On Friday, the European Union announced that it will increase its ammunition production in order to assist Ukraine in its ongoing conflict with Russia, which has been ongoing for almost two years.

At the conclusion of this year, EU Internal Market Commissioner Thierry Breton announced that the EU will have the capability to manufacture a minimum of 1.3 million rounds of ammunition.

Breton stated during his visit to Estonia that Europe is currently facing a critical period for ensuring collective security. He also emphasized the need for Europe to stand by Ukraine and provide all necessary support in the face of Russia’s aggressive actions in the Ukrainian conflict.

As NATO gears up for upcoming military drills, there are worries that the conflict in Ukraine may spread to other parts of Europe. The announcement was made in anticipation of these exercises, which are set to commence next week.

German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius stated in an interview with the Tagesspiegel newspaper on Friday that there are frequent warnings from the Kremlin, particularly directed towards our Baltic allies.

Next week, NATO will conduct their biggest set of military drills since the Cold War ended. The Steadfast Defender 2024 will consist of approximately 90,000 soldiers from all 31 NATO countries and Sweden participating in a rehearsal for war games that will last through May.

Dutch Admiral Rob Bauer, the chief of NATO’s military committee, expressed the importance of acknowledging that peace is not guaranteed during a meeting of military leaders in Brussels this week. He advised to be prepared for unforeseen circumstances.

On Friday, the International Atomic Energy Agency reported that Russia has placed landmines around the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant.

According to a statement from the agency, the mines that were previously removed in November have been reinstalled, which goes against the safety standards set by the IAEA.

Since 2022, Russia has maintained control of the site and is currently denying IAEA experts entry to certain parts of the plant.

According to the statement, this type of access is necessary for overseeing nuclear safety and security.

The content used in this report was sourced from The Associated Press, Agence France-Presse, and Reuters.