Russian strikes have killed 10 and injured at least 76 people across Ukraine in the past day, Ukrainian officials have said.
Officials said three people were killed in separate incidents in Kherson region, while two died in each of Odesa, Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia regions and one in Sumy region.
It comes as Ukraine's military successfully hit Russia's Primorsk port, causing significant damage to the infrastructure of the oil terminal port, president Volodymyr Zelensky said on Sunday.
In a post on the Telegram app, Zelensky said that Ukrainian troops also struck the Karakurt-class missile ship, a patrol boat, and one more shadow fleet oil tanker, adding that "each such result further limits Russia’s war potential".
On Saturday, Ukraine's military commander has confirmed that Russian troops are inching towards the city of Kostiantynivka in the eastern region of Donetsk and trying to establish a foothold close to a heavily defended area.
Kostiantynivka forms a part of the so-called "fortress belt", a network of cities and towns fortified by the Ukrainian military in the east.
Key Points
- Russian strikes kill 10 across Ukraine
- Russia's Primorsk port hit as Ukraine launches wave of drone strikes
- Zelensky thanks King for ‘strong words’ on Ukraine in US
- Ukraine reports fighting reaches outskirts of Kostiantynivka
- Russian forces capture village in Ukraine's Sumy region, defence ministry says
UK expels Russian diplomat in retaliation for Moscow’s recent expulsion of a British official
21:00 , Maryam Zakir-HussainIn case you missed this:
The U.K. on Wednesday expelled a Russian diplomat in retaliation for Moscow’s recent expulsion of a British official and the smear campaign that followed.
Britain’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office said it summoned the Russian ambassador to its offices in London to inform him of the “reciprocal action.” The tit-for tat moves reflect spiraling tensions between Moscow and the West.
“This behavior is wholly unacceptable, and we will not tolerate harassment or intimidation of our diplomatic staff,’’ the Foreign Office said in a statement.
UK expels Russian diplomat in retaliation for Moscow’s recent expulsion of a British official
How many American troops are in Europe and where are they?
20:00 , Maryam Zakir-HussainThe United States is to withdraw 5,000 troops from Germany, a key Nato ally, the Pentagon announced on Friday. The decision marks the most significant step yet by Washington to scale back its military footprint in Europe.
This move follows a public disagreement between U.S. President Donald Trump and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz regarding the conflict in Iran. It also comes after months of criticism from Washington, alleging that European nations have not contributed sufficiently to supporting American efforts in the region or to their own defence.
Here are some key details on U.S. military presence in Europe.
Nato is ‘disintegrating’, Donald Tusk says in urgent call to action
19:00 , Maryam Zakir-HussainPoland’s prime minister has said Nato is “disintegrating” after the United States announced it would withdraw thousands of troops from Germany.
Donald Tusk wrote on social media: “The greatest threat to the transatlantic community are not its external enemies, but the ongoing disintegration of our alliance. We must all do what it takes to reverse this disastrous trend.”
His comments come after the US announced a plan to pull around 5,000 troops out of Germany over the next six to 12 months.
Read more here:
Nato is ‘disintegrating’, Donald Tusk says in urgent call to action
Ukraine offers Finland a drone deal, Zelensky says
18:00 , Maryam Zakir-HussainPresident Volodymyr Zelensky said that he had offered Finland to strengthen the two countries partnership by signing a drone deal, sharing technology and combat expertise developed during the four-year war with Russia.
"Ukraine is ready to share its expertise and strengthen those who have been strengthening us since the very beginning of the full-scale invasion," Zelensky said after he met with Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo in Yerevan.
Swedish coast guard seizes suspected false flag tanker in Baltic Sea
17:30 , Maryam Zakir-HussainThe Swedish Coast Guard said on Sunday it had seized a tanker in the Baltic Sea believed to be part of Russia's shadow fleet, the latest in a string of similar actions carried out in recent months by the country's authorities.
The Swedish Coast Guard said in a statement that it and police had boarded the Syrian-flagged Jin Hui in Swedish territorial waters south of Trelleborg and begun a preliminary investigation into a lack of seaworthiness.
"The coast guard suspects that the ship is sailing under a false flag, given there are a number of irregularities concerning its flag status, and therefore does not meet demands for seaworthiness as set out in international regulations and agreements," it said.
The coast guard said the ship, whose destination was unclear and was thought to be carrying no cargo, figured on several sanctions lists, including those of the European Union and Britain.
Swedish Minister for Civil Defence, Carl-Oskar Bohlin, said separately on X that the vessel was suspected of belonging to the Russian so-called shadow fleet.
European nations have stepped up efforts to disrupt the so-called shadow fleet of tankers used by Moscow to fund its four-year war against Ukraine.
Russia has condemned such moves as hostile.So far this year, Sweden has stopped five vessels on suspicion of various offences, including oil spills and sailing under a false flag, and opened criminal proceedings against some crew members.
Zelensky thanks King for ‘strong words’ on Ukraine in US
17:00 , Maryam Zakir-HussainVolodymyr Zelensky has thanked the King for his “strong words” on the defence of Ukraine during his state visit to the United States.
The Ukrainian president expressed his gratitude for the monarch’s comments in a meeting with Sir Keir Starmer in Armenia.
“Best regards and thanks to His Majesty for strong words in the United States supporting our people,” Mr Zelensky told the Prime Minister.
The two met on Sunday at a hotel in Armenia’s capital Yerevan, where leaders from across Europe are gathering for Monday’s European Political Community (EPC) summit.
Charles, in a speech to Congress last week, spoke of the importance of Nato and support for Kyiv, amid concerns over Donald Trump’s waning interest in the conflict.
The King’s address has been widely interpreted as a gentle pushback against some of the US president’s peeves including Ukraine, from which his attention has been diverted by the Iran war.
In their meeting, Mr Zelensky also thanked Sir Keir for the UK’s sanctions against Russia and efforts to counter its shadow fleet, saying the measures set a “great example” for other allies.
“I think that Russia’s economy feels it,” Ukraine’s leader said.
Germany focuses on shared interests after US announces troop drawdown
16:30 , Maryam Zakir-HussainGermany's defense minister on Saturday appeared to take in stride a Pentagon announcement that the United States plans to pull some 5,000 troops out of Germany, saying a drawdown was expected and emphasizing the mutual benefit of the longstanding U.S. deployment in Europe.
Boris Pistorius said Europe recognized and was acting on the necessity of doing more to ensure its own security within the U.S.-led NATO military alliance that counts Germany as a key member, and said it is doing so. He suggested America, too, gains from its military deployment in the continent.
“The presence of American soldiers in Europe, and especially in Germany, is in our interest and in the interest of the U.S.,” Pistorius told the German news agency dpa.
Germany focuses on shared interests after US announces troop drawdown
Russia says Ukrainian drones hit lab at Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant
15:30 , Maryam Zakir-HussainRussia said on Sunday that Ukrainian forces carried out a drone attack on a laboratory at the Russian-controlled Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant, but no critical damage of injuries have been reported.
It also said that the plant continued its operations as usual.
Russian strikes kill 10 across Ukraine
15:26 , Maryam Zakir-HussainRussian strikes have killed 10 and injured at least 76 people across Ukraine in the past day, Ukrainian officials have said.
Officials said three people were killed in separate incidents in Kherson region, while two died in each of Odesa, Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia regions and one in Sumy region.
Drone kills 2 in Kherson minibus strike, as Russia claims front-line progress
15:00 , Maryam Zakir-HussainTwo people were killed after a Russian drone attacked a minibus in the southern Ukrainian city of Kherson, local officials said Saturday, in the latest barrage of civilian areas, a hallmark of Moscow’s full-scale invasion of its neighbor.
Seven people were also wounded in the attack, regional head Oleksandr Prokudin said. Hours later Russia attacked another minibus in Kherson, wounding the driver, he said.
On Ukraine's Black Sea coast, a Russian strike damaged port infrastructure in the city of Odesa. No casualties were reported.
Read more here:
Drone kills 2 in Kherson minibus strike, as Russia claims front-line progress
Russia's Primorsk port hit as Ukraine launches wave of drone strikes
14:30 , Maryam Zakir-HussainUkrainian drones attacked Russia's Baltic Sea port of Primorsk on Sunday, temporarily setting it on fire, local governor Alexander Drozdenko said on the Telegram messaging app, as Kyiv launched a wave of strikes on targets across the country.
Drozdenko said more than 60 drones were downed overnight over Russia's northwestern Leningrad region.
There was no oil spill following the attack on Primorsk, a major oil exporting outlet, and the fire was extinguished, he added.
Primorsk, one of Russia's largest export gateways, has capacity to handle 1 million barrels per day of oil supply.
It has been hit multiple times in recent months as Ukraine has stepped up attacks on Russian energy infrastructure and other targets as US-brokered talks to end the Ukraine war have stalled.
Kremlin warns of oil price increase if Ukrainian strikes on its facilities continue
14:00 , Maryam Zakir-HussainKremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Sunday that global oil prices may rise further if Ukraine continues to hit Russia's oil infrastructure, Russian TV reported.
“If additional volumes of our oil are dropped from the market, prices will rise further from current levels, which are already above $120 a barrel. That would mean that even with lower export volumes, our companies would earn more money and the state would receive more revenue,” Peskov said.
Ukraine hits Russia's Primorsk port, damages oil infrastructure, Zelensky says
13:15 , Maryam Zakir-HussainUkraine's military successfully hit Russia's Primorsk port, causing significant damage to the infrastructure of the oil terminal port, President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Sunday.
In a post on the Telegram app, Zelensky said that Ukrainian troops also struck the Karakurt-class missile ship, a patrol boat, and one more shadow fleet oil tanker, adding that "each such result further limits Russia’s war potential".
Watch: Ukrainian general’s rise from far-right wing agitator to war hero
12:30 , Arpan RaiUkraine hits two shadow fleet tankers near Russia's Novorossiysk port
12:23 , Arpan RaiUkrainian forces attacked two shadow fleet tankers in waters at the entrance to the Russian Black Sea port of Novorossiysk, Ukraine's president Volodymyr Zelensky said this morning.
"These tankers had been actively used to transport oil – not anymore," Zelensky said on the Telegram messaging app.
"Ukraine's long-range capabilities will continue to be developed comprehensively – at sea, in the air, and on land."
Our warriors continue to apply sanctions against Russia’s shadow oil fleet – two such vessels were struck in the waters at the entrance to the port of Novorossiysk. These tankers had been actively used to transport oil – not anymore. I am grateful to Chief of the General Staff… pic.twitter.com/8aCse8h95j
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) May 3, 2026
Zelensky flags 'unusual' activity along Ukraine-Belarus border
11:23 , Arpan RaiUkrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has said his forces observed an unusual activity along the country’s border with Belarus.
“Yesterday, there was rather unusual activity along sections of the Ukraine–Belarus border – on the Belarusian side. We are closely documenting everything and keeping the situation under control,” Zelensky said, without sharing the details of the movement.
“If necessary, we will react. Ukraine is ready to defend its people and its sovereignty. Everyone who is being drawn into any aggressive actions against Ukraine must understand this,” he said.
Belarus, a close ally of the Kremlin, has allowed Russia to use its territory as a staging ground to send troops into Ukraine and to host some of Moscow's tactical nuclear weapons.
Ukrainian general’s rise from far-right wing agitator to war hero
11:06 , Maryam Zakir-HussainWorld affairs editor Sam Kiley meets the founder of Ukraine’s far-right Azov movement Andrii Biletskyi, now a decorated military brigadier general holding Russia back on its most aggressive line of attack in Donetsk province:
Telephone signals abruptly collapse as we descend into a bunker at a secret location close to Ukraine’s front line with Russia - for a meeting with one of Kyiv’s most ambitious, controversial and successful military commanders.
Easily within reach of medium-range Russian drones and jets, the caution was routine. But it takes on added drama when it emerges that an alleged Ukrainian traitor, working with Russian intelligence, was recently in the area tracking the movements of Brigadier General Andrii Biletskyi.
Ukrainian general’s rise from far-right wing agitator to war hero
Russian forces capture village in Ukraine's Sumy region, defence ministry says
10:45 , Arpan RaiRussian troops took control of the village of Myropillia in Ukraine's Sumy region, the defence ministry said on Saturday.
Reuters could not independently verify the battlefield report.
The ministry also said its air defence forces shot down 505 drones overnight.
Drone kills two in Kherson minibus strike
10:23 , Arpan RaiTwo people were killed after a Russian drone attacked a minibus in the southern Ukrainian city of Kherson, local officials said Saturday, in the latest barrage of civilian areas, a hallmark of Moscow's full-scale invasion of its neighbour.
Seven people were also wounded in the attack, regional head Oleksandr Prokudin said. Hours later Russia attacked another minibus in Kherson, wounding the driver, he said.
Why US troop withdrawl from Germany matters in Ukraine war
09:23 , Arpan RaiA pullout of 5,000 soldiers from Germany would amount to about one-seventh of the 36,000 American service members stationed in the country.
The Pentagon offered few details about which troops or operations would be affected.
The withdrawal is scheduled to take place over the next six to 12 months. Donald Trump previously said he would pull 9,500 troops from Germany during his first term, but he didn't start the process and Democratic president Joe Biden formally stopped the planned withdrawal soon after taking office in 2021.
More broadly, around 80,000-100,000 US personnel are usually stationed in Europe – depending on operations, exercises and troop rotations.
The US increased its European deployment after Russia launched its full-scale war on Ukraine in February 2022. Nato allies like Germany have expected for over a year that these troops would be the first to leave.
Ukraine is hitting oil facilities deep inside Russia. Soaring fuel prices could blunt the impact
08:23 , Arpan RaiUkrainian drones are flying deep into Russia to strike oil facilities, sending up plumes of smoke that can be seen from space and bringing toxic rain to tourist destinations on the Black Sea.
The attacks are aimed at slashing Moscow’s oil exports, a key source of funding for its grinding invasion of Ukraine. But the economic impact is so far unclear, as the rise in oil prices from the Iran war, and a related easing of U.S. sanctions, have helped replenish the Kremlin’s coffers.
Still, the range of the attacks and their environmental impact is bringing the war home to ordinary Russians far from the front lines.
Ukraine is hitting Russian oil sites but rising fuel prices may blunt the impact
Ukraine hits two shadow fleet tankers near Russia's Novorossiysk port
07:53 , Arpan RaiUkrainian forces attacked two shadow fleet tankers in waters at the entrance to the Russian Black Sea port of Novorossiysk, Ukraine's president Volodymyr Zelensky said this morning.
"These tankers had been actively used to transport oil – not anymore," Zelensky said on the Telegram messaging app.
"Ukraine's long-range capabilities will continue to be developed comprehensively – at sea, in the air, and on land."
Our warriors continue to apply sanctions against Russia’s shadow oil fleet – two such vessels were struck in the waters at the entrance to the port of Novorossiysk. These tankers had been actively used to transport oil – not anymore. I am grateful to Chief of the General Staff… pic.twitter.com/8aCse8h95j
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) May 3, 2026
Ukrainian drones attack Russia's Primorsk port, governor says
07:27 , Arpan RaiUkrainian drones attacked Russia's Baltic Sea port of Primorsk on Sunday, setting it on fire, local governor Alexander Drozdenko said on the Telegram messaging app.
He said more than 60 drones were downed overnight over Russia's northwestern Leningrad region. There was no oil spill following the attack on Primorsk, a major oil exporting outlet, and the fire was extinguished, he added.
Zelensky sanctions his former chief of staff
07:00 , Arpan RaiVolodymyr Zelensky has imposed sanctions on his former chief of staff Andriy Bohdan, who headed his presidential office before the war in Ukraine erupted in 2022.
No official reason was given to explain the sanctions.
Bohdan said on Facebook that the move may be linked to recent media reports alleging possible involvement by Zelensky and his wife, Olena Zelenska, in corrupt dealings.
The former official suggested that the president suspects a connection between the publications and Bohdan’s work as a lawyer.
Under the sanction, Bohdan’s state honours will be revoked, his assets will be frozen and his commercial transactions will be banned.
The sanctions will remain in force for 10 years.
Drone kills two in Kherson minibus strike
06:44 , Arpan RaiTwo people were killed after a Russian drone attacked a minibus in the southern Ukrainian city of Kherson, local officials said Saturday, in the latest barrage of civilian areas, a hallmark of Moscow's full-scale invasion of its neighbour.
Seven people were also wounded in the attack, regional head Oleksandr Prokudin said. Hours later Russia attacked another minibus in Kherson, wounding the driver, he said.
Ukraine reports fighting reaches outskirts of Kostiantynivka
06:13 , Arpan RaiRussian troops are inching towards the city of Kostiantynivka in Ukraine's eastern Donetsk region, trying to establish a foothold close to a heavily defended area, Ukraine's top army official said yesterday.
Kostiantynivka, along with other cities, forms a so-called fortress belt in the country's east - an area well fortified by the Ukrainian military.
"We are repelling the Russian occupiers' persistent attempts to gain a foothold in the outskirts of Kostiantynivka using infiltration tactics. Counter-sabotage measures are going on in the city," Oleksandr Syrskyi, Ukraine's army chief, said on the Telegram app.
A Ukrainian battlefield mapping project called DeepState shows that Russian troops control an area around only one kilometre (0.6 mile) from the city's southern outskirts.
Small chunks of Kostiantynivka, in southeast Ukraine, are marked as a grey zone, meaning neither Ukraine nor Russia has full control over them.
Zelensky flags 'unusual' activity along Ukraine-Belarus border
06:09 , Arpan RaiUkrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has said his forces observed an unusual activity along the country’s border with Belarus.
“Yesterday, there was rather unusual activity along sections of the Ukraine–Belarus border – on the Belarusian side. We are closely documenting everything and keeping the situation under control,” Zelensky said, without sharing the details of the movement.
“If necessary, we will react. Ukraine is ready to defend its people and its sovereignty. Everyone who is being drawn into any aggressive actions against Ukraine must understand this,” he said.
Yesterday, there was rather unusual activity along sections of the Ukraine–Belarus border – on the Belarusian side. We are closely documenting everything and keeping the situation under control. If necessary, we will react.
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) May 2, 2026
Ukraine is ready to defend its people and its… pic.twitter.com/NRHIXHpPiM
Ukraine is hitting oil facilities deep inside Russia. Soaring fuel prices could blunt the impact
02:00 , Holly EvansUkrainian drones are flying deep into Russia to strike oil facilities, sending up plumes of smoke that can be seen from space and bringing toxic rain to tourist destinations on the Black Sea.
The attacks are aimed at slashing Moscow’s oil exports, a key source of funding for its grinding invasion of Ukraine. But the economic impact is so far unclear, as the rise in oil prices from the Iran war, and a related easing of U.S. sanctions, have helped replenish the Kremlin’s coffers.
Still, the range of the attacks and their environmental impact is bringing the war home to ordinary Russians far from the front lines.
Read the full article here:
Ukraine is hitting Russian oil sites but rising fuel prices may blunt the impact
Russian forces capture village in Ukraine's Sumy region, defence ministry says
01:00 , Maryam Zakir-HussainRussian troops took control of the village of Myropillia in Ukraine's Sumy region, the defence ministry said on Saturday.
Reuters could not independently verify the battlefield report.
The ministry also said its air defence forces shot down 505 drones overnight.
Fibre-optic drones reshaped the war in Ukraine. Hezbollah are now adopting the deadly weapon
Sunday 3 May 2026 00:00 , Maryam Zakir-HussainHezbollah has introduced a new, difficult-to-detect weapon against northern Israel: small drones controlled by fibre-optic cables. These devices, with cables the width of dental floss, are designed to evade electronic detection, posing a fresh challenge to air defences.
Unlike many drones vulnerable to electronic jamming, which can cause them to crash, these fibre-optic variants are directly connected to an operator.
This direct link makes them impossible to jam electronically, a characteristic widely seen in the war in Ukraine. Though not infallible – wind or other drones can tangle their cables – their lethality is high.
Fibre-optic drones reshaped the war in Ukraine. Hezbollah are now adopting the weapon
Zelensky and Slovakia PM discuss Ukraine's EU accession
Saturday 2 May 2026 23:00 , Maryam Zakir-HussainPresident Volodymyr Zelensky said he discussed Ukraine's accession to the European Union with Slovakia's prime minister Robert Fico in a conversation on Saturday.
"We need strong relations between our countries, and both of us are interested in this. It was important to hear that Slovakia supports Ukraine’s membership in the European Union and is ready to share its experience of accession," he said on X.
Ukraine sees 'unusual activity' at Belarus border, Zelensky says
Saturday 2 May 2026 22:00 , Maryam Zakir-HussainUkraine has recorded “unusual activity” along the Ukraine-Belarus border, President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Saturday, after urging Minsk in recent weeks not to get more involved in Russia's war.
"Yesterday, there was some rather unusual activity along the Ukraine-Belarus border - on the Belarusian side," Zelensky said in his daily address to the nation.
Ukraine's air force and border guard did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
"We are closely monitoring the situation, keeping everything under control, and will respond if necessary," he added.
Watch: Russian drone attacks gas station in Ukraine’s Kramatorsk
Saturday 2 May 2026 21:00 , Maryam Zakir-HussainTrump is now dealing with an irate, tough Germany. Here’s why
Saturday 2 May 2026 20:00 , Maryam Zakir-HussainFriedrich Merz calling out Trump’s foreign policy – which has led to an announced withdrawal of US troops – is an effort to get the president to think less about Vladimir Putin and protect America’s allies, explains world affairs editor Sam Kiley:
The US president and the German chancellor have locked horns. Spain has shunned Washington. The Nato alliance is more fragile than it has ever been.
Western powers are determined to see off Russian military “hard” power; they are familiar with “soft power” operations to undermine democracies. But how to deal with the Kremlin’s relationship with Donald Trump is now an emergency.
Working out a response to internal frictions within Nato has become a conundrum, not only for leaders in the alliance but for the military officials who have to figure out how to keep the military machine operational.
Trump is now dealing with an irate, tough Germany. Here’s why
How many American troops are in Europe and where are they?
Saturday 2 May 2026 19:00 , Maryam Zakir-HussainThe United States is to withdraw 5,000 troops from Germany, a key Nato ally, the Pentagon announced on Friday. The decision marks the most significant step yet by Washington to scale back its military footprint in Europe.
This move follows a public disagreement between U.S. President Donald Trump and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz regarding the conflict in Iran. It also comes after months of criticism from Washington, alleging that European nations have not contributed sufficiently to supporting American efforts in the region or to their own defence.
Here are some key details on U.S. military presence in Europe:
Fibre-optic drones reshaped the war in Ukraine. Hezbollah are now adopting the deadly weapon
Saturday 2 May 2026 18:30 , Maryam Zakir-HussainHezbollah has introduced a new, difficult-to-detect weapon against northern Israel: small drones controlled by fibre-optic cables. These devices, with cables the width of dental floss, are designed to evade electronic detection, posing a fresh challenge to air defences.
Unlike many drones vulnerable to electronic jamming, which can cause them to crash, these fibre-optic variants are directly connected to an operator.
This direct link makes them impossible to jam electronically, a characteristic widely seen in the war in Ukraine. Though not infallible – wind or other drones can tangle their cables – their lethality is high.
Fibre-optic drones reshaped the war in Ukraine. Hezbollah are now adopting the weapon
Trump gives rambling answer on whether Ukraine or Iran war will end first — and mixes up the countries
Saturday 2 May 2026 18:00 , Maryam Zakir-HussainPresident Donald Trump couldn’t say whether the war he launched against Iran in February would end before the four-year-old Russian war against Ukraine — and even confused the two countries — as he turned an Oval Office meeting to honor the Artemis II lunar mission crew into a wide-ranging media session with reporters.
After a spare, two minutes of remarks to honor the NASA crew that traveled further into space than any humans before — during which Trump, 79, claimed he was physically fit enough to launch into deep space as they did (”Is a president allowed to go up in one of these missions,” he asked NASA administrator Jared Isaacman) — the president immediately began a question-and-answer session that veered from UFOs to a recent conversation with Russian president Vladimir Putin that had focused on the Ukraine and Iran wars.
Trump mixes up Ukraine and Iran in rambling answer over which war will end first
Zelensky says he's seeking details of Putin’s May 9 ceasefire proposal
Saturday 2 May 2026 17:30 , Maryam Zakir-HussainUkrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is seeking details of a short-term ceasefire Russia proposed to U.S. President Donald Trump, he said in a post on Telegram on Thursday.
Russian President Vladimir Putin proposed a May 9 ceasefire to coincide with Victory Day in Russia in a phone call with Trump the previous day, according to the Kremlin.
“We have instructed our representatives to contact the United States president’s team and clarify the details of the Russian proposal for a short-term ceasefire,” Zelensky said.
Zelenskyy says he's seeking details of Putin’s May 9 ceasefire proposal
Russian forces capture village in Ukraine's Sumy region, defence ministry says
Saturday 2 May 2026 17:00 , Maryam Zakir-HussainRussian troops took control of the village of Myropillia in Ukraine's Sumy region, the defence ministry said on Saturday.
Reuters could not independently verify the battlefield report.
The ministry also said its air defence forces shot down 505 drones overnight.
Germany focuses on shared interests after US announces troop drawdown
Saturday 2 May 2026 16:40 , Maryam Zakir-HussainGermany's defense minister on Saturday appeared to take in stride a Pentagon announcement that the United States plans to pull some 5,000 troops out of Germany, saying a drawdown was expected and emphasising the mutual benefit of the longstanding U.S. deployment in Europe.
Boris Pistorius said Europe recognised and was acting on the necessity of doing more to ensure its own security within the U.S.-led NATO military alliance that counts Germany as a key member, and said it is doing so.
He suggested America, too, gains from its military deployment in the continent.
“The presence of American soldiers in Europe, and especially in Germany, is in our interest and in the interest of the U.S.,” Pistorius told the German news agency dpa.
Pistorius called the move “foreseeable,” apparently alluding to President Donald Trump’s recent threat of a drawdown in Germany.
Russian athletes hit with over 300 sanctions as Wada hails ‘most successful investigation in anti-doping history’
Saturday 2 May 2026 16:00 , Maryam Zakir-HussainThe probe into Russia’s state-backed doping programme passed a milestone of more than 300 sanctions against athletes in what the World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada) president described as the “most successful investigation in anti-doping history”.
Wada announced its “Operation LIMS” investigation has resulted in 302 sanctions against 291 Russian athletes, with 11 athletes receiving two sanctions each for separate violations.
The probe was based on data and samples retrieved from the Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS) of the Moscow Anti-Doping Laboratory in 2019.
Russian athletes hit with over 300 sanctions after anti-doping probe
Ukraine sees 'unusual activity' at Belarus border, Zelensky says
Saturday 2 May 2026 15:30 , Maryam Zakir-HussainUkraine has recorded “unusual activity” along the Ukraine-Belarus border, President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Saturday, after urging Minsk in recent weeks not to get more involved in Russia's war.
"Yesterday, there was some rather unusual activity along the Ukraine-Belarus border - on the Belarusian side," Zelensky said in his daily address to the nation.
Ukraine's air force and border guard did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
"We are closely monitoring the situation, keeping everything under control, and will respond if necessary," he added.
Ukraine is hitting oil facilities deep inside Russia. Soaring fuel prices could blunt the impact
Saturday 2 May 2026 15:00 , Maryam Zakir-HussainUkrainian drones are flying deep into Russia to strike oil facilities, sending up plumes of smoke that can be seen from space and bringing toxic rain to tourist destinations on the Black Sea.
The attacks are aimed at slashing Moscow’s oil exports, a key source of funding for its grinding invasion of Ukraine. But the economic impact is so far unclear, as the rise in oil prices from the Iran war, and a related easing of U.S. sanctions, have helped replenish the Kremlin’s coffers.
Still, the range of the attacks and their environmental impact is bringing the war home to ordinary Russians far from the front lines.
Read more here:
Ukraine is hitting Russian oil sites but rising fuel prices may blunt the impact
Rishi Sunak: Ukraine is a 'valuable partner' in the new age of war
Saturday 2 May 2026 14:30 , Maryam Zakir-HussainRishi Sunak has said the Iran war demonstrates the value of Ukraine as a key ally to the UK.
In an article for The Times, the former prime minister said Ukraine boasts “the most advanced defence tech industry in the world”, making them a “valuable partner” for the UK.
He wrote: “The Iran conflict has confirmed that the nature of warfare has changed, and Ukraine is the western-aligned nation that knows best how to fight in this new way.”
Zelensky and Slovakia PM discuss Ukraine's EU accession
Saturday 2 May 2026 14:00 , Maryam Zakir-HussainPresident Volodymyr Zelensky said he discussed Ukraine's accession to the European Union with Slovakia's prime minister Robert Fico in a conversation on Saturday.
"We need strong relations between our countries, and both of us are interested in this. It was important to hear that Slovakia supports Ukraine’s membership in the European Union and is ready to share its experience of accession," he said on X.
Drone kills 2 in Kherson minibus strike as Russia claims front-line progress
Saturday 2 May 2026 13:25 , Maryam Zakir-HussainTwo people were killed after a Russian drone attacked a minibus in the southern Ukrainian city of Kherson, local officials said Saturday, in the latest barrage of civilian areas, a hallmark of Moscow’s full-scale invasion of its neighbor.
Seven people were also wounded in the attack, regional head Oleksandr Prokudin said.
Hours later Russia attacked another minibus in Kherson, wounding the driver, he said.
On Ukraine's Black Sea coast, a Russian strike damaged port infrastructure in the city of Odesa. No casualties were reported.
Fighting reaches outskirts of Ukraine's stronghold Kostiantynivka
Saturday 2 May 2026 13:14 , Maryam Zakir-HussainRussian troops are inching towards the city of Kostiantynivka in Ukraine's eastern Donetsk region, trying to establish a foothold close to a heavily defended area, Ukraine's top army official said on Saturday.
Kostiantynivka, along with other cities, forms a so-called fortress belt in the country's east - an area well fortified by the Ukrainian military.
"We are repelling the Russian occupiers' persistent attempts to gain a foothold in the outskirts of Kostiantynivka using infiltration tactics. Counter-sabotage measures are going `on in the city," Oleksandr Syrskyi, Ukraine's `army chief, said on the Telegram app.
A Ukrainian battlefield mapping project called DeepState shows Russian troops control an area around only one kilometre (0.6 mile) from the city's southern outskirts.
Small chunks of `Kostiantynivka in the southeast are marked as a grey zone, meaning neither Ukraine nor Russia has full control over them.
Russia's defence ministry said on Wednesday its forces had taken control of Novodmytrivka, just north of Kostiantynivka.
Moscow's top general Valery Gerasimov said in April that troops were advancing in the north and south of the city.
Russia's oil spills onto streets after Ukraine targets refinery in Tuapse
Saturday 2 May 2026 12:30 , Arpan RaiUkrainian drones have hit the oil refinery and export terminal in the Black Sea town of Tuapse on four occasions in just over two weeks, sparking fires that prompted local evacuations and sent up massive plumes of smoke.
The town is roughly 450km (280 miles) from the front lines.
In a video posted by local governor Veniamin Kondratyev after the third attack on 18 April, an emergency official said boiling oil products had spilled onto the street, damaging cars.
Ukraine said on Thursday that it hit an oil pumping station in Russia's Perm region, more than 1,500km (900 miles) from Ukraine, two days in a row.
Russian media reported the attacks, though Perm governor Dmitry Makhonin said only that drones had hit industrial facilities.
Ust-Luga on the Baltic Sea, one of Russia's largest oil and gas export terminals, was hit three times in the space of a week in late March. It is more than 800km (500 miles) away from Ukraine.
In a broadcast several weeks later, regional governor Alexander Drozdenko declared that the area around St Petersburg, Russia's second largest city, was a "front-line region" due to aerial threats.
US to withdraw 5,000 troops from Germany
Saturday 2 May 2026 11:45 , Arpan RaiThe United States is withdrawing 5,000 troops from Nato ally Germany, the Pentagon announced on Friday, as a rift over the Iran war widens between President Donald Trump and Europe.
Trump had threatened a drawdown in forces earlier this week after sparring with German chancellor Friedrich Merz, who said on Monday the Iranians were humiliating the US in talks to end the two-month-old war.
A senior Pentagon official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said recent German rhetoric had been "inappropriate and unhelpful."
Russia targets Ukrainian cities in overnight strikes
Saturday 2 May 2026 11:20 , Arpan RaiSeveral strikes were reported from Ukraine after Russian forces launched overnight drone attacks targeting energy infrastructure, regional officials said.
The strikes targeted Mykolaiv, Kryvyi Rih, and Odesa Oblasts, officials said.
Russia targeted port infrastructure in Izmail, a city in southern Odesa Oblast.
In Mykolaiv, Russian forces hit the energy infrastructure with Shahed-type attack drones, said Vitaliy Kim, head of the regional military administration.
In Kryvyi Rih, Russian drones targeted an infrastructure facility overnight, Oleksandr Vilkul, head of the Kryvyi Rih Defence Council, said. Explosions were heard across the city, according to local residents.
No casualties were immediately reported in the attacks, according to the preliminary assessment.
Ukraine's attacks on Tuapse sparks concern for 'serious environmental consequences'
Saturday 2 May 2026 10:35 , Arpan RaiRussian president Vladimir Putin warned of "serious environmental consequences" after attacks on Tuapse refinery while insisting things were under control.
Officials warned that high levels of benzene, a carcinogen found in oil products, had been recorded in the air while fires burned and urged residents to limit time outdoors.
Residents also widely reported "black rain," oily droplets falling on their skin and clothes. Local news outlets posted images of stray dogs and cats with their coats stained gray. Oil spills along the coastline have coated birds and fish, and Russian media recently circulated images of beached dolphins.
Those images are shocking to Russians accustomed to vacationing on the Black Sea coast.
Vladimir Slivyak, co-chairman of the Russian environmental group Ecodefense, said there could be long-term consequences for human health and the region's ecosystem.
“There is a lot of oil in the sea," he said. "In the next few years, every storm will be bringing more oil pollution onto the coast.”
There has not yet been a public backlash to the strikes, as authorities wage a crackdown on dissent. But that could change as the damage spreads.
"I think a lot of people understand that there is a very big difference between what Putin says and what regional authorities are saying, and what's really going on," Slivyak said.
Ukraine's long-range drones stretch Russia's defenses
Saturday 2 May 2026 10:00 , Arpan RaiThe ability to strike key infrastructure deep inside Russia has highlighted Ukraine's growing military capabilities and put pressure on Moscow's overstretched air defences.
It has also forced more Russians to confront the consequences of a war their government claims to be winning.
Ukraine's defence ministry says its forces have more than doubled the range of their deep-strike capabilities since Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022. The increased range also allows drones to attack locations from different directions, complicating countermeasures.
“Drone attacks have so far been a very successful case of leveraging simple technologies and domestically assembled technology to attack Russia in places that, at the start of the war, they just would have never expected to be attacked," said Marcel Plichta, a PhD candidate in the School of International Relations at the University of St Andrews.
“This capability just didn't exist" four years ago, he said.
Vessel carrying grain Ukraine says stolen by Russia will not unload in Israel, Kyiv says
Saturday 2 May 2026 09:30 , Arpan RaiThe vessel carrying grain that Ukraine says was stolen from areas occupied by Russia will not unload in Israel, Ukraine said on Thursday, after Kyiv requested Israel to seize the cargo.
Ukraine's prosecutor general, Ruslan Kravchenko, said on the Telegram app that the vessel, Panormitis, left Israel's territorial waters and departed into neutral waters following "a range of procedural measures taken by Ukraine".
"On the basis of the materials provided by the Ukrainian side within the framework of international legal cooperation, the competent Israeli authorities have begun to process the request," he said.
Israel's foreign ministry said, however, that Ukraine's request for legal assistance, submitted late on Tuesday, "contained significant factual gaps and did not include any supporting evidence".
In the meantime, the ministry said, it was informed that the vessel that was supposed to enter the port next week had decided to depart from Israel's territorial waters.
Zelensky scraps old military contracts for increased pay to bring in new recruits
Saturday 2 May 2026 08:50 , Arpan RaiUkraine will no longer have open-ended military contracts to bring in new recruits under a major reform for the war-hit nation’s armed forces, Volodymyr Zelensky has said.
The new military contracts will allow previously mobilised soldiers to leave service, with timelines yet to be determined, Zelensky said.
“I have instructed that the contract system in the Defence Forces be strengthened so that… defined service duration terms are ensured,” Zelensky said, adding that “a phased discharge from service” would become “possible for those who were mobilised earlier”.
The president did not share details on how long soldiers would need to serve before they could leave.
The reform will also allow for increased pay for soldiers and changing recruitment and service rules, with implementation set to begin in June.
"The fifth year of full-scale war presents unique challenges, first and foremost in managing personnel and motivating our soldiers," he said.
