Over the past 15 years, Ukraine has come a long way from a country with a fragile perspective on European integration to a country that has become a symbol of the struggle for European unity. The last five years of this journey have been fundamental not only for Ukraine, as they have encouraged a series of structural changes within Europe.
September 11, 2026 –
Anton Naychuk
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Hot TopicsIssue 5 2026Magazine
Photo: mr_tigga / Shutterstock
Ukraine serves as a stable and reliable outpost of NATO’s Eastern Flank defence. For the fifth year of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the Ukrainian Armed Forces have been deterring and inflicting unprecedented damage on one of the world’s largest armies with a nuclear arsenal, stockpiles of missiles and heavy equipment, and a huge mobilization potential. The Russian Federation’s Black Sea Fleet has been largely defeated. Ukrainian strikes are destroying oil refineries and military facilities on Russian territory with a strike range that reaches over 3,000 kilometres.
Ukraine is developing and preparing ballistic missiles for mass production, and has already successfully produced and used other types of missile weapons. Ukrainian drones and anti-drone systems are changing the concept of modern warfare, and Ukrainian soldiers are sharing their own experience in the Middle East, developing relations with leading American and other international military-industrial companies. Ukraine has also opened the first negotiation clusters in preparation for joining the European Union. The country’s president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, is among the most influential political figures in the world.
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