The US Army is planning to demonstrate a 300-kilowatt laser weapon, its most powerful ever, next year. General Atomics Electromagnetic Systems (GA-EMS) and Boeing are building the device, which is the size of a shipping container and mounted on a heavy truck. “The high power, compact laser weapon… will produce a lethal output greater than anything fielded to date,” Scott Forney, president of GA-EMS, said in a statement. The US Navy deployed the first high-energy laser weapon, known as LaWS, on the USS Ponce in 2014, with a reported 30 kilowatt output. Most military lasers tend to be in the 30 to 100 kilowatt range, which is mainly useful for shooting down small drones, so the new weapon is a significant increase.

The U.S. Army's Next Generation Squad Weapon (NGSW), will soon begin its next round of testing. The US Army is looking to replace the M4 Carbine, M249 SAW, and M240 machine gun as well as the 5.56x45mm and 7.62x51mm rounds with a more lethal cartridge with a longer range

A cease-fire was planned in the strategic Ukrainian port city of Mariupol and in Volnovakha on Saturday morning to allow for humanitarian evacuations. But the life-saving effort stalled amid reports that Russian shelling continued. "The Russian side is not holding to the cease-fire and has continued firing on Mariupol itself and on its surrounding area," said Kyrylo Tymoshenko, the deputy head of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's office. Meanwhile, Russian media outlet RIA Novosti carried a claim from Russia's defense ministry that the firing was against Russian positions. Later on Saturday, Russian President Vladimir Putin warned that Ukrainian statehood is in jeopardy. And he likened the West imposing sanctions against Russia to "declaring war." "But thank God, we haven't got there yet," Putin said during a meeting with flight attendants. He also said if any third-party issued a no-fly zone over Ukraine, a measure Zelensky has asked for, Moscow would consider it "participation in the armed conflict." NATO had decided against a no-fly zone on Friday, lest it risk a direct altercation with Russia. In a Zoom call with U.S. lawmakers Saturday, Zelensky made an impassioned plea for help, calling for military planes and support, and an embargo on Russian oil. More than 1 million people have fled the country amid the fighting, and thousands have reportedly died.

The outpouring of support for beleaguered Ukraine is astounding: governments around the world are joining sanctions and shunning Russia. European governments, including many that previously favored neutrality or otherwise tread carefully with regard to Russia, are joining the opposition to Moscow, and many are sending military aid. Some individuals, however, are doing more and are heeding President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s call to join the fighting: “Anyone who wants to join the defense of Ukraine, Europe and the world can come and fight side by side with the Ukrainians against the Russian war criminals.” Ukraine’s foreign minister tweeted a call for an “international legion” to fight against Russia.