Easter, Drones and the Best Rapiers in the World

While Ukraine’s expertise in drones is much talked about, its blacksmiths, have gained prominence in an area of weapons production less widely discussed – the field of swords, rapiers, and sabers. Make us preferred on Google Share Facebook X (Twitter) LinkedIn Bluesky Email Copy Copied A Greek Orthodox priest holds a cross during a Good Friday ceremony at the Church of the Dormition of the Virgin in Penteli, northeastern Athens, on April 10, 2026. (Photo by Aggelos NAKKAS / AFP) Content Share Facebook X (Twitter) LinkedIn Bluesky Email Copy Copied Flip Make us preferred on Google This year, Ukraine celebrates Easter a week later than Catholic countries. While Jesus has already risen in Poland, Ukrainian believers diligently clean their windows to allow as much light as possible into their homes for Easter. This tradition of washing windows before Good Friday also symbolizes a cleansing from sins and the negative influences of the past that weigh down the mind and soul. During this period of heightened symbolism, President Zelensky made an official visit to a Biblical land, Syria, where the Ukrainian delegation agreed to re-open a Syrian Embassy in Kyiv and a Ukrainian Embassy in Damascus. Follow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official . In the current situation, with the US President bogged down in Iran, Ukraine desperately needs new partners and friends and the war with Iran has sparked interest in Ukraine’s counter-drone technologies across the Middle East. Ukraine’s budding cooperation with governments in the Middle East around the deployment of drone specialists and interceptor drones in the Persian Gulf region has provoked a mixed reaction inside Ukraine. Some say we need to keep our hardware and specialists for our own use and that supplying other countries with our most effective counter-drone weapon will weaken the defense of Ukrainian cities and frontline areas. As in previous years, the coming of spring raises expectations of a new Russian offensive. Once the spring rains have passed and the ground dries out, Russia is always likely to intensify military maneuvers. Other Topics of Interest First Gambling Operators Connect to SOMS: How This Changes Ukraine’s Gaming Market Connecting Ukrainian gambling operators to the State Online Monitoring System (SOMS) promotes gaming industry transparency, increases tax control efficiency, and minimizes risks of tax evasion. However, according to Ukrainian intelligence, there is no evidence of the transfer of additional Russian units to targeted frontline regions which would usually precede an offensive. At the same time, attempts to intensify attacks on Ukrainian positions have been unsuccessful, and it appears that the Russian military is failing to replace killed and wounded soldiers with new contract fighters. All these signs point to a continuation of trench and drone warfare into the summer, with little change. The territory previously referred to as the front line is now more often called “the kill zone,” because it is under complete drone observation and control to a depth of 15-20 kilometers. Drones then, remain a key instrument for Ukraine and a vital area for further research and development. While Ukraine’s expertise in this area is much talked about, our blacksmiths, have gained prominence in an area of weapons production which is less widely discussed – the market for swords, rapiers, and sabers which are used for fencing and historical reenactments. Recently, the teenage daughter of the well-known British writer Nick Harkaway (son of John le Carré) decided to take up fencing. When Nick asked his daughter’s coach for advice about where to buy a rapier, he replied that, without a shadow of a doubt, the best rapiers were made by the Ukrainian company “HF Armory.” Nick made inquiries and, as a result, ordered not one, but two rapiers from HF Armory: one for his daughter and one for himself. The swords arrived in the UK quite quickly. “HF Armory” has been operating in Kyiv for over 25 years, suspending operations for only five or six weeks at the very beginning of the full-scale Russian aggression. They recommenced shipping orders on April 2, 2022. Last year, they also managed to open a warehouse for finished products in the European Union. If I were Zelensky, I would have taken an HF Armory sword or saber as a gift to Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa, in appreciation of the Ukrainian flags hung throughout capital during his visit, and the fact that the Ukrainian president was greeted in Damascus with a military orchestra. Turkish President Erdogan also undoubtedly deserves such a gift; without him, Zelensky’s visit to Syria would not have been such a notable success. Zelensky flew to Damascus on a Turkish government plane. Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan participated in Zelensky’s talks with the Syrian president. What is more, before his visit to Syria, President Zelensky had a lengthy meeting with Erdogan. There’s no longer any doubt that the Turkish President is actively returning to the context of the Russo-Ukrainian war, only now not as a mediator or negotiator, but as Ukraine’s geopolitical partner in the Middle East and the Persian Gulf. President Trump, who is focused on finding an exit from the war with Iran, has fallen silent regarding Ukraine, and this has given Erdogan the opportunity to reassert influence in the region. The war with Iran will undoubtedly continue, and President Trump may sooner or later be forced to seek mediation not only from Pakistan’s leadership but also from Turkey. Erdogan has maintained his reputation as an anti-Israeli politician, which makes him an acceptable intermediary for negotiations from an Iranian point of view. Ukrainians, it must be said, have somewhat lost interest in the US-Israeli-Iranian war. At least two issues are currently dominating their attention – the new escalation in the drone war with Russia, and window cleaning, together with other preparations for Easter.