# Russia
Russia is losing the war against Ukraine on three fronts
Russia is facing growing difficulties in its war against Ukraine due to significant personnel losses, a slowdown in its offensive and regular strikes on Russian territory. This is reported in an article by the German newspaper *Bild*.
NATO believes that Russia may be developing submarine-launched nuclear missiles
NATO intelligence has monitored the activities of the Russian Federation’s Northern Fleet, which may indicate that Moscow is attempting to deploy nuclear missiles on the seabed.
Russia's gold reserves have fallen to their lowest level since 2022, with nearly 28 tonnes of gold sold
The Russian Central Bank’s gold reserves fell for the fourth consecutive month in April 2026. Over the first four months of the year, the regulator reduced its reserves by almost 28 tonnes of gold.
Russia has announced the delivery of nuclear munitions to Belarus
Russia has officially delivered nuclear munitions to the field storage sites of a missile brigade on Belarusian territory as part of nuclear exercises.
China and Russia have once again failed to reach an agreement on the ‘Power of Siberia 2’ gas pipeline
Vladimir Putin’s visit to China did not result in any final agreements regarding the construction of the ‘Power of Siberia 2’ gas pipeline. The Kremlin has stated that the parties are still finalising certain details of the project.
An elite drone unit. The media have discovered which Russian military personnel travelled to China for training
Among the Russian military personnel who took part in the secret exercises held in China in late 2025 were servicemen from ‘Rubicon’—an elite UAV centre.
Ahead of his visit, Putin cut the price of gas for China to its lowest level in six years
The Russian authorities have revised their forecasts for pipeline gas exports and the cost of supplies to China. The updated estimates are contained in a document seen by Reuters.
China has been secretly training Russian military personnel
Towards the end of last year, China secretly trained around 200 Russian military personnel, some of whom subsequently returned to take part in the war against Ukraine. This is according to Reuters, which cites three European intelligence services and documents seen by the agency.
Ukrainian medium-range attacks are dealing a double blow to the Russian war machine
Ukraine is stepping up its use of medium-range drones to strike at Russian logistics, air defence systems and oil infrastructure. According to military officials, this is hampering Russia’s offensive operations and paving the way for long-range attacks on strategic targets.
Putin has begun a 'purge' of Shoigu’s inner circle and is preparing to promote a ‘failed’ general – ISW
The Russian dictator is carrying out a 'purge' of supporters of Security Council Secretary Sergei Shoigu. He may replace the head of the State Duma’s Defence Committee with General Alexander Lapin, who is known for his failures in the war.
Ukraine has denied Russia the opportunity to profit from the global energy crisis — ISW
By striking at Russia’s oil infrastructure, Ukraine has deprived Moscow of the opportunity to capitalise on the rise in global oil prices. The Russian economy is under pressure from a number of factors, some of which are the result of the Kremlin’s own misguided policies.
The US has extended the easing of sanctions on Russian oil for another month
The Donald Trump administration has extended the sanctions exemption allowing the sale of Russian oil already loaded onto tankers for a further month. Officials in Washington have explained the decision as being necessary to stabilise the global oil market against the backdrop of the war with Iran and shipping problems in the Strait of Hormuz.
