Ukraine-Russia war latest: Kyiv says frontline position ‘strongest in a year’ as Zelensky calls for new talks

EU has approved €90 billion loan for Ukraine. How will it work and impact war with Russia?

Nuclear energy is having a global revival 40 years after Chernobyl

Italy summons Russian ambassador after TV host targets Giorgia Meloni on air

Ukraine wants to name part of its nation ‘Donnyland’ to appease Trump and end war with Russia: report

Key Points

• No gains for Russia as Ukraine holds ‘strongest’ frontline position in a year, says Sybiha
• Longer Iran conflict could make it harder for Ukraine to secure missile defences, says Zelensky
• Ukraine asks Turkey to mediate war and host Zelensky-Putin talks
• Zelensky says Russia ceasefire unlikely until Iran crisis ‘closed’ - Watch
• Kremlin says Putin can meet Zelensky – but there's a precondition

Druzhba oil flow to Slovakia resumes after pipeline repaired

​Slovakia has started receiving crude oil through the Druzhba pipeline in the early hours today, the country's economy ministry said, confirming ⁠the end of a months-long outage after what Ukraine said was a Russian strike on the pipeline.

"The Economy Ministry informs that today ⁠at 2am (0000 GMT) ​the ⁠reception of oil to Slovakia through the Druzhba pipeline was resumed," ⁠a ministry statement said.

The Druzhba pipeline ​has ⁠become one of ‌the most politically charged pieces of infrastructure in Europe since the halt in Russian ‌oil deliveries to Hungary and ‌Slovakia in January.

Oil through the Ukrainian section of the pipeline started flowing on Wednesday, prompting ⁠Hungary to lift its veto on €90bn (£78bn) EU loan urgently needed by Ukraine.

Ukraine had said the halt was forced by the necessity to repair the pipeline. Hungary and Slovakia, ‌meanwhile, accused Kyiv of dragging its ​feet.

Hungary and Slovakia continue to ‌rely on Russian ⁠oil and gas and are trying to ⁠maintain supplies despite EU efforts to end Russian ‌energy imports ​after Russia's invasion ‌of Ukraine in 2022.

Seven injured in Russian attack on apartment building in Ukraine's Dnipro

A ​Russian air attack has triggered a series of ⁠fires in an apartment block in Ukraine's southeastern city of ⁠Dnipro, injuring ​seven ⁠people, including two children, in the early hours today, officials said.

Regional governor Oleksandr Ganzha ‌said five people were being treated in hospital, ‌including girls ‌aged nine and 14.

Pictures posted on line ⁠by the governor showed several apartments ablaze and emergency crews using extendable ladders with a bucket to bring ‌the flames ​under control.

Ganzha said ‌fire also ⁠broke out in ⁠a store and ‌a ​number of cars.

Turkey trying to revive Russia-Ukraine negotiations, Erdogan tells Nato chief

Turkey is making efforts to revive negotiations between Russia and Ukraine and bring together the leaders of the warring sides, Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan told ⁠Nato secretary general Mark Rutte in a meeting in Ankara, the Turkish presidency said on Wednesday.

Earlier on Wednesday, Kyiv said it had asked Turkey, a Nato member, to host a leaders' ⁠level meeting with Russia. Ankara ​has maintained ⁠good ties with both Ukraine and Russia since Moscow's full-scale invasion in 2022.

"Erdogan said we were ⁠engaged, as Turkey, for the Ukraine-Russia war to end with ​peace, ⁠and that we are ‌working to revive negotiations and start talks at leaders' level," the presidency said in a readout of the meeting.

The Turkish ‌president also told Rutte that maintaining transatlantic ‌ties was "indispensable", but that Ankara expected European Nato allies to take more responsibility for transatlantic security, the presidency said.

"Erdogan said Turkey was working to end the Ukraine-Russia war through negotiations ‌and reach lasting peace, just as it ​is trying with regards to Iran," the presidency said ‌in a separate statement.

Watch: Zelensky says Russia ceasefire unlikely until Iran crisis ‘closed’

Kremlin says Putin can meet Zelensky – but there's a precondition

Russian president ​Vladimir Putin can only meet Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky for ⁠the purpose of finalising agreements on the conflict, Russian news agencies quoted Kremlin ⁠spokesperson ​Dmitry Peskov ⁠as saying on Wednesday.

"The main thing ⁠is the goal of ​this ⁠meeting. Why ‌should they meet? Putin has said he is ‌ready for a ‌meeting in Moscow at any moment," TASS news ⁠agency quoted Peskov as telling Russian state television.

"The main thing is that there should be a reason to meet, and ‌the main thing ​is that the ‌meeting should ⁠be productive. And it ⁠can only be for ‌the ​purpose of ‌finalising agreements,” he said.

Railway worker killed in Russian strikes on Ukraine

A train driver was killed in Ukraine after Russia attacked the country’s railway in the Zaporizhzhia region, Ukraine’s deputy prime minister Oleksii Kuleba said.

The attack targeted a sorting yard at the Zaporizhzhia-Live station in ⁠⁠the southern Zaporizhzhia region and killed an ‌‌assistant train driver.

The main driver was injured and is receiving treatment at a hospital, he said.

Kuleba called it “another proof of terrorism, Russia is at war against peaceful people, against those who were simply doing their job and keeping the country moving”.

Drones also targeted Ukraine’s main Black Sea port in the southern city of Odesa.

The strikes, which took place in the early hours of Wednesday, damaged the infrastructure of the Odesa ⁠⁠port, including berths, warehouses, railway infrastructure and ‌‌port operators’ facilities, Kuleba said in a statement on X.

Watch: Dua Lipa funds pickup truck for medical battalion in Ukraine

EU prepares finalisation of €90bn loan for Ukraine after Orban hurdle removed

EU ​ambassadors have approved the disbursement of a promised €90bn ($106bn) loan to Ukraine as well as a new package of sanctions against Russia ⁠after Hungary lifted its veto, the bloc's Cypriot presidency said.

The European Union's 27 member states are now expected to sign off on the deal by this afternoon, a spokesperson for the Cypriot presidency ⁠added.

The EU agreed last year ​on ⁠the loan to keep Ukraine liquid through 2026 and 2027. But Hungary then blocked ⁠the deal after Russia-friendly prime minister Viktor Orban accused Ukraine of ​sabotaging ⁠the transit of Russian ‌oil through a pipeline damaged by Russian attacks.

The spat had also delayed the new sanctions against Russia, which the EU ‌had initially aimed to adopt to ‌mark the fourth anniversary of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine on 24 February 2022.

The stumbling block was finally removed when Hungary's oil group MOL yesterday said it had been informed that the Ukrainian operator of the Druzhba pipeline was ready to resume crude oil transit to Hungary and Slovakia.

MOL said it expected the first shipments via the pipeline to arrive in Hungary and Slovakia by Thursday at the latest. Both countries remain reliant on ‌Russia for much of their energy.

Ukraine's prospects for ​receiving the loan had already improved when Orban ‌lost Hungary's parliamentary election ⁠on 12 April. The leader of the winning party, ⁠Peter Magyar, has said he will no longer block the EU funds for ‌Kyiv, though he ​is only expected to take ‌power next month.

Ukraine asks Turkey to mediate war and host Zelensky-Putin talks

Ukraine has asked Turkey to host a meeting between president Volodymyr Zelensky and Russian president Vladimir Putin.

The development was shared by Ukrainian foreign minister Andrii Sybiha, saying that Ukraine is ready to meet Putin at any venue to end the war, except Belarus or Russia.

“We asked the Turks about it, we asked some other capitals,” Sybiha said, speaking to reporters on Tuesday.

“We addressed the Turks specifically,” he said. “But if another capital, besides Moscow and Belarus, organises such a meeting, we will go.”

On Friday, Sybiha told the Antalya Diplomacy Forum that Ukraine was ready to participate in any round of talks “regardless of format,” including meetings involving Zelensky, Putin, Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan, or US president Donald Trump.

No gains for Russia as Ukraine holds ‘strongest’ frontline position in a year, says Sybiha

Ukraine’s frontline position is now “the strongest” it has been in a year, the country’s foreign minister Andrii Sybiha said, crediting its superiority in drone warfare and air defence.

“We have minimised the Russians’ advantage in manpower through the use of drones,” Sybiha said.

He added: “For us, the situation on the battlefield is about strengthening our negotiating position. We can shoot down up to 90 per cent of the targets that strike our cities… [Ukraine’s] position on the battlefield is indeed the strongest, or the most solid, it has been over the past year.”

A new analysis of data from the Institute for the Study of War said that Russia made almost no territorial gains across the frontline in March, the first time Moscow has made such little progress in two and a half years.

Longer Iran conflict could make it harder for Ukraine to secure missile defences, says Zelensky

Ukraine could face increased risks in securing US ​anti-missile defences if the war in Iran goes on for an extended period of time, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has cautioned.

Speaking to CNN, Zelensky said Ukraine received limited numbers of such weaponry because US production was limited, but so far it had experienced no disruption in supplies or in provision of intelligence.

Zelensky said Ukraine was ⁠able to secure US ​weaponry through ⁠the PURL programme under which Nato countries can finance the purchase of weapons for Kyiv.

“Through this ⁠programme, we can include and buy anti-ballistic missiles for Patriot ​systems ⁠and some other weapons which ‌is very important for us. We don't have this...with our European neighbours," Zelensky told CNN in English.

“And of course, (given) ‌the big challenge in the Middle ‌East war and Iran, all these packages are at risk."

The United States, he said, had supplied "only a small number. We had not ⁠too much. We understand why, because the production in the United States is not so big.”

“And if the war will continue or a ceasefire is delayed...(this) will be not good. And maybe we will have more risks with anti-ballistics.”

Seven injured in Russian attack on apartment building in Ukraine's Dnipro

A ​Russian air attack has triggered a series of ⁠fires in an apartment block in Ukraine's southeastern city of ⁠Dnipro, injuring ​seven ⁠people, including two children, in the early hours today, officials said.

Regional governor Oleksandr Ganzha ‌said five people were being treated in hospital, ‌including girls ‌aged nine and 14.

Pictures posted on line ⁠by the governor showed several apartments ablaze and emergency crews using extendable ladders with a bucket to bring ‌the flames ​under control.

Ganzha said ‌fire also ⁠broke out in ⁠a store and ‌a ​number of cars.

Zelensky says unblocking of 90bn loan is 'right signal'

Volodymyr Zelensky said on Wednesday that the unblocking of a 90-billion-euro ($106-billion) European Union loan to Kyiv was "the right signal under the current circumstances".

Writing on X, Zelensky said that incentives for Russia to end its war in Ukraine "can arise only when both support for Ukraine and pressure on Russia are sufficient."

“Ukraine is fulfilling its obligations in relations with the European Union – even on such sensitive issues as the operation of the Druzhba oil pipeline.

“We expect that the European side will also deliver what is needed for the real protection of lives and for advancing Ukraine’s full European integration.”

Implementation of our agreement with the European Union to unblock a €90 billion support package for Ukraine over two years is now effectively underway, as well as a new sanctions package against Russia over this war. The unblocking is the right signal under the current…

— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) April 22, 2026

Ukraine wants to name part of its nation ‘Donnyland’ to appease Trump and end war with Russia: report

Ukrainian officials suggested renaming a section of the disputed Donbas region “Donnyland” to appeal to President Donald Trump’s ego and to get him “more on their side,” according to a report.

The moniker was suggested in an “attempt to convince the Trump administration to push back more against Russia’s territorial demands,” and was first mentioned “partly in jest” by a Ukrainian translator, according to The New York Times, citing four people familiar with the negotiations.

Donnyland, which is about 50 miles long and 40 miles wide, would appear to be a nod to the president’s fondness for putting his name on everything from federal buildings and skyscrapers to bank accounts and commemorative coins.

Read the full story:

Ukraine negotiators suggest renaming disputed region ‘Donnyland’ to appease Trump

Pictured: Ukrainian troops prepare to fire on Russian positions on the frontline

Recap: Zelensky eyes summit with Putin in Turkey

Volodymyr Zelensky is keen to meet with Vladimir Putin in an effort to restart stalled talks aimed at ending the war in Ukraine, Kyiv’s foreign ministry said.

Foreign minister Andrii Sybiha told reporters on Tuesday that Ukraine has already asked Turkey to host a summit, but would be open to considering any place other than Belarus or Russia to meet.

“We addressed the Turks specifically,” he said. “But if another capital, besides Moscow and Belarus, organises such a meeting, we will go.”

Ukraine is looking to reopen talks itself with American mediators tied up in the conflict in Iran. Zelensky has warned his country faces a “critical” shortage of missile interceptors as the war soaks up US resources and attention.

Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan told Nato chief Mark Rutte on Wednesday that Turkey is making efforts to revive talks between Russia and Ukraine.

The Turkish presidency said Erdogan relayed his intent to bring the leaders together, after Ukraine said it had asked Turkey to restart talks

How will the EU's 90 billion euro loan to Ukraine work?

A 90bn euro EU loan for Ukraine could be revived after outgoing Hungarian prime minister vowed to lift his veto on the plan.

EU leaders had decided in December to jointly borrow the money to lend to Ukraine to fund its defence for this year and next, using frozen Russian funds as a potential backstop to ensure that Moscow ultimately pays.

How will Europe lend the money?

The EU will provide interest-free loans for the years 2026-2027 based on EU borrowing on capital markets backed by the EU budget headroom, which is the difference between the maximum amount the EU can ask EU members to contribute and the amount it needs to cover foreseen expenses. Hungary, Slovakia and Czechia secured exemptions.

Repayment

Ukraine is not expected to pay the money back itself, with the capital only due for repayment once Russia pays war reparations after the conflict ends. Russia has central bank assets that are frozen in the EU which are worth around 210bn euros that could be used for the repayment.

What will it cover?

The 90bn is to cover two-thirds of Ukraine's needs for the next two years, estimated at 135 billion euros in total. Of the total, Ukraine will get 45 billion euros in 2026 and another 45 billion in 2027. Each year, 28 billion euros will be for spending on military needs and 17 billion on general budget needs.

With Reuters

Chernobyl survivor reveals the disaster’s lifelong toll: ‘Not a single person is in good health’

Forty years after the world’s worst nuclear accident, Petro Hurin continues to grapple with the devastating health consequences of his time as a “liquidator” at Chernobyl. His health, he says, has never been the same since he was dispatched to clear the site in the wake of the catastrophic explosion.

Mr Hurin was one of hundreds of thousands of individuals mobilised to clean up after the blast at reactor four of the Chernobyl nuclear plant in Ukraine on 26 April 1986. The disaster unleashed clouds of radioactive material that spread across much of Europe, leaving a toxic legacy.

In the immediate aftermath, 31 plant workers and firefighters perished, primarily from acute radiation sickness. Since then, thousands more have succumbed to radiation-related illnesses, including various forms of cancer, though the precise total death toll and long-term health effects remain a subject of intense debate among experts.

Read the full story:

Chernobyl survivor reveals disaster’s lifelong toll: ‘No one is in good health’

Watch: Zelensky says Trump’s envoys visiting Putin and not Kyiv is ‘disrespectful’

Ukraine wants to name part of its nation ‘Donnyland’ to appease Trump and end war with Russia: report

Ukrainian officials suggested renaming a section of the disputed Donbas region “Donnyland” to appeal to President Donald Trump’s ego and to get him “more on their side,” according to a report.

The moniker was suggested in an “attempt to convince the Trump administration to push back more against Russia’s territorial demands,” and was first mentioned “partly in jest” by a Ukrainian translator, according to The New York Times, citing four people familiar with the negotiations.

Donnyland, which is about 50 miles long and 40 miles wide, would appear to be a nod to the president’s fondness for putting his name on everything from federal buildings and skyscrapers to bank accounts and commemorative coins.

Read the full story:

Ukraine negotiators suggest renaming disputed region ‘Donnyland’ to appease Trump

Swimming row erupts as Norway refuses to host Russians and Belarusians

The Norwegian Swimming Federation has declared it will not host international championships as long as World Aquatics (WA) permits athletes from Russia and Belarus to compete.

This decision, confirmed by the country's governing body President Cato Bratbakk, deepens a growing divide within the global swimming community.

The move comes after WA last week lifted neutrality restrictions, allowing Russian and Belarusian athletes to participate in events with their national uniforms, flags, and anthems since 14 April. The global governing body also reinstated full membership rights for both nations.

Swimming crisis deepens as Norway refuses to host Russian and Belarusian athletes

Russia to stop Kazakh oil flows to German PCK refinery via Druzhba

Russia will stop the supply of Kazakh crude oil via the Druzhba pipeline to Germany from May 1, deputy prime minister Alexander Novak said on Wednesday, forcing a major refinery near Berlin to make up the shortfall from elsewhere.

The move deals a blow to the PCK Schwedt refinery, which supplies most of the German capital's fuel and relies on Kazakhstan for about 17% of its supplies. It also adds to Germany's fuel supply concerns as the Iran war disrupts flows from the Gulf.

Novak said the move was due to "technical possibilities", offering no further explanation.

Kazakhstan's oil exports to Germany via Russia's Druzhba pipeline totalled 2.146 million metric tons, or around 43,000 barrels per day, last year, an increase of 44% from 2024, and 730,000 tons in the first quarter of 2026.

Three industry sources had told Reuters on Tuesday that Russia was set to stop oil exports from Kazakhstan via the Druzhba pipeline starting from May 1.

With Reuters

How will the EU's 90 billion euro loan to Ukraine work?

A 90bn euro EU loan for Ukraine could be revived after outgoing Hungarian prime minister vowed to lift his veto on the plan.

EU leaders had decided in December to jointly borrow the money to lend to Ukraine to fund its defence for this year and next, using frozen Russian funds as a potential backstop to ensure that Moscow ultimately pays.

How will Europe lend the money?

The EU will provide interest-free loans for the years 2026-2027 based on EU borrowing on capital markets backed by the EU budget headroom, which is the difference between the maximum amount the EU can ask EU members to contribute and the amount it needs to cover foreseen expenses. Hungary, Slovakia and Czechia secured exemptions.

Repayment

Ukraine is not expected to pay the money back itself, with the capital only due for repayment once Russia pays war reparations after the conflict ends. Russia has central bank assets that are frozen in the EU which are worth around 210bn euros that could be used for the repayment.

What will it cover?

The 90bn is to cover two-thirds of Ukraine's needs for the next two years, estimated at 135 billion euros in total. Of the total, Ukraine will get 45 billion euros in 2026 and another 45 billion in 2027. Each year, 28 billion euros will be for spending on military needs and 17 billion on general budget needs.

With Reuters

Russia hopes Witkoff and Kushner will continue their Russia visits to talk Ukraine

The Kremlin said on Wednesday it hoped that U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner would continue to visit Russia to discuss a possible peace settlement for Ukraine, the state-run RIA ⁠news agency reported.

RIA cited Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov as saying that it was not yet known when the next such visit might take place.

Talks brokered by Washington between Ukraine and Russia to end Moscow's more than four-year war in Ukraine stalled after the U.S. and Israel bombed Iran, triggering waves of retaliatory strikes on numerous Middle Eastern states.

With Reuters

Zelensky looks to embed Ukraine deeper in Europe with defence agreements

Volodymyr Zelensky goes on to say Ukraine is currently preparing new bilateral security agreements with countries in Europe.

Following visits to Germany, Norway, Italy and the Netherlands, he says he plans to reveal expanded security cooperation and a drone deal.

“Only with Ukraine’s security experience can Europe’s defence be truly reliable,” he says.

Zelensky says separately that he discussed the SAFE instrument and joint production with Spain, and thanked the country’s leadership for its ‘vital’ provision of HAWK and Patriot missiles.

I was briefed by Rustem Umerov following the second phase of his work with the Middle East and the Gulf region, as well as with other countries facing significant security challenges due to the war in Iran.

Rustem held talks with representatives of India and Bahrain — and we… pic.twitter.com/0z4bkFmgyu

— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) April 22, 2026

Turkey confirms plans to bring leaders together for peace talks

Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan told Nato chief Mark Rutte that Turkey is making efforts to revive talks between Russia and Ukraine.

The Turkish presidency said Erdogan relayed his intent to bring the leaders together, after Ukraine said it had asked Turkey to restart talks

Zelensky says unblocking of 90bn loan is 'right signal'

Volodymyr Zelensky said on Wednesday that the unblocking of a 90-billion-euro ($106-billion) European Union loan to Kyiv was "the right signal under the current circumstances".

Writing on X, Zelensky said that incentives for Russia to end its war in Ukraine "can arise only when both support for Ukraine and pressure on Russia are sufficient."

“Ukraine is fulfilling its obligations in relations with the European Union – even on such sensitive issues as the operation of the Druzhba oil pipeline.

“We expect that the European side will also deliver what is needed for the real protection of lives and for advancing Ukraine’s full European integration.”

Implementation of our agreement with the European Union to unblock a €90 billion support package for Ukraine over two years is now effectively underway, as well as a new sanctions package against Russia over this war. The unblocking is the right signal under the current…

— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) April 22, 2026

Recap: Smoke spreads over 300km from Russian port on fire after deadly strike

A large fire at an oil refinery in Russia's Black Sea port of Tuapse has sent thick plumes of smoke stretching hundreds of kilometres, according to satellite imagery, after the second deadly Ukrainian strike within days.

Nasa Worldview images showed dark smoke from burning oil storage tanks spreading inland as far as the Stavropol region, some 300km away. The fire erupted following a series of Ukrainian strikes on the facility and surrounding oil infrastructure.

Ukraine’s Security Service said it first targeted the Tuapse refinery and port infrastructure on 16 April, with a second strike on 20 April, which hit an oil terminal and caused a massive fire. The strikes led to one fatality, while another man was injured.

According to Ukraine’s Centre for Countering Disinformation, the fire was still burning as of late on Tuesday.

Germany aiming to grow military to nearly 500,000 personnel

Germany set out a military strategy on Wednesday that sticks with a target of 260,000 active troops despite demands by senior military officials to raise total troop numbers more drastically in response to a widely perceived growing threat from Russia.

Speaking to reporters in Berlin, German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius said Berlin aimed for a military of 460,000 soldiers, a target set in 2025 that includes 200,000 reservists, while describing the strategy as a "living document".

"It is clear that automation and artificial intelligence will continue to impact our planning, how many troops we will need and with what qualifications", he noted. "Our ambition is and must be...to be Europe's strongest conventional military."

The country reintroduced a form of military service in January, which aims to rapidly increase the number of personnel by the mid-2030s.

The Bundeswehr had some 184,000 serving soldiers at the end of 2025.

BREAKING: Ukrainian 90bn euro loan 'has been approved by EU ambassadors', says Cyprus

The long-awaited 90bn euro loan to Ukraine has finally been approved by EU ambassadors, after Hungary removed its opposition.

The presidency of Cyprus made the announcement on Wednesday.

Hungary’s outgoing prime minister Viktor Orban signalled earlier this week he would be willing to lift his veto on the loan before leaving office if Ukraine was able to restore the flow of Russian oil to Hungary disrupted by damage to the Druzhba pipeline.

Hungary’s MOL Group oil and gas company said today it expects shipments to resume by Thursday at the latest.

Watch: Smoke spreads over 300km from Russian port on fire after deadly strike

Woman and child killed by Ukrainian drone in Russia's Syzran, official says

A woman and child were killed in the Russian city of Syzran after a Ukrainian drone attack caused their apartment building to partially collapse, the regional governor said on Wednesday.

Vyacheslav Fedorishchev, governor of the Samara region, said that two apartment buildings had been hit in the attack, something he called a crime against the civilian population.

"Two people - an adult woman and a child - have died in Syzran following an attack by an enemy drone," he said in a statement. "They were pulled from the rubble of the destroyed building's entrance. This is a tragedy we all share," said Fedorishchev.

Twelve people were injured in the attack, the governor said.

There was no immediate comment from Ukraine. Both sides deny deliberately targeting civilians.

UK facing most serious cyber attacks from Russia, Iran and China

The most serious cyber threats facing the UK are now being carried out by hostile states including Russia, Iran and China, according to Richard Horne, head of the National Cyber Security Centre.

In a speech, Horne is set to warn that Britain is living through a “seismic geopolitical shift”, with the risk of large-scale cyberattacks rising sharply, particularly in the event of an international conflict.

Horne will say the NCSC is currently dealing with around four nationally significant cyber incidents each week.

While criminal activity such as ransomware remains common, the most serious threats stem from state-linked operations.

He is expected to highlight China’s highly sophisticated cyber capabilities, Iran’s use of cyber tools to target perceived opponents abroad, and Russia’s expansion of tactics developed during the war in Ukraine into wider operations across Europe.

Officials across Europe have already raised alarms over attacks on critical infrastructure, including power plants, dams and water systems in countries such as Sweden, Poland, Denmark and Norway.

Horne will warn that, unlike ransomware attacks, businesses may not be able to recover by paying off attackers in a conflict scenario, urging organisations to strengthen defences and fully assess their exposure before it is too late.

Russia ready to resume Druzhba oil flows when Ukraine 'ends blackmail', says Kremlin

Russia is ready to resume oil flows through the Druzhba pipeline to Hungary and Slovakia whenever Ukraine ends what Moscow called its "blackmail", the Kremlin has said.

Outgoing Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orban, and the Slovakian government, have been in dispute with Ukraine over the suspension of Russian oil supplies over Ukrainian territory through the Soviet-era pipeline.

Kyiv says the pipeline was shut down due to a Russian attack in late January. Volodymyr Zelensky said it would be put back into operation by the end of April.

"As things stand, you are aware that the Russian side remains technically ready. We have contractual obligations with Hungary. But following the start of the Kyiv regime’s blackmail, deliveries have been halted," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Tuesday.

"Everything depends on the Kyiv regime – whether they will open the pipeline and put an end to the blackmail.”