The Russian military has published a list of sites in Europe and the UK it could attack for helping to manufacture drones for Ukraine.
Russia’s former president and head of the country’s security council, Dmitry Medvedev, issued a warning to the UK and Europe on Thursday after the military published a list of 23 sites across several European countries that are “allegedly either subsidiaries of Ukrainian drone producers or sites where components are made”.
“[The] Russian defence ministry’s statement must be taken literally: the list of European facilities which make drones and other equipment is a list of potential targets for the Russian armed forces,” he wrote in a post on X.
“When strikes become a reality depends on what comes next. Sleep well, European partners!”
Three of the addresses are in London, Leicester and Suffolk. Also on the list were a number of factories in Germany, Denmark, Latvia, Lithuania, Netherlands and Poland.
It comes as Volodymyr Zelensky called Vladimir Putin a “truly global threat” after the deadliest Russian air bombardment this year killed at least 18 people across Ukraine.
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
- Deadliest Russian aerial attack in months kills 18 in Ukraine
- Ukrainian PM says she feels optimistic of US support after visit
- Russia should not be the winner of the Iran war, German minister tells US
- EU set to release €2.5–2.7bn to Ukraine after reforms
- Ukrainian drone attack kills 2 including 14-year-old, Russia says
Slovakia to file lawsuit over EU's Russian gas ban, PM says
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
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
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
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
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
14:30 , Maira ButtCaptured Polish citizen who fought for Ukraine sentenced to 13 years in Russian prison camp
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
Ukrainian drone attacks are having significant impact on Russian fertilizer industry, Eurochem founder says
13:30 , Maira ButtUkrainian drone attacks in recent months are having a significant impact on the Russian fertilizer industry, billionaire Andrei Melnichenko, founder of fertiliser producer EuroChem, told reporters on Friday.
“On our (enterprises) significantly enough,” Melnichenko said when asked whether the attacks are having an impact.
In pictures: Sweden's King Carl XVI Gustaf meets Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky
13:03 , Maira Butt
Kremlin warns European drone supplies to Ukraine dragging Europe into war with Russia
12:35 , Maira ButtAfter threats by deputy head of Russia’s security council and former president Dmitry Medvedev yesterday that European drone facilities are legitimate targets for a Russian attack, the Kremlin has doubled down and warned that European support for Ukraine is dragging the continent into a confrontation with Russia.
“The involvement of these countries in the war is growing,” the Kremlin said on Friday, according to Reuters.
Russian soldiers in Ukraine turn to witchcraft for protection as belief in the supernatural surges
12:15 , Shweta SharmaSoldiers 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
Czechs summon Russian ambassador over threats against companies
11:45 , Shweta SharmaThe Czech foreign ministry said on Thursday it had summoned the Russian ambassador over threats against Czech companies.
The ministry said the move was prompted by a Russian defence ministry report and comments by former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, who is now deputy chair of Russia's Security Council.
"The statements were directed against several Czech companies that were identified as possible targets of Russian attacks," the ministry said.
Russia's defence ministry warned on Wednesday that plans by some European countries to step up drone supplies to Ukraine were dragging those countries deeper into a war with Russia. It published a list of factories and enterprises in European countries that it alleged produce drones or drone components.
Medvedev said in a subsequent post on X that the list published by the military amounted to potential targets for Russia's armed forces.
"When strikes become a reality depends on what comes next. Sleep well, European partners!" he said.
Kremlin declares Putin was ‘never friends with Orban’ after historic election defeat
11:15 , Shweta SharmaThe Kremlin has declared that it was “never friends” with outgoing Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orban, as it braces for a new era of relations with Budapest following his landslide loss to a pro-EU candidate.
Mr Orban, who enjoyed warm relations with Russian president Vladimir Putin and was a persistent thorn in Ukraine’s side as it sought financial backing for its war effort from a divided Europe, was swept aside by Peter Magyar and his centre-right Tisza party.
Kremlin declares Putin was ‘never friends with Orban’ after historic election defeat
UK ‘likely to come under direct attack’ after Moscow warns it will target British companies
10:25 , Maira ButtA former British army office and government counterterrorism adviser has warned that the UK is likely to face a Russian attack after the Kremlin warned that British drone firms helping Ukraine’s war efforts are “potential targets”.
Colonel Richard Kemp told The Mirror that UK is “seen as vulnerable” and that the threat of attack should be taken “extremely seriously”.
“We should expect sabotage attacks launched by Russia but in such a way that they are deniable operations,” he said.
Russia’s former president and head of the country’s security council, Dmitry Medvedev, issued a warning to the UK and Europe on Thursday after the military published a list of 23 sites across several European countries that are “allegedly either subsidiaries of Ukrainian drone producers or sites where components are made”
“[The] Russian defence ministry’s statement must be taken literally: the list of European facilities which make drones and other equipment is a list of potential targets for the Russian armed forces,” he wrote in a post on X.
“When strikes become a reality depends on what comes next. Sleep well, European partners!”
‘Putin ally’ Medvedchuk’s seized superyacht Royal Romance set for $200m sale
09:40 , Shweta SharmaA 303-foot superyacht linked to pro-Kremlin Ukrainian politician Viktor Medvedchuk – often dubbed “Putin’s man in Ukraine” – is being prepared for sale at around $200m.
Ukraine’s asset recovery agency (ARMA) said it has moved to the final stage of preparing the sale of Royal Romance after completing pre-trial investigations, with a court set to decide the vessel’s fate.
Built in 2015 by Dutch shipyard Feadship, the yacht boasts luxury features including a swimming pool with a waterfall, cinema and gym, and can host 14 guests with a crew of 21.
The case forms part of wider efforts to seize high-value assets linked to figures accused of ties to Vladimir Putin following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Medvedchuk, who faces charges including treason, was sent to Russia in a prisoner exchange in September 2022.
Russia carried out over 600 attacks on Ukraine's railway so far this year, Kyiv says
09:00 , Shweta SharmaRussian forces attacked Ukraine's railway logistics more than 600 times since the start of the year, including 65 attacks so far this month, deputy prime minister Oleksiy Kuleba said in televised comments on Thursday.
Russian attacks on Ukraine’s railways have intensified, with a growing shift from infrastructure to moving targets, including passenger trains, increasing risks to civilians.
According to Ukrzaliznytsia, Ukraine's national train operator, attacks rose from 134 in January to 166 in February, peaking at 206 in March.
Nato will not collapse and US will defend its allies, Estonian minister says
08:15 , Shweta SharmaNato member Estonia has no doubt that the United States would help defend it if Russia attacks, its defence minister told Reuters, while warning that Europe is not ready to stand up to Moscow on its own.
Estonian intelligence warned in February its neighbour Russia is already stockpiling ammunition for future wars after the conflict in Ukraine ends. Russia has described allegations by European leaders that it could attack Nato as nonsense.
US president Donald Trump this month threatened to pull the US out of the alliance over European members' refusal to send ships to unblock the Strait of Hormuz near Iran. The alliance was already rattled by his plans to take over Greenland from Denmark, a Nato ally.
But Hanno Pevkur, defence minister of Estonia, told Reuters he was in no doubt that the US would come to its defence if Russia attacks.
"Yes I trust the U.S. and yes I trust all our allies," he said during a visit to the Lithuanian capital Vilnius on Thursday.
He said the US needs Europe for its military as much as Europe needs the US, so "I don't believe that Nato will collapse".
He compared Nato’s current strains to a long marriage: "There are no 50 years of purely smooth sailing. You have differences and problems, and you need to work through them."
But the minister said Europe is not ready to stand up militarily on its own now.
"Are we there where we want to be? No", he said. "All of us (in Nato) need to invest more into defence".
Russian drones damage port infrastructure facilities in Ukraine's Odesa region, governor says
07:30 , Shweta SharmaA Russian drone attack overnight damaged port, transport and residential infrastructure facilities in Ukraine's Odesa region, the regional governor said on Friday.
Oleh Kiper, writing on Telegram, said the attack caused fires at several sites and damage to administrative buildings, equipment and containers.
At least six private residential buildings had been struck, he said, adding that no one was injured in the attack.
Eyewitness describes deadliest Russian attack in months
07:00 , Shweta SharmaAs 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."
Romanian defence ministry says radars caught Russian drone breaching air space
06:30 , Shweta SharmaRomanian 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.
Russia sentences Pole who fought for Ukraine to 13 years in prison camp
06:15 , Shweta SharmaA court in Russian-controlled Luhansk sentenced a Polish citizen to 13 years in a maximum-security penal colony for participating in armed conflict on the side of Ukraine, the Russian Prosecutor General's Office said on Thursday.
The 47-year-old Pole, Krzysztof Flaczek, arrived in September 2024 in Ukraine, where he began participating in combat operations after receiving training, it said.
Russia said he received financial compensation for fighting for Ukraine. He was detained by the Russians in November 2024.
"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," prosecutors said.
Flaczek had been tried by a court in Russian-controlled Luhansk, one of four Ukrainian regions which Moscow claimed as its own in 2022 in a move Kyiv and the West rejected as an illegal land grab.
Russian courts have sentenced several western Europeans for fighting for Ukraine, including two Britons.
Ukrainian PM says she feels optimistic of US support after visit
05:45 , Shweta SharmaUkrainian prime minister Yulia Svyrydenko left Washington on Thursday describing her talks with top US officials as “very supportive”, amid waning attention on Russia’s war as the focus has shifted to Iran conflict.
She said treasury secretary Scott Bessent backed Kyiv’s position on maintaining pressure on Russia in an interview with Reuters.
In her only interview during the visit, Svyrydenko said she urged US officials not to weaken, waive or delay sanctions imposed on Moscow after its full-scale invasion, stressing their importance in limiting Russia’s war capacity.
“I think Secretary Bessent stands with Ukraine,” she said, adding that US counterparts understand the need to tighten sanctions and prevent circumvention.
Svyrydenko also reiterated Kyiv’s stance that any peace deal with Russia must include firm security guarantees and a clear reconstruction plan.
“I dream that this war will end,” she said, “but with proper security guarantees and a recovery plan that allows Ukrainians to live the life they deserve.”
Russia warns Finland and Baltic states it may invoke ‘self-defence’ over Ukraine drone strikes
05:30 , Shweta SharmaRussia has warned Finland and the Baltic nations that Moscow reserves the “right to self-defence” if Ukrainian drones strike using their airspace.
Russian Security Council secretary Sergei Shoigu issued the warning to Finland, Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania.
Sergei Shoigu, who was Russia’s defence minister at the time of Moscow’s full-scale invasion in 2022, pointed to incidents where drones crashed in Finland and the Baltic states during Ukrainian strikes on Ust-Luga, a key Russian deep-water port in the Gulf of Finland.
He said that Ukrainian drone attacks on Russia have been launched through the Baltic states via Finland.
"This could occur in two scenarios: either Western air defence systems are extremely ineffective… or the states in question are deliberately allowing their airspace to be used, meaning they are actively complicit in the aggression against Russia," he said.
"In the latter case, under international law, Article 51 of the UN Charter regarding the inherent right of states to self-defence in the event of an armed attack comes into effect."
It comes a day after Moscow warned that Europe’s support for Ukraine’s drone capabilities could bring "unpredictable consequences," and said these countries have become part of Kyiv's "strategic rear."
The Baltic states have denied these accusations as false.
Deadliest Russian aerial attack in months kills 18 in Ukraine
05:00 , Shweta SharmaA Russian attack on Thursday with more than 700 drones and missiles across Ukraine has killed at least 18 people in what local officials said was the deadliest attack in months.
Officials said nine people were killed in the southern port city of Odesa, five in the central city of Dnipro, and four, including a child, in the capital, Kyiv.
In Russia, Moscow said a Ukrainian drone strike killed two people, including a child, in the southern Krasnodar region.
The attacks follow a brief ceasefire over Orthodox Easter last weekend, with both sides accusing each other of hundreds of violations.
In Kyiv, air raid sirens woke residents at around 2.30 local time on Thursday (23.30 GMT Wednesday), with explosions heard shortly afterwards.
Russia should not be the winner of the Iran war, German minister tells US
04:30 , Shweta SharmaIt is not in the interest of the United States that Russia is the winner of the Iran war, German finance minister Lars Klingbeil said on Thursday in Washington.
"It's not in our interest and it cannot be in the interest of the United States," he said in a joint statement with the finance ministers of Ukraine and Norway on the sidelines of the International Monetary Fund spring meetings.
Klingbeil said the Russian economy is growing thanks to the Middle East conflict and is making a profit from the energy situation.
"All the meetings here are about the question of what's happening with the war in Iran, and I think it's really important that we show solidarity with our friends in Ukraine," Klingbeil said.
Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant loses off-site power
03:59 , Shweta SharmaUkraine's Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant temporarily lost all off-site power for around 40 minutes before being restored on Thursday evening, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said.
The cause of power loss is not yet known, the IAEA said in a post on X.
EU set to release €2.5–2.7bn to Ukraine after reforms
03:54 , Shweta SharmaThe European Union is expected to disburse between €2.5bn and €2.7bn to Ukraine after its parliament completed key reforms last week, according to EU enlargement commissioner Marta Kos.
Speaking in Washington alongside Ukrainian finance minister Serhiy Marchenko, Kos said the EU would also move ahead with a €90bn loan package following Hungary’s election, which saw prime minister Viktor Orbán voted out of power.
Marchenko said Ukraine’s $52bn financing gap for 2026 would be covered once the EU loan is in place, though discussions are ongoing over how to bridge a projected shortfall in 2027.
Part of a high-level delegation attending the spring meetings of the International Monetary Fund and World Bank, Marchenko noted that the EU has already covered nearly two-thirds of Ukraine’s financial needs. However, uncertainty remains over whether other major governments will step up support.
“If Ukraine fails, it means all of our partners will feel this,” he said. “We cannot give even the slightest chance of failure.”
Ukrainian drone attack kills 2 including 14-year-old, Russia says
03:00 , Alex CroftA Ukrainian drone attack on the Russian Black Sea port of Tuapse killed two people, including a 14-year-old girl, injured seven, and sparked a large fire, Russian officials said on Thursday.
Tuapse is one of Russia's major southern ports, serving as an oil product export hub and also handling 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.
Veniamin Kondratiev, governor of the Krasnodar region, said that an unidentified adult woman had been killed in what he called a massive attack by Ukrainian drones on Tuapse in addition to the teenager.
Drone fragments had damaged 24 private houses, six apartment blocks, two educational facilities and a music school, he added.
The Ukrainian military later said it had struck two oil depots in Russia-occupied Crimea and infrastructure in Russia's southern port of Tuapse, Kyiv's drone forces commander said on the Telegram app.
Photos show damage after Russian strike in Kyiv, Ukraine, as residents take shelter
01:29 , Alex CroftResidents surveyed the damage and took shelter Thursday following a Russian strike on a residential area in Kyiv, Ukraine.
This is a photo gallery curated by photo editors for The Associated Press:
Photos show damage after Russian strike in Kyiv, Ukraine, as residents take shelter
Zelensky issues fresh call for severe pressure on Russia
Friday 17 April 2026 00:01 , Alex CroftVolodymyr Zelensky has issued a fresh call to Kyiv’s allies to maintain economic pressure on Russia and deliver promised assistance to Ukraine promptly.
The Ukrainian president’s pleas followed Moscow's latest attacks on Ukrainian cities, that killed at least 15 people.
"Another night has proven that Russia does not deserve any easing of global policy or lifting of sanctions," Mr Zelensky said in a post on X.
"Pressure on Russia must work. And it is important to fulfill every promise of assistance to Ukraine on time."
Oil tanker accused of being part of Russia's shadow fleet leaves French waters after fine
Thursday 16 April 2026 23:01 , Alex CroftAn oil tanker boarded by the French Navy in March, accused of being part of Russia’s shadow fleet, has left French territorial waters after the owner of the ship paid a fine, authorities said.
Mozambique-flagged Deyna, which French president Emmanuel Macron said belonged to the shadow fleet - the network of Russian vessels that allowing Moscow to export oil despite Western sanctions - had been seized on 20 March with help from British allies.
French authorities have not disclosed how large the fine paid by the company was.
Watch: Ukrainian army shares footage of attack on Russian missile systems
Thursday 16 April 2026 22:01 , Alex Croft💥 One more gap in the enemy shield.@1usc_army operators eliminated a “Buk” system.
— Defense of Ukraine (@DefenceU) April 16, 2026
Each loss reduces air defense density, exposing more targets and compounding systemic vulnerability. pic.twitter.com/SLbjIJMsN8
Full report: Zelensky to receive international prize honoring his and Ukraine's courage and resilience
Thursday 16 April 2026 21:00 , Alex CroftUkrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky was being awarded the prestigious International Four Freedoms Award at a ceremony Thursday for his and his nation's courage and resilience in resisting the full-scale invasion launched more than four years ago by Russia.
The honor was bestowed by the Roosevelt Foundation that was created in 1982 to present awards honoring the Four Freedoms outlined by U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt in his 1941 State of the Union address — freedom of speech and expression, freedom of worship, freedom from want, and freedom from fear.
“We pay the highest tribute to the unwavering courage and enduring perseverance of the Ukrainian people and to the steadfast and resolute leadership of their president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy,” Hugo de Jonge, chair of the foundation, said Thursday.
Read the full report:
Zelenskyy to receive international prize honoring his and Ukraine's courage and resilience
EU to provide 2.5 billion euros to Ukraine after parliamentary reforms
Thursday 16 April 2026 20:02 , Alex CroftThe EU expects to disburse 2.5 billion euros to 2.7 billion euros (£2.3 billion) to Ukraine after its parliament completed necessary reforms last week, EU enlargement commissioner Marta Kos said on Thursday.
Kos, speaking at an event together with Ukrainian finance minister Serhiy Marchenko, said the EU would definitely deliver a 90 billion euro loan to Ukraine following the Hungarian election that swept its president Viktor Orban from power.
Marchenko told the event that Ukraine's financing gap of $52 billion in 2026 will be covered once the EU loan became available, but said his government was still in discussions about closing the expected gap in 2027.
Ukraine working to launch Tribunal for Russian aggression in Ukraine
Thursday 16 April 2026 19:00 , Alex CroftVolodymyr Zelensky has been in the Netherlands today, where he said he is working to launch the Tribunal for Russia’s aggression against Ukraine.
“It is important that Russia is held accountable for this aggression – legally and in practice,” he wrote on X after a speech at the Four Freedoms Awards ceremony, where he was awarded on behalf of Ukraine for its bravery.
“And that Russian war criminals do not enjoy normal life, but face fair sentences. This is necessary. Just as it was necessary after the Second World War,” he said.
The Ukrainian president continued: “This is what we are doing here in Europe, here in the Netherlands. We are working to launch the Tribunal for Russia’s aggression against Ukraine – and I thank you for your help. We are working to ensure that the international legal system is firm and uncompromising toward Russian war criminals.”
Russia has attacked Ukrainian railway facilities 600 times this year - Kyiv
Thursday 16 April 2026 18:01 , Alex CroftRussian forces attacked Ukraine's railway logistics more than 600 times since the start of the year, deputy prime minister Oleksiy Kuleba said in televised comments on Thursday.
The month of April has already seen 65 attacks so far, Mr Kuleba said.
Nato pledges $60bn in military aid to Ukraine as Zelensky pursues more arms deals
Thursday 16 April 2026 17:00 , Alex CroftNato 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.
Ukrainian drones strike Liberia-flagged tanker in Black Sea, Russia says
Thursday 16 April 2026 16:29 , Alex CroftRussian investigators said Ukrainian drones had struck a Liberia-flagged oil tanker in the Black Sea and that its captain, a Turkish national, had been hospitalised with injuries.
According to Russian officials and media reports, a major overnight Ukrainian drone attack on the Black Sea port of Tuapse killed two people, injured seven, and sparked a large fire on Thursday.
A 14-year-old girl was among the dead, they added.
Kremlin says drone plans for Ukraine are pulling Europe deeper into war
Thursday 16 April 2026 16:00 , Alex CroftEuropean plans to step up drone supplies to Ukraine are dragging those countries deeper into a war with Russia, the Russian defence ministry said.
The ministry said it believes governments in a number of EU countries have decided to increase the production and supply of drones to Ukraine, a move Moscow views as a step that is escalating the conflict.
It published a list of factories and enterprises in several European countries it alleges manufacture drones or drone components, and gave their addresses, including sites in Britain, Germany, Spain, Italy, Israel and Poland, among others.
"The European public should not only have a clear understanding of the true causes of the threats to their security, but also be aware of the addresses and locations of Ukrainian and joint enterprises producing UAVs and components for Ukraine within their own countries," it said.
Former Russian president Dmitry Medvedev, now deputy chair of Russia's Security Council, said in a subsequent post on X that the list published by the military amounted to a list of potential targets for Russia's armed forces.
"When strikes become a reality depends on what comes next. Sleep well, European partners!" he said.
Ukrainian drone attack kills 2 including 14-year-old, Russia says
Thursday 16 April 2026 15:31 , Alex CroftA Ukrainian drone attack on the Russian Black Sea port of Tuapse has killed two people, including a 14-year-old girl, injured seven, and sparked a large fire, Russian officials said.
Tuapse is one of Russia's major southern ports, serving as an oil product export hub and also handling 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.
Veniamin Kondratiev, governor of the Krasnodar region, said that an unidentified adult woman had been killed in what he called a massive attack by Ukrainian drones on Tuapse in addition to the teenager.
Drone fragments had damaged 24 private houses, six apartment blocks, two educational facilities and a music school, he added.
The Ukrainian military later said it had struck two oil depots in Russia-occupied Crimea and infrastructure in Russia's southern port of Tuapse, Kyiv's drone forces commander said on the Telegram app.
Watch: Defence Secretary announces biggest ever package of UK drones going to Ukraine
Thursday 16 April 2026 15:01 , Alex CroftKremlin declares Putin was ‘never friends with Orban’ after historic election defeat
Thursday 16 April 2026 13:59 , Alex CroftThe Kremlin has declared that it was “never friends” with outgoing Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orban, as it braces for a new era of relations with Budapest following his landslide loss to a pro-EU candidate.
Mr Orban, who enjoyed warm relations with Russian president Vladimir Putin and was a persistent thorn in Ukraine’s side as it sought financial backing for its war effort from a divided Europe, was swept aside by Peter Magyar and his centre-right Tisza party.
What the future holds for the Russia-Hungary relationship is unclear, but in light of Mr Orban’s collapse in public support, Moscow now appears to be distancing itself and playing down the loss of its most influential ally in the European Union.
“We were never friends with Orban,” Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters, according to The Guardian. Hungary’s official designation is as an “unfriendly country”, he added, explaining that Russia therefore did not congratulate Mr Magyar on his election win.
Read our full report:
Kremlin declares Putin was ‘never friends with Orban’ after historic election defeat
Oil tanker accused of being part of Russia's shadow fleet leaves French waters after fine
Thursday 16 April 2026 13:27 , Alex CroftAn oil tanker boarded by the French Navy in March, accused of being part of Russia’s shadow fleet, has left French territorial waters after the owner of the ship paid a fine, authorities said.
Mozambique-flagged Deyna, which French president Emmanuel Macron said belonged to the shadow fleet - the network of Russian vessels that allowing Moscow to export oil despite Western sanctions - had been seized on 20 March with help from British allies.
French authorities have not disclosed how large the fine paid by the company was.
Zelensky issues fresh call for severe pressure on Russia
Thursday 16 April 2026 12:55 , Alex CroftVolodymyr Zelensky has issued a fresh call to Kyiv’s allies to maintain economic pressure on Russia and deliver promised assistance to Ukraine promptly.
The Ukrainian president’s pleas followed Moscow's latest attacks on Ukrainian cities, that killed at least 15 people.
"Another night has proven that Russia does not deserve any easing of global policy or lifting of sanctions," Mr Zelensky said in a post on X.
"Pressure on Russia must work. And it is important to fulfill every promise of assistance to Ukraine on time."
Watch: Zelensky says countries must coordinate as Iran war drives up costs and risks in Europe
Thursday 16 April 2026 12:22 , Alex CroftZelensky to accept freedom award in Netherlands on behalf of Ukraine
Thursday 16 April 2026 11:50 , Alex CroftVolodymyr Zelensky is in the Netherlands on Thursday where he will acceot the International Four Freedoms Award, which has been given to him and the Ukrainian people to honour their courage during four years of war with Russia.
The awards are named after US president Franklin D. Roosevelt's 1941 speech outlining four fundamental human rights: freedom of speech and expression, freedom of worship, freedom from want, and freedom from fear.
In January, the Roosevelt Foundation said it had granted the award to Mr Zelensky and the Ukrainian people in "recognition for their courageous struggle for our freedom and democracy under exceptionally difficult circumstances”.
"They are battling for the security of all Europe and defending, with their lives," it added.
Dutch King Willem-Alexander and prime minister Rob Jetten will attend a ceremony in the historic southern town of Middleburg.
Moscow strikes Ukrainian production facilities in massive overnight attack
Thursday 16 April 2026 11:35 , Alex CroftMoscow has said a massive overnight attack on Ukraine had struck production facilities for cruise missiles and drones.
The attack also hit energy targets which it said supplied Kyiv's armed forces, Moscow added.
The attack, it said, was a response to Ukrainian attacks on civilian targets inside Russia. A major Ukrainian overnight drone attack on Russia's Black Sea port of Tuapse killed two people, including a 14-year-old girl, injured seven, and sparked a large fire, Russian officials and media reported earlier on Thursday.
Ukrainian officials said the overnight Russian attack was the deadliest assault so far this year on the Ukrainian capital Kyiv and other cities overnight, killing 16 people, including a 12-year-old child, and wounding scores, in drone and missile strikes.
Southern cities in Ukraine left without power after Russian attack
Thursday 16 April 2026 11:18 , Alex CroftUkraine's southern city of Mykolaiv and other settlements in the region have been left without power following a morning Russian attack on energy infrastructure, local officials said on Thursday.
The city of Kherson in the neighbouring region also suffered a power outage, a local official said, adding that the cause for the blackout was being investigated.
We’ll bring more on the attack as it comes in.
