and Foreign Affairs Committee will convene for an extraordinary meeting on Tuesday.

What happens now? | The police investigation is ongoing. The blockades around the drone that fell in the west have been lifted, and residents can now move freely there. Part of the area around the eastern crash site remains blocked, but vehicles have been able to move freely on the roads since Monday evening. The National Criminal Police Office is investigating, among other things, how and why the two drones ended up in Finland. According to several security experts, Russia has been actively jamming Ukrainian drones, which could explain why drones have strayed into Finnish airspace. Finnish authorities have tightened drone surveillance. Anyone who sees any suspicious drones should contact the police. "The authorities are alert 24/7 on the ground, at sea, and in the air. There is preparedness, regardless of whether it is night or day, weekend or weekday. Anyone who sees suspicious drones should call 112," writes Police Chief Ilkka Koskimäki on X. (© Bild: Poliisi) (Translation + Copyread)

■ Polisen utreder kraschad drönare i Itis (YLE)

With EU allies unwilling to commit to any direct military action, Washington and London are exploring alternative plans to secure the key waterway | British Prime Minister Keir Starmer revealed on 10 April that he discussed military options, coalition-building, and shipping logistics in the Strait of Hormuz during a call with US President Donald Trump a day earlier, outlining a joint focus on securing navigation through the critical waterway. ● Speaking during a visit to the Gulf, Starmer said the UK is “pulling together a coalition of countries” while working on both diplomatic and military tracks tied to maritime movement. ● He added that discussions centered on “a political, diplomatic plan,” alongside “military capabilities” and “the logistics of actually moving vessels through the Strait,” framing the approach as both strategic and operational.

Netanyahu says that any country that opposes Israel diplomatically will pay a price | Israel will expel Spain from the Civil-Military Coordination Center (CMCC), established to oversee an internationalized, post-war occupation of Gaza, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar announced on 10 April. ● Saar said the decision was based on what he claimed was the Spanish government's “anti-Israel bias” amid its criticism of Israel's wars on Lebanon and Iran. ● According to the Israeli Foreign Ministry, the move was taken “against the backdrop of the anti-Israel obsession of the Spanish government headed by [Pedro] Sanchez and serious harm to the interests of Israel and also the US.” ● Israeli officials said a formal notice was sent to Spain. The US, whose personnel lead the CMCC in the town of Kiryat Gat near the Gaza border, was informed in advance. [...] About 20 countries have troops or civilian staff stationed at the CMCC, alongside roughly 40 international organizations.

Alexey Volodin | UAV MQ-9 Reaper of the British Air Force was over Lebanon at the time of the IDF air strikes | There is evidence that the British Air Force is involved in the operation in Lebanon in some capacity. This is confirmed by reports that, on the eve of a massive Israeli strike on targets in Lebanon, a British Armed Forces MQ-9 Reaper reconnaissance and strike UAV appeared there and then circled the area for 13 hours. ■ Initially, several Middle Eastern media outlets reported that it was a U.S. Air Force drone, but that is not the case. The drone belonged to Britain. Information has been confirmed that it took off toward Lebanon from the British Akrotiri Air Base in Cyprus. It operated over the Bekaa Valley. The central point of the British Air Force’s Reaper drone’s “circling” was the area around the Lebanese city of Baalbek. ■ Lebanese channels report that the airstrikes, which Israel called the most powerful since the start of the war, were carried out by the IDF Air Force precisely while the British drone was in Lebanese airspace.  ■ The Lebanese side is asking Britain what its drone was doing in Lebanese airspace the day before. So far, the UK Ministry of Defense has left the question unanswered. This has raised suspicions: was the MQ-9 sharing information with the IDF, or did it, together with the IDF Air Force, ultimately carry out strikes on targets that Israel claims belong to “Hezbollah”?

Madrid said Tel Aviv violated international law and breached the terms of the ceasefire by launching dozens of airstrikes in Lebanon | Spain is reopening its embassy in Tehran in hopes of achieving “peace” in the US-Israeli war against Iran, Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares declared on 9 April.

The move comes as Spain sharply escalates its criticism of Israel and the US, condemning Israeli assault on Lebanon and the broader war on Iran, and pushes for regional de-escalation, according to Reuters. Spain's position, voiced by Albares, called the war “the greatest assault on the civilization built upon the humanist ideals of reason, peace, understanding, and universal law.” He criticized Israel for violating international law and breaching the newly brokered two-week ceasefire after strikes killed more than 254 people and injured over 1,100 in Lebanon on Wednesday.

■ Albares anuncia que España reabre la embajada en Irán para apoyar "el esfuerzo por la paz" (El Mundo)
■ España reabrirá su embajada en Teherán, cerrada en marzo por la guerra (El Diario)

■ Kiev regime plotting terror attacks on Russian ships in northern seas with Norway’s help (TASS) | According to the source, Norway is thus dragging itself and the entire NATO bloc into a military conflict with Russia. According to the source...

■ Украина нацелилась на Северный флот. Из Норвегии (Kotsnews)
■ Лондон нашёл дешёвый способ душить российский экспорт (topwar.ru)

Vladimir Tarabrin says the supplies of toxic agents and protective equipment may indicate "plans to hold large-scale false flag attacks" | Foreign mercenaries and security services are delivering toxic agents and chemical weapons to Ukraine, Russia’s Permanent Representative to the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) Vladimir Tarabrin has told Izvestia.

The Ukrainian leader honored the top EU diplomat for supporting forced mobilization, corruption, and church raids, Russia has said | EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas has received a prominent Ukrainian award for encouraging prolonged fighting, forced mobilization, and supporting a crackdown on the country’s largest Christian denomination, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova has said. ● Earlier this week, Zelensky decorated Kallas – widely regarded as an anti-Russia hawk – with the Order of Princess Olga, as the two discussed EU support for Kiev.

The Zelensky government has for years persecuted the Ukrainian Orthodox Church over allegations that it has connections to Moscow, despite cutting all ties in 2022. The crackdown included raids on monasteries, dozens of criminal proceedings on collaboration charges, and property seizures. Kiev has supported the rival Orthodox Church of Ukraine, which the Russian Orthodox Church considers schismatic.

Brussels’ ambitions mean Moscow should oppose the bloc’s expansion, the Russian Security Council deputy chair has warned | The EU’s planned military buildup while division is rocking NATO could make it a more serious threat to Russia than the US-led bloc, Dmitry Medvedev, deputy chair of Russia’s Security Council, has warned. ● Divisions within NATO are evident, Medvedev said in a social media post on Friday, even if US President Donald Trump’s threats to withdraw from the bloc over a lack of European support for his war on Iran are unlikely to materialize. The row, he claimed, gives impetus to EU leaders to move faster toward establishing an independent “fully-fledged military component,” signaling a major shift in the balance of power. ● “The EU is no longer just an economic union. It can transform, and rather quickly, into a full-blown military alliance, one overtly hostile to Russia, and in some ways worse than NATO,” Medvedev warned. He argued that Moscow should actively oppose EU expansion rather than remain passive.

✅ Военно-экономический Европейский Союз (Дмитрий Медведев)

There is now confirmed presence of a Russian nuclear submarine near the Strait of Hormuz. There is also a Confirmed Announcement by Chechen Forces they will enter Iran to fight US if Invasion takes place. REPORT (unconfirmed) China to move 100,000 troops into Iran if US invades. | Moscow has officially deployed six submarines, including two nuclear ones, near the Strait of Hormuz for a discreet mission to protect Iranian infrastructure, according to reports. Their primary role is to prevent the United States and Israel from freely entering the strait or approaching the Iranian coast. ● This deployment sends a strong political message to the West, signaling that any major escalation against Iran could directly involve Russia. The presence of two nuclear-armed subs also __seems__ to indicate that if Iran is hit with Nuclear weapons, another nearby country that attacks, will also be nuked. ● Yesterday, Chechen Troops were publicly assembled and at that assembly it was announced they would go to Iran to fight the United States and Israel if Iran is invaded. ● Late last night, I received a single report from a single source, which I am as yet UNABLE TO CONFIRM, saying China is prepping 100,000 troops from its People's Liberation Army, to enter Iran and defend it if the US invades.

✅ War On Iran: The Best Choice Is To Retreat – More Likely Though Is Escalation (Moon of Alabama)

The EU foreign policy chief admitted that she had no good news on 90 mln euros in military funding to Ukraine | The European Commission (EC) has transferred 80 mln euros to Ukraine from expropriated proceeds from the reinvestment of frozen Russian assets, European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said. "We are providing an additional 80 million euros to Ukraine drawn from the profits of Russian frozen assets," she said during a visit to Kiev. Meanwhile Kallas admitted that she had no good news regarding the allocation of 90 mln euros in military funding to Ukraine, which is being blocked by Hungary and Slovakia.

Spain has closed its airspace to US military planes involved in attacks on Iran, forcing NATO flights to reroute. | Spain has closed its airspace to US military planes involved in the aggression on Iran, a move that goes beyond its earlier refusal to allow the use of jointly-operated military bases, according to Spanish newspaper El Pais, citing military sources. ● The closure, which affects NATO flights en route to the Middle East, does not apply to emergency situations, El Pais added. ● “This decision is part of the government’s commitment not to participate in or contribute to a war initiated unilaterally and against international law,” Economy Minister Carlos Cuerpo said in an interview with radio Cadena Ser, when asked if the airspace closure could strain Spain-US relations.

The EU uses the term "shadow fleet" to refer to tankers flying the flags of foreign states that, in Brussels’ assessment, transport Russian oil | UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer granted British military personnel authorization to detain vessels of the so-called shadow fleet in the waters of the kingdom, the prime minister’s office reported in a statement. TASS has compiled the key information on the situation.

■ Moscow slams UK plan to seize oil tankers (RT)
✅ Britain Declares Naval War on Russia (Oleg Kravtsov)
✅ NATO to block Russian maritime trade in the north-west (Elena Panina)
✅ Britain intends to coordinate the seizure of ships belonging to Russia (Elena Panina)
✅ CEPA (USA): Consequences of the Seizure of a Russian Tanker (Elena Panina)

InfoDefenseFRANCE 1 | Translation | NATO participates in the execution of an attack against Russia | Ukrainian-Atlanticist forces launched drones into northern Russia, at the very limit of their maximum range, more than 1,500 km from the front lines.

■ FACTBOX: Over 120 UAVs downed in Ukrainian drone attacks on Russian regions (TASS)

According to the former US Marine Corps intelligence officer, the US and the West could directly side with Ukraine if "Russia responds dramatically against Ukraine" | The Kiev regime has been actively using drones against Moscow and St. Petersburg because it knows that it is losing, former US Marine Corps intelligence officer and ex-UN weapons inspector Scott Ritter told TASS in an interview.

Experts noted that social media platforms are turning a blind eye to the way the opposition circumvents platform rules, gaining millions of views, while content of the conservatives is subject to the strictest moderation | The European Union has introduced mechanisms of digital censorship ahead of elections in Hungary, handing media platforms control over their outcome, according to a report by the Global Fact-Checking Network (GFCN).

The proposal, due to be unveiled in mid‑April, was reportedly dropped from the agenda because of “current geopolitical developments” | The EU has put plans on hold for a complete ban on Russian oil imports, news outlets have reported. The move comes amid renewed turbulence in energy markets driven by the war in the Middle East. ● The draft law, part of the REPowerEU roadmap to phase out Russian fossil fuels by 2027, had been tentatively scheduled for April 15 but has now been removed from the European Commission’s published work calendar, Euronews and Reuters reported on Tuesday. ● An unnamed EU official was quoted as saying the delay was because of “current geopolitical developments.” Commission energy spokesperson Anna‑Kaisa Itkonen said she had “no new date to give.”

■ Hormuz Strait Blockade May Push US to Continue License on Russian Oil – Investor (Sputnik)

Kit Klarenberg and William Evans | Documents obtained by The Grayzone reveal how British soldiers and spies censor news reporting on ‘national security,’ coercing reporters into silence. The files show the Committee boasting of a “90% + success rate” in enforcing the official British line on any controversial story – or disappearing reports entirely. | A new trove of documents obtained by The Grayzone through freedom of information (FOI) requests provide unprecedented insight into Britain’s little-known military and intelligence censorship board. The contents lay bare how the secretive Defence and Security Media Advisory (DSMA) Committee censors the output of British journalists, while categorizing independent media as “extremist” for publishing “embarrassing” stories. The body imposes what are known as D-Notices, gag-orders systematically suppressing information available to the public. ■ The files provide the clearest view to date of the inner workings of the opaque committee, exposing which news items the British national security state has sought to shape or keep from public view. These include the bizarre 2010 death of a GCHQ codebreaker, MI6 and British special forces activity in the Middle East and Africa, the sexual abuse of children by government officials, and the death of Princess Diana.

✅ Revealed: The internal police guidance on chanting ‘death to the IDF’ (John McEvoy and Amaar Chowdhury)

Britain has deployed a nuclear submarine to the Middle East. According to the British press, the Royal Navy submarine HMS Anson fleet arrived in the Arabian Sea for "combat duty". | According to the Daily Mail, citing military sources, the submarine departed Perth on March 6 and sailed to the Middle East. It is currently in the northern Arabian Sea awaiting command. HMS Anson is the only Royal Navy vessel in the region, and its mission is to strike Iran in the event of an escalation of the conflict.

■ British nuclear submarine arrives in the Arabian Sea: HMS Anson off the coast of Iran (Pravda EN)