Russian troops are intensifying their attacks on the heavily fortified city of Kostiantynivka in Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk region, Ukraine’s top army official said.
Kostiantynivka is part of a so-called fortress belt in the country's east, defended fiercely by the Ukrainian military.
"We are repelling the Russian occupiers' persistent attempts to gain a foothold in the outskirts of Kostiantynivka using infiltration tactics,” Oleksandr Syrskyi, Ukraine's army chief, said on the Telegram app.
“Counter-sabotage measures are going on in the city.”
Meanwhile, Russian drones struck the Ukrainian port city of Odesa overnight, injuring at least 20 people and damaging residential buildings and civilian infrastructure, including a kindergarten.
Russia said it would implement a temporary ceasefire around Victory Day on 9 May regardless of Ukraine’s response. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said the truce “will be implemented” and that “a response is not, in fact, required”.
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky dismissed the proposal as insufficient, saying Ukraine supported a longer-term ceasefire rather than “a few hours of security for a parade in Moscow”.
Key Points
- Fighting reaches outskirts of Ukraine's Kostiantynivka
- Drone kills 2 in Kherson minibus strike
- Ukraine says a strike hit Russian Black Sea oil terminal in Tuapse
- Russia targets Ukrainian cities in overnight strikes
- US to withdraw 5,000 troops from Germany
Zelensky and Slovakia PM discuss Ukraine's EU accession
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
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
21:00 , Maryam Zakir-HussainTrump is now dealing with an irate, tough Germany. Here’s why
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?
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
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
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
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
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
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’
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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'
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
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
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
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.
Two killed in Russian attack on bus in Kherson
08:42 , Arpan RaiA Russian drone attack on a bus in Ukraine's southern city of Kherson killed two people and injured seven more this morning, officials said.
Most of the casualties were public utilities workers, regional governor Oleksandr Prokudin added on Telegram. He posted images from the site that showed the bus with blown-out windows and a body with traces of blood lying on its floor.
"Such attacks are part of a systemic policy of terror against the civilian population," Dmytro Lubinets, Ukraine's human rights ombudsman, said on the Telegram app.
Kherson, the only regional capital seized by Russian forces in their 2022 full-scale invasion, was recaptured by Ukrainian troops later that year but has increasingly come under attack from Russian forces across the Dnipro River.
Ukrainian officials and human rights organisations have accused Moscow's troops of deliberate and systemic small-drone attacks on civilians across areas close to the frontline, in particular in Kherson.
The southern Odesa region, targeted by Russian strikes almost daily over the last couple of months, also came under attack overnight, the regional governor Oleh Kiper said.
A warehouse and neighbouring buildings were damaged at a port, he added on Telegram.
Ukraine says the attacks have cost Russia billions
08:20 , Arpan RaiUkraine's president Volodymyr Zelensky has compared Kyiv's strikes to the international sanctions on Russia.
They are seen as even more crucial now that Moscow is collecting windfall profits from the global energy crisis linked to Iran's closure of the Strait of Hormuz.
Zelensky said on Friday that Russia has lost at least $7bn since the start of the year as a direct result of attacks on its oil sector. Earlier in the week, he said Ukrainian intelligence indicates a drop in exports from key oil ports such as Ust-Luga and Primorsk.
Drone strikes have also disrupted Russia's oil refining capacities, while sanctions make it difficult to acquire replacement parts, experts say.
But the full economic impact remains unclear as Russia benefits from the Mideast crisis.
Russian crude and oil product exports rose by 320,000 barrels per day month-on-month to hit 7.1 million in March, the International Energy Agency said. Rising prices meant that oil export revenues almost doubled, from $9.7bn to $19bn.
It is unclear whether April's strikes will disrupt that trend.
Trump orders US to pull thousands of troops out of Germany after row with Merz
07:50 , Arpan RaiThe United States will withdraw 5,000 troops from Nato ally Germany, the Pentagon announced on Friday, as a rift over the Iran war widens between Donald Trump and Europe.
Mr 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".
"The president is rightly reacting to these counterproductive remarks," the official said.
Trump orders US to pull thousands of troops out of Germany after row with Merz
Residents warned over air quality and drinking water in Russia's Tuapse
07:20 , Arpan RaiResidents in Tuapse have been advised to stay indoors and avoid drinking tap water following recent drone strikes on the port. Russia’s consumer safety watchdog cited raised benzene levels in the air and urged people to limit time outside and keep windows closed.
The continuing attacks on the Russian refinery, which has been hit four times now and set ablaze at least twice since 16 April, have led to dense black clouds over the town and oil slicks along the coastline, damaging the popular beach destination.
Local health authorities said residents should use bottled water as a precaution. Schools have been closed and May holiday events cancelled.
Some residents have questioned official assurances.
“How about she comes to visit us and tries our fresh air?” one person wrote online, responding to claims from Rospotrebnadzor head Anna Popova that the situation posed no health risks.
US ambassador to Ukraine steps down after ‘differences of opinion with Trump’
06:50 , Arpan RaiDonald Trump’s acting ambassador to Ukraine will step down from her post and retire after less than a year in the role.
The State Department confirmed on Tuesday that Davis would leave in June before retiring from the department, following reports she was quitting over differences of opinion with Trump.
People familiar with her decision told the Financial Times that Davis, who has served as temporary chargé d’affaires at the embassy since May, had grown frustrated by Washington’s dwindling support for Ukraine as peace talks with Russia have stalled.
US ambassador to Ukraine steps down after ‘clashing with Trump’
Russia targets Ukrainian cities in overnight strikes
06:20 , 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 says a strike hit Russian Black Sea oil terminal in Tuapse
05:55 , Arpan RaiUkrainian forces struck an oil terminal in the Russian Black Sea city of Tuapse, Ukraine's General Staff said on Friday, marking the fourth attack targeting the region's oil infrastructure in just over two weeks.
Explosions and a fire were recorded at the terminal, the statement from the General Staff said. Local officials in Russia said a Ukrainian drone attack sparked the blaze and that no casualties were reported.
The facility had been hit previously on 16 April, 20 April and 28 April.
Regional governor Veniamin Kondratyev said a fire at the city's oil refinery had also been extinguished Thursday, less than 24 hours before the latest strike.
Watch: Trump says he thinks it’s 'treasonous' to say US is not winning war in Iran
03:00 , Daniel KeaneUS to withdraw 5,000 troops from Germany
02:00 , Daniel KeaneThe 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."
Ukraine says strike hit Russian Black Sea oil terminal in Tuapse
01:00 , Daniel KeaneUkrainian forces struck an oil terminal in the Russian Black Sea city of Tuapse, Ukraine's General Staff said on Friday, marking the fourth attack targeting the region's oil infrastructure in just over two weeks.
Explosions and a fire were recorded at the terminal, the statement from the General Staff said.
Local officials in Russia said a Ukrainian drone attack sparked the blaze and that no casualties were reported.
The facility had been hit previously on April 16, April 20 and April 28. Regional governor Veniamin Kondratyev said a fire at the city's oil refinery had also been extinguished Thursday, less than 24 hours before the latest strike.
Recap: Fire erupts again at major Black Sea port oil refinery after fourth Ukrainian attack
Saturday 2 May 2026 00:00 , James ReynoldsUkraine attacked a major oil refinery in the Black Sea port city of Tuapse for the fourth time in two weeks as it continued to intensify a campaign against Russian energy infrastructure.
The overnight strike caused a fire but there were no injuries. The area has been under a state of emergency since earlier strikes disrupted production and polluted coastal areas.
Meanwhile, Russian drones struck the Ukrainian port city of Odesa overnight, injuring at least 20 people and damaging residential buildings and civilian infrastructure, including a kindergarten.
Russia said it would implement a temporary ceasefire around Victory Day on 9 May regardless of Ukraine’s response. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said the truce “will be implemented” and that “a response is not, in fact, required”.
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky dismissed the proposal as insufficient, saying Ukraine supported a longer-term ceasefire rather than “a few hours of security for a parade in Moscow”.
Russian drone attack injures 10, causes blackouts
Friday 1 May 2026 23:00 , James ReynoldsA Russian daytime drone attack on the city of Ternopil, in Ukraine's far west, injured 10 and hit industrial and infrastructure facilities, the city's mayor said on Friday.
The attack also caused blackouts in some areas, Serhiy Nadal said on Telegram, adding that over 50 drones had been involved.
Recap: US ambassador to Ukraine steps down after ‘differences of opinion with Trump’
Friday 1 May 2026 22:00 , James ReynoldsDonald Trump’s acting ambassador to Ukraine will step down from her post and retire after less than a year in the role.
The State Department confirmed on Tuesday that Davis would leave in June before retiring from the department, following reports she was quitting over differences of opinion with Trump.
People familiar with her decision told the Financial Times that Davis, who has served as temporary chargé d’affaires at the embassy since May, had grown frustrated by Washington’s dwindling support for Ukraine as peace talks with Russia have stalled.
US ambassador to Ukraine steps down after ‘clashing with Trump’
Comment: Labour just made a dreadful, expensive decision on its creaking military gear
Friday 1 May 2026 21:00 , James ReynoldsBurying the bad news of a non-decision over a useless but expensive defence disaster on a day when all eyes were on the PM shows the government putting politics above good sense, writes world affairs editor Sam Kiley:
Labour just made a dreadful, expensive decision on its creaking military gear
Recap: Russian officer killed in blast targeting ‘Butcher of Bucha’
Friday 1 May 2026 20:00 , James ReynoldsAn explosion has killed a Russian army officer in a closed military town in the country’s far east, in what appeared to be a failed attempt to target a more senior commander known as the “Butcher of Bucha.”
The blast took place in a residential building in Knyaze-Volkonskoye-1, home to Maj Gen Azatbek Omurbekov, who commanded Russian troops during the occupation of Bucha.
Sources said a bomb placed in a mailbox detonated, killing a subordinate officer after the attacker targeted the wrong entrance, The Guardian reported.
Omurbekov was not injured; the EU has sanctioned him over alleged war crimes linked to the killing of civilians in Bucha.
Neither Russia nor Ukraine has commented on the incident.
Recap: Trump gives rambling answer on whether Ukraine or Iran war will end first
Friday 1 May 2026 19:00 , James ReynoldsPresident 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.
Here’s how it unfolded:
Trump mixes up Ukraine and Iran in rambling answer over which war will end first
Pictured: Smoke rises above Tuapse after fourth Ukrainian attack on Russian port town
Friday 1 May 2026 18:00 , James Reynolds
Watch: Russian drone attacks gas station in Ukraine’s Kramatorsk
Friday 1 May 2026 17:00 , James ReynoldsVessel carrying grain Ukraine says stolen by Russia will not unload in Israel, Kyiv says
Friday 1 May 2026 16:00 , James ReynoldsThe 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.
Ukraine launches army reform
Friday 1 May 2026 15:30 , James ReynoldsWriting on social media, Volodymyr Zelensky announced that Ukraine is launching a string of reforms in the armed forces.
Details were agreed in April and will be finalised this month. The changes will come into effect in June. He lists three key points:
1. Increased pay ‘on the principle of fairness’
Combat experience and efficacy “must guarantee increased pay”, from at least 30,000 hryvnias (£500) for non-combat positions. Combat positions can expect figures “several times higher”.
2. Special contracts for infantry
Infantrymen on the frontline will benefit from special contracts, with payments in the range of 250,000-400,000 hryvnias (£4,200-£6,700).
3. New approach to staffing units
Contracts will be rethought, ensuring clearly defined service duration terms and phased discharges for those who have already been mobilised.
Zelensky: Allies asked us not to attack Russian oil refinery due to Middle East war
Friday 1 May 2026 15:00 , James ReynoldsRussia unleashes massive drone swarm on Ukraine, air force says
Friday 1 May 2026 14:33 , James ReynoldsUkraine's air force says that Russia launched 409 drones from between 8am and 3.30pm local time on Friday.
Ukraine will seek clarification from Donald Trump's team on details of Russia's short-term ceasefire proposal, President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Thursday.
"We will clarify what exactly this is about – a few hours of security for a parade in Moscow, or something more," he said in a post on X.
Zelensky added that Ukraine's proposal is for a long-term ceasefire, "reliable and guaranteed security for people, and a lasting peace."
Residents warned over air quality and drinking water in Russia's Tuapse
Friday 1 May 2026 14:00 , Joe MiddletonResidents in Tuapse have been advised to stay indoors and avoid drinking tap water following recent drone strikes on the port. Russia’s consumer safety watchdog cited raised benzene levels in the air and urged people to limit time outside and keep windows closed.
Local health authorities said residents should use bottled water as a precaution. Schools have been closed and May holiday events cancelled.
Some residents have questioned official assurances. “How about she comes to visit us and tries our fresh air?” one person wrote online, responding to claims from Rospotrebnadzor head Anna Popova that the situation posed no health risks.
