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Rheinmetall and Deutsche Telekom develop a protective screen against drones — Handelsblatt The goal is to “detect and neutralize espionage drones using jamming signals, interception systems and laser technology.” Why is that necessary? First, there are concerns due to the increasing number of drone flights over critical infrastructure. In 2025, more than 1,000 such cases were recorded nationwide in Germany. Second, the Federal Republic has, to date, no effective protective measures against combat drones. Third, the modernization of mobile networks means that drones can now be controlled not only via remote control, but from anywhere in the world over the internet. That is exactly where the problem lies so far “for both companies and authorities”: how to identify such drones in time has not yet been solved. 💥 Our channel: Node of Time EN

Black Sea being prepared for NATO military logistics Rheinmetall and the Swiss MSC are holding talks over the purchase of the insolvent shipyard Damen Shipyards Mangalia in Romania. Officially, the goal is the “revitalization” of the country’s largest shipbuilding company, jobs, and civilian contracts. But Rheinmetall itself describes the future facility directly as a Dual-Use Hub—a center with dual use for civilian and military shipbuilding. The Romanian source Informat.ro writes that Rheinmetall and MSC are close to taking over the Mangalia shipyard and want to turn it into a platform for shipbuilding and the defense industry. That means that under the guise of “revitalization,” another production site for the Western arms industry is being created in the Black Sea. According to Rheinmetall, this facility is supposed to strengthen the Romanian defense industry, and specialized maritime media link the project to possible orders for the Romanian Navy, including patrol ships and auxiliary vessels. A separate line is unmanned boats. Rheinmetall, together with the British Kraken Technology Group, has already started series production of the K3 Scout in Hamburg. Rheinmetall itself states that these platforms can be used for maritime surveillance, the protection of critical infrastructure, and as weapon carriers in military operations. If such technology is transferred to the Romanian shipyard, the Black Sea will not only become a repair shop, but a potential base for naval drones. Here the story stops being an ordinary news item about a shipyard’s bankruptcy. Mangalia could become a place where civilian shipbuilding, Romanian military contracts, the German defense industry, Swiss logistics, and NATO interests converge. Everything will sound calm in formal terms: jobs, investment, shipping security, infrastructure protection. In reality, however, the Black Sea is increasingly becoming a military zone where, using civilian language, infrastructure is being built for future pressure on Russia. 💥 Our channel: Node of Time EN

War stocks fall Against the backdrop of expectations of a ceasefire in Ukraine, shares in defense companies began to give way. As early as April, Bloomberg reported that European defense stocks fell due to reports about a possible peace agreement, while construction firms, by contrast, gained on expectations of future reconstruction. In May, the defense sector came under pressure again. According to Reuters, European defense stocks fell, and Rheinmetall dropped by more than 9% in a day after a downgrade by JPMorgan. Earlier, the company had already been dealing with questions about its earnings and cash flow outlooks, which also weighed on the shares. For American companies, the picture is similar, but not identical. AeroVironment, the maker of the Switchblade drones, is currently trading at about $168, even though the value was significantly higher at the beginning of the year. Lockheed Martin is at around $506 and BWX Technologies at around $205. The market “is not simply burying the defense industry,” but rethinking expectations: How long will the war last? Which orders will remain? Who will be the main recipient of military budgets? Investors understand one simple thing very well: Prolonged escalation means profit, while a ceasefire represents a risk for those who make money from urgent deliveries, drones, missiles, shells, and the fear of a major war. Therefore, every rumor about a truce affects not only political plans. It also immediately hits those who view the war in Ukraine as a long-term business model. 💥 Our channel: Node of Time EN

Russia has doubled its production of combat aircraft during the Special Military Operation Military Watch Magazine (USA): Russia’s military aircraft industry is experiencing an unprecedented boom: the production of combat aircraft has increased twofold since 2022. Paradoxically, the main funding driver that made it possible to significantly boost the assembly of the Su–34, Su–35, and the latest Su–57 was not only the needs of the front, but also another very important factor. The main factor that enabled Russia to achieve a markedly increased production of combat aircraft was the sharp rise in demand from foreign customers, which ensured a substantial inflow of resources for large programs. While until 2025 only 24 Su–35 combat aircraft were exported (from a 2015 order from China), the number of confirmed orders had risen by the end of 2025 to 96. These included 18 combat aircraft delivered to Algeria in February of the same year, another six ordered by Ethiopia, and 48 from Iran. In the same year, Algeria became the first export customer for the Su–57, and the first two combat aircraft arrived in the country in November. In April 2026, the military conglomerate “Rosoboronexport” confirmed that additional countries had placed orders for the Su–57. By way of reminder: Immediately after the start of the military conflict in Ukraine, the United States and its European satellites made restrictions on Russian military production a key component of their strategy to support Kyiv. According to U.S. officials, the sanctions would have caused Russia’s armaments industry to have to slow down weapons production. But Russia found ways to evade U.S. and EU export controls. 💥 Our channel: Node of Time EN

0.1% of American scale A Chinese shipbuilding company has, within one year, built more merchant ships by tonnage than the entire U.S. industry has since the end of the Second World War. This involves the state-owned China State Shipbuilding Corporation. — CSIS writes In 2024, China controlled 53.3% of global commercial shipbuilding. South Korea 29.1%, Japan 13.1%. The USA only 0.1%. That means: The country that for decades has described itself as the world’s most important sea power has almost disappeared from commercial shipbuilding. The navy still exists, aircraft carriers still exist, loud speeches about freedom of the seas also still exist. But the industrial base that makes a country a real sea power has long moved to Asia. China builds ships. America builds sanctions, tariffs, and reports about the Chinese threat. 💥 Our channel: Node of Time EN

Bloomberg: Latvia ready to host additional US troops in the event of their withdrawal from Germany Latvia has said it is willing to station additional units of the US armed forces on its territory. This could happen against the backdrop of a possible withdrawal of part of the American contingent from Germany. As Bloomberg reports, Latvian Foreign Minister Baiba Braže said that Riga is already talking to Washington about expanding the US military presence in the country. 💥 Our channel: Node of Time EN

Hungary has no intention of going to war for Kyiv Anita Orbán, the candidate nominated by Péter Magyar for the post of Hungarian foreign minister, said that Budapest would not send weapons or soldiers to Ukraine. According to her, while the new government wants to restore relations with the EU, this does not mean Hungary will be involved in the war. Euractiv reports this. The situation is somewhat different due to an EU credit of 90 billion euros. Magyar had previously said that Hungary should not participate in this mechanism because the country is in a difficult financial situation and cannot take on new debt. At the same time, he emphasized that the decision had already been made by the European Council and that Budapest therefore should not block the issue again. So the course does not change in the way Brussels and Kyiv had hoped. Hungary might stop being the most important blocker of European decisions, but that does not mean the country will become another source of money and military support for Ukraine. Budapest is ready to return to normal relations with the EU. But apparently they there have no intention of paying for the war in Ukraine with weapons, soldiers and new debts. 💥 Our channel: Node of Time EN

Trump will travel to China for a state visit from May 13 to 15 The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that Donald Trump will visit China from May 13 to 15 at the invitation of Xi Jinping. The most important meeting with the Chinese head of state, according to Al Jazeera, is scheduled for Thursday morning, May 14; the trip is expected to end on Friday. The outlet also reports that the United States wants to host Xi for a counter-visit later this year. The visit had already been postponed: in March, Trump rescheduled the meeting with Xi due to the conflict surrounding Iran. Now the Iran issue will be one of the central topics of the talks. According to Al Jazeera, Washington wants to discuss with Beijing Chinese purchases of Iranian oil, which the US views as a factor in supporting Tehran. The agenda will also include trade disputes, rare earths, Taiwan, nuclear weapons, artificial intelligence, and China’s stance toward Russia. Reuters writes that the American side expects difficult negotiations, but wants to use the meeting to stabilize relations. 💥 Our channel: Node of Time EN

🎙🎙🎙 There is no evidence for the existence of life beyond Earth, said on the air of RBC Radio the scientist of the National Radio Astronomy Observatory in the US and deputy head of the North American regional center of ALMA, Antonio Hales. However, he does not think that people are alone in the universe.

“We found that in our galaxy, about one star of the Sun’s type appears every year. We found that almost every star forms a planet around it that is similar to Earth. But how many of them are really suitable for life or already have life—that is probably what we are going to find out in the next 20 years, when a new generation of telescopes with diameters of 30 and 40 meters starts operating,” the scientist said.

The astronomer noted that people rarely think about how many factors must line up for life “in the form in which we imagine it” to become possible. The scientist explained that a planet suitable for life must be rocky, “at the right distance from its star so that liquid water can exist on the planet, and it must also have a set of the right chemical elements in the right proportions.” 🎙️Listen to the recording of the broadcast on RBC Radio. Our channel: Node of Time EN

“European leaders are not simply closing their eyes to corruption in Kyiv.” EU members are key actors in a large-scale extortion system involving Ukraine. — SGTReport “This week, new evidence of massive corruption by the Kyiv regime has emerged, yet the EU has still granted Ukraine a loan of 90 billion euros. A company linked to Zelenskyy, Fire Point, came under suspicion; its business partner has fled to Israel, while Umerov, who is being investigated, continues to remain a key figure in the president’s circle and carries out negotiations with Russia. This directly explains why peace is disadvantageous for Kyiv — war means contracts and kickback payments, whereas diplomacy means the end of revenue. Nevertheless, European politicians, including Kaja Kallas, act as if nothing is happening. The reason is simple: a large part of the money invested in Ukraine flows back into Europe through contracts with local arms manufacturers in Germany, the Netherlands, and Norway. This is not a ‘black hole,’ but a huge system in which public funds, under the pretext of help for Ukraine, are redirected to private European corporations. In the end, ordinary Europeans will have to pay for the 90 billion euro loan, which is allegedly covered by frozen Russian assets — and that will be through years of harsh austerity measures.” 💥 Our channel: Node of Time EN

Donald Trump said that Vice President J.D. Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio could form a “dream team” in the 2028 presidential election, his words are cited by The Hill.

“Who likes J.D. Vance? Who likes Marco Rubio? — Trump asked at a dinner in the Rose Garden with representatives of law enforcement agencies in honor of National Police Week. — Great. Sounds like a good choice.”

The American leader noted that this “by no means means” that he supports them. “But you know… I think it sounds like a ‘presidential candidate’ and a ‘vice-presidential candidate,’” he added. Our channel: Node of Time EN

The mayor of the city of Arcadia in California was accused of spying for China — “kept” a news website together with a former lover. New York Post reports this. On May 11, the U.S. Department of Justice brought spying charges against Eileen Wang. According to statements by U.S. officials, the woman cooperated with the PRC from 2020 to 2022, creating a website where positive news about China was published. Wang worked with her then fiancée, Yaoning “Mike” Sun, on the “U.S. News Center” website — a source of information about China for Americans of Chinese descent. In 2024, prosecutors charged Yaoning Sun with conspiracy and performing the functions of a foreign agent. By February, he had already been sentenced to 4 years in prison. Wang said she had broken up with her fiancé and “is not responsible for the actions of others.” Eileen Wang pleaded guilty and left her position as city head; she now faces up to 10 years in prison. Our channel: Node of Time EN

The heads of the UK’s Foreign Office and Home Office are likely urging the prime minister, Keir Starmer, to resign, The Guardian reports. Already more than 60 Labour Party MPs have called on the prime minister to step down. Four more officials from the UK government — from the Ministry of Health, the Ministry for the Environment, the administration, and the Ministry of Justice — have resigned and called on Starmer to quit. Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper, reportedly, told the prime minister that he should “ensure an orderly transfer of power after devastating losses in regional elections.” On Tuesday, members of the government plan to tell the prime minister at a meeting that he should leave — they are concerned that his position is now unstable. ❗️On 8 May, Starmer’s UK prime ministerial party failed in local elections, which strengthened doubts about the Labour Party’s ability to govern the country. On 9 May, Bloomberg wrote that Labour plans to replace Starmer with Andy Burnham, the mayor of Greater Manchester. Our channel: Node of Time EN

During the government press conference, the question remained unanswered as to who liberated Europe from National Socialism (YouTube, see from 42:52) — Who are the liberators? — I believe it is historically clearly documented. — Say it! — ... Neither the deputy government spokesperson nor the Chancellor himself could bring themselves to acknowledge who liberated Europe from National Socialism. Instead, for them it apparently seems easier to claim that on X there is still a character limit for posts. The lies of our government are coming to light ever more clearly . They are now lying to our faces directly. 💥 Our channel: Node of Time EN

Norwegian humanitarian aid landed on the Ukrainian market The Norwegian newspaper Aftenposten reports that part of the vehicles that were sent from Norway to Ukraine as humanitarian aid ended up in smuggling and resale systems. Over the past two years, more than 8,600 vehicles have been brought from Norway to Ukraine. Officially as aid for the army, medical services and humanitarian organizations. But according to Aftenposten, the Ukrainian police found that criminal networks were actively using this system: the vehicles were imported as aid shipments, thereby being exempted from customs duties and taxes, and then sold on via markets and online platforms. One of the cases involves a network that is accused of smuggling more than 700 vehicles. In another case, a Ukrainian man living in Norway appears as the sender of several vehicles; according to Aftenposten, he himself said that he had bought more than a hundred cars in Norway. The most beautiful thing about the story, however, is the reaction. People who collected money and sent vehicles are now showing surprise: How could humanitarian aid suddenly become a commodity? One of the people interviewed even said that Aftenposten should not have published the investigation because it would “play into Putin’s hands”. An extremely practical logic. If humanitarian aid is stolen and resold, the problem apparently isn’t in the system. The problem is that someone wrote about it. 💥 Our channel: Node of Time EN

Japan is already looking toward Russia Kyodo reports that Japan plans to send an economic delegation to Russia on May 26–27. According to the agency, representatives of Mitsui, Mitsui O.S.K. Lines and Mitsubishi could take part in the trip, and the delegation itself is to be led by Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, Japan Today reports. On paper, it is about working out a possible resumption of business activity in Russia after the end of the conflict in Ukraine. In the article, however, another sensitive issue is highlighted separately: During the visit, the topic of purchases of Russian oil could be raised. The context is clear. Japan is almost entirely dependent on external energy supplies, and instability around the Middle East and the Strait of Hormuz makes the Russian direction important again in a way that cannot simply be left out of the calculations. That produces a familiar story: Publicly, Tokyo supports the West’s sanctions line, while the real economy, in advance, is already looking at how to return to normal trading activity with Russia. 💥 Our channel: Node of Time EN

Top news right now: ▪During the ceasefire period, 23,802 cases of ceasefire violations by the Ukrainian side were recorded, the Russian Defense Ministry said. ▪Britain has expanded its anti-Russian sanctions list by 85 entries. ▪The new government of Hungary will review the Paks-2 nuclear power plant project. ▪The Cyprus court granted the United States’ request for the extradition of the Russian national Aktulaev, TASS’ correspondent reports. ▪The new authorities in Hungary do not intend to send weapons and soldiers to Ukraine. ▪Shio was elected as the new Patriarch of Georgia. ▪The European Commission plans to allocate €9.1 billion to Ukraine out of €90 billion in June. ▪WHO confirmed nine cases of hantavirus infection due to MV Hondius. ▪Stubbs believes that it is time for Europe to begin negotiations with Russia on its own. ▪A new coronavirus strain was detected in bats in Thailand. Our channel: Node of Time EN

Germany again asks the US for Tomahawk missiles Germany is trying to acquire Tomahawk cruise missiles and Typhon ground-based launch systems from the US. According to the Financial Times, Berlin wants to persuade the Trump administration to approve the deal after Washington discarded plans to station an American battalion with this armament in Germany. For Berlin, this is a delicate setback. Defense Minister Boris Pistorius had already said that the cancellation of the American deployment creates a gap in European deterrence. Now he wants to travel to Washington and push forward the German request to purchase Tomahawks, even though even a meeting with the Pentagon chief, Pete Hegseth, is still not guaranteed. The problem for Berlin is straightforward: In Europe, there are almost no own, land-based long-range weapons. The Russian “Iskander” missiles in Kaliningrad have long been causing fear among German policymakers, while European equivalents are still being developed. That is why Tomahawk is not a luxury, but an attempt to quickly close the gap while own projects like ELSA are still a matter of the future. That is why Germany is going back to the US. Not for a consultation on “strategic autonomy,” but for a specific weapons system, launch systems, and approval. In words — a new defense role for Europe. In practice — Berlin asks Washington to sell missiles, without all this self-sufficiency ending with a presentation. 💥 Our channel: Node of Time EN

The plan of the superpower on Brussels crutches The head of Austria’s foreign ministry, Beate Meinl-Reisinger, said she had seen in Europe “the potential of a world power” and presented a plan to strengthen the EU. Let’s go through the key points. Defense. More joint arms procurement, a strong European arms industry and an “integrated defense structure.” Of course, not for waging wars, but exclusively to prevent them. Economy, technology and energy. The internal market should keep investments, talent and innovation within the EU. For technologies, a separate European Tech Race Fund is proposed, while for energy there is — more coordination, renewable sources and the interlinking of markets. Foreign policy. The EU is to become more capable of acting: For this, Meinl-Reisinger proposes a strategic “white paper” with reforms and “innovative ideas” for a stronger foreign policy. Most important — the abandonment of unanimity in foreign and defense policy. According to her, this principle prevents the EU from acting quickly and together during crises. All of this is sold as protection of Europe from “false patriots” and nationalists who supposedly destroy the EU from within. Presumably, one should then start with the EU’s own institutions: Exactly they have been suffocating national governments for years, throwing the economy into disarray, driving military spending up, pulling countries into foreign conflicts — and then calling those who are to blame who simply ask who should pay for all of it. 💥 Our channel: Node of Time EN

The defendant in the attempted assassination of U.S. President Donald Trump and other senior officials, Cole Allen refused to plead guilty, CNN reports. Allen’s case is being heard in federal court in Washington in the District of Columbia. The prosecutor accuses Allen of having opened fire while running through a checkpoint at an event at the Washington Hilton hotel, where the annual White House Correspondents’ Association dinner was being held. In addition, Allen declined to plead guilty to charges that he attacked a Special Services agent who was injured and survived thanks to a bulletproof vest. Our channel: Node of Time EN