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Germany will pay for "hundreds" of Patriot missiles for Ukraine as strategic partnership signed. Germany to provide IRIS-T launchers, invest in deep strikes, jointly develop mid-range drones |
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The €35 billion Hungary lost while Orbán picked fights with Brussels. Two pots, €2 billion already gone, and a deadline in August. |
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Ukraine spent a year beating wartime inflation. A different war just reversed it.. Fuel costs surged 23% in March as the Middle East war pushed prices past the central bank's forecast—and a rate hike is now on the table. |
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Ukraine is becoming a space power. The Ukrainian main intelligence directorate has completed at least two space launches since February 2022, according to one lawmaker. |
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Soviet power nearly erased Ukraine's Easter. What's being rebuilt exists almost nowhere else in Europe. Spring ritual games survived intact only in Ukraine, Lithuania, and parts of Serbia. This year, they were brought back from the dead in central Kyiv. |
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Estonia's Orthodox church that declared independence from Russia is still run by Moscow, intelligence report says. The Estonian Christian Orthodox Church adopted a new name and new statutes in 2025 — but Estonia's internal security service found the changes cosmetic, with Moscow Patriarch Kirill's oversight departments still directing its activities. |
Military
Ukrainian forces pull back to prepared lines near Myropilske as Russia claims ground in three Sumy villages. Russia advanced near three Sumy settlements as Ukraine repositioned near Myropilske. Russian recruitment fell 20% in Q1 2026 as confirmed deaths rose to 25,000.
Ukraine's drone regiment takes out Russian fuel tanker, logistics hub deep in occupied Donetsk, Melitopol, Crimea. Ukraine's Raid drone regiment struck Russian logistics in occupied Zaporizhzhia; overnight drones also hit Melitopol and sparked blasts across Russian-occupied Crimea.
Intelligence and technology
Zelenskyy flew to Oslo to lay groundwork for joint project. Drone deal is next step. The joint declaration is signed.
Norwegian Kongsberg's answer to mass Russia's Shahed attacks: mast, camera, and 70 mm rocket. Norway just mounted a drone killer on Ukraine's own armored vehicle.
Kyiv strikes back: Ukraine names its new 1,400 km drone after month in winter which Russia hits hardest. "Sichen" means January.
SAM Ukraine built in secret is now standing in plain sight. Spain helped build it and IRIS-T shaped it.
Ukraine just gave Germany's AI something no simulation ever could: real war. Merz and Zelenskyy signed the most consequential defense tech deal in Europe.
Czech corporation is maintaining Russia's tank and artillery lines — investigation. A Czech industrial group publicly announced it was leaving Russia after the full-scale war.
Ukraine has enough weapons to defend itself for the first time in history, Zelenskyy says — and wants to sell that expertise abroad. Zelenskyy says Ukraine is armed well enough to defend against Russia for the first time in history, with drones reshaping the battlefield and G2G arms exports expanding.
International
Estonia watched Ukraine for four years. Now it's spending €500 million on lessons. Estonia is preparing for what comes next.
Zelenskyy in Berlin: Germany pledges air defense, long-range weapons and ammunition in new aid packages. Germany and Ukraine signed defense cooperation deals after Zelenskyy–Merz talks in Berlin, with new aid packages covering air defense, long-range weapons, drones and ammunition.
France, Germany, Netherlands, and Italy resist fast-track EU membership for Ukraine, Politico reports. Politico names France, Germany, Netherlands, and Italy as opposing Ukraine's accelerated EU accession, while Zelenskyy rejects any "EU-lite" membership deal at Berlin presser with Merz.
"We will provide the loan one way or another" — Brussels moves on €90B Ukraine package. EU Commission targets Q2 2026 for first Ukraine loan tranche from €90B package. Three legal documents remain before disbursement can begin.
Foreign Minister Sybiha urges to unblock the €90 billion loan as Brussels waits for Magyar to take office. Ukraine FM Sybiha urged EU's Kallas to unblock the €90B Ukraine loan after Orbán's defeat, as Cyprus aims to move fast — but the handover to Magyar won't come until May.
War didn't stop Ukraine from building economic footprint in West Africa. Ghana is getting Ukrainian flour.
Druzhba pipeline partially repaired by end of April — enough to function, Zelenskyy says. Zelenskyy says Druzhba pipeline will be operational by end of April and signals readiness to reset Ukraine-Hungary ties after Magyar's election win.
Magyar's victory: what it unlocks for Ukraine — and where it stops short. Hungary's new prime minister can now rewrite the constitution. He's made clear he won't rewrite everything.
Humanitarian and social impact
Russian weapon Ukraine cannot intercept is now hitting civilian water supplies. Russia just bombed the dam that gives Kharkiv its drinking water.
Russia is using deported Ukrainian children as negotiating leverage, Foreign Minister told UN envoy. Ukraine's FM Sybiha told a UN envoy Russia is erasing deported children's identities and using them as leverage in negotiations. Up to 300,000 remain unaccounted for.
Russia is quietly expelling anyone in occupied Luhansk who didn't take a Russian passport. Russia deported 570 residents of occupied Luhansk Oblast in 2025 for lacking Russian citizenship, as deportation lists are kept in every "municipality."
Political and legal developments
Russia works on giving Putin legal pretext to invade any country with Russian citizens in it. "Russophobia" is now officially a reason for Russia to intervene.
Russia hands Crimea's main detention center to FSB. The transfer reverses a concession Russia made to the Council of Europe in 2005. Detention centers in Crimea are already at 103% capacity.
Read our earlier daily review here.
