The national head of Ukraine’s police patrol division, Yevhen Zhukov, has resigned after a video showed officers running away during a shooting in Kyiv.
Six people were killed in the mass shooting while another eight, including a child, were injured, according to Kyiv mayor Vitali Klitschko.
“The police officers acted unprofessionally and disgracefully. As police officers, they should have been helping and rescuing our citizens. But they failed to assess the situation properly and left civilians in danger," Zhukov said.
Meanwhile, Ukraine's defence ministry said it was working to procure 25,000 ground robotic systems to be deployed to the frontline in the first half of this year, its defence ministry said.
“Our goal — 100 per cent of frontline logistics should be performed by robotic systems,” defence minister Mykhailo Fedorov said.
Last week, president Volodymyr Zelensky announced that Ukraine’s army robots were able to recapture land from surrendering Russian forces in a battlefield first.
Captured Polish citizen who fought for Ukraine sentenced to 13 years in Russian prison camp
Russian soldiers in Ukraine turn to witchcraft for protection as belief in the supernatural surges
Zelenskyy to receive international prize honoring his and Ukraine's courage and resilience
Kremlin declares Putin was ‘never friends with Orban’ after historic election defeat
Key Points
- Ukraine patrol police chief resigns after officers flee from shooting spot
- Ukraine to replace soldiers with 25,000 ground robots in bid to save lives
- One dead in 'massive' drone attack on Russia's Tuapse port
- Ukraine attacks Russian oil refineries after Trump removes sanctions on Moscow’s oil
- Hungary's Magyar kicks off early EU talks to unblock funds for Ukraine
Watch: Kyiv attack probed as officers accused of fleeing scene, says Zelenskyy
06:23 , Arpan RaiWatch: Pope Leo calls for 'weapons to fall silent' in Ukraine and commends ceasefire in Lebanon
05:40 , Arpan RaiUkraine to replace soldiers with 25,000 ground robots in bid to save lives
05:24 , Arpan RaiUkrainian military is working to procure 25,000 ground robotic systems to send in the warzone against invading Russian forces in the first half of this year, its defence ministry said.
Defence minister Mykhailo Fedorov said Ukraine will double the total procured robotic systems throughout 2025.
“Our goal — 100 per cent of frontline logistics should be performed by robotic systems,” he said, adding that the expansion follows a meeting with domestic manufacturers of unmanned ground systems, where the ministry outlined its goal of scaling robotic support across the battlefield.
This comes just days after president Volodymyr Zelensky announced that in a rare historic battlefield first, Ukraine’s ground robotic systems of drones and ammunitions were able to recapture land from the Russian forces and saved 22,000 lives in the process.
Ukrainian forces carried out more than 9,000 logistics and evacuation missions using ground robots in March alone, and approximately 21,500 missions during the first quarter of 2026, according to the government.
One dead in 'massive' drone attack on Russia's Tuapse port
05:12 , Arpan RaiOne man has died and another injured in a "massive" Ukrainian drone attack on Russia's Black Sea port of Tuapse, which has been set ablaze, local governor Veniamin Kondratiev said this morning citing preliminary information.
He also said debris from drones damaged several buildings in the city, including a kindergarten, primary school, church and residential apartment block.
Tuapse is one of Russia's major southern ports, serving as an oil product export hub and also handles dry bulk cargo such as coal and fertiliser. It is also home to a major oil refinery of the same name owned by Rosneft, Russia's biggest oil producer.
Ukraine has increasingly attacked the facility in the past week, with the last attack on Thursday, killing two.
Ukraine attacks Russian oil refineries after Trump removes sanctions on Moscow’s oil
05:00 , Arpan RaiUkraine drone strikes targeted industrial areas in Novokuibyshevsk and Syzran in Russia's Samara region, local governor Vyacheslav Fedorishchev said on Saturday.
He did not give further details, but the General Staff of Ukraine's Armed Forces said in a statement that it had hit major oil refineries in both cities.
It also said that its attacks had sparked fires at the Vystosk oil terminal in Russia's northwestern Leningrad region and an oil refinery in the southern Krasnodar region, with the blazes later confirmed by Russian officials.
Ukraine has repeatedly targeted Russian oil facilities in the past, but the strategy has gained more attention since the Trump administration gave Russian oil a temporary waiver from sanctions to ease supply constraints.
The US treasury department extended its pause on sanctions on Russian oil shipments on Friday, despite complaints from Kyiv officials that Russia will use the additional revenue on new weapons to hit Ukraine harder.
The so-called general license means US sanctions will not apply for 30 days on deliveries of Russian oil that has been loaded on tankers as of Friday. It extended a similar 30-day license issued in March for Russian oil that had been loaded by 11 March.
Hungary's Magyar kicks off early EU talks to unblock funds for Ukraine
04:48 , Arpan RaiHungary's incoming prime minister Peter Magyar has announced talks with EU officials in Budapest, saying there is no time to waste in his efforts to unblock funds frozen by the bloc over disputes with his predecessor.
Magyar, whose landslide victory in the 12 April election spelled the end of nationalist prime minister Viktor Orban's 16-year rule, said he would kickstart the discussions by setting out points where he and the EU already agreed.
"I expect a constructive negotiation. It will not be easy because we have very little time," he told a news conference.
He said the chief of staff of European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen would arrive at around 5pm local time as part of a high-level delegation.
“The aim is... to map out before the new government is formed what we agree on and what are the conditions that the next parliament can pass as a law and comply with European conditions," Magyar said.
The clearance of the funds will also pave for a critical loan for Ukraine, earlier blocked by Orban.
Markets have rallied on Magyar's victory with hopes that the EU will unblock billions of euros of funds and help an economy at near-stagnation.
Ukraine patrol police chief resigns after officers flee from shooting spot
04:28 , Arpan RaiYevhen Zhukov, the head of Ukraine's Patrol Police – a division of the national police service whose duty is to patrol the streets – resigned yesterday after social media circulated a video showing patrol officers running away after hearing gunfire, leaving civilians without protection.
At least six people were killed and eight people, including a child, remain hospitalised in Kyiv after being wounded in a shooting, mayor Vitali Klitschko said.
"The police officers acted unprofessionally and disgracefully. As police officers, they should have been helping and rescuing our citizens. But they failed to assess the situation properly and left civilians in danger," online media outlet RBC Ukraine quoted Zhukov as saying.
"As a combat officer, I have decided to submit my resignation from the position I currently hold," Zhukov added.
Earlier yesterday, interior minister Ihor Klymenko said the officers' behaviour was "a disgrace to the entire system". An investigation has been launched and decisions will be made regarding their superiors.
Russia loses more than 1.3 million troops in Ukraine war since invasion, says Kyiv
04:18 , Arpan RaiRussia has lost at least 1,318,220 troops in Ukraine since the invasion in February 2022, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine said over the weekend.
These include 1,070 casualties Russian forces suffered over the past day.
Russia has also lost 11,882 tanks, 24,420 armoured combat vehicles, 90,397 vehicles and fuel tanks, 40,324 artillery systems, 1,748 multiple launch rocket systems, 1,349 air defence systems, 435 aircraft, 350 helicopters, 247,131 drones, 33 ships and boats, and two submarines, the Ukrainian military said in its daily update.
Europe needs defence system against ballistic weapons, says Ukraine
03:57 , Arpan RaiUkraine is holding discussions with several European nations about the creation of a new defence system against ballistic weapons, president Volodymyr Zelensky said.
“I believe, and my idea is that we should have a European anti-ballistic missile defence system. We are in talks with several countries and are working in this direction," Zelensky told the national TV channel, Marathon.
"We need to build our own anti-ballistic missile defence system within a year," he added.
Zelensky said the task is extremely difficult but realistic, and added that he had already discussed it with key European countries, though he did not name them.
Defence against ballistic missiles is one of Ukraine's biggest challenges in the war with Russia, since only certain types of missiles used by the American Patriot system are capable of intercepting Russian ballistic missiles.
Russia uses ballistic missiles to attack Ukraine's energy infrastructure, destroying thermal power generation and electricity transmission systems.
Fire Point, maker of Ukraine's Flamingo cruise missile, told Reuters this month that it was in talks with European companies to launch a new air defence system by next year, creating a low-cost alternative to the increasingly hard-to-get Patriot system.
Patriot missiles are in short supply amid extensive deployment in the Gulf against Iranian attacks. And Europe's only anti-ballistic system, the Italo-French SAMP/T, is produced in relatively small numbers.
Pope Leo decries intensification of Ukraine war
03:00 , Joe MiddletonPope Leo on Sunday decried the intensification of the war in Ukraine, calling “for the weapons to fall silent and for the path of dialogue to be followed”.
The pope made the appeal after a Mass outside Angola's capital Luanda that drew roughly 100,000 people.
The first US pope also praised the ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon, to end fighting between Israeli forces and Iran-backed Hezbollah, as a "reason for hope."
Pro-Russian candidate clear favourite in Bulgarian election
02:00 , Joe MiddletonBulgaria went to the polls on Sunday, with a pro-Russian candidate clearly in the lead on a ticket of stamping out corruption.
Former President Rumen Radev, a eurosceptic former fighter pilot who opposes military support for Ukraine, stepped down from the presidency in January to run in the parliamentary elections, after mass protests forced out the previous government in December.
"We need, finally, a path to democratic, modern European Bulgaria," Radev said after casting his ballot in Sofia, adding that he wants to "develop practical relations with Russia based on mutual respect and equal treatment."
Polls close at 8pm (5pm GMT). Exit polls are expected as the vote closes and preliminary results could come later on Sunday or Monday.
Head of Ukraine's street patrol police resigns over Kyiv shooting
01:00 , Joe MiddletonYevhen Zhukov, the head of Ukraine's Patrol Police, resigned on Sunday after social media circulated a video showing patrol officers running away after hearing gunfire, leaving civilians without protection.
“The police officers acted unprofessionally and disgracefully. As police officers, they should have been helping and rescuing our citizens. But they failed to assess the situation properly and left civilians in danger,” online media outlet RBC Ukraine quoted Zhukov as saying.
“As a combat officer, I have decided to submit my resignation from the position I currently hold,” Zhukov added.
Earlier on Sunday, minister Klymenko said the officers' behaviour was “a disgrace to the entire system”. An investigation has been launched and decisions will be made regarding their superiors.
Head of Ukraine's street patrol police resigns over Kyiv shooting
Sunday 19 April 2026 23:59 , James ReynoldsYevhen Zhukov, the head of Ukraine's Patrol Police, resigned on Sunday after social media circulated a video showing patrol officers running away after hearing gunfire, leaving civilians without protection.
“The police officers acted unprofessionally and disgracefully. As police officers, they should have been helping and rescuing our citizens. But they failed to assess the situation properly and left civilians in danger,” online media outlet RBC Ukraine quoted Zhukov as saying.
“As a combat officer, I have decided to submit my resignation from the position I currently hold,” Zhukov added.
Earlier on Sunday, minister Klymenko said the officers' behaviour was “a disgrace to the entire system”. An investigation has been launched and decisions will be made regarding their superiors.
The latest: Eight remain in hospital after Kyiv shooting
Sunday 19 April 2026 23:00 , James ReynoldsEight people, including one child, remain hospitalised in Kyiv after being wounded in a shooting that killed six people, Mayor Vitali Klitschko said on Sunday.
A Russian-born man opened fire from an automatic rifle on passersby on Saturday before barricading himself in a supermarket with hostages, where he was shot dead by police.
Police stormed the supermarket after unsuccessfully trying to negotiate with the suspect for 40 minutes.
Klitschko said the wounded child, whose parents were killed in the shooting, was in moderate condition, while one of the adults was in critical condition.
In pictures: Police on site following attack in Kyiv
Sunday 19 April 2026 22:00 , James Reynolds
Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov said this week that the time has come for a conversation with the US about how Washington sees future economic ties with Russia.
Speaking at an event in Turkey, Lavrov also said that NATO is "not in the best state", but that Russia would not meddle in the alliance's internal affairs.
Russia has made renewed economic cooperation with the US a core part of its pitch for a diplomatic detente with the administration of US President Donald Trump.
Russia’s veteran foreign minister said that differences remain between the two countries.
Chernobyl's radioactive landscape is testament to nature’s resilience and survival spirit
Sunday 19 April 2026 20:00 , James ReynoldsFour decades after the nuclear disaster at Ukraine’s Chernobyl power plant, wildlife is thriving again in what became the exclusion zone created by the forced mass evacuations of the population:
Russian attacks kill at least 2 as Ukraine strikes a Russian drone factory
Sunday 19 April 2026 19:00 , James ReynoldsRussian strikes killed at least two people in Ukraine, officials said Sunday, as Ukraine's military struck a drone factory in southwestern Russia.
A 16-year-old boy died and four others were injured in a “massive” nighttime drone strike on Chernihiv in northern Ukraine, according to the head of the city's military administration.
Rescuers found the teenager’s body as they cleared away rubble, Dmytro Bryzhynskyi reported on Telegram on Sunday morning. He said the drone strike also injured three women and one man. Several houses were set on fire, he added.
Russian attacks kill at least 2 as Ukraine strikes a Russian drone factory
Pope Leo calls for ‘weapons to fall silent’ in Ukraine
Sunday 19 April 2026 18:00 , James ReynoldsHead of Ukraine's street patrol police resigns over Kyiv shooting
Sunday 19 April 2026 17:27 , James ReynoldsYevhen Zhukov, the head of Ukraine's Patrol Police, resigned on Sunday after social media circulated a video showing patrol officers running away after hearing gunfire, leaving civilians without protection.
“The police officers acted unprofessionally and disgracefully. As police officers, they should have been helping and rescuing our citizens. But they failed to assess the situation properly and left civilians in danger,” online media outlet RBC Ukraine quoted Zhukov as saying.
“As a combat officer, I have decided to submit my resignation from the position I currently hold,” Zhukov added.
Earlier on Sunday, minister Klymenko said the officers' behaviour was “a disgrace to the entire system”. An investigation has been launched and decisions will be made regarding their superiors.
The latest: Eight remain in hospital after Kyiv shooting
Sunday 19 April 2026 17:00 , James ReynoldsEight people, including one child, remain hospitalised in Kyiv after being wounded in a shooting that killed six people, Mayor Vitali Klitschko said on Sunday.
A Russian-born man opened fire from an automatic rifle on passersby on Saturday before barricading himself in a supermarket with hostages, where he was shot dead by police.
Police stormed the supermarket after unsuccessfully trying to negotiate with the suspect for 40 minutes.
Klitschko said the wounded child, whose parents were killed in the shooting, was in moderate condition, while one of the adults was in critical condition.
Watch: Zelensky provides update after Moscow-born gunman kills six in Kyiv supermarket attack
Sunday 19 April 2026 16:00 , James ReynoldsPro-Russian candidate clear favourite in Bulgarian election
Sunday 19 April 2026 15:00 , James ReynoldsBulgaria went to the polls on Sunday, with a pro-Russian candidate clearly in the lead on a ticket of stamping out corruption.
Former President Rumen Radev, a eurosceptic former fighter pilot who opposes military support for Ukraine, stepped down from the presidency in January to run in the parliamentary elections, after mass protests forced out the previous government in December.
"We need, finally, a path to democratic, modern European Bulgaria," Radev said after casting his ballot in Sofia, adding that he wants to "develop practical relations with Russia based on mutual respect and equal treatment."
Polls close at 8pm (5pm GMT). Exit polls are expected as the vote closes and preliminary results could come later on Sunday or Monday.
Fire from Ukrainian drone attack extinguished after three days
Sunday 19 April 2026 14:30 , James ReynoldsA fire at Russia's Black Sea port of Tuapse has been extinguished, local authorities said on Sunday, days after it broke out following a major Ukrainian drone attack on April 16.
Russian soldiers in Ukraine turn to witchcraft for protection as belief in the supernatural surges
Sunday 19 April 2026 14:00 , James ReynoldsSoldiers fighting in Ukraine are increasingly turning to the supernatural, seeking solace and solutions from figures like self-described witch Natalia Malinovskaya.
Amidst the ongoing conflict and economic uncertainty, a growing number of Russians are being drawn to the dark arts.
Operating from her darkened Moscow apartment, Malinovskaya, who claims to have inherited her powers from her grandmother and frequently appears on Russian television, offers a range of services from love spells to protection from evil.
Russian soldiers in Ukraine turn to witchcraft as belief in the supernatural surges
Pope Leo decries intensification of Ukraine war
Sunday 19 April 2026 13:30 , James ReynoldsPope Leo on Sunday decried the intensification of the war in Ukraine, calling “for the weapons to fall silent and for the path of dialogue to be followed”.
The pope made the appeal after a Mass outside Angola's capital Luanda that drew roughly 100,000 people.
The first US pope also praised the ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon, to end fighting between Israeli forces and Iran-backed Hezbollah, as a "reason for hope."
Recap: Nato pledges $60bn in military aid to Ukraine as Zelensky pursues more arms deals
Sunday 19 April 2026 13:00 , James ReynoldsNato allies are looking to provide Ukraine with around $60bn (£44bn) in military and security assistance in 2026, the alliance’s secretary general Mark Rutte said in a meeting of the Ukraine Defence Contact Group in Berlin.
The critical assistance would be delivered in addition to the €90bn (£78.2bn) loan package agreed by the European Union and would focus on priority needs, Rutte said.
“We must focus funding on the priorities – air defence, drones and extended-range ammunition. These are the big priorities,” the Nato official said.
The aid from Nato is timely as Ukraine's president Volodymyr Zelensky said the top diplomatic priority is securing allies' help to buy and build more air defence systems.
Zelensky is also championing joint weapons production agreements, including for drones and missiles, while pushing for the European Union to move quickly on providing the promised loan.
Zelensky issues stark warning Russia will pull Belarus back into Ukraine war
Sunday 19 April 2026 11:33 , James ReynoldsUkrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has issued a stark warning, saying that Kyiv believes Russia is preparing to once again draw its ally Belarus into the ongoing conflict.
Citing an intelligence report from Ukraine's top commander, Oleksandr Syrskyi, Mr Zelensky revealed concerns over "road construction in areas leading to Ukraine and the establishment of artillery positions... in the Belarusian border area".
He added: "We believe that Russia will once again try to involve Belarus in its war."
Read the full story:
Zelensky issues stark warning Russia will pull Belarus back into Ukraine war
Russia loses nearly 1,100 troops in 24 hours
Sunday 19 April 2026 09:16 , James ReynoldsRussia lost nearly 1,100 troops in 24 hours of war, according to Ukraine’s military.
In its latest tally, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported that Russia has lost 1,318,220 troops in Ukraine since the beginning of its full-scale invasion, on 24 February 2022.
That figure includes 1,070 casualties recorded in the last day.
Russian attacks on Ukraine kill one and wound dozens
Sunday 19 April 2026 08:00 , Namita SinghA civilian has been killed and dozens more wounded in overnight Russian attacks across Ukraine, local officials said.
One person was killed in a strike on Mykolaivka in the eastern Donetsk region, local leader Vadym Filashkin said in a post on social media.
Other officials reported at least 26 people had been hurt in attacks across northern and eastern Ukraine, including a strike on port infrastructure in the city of Odesa.
Ukraine's air force said on Saturday that Russia launched 219 drones overnight, of which 190 were shot down.
Meanwhile, a Ukrainian drone strike targeted industrial areas in Novokuibyshevsk and Syzran in Russia's Samara region, governor Vyacheslav Fedorishchev said. Both cities are home to large oil refineries.
Russia's Ministry of Defence said its forces had destroyed 258 Ukrainian drones overnight over 16 Russian regions, as well as over the annexed Ukrainian peninsula of Crimea and the Black and Azov seas.
Ukraine strikes two Russian landing ships and warship
Sunday 19 April 2026 08:00 , Namita SinghUkraine's SBU security service said it also struck two Russian landing ships and a warship based on the peninsula.
According to Ukraine's drone forces commander, Robert Brovdi, a series of recent strikes on Russia's oil logistics at Primorsk, Ust-Luga, Sheskharis and Tuapse reduced total daily oil shipments by about 880,000 barrels. Reuters could not immediately verify the figure.
Separately, authorities in the southern Krasnodar region yesterday said that a fire at an oil depot in Tikhoretsk, and another at an oil terminal at the Black Sea port of Tuapse, which had burned since Thursday, have been extinguished.
Both fires, authorities have said, were caused by Ukrainian drone strikes.
Ukraine strikes Russian refineries, Crimea oil depot, Baltic Sea port
Sunday 19 April 2026 07:20 , Namita SinghUkrainian drones struck a handful of Russia's oil facilities overnight, including two oil refineries in the Samara region, an oil depot in Crimea and a Baltic Sea port that exports petroleum products, Russian local governors and a Ukrainian army official said on Saturday.
Kyiv's troops have in recent weeks stepped up attacks on Russian oil depots and refineries - key sources of revenue for Moscow's war budget - sometimes targeting sites thousands of kilometres from Ukraine's borders.
In the Leningrad region, which surrounds St Petersburg and borders Finland, governor Alexander Drozdenko said a fire had been extinguished at the Vysotsk port, which houses a terminal operated by Lukoil handling exports of fuel oil, naphtha, diesel and vacuum gas oil.
In a statement on the Telegram messaging app acknowledging the port attack, Ukraine's drone forces commander, Robert Brovdi, said Ukrainian forces also attacked oil refineries in the cities of Novokuibyshevsk and Syzran in the Samara region. Both sites have been repeatedly struck in the course of Russia's war in Ukraine.
"Make Russian Oil Great Again," he wrote sarcastically.
Brovdi also criticised the US decision to renew a waiver allowing countries to buy sanctioned Russian oil at sea.
Vyacheslav Fedorishchev, the Samara regional governor, said industrial targets came under attack. He did not name the facilities.
On the Russian-occupied Crimean peninsula, the Moscow-backed governor of Sevastopol said that 22 drones had been downed, with incidents of damage across the city, including a fire at a fuel tank. Ukraine's Brovdi said Kyiv had targeted an oil depot.
Mass shooting suspect kept to himself
Sunday 19 April 2026 06:00 , Namita SinghA woman who identified herself as Hanna said the suspect was a neighbour who steered clear of other residents.
"He didn’t want to communicate with anyone," she told Reuters.
"When I sat outside on the street - he knew me by my face - he would greet me briefly and hurry off to run his errands. He wasn't close with his neighbours or anyone else."
Interior minister Ihor Klymenko said police stormed the supermarket after unsuccessfully trying to negotiate with the suspect for 40 minutes.
He said the man, who owned a registered weapon and secured a medical certificate to use it, moved down the street and fired at people without warning before entering the supermarket.
"He was simply shooting people at close range. He approached and shot them," Klymenko said.
"So people had very little chance of survival."Prosecutor General Ruslan Kravchenko said the shooter had been identified as a native of Moscow, born in 1958, and was brandishing an automatic weapon.
He posted a photo showing a blurred prone figure covered in blood inside a store, with a weapon lying nearby.
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky said the suspect had a criminal record and had set fire to the apartment where he was registered before going into the street with the gun.
The president said he had lived for some time in the eastern Donetsk region, one of the focal points of the four-year war with Russia.
"Everything that can be known about him and why he did this is being clarified. Every detail needs to be checked," Mr Zelensky said. "The investigators have several versions. All his electronic devices, phone, all contacts will be checked."
Six killed in Kyiv shooting, police shoot suspect dead
Sunday 19 April 2026 05:14 , Namita SinghSix people were killed when a Russian-born man opened fire on passersby in a Kyiv district on Saturday before barricading himself in a supermarket with hostages, where he was shot dead by police, authorities said.
Ukraine's Security Service said the shooting was being investigated as a terrorist act, but offered no motive.
President Volodymyr Zelensky, speaking in his nightly video address, said the shooting happened in the leafy Holosiivskyi district, injuring 14 people.
"He took hostages and unfortunately, one of them was killed," Zelensky said.
"Four people died simply on the street. One woman died in hospital after being seriously wounded."One of the wounded was a 12-year-old boy whose parents were also killed, Prosecutor General Ruslan Kravchenko said.
Reuters video footage showed emergency crews loading bodies into vehicles.
Shootings of this nature are extremely rare in Ukraine, whose cities face regular Russian airstrikes.
"I was shocked when I saw photographs of the people who had been killed," Lesia Rybzha, 45, said.
"I still can’t understand why, on top of (Russians) killing us with airstrikes, people are being killed on the streets as well."
Full story: Russian billionaire bemoans Ukrainian drone attacks disrupting key industry
Sunday 19 April 2026 03:00 , Dan Haygarth
Russian billionaire bemoans drone attacks disrupting key industry
Recap: Russian attacks on Ukraine overnight into Saturday kill one and wound dozens
Sunday 19 April 2026 02:00 , Daniel HaygarthA civilian was killed and dozens more wounded in overnight Russian attacks across Ukraine, local officials said on Saturday, as reported by the Associated Press.
One person was killed in a strike on Mykolaivka in Ukraine's eastern Donetsk region, local leader Vadym Filashkin said in a post on social media.
Other officials reported at least 26 people had been hurt in attacks across northern and eastern Ukraine, including a strike on port infrastructure in the city of Odesa. Ukraine's air force said Saturday that Russia launched 219 drones overnight, of which 190 were shot down.
Meanwhile, a Ukrainian drone strike targeted industrial areas in Novokuibyshevsk and Syzran in Russia's Samara region, Gov. Vyacheslav Fedorishchev said. Both cities are home to large oil refineries.
Russia's Ministry of Defence said that its forces had destroyed 258 Ukrainian drones overnight over 16 Russian regions, as well as over the annexed Ukrainian peninsula of Crimea and the Black and Azov seas.
Full story: Zelensky issues stark warning Russia will pull Belarus back into Ukraine war
Sunday 19 April 2026 00:30 , Dan HaygarthZelensky issues stark warning Russia will pull Belarus back into Ukraine war
Full story: Russia recruits reservists to protect key oil sites against drones
Saturday 18 April 2026 23:00 , Daniel Haygarth
Russia recruits reservists to protect key oil sites against drones
Recap: Ukraine strikes Russian refineries, Crimea oil depot, Baltic Sea port
Saturday 18 April 2026 21:30 , Dan HaygarthUkrainian drones struck a handful of Russia's oil facilities overnight, including two oil refineries in the Samara region, an oil depot in Crimea and a Baltic Sea port that exports petroleum products, Russian local governors and a Ukrainian army official said on Saturday.
Kyiv's troops have in recent weeks stepped up attacks on Russian oil depots and refineries - key sources of revenue for Moscow's war budget - sometimes targeting sites thousands of kilometres from Ukraine's borders.
In the Leningrad region, which surrounds St Petersburg and borders Finland, Governor Alexander Drozdenko said a fire had been extinguished at the Vysotsk port, which houses a terminal operated by Lukoil handling exports of fuel oil, naphtha, diesel and vacuum gas oil.
In a statement on the Telegram messaging app acknowledging the port attack, Ukraine's drone forces commander, Robert Brovdi, said Ukrainian forces also attacked oil refineries in the cities of Novokuibyshevsk and Syzran in the Samara region. Both sites have been repeatedly struck in the course of Russia's war in Ukraine.
"Make Russian Oil Great Again," he wrote sarcastically.
Brovdi also criticised the US decision to renew a waiver allowing countries to buy sanctioned Russian oil at sea.
Vyacheslav Fedorishchev, the Samara regional governor, said industrial targets came under attack. He did not name the facilities.
How Hungary’s new leader is turning into a bigger friend to Putin than anybody had thought
Saturday 18 April 2026 20:00 , Dan HaygarthVictor Orban’s fall has been hailed as a shift away from Moscow, yet new prime minister Peter Magyar’s stance on energy and Ukraine suggests a more subtle alignment that could fill the Kremlin’s coffers, writes Owen Matthews. Read below.
How Hungary’s new leader is turning into a bigger friend to Putin than anyone thought
Recap: Zelensky calls for dangers in Hormuz to be removed
Saturday 18 April 2026 18:30 , Dan HaygarthWe all need to work together to remove the dangers in Hormuz in a way that helps protect freedom of navigation everywhere in the world. The decisions made now on Hormuz will shape what other troublemakers might think about causing problems – in other straits and on other fronts. pic.twitter.com/05Z46UUgiv
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) April 17, 2026
Five killed in Kyiv shooting, says Zelensky
Saturday 18 April 2026 17:09 , James ReynoldsUkrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Saturday that five people were killed when a gunman opened fire in a Kyiv district.
Zelensky, in a post on Telegram quoting Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko, said 10 people were being treated in hospital.
Four people taken hostage by the suspect were rescued.
Ukraine increasingly targeting Russian oil
Saturday 18 April 2026 17:00 , Dan HaygarthUkraine has repeatedly targeted Russian oil facilities in the past, but the strategy has gained more attention since the Trump administration gave Russian oil a temporary waiver from sanctions to ease supply constraints.
The US Treasury Department extended its pause on sanctions on Russian oil shipments on Friday, despite complaints from Kyiv officials that Russia will use the additional revenue on new weapons to hit Ukraine harder.
The so-called general license means U.S. sanctions will not apply for 30 days on deliveries of Russian oil that has been loaded on tankers as of Friday. It extended a similar 30-day license issued in March for Russian oil that had been loaded by 11 March.
Ukraine seeks to strengthen air defences
Saturday 18 April 2026 15:35 , Dan HaygarthStrengthening Ukraine's air defences has been a key priority for Kyiv since the start of Russia's invasion of Ukraine more than four years ago, resurfacing again on the global stage as US-led peace talks have ground to a halt.
In the worst aerial attack in weeks, Russia hammered civilian areas across Ukraine on Thursday, killing at least 16 people and wounding more than 100 others, Ukrainian authorities said.
Ukraine has developed a significant domestic arms industry, especially in the production of drones and missiles, but cannot yet match the sophistication of U.S. Patriot air defense systems.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy traveled to Germany, Norway and Italy earlier this week to discuss the issue, while Andrii Sybiha said Saturday that he had discussed "steps to enhance protection" with the deputy secretarygGeneral of NATO, Radmila Shekerinska, at the Antalya Diplomatic Forum.
"Amid intensified Russian air terror, our priority number one is to strengthen our air defense," he said.
US extends waiver allowing countries to buy Russian oil
Saturday 18 April 2026 11:30 , Namita SinghUS president Donald Trump's administration on Friday issued a waiver allowing countries to buy sanctioned Russian oil and petroleum products at sea for about a month, seeking to control global energy prices that have shot higher during the US-Israeli war on Iran.
The US Treasury Department allowed purchases of the oil loaded on vessels as of Friday through 16 May, an extension of an original 30-day waiver that expired on 11 April, according to a document posted to the department's website.
The extension comes two days after Treasury Secretary, Scott Bessent, said Washington will not be renewing the waiver that allowed countries to purchase Russian oil without facing US sanctions.
Russia's presidential envoy Kirill Dmitriev had said the first waiver would free 100 million barrels of Russian crude, equal to almost a day's worth of global output.
Though the reprieve on sanctions could temporarily boost world supplies of oil, it has not prevented petroleum prices from spiking due to the partial closure of the Strait of Hormuz, through which about 20 per cent of the world's oil and gas was shipped daily before the war.
The waivers could complicate the West's efforts to deprive Russia of revenue for its war in Ukraine and put Washington at odds with its allies. European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen, for instance, has said it is not the time to relax sanctions against Russia.
Russia hits port, power facility in Ukraine overnight
Saturday 18 April 2026 10:30 , Namita SinghRussian attacks overnight damaged port infrastructure in Ukraine's southern Odesa region and caused blackouts for 380,000 consumers in the country's north, officials said.
Drones damaged agricultural warehouses, depots and administrative buildings, Oleh Kiper, the Odesa regional governor, said on the Telegram app.
There were no casualties, he added.Russian forces also targeted an energy facility in the Chernihiv region in Ukraine's north, the regional power distribution operator said on Telegram.
According to Ukraine's air force, Russia launched 219 long-range drones overnight.
Ukraine strikes industrial targets in Volga river towns, Samara governor says
Saturday 18 April 2026 09:30 , Namita SinghUkrainian drones struck industrial targets overnight in the Volga river cities of Syzran and Novokuibyshevsk in Russia's Samara region, local governor Vyacheslav Fedorischev said this morning, adding that the attack was continuing.
He did not name the facilities struck, but both cities host oil refineries that have been repeatedly struck in the course of the war in Ukraine.
Ukraine's Zelensky calls for joint efforts to set up Hormuz mission
Saturday 18 April 2026 08:30 , Namita SinghUkrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky called on Friday for joint efforts for an effective mission to ensure freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz and said Kyiv's wartime experience in the Black Sea could help.
"Decisions made regarding Hormuz now will determine how other aggressive actors perceive the possibility of creating problems in other straits and on other fronts," Zelensky said in remarks to a video conference attended by 50 countries and chaired by France and Britain.
"We need to be as specific and clear as possible so that in six months we don't find ourselves in the same situation as in Gaza, where much still needs to be done."
"In Hormuz, there are security challenges that cannot be addressed by political decisions alone," he added, without elaborating.
Zelensky, whose remarks appeared on the Telegram messaging app, said that in the course of four years of war with Russia, Ukraine had "already carried out a very similar mission in the Black Sea".
"Russia also attempted to blockade our sea and we have experience in escorting merchant vessels, demining, defending against air attacks and the overall coordination of such operations," he said.
Ukraine, he said, had sent specialists throughout the Middle East to help countries benefit from its experience in defending against Russian drones, many designed in Iran."We can also contribute to maritime security," he said.
Ukraine has clinched security cooperation agreements with Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates and says it is In talks with Oman, Kuwait and Bahrain.
Serbia's Russian-owned NIS oil company secures another US sanctions waiver
Saturday 18 April 2026 07:30 , Namita SinghSerbia's Russian-owned NIS oil company has secured a 60-day sanctions waiver from the United States, energy minister Dubravka Djedovic Handanovic said late evening, yesterday.
The waiver granted by the US Office of Foreign Assets Control (Ofac) will allow NIS, which operates Serbia's only oil refinery, to continue importing crude oil until the sale of the Russian majority stake to Hungary's MOL.
The previous one-month waiver expired on Friday.OFAC imposed sanctions on NIS last October as part of wider measures targeting Russia's energy sector over the war in Ukraine, and demanded divestment of Gazprom Neft and Gazprom, its Russian majority owners.
Djedovic Handanovic called it a sign of progress in the negotiations on the change of ownership between the Hungarian MOL and the Russian Gazprom Neft.
On 19 January, MOL signed an agreement to buy a combined Gazprom Neft and Gazprom 56 per cent stake in NIS.
OFAC gave companies until 22 May to complete the sale.
Serbia also wants to increase its stake in NIS by an additional five per cent.
"The top MOL management will be in Belgrade on Saturday, and the operational teams will be in Belgrade from Tuesday to discuss all the details (of the deal)," Djedovic Handanovic said.
Gazprom holds an 11.3 per cent stake in NIS, while its sanctioned oil unit Gazprom Neft owns 44.9 per cent. The Serbian government owns 29.9 per cent, with the remainder held by small shareholders and employees.
Russia will try to again involve Belarus in the war, says Zelensky
Saturday 18 April 2026 06:30 , Namita SinghPresident Volodymyr Zelensky yesterday said that Ukraine believed Russia was making preparations that showed that it would once again try to involve its ally Belarus in the four-year-old war pitting Kyiv against Moscow.
Mr Zelensky made his remarks, posted on the Telegram messaging app, in response to what he said was an intelligence report issued by Ukraine's top commander, Oleksandr Syrskyi.
"According to intelligence, road construction in areas leading to Ukraine and the establishment of artillery positions are going on in the Belarusian border area," Mr Zelensky wrote.
"We believe that Russia will once again try to involve Belarus in its war."Mr Zelensky said Ukraine had issued instructions to warn the Belarusian leadership of "Ukraine's readiness to defend its land and independence".
He also said intelligence showed that Russia was "attempting ... to carry out a regrouping of forces – most likely to compensate for a shortage of personnel."
"In this regard, it becomes more evident why the armed forces increased their activity on the territory of Belarus." He did not provide further evidence.
Belarusian president Alexander Lukashenko, one of Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin's closest allies, allowed his territory to be used for part of Russia's February 2022 invasion of its smaller neighbour.
Fire breaks out at oil terminal in southern Russia's Krasnodar region, officials say
Saturday 18 April 2026 05:30 , Namita SinghA fire broke out at an oil terminal in southern Russia's Krasnodar region, prompting a large firefighting operation, the region's emergency operational headquarters said earlier this morning.
No casualties were reported and there was no indication as to what may have caused the fire.
The emergency headquarters, writing on Telegram, said 224 firefighters and 56 vehicles were battling the blaze at the terminal in Tikhoretsk, northeast of the region's main town, Krasnodar.
Crews from Russia's emergencies ministry were also taking part.
Ukraine's top commander, Oleksandr Syskyi, said this week that Ukrainian forces were seeking to reduce Russia's offensive capabilities by keeping up a high pace of strikes on military, defence-industrial and other facilities
.In March, Ukraine struck 76 such targets including 15 facilities in the oil-refining industry, he said.
US renews Russian oil waiver after pressure from countries dealing with Iran war price shocks
Saturday 18 April 2026 04:21 , Namita SinghThe Trump administration on Friday renewed a waiver allowing countries to buy sanctioned Russian oil at sea for about a month, even as lawmakers accused the government of going easy on Moscow as its war on Ukraine grinds on.
The Treasury Department's waiver lets countries purchase Russian oil and petroleum products loaded on vessels as of Friday through 16 May.
It replaces a 30-day waiver that expired on 11 April and excludes transactions involving Iran, Cuba and North Korea.
The move is part of the administration's effort to control global energy prices that have shot higher during the US-Israeli war on Iran.
It came after countries in Asia, suffering from the global energy shock, pressed Washington to allow alternative supplies to reach markets.
In pictures: Kyiv reels from Russian missile attacks
Saturday 18 April 2026 03:00 , James Reynolds
Russian soldiers in Ukraine turn to witchcraft for protection
Saturday 18 April 2026 02:00 , James ReynoldsSoldiers fighting in Ukraine are increasingly turning to the supernatural, seeking solace and solutions from figures like self-described witch Natalia Malinovskaya.
Operating from her darkened Moscow apartment, Malinovskaya, who claims to have inherited her powers from her grandmother and frequently appears on Russian television, offers a range of services from love spells to protection from evil.
Demonstrating her method of detecting negative energy by wafting a lit match over a glass, she notes that most clients seek help for relationship problems, including soldiers worried about their partners' faithfulness.
Recap: Russian troops surrender after Ukrainian operation with only drones and robots
Saturday 18 April 2026 01:00 , James ReynoldsRead the full story of how Ukraine retook occupied land with only machines here.
Ukraine believes Russia will try again to involve Belarus in the war
Saturday 18 April 2026 00:01 , James ReynoldsUkraine’s Zelensky said on Friday that Ukraine believes Russia is making preparations to involve its ally Belarus in the war.
"According to intelligence, road construction in areas leading to Ukraine and the establishment of artillery positions are going on in the Belarusian border area," Zelensky wrote on Telegram, referring to a report from Ukraine's top commander.
"We believe that Russia will once again try to involve Belarus in its war."
Zelensky said Ukraine had issued instructions to warn the Belarusian leadership of "Ukraine's readiness to defend its land and independence".
Zelensky offers Ukraine's support in joint mission to Strait of Hormuz
Friday 17 April 2026 23:00 , James ReynoldsVolodymyr Zelensky on Friday called for joint efforts to ensure freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz - and said Kyiv's wartime experience in the Black Sea could help.
The Ukrainian president told a video conference attended by 50 countries and chaired by France and Britain that in the course of four years of war with Russia, Ukraine had "already carried out a very similar mission in the Black Sea".
"In Hormuz, there are security challenges that cannot be addressed by political decisions alone," he added, without elaborating.
Positioning Ukraine to assist in a maritime security mission, he also made the case that Kyiv had also sent specialists throughout the Middle East to help countries benefit from its experience in defending against Russian drones, many designed in Iran.
Slovakia to file lawsuit over EU's Russian gas ban, PM says
Friday 17 April 2026 22:00 , Maira ButtSlovakia will file a lawsuit in the coming days challenging the European Union's decision to ban Russian gas imports, adopted by a qualified majority, and will seek a preliminary injunction, Prime Minister Robert Fico said on Friday.
The suit will be filed with the EU's Court of Justice, Fico said, criticising the way the regulation was adopted.
The ban on Russian gas imports, to be implemented by late 2027, was cleared by a reinforced majority of countries, allowing the EU to overcome opposition from Slovakia and Hungary when it approved the measure earlier this year.
"According to the Slovak government, this is a clear violation of all the principles on which the EU treaties are based," Fico said, adding that decisions on sanctions and foreign policy issues should be taken unanimously.
Hungary has already filed a lawsuit against the ban, and Slovakia had previously said it would do the same. Fico said the government would submit its lawsuit by an April 27 deadline.
Both countries have maintained Russian gas supplies despite EU efforts to end the bloc's reliance on Russian energy and cut funding for Moscow's war with Ukraine.
Russia recruits reservists to protect key oil sites against drones
Friday 17 April 2026 21:00 , Maira ButtRussia's Leningrad region is set to recruit reservists to form new units dedicated to protecting key infrastructure, including the crucial Baltic Sea oil ports of Ust-Luga and Primorsk, from drone attacks.
The decision comes as intensifying drone assaults, attributed to Ukraine, have recently disrupted vital oil exports, a significant revenue stream for Russia.
Governor Alexander Drozdenko confirmed the new units would be deployed to the "premises of enterprises and critically important infrastructure," though his statement notably omitted any direct mention of Ukraine.
He further stated on his Telegram account that a meeting of federal and security agencies had "decided that protection of the sky over the Leningrad Region against drone attacks must be strengthened and reinforced."
Russia recruits reservists to protect key oil sites against drones
How the UK faces ‘direct attack’ from Russia after Moscow’s warning
Friday 17 April 2026 20:00 , Maira ButtA former British army officer and government counterterrorism adviser has warned that the UK is likely to face a Russian attack.
The warning follows the Kremlin's statement that British drone firms assisting Ukraine's war efforts are considered 'potential targets'.
Colonel Richard Kemp told The Mirror that the UK is 'seen as vulnerable' and should expect deniable sabotage operations from Russia.
Dmitry Medvedev, Russia's former president and head of its security council, explicitly stated that a list of European facilities involved in Ukrainian drone production are 'potential targets' for Russian armed forces.
This development occurs as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky labelled Vladimir Putin a 'truly global threat' following a deadly Russian air bombardment in Ukraine.
In pictures: Aftermath of Russian missile and drone strikes
Friday 17 April 2026 19:00 , Maira Butt
Watch: Zelenskyy says Putin ‘a global threat’ seeking control over neighbours
Friday 17 April 2026 18:00 , Maira ButtSlovakia to file lawsuit over EU's Russian gas ban, PM says
Friday 17 April 2026 17:00 , Maira ButtSlovakia will file a lawsuit in the coming days challenging the European Union's decision to ban Russian gas imports, adopted by a qualified majority, and will seek a preliminary injunction, Prime Minister Robert Fico said on Friday.
The suit will be filed with the EU's Court of Justice, Fico said, criticising the way the regulation was adopted.
The ban on Russian gas imports, to be implemented by late 2027, was cleared by a reinforced majority of countries, allowing the EU to overcome opposition from Slovakia and Hungary when it approved the measure earlier this year.
"According to the Slovak government, this is a clear violation of all the principles on which the EU treaties are based," Fico said, adding that decisions on sanctions and foreign policy issues should be taken unanimously.
Hungary has already filed a lawsuit against the ban, and Slovakia had previously said it would do the same. Fico said the government would submit its lawsuit by an April 27 deadline.
Both countries have maintained Russian gas supplies despite EU efforts to end the bloc's reliance on Russian energy and cut funding for Moscow's war with Ukraine.
Russian billionaire bemoans Ukrainian drone attacks disrupting key industry
Friday 17 April 2026 17:00 , Maira ButtUkrainian drone attacks are having a "significant" impact on Russia's vital nitrogen fertiliser industry, according to billionaire Andrei Melnichenko, founder of fertiliser producer EuroChem.
These strikes are exacerbating global food security concerns, already heightened by shortages and rising prices.
Russia accounts for approximately one-fifth of the global fertiliser trade, but its ability to ramp up output is constrained. Existing limitations, including restricted capacity and domestic export caps, are now compounded by the recent drone assaults on key production facilities.
Russian billionaire bemoans drone attacks disrupting key industry
Romanian defence ministry says radars caught Russian drone breaching air space
Friday 17 April 2026 16:00 , Maira ButtRomanian radar systems caught a drone breaching its national airspace during a Russian overnight attack on neighbouring Ukraine before losing contact southeast of the border village of Chilia Veche, the defence ministry said on Friday.
Romania, an EU and Nato state, shares a 650km (400-mile) land border with Ukraine and has had drones breach its airspace and fragments fall onto its territory repeatedly since Russia began attacking Ukrainian ports across the Danube river from the country.
Eyewitness describes deadliest Russian attack in months
Friday 17 April 2026 15:30 , Maira ButtAs Russia struck Ukraine with hundreds of drones and multiple missiles, one Kyiv resident has described how she was forced to flee with her dog.
Tetiana Sokol, 54, said she witnessed two missiles hit near her home.
She said she took cover with her dog in the hallway as flashes lit up the night and windows shattered from the blast wave."On the third attack, everything broke, everything flew, we were shocked, we didn't know where to run. I grabbed whatever came to hand and ran away with the dog," she told The Associated Press.
Thursday's strikes killed four people in Kyiv, including a 12-year-old, with more than 50 others injured, authorities said.
Attacks killed nine people in the southern port city of Odesa and four in the central Dnipro region.
The central city of Cherkasy declared a day of mourning on Thursday for the funeral of eight-year-old Bohdan Serhiiev, killed in a Russian drone strike earlier this week.
Mourners left flowers and stuffed toys next to the open casket before the burial, while friends and classmates held white balloons and a sign reading "Eternal Memory."
"He was such a happy kid. He was always running around and he loved me so much," Bohdan's 15-year-old brother Denys Zhuk told the AP.
"We played together, went to soccer l together. I love my younger brother so much. I just wish he was here with me."
"He was such a happy kid. He was always running around and he loved me so much," Bohdan's 15-year-old brother Denys Zhuk, told the AP. "We played together, went to soccer l together. I love my younger brother so much. I just wish he was here with me."
Zelensky to join Hormuz mission talks on Friday
Friday 17 April 2026 15:00 , Maira ButtUkraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky said he will join Friday's leaders meeting co-chaired by France and Britain to discuss restoring shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.
In his daily address, he warned again that the war in Iran puts air defence weapons supply to Ukraine at risk.
Watch: Putin ‘rightly compared to Nazis’ over expansionist aims, says Zelensky
Friday 17 April 2026 14:30 , Maira ButtCaptured Polish citizen who fought for Ukraine sentenced to 13 years in Russian prison camp
Friday 17 April 2026 14:00 , Maira ButtA Polish national has been sentenced to 13 years in a maximum-security penal colony by a court in Russian-controlled Luhansk for allegedly fighting for Ukraine.
The Russian Prosecutor General's Office announced on Thursday that Krzysztof Flaczek, 47, arrived in Ukraine in September 2024, underwent training, and began combat operations. Russia claims he received financial compensation and was detained by their forces in November 2024.
Prosecutors stated: "Taking into account the position of the state prosecutor, the court sentenced the militant to 13 years of imprisonment to be served in a maximum-security penal colony."
Polish citizen who fought for Ukraine sentenced to 13 years in Russian prison camp
