Here, we unpack Russia’s latest ultimatum demanding Ukraine’s full military withdrawal from Donbas, a warning framed as the final path to “peace” or the start of fresh territorial losses. With the Kremlin refusing to comment on the region’s economic future, nuclear security in Zaporizhzhia, or wider territorial intentions, the uncertainty around Eastern Europe’s political stability continues to escalate. WATCH 

Ukraine is entering one of its darkest nights in months, literally and strategically after a coordinated wave of Russian strikes crippled major energy sites across the country. Kyiv has enforced emergency outages, Odesa is battling city-wide blackouts, and even the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone is facing alarming new risks as officials warn that a direct strike could threaten the plant’s internal radiation shelter. WATCH