Olena Tregub

A few years ago, sanctions and export control specialists mostly dealt with the criminal underworld: drug cartel transactions, terrorist financing networks, and money laundering schemes. Today, it is ordinary young people recruited online to trade signatures and shell companies for cash.

As war fuels innovation, Ukraine is turning battlefield breakthroughs into exportable firepower, pushing to become a major player in the global arms trade while walking a tightrope of transparency, oversight, and national security.

First, Russian drones violated NATO airspace. Now, those same drones—captured and intact—are on public display in the EU, shocking visitors with their size, low cost, and Western-made components. 

Strikes on drone factories alone won’t stop the Russia-Iran war machine. What global strategy can?

On April 13, the center of Sumy, Ukraine, was struck by two ballistic missiles launched from the Voronezh and Kursk regions of Russia. The attack killed over 30 civilians and injured more than 100, including children. Preliminary reports indicate the attack was carried out using Iskander-M/KN-23 missiles. Both missiles reportedly contain numerous components originating from Ukraine’s allied countries.

A sanctions-focused conference recently concluded in the Netherlands, marking the first large-scale event dedicated exclusively to sanctions policy since the full-scale invasion. Participants—including government officials, experts, and representatives of major businesses—deliberated on how to enforce and strengthen sanctions and why Russia continues to evade these restrictions.