Russian President Vladimir Putin proposed that African countries join cross-border payment systems based on digital currencies, including cryptocurrencies. He said such systems could reduce dependence on Western financial networks and strengthen financial sovereignty. Speaking in Moscow to African delegations visiting for a Russia-Africa summit and forum, Putin said no one could block their transactions and that stopping them was impossible from the standpoint of modern technology.

Russia is testing the use of artificial intelligence in designing next-generation aircraft, combining domestic AI models with local design software as Western technology sanctions limit access to needed tools. United Aircraft Corporation is using Sberbank’s GigaChat to explore aircraft shapes and configurations at an early stage. The effort ties into a wider shift to Russian software since Western firms left the market. UAC says some design work has sped up, though that has not been independently verified.