A senior aide to Volodymyr Zelensky has called on Ukraine’s allies to keep pressuring Vladimir Putin’s aviation sector with sanctions, as Moscow pushes to have them lifted before it will agree to a ceasefire.
Andriy Yermak, head of Mr Zelensky’s presidential office, said the sanctions targeting Russian civil aviation and airspace were "central" to Moscow's demands.
"The fact that Russian officials have made lifting aviation sanctions a priority in diplomatic channels underscores their effectiveness," he wrote in the Guardian.
US secretary of state Marco Rubio has said now is the time for concrete proposals from Moscow and Kyiv to end the war in Ukraine and if there is no progress, the US will step back.
In his nightly address, Zelensky said progress towards ending the war depended on Russia taking the first step of agreeing to an unconditional ceasefire.
Late on Tuesday at least 45 people were injured in Kharkiv, including a pregnant woman and two children, as swarms of Russian drones attacked the Ukrainian city. Drones also hit Dnipro city, killing at least one person, officials said.
Key Points
- Zelensky's aide warns against lifting sanctions on Russian skies and aviation
- Ukrainian journalist Viktoriia Roshchyna's body returned with missing organs
- Russia threatens new Nato members with nuclear weapons
- Rubio says concrete Ukraine proposals needed now or US will step back
- Children and pregnant woman among 45 injured in massive drone attack on Kharkiv
About 4,700 North Korean soldiers killed or injured fighting for Russia, says South Korea
07:13 , Arpan RaiAt least 600 North Korean soldiers have been killed fighting for Russia in the Ukraine war, South Korea's spy agency said.
Another 4,100 North Koreans were injured, according to a toll from South Korea’s National Intelligence Service, via South Korean lawmaker Lee Seong Kweun, who attended a closed-door parliamentary committee briefing.
Mr Lee told reporters the NIS said that 2,000 injured North Korean soldiers were repatriated to North Korea by air or train between January and March.
He cited the NIS as saying the dead North Korean soldiers were cremated in Russia before their remains were sent back home.
On Monday, North Korea confirmed for the first time that it had sent combat troops to help Russia recapture parts of the Kursk region, which it lost control of to a surprise Ukrainian incursion last year.
Children and pregnant woman among 45 injured in massive drone attack on Kharkiv
06:18 , Arpan RaiAt least 45 people were injured in Kharkiv, including a pregnant woman and two children, as swarms of Russian drones attacked the Ukrainian city late last night.
Drones also hit Dnipro city, killing at least one person, officials said.
Kharkiv mayor Ihor Terekhov said several areas of the city, which has been devastated by successive attacks, had been targeted last night.
Around 1.2 million people live in Kharkiv, compared to nearly 2 million before Moscow's February 2022 invasion.
"There have been 16 strikes on Kharkiv," Mr Terekhov said.
"A high-rise apartment block was hit as were private homes, a medical facility and civilian infrastructure."
Public broadcaster Suspilne posted photos of firefighters tackling flames. One drone hit the eighth floor of an apartment and two medical facilities have also been hit, Suspilne reported.
Kharkiv, which lies in the northeast near the Russian border and is Ukraine's second-largest city, has been the target of almost daily Russian drone and missile attacks since Moscow began its full-scale invasion more than three years ago.
Zelensky accuses Russia of 'preparing something' using military drills as excuse in Belarus
06:07 , Arpan RaiRussia is "preparing something" in Belarus this summer, using military drills as an excuse, Ukraine president Volodymyr Zelensky has warned.
"This summer Russia is preparing something there, under cover of military exercises,” Mr Zelensky told a summit in Warsaw, without giving details or citing evidence. Russia and Belarus have announced joint military drills for September.
Zelensky's aide warns against lifting sanctions on Russian skies and aviation
05:43 , Arpan RaiUkraine president Volodymyr Zelensky’s close aide has called for continuing western sanctions on Russia’s aviation sector, asking “why should Russians enjoy the freedom of air travel while Ukrainians cannot be safe in their own country?”
Writing in The Guardian today, Andriy Yermak, the head of the Ukraine’s presidential office, has said that “normalising air links would lift a key restriction on Russians’ daily lives, relieving Moscow of any public pressure for peace”.
The top Ukrainian official flagged Russian aviation sector’s role in “smuggling on behalf of its military”, “circumventing international sanctions by delivering critical components to sanctioned Russian industries” and a charter service that deploys Russia’s troops to the war frontline.
“These sanctions represent more than mere inconvenience: they are a direct obstacle to Russia’s ongoing war against Ukraine and a visible reminder of the consequences of its aggression. Rather than unwinding them, we need to build on the success of the current sanctions regime,” Mr Yermak said.
He added: “The fact that Russian officials have made lifting aviation sanctions a priority in diplomatic channels underscores their effectiveness.”
Russian ceasefire first step required for peace settlement, says Zelensky
05:15 , Arpan RaiUkrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky said progress in resolving the more than three-year-old war in Ukraine depended on Russia taking the first step of agreeing to an unconditional ceasefire.
In his nightly video address, Mr Zelensky said: "They must take clear steps toward ending the war and we insist that an unconditional and complete ceasefire must be the first step. Russia must do this."
He said Ukraine was preparing for more talks with the United States aimed at pressuring Moscow to engage in talks.
"We are selecting those pressure points in Russia that will most strongly encourage Moscow towards diplomacy," he said.
It’s important to keep applying pressure on Russia’s influence networks, as well as on all of their manufacturing and trade operations.
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) April 29, 2025
We’re also preparing for talks with the U.S. on new sanctions—we are identifying precisely those pressure points that will most effectively… pic.twitter.com/ha29J1M16Z
US blames Russia at UNSC meeting for bloodshed in Ukraine
04:57 , Arpan RaiUS diplomat John Kelley blamed Russia for the continuing bloodshed in Ukraine, saying it had "regrettably" carried out high-profile strikes "causing needless loss of life, including of innocent civilians."
Speaking at a United Nations Security Council meeting yesterday, Mr Kelley said: "Right now, Russia has a great opportunity to achieve a durable peace.”
He added that the burden for ending the war rests with Russia and Ukraine.
"It is up to the leaders of both these countries to decide whether peace is possible. If both sides are ready to end the war, the United States will fully support their path to a lasting peace," he said.
Rubio says concrete Ukraine proposals needed now or US will step back
04:53 , Arpan RaiUS secretary of state Marco Rubio said now is the time for concrete proposals from Moscow and Kyiv to end the war in Ukraine and if there is no progress, the US will step back.
State department spokesperson Tammy Bruce cited Mr Rubio as saying that the time had been reached at which "concrete proposals need to be delivered by the two parties on how to end this conflict".
"How we proceed from here is a decision that belongs now to the president. If there is not progress, we will step back as mediators in this process," Ms Bruce told a regular news briefing, referring to president Donald Trump.
About 600 North Koreans killed in Ukraine war, South Korean lawmaker says
04:30 , Arpan RaiAbout 600 North Korean troops have been killed fighting for Russia against Ukraine out of a total deployment of 15,000 and they have shown signs of improved combat capabilities, South Korean lawmakers said this morning, citing the intelligence agency.
On Monday, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un confirmed he signed a military order on sending his troops to fight alongside Russian soldiers in Ukraine war.
Ukrainian journalist Viktoriia Roshchyna's body returned with missing organs
04:21 , Arpan RaiThe body of Ukrainian journalist Viktoriia Roshchyna returned by Russia shows signs of brutal torture and has some missing internal organs, a new investigation by the Forbidden Stories journalism network said yesterday.
Numerous signs of torture and ill-treatment were found on the journalist’s body, said Yurii Belousov, head of the war crimes department at the Prosecutor General's Office.
The experts who were a part of the investigation also saw evidence of torture including electric shocks.
The independent examination of Roshchyna’s body in Ukraine showed her brain, eyes, and part of the trachea had been removed, the investigation said.
Investigators have said the body showed evidence of an autopsy conducted in Russia before it was returned to Ukraine.
More than 40 journalists from 13 international media outlets participated in the investigation, conducting more than 50 interviews with former prisoners, ex-prison guards, and human rights activists.
Her remains, tagged with number 757, were handed over by Russia in late February with Russian documents falsely labelling her as an “unidentified male”.
However, a forensic examination showed the body was female. DNA testing on the remains finally identified them as Roshchyna’s with 99 per cent certainty.
The organs may have been deliberately removed from Roshchyna’s body to hide signs of suffocation or strangulation, according to an international forensic pathologist.
Trump says he thinks Putin wants peace in Ukraine despite recent attacks
03:55 , Arpan RaiPresident Donald Trump has said he thinks Russian president Vladimir Putin wants to stop Russia's war in Ukraine, despite recent attacks against the beleaguered nation.
Mr Trump responded "I think he does" when asked whether he thinks Mr Putin wants to make peace during an interview with ABC News' Terry Moran.
"If it weren't for me, I think he'd want to take over the whole country," Mr Trump said. "I will tell you, I was not happy when I saw Putin shooting missiles into a few towns and cities."
Russia attacked Ukraine with 100 drones overnight
02:00 , Alexander ButlerRussia launched 100 drones in overnight attacks targeting Ukraine, Ukraine's air force said this morning.
Ukraine's air force said it shot down 37 drones, while 47 others disappeared from radars without reaching their targets – usually a result of being jammed by electronic warfare systems
The attacks caused damage in the Kharkiv, Donetsk, Dnipropetrovsk and Kyiv regions, it said in a Telegram post.
Kremlin says Russia is waiting for Ukraine to start direct talks
01:00 , Alexander ButlerThe Kremlin has falsely claimed that Ukraine had not responded to many offers by Russia president Vladimir Putin to start direct peace negotiations, Russian news agencies reported this morning.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said Russia could not respond to Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky's proposal for a 30-day ceasefire without settling all "nuances", the agencies reported.
The deflecting statements from the Kremlin come just hours after Mr Putin announced a three-day temporary ceasefire in the Ukraine war to mark the 80th anniversary of victory in the Second World War.
Mr Zelensky responded within hours and said Ukraine has never wanted a single day of this war.
“We made our own proposal to Russia – bilaterally – to halt strikes at least on civilian targets. We also proposed making the Easter ceasefire full and extending it for 30 days,” he said.
Mr Peskov’s statements did not acknowledge the Ukrainian president’s repeated offers of a truce.
The Russian news agencies claimed that starting this process of direct peace negotiations was Moscow’s primary focus.
Russia claims its forces capture village in Ukraine's Kharkiv region
Wednesday 30 April 2025 00:01 , Alexander ButlerRussia’s troops have captured the village of Doroshivka in Ukraine's northeastern Kharkiv region, the Russian defence ministry announced today.
In a daily update shared on its Telegram channel, the Russian defence ministry said: “As a result of active actions, units of the ‘West’ military group liberated the village of Doroshovka in the Kharkiv region.”
Ukraine has not issued a comment on the Russian claim over its territory.
According to the latest battlefield update shared by The Institute for the Study of War, a Ukrainian commander had reported more activity in the Kharkiv region from Russian forces in the past 24 hours.
“The commander reported that Russian forces are more actively conducting artillery strikes and assaults, including with mopeds, and that Russian forces have rotated troops in this direction, increasing the number of Russian forces and reserves,” the ISW said in its latest assessment.
Ukraine won't win the war against Russia, says JD Vance
Tuesday 29 April 2025 23:00 , Alexander ButlerUS vice president JD Vance has said Ukraine will not win the war against Russia as he claimed that a peace deal between Moscow and Kyiv is not “necessarily guaranteed”.
"Sometimes you're incredibly frustrated with the Ukrainians, sometimes you're incredibly frustrated with the Russians," Mr Vance said on the Charlie Kirk Show podcast.
"I can't say with 100 per cent certainty, Charlie, that we're going to be able to do it," he said, referring to a peace deal.
Mr Vance said that the US is "making progress" in the negotiations but a peace deal is not necessarily guaranteed.
“If this doesn’t stop, the Ukrainians aren’t winning the war,” the US vice president said.
“I think there’s this weird idea among the mainstream media that if this thing goes on for just another few years, the Russians will collapse, the Ukrainians will take their territory back, and everything will go back to the way that it was before the war. That is not the reality that we live in,” he said.
What the killing of a Russian general in Moscow means for Trump’s plan for peace in Ukraine
Tuesday 29 April 2025 22:00 , Alexander Butler
What the killing of a Russian general means for Trump’s plan for peace in Ukraine
If Trump’s hatred of Zelensky feels personal, that’s because it is
Tuesday 29 April 2025 20:30 , Alexander Butler
If Trump’s hatred of Zelensky feels personal, that’s because it is
It has taken 100 days for Trump to undo 100 years of progress
Tuesday 29 April 2025 19:30 , Alexander Butler‘Kim Jong Un style’ 5,000-tonne warship unveiled by North Korea
Tuesday 29 April 2025 18:30 , Alexander Butler
‘Kim Jong Un style’ 5,000-tonne warship unveiled by North Korea
Russian troops trying to carve out 'buffer zone' in Ukraine's Sumy region, governor says
Tuesday 29 April 2025 17:30 , Alexander ButlerRussian troops are trying to carve out a "buffer zone" in Ukraine's northeastern Sumy region but without substantial success, the regional governor said.
Four border villages were in "the grey zone" due to continuing fighting, Oleh Hryhorov said on the Telegram app, denying that those settlements were under Russian control.
Trump looking for excuses to pull out of Ukraine peace talks – report
Tuesday 29 April 2025 16:30 , Alexander ButlerUS president Donald Trump is likely preparing to walk away from Ukraine talks and might use minor excuses to shelve his plans to end the war, European sources have said.
Mr Trump was “setting up a situation where he gives himself excuses to walk away and leave it to Ukraine and us [Europe] to fix,” a European official told the Financial Times.
The report, citing four FT sources, said that there is a belief in Europe and Ukraine that the US president is ready to lock any “breakthrough” in peace talks in Ukraine this week as he marks 100 days of his presidency.
There are fears in Kyiv as well that Mr Trump will pull out from peace talks, some Ukrainian officials told the FT.
There have been intense efforts from Mr Trump’s secretary of state Marco Rubio who urged Russia’s foreign minister Sergei Lavrov on Sunday to end the war in Ukraine “now”.
Why Crimea matters so much to Putin – and now Trump
Tuesday 29 April 2025 15:30 , Alexander Butler
Why Putin’s latest ceasefire raises immediate suspicion
Tuesday 29 April 2025 14:30 , Alexander Butler
Ukrainians speak out over minerals deal with Trump: 'Can't trust that guy'
Tuesday 29 April 2025 13:30 , Arpan RaiUkrainians living on seams of iron beneath their feet have a message for Donald Trump: don't take advantage of us, these resources are ours.
The US president has put pressure on Kyiv by threatening to stop the flow of military supplies to help it fight Russia's invasion unless the US gets some payback for the billions of dollars the aid is costing.
In the city of Kryvyi Rih, on whose outskirts open-cast iron ore mines have gouged huge craters in the landscape, 71-year-old pensioner Oleksandr had little time for Mr Trump: "You can't trust that ginger guy, he's not that kind of person."
The minerals deal has been a sensitive topic for Ukraine, which has a proud history of mining coal and iron ore and hopes to exploit seams of increasingly sought-after rare earths.
Mineral revenues are a crucial pillar of the state budget.
"From what I can see, they only want to take, not to give," the old pensioner told Reuters as he shopped near the UGOK iron ore mining and processing plant.
About 60km (40 miles) north of Kryvyi Rih is the town of Zhovti Vody - or "yellow waters" – where uranium and iron ore were mined for decades.
"I hope that the people who are involved in this think about Ukraine and its people, because our mineral riches belong to the people," said 71-year-old resident Nina Fesenko.
US says North Korea’s military deployment in Russia’s war against Ukraine must end
Tuesday 29 April 2025 13:15 , Arpan RaiThe US has called for an end to North Korea’s military deployment to support Russian president Vladimir Putin’s war in Ukraine as Kim Jong Un confirmed he sent his troops to fight in Europe.
North Korea’s supreme leader said he ordered deployment of combat troops to Russia under a mutual defence treaty he signed with Mr Putin in June 2024, which called on both nations to use all available means to provide immediate military assistance if either is attacked.
“We continue to be concerned by (North Korea’s) direct involvement in the war. (North Korea’s) military deployment to Russia and any support provided by the Russian Federation to (North Korea) in return must end,” a US State Department spokesperson said in an email on Monday.
US says North Korea’s military deployment in Russia’s war against Ukraine must end
Putin announces new three-day temporary ceasefire for May public holiday
Tuesday 29 April 2025 13:10 , Arpan RaiVladimir Putin has announced a temporary ceasefire in Ukraine next weekend to mark the 80th anniversary of victory in WW2, the Kremlin has said.
The 72-hour ceasefire is the second announced by Moscow in recent weeks, after it declared a 30-hour Easter Sunday truce - which Kyiv and its European allies accused it of breaching.
The Kremlin said the truce will last from the beginning of 8 May and last until the close of 10 May, adding that Russia give an “adequate and effective response” to any Ukrainian violations. Moscow remains ready for peace talks without any preconditions, the statement added.
Donald Trump has upped his criticism of Mr Putin after meeting Mr Zelensky at the Vatican. The US president said he was “very disappointed” in Russia’s continued bombardment of civilian areas in Ukraine.
Mr Trump also said he believes Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky is ready to give up Crimea in order to strike a peace deal with Russia.
Why Crimea matters so much to Putin – and now Trump
Tuesday 29 April 2025 13:00 , Arpan RaiCrimea is footnoted in British history for the Earl of Cardigan and his disastrous leading of the Charge of the Light Brigade. To Vladimir Putin it’s where history itself must turn.
Donald Trump, taking an 18th-century might-is-right approach, has said that the peninsula was captured without a fight by Russia from Ukraine in 2014 and therefore should stay in Putin’s fist.
Of all the 20 per cent of Ukraine’s territory taken after Russia invaded Crimea 11 years ago and launched its wider Anschluss in 2022, Crimea is the greatest Russian prize.
Whoever controls Sevastopol is likely to dominate the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov. Outside of Tartus, in Syria, which Russia lost recently, it is – or was – Russia’s only warm-weather port.
Moscow’s claim to Crimea has been undermined by the fact that it was ceded to Ukraine under the Soviet Union in 1954.
Child killed in Russian drone attack in central Ukraine, say officials
Tuesday 29 April 2025 12:45 , Arpan RaiA 12-year-old girl has died in a Russian drone attack in central Ukraine, according to officials in the war-torn country.
The drone hit a residential building in Samarivskyi district in the Dnipropetrovsk region, Ukraine’s emergency service said.
Locals pulled the girl from the rubble of the building, but she died en route to hospital, the service said.
It posted photos of emergency workers sifting through the wreckage of the building.
Child killed in Russian drone attack in central Ukraine, say officials
Why Putin’s latest ceasefire raises immediate suspicion
Tuesday 29 April 2025 12:30 , Arpan RaiLess than two days after US president Donald Trump lashed out at Vladimir Putin for “tapping me along” over a peace deal, the Russian president has announced another temporary ceasefire – this one scheduled to last three days.
His grand declaration raised immediate suspicion over whether this was yet another stalling tactic from the most conniving of dictators. One designed to keep an increasingly frustrated White House happy: Mr Trump’s top diplomat has even talked this week of pulling out of the entire negotiating process.
The news was met in Ukraine with a large dose of scepticism. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky even accused Mr Putin of “yet another round of Russian manipulation” to appease Mr Trump.
Kyiv, which has previously agreed to Trump’s proposal of a 30-day full ceasefire, accused Moscow of violating a similar temporary truce during Easter.
Mr Zelensky charged Russia with cynically using that pause to advance, saying Russian assaults persisted on multiple fronts, artillery fire did not subside, and attacks on energy infrastructure were relentless.
Ukraine won't win the war against Russia, says JD Vance
Tuesday 29 April 2025 12:18 , Arpan RaiUS vice president JD Vance has said Ukraine will not win the war against Russia as he claimed that a peace deal between Moscow and Kyiv is not “necessarily guaranteed”.
"Sometimes you're incredibly frustrated with the Ukrainians, sometimes you're incredibly frustrated with the Russians," Mr Vance said on the Charlie Kirk Show podcast.
"I can't say with 100 per cent certainty, Charlie, that we're going to be able to do it," he said, referring to a peace deal.
Mr Vance said that the US is "making progress" in the negotiations but a peace deal is not necessarily guaranteed.
“If this doesn’t stop, the Ukrainians aren’t winning the war,” the US vice president said.
“I think there’s this weird idea among the mainstream media that if this thing goes on for just another few years, the Russians will collapse, the Ukrainians will take their territory back, and everything will go back to the way that it was before the war. That is not the reality that we live in,” he said.
Russia claims its forces capture village in Ukraine's Kharkiv region
Tuesday 29 April 2025 11:59 , Arpan RaiRussia’s troops have captured the village of Doroshivka in Ukraine's northeastern Kharkiv region, the Russian defence ministry announced today.
In a daily update shared on its Telegram channel, the Russian defence ministry said: “As a result of active actions, units of the ‘West’ military group liberated the village of Doroshovka in the Kharkiv region.”
Ukraine has not issued a comment on the Russian claim over its territory.
According to the latest battlefield update shared by The Institute for the Study of War, a Ukrainian commander had reported more activity in the Kharkiv region from Russian forces in the past 24 hours.
“The commander reported that Russian forces are more actively conducting artillery strikes and assaults, including with mopeds, and that Russian forces have rotated troops in this direction, increasing the number of Russian forces and reserves,” the ISW said in its latest assessment.
Russia threatens new Nato members with nuclear weapons
Tuesday 29 April 2025 11:42 , Arpan RaiA senior Russian security official has said Russia could strike the newest members of Nato with nuclear weapons.
Nato’s newest members – Finland and Sweden joined the bloc in 2023 and 2024 respectively – could be struck with revenge strikes using nuclear weapons in the event of a conflict, said Dmitry Medvedev, Russia’s former prime minister and current deputy of its security council.
“The non-aligned status gave them (Finland and Sweden) certain international perks, given their geopolitical position and many other factors,” the close aide of Mr Putin said.
“And now they are part of a bloc hostile to us which means they automatically became a target for our armed forces, including potential retaliatory strikes and even the nuclear component or preventive measures within the framework of a military doctrine,” Mr Medvedev said this morning.
Child killed in Russian drone attack in central Ukraine
Tuesday 29 April 2025 11:09 , Arpan RaiA 12-year-old girl has died in a Russian drone attack in central Ukraine, according to officials in the war-torn country.
The drone hit a residential building in Samarivskyi district in the Dnipropetrovsk region, Ukraine’s emergency service said.
Locals pulled the girl from the rubble of the building, but she died en route to hospital, the service said.
It posted photos of emergency workers sifting through the wreckage of the building.
Child killed in Russian drone attack in central Ukraine, say officials
Ukraine evacuates families from Dnipropetrovsk oblast as Russian troops advance
Tuesday 29 April 2025 10:45 , Arpan RaiUkrainian officials have started evacuating families from Dnipropetrovsk Oblast as Russian forces are reportedly closing in on the region’s border.
Residents will be evacuated by vehicles and were asked to pack documents, money, medicine, water, and food for a few days, along with other necessities, reported The Kyiv Independent.
The evacuation will be carried out from the villages of Kolona Mezhova, Novopidhorodne, Raipole, and Sukhareva Balka in the Mezhova community, according to a mandatory order issued by governor Serhii Lysak.
Russian forces are reportedly at a distance between five to 15 km from the settlements near the administrative border between Dnipropetrovsk and Donetsk oblast.
Nato's newer members now potential targets for Moscow, says Putin's aide
Tuesday 29 April 2025 10:15 , Arpan RaiNato’s newer members are now potential targets for Moscow, former Russian president Dmitry Medvedev said today.
The new entrants to the Atlantic alliance are also at risk of possible revenge strikes using nuclear weapons in the event of a conflict, Mr Medvedev said, reported Tass state news agency.
Sweden and Finland are the latest two counties to have joined the Western military alliance in March last year.
Russia had said it would adopt unspecified military-technical and other counter measures to protect itself against Sweden joining Nato.
Additionally, Poland has also been routinely threatened by Russia of potential attacks and has had to activate F-16 warplanes upon repeated breaches of its airspace by Russian aircraft. Poland became a member of Nato in 1999.
Russia's drone kills 12-year-old girl in Dnipropetrovsk region
Tuesday 29 April 2025 09:50 , Arpan RaiRussia's overnight drone attack killed a 12-year-old girl in the Dnipropetrovsk region and injured her parents, Ukraine's emergency service said this morning.
Another child was rescued from underneath the rubble, the emergency service said in a post on social media.
An unspecified number of drones from Russia have targeted Ukrainian cities this morning.
Kremlin says Russia is waiting for Ukraine to start direct talks
Tuesday 29 April 2025 09:47 , Arpan RaiThe Kremlin has falsely claimed that Ukraine had not responded to many offers by Russia president Vladimir Putin to start direct peace negotiations, Russian news agencies reported this morning.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said Russia could not respond to Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky's proposal for a 30-day ceasefire without settling all "nuances", the agencies reported.
The deflecting statements from the Kremlin come just hours after Mr Putin announced a three-day temporary ceasefire in the Ukraine war to mark the 80th anniversary of victory in the Second World War.
Mr Zelensky responded within hours and said Ukraine has never wanted a single day of this war.
“We made our own proposal to Russia – bilaterally – to halt strikes at least on civilian targets. We also proposed making the Easter ceasefire full and extending it for 30 days,” he said.
Mr Peskov’s statements did not acknowledge the Ukrainian president’s repeated offers of a truce.
The Russian news agencies claimed that starting this process of direct peace negotiations was Moscow’s primary focus.
Why Crimea matters so much to Putin – and now Trump
Tuesday 29 April 2025 09:40 , Arpan RaiCrimea is footnoted in British history for the Earl of Cardigan and his disastrous leading of the Charge of the Light Brigade. To Vladimir Putin it’s where history itself must turn.
Donald Trump, taking an 18th-century might-is-right approach, has said that the peninsula was captured without a fight by Russia from Ukraine in 2014 and therefore should stay in Putin’s fist.
Of all the 20 per cent of Ukraine’s territory taken after Russia invaded Crimea 11 years ago and launched its wider Anschluss in 2022, Crimea is the greatest Russian prize.
Whoever controls Sevastopol is likely to dominate the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov. Outside of Tartus, in Syria, which Russia lost recently, it is – or was – Russia’s only warm-weather port.
Russia attacked Ukraine with 100 drones overnight
Tuesday 29 April 2025 09:30 , Arpan RaiRussia launched 100 drones in overnight attacks targeting Ukraine, Ukraine's air force said this morning.
Ukraine's air force said it shot down 37 drones, while 47 others disappeared from radars without reaching their targets – usually a result of being jammed by electronic warfare systems
The attacks caused damage in the Kharkiv, Donetsk, Dnipropetrovsk and Kyiv regions, it said in a Telegram post.
Two killed as Ukrainian drones slam into car on Russian highway
Tuesday 29 April 2025 08:54 , Arpan RaiAt least two people were killed in a Ukrainian drone attack in Russia’s Belgorod region, officials said.
The attack saw a Ukrainian drone slam into a moving car on a highway in Belgorod, local governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said this morning.
Three others were injured, he said. The identities of those targeted in the incident remains unclear.
Child killed in Russian drone attack overnight in central Ukraine
Tuesday 29 April 2025 08:40 , Arpan RaiA 12-year-old child was killed and three others were wounded in central Ukraine overnight amid Russia’s drone attack, Ukrainian officials said.
One of the 100 drones fired by Russia hit a residential building in Samarivskyi district in the central Dnipropetrovsk region and killed a girl, Ukraine’s emergency service said.
The residents pulled the girl out of the rubble but she died on the way to the hospital, the service said.
"The Russian army again massively deployed drones to the region," Dnipropetrovsk region governor Serhiy Lysak said on Telegram, adding that a six-year-old girl and two adults were hurt in the attack.
The air force downed seven drones over the region, he added.
Another 47-year-old woman was hurt in the city of Nikopol, also in the Dnipropetrovsk region, a local official said.
Trump looking for excuses to pull out of Ukraine peace talks – report
Tuesday 29 April 2025 08:18 , Arpan RaiUS president Donald Trump is likely preparing to walk away from Ukraine talks and might use minor excuses to shelve his plans to end the war, European sources have said.
Mr Trump was “setting up a situation where he gives himself excuses to walk away and leave it to Ukraine and us [Europe] to fix,” a European official told the Financial Times.
The report, citing four FT sources, said that there is a belief in Europe and Ukraine that the US president is ready to lock any “breakthrough” in peace talks in Ukraine this week as he marks 100 days of his presidency.
There are fears in Kyiv as well that Mr Trump will pull out from peace talks, some Ukrainian officials told the FT.
There have been intense efforts from Mr Trump’s secretary of state Marco Rubio who urged Russia’s foreign minister Sergei Lavrov on Sunday to end the war in Ukraine “now”.
Why Putin’s latest ceasefire raises immediate suspicion
Tuesday 29 April 2025 08:04 , Arpan RaiLess than two days after US president Donald Trump lashed out at Vladimir Putin for “tapping me along” over a peace deal, the Russian president has announced another temporary ceasefire – this one scheduled to last three days.
His grand declaration raised immediate suspicion over whether this was yet another stalling tactic from the most conniving of dictators.
The Kremlin said the truce would take place from 8 to 10 May, to coincide with Russia’s Victory Day celebrating the defeat of Nazi Germany – likely not a coincidence, given Putin’s repeated, completely baseless claims that a “neo-Nazi regime” in Ukraine justified his full-scale invasion.
Ukraine has yet to officially respond, but will no doubt greet the news with a large dose of scepticism.
Chief international correspondent Bel Trew writes:
Zelensky accuses Putin of 'manipulation' over latest ceasefire offer
Tuesday 29 April 2025 08:00 , Arpan RaiUkrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has accused the Russian president Vladimir Putin of manipulating the world and deceiving the US with his latest temporary ceasefire offer made yesterday.
Mr Putin announced a temporary ceasefire along the war frontline in Ukraine next weekend to mark the 80th anniversary of victory in the Second World War, the Kremlin has said.
“Russia has consistently rejected everything and continues to manipulate the world, trying to deceive the United States. Now, yet again, another attempt at manipulation: for some reason everyone is supposed to wait until 8 May before ceasing fire — just to provide Putin with silence for his parade,” Mr Zelensky said in his nightly address yesterday.
He said: “We in Ukraine never wanted a single second of this war. Back on 11 March, we responded positively to the American proposal for a full ceasefire.”
“We made our own proposal to Russia – bilaterally – to halt strikes at least on civilian targets. We also proposed making the Easter ceasefire full and extending it for thirty days,” Mr Zelensky said, highlighting numerous ceasefire proposals made by Kyiv that have not been acknowledged by Moscow so far.
The 72-hour ceasefire is the second announced by Moscow in recent weeks, after it declared a 30-hour Easter Sunday truce - which Kyiv and its European allies accused it of breaching.
The Kremlin said the truce will last from the beginning of 8 May and last until the close of 10 May, adding that Russia give an “adequate and effective response” to any Ukrainian violations.
Moscow remains ready for peace talks without any preconditions, the statement added.
Mr Zelensky has called for a "full and unconditional cease fire for at least 30 days" to provide "a basis for real diplomacy".
UN responds to Putin's three-day ceasefire: 'It needs to be sustainable'
Tuesday 29 April 2025 07:50 , Arpan RaiThe UN has reacted to Russian president Vladimir Putin’s announcement of a temporary ceasefire along the war frontlines in Ukraine.
A top UN official has said that the agency wants to see an end to Russia’s war based on international law and the organisation’s charter.
“We’ve taken note of the various statements. Our position remains the same, that we want to see an end to the war, but we need to see an end to the war that remains principled and consistent and firmly grounded in the UN Charter, in international law, in line with all the relevant resolutions. It needs to be sustainable and recognise the sovereignty and [territorial] integrity of Ukraine,” said Stéphane Dujarric, spokesperson for the UN secretary general Antonio Guterres.
The Russian president yesterday declared a new three-day ceasefire in May to mark the 80th anniversary of the victory of the Soviet Union and its allies in the Second World War.
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky reacted to the Russian leader's announcement and said the world did not want to wait until 8 May for a ceasefire that will only be in effect for a few days.
Trump suggests Zelensky will let Putin take Crimea. Russia’s top diplomat calls it a ‘done deal’
Tuesday 29 April 2025 07:30 , Arpan RaiDonald Trump has said he “thinks” Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky is ready to give up Crimea to Russia as part of a peace deal.
Asked whether Kyiv was prepared to lose Crimea to Moscow, which Zelensky ruled out just last week in comments which sparked a renewed war of words, the US president said: “I think so.”
Moscow, which has occupied Crimea since a ground invasion in 2014, has said it does not see the southern peninsula as being part of any negotiations.
“This is a done deal,” Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov said of Crimea in an interview with CBS News’ Face The Nation program. “Russia do[es] not negotiate its own territory.”
Mr Trump has ramped up pressure on Kyiv over Crimea, saying in no uncertain terms that “Crimea will stay with Russia” in an interview with Time published on Friday. “Zelensky understands that and everybody understands that it’s been with them for a long time,” he added.
Asked whether he “liked” the comments by the US president, Mr Lavrov said: “It's not about liking or disliking. It's about the fact that he said the truth.”
Trump suggests Zelensky will let Putin take Crimea. Moscow calls it a ‘done deal’
Zelensky offers Spain assistance after massive power cuts
Tuesday 29 April 2025 07:19 , Arpan RaiVolodymyr Zelensky has offered emergency assistance to Spain after the country was hit by a sudden power outage yesterday.
The Ukrainian president also cited dozens of Russian attacks on Ukraine’s energy system and said that the war-hit nation has experience in handling energy challenges.
“I spoke with the Prime Minister of Spain @SanchezCastejon about the emergency situation in the energy system. No matter what happens, we are always ready to assist and support our friends,” Mr Zelensky said.
He added: “Over the years of war and Russian attacks on our energy system, Ukraine has gained significant experience in overcoming any energy challenges, including blackouts. Our specialists can join recovery efforts. I offered such assistance to Spain. I instructed Ukraine’s Minister of Energy to act as swiftly as possible. Our technical experts are ready to help.”
I spoke with the Prime Minister of Spain @SanchezCastejon about the emergency situation in the energy system. No matter what happens, we are always ready to assist and support our friends.
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) April 28, 2025
Over the years of war and Russian attacks on our energy system, Ukraine has gained…
Russia attacked Ukraine with 100 drones overnight
Tuesday 29 April 2025 07:04 , Arpan RaiRussia launched 100 drones in overnight attacks targeting Ukraine, Ukraine's air force said this morning.
Ukraine's air force said it shot down 37 drones, while 47 others disappeared from radars without reaching their targets – usually a result of being jammed by electronic warfare systems
The attacks caused damage in the Kharkiv, Donetsk, Dnipropetrovsk and Kyiv regions, it said in a Telegram post.
Rubio speaks to Russia's Lavrov on 'need to end Ukraine war now'
Tuesday 29 April 2025 06:56 , Arpan RaiUS secretary of state Marco Rubio has urged Russia’s foreign minister Sergei Lavrov to end the war in Ukraine now, a spokesperson said.
"After Special Envoy Witkoff’s 25 April visit to Moscow, the Secretary underscored to his Russian counterpart the next steps in Russia-Ukraine peace talks and the need to end the war now," US state department spokesperson Tammy Bruce said.
The “United States is serious about faciliating an end to this senseless war”, according to the spokesperson who said that Mr Rubio and Mr Lavrov spoke on Sunday at the Russian official’s request.
In what appears to be a final push from Washington, the Trump administration is making intense efforts to broker a ceasefire between Ukraine and Russia.
Mr Rubio has threatened that the US might abandon the process and walk away if there are no signs of cooperation and that the upcoming week will be crucial for determining the US’s involvement in the peace talks.
Why Crimea matters so much to Putin – and now Trump
Tuesday 29 April 2025 06:46 , Arpan RaiCrimea is footnoted in British history for the Earl of Cardigan and his disastrous leading of the Charge of the Light Brigade. To Vladimir Putin it’s where history itself must turn.
Donald Trump, taking an 18th-century might-is-right approach, has said that the peninsula was captured without a fight by Russia from Ukraine in 2014 and therefore should stay in Putin’s fist.
Of all the 20 per cent of Ukraine’s territory taken after Russia invaded Crimea 11 years ago and launched its wider Anschluss in 2022, Crimea is the greatest Russian prize.
Whoever controls Sevastopol is likely to dominate the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov. Outside of Tartus, in Syria, which Russia lost recently, it is – or was – Russia’s only warm-weather port.
