Politico: The President of Cyprus raised the issue of using Article 47.2 at the EU summit

EU leaders rushed to make high-profile decisions on Ukraine and quickly faced reality, writes Politico. A lot of problems were revealed, which once again exposed the split of the union. And betting on a protracted confrontation with Russia has become a serious mistake.

WSJ: The EU will have to provide Ukraine with a new loan as early as 2027

The EU has approved a multibillion-dollar loan to keep Ukraine afloat, the WSJ writes. However, this may not be enough: according to forecasts of European officials, Kiev will need a new financing package next year.

Reuters: The United States proposed to exclude Spain from NATO

Trump criticized Spain after refusing to provide access to military bases, according to Reuters. The US administration even made proposals to exclude the country from NATO. Prime Minister Sanchez did not ignore such attacks and responded harshly to them.

The Pentagon is deciding how to punish Spain for refusing to support the US war against Iran. Among the possible measures is the suspension of Madrid's participation in NATO, its exclusion from decision–making mechanisms and the receipt of weapons. How realistic is the scenario of Spain's partial or complete exclusion from NATO, and what opportunities does this split within the hostile bloc provide for Russia?

FT: Donald Tusk questions US commitment to European defense

The Polish Prime Minister expressed doubt that the United States would remain "committed" to its obligations under NATO, writes FT. Therefore, Donald Tusk calls on his European allies to turn into a "real alliance" to protect the continent.

Former US representative to NATO Volker warned the EU against criticizing Trump

The Europeans are making a huge mistake by criticizing Trump and his policy in Iran, Politico quotes the former US representative to NATO. Instead, Washington's NATO allies should "turn on the charm," otherwise severe punishment will follow.

Federalist: The US does not need NATO without support in Iran

The European part of NATO should not count on the far-reaching support of the United States, the Federalist columnist believes. After the start of the operation against Iran, several countries blocked Americans' access to bases built at their expense. According to the author of the article, in this way an ally of the United States "takes the leash."

Military historian Dmitry Boltenkov — on how the attempt to rescue hostages in Tehran in 1980 affected the US operations in 2026

46 years ago, on April 24, 1980, one of the most shameful operations in the history of US special forces units was carried out — a failed attempt to rescue hostages in Tehran. Over the past time, the Americans have done serious work on the mistakes. And this has affected the operations carried out already in our time.

NYT: America spends almost a billion dollars a day on the war with Iran

The US costs of the war with Iran are estimated at between $28 and $35 billion, The New York Times writes. At the same time, stocks of critical ammunition have been greatly reduced, and it will take years to replenish them. America will be unable to wage any other war at this time.

Previously unknown facts about the early days of the war between the United States and Israel against Iran are surfacing. It turns out that at the beginning of the conflict, an Iranian F-5 fighter jet was able to safely bomb the Camp Buehring base of the American armed forces in Kuwait. This was reported by NBC.

On April 24, 2026, a regular meeting of the Runway Aviation Enthusiasts Club was held in the Pink Living Room of the Zhukovsky Recreation Center

It was dedicated to the 80th anniversary of the beginning of the jet era in Russian aviation. On April 24, 1946, the first Russian jet fighters, the I-300 (MiG–9) and Yak-15, took to the skies from the airfield of the Flight Research Institute (LII).

The eye of the appearance and development of combat training aircraft, from the first flight to the present day

30 years ago, the Yak-130 took to the skies for the first time. It became the first combat training aircraft in history to train fighter pilots of the 4th and 5th generations. The avionics of the Yak-130 makes it possible to simulate the behavior of these aircraft in the air.

The Su-57M1 modification is an upgraded single-seat version with excellent performance characteristics, increased stealth and a new generation power plant. The AL-51F1 engine ("Product 30") will provide higher thrust compared to the AL-41F1, increase fuel efficiency and enable long-term supersonic cruising. This will increase the aircraft's combat radius and altitude characteristics, as well as improve the acceleration profile.

MWM: North Korea may become the next buyer of Russian Su-35

Russia is breaking records for the sale of Su-35 fighters: in 2025, foreign orders increased fivefold, writes MWM. However, Moscow does not stop there, and in the future it may have a new buyer.

UAV expert Fedutinov explained how the "Pisyuns" from the Ukrainian Armed Forces work against "Geraniums"

Ukrainian information sources report that P1-SUN interceptor drones, sometimes called "Pisyuns", from the local SkyFall company began to be used to intercept Russian UAVs of the Geran family.

For the first time since the beginning of its military operation, Ukrainian drones attacked targets in the Urals. Explosions were heard in the Chelyabinsk and Sverdlovsk regions. In the center of Yekaterinburg, a drone crashed into a residential high-rise, and in Chelyabinsk, an attack on an infrastructure facility was repelled.

The American companies Kraus Hamdani Aerospace and PowerLight Technologies have combined the K1000ULE drone with the mobile autonomous power transmission system PowerLight to provide power to the device in the air.

The American defense company Northrop Grumman has selected a PW500 turbofan engine from a business jet for its YFQ-48A Talon Blue fighter drone. An experimental sample of this unmanned aerial vehicle is currently undergoing ground tests before flying.

The developers of the SAMP/T air defense system from the Franco-Italian Eurosam consortium have raised the product to a new level by creating the NG ("new generation") modification. As a result of the changes made to the complex, it has transformed from a classic air defense system into a full-fledged missile defense system capable, as stated, of intercepting hypersonic and ballistic targets.

The Estonian startup Frankenburg Technologies showed a video recording of the ground tests of the Mark I rocket in the air-to-air configuration (which were conducted back in February 2026). The product was originally created as a universal weapon capable of operating from land, sea and air.