Russia has introduced a new battlefield robot equipped with a rapid-fire mortar system that can autonomously load and launch rounds without human intervention.

This innovative device, known as the Kurier ground robotic system, was recently captured on film for the first time as it participated in live-fire exercises featuring the newly revealed Bagulnik-82 mortar module.

In the footage, the compact, tracked robot is shown maneuvering its turret in a snowy landscape before firing a succession of 82mm mortar shells at a remote training target.

Following the barrage, an automated mechanical arm efficiently reloads the mortar tube with fresh rounds.

The reloading process takes approximately five seconds, eliminating the need for human soldiers to be in proximity to the weapon.

The system is designed to operate remotely on the battlefield, and could soon be deployed to Ukraine.

The Bagulnik-82 module itself had not been publicly disclosed before this footage emerged.

Military analysts believe it is likely based on Russia’s 2B24 82mm light mortar.

The experimental machine (pictured), named the Kurier ground robotic system, has been filmed for the first time undergoing live-fire trials

The robot may soon be sent to fight on the frontlines of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine

But the scale of automation may indicate a new, purpose-built system, adapted specifically for robotic use, as war plays out between robots without humans in the firing line.

It comes after a Russian drone attack on Ukraine’s southern port city of Odesa killed two women and a toddler, while Ukrainian long-range drones targeted Russia’s key Black Sea port for oil exports.

The nighttime attack on Odesa heavily damaged an apartment block, killing the women and a 2-year-old child, officials said. Rescuers working under floodlights pulled four people from the rubble.

Eleven people were hospitalised, including a pregnant woman and two children – the youngest less than a year old, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in a post on X.

Russia has pounded civilian areas of Ukraine since it invaded its neighbour just over four years ago, killing more than 15,000 people, according to the United Nations.

Over the past week, Russia has launched at Ukraine more than 2,800 attack drones, nearly 1,350 powerful glide bombs and more than 40 missiles of various types, according to Zelensky.

In the southern city of Kherson, Russian shelling killed an elderly woman and three other women, 86, 79 and 44, were hospitalised, according to Oleksandr Prokudin, head of the regional military administration. The injured women sustained shrapnel wounds, concussion, blast injuries and head trauma, he said.

Russia has also taken aim at Ukraine’s power grid, and overnight barrages hit energy infrastructure in Chernihiv, Sumy, Kharkiv and Dnipro regions, Zelensky said.

The reload cycle takes around five seconds with no human soldiers required anywhere near the weapon

The Bagulnik-82 module itself had not been publicly disclosed before

More than 300,000 households were without electricity in northern Chernihiv after distribution facilities were damaged in the attacks, according to the regional power utility.

Zelensky expressed concern in a weekend interview that the war in the Middle East is draining stockpiles of weapons that Ukraine needs to defend itself, especially American-made Patriot air defence systems that can stop missiles.

Zelensky said Monday that the country’s partners ‘need to strengthen air defence together so that the interception rate of drones and missiles continues to increase.’

With US-led peace efforts stalled, Zelensky added: ‘Russia has no intention of stopping’ its invasion.

Ukraine has fought back by developing its own long-range drones, which now reach targets some 900 miles inside Russia.

Ukraine has used them recently to hammer Russian oil facilities as Moscow looks to boost its exports after the Trump administration gave it a temporary waiver from sanctions to ease supply constraints. 

Kyiv officials complain that Russia will use the additional revenue on new weapons to hit Ukraine harder.

Russia’s Defence Ministry said that air defences downed 50 Ukrainian drones overnight.

Krasnodar Gov. Veniamin Kondratyev said that eight people, including two children, were injured in a series of Ukrainian drone attacks on Novorossiysk, one of Russia’s largest Black Sea ports. The attack damaged six apartment buildings and two private houses, he said.

Unconfirmed media reports said the drones targeted the Sheskharis oil terminal at the Black Sea port.

Last week, Ukraine’s drones struck oil facilities in the Gulf of Finland, in northwest Russia.

Imagine making a grand entrance with a breathtaking twist—high in the skies no less.

On Friday, an ordinary flight transformed into an extraordinary event as a woman gave birth midair while traveling from Kingston, Jamaica, to New York. What was anticipated to be a routine journey became an unforgettable high-altitude delivery.

This unexpected event occurred on Caribbean Airlines flight BW005. The flight, which typically lasts around four hours, took an unexpected turn as it neared its destination.

As the situation unfolded, the pilots promptly informed air traffic control about the medical emergency, ensuring that the necessary preparations were made upon landing.

A woman gave birth midflight on a Caribbean Airlines trip from Kingston, Jamaica, to New York, prompting pilots to alert air traffic control as the plane approached its destination.

“We have a passenger, a pregnant passenger, who is going into labor at this time,” a pilot said in audio obtained by CBS News.

After coordinating medical crews to meet the plane at the gate, a controller is heard asking, “Is it out yet?” When the pilots confirmed the woman had given birth onboard, another controller chimed in with a fitting suggestion.

The crew handled the situation without declaring an emergency, and both the mother and newborn received medical care after landing. (iStock)

“Alright, tell her she’s got to name it Kennedy,” the controller said, a nod to the airport where the flight was about to land.

An air traffic controller jokingly suggested naming the newborn “Kennedy” after the airport where the flight was landing.

Caribbean Airlines said that, while the birth was unexpected, the crew never declared an emergency during the flight. Instead, the airline praised its crew, who “managed the situation in accordance with established procedures, ensuring the safety and comfort of all onboard.”

The airline said the woman and newborn received the care they needed from medical personnel.

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In light of sponsor withdrawals from London’s Wireless Festival due to headliner Ye, the event’s organizers remain resolute in their support of the artist, formerly known as Kanye West.

Melvin Benn, the managing director of Festival Republic, issued a statement on Monday affirming the decision to feature Ye.

“In a world increasingly divided, the virtues of forgiveness and offering second chances seem to be disappearing,” he expressed. “I urge everyone to reconsider their immediate reactions of disdain towards the prospect of his performance, as I myself initially did, and instead extend the same forgiveness and hope that I have chosen to give.”

Ye, who officially adopted his new name in 2021, is slated to entertain approximately 150,000 attendees over the festival’s three-day span from July 10 to 12.

In recent years, the rapper has faced significant backlash for making antisemitic statements and expressing admiration for Adolf Hitler. Last year, he released a track titled “Heil Hitler” and promoted a T-shirt emblazoned with a swastika on his website. The 48-year-old issued an apology in January, which appeared as a full-page ad in the Wall Street Journal, attributing his remarks to a four-month manic episode caused by his bipolar disorder, which he said resulted in “psychotic, paranoid, and impulsive behavior that wreaked havoc on my life.”

Wireless sponsors Pepsi, Rockstar Energy and Diageo have pulled out of the festival since Ye was announced as the headliner, although lead sponsor Pepsi didn’t offer a reason. UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer called the booking “deeply concerning.”

“Ye’s music is played on commercial radio stations in this country. It is available via live streams and downloads in this country without comment or vitriol from anyone and he has a legal right to come into the country and to perform in this country,” Benn’s statement said.

“We are not giving him a platform to extol opinion of whatever nature, only to perform the songs that are currently played on the radio stations in our country and the streaming platforms in our country and listened to and enjoyed by millions,” the statement continued.

Last week, Ye held two concerts at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles, marking his first major U.S. performances in nearly five years. There, fans appeared to separate his personal beliefs and public statements from his music — and were ready to forgive after his January apology letter.

“I don’t really bring into politics or the way someone’s personal opinion are. I’m into the music artistry,” said Yovani Contreras, one fan in attendance. “Like, I just, to me, Ye is always gonna be Ye. Kanye is always gonna be Kanye.”

A representative for Ye didn’t immediately reply to a request for comment Monday.

In a pivotal election this Tuesday, residents of Wisconsin will head to the polls to select a new justice for the state Supreme Court, a decision that could either solidify or broaden the court’s liberal dominance. Simultaneously, the city of Waukesha is poised for its first mayoral election featuring an open seat in two decades.

These elections stand out as key components of Wisconsin’s spring electoral events, which will see decisions made in races for judicial, municipal, and educational roles. These positions, typically nonpartisan, are decided away from the heated and overtly partisan atmosphere of the November elections.

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In the Supreme Court race, the candidates vying for the seat of retiring conservative Justice Rebecca Bradley are state Appeals Court judges Chris Taylor and Maria Lazar. Taylor, a former Democratic state legislator, has the backing of the court’s four liberal justices. Lazar, who previously served as assistant state attorney general under ex-Republican Governor Scott Walker, is supported by conservative Justice Annette Ziegler, who recently announced she won’t seek re-election in 2027.

Although this year’s Supreme Court race hasn’t captured as much attention as some previous contests, its significance remains. The selected justice will join a bench that could become a focal point during politically charged disputes surrounding the 2028 presidential election or future congressional redistricting battles anticipated in the early 2030s. Justices serve on the bench for terms lasting a decade.

Liberals are pushing for their fourth straight victory in the state Supreme Court. The liberal faction secured a 4-3 majority in 2023 for the first time in fifteen years, following Justice Janet Protasiewicz’s win over a conservative predecessor. The liberal majority was further cemented in 2025 when Justice Susan Crawford was elected, despite significant financial backing for the conservative candidate from Elon Musk and associated groups.

In any statewide election in Wisconsin, Democrats tend to win by large margins in the populous counties of Milwaukee and Dane (home to Madison), while Republicans win by wide margins in the smaller, more rural counties that stretch across most of the state. Republican candidates also tend to rely on strong showings in the “WOW” counties – Waukesha, Ozaukee and Washington in suburban Milwaukee – which help counter Democratic advantages in urban areas. Victory is determined by how big those margins are in the respective party strongholds, as well as which side can win over the more competitive swing areas.

In the 2024 presidential election, then-Vice President Kamala Harris won Milwaukee County with 68% of the vote and Dane County with 75%, while narrowly losing statewide. In comparison, Protasiewicz and Crawford in their successful state Supreme Court races received 73% and 75% of the vote in Milwaukee County and 82% of the vote in Dane County. They both won statewide with double-digit margins of victory.

Protasiewicz and Crawford each also won more than 10 swing counties that voted for Trump in 2024, most notably in Brown County, home to Green Bay, which Trump carried in all three of his White House campaigns.

In the race for Waukesha mayor, Common Council President Alicia Halvensleben and state Rep. Scott Allen are running to replace Mayor Shawn Reilly, who is not seeking a fourth term. Allen has been one of the most conservative Republicans in the Legislature since his election in 2014. Halvensleben is the preferred candidate of the Waukesha County Democratic Party.

Reilly is an independent who left the Republican Party after the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection at the U.S. Capitol. He has endorsed Halvensleben.

The Associated Press does not make projections and will declare a winner only when it’s determined there is no scenario that would allow a trailing candidate to close the gap. If a race has not been called, the AP will continue to cover any newsworthy developments, such as candidate concessions or declarations of victory. In doing so, the AP will make clear that it has not yet declared a winner and explain why.

Recounts are not automatic in Wisconsin, but a trailing candidate may request one if the winning vote margin is less than a percentage point. The AP may declare a winner in a race that is eligible for a recount if it can determine the lead is too large for a recount or legal challenge to change the outcome.

Here are some of the key facts about the election and data points the AP Decision Team will monitor as the votes are tallied:

When do polls close?

Polls close at 8 p.m. local time, which is 9 p.m. ET.

What’s on the ballot?

The AP will provide vote results and declare winners in the races for state Supreme Court and Waukesha mayor.

Who gets to vote?

Any registered voter in Wisconsin may participate in the spring election.

What do turnout and advance vote look like?

As of April 1, there were about 3.6 million active registered voters in Wisconsin out of about 4.5 million eligible voting-age adults. Voters in the state do not register by party.

Nearly 2.4 million votes were cast in the 2025 spring election for state Supreme Court, which was about 62% of registered voters. About 29% of voters cast their ballots before election day.

As of Friday, nearly 281,000 ballots had already been cast.

How long does vote-counting usually take?

In the 2025 spring election, the AP first reported results in the race for state Supreme Court at 9:09 p.m. ET, or nine minutes after polls closed. The last vote update of the night was at 2:12 a.m. ET with about 99% of total votes counted. The race was called at 10:16 p.m. ET.

When are early and absentee votes released?

In previous Wisconsin elections, counties varied in terms of when and how they released results from early and absentee voting. In the 2024 general election, roughly a third of the counties released all or most of their early and absentee voting results in the first vote update, while the rest released them throughout the night along with results from in-person Election Day voting.

Are we there yet?

As of Tuesday, there will be 210 days until the 2026 midterm elections.