Putin orders major AI project to move forward
11 Apr, 2026

The Russian President set a 2030 target for AI integration across all sectors, from industry and logistics to energy and education.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has instructed the government to develop a national plan for the deployment of AI technologies, emphasizing that the accelerated adoption of AI is crucial for the country’s future.

“These artificial intelligence agents are already approaching a new level of independence. They are learning to plan their actions, evaluate the results they achieve, and interact with people and the real world”, he said.

Speaking on Friday at a meeting on AI development, the President called for faster integration of the AI technology in the economy and public administration, adaptation of education, risk assessment, and advances in defense and security, while also stressing the need to promote Russian solutions abroad.

“Artificial intelligence, along with digital platforms and autonomous systems, are shaping a fundamentally new image of the economy, social relations, the social sphere, education, healthcare, logistics and industry, defense and security — and indeed the entire life of the country”, Putin said.

Russia must develop its own artificial intelligence solutions for national defense and security, the President said, warning that the country’s sovereignty and very existence depend on its ability to keep pace with global change.

“We must possess the most advanced technologies and rely on fully sovereign domestic products”, he stressed.

AI is already reshaping the economy and social relations, Putin said, adding that Russia’s sovereignty depends on its ability to adapt to technological change. He also pointed to the rapid rise of language models and neural networks, which are showing increasing autonomy.

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North Korea tests new electromagnetic and blackout bombs.
Pyongyang is seeking to expand its arsenal with non-nuclear “special assets”.
10 Apr, 2026

A military parade is held in Pyongyang, North Korea, on October 10, 2025.

North Korea has conducted a series of high-tech weapons tests as it seeks to expand its arsenal with electromagnetic weapons, carbon fiber bombs, and new mobile air defense systems, the KCNA State news agency reports.

The tests were conducted over the course of three days. Kim Jong-sik, a General who oversaw the tests, described the electromagnetic system and carbon fiber bombs as “special assets” in the country’s arsenal, but provided few details about the nature of the new weapons.

The ‘blackout’ carbon fiber bombs are designed to disperse conductive graphite-filled filaments over electric grids and power plants to induce short circuits. The non-nuclear electromagnetic pulse (EMP) weapon is another type of device similarly intended to neutralize electronic circuits in military assets such as radar systems and aircraft.

Relations have been virtually frozen since 2019, following the collapse of nuclear talks between Pyongyang and Washington. The negotiations were initiated by US President Donald Trump during his first term in office.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un stated last month that a nuclear arsenal capable of posing a credible threat to the US is the only leverage against American “terrorism and aggression”. He also said North Korea would not give up its nuclear weapons and would oppose any efforts to challenge its status.

[ My opinion is that North Korea is simply a 'vassal State' of China, and is used to develop and test new products and systems, giving China a 'plausible deniability' for not being the developer of these new weapon systems. ]