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According to classified U.S. intelligence shared with Axios, Cuba has acquired more than 300 military drones from Russia and Iran. U.S. officials say Cuban authorities have also discussed possible military use of these systems in the context of tensions with the United States.

The report says Cuban officials recently sought additional drones and military equipment from Russia. Intelligence intercepts cited by U.S. officials also suggest Cuban security services are studying how Iran responds to Western pressure and sanctions.

U.S. officials estimate that around 5,000 Cuban citizens have fought for Russia in the war against Ukraine. Some reportedly shared battlefield experience with Cuban military leadership, including lessons about the effectiveness of drone warfare.

Ukrainian intelligence has reported a significantly higher figure. During a briefing to the U.S. Congress, Ukrainian officials said nearly 20,000 Cubans had served in Russia’s army since the start of the recruitment campaign. Ukrainian forces have also captured Cuban fighters on the battlefield. According to Ukrainian officials, many were used as expendable frontline infantry with limited protection or training.

"They're part of the Putin meat grinder. They're learning about Iranian tactics. It's something we have to plan for," the U.S. official said.

The case illustrates how battlefield experience gained during Russia’s war against Ukraine is being shared between states hostile to the West, including through drone warfare practices, military cooperation, and exchanges on sanctions evasion tactics.

Source: Axios

Record volumes of Russian fertilizers were imported by the United States in March.

The transaction value exceeded $240 million — the highest level in the entire history of bilateral trade, NEXTA reports. In the first quarter of 2026, U.S. imports of fertilizers from Russia totaled $564 million — a 37% increase year-on-year.

In addition, the United States lifted sanctions on three Belarusian fertilizer producers. “All of them are pillars of the Belarusian economy, and the lifting of sanctions effectively provides the regime with an economic lifeline,” the New York Times notes. This came amid the war with Iran, which led to a sharp increase in fertilizer prices.

The fertilizer sector is one of the most resilient parts of Russia’s wartime economy. Russian fertilizer companies are often left outside sanctions due to food security concerns. They continue exporting their products globally, maintaining access to international markets and financial flows. At the same time, they supply Russia’s military-industrial complex with chemicals used in the production of explosives.

Experts at NAKO have studied the “dual-use” nature of Russian fertilizers. We identified 56 companies through which fertilizer chemicals are transformed into explosives. Sanctions coverage remains uneven: none of these companies is sanctioned across all major jurisdictions, while 27 are not sanctioned at all.

The full report is available on the NAKO website.

Kalashnikov and more. According to NAKO’s estimates, the Russian state-owned corporation Rostec brings together at least 492 enterprises. These companies account for about 50% of Russia’s weapons and military equipment production. Yet sanctions against them remain uneven.

How exactly?

This was analyzed by NAKO Senior Researcher Viktoriia Vyshnivska. She presented some of the findings at the event “Fixing the Gaps in Sanctions: How to Weaken Russia’s Military-Industrial Complex, Energy Sector, and Shadow Fleet.” Representatives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and civil society also took part at our invitation.

NAKO’s research shows that sanctions targeting Rostec are inconsistent. At the same time, Victoria noted that major sanctions regimes have different goals and mechanisms, which partly explains this uneven coverage.

The United Kingdom has imposed restrictions on around 5% of Rostec enterprises, the European Union on 22%, and Ukraine on 70%. In the United States, sanctions cover 45% of companies, with roughly one-fifth of these measures implemented through export controls.

“This is important because sanctions and export controls produce different effects. Export controls prohibit the supply of certain types of goods to these entities,” Viktoriia Vyshnivska explained.

In the United States, there is also a list of companies subject to export controls. During the latest update, more than 250 Russian and Belarusian companies were added. This helps identify companies supporting Russia’s military-industrial complex even if they are not formally sanctioned.

“In the absence of the most powerful sanctions actor — objectively, the United States — it may seem that the situation is hopeless. However, it is still possible to influence restrictions on certain companies through export controls,” Vyshnivska noted.

The event is organized by the Independent Anti-Corruption Commission with the support of the International Renaissance Foundation.

Twitch streaming platform has blocked the accounts of Russian streamers who broadcast a CS-2 tournament organized by Alabuga, a Russian drone manufacturer. They also promoted Alabuga Polytech college, whose students are reportedly involved in drone production.

The bans were triggered by mass reports over advertising of a sanctioned educational institution. Channel suspensions, according to sources, have been set for 30 days.

In total, more than 15 accounts were suspended, including the official account of the college itself. Among those banned were streamers with over 500,000 followers.

The Alabuga Special Economic Zone is under sanctions from the United States, the European Union, and the United Kingdom. Russia has established drone production there, including domestic analogues of the Iranian Shahed-136.