Exclusives
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The Hermitage archaeologist Ukraine wanted to try is back in Russia—Kyiv calls it a propaganda gift to Moscow. Five for five at the Belarusian-Polish border. As part of a prisoner swap, a Russian defendant was released six weeks before he was due in Kyiv. |
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“In any normal country” buying stolen goods is a crime, Zelenskyy says — Ukraine readies sanctions over Russian-stolen grain unloaded in Israel. Ukraine's sanctions package will cover transporters and individuals and entities profiting from the scheme, according to the President. |
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BREAKING: UAE walks out of OPEC after six decades. Russia’s oil revenue takes the hit.. Iran war reorders the Gulf. Moscow’s price floor cracks. |
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EBRD signs €54 million to keep trains in Ukraine moving through blackouts. Western money pours into a defaulted state operator a day after new sleeper cars rolled into Kyiv. |
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What does a $1 billion default look like? In Ukraine, it looks like six new sleeper cars.. Russia destroys carriages forty times faster than Ukraine builds them. |
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Tanks couldn’t take Chasiv Yar. So Russia’s reaching for the playbook that took Pokrovsk.. Chasiv Yar is one of the last big obstacles to a Russian march on Kramatorsk. Russian plans for getting past Chasiv Yar are becoming clearer. |
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Russia’s mercenaries left Malian city under escort by rebels they came to fight. Mali broke ties with Ukraine in 2024 to keep its Russian protectors. Those protectors just retreated from a strategic northern city under escort by the same rebels Bamako accused Kyiv of backing. |
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Russia’s military spending hits $190 billion in 2025. Ukraine’s reached $84 billion at 40% of GDP. Russia increased military expenditure by 5.9% to $190 billion, consuming 7.5% of GDP, one of the highest shares globally, while its oil revenues continue funding the war machine. |
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Ukraine’s new B-2 drone is a mystery. Its kills aren’t.. Russian air defenses are collapsing as more and more different Ukrainian drones strike as far as 200 km. |
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NATO’s top military officer: Russia is trying to reclaim Soviet territory, and threat extends beyond Baltics. Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Hungary, Czech Republic, Bulgaria, Romania, Moldova, Albania, and Slovakia were Soviet satellite states. |
Military
Ukrainian drones penetrated reinforced missile bunkers holding Russian Iskander systems in occupied Crimea. Ukrainian Special Operations Forces say the night strike caused fires at a concealed Russian missile storage site in occupied Crimea, with signs of damage later detected by satellite monitoring.
Ukraine escalates pressure on occupied Luhansk, striking multiple Russian bases and supply points in coordinated operation. Ukrainian forces have struck multiple Russian troop locations and ammunition sites in occupied Luhansk region, targeting rear positions used to support frontline operations, according to the SBU.
$60 million gone: Russian early-warning radar burns in Belgorod Oblast as Ukraine's anti-air hunt continues. A Ukrainian kamikaze drone automated terminal attack capability hit the antenna module, likely keeping the system offline for expensive repairs.
Ukraine's Patriot systems are on a "starvation ration," Air Force spox says. Russia fired more than 700 missiles at Ukraine this past winter, much of it ballistic, Air Force spokesman Ihnat said.
Finishing off Russia's seaborne oil exports: Tuapse refinery ablaze again. The Russian Black Sea export terminal's refinery burns again, four days after Russia extinguished last fires raging for days after the 20 April strike.
One Ukrainian drone maker carried out 11,473 strikes in March, and took out 43% of Russia's Molniya drones. "General Chereshnia" UAVs carried out 11,473 strikes in the latest reporting period.
Ukraine drone forces expand kill zone into occupied regions, commander says: Russia's trains, comms towers, and depots struck. FP-2 mid-range drones did the work across occupied Donetsk, Luhansk, and Zaporizhzhia oblasts between 23 and 25 April, the SBS commander said.
Intelligence and technology
Russia wants up to 20,000 foreign recruits in 2026, using coercion and deportation threats to bring people to the frontlines – Ukrainian intelligence. Russia has recruited foreign nationals for military service throughout the war against Ukraine, often deploying migrants and vulnerable groups to high-risk frontline roles with limited training.
"Next major step": Ukraine plans 50,000 ground robots to keep troops out of danger on drone-saturated front. Kyiv is accelerating deployment of ground robots, with the systems already handling logistics and evacuations in high-risk zones.
Ukraine doubled all of 2025's interceptor drones in just four months, minister says. Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov said the Defense Procurement Agency scaled deliveries through three parallel channels, including a weapons marketplace.
Ukraine just uncovered Russian-coordinated plot to assassinate Russian dissident and Ukrainian supporter in Lithuania. The network conducted long-term covert surveillance of two targets in Lithuania. One of them is a Russian opposition figure living in exile and other is a Lithuanian citizen who publicly supported Ukraine.
International
Beijing's new project 956EM takes Soviet ship design and strips every Russian weapon from it. New 324 mm torpedo tubes and modern Chinese electronic countermeasure systems further upgrade the ship's survivability in modern combat.
Humanitarian and social impact
Russia is killing journalists and jailing them as "terrorists," Ukraine tells UN. At least 26 Ukrainian media workers are in Russian captivity and 147 have been killed since the full-scale invasion, the country's UN delegation said.
Political and legal developments
US ambassador to Ukraine Julie Davis to resign amid "frustration" with Trump – FT. FT reports Davis will leave her post in the coming weeks, adding to turnover in senior US diplomatic positions in Ukraine during the war.
"Drone Deals": Ukraine to export surplus weapons as Zelenskyy unveils new defense trade framework. Zelenskyy says Ukraine plans to export only surplus weapons production, noting that some categories now have up to 50% excess capacity.
Ukraine tracking multiple ships carrying Russian-stolen grain as Israel dispute expands to Egypt and Algeria. Kyiv says it is compiling information on vessels and related entities while continuing protests over previous deliveries that triggered diplomatic tensions with Israel.
Mikhail Piotrovsky runs Russia's Hermitage Museum. EU just sanctioned him for legitimizing Russia's occupation of Ukraine. Russia steals children. Russia steals history.
Ukraine summons Israeli ambassador — for second Russian stolen-grain vessel to reach Haifa. Russia loots Ukrainian grain and then loads in onto ships. Israel unloads it at port and calls it trade.
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