Ukraine's drone wing says it has killed at least 12 officers and injured 15 others in a strike on a command post for Russian Federal Security Service (FSB).
Unmanned Systems Forces commander Robert "Madyar" Brovdi confirmed the attack yesterday in occupied Donetsk, and said Ukrainian forces used FP-2 drones manufactured by the Ukrainian defence company Fire Point.
He said the command post hit in the attack is responsible for sabotage operations, building intelligence networks, recruitment, carrying out terrorist attacks and arson, and coordinating Russian proxy forces. The drones can carry up to 100kg payloads and are used for medium-range strikes.Moscow is yet to comment on the attack.
This comes as the European Union formally approved a €90bn (£78bn) loan to Ukraine and new sanctions against Russia, ahead of an informal summit of the bloc's leaders in Cyprus which Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky will attend.
The loan is set to cover two-thirds of Ukraine's financial needs for the next two years.
Prince Harry makes direct plea to Putin to ‘stop this war’ during unannounced visit to Ukraine
Trump says Prince Harry ‘is not speaking for the UK’ after Duke of Sussex plea to support Ukraine
Ukraine says it is in ‘strongest frontline position in a year’ as Russian advance grinds to a halt
US still delivering weapons to Ukraine, Zelenskyy says, as Prince Harry visits Kyiv
EU finally approves €90bn Ukraine loan – how will it aid the fight against Russia?
Key Points
- Ukraine says it killed 12 FSB officers in an attack on command post
- Zelensky says Ukraine does not need 'symbolic' partial EU membership
- EU formally approves Ukraine loan and sanctions package against Russia
- Prince Harry, on visit to Kyiv, tells Putin to 'stop this war'
- Russian diplomats say new EU sanctions are 'economic blackmail'
Russia 'planned terror attacks at Ukrainian schools', claims SBU
13:00 , James ReynoldsUkraine claims to have foiled a Russian plot to carry out terror attacks on schools.
The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) said on Thursday that it had foiled efforts by the Russian special services to recruit children who “were supposed to blow up their lyceums” in Odesa and Kirovohrad regions, and “shoot their classmates with firearms”.
The SBU said an investigation revealed the children had been recruited through groups on Telegram and TikTok used to manipulate children into carrying out illegal activities.
They said the “young men”, who have been detained, were recruited under threat of reprisals against relatives and encouraged to punish bullies.
“Russian special services pushed the schoolchildren not only to commit terrorist acts, but also to commit suicide immediately after the “main crime”. In this way, the Russians hoped to get rid of “extra witnesses”,” the SBU said.
EU now pushing for 21st round of sanctions after approving major package
12:00 , James ReynoldsThe EU has begun its push for a 21st round of sanctions against Russia, after adopting the 20th package and approving a 90bn euro loan to support Ukraine.
The EU’s top diplomat, Kaja Kallas, said on Friday: "We're really pushing to go on with the 21st package of sanctions.”
She told reporters in Cyprus that such a move “sends a very clear signal to Russia that they can't outwait us”.
“It also sends a clear signal to Russia that Ukraine is more important to us than it is to them, and we will keep on supporting them.”
Ukraine's defence minister says country's 'red lines' won't change
11:00 , Arpan RaiUkraine’s defence minister Kyrylo Budanov has said his country’s negotiating position on giving up territory in peace talks is not going to change.
“No one in the world deals with the weak, and international law does not work without strength. To succeed in negotiations, we must be strong on the battlefield and united on the home front,” he said at the Kyiv Security Forum.
“Our ‘red lines’ remain unchanged: we will not recognise any territorial losses, and we are not going to trade our land. Any compromise must, first and foremost, serve Ukraine’s interests,” he said, in a post on X.
One of the main sticking points in talks between Russia and Ukraine so far has been Moscow's demands that Kyiv forfeit more of its territory in the east, which Ukrainian officials have said is non-negotiable and will not be sacrificed.
No one in the world deals with the weak, and international law does not work without strength. To succeed in negotiations, we must be strong on the battlefield and united on the home front. I shared my views today at the Kyiv Security Forum.
— Kyrylo Budanov (@Kyrylo_Budanov) April 23, 2026
Our “red lines” remain unchanged: we… pic.twitter.com/7oX9Gs0jOk
EU has started push for 21st package of sanctions against Russia, Kallas says
10:40 , Arpan RaiThe European Union has started pushing for a 21st package of sanctions against Russia, the EU's top diplomat Kaja Kallas said this morning, one day after the EU adopted the 20th sanctions package against Russia over Moscow's war on Ukraine.
"We're really pushing to go on with the 21st package of sanctions," Kallas told reporters ahead of an informal summit of EU leaders in Cyprus.
"It sends a very clear signal to Russia that they can't outwait us. It also sends a clear signal to Russia that Ukraine is more important to us than it is to them, and we will keep on supporting them."
Trump says Prince Harry ‘is not speaking for the UK’ after Duke of Sussex plea to support Ukraine
10:25 , Arpan RaiDonald Trump has dismissed the Duke of Sussex's comments on the Ukrainian conflict, saying that Prince Harry "is not speaking for the UK".
The remarks followed an impassioned speech by Harry at the Kyiv Security Forum on Thursday, where he urged "American leadership" to "honour its international treaty obligations" in its "enduring role in global security".
The King’s youngest son, in a rare input on global matters, clarified he was "not here as a politician" but as "a soldier who understands service" and "a humanitarian", though he did not mention Mr Trump by name.
Responding to the speech Harry made during a surprise visit to Ukraine, the US president told reporters: “I know one thing, Prince Harry is not speaking for the UK, that’s for sure. I think I am speaking for the UK more than Prince Harry.”
“But I appreciate his advice very much,” he added.
Trump says Prince Harry ‘is not speaking for the UK’ before message to Meghan Markle
Zelensky says Ukraine does not need 'symbolic' partial EU membership
10:05 , Arpan RaiUkraine president Volodymyr Zelensky has rejected the idea of a partial EU membership for his war-hit nation.
Germany and France have proposed limited ”symbolic” or ”associate” EU membership for Ukraine as part of a peace deal, which would grant some benefits but exclude voting rights or full access to shared budgets.
“Ukraine does not need symbolic membership in the EU,” Zelensky said, speaking to reporters on his presidential WhatsApp chat on the way to Cyprus.
“Ukraine is defending itself and is definitely defending Europe. And it is not defending Europe symbolically – people are really dying,” he said.
Zelensky added that Ukraine is defending "shared European values" and therefore saying the country deserves full membership in the 27-strong bloc of countries.
Zelensky rules out territory swap with Putin: 'Try to withdraw from your own house'
09:45 , Arpan RaiUkrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has reiterated his administration’s stand on territorial concessions to Russia as part of any peace deal.
Zelensky said the land in question has history and shared values for millions of people.
“We never speak about Ukrainian territories just like about territories. It is not only land. It is our history, families, roots, children and houses,” he said, speaking to reporters outside the summit venue in Cyprus.
“When somebody says Ukraine should withdraw, please try to withdraw from your own house,” Zelensky added.
⚡️ Zelenskyy: When somebody says Ukraine should withdraw, please try to withdraw from your own house. pic.twitter.com/0SUm8oDE8L
— UNITED24 Media (@United24media) April 23, 2026
Ukraine says it killed 12 FSB officers in an attack on command post
09:30 , Arpan RaiUkraine's drone wing says it has killed at least 12 officers and injured 15 others in a strike on a command post of the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) in the Donetsk region on Wednesday.
Unmanned Systems Forces commander Robert "Madyar" Brovdi confirmed the attack yesterday and said Ukrainian forces used FP-2 drones manufactured by the Ukrainian defence company Fire Point.
The drones can carry up to 100kg payloads and are used for medium-range strikes.
The operation, during which operators carried out "eight precision strikes on the target," was conducted by the Unmanned Systems Forces together with fighters from the 1st Corps of the Ukrainian National Guard's Azov Brigade, the statement from Brovdi read.
He said the command post hit in the attack is responsible for sabotage operations, building intelligence networks, recruitment, carrying out terrorist attacks and arson, and coordinating Russian proxy forces.
EU finally approves €90bn Ukraine loan – how will it aid the fight against Russia?
09:11 , Arpan RaiThe European Union formally approved on Thursday a €90bn loan for Ukraine and new sanctions against Russia. This decision came ahead of an informal summit in Cyprus, attended by Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskiy.
The loan is set to cover two-thirds of Ukraine's needs for the next two years. Economists had warned Ukraine would run out of money by June without the EU loan, necessitating deep cuts to public services.
European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen stated: "While Russia doubles down on its aggression, we are doubling down on our support to the brave Ukrainian nation enabling Ukraine to defend itself and putting pressure on Russia’s war economy." The move underscores the EU's continued commitment to Kyiv.
EU finally approves €90bn Ukraine loan – how will it aid the fight against Russia?
Prince Harry, on visit to Kyiv, tells Putin to 'stop this war'
09:10 , Arpan RaiPrince Harry made an unannounced visit to Kyiv and called on Russia's president Vladimir Putin to end the war – a week after a massive Russian aerial attack on the country – and on US president Donald Trump to show leadership to help resolve the conflict.
By convention, the British royal family do not speak out on political matters, although King Charles and other senior royals have regularly voiced their support for Ukraine.
But Harry, on his third visit to the country since the war began, used far more explicit language than any of his relatives have done previously.
"President Putin, no nation benefits from the continued loss of life we are witnessing. There is still a moment – now – to stop this war, to prevent further suffering for Ukrainians and Russians alike, and to choose a different course," Harry said in a speech to a Kyiv security forum.
He called on Washington to do more to bring about an end to the war.
"This is a moment for American leadership, a moment for America to show that it can honour its international treaty obligations," he said.
"Europe has stood up in profound ways," said the British Army veteran who served in Afghanistan.
"The task now is to match endurance with speed, solidarity with scale, and commitment with consistency,” he said.
Russian diplomats say new EU sanctions are 'economic blackmail'
08:49 , Arpan RaiRussian diplomats have denounced the latest European Union sanctions imposed on Moscow in connection with its invasion of Ukraine, saying the new measures lacked UN legitimacy and infringed the rights of third countries.
Russian news agencies quoted a statement by diplomats at Russia's mission to the European Union as saying the measures were meaningless without a decision from the UN Security Council.
"We would like to remind you that only sanctions imposed by the decision of the UN Security Council are legitimate," state news agency TASS quoted the statement as saying.
"All others are unilateral coercive measures, and essentially — arbitrariness and aggression that contradict international law and the UN Charter."
RIA news agency said the statement accused the EU of restricting exports of specific goods to a number of countries cooperating with Russia and said this was "resorting to economic blackmail and extraterritorial application of sanctions".
The EU adopted its 20th package of sanctions against Russia over its war in Ukraine after Slovakia and Hungary dropped their opposition to the move following the resumption of flows through the Druzhba oil pipeline.
The EU had initially aimed to adopt the package to mark the fourth anniversary of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine on 24 February.
Watch | 'How's his wife?': Trump slams Prince Harry after Duke of Sussex’s plea to support Ukraine
08:34 , Arpan RaiUkraine says it is in ‘strongest frontline position in a year’ as Russian advance grinds to a halt
08:14 , Arpan RaiUkraine’s foreign minister has said the country’s frontline position is the “strongest” it has been in a year.
Andrii Sybiha credited the progress to Kyiv’s superiority in drone warfare and air defence, which he claimed had the ability to shoot down up to 90 per cent of attacks.
“We have minimised the Russians’ advantage in manpower through the use of drones,” Mr Sybiha said on Thursday.
He added: “For us, the situation on the battlefield is about strengthening our negotiating position. We can shoot down up to 90 per cent of the targets that strike our cities… [Ukraine’s] position on the battlefield is indeed the strongest, or the most solid, it has been over the past year.”
Earlier this month, Agence France-Presse analysed data from the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) and found that Russia had made almost no territorial gains across the frontline in March. It marks the country’s worst progress in two and a half years.
Ukraine says it is in ‘strongest frontline position’ against Russia in a year’
Russia says it foils a plot to bomb telecoms watchdog leaders
07:57 , Arpan RaiRussia's Federal Security Service (FSB) said that it had foiled a plot to bomb senior officials at the country's telecoms watchdog, the Interfax news agency reported this morning.
The FSB said the leader of the plotters was shot dead while resisting arrest.
A total of seven people were detained, the FSB said. The FSB said searches had found links to Ukrainian paramilitary units during searches.
"On 18 April 2026, a terrorist attack against Roskomnadzor officials, planned by detonating a vehicle using an explosive device, was foiled," the FSB was quoted as saying.
EU has started push for 21st package of sanctions against Russia, Kallas says
07:51 , Arpan RaiThe European Union has started pushing for a 21st package of sanctions against Russia, the EU's top diplomat Kaja Kallas said this morning, one day after the EU adopted the 20th sanctions package against Russia over Moscow's war on Ukraine.
"We're really pushing to go on with the 21st package of sanctions," Kallas told reporters ahead of an informal summit of EU leaders in Cyprus.
"It sends a very clear signal to Russia that they can't outwait us. It also sends a clear signal to Russia that Ukraine is more important to us than it is to them, and we will keep on supporting them."
Ukraine's defence minister says country's 'red lines' won't change
07:30 , Arpan RaiUkraine’s defence minister Kyrylo Budanov has said his country’s negotiating position on giving up territory in peace talks is not going to change.
“No one in the world deals with the weak, and international law does not work without strength. To succeed in negotiations, we must be strong on the battlefield and united on the home front,” he said at the Kyiv Security Forum.
“Our ‘red lines’ remain unchanged: we will not recognise any territorial losses, and we are not going to trade our land. Any compromise must, first and foremost, serve Ukraine’s interests,” he said, in a post on X.
One of the main sticking points in talks between Russia and Ukraine so far has been Moscow's demands that Kyiv forfeit more of its territory in the east, which Ukrainian officials have said is non-negotiable and will not be sacrificed.
No one in the world deals with the weak, and international law does not work without strength. To succeed in negotiations, we must be strong on the battlefield and united on the home front. I shared my views today at the Kyiv Security Forum.
— Kyrylo Budanov (@Kyrylo_Budanov) April 23, 2026
Our “red lines” remain unchanged: we… pic.twitter.com/7oX9Gs0jOk
Russia warns European states against hosting French nuclear bomber planes
07:22 , Arpan RaiRussia has issued a fresh threat and said any European countries that accepted deployments of French nuclear-capable strategic bombers would make themselves targets for attack by Moscow's forces in the event of a conflict.
French president Emmanuel Macron announced plans in March to expand the country's nuclear arsenal and said France may allow European partners to host its nuclear-capable aircraft on temporary deployments.
Russian deputy foreign minister Alexander Grushko said in an interview published yesterday that this was part of an "uncontrolled build-up" of Nato's nuclear potential, which posed a strategic threat to Russia.
He stressed Moscow's concern about the potential French nuclear deployments to other European countries. Macron has said Paris is discussing such arrangements with Britain, Germany, Poland, the Netherlands, Belgium, Greece, Sweden and Denmark.
"Clearly, our military will be forced to pay close attention to this issue in the context of updating the list of priority targets in the event of a major conflict," Grushko told the state media group Russia Today.
"As a result, instead of the declared French strengthening of the defence of their allies - to whom, incidentally, they offer no ironclad guarantees - the security of these countries is in fact being weakened."
Macron's initiative is part of a drive by Nato's European members to take more responsibility for their own defence, after frequent criticism of the alliance from US president Donald Trump, and in light of his threats to take control of Greenland from Nato member Denmark.
UK calls for release of OSCE security members
06:43 , Arpan RaiA senior UK diplomat has called for the immediate and unconditional release of OSCE special monitoring mission members, as he condemned Russia’s illegal war against Ukraine.
Ambassador Neil Holland, the head of the United Kingdom's delegation to the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), was speaking at the gathering of OSCE members in Vienna yesterday.
“This month marks four years since our colleagues from the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine – Dmytro Shabanov, Vadym Golda and Maxim Petrov – were unlawfully detained by Russia and its proxies. They were detained while carrying out duties mandated by this Council, under a mission established by consensus, including by the Russian Federation,” Holland said.
He added that the continued detention of the members “remains a clear breach of OSCE commitments”.
He also condemned the threats from Russia during a meeting last week.
“This reflects a familiar attempt to intimidate and deter those who support Ukraine’s right to defend itself against an illegal and unprovoked invasion. It will not work,” the diplomat said.
Ukraine says its remote-control drones can hit targets at great distance
06:09 , Arpan RaiUkraine has developed interceptor drones that can be directed from a distance and are capable of hitting targets hundreds or thousands of kilometres away, defence minister Mykhailo Fedorov announced yesterday.
"We are launching a new level of 'small' air defence. Now, control of interceptors is possible at a distance of thousands of kilometres," Fedorov wrote on the Telegram messaging app.
"Today we have a confirmed result – downing a target at a distance of hundreds and thousands of kilometres. Ukraine is the first in the world to systematically scale remote control of interceptor drones," he said.
Fedorov said the system "increases the efficiency of interception, minimises risks for operators and allows scaling capabilities without being tied to the front line".
Ukrainian officials estimated domestic drone production last year at about 4.5 million and capacity has since increased.
Ukraine was virtually without any capacity to build drones when Russia launched its full-scale invasion in 2022, but now has a thriving industry. Emphasis has been placed on interceptor drones as a more effective - and more economical - means to defend against drone attacks.
Trump says Prince Harry ‘is not speaking for the UK’ after Duke of Sussex plea to support Ukraine
05:42 , Arpan RaiDonald Trump has dismissed the Duke of Sussex's comments on the Ukrainian conflict, saying that Prince Harry "is not speaking for the UK".
The remarks followed an impassioned speech by Harry at the Kyiv Security Forum on Thursday, where he urged "American leadership" to "honour its international treaty obligations" in its "enduring role in global security".
The King’s youngest son, in a rare input on global matters, clarified he was "not here as a politician" but as "a soldier who understands service" and "a humanitarian", though he did not mention Mr Trump by name.
Responding to the speech Harry made during a surprise visit to Ukraine, the US president told reporters: “I know one thing, Prince Harry is not speaking for the UK, that’s for sure. I think I am speaking for the UK more than Prince Harry.”
“But I appreciate his advice very much,” he added.
Trump says Prince Harry ‘is not speaking for the UK’ after plea to support Ukraine
Watch: Prince Harry arrives in Kyiv for surprise visit
05:23 , Arpan RaiEU formally approves Ukraine loan and sanctions package against Russia
05:02 , Arpan RaiThe European Union formally approved on Thursday a €90bn (£78bn) loan to Ukraine and new sanctions against Russia, ahead of an informal summit of the bloc's leaders in Cyprus which Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky will attend.
The loan is set to cover two-thirds of Ukraine's financial needs for the next two years. Economists had said Ukraine would start to run out of money by June if the EU loan was not disbursed by then, requiring deep cuts to public services.
"We are on our way to Cyprus with good news," European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen said.
"While Russia doubles down on its aggression, we are doubling down on our support to the brave Ukrainian nation enabling Ukraine to defend itself and putting pressure on Russia’s war economy,” she said.
Zelensky says Ukraine does not need 'symbolic' partial EU membership
04:41 , Arpan RaiUkraine president Volodymyr Zelensky has rejected the idea of a partial EU membership for his war-hit nation.
Germany and France have proposed limited ”symbolic” or ”associate” EU membership for Ukraine as part of a peace deal, which would grant some benefits but exclude voting rights or full access to shared budgets.
“Ukraine does not need symbolic membership in the EU,” Zelensky said, speaking to reporters on his presidential WhatsApp chat on the way to Cyprus.
“Ukraine is defending itself and is definitely defending Europe. And it is not defending Europe symbolically – people are really dying,” he said.
Zelensky added that Ukraine is defending "shared European values" and therefore saying the country deserves full membership in the 27-strong bloc of countries.
Ukraine says it killed 12 FSB officers in an attack on command post
04:29 , Arpan RaiUkraine's drone wing says it has killed at least 12 officers and injured 15 others in a strike on a command post of the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) in the Donetsk region on Wednesday.
Unmanned Systems Forces commander Robert "Madyar" Brovdi confirmed the attack yesterday and said Ukrainian forces used FP-2 drones manufactured by the Ukrainian defence company Fire Point.
The drones can carry up to 100kg payloads and are used for medium-range strikes.
The operation, during which operators carried out "eight precision strikes on the target," was conducted by the Unmanned Systems Forces together with fighters from the 1st Corps of the Ukrainian National Guard's Azov Brigade, the statement from Brovdi read.
He said the command post hit in the attack is responsible for sabotage operations, building intelligence networks, recruitment, carrying out terrorist attacks and arson, and coordinating Russian proxy forces.
Prince Harry, on visit to Kyiv, tells Putin to 'stop this war'
04:01 , Arpan RaiPrince Harry made an unannounced visit to Kyiv and called on Russia's president Vladimir Putin to end the war – a week after a massive Russian aerial attack on the country – and on US president Donald Trump to show leadership to help resolve the conflict.
By convention, the British royal family do not speak out on political matters, although King Charles and other senior royals have regularly voiced their support for Ukraine.
But Harry, on his third visit to the country since the war began, used far more explicit language than any of his relatives have done previously.
"President Putin, no nation benefits from the continued loss of life we are witnessing. There is still a moment – now – to stop this war, to prevent further suffering for Ukrainians and Russians alike, and to choose a different course," Harry said in a speech to a Kyiv security forum.
He called on Washington to do more to bring about an end to the war.
"This is a moment for American leadership, a moment for America to show that it can honour its international treaty obligations," he said.
"Europe has stood up in profound ways," said the British Army veteran who served in Afghanistan.
"The task now is to match endurance with speed, solidarity with scale, and commitment with consistency,” he said.
Russian diplomats say new EU sanctions are 'economic blackmail'
03:53 , Arpan RaiRussian diplomats have denounced the latest European Union sanctions imposed on Moscow in connection with its invasion of Ukraine, saying the new measures lacked UN legitimacy and infringed the rights of third countries.
Russian news agencies quoted a statement by diplomats at Russia's mission to the European Union as saying the measures were meaningless without a decision from the UN Security Council.
"We would like to remind you that only sanctions imposed by the decision of the UN Security Council are legitimate," state news agency TASS quoted the statement as saying.
"All others are unilateral coercive measures, and essentially — arbitrariness and aggression that contradict international law and the UN Charter."
RIA news agency said the statement accused the EU of restricting exports of specific goods to a number of countries cooperating with Russia and said this was "resorting to economic blackmail and extraterritorial application of sanctions".
The EU adopted its 20th package of sanctions against Russia over its war in Ukraine after Slovakia and Hungary dropped their opposition to the move following the resumption of flows through the Druzhba oil pipeline.
The EU had initially aimed to adopt the package to mark the fourth anniversary of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine on 24 February.
PHOTO ESSAY: AP photographer chronicles Chernobyl’s painful legacy of silence, sacrifice and danger
03:00 , Alex CroftEfrem Lukatsky, a Kyiv-based photographer for The Associated Press, was living in the city on April 26, 1986, when the explosion and fire struck the Chernobyl nuclear power plant, about a two-hour drive away. He has visited the plant and the “exclusion zone” around it dozens of times. He recalls the disaster that has haunted him and Ukraine for 40 years.
------------
It began with whispers at work.
There was no official announcement about the accident at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant when it happened in 1986 — only fragments of information passed quietly among colleagues.
I was in my late 20s at the time and was a specialized underwater welder for a Kyiv institute that sent me to offshore platforms and classified military bases across the Soviet Union.
See the photos and read Efrem’s piece here:
PHOTO ESSAY: AP photographer chronicles Chernobyl’s painful legacy of silence, sacrifice and danger
In pictures: Russian attack on Dnipro blowing huge hole in apartment building
02:00 , Alex Croft
Donald Trump hits back after Harry’s impassioned Ukraine speech
01:15 , Alex RossDonald Trump has said the Duke of Sussex “is not speaking for the UK” after Harry told the US to honour its obligations in the Ukrainian conflict.
Responding to the speech Harry made during a surprise visit to Ukraine, the US president told reporters: “I know one thing, Prince Harry is not speaking for the UK, that’s for sure. I think I am speaking for the UK more than Prince Harry.”
“But I appreciate his advice very much,” he added.
Mr Trump went on to ask: “How’s he doing? How’s his wife? Please give her my regards.”
Harry delivered a lengthy, impassioned speech at the Kyiv Security Forum on Thursday, saying he was “not here as a politician” but as “a soldier who understands service” and a “humanitarian”.
In a rare input on global matters, the King’s youngest son turned his attention to the US – although he did not mention Mr Trump by name – urging the “American leadership” to “honour its international treaty obligations” in its “enduring role in global security”.
Harry said: “The United States has a singular role in this story. Not only because of its power, but because when Ukraine gave up nuclear weapons, America was part of the assurance that Ukraine’s sovereignty and borders would be respected.
“This is a moment for American leadership, a moment for America, to show that it can honour its international treaty obligations – not out of charity but out of its enduring role in global security and strategic stability.”
Turkey trying to revive Russia-Ukraine negotiations, Erdogan tells Nato chief
01:01 , Alex CroftTurkey is making efforts to revive negotiations between Russia and Ukraine and bring together the leaders of the warring sides, Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan told Nato secretary general Mark Rutte in a meeting in Ankara, the Turkish presidency said on Wednesday.
Earlier on Wednesday, Kyiv said it had asked Turkey, a Nato member, to host a leaders' level meeting with Russia. Ankara has maintained good ties with both Ukraine and Russia since Moscow's full-scale invasion in 2022.
"Erdogan said we were engaged, as Turkey, for the Ukraine-Russia war to end with peace, and that we are working to revive negotiations and start talks at leaders' level," the presidency said in a readout of the meeting.
The Turkish president also told Rutte that maintaining transatlantic ties was "indispensable", but that Ankara expected European Nato allies to take more responsibility for transatlantic security, the presidency said.
"Erdogan said Turkey was working to end the Ukraine-Russia war through negotiations and reach lasting peace, just as it is trying with regards to Iran," the presidency said in a separate statement.
Watch: Zelensky says Russia ceasefire unlikely until Iran crisis ‘closed’
Friday 24 April 2026 00:01 , Alex CroftZelensky says unblocking of 90bn loan is 'right signal'
Thursday 23 April 2026 23:01 , Alex CroftVolodymyr Zelensky said on Wednesday that the unblocking of a 90-billion-euro ($106-billion) European Union loan to Kyiv was "the right signal under the current circumstances".
Writing on X, Zelensky said that incentives for Russia to end its war in Ukraine "can arise only when both support for Ukraine and pressure on Russia are sufficient."
“Ukraine is fulfilling its obligations in relations with the European Union – even on such sensitive issues as the operation of the Druzhba oil pipeline.
“We expect that the European side will also deliver what is needed for the real protection of lives and for advancing Ukraine’s full European integration.”
Chernobyl is too radioactive for humans – but wild animals are thriving like never before
Thursday 23 April 2026 22:02 , Alex CroftAcross the Chernobyl exclusion zone, a radioactive landscape too dangerous for human life, the world’s wildest horses roam free. Przewalski’s horses – stocky, sand-coloured, and almost toy-like – graze an area larger than Luxembourg.
This desolate territory was created on 26 April 1986, when an explosion at the Ukrainian nuclear power plant sent radiation across Europe, forcing the evacuation of entire towns and displacing thousands. It remains the worst nuclear disaster in history.
Four decades on, Chernobyl (Chornobyl in Ukraine) remains too dangerous for humans. Yet, wildlife has moved back in. Wolves now prowl the vast no-man’s-land spanning Ukraine and Belarus, and brown bears have returned after more than a century. Populations of lynx, moose, red deer, and even free-roaming dogs have rebounded.
Read more here:
Chernobyl is too radioactive for humans – wild animals are thriving like never before
EU warns Venice Biennale it will terminate funding after allowing Russian participation
Thursday 23 April 2026 21:00 , Alex CroftThe European Commission has sent a letter to organisers of the Venice Biennale informing them of its intent to terminate or suspend a 2 million euro grant in funding after they allowed Russia to reopen its pavilion at this year's event.
"There is only one ongoing grant, this is of 2 million for the next three years and this is the one we aim to terminate or to suspend," an EU Commission spokesperson told reporters.
The Biennale had 30 days to respond to the EU's letter, the spokesperson added.
After Moscow's invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Russian artists and institutions were excluded from major European events, including the Russian pavilion at the Venice Biennale.
World must not grow numb to Ukraine conflict, says Prince Harry
Thursday 23 April 2026 20:01 , Alex CroftWe’ve heard more from Prince Harry, who is making a surprise visit to Kyiv today.
The Duke of Sussex has warned “the world must not grow used” or “numb” to the conflict in Ukraine as he insisted he was speaking in the war-torn country not as “a politician” but as a “soldier who understands service”.
Harry, in an address to the Kyiv Security Forum during a surprise visit to the Ukrainian capital on Thursday, said: “I am not here as a politician.
“I am here as a soldier who understands service, as a humanitarian who has seen the human cost of conflict, and as a friend of Ukraine who believes the world must not grow used to this war or numb to its consequences.
“Because what is happening here is not simply a war about territory. It is a war about values. About sovereignty.
“About whether the principles that underpin our shared democracy still hold meaning.”
Ukrainian military shares video of troop shooting down missile
Thursday 23 April 2026 19:02 , Alex CroftTarget destroyed! pic.twitter.com/Ogw2vV2Dqe
— Defense of Ukraine (@DefenceU) April 22, 2026
Massive fire after Ukrainian strike on Russian oil station, says SBU
Thursday 23 April 2026 18:02 , Alex CroftUkrainian drones have struck the Gorky oil pumping station in Russia's Nizhny Novgorod region overnight, an official from Ukraine's SBU security service said on Thursday.
Three oil tanks were damaged as a result of the strike and a massive fire broke out, covering an area of 20,000 square metres, the source said.
The station is an important part of Russia's oil transport system and supports the operation of main oil pipelines, the source added.
Prince Harry calls on Putin to halt war and 'prevent further suffering'
Thursday 23 April 2026 17:00 , Alex CroftPrince Harry has been speaking during his surprise visit to Kyiv.
Directly addressing Russian president Vladimir Putin, the Duke of Sussex said: “President Putin, no nation benefits from the continued loss of life we are witnessing.
“There is still a moment – now – to stop this war, to prevent further suffering for Ukrainians and Russians alike, and to choose a different course.”
He also made reference to the “American leadership” but did not mention Donald Trump by name, saying it was a “moment for America to show that it can honour its international treaty obligations”.
Harry said: “The United States has a singular role in this story. Not only because of its power, but because when Ukraine gave up nuclear weapons, America was part of the assurance that Ukraine’s sovereignty and borders would be respected.
“This is a moment for American leadership – a moment for America to show that it can honour its international treaty obligations – not out of charity, but out of its enduring role in global security and strategic stability.”
Full report: Nuclear energy is having a global revival 40 years after Chernobyl
Thursday 23 April 2026 16:29 , Alex CroftThe 1986 Chernobyl disaster fueled global fears about nuclear power and slowed its development in Europe and elsewhere. Four decades later, however, there's a revival around the world, a trend that has been given a big boost by war in the Middle East.
Over 400 nuclear reactors are operational in 31 countries, while about 70 more are under construction. Nuclear power accounts for producing about 10% of the world’s electricity, equivalent to about a quarter of all sources of low-carbon power.
Nuclear reactors have seen steady improvements, adding more safety features and making them cheaper to build and operate.
Full report here:
Nuclear energy is having a global revival 40 years after Chernobyl
Russian-controlled court jails woman for buying Ukrainian war bonds
Thursday 23 April 2026 16:01 , Alex CroftA woman living in a Russian-controlled part of southern Ukraine has been found guilty of treason and sentenced to 14 years in prison for buying war bonds to support the Ukrainian military, the court that convicted her said on Thursday.
The Russian-controlled Zaporizhzhia District Court said the woman had used a Ukrainian mobile app to purchase bonds worth 270,080 roubles ($3,600), and had been caught by the FSB security service.
It identified her only by the initial B, and said she was a Russian citizen. People living in parts of Ukraine that Russian forces have captured in more than four years of war have effectively been forced to take Russian citizenship if they want to retain access to healthcare, pensions and property rights.
Human rights group Memorial, which Russia this month branded an extremist movement, named the woman as 66-year-old Larisa Belyayeva, a doctor from the village of Lyubimovka.
Ukraine began issuing war bonds in February 2022, immediately after Russia's full-scale invasion, in order to fund its defence.
With reporting from Reuters
How will the EU's 90 billion euro loan to Ukraine work?
Thursday 23 April 2026 15:30 , Alex CroftA 90bn euro EU loan for Ukraine could be revived after outgoing Hungarian prime minister vowed to lift his veto on the plan.
EU leaders had decided in December to jointly borrow the money to lend to Ukraine to fund its defence for this year and next, using frozen Russian funds as a potential backstop to ensure that Moscow ultimately pays.
How will Europe lend the money?
The EU will provide interest-free loans for the years 2026-2027 based on EU borrowing on capital markets backed by the EU budget headroom, which is the difference between the maximum amount the EU can ask EU members to contribute and the amount it needs to cover foreseen expenses. Hungary, Slovakia and Czechia secured exemptions.
Repayment
Ukraine is not expected to pay the money back itself, with the capital only due for repayment once Russia pays war reparations after the conflict ends. Russia has central bank assets that are frozen in the EU which are worth around 210bn euros that could be used for the repayment.
What will it cover?
The 90bn is to cover two-thirds of Ukraine's needs for the next two years, estimated at 135 billion euros in total. Of the total, Ukraine will get 45 billion euros in 2026 and another 45 billion in 2027. Each year, 28 billion euros will be for spending on military needs and 17 billion on general budget needs.
Watch: Seven people injured from Russian attack in Ukraine's Dnipro
Thursday 23 April 2026 15:00 , Alex CroftEU prepares finalisation of €90bn loan for Ukraine after Orban hurdle removed
Thursday 23 April 2026 14:30 , Arpan RaiEU ambassadors have approved the disbursement of a promised €90bn ($106bn) loan to Ukraine as well as a new package of sanctions against Russia after Hungary lifted its veto, the bloc's Cypriot presidency said.
The European Union's 27 member states are now expected to sign off on the deal by this afternoon, a spokesperson for the Cypriot presidency added.
The EU agreed last year on the loan to keep Ukraine liquid through 2026 and 2027. But Hungary then blocked the deal after Russia-friendly prime minister Viktor Orban accused Ukraine of sabotaging the transit of Russian oil through a pipeline damaged by Russian attacks.
The spat had also delayed the new sanctions against Russia, which the EU had initially aimed to adopt to mark the fourth anniversary of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine on 24 February 2022.
The stumbling block was finally removed when Hungary's oil group MOL yesterday said it had been informed that the Ukrainian operator of the Druzhba pipeline was ready to resume crude oil transit to Hungary and Slovakia.
MOL said it expected the first shipments via the pipeline to arrive in Hungary and Slovakia by Thursday at the latest. Both countries remain reliant on Russia for much of their energy.
Ukraine's prospects for receiving the loan had already improved when Orban lost Hungary's parliamentary election on 12 April. The leader of the winning party, Peter Magyar, has said he will no longer block the EU funds for Kyiv, though he is only expected to take power next month.
Russian drones kill one in attack on Zhtomyr region
Thursday 23 April 2026 13:59 , Alex CroftRussian drones attacked civilian transport infrastructure in Ukraine's Zhytomyr region west of Kyiv, killing one, the regional governor said on Thursday.
Governor Vitaliy Bunechko said that rescue workers, repair crews and law enforcement agencies were working at the site of the attack.
He shared the details about the attack on Telegram.
Harry makes surprise visit to Ukraine to ‘remind the world’ about war
Thursday 23 April 2026 13:27 , Alex CroftThe Duke of Sussex has made an unannounced visit to Ukraine to “remind people back home and around the world” of the country’s war with Russia.
Harry was filmed by ITV News arriving at Kyiv railway station on Thursday morning, stepping off an overnight train from Poland and greeting people on the platform.
“It’s good to be back in Ukraine,” he said, according to the broadcaster.
The duke said he wanted “to remind people back home and around the world what Ukraine is up against and to support the people and partners doing extraordinary work every hour of every day in incredibly tough conditions”.
Read more here:
Harry makes surprise visit to Ukraine to ‘remind the world’ about war
Ukraine asks Turkey to mediate war and host Zelensky-Putin talks
Thursday 23 April 2026 12:55 , Arpan RaiUkraine has asked Turkey to host a meeting between president Volodymyr Zelensky and Russian president Vladimir Putin.
The development was shared by Ukrainian foreign minister Andrii Sybiha, saying that Ukraine is ready to meet Putin at any venue to end the war, except Belarus or Russia.
“We asked the Turks about it, we asked some other capitals,” Sybiha said, speaking to reporters on Tuesday.
“We addressed the Turks specifically,” he said. “But if another capital, besides Moscow and Belarus, organises such a meeting, we will go.”
On Friday, Sybiha told the Antalya Diplomacy Forum that Ukraine was ready to participate in any round of talks “regardless of format,” including meetings involving Zelensky, Putin, Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan, or US president Donald Trump.
Russian industrial facility catches fire after Ukrainian attack
Thursday 23 April 2026 12:22 , Alex CroftAn industrial facility in the Kstovo district of Russia's Nizhny Novgorod region was damaged in a Ukrainian attack, regional governor Gleb Nikitin said on Thursday.
The facility caught fire overnight after being hit by debris from Ukrainian drones, he said.
Ukraine has previously targeted the Lukoil oil refinery located in the town of Kstovo.
Watch: Zelensky says Russia ceasefire unlikely until Iran crisis ‘closed’
Thursday 23 April 2026 11:49 , Arpan RaiTurkey trying to revive Russia-Ukraine negotiations, Erdogan tells Nato chief
Thursday 23 April 2026 11:17 , Arpan RaiTurkey is making efforts to revive negotiations between Russia and Ukraine and bring together the leaders of the warring sides, Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan told Nato secretary general Mark Rutte in a meeting in Ankara, the Turkish presidency said on Wednesday.
Earlier on Wednesday, Kyiv said it had asked Turkey, a Nato member, to host a leaders' level meeting with Russia. Ankara has maintained good ties with both Ukraine and Russia since Moscow's full-scale invasion in 2022.
"Erdogan said we were engaged, as Turkey, for the Ukraine-Russia war to end with peace, and that we are working to revive negotiations and start talks at leaders' level," the presidency said in a readout of the meeting.
The Turkish president also told Rutte that maintaining transatlantic ties was "indispensable", but that Ankara expected European Nato allies to take more responsibility for transatlantic security, the presidency said.
"Erdogan said Turkey was working to end the Ukraine-Russia war through negotiations and reach lasting peace, just as it is trying with regards to Iran," the presidency said in a separate statement.
