Russian invasion

Negotiations
Zelenskyj denies: No election planned this spring

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyj denies Financial Times reports that the country plans to hold elections this year, AFP reports.

– We will hold elections when all the necessary security guarantees are in place. As I said before, it is very simple: If there is a ceasefire, elections can be held, he says in a Whatsapp voice message to reporters.

The Financial Times reports, citing Ukrainian and Western government sources, that Zelenskyj plans to announce a presidential election and a referendum on a peace agreement on February 24 – the fourth anniversary of the war.

According to the sources, the election and the vote would be held on May 15, otherwise Ukraine risks losing proposed security guarantees from the United States.

The president does not comment on whether a referendum is planned or not.

Putin's Russia
Indian workers move to Russia: "There is money"

More Indians are moving to Russia to work, and they are mainly employed in factories and on farms that are supposed to help the country with its labor shortage, Reuters reports.

The Indian workers often take jobs with wages that the locals are not willing to work for. The average wage for packing vegetables on a farm is about 50,000 rubles, equivalent to about 5,700 kronor.

- In India, there is little money, but here there is a lot of money. The work is here, says 23-year-old Sahil, who works on a farm that depends on Indian workers.

In total, there is an immediate shortage of at least 2.3 million workers in Russia, a shortage that is exacerbated by the war.

Russia in crisis – looking for workers from India

Russian authorities say there is an immediate shortage of at least 2.3 million workers. Due to the war, Moscow is now turning to India to bring migrant workers to the country, Reuters reports.

In 2021, Russia approved work permits for 5,000 Indian citizens – last year, 72,000 permits were approved for Indians.

In December, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi signed an agreement that makes it easier for Indians to work in Russia, and the Russian government has said it can accept an "unlimited number" of Indian workers.  

Security around the Baltic Sea
Russian shadow fleet in Danish waters almost daily

Ships suspected of belonging to the Russian shadow fleet sailed through Danish waters 292 times in 2025, reports Danmarks Radio. The figures come from the Danish Maritime Authority and mean that the Russian shadow fleet was seen in Danish waters almost every day last year.

The ships pose an increased risk of accidents but could also be used in hybrid warfare or sabotage, warns Yevgeniy Golovchenko, an assistant professor at the University of Copenhagen who researches the shadow fleet.

– These ships pose a potential threat to Danish national security, says Golovchenko.

The sanctions against the shadow fleet are working, he believes. Ships on the sanctions list sail on average 80 to 90 percent less than shadow ships that are not on the sanctions lists. At the same time, several experts believe that this is not enough to affect Russia's economy, writes DR.