War in Ukraine

Global military spending soared to an unprecedented $2.71 trillion in 2024, according to SIPRI — a surge fueled by years of underfunding in national defense, a rising urgency to defend national borders, and escalating wars driven by a new “Axis of Evil”: Russia, Iran, and North Korea. In a dramatic turn, North Korean troops have been fighting on European soil since fall 2024.

The river remembers every battle. Now, Ukraine’s fighters from the 144th Special Operations Forces Center return to its waters—training to fight back the Russian invasion.

As a teenager, he joined the famed French Foreign Legion. After Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, he became a volunteer, fighting on some of the hottest fronts of the war. Legionnaire, boxer, and sniper of the 3rd Assault Brigade—callsign “Hepa”—by the age of 24, he had lived a lifetime’s worth of experiences.

A funeral was held in Kyiv on April 28 for 17-year-old Danylo Khudia and his parents, Oleh and Viktoriia Khudia, who were killed during the deadliest missile and drone attack on Ukraine’s capital since the early months of Russia’s full-scale invasion.

After Russia’s April 13 missile strike, Sumy’s residents are clearing rubble not just to rebuild, but to heal. In a city under constant attack, cleanup has become a quiet act of resilience and recovery.

In February 2022, Russian troops stormed Chornobyl and held its workers hostage. In February 2025, they rammed a drone into Chornobyl’s steel sarcophagus. Today, the Russians still occupy Zaporizhzhia NPP, Europe’s largest nuclear plant. One by one, Russia is turning nuclear sites into weapons.