World

Viktor Bout, known as the “Merchant of Death,” spent decades fueling global conflicts with Soviet-made weapons, making him one of the most prolific international arms dealers. After serving a lengthy prison term, he’s been released—and now the Russian war profiteer is back in business. But who is Bout, and what about his murky past gave him this notorious title?

Russian forces keep using marine mammals in the Black Sea as military weapons against Ukrainian drones. The Soviet-inherited programs are akin to animal cruelty and endanger dolphin species on the brink of extinction. The recent death of Hvaldimir, Russia’s famous beluga whale spy, shows that no animal is safe in Russian hands.

Beyond the battlefield, Russia is waging a sophisticated information war, weaponizing culture to fracture international unity and push its narrative.

Russia is all-in on its war economy, boosting its military budget by a staggering $29 billion for 2025, showing no signs of slowing down until at least 2027.

Russia tried to prevent and defer the UN’s latest ground-breaking draft agreement, “Pact for the Future” but their attempt at making amendments, failed. What does the pact include and why did Russia attempt to block it?

“Russian red lines” have been a focal point of international debate since the country’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Moscow has persistently threatened the West that crossing their so-called “red lines” would drag NATO into war with Russia. But is Russia’s relentless red-line rhetoric still effective?