Ukraine-Russia war latest: Smoke spreads over 300km from Russian port on fire after deadly strike

The Russian celebrity blogger taking on Putin’s propaganda machine

Ukraine completes Druzhba pipeline repairs, hoping to unlock blocked EU loan

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

Nato fighter jets scrambled to intercept Russian military aircraft over Baltic Sea

Key Points

• Smoke from Tuapse refinery fire billows hundreds of kilometres after strikes
• EU decision on €90bn loan to Ukraine could come within 24 hours
• Apartment building collapses in Russia after Ukrainian drone attack, governor says
• Dua Lipa funds frontline pickup truck for Ukrainian medics
• Druzhba pipeline ready to operate as Zelensky seeks €90bn loan

Two people killed in Russia's Syzran after Ukrainian drone attack collapses building, officials say

Two people were killed after ⁠part of an apartment building ⁠collapsed ​in ⁠the Russian city ⁠of Syzran ​after ⁠a Ukrainian ‌drone attack, local emergency services ‌said on ‌Wednesday.

The RIA Novosti ⁠state news agency, citing local emergency services, said earlier that ‌12 people ​had ‌been ⁠injured.\

EU imposes sanctions on two Russian entities it says are linked to disinformation

The European Council ​has imposed sanctions on two Russian entities that it said on Tuesday were linked to propaganda and disinformation ⁠from Moscow.

The sanctions were placed on media platform Euromore and the Foundation for the Support and Protection of the Rights of Compatriots Living ⁠Abroad (Pravfond), which the ​Council said ⁠in a statement makes "legal and analytical output (that) is systematically used to reinforce ⁠key Kremlin disinformation points."

Russian officials say the ​EU ⁠has repeatedly curbed ‌freedom of expression by banning media which dare to challenge the EU's own perceptions ‌of the world. Moscow denies ‌that it spreads disinformation and says EU leaders are intentionally exaggerating the threat from Russia for ⁠their own political ends.

Euromore and Pravfond did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

The designation subjects the entities to an asset freeze and bars EU citizens and companies from making funds, financial assets or economic ‌resources available to them.

The EU ​has imposed sanctions on 69 ‌people and 19 ⁠entities over Russian activities that it ⁠says "undermine the fundamental values of the EU and its ‌member states, ​their security, stability, independence ‌and integrity."

Smoke from Tuapse refinery fire billows hundreds of kilometres after strikes

A massive fire at an oil refinery in Russia’s Tuapse has sent thick plumes of smoke drifting hundreds of kilometres.

Satellite imagery from NASA Worldview showed dark smoke from burning oil storage tanks spreading inland as far as the Stavropol region, some 300km away.

Visuals indicate extensive smoke from burning oil storage tanks, while Nasa's FIRMS (Fire Information for Resource Management System) project continues to detect active hotspots, suggesting the blaze remains uncontrolled, reported RBC Ukraine.

Authorities in the Krasnodar region say firefighting efforts are still underway.

At least one person was killed, and another was injured after the second Ukrainian strike within four days that hit an oil terminal in the same area.

The first attack took place on 16 April and second followed on 20 April.

It's not the first time the port has been targeted. As many as two people were killed in a previous drone attack on Tuapse last week.

EU decision on €90bn loan to Ukraine could come within 24 hours

EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said a decision on a crucial loan for Ukraine could come within 24 hours after the repair of a key pipeline was completed.

Ukraine needs around $52bn in external funding this year and could begin running short of money by June without fresh support.

EU Economy Commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis said funding needs for 2026 are already secured, with the first tranche of the loan likely by late May or early June.

Volodymyr Zelensky called on the EU to unblock a €90bn loan after he said the Druzhba pipeline carrying Russian oil to Hungary and Slovakia has been repaired.

The damaged pipeline has become a politically charged issue after Hungary's Viktor Orban refused to allow the EU loan to proceed until oil flows were restored. Election winner Peter Magyar has also called for flows to resume once the pipeline is operational.

Apartment building collapses in Russia after Ukrainian drone attack, governor says

Part of a residential apartment block has collapsed in the Russian city ⁠of ​Syzran after a Ukrainian drone attack, a local governor said.

Vyacheslav Fedorishchev said four people, including one ‌child, have ​been ‌rescued as search and ⁠rescue ⁠operations are ongoing.

Dua Lipa funds frontline pickup truck for Ukrainian medics

Dua Lipa has funded the delivery of a vital new pickup truck to Ukraine’s medics on the frontline against Russia.

The British singer organised an event to raise money for Ukraine’s First Separate Medical Battalion by the UK-based Driving Ukraine project, a charity that delivers evacuation vehicles to the frontlines in Ukraine.

“The probability of Dua Lipa helping to raise funds to provide a vehicle for our unit is not high… but it is never zero,” Ukraine’s First Separate Medical Battalion wrote on Instagram.

“Thank you to Dua Lipa, Service 95 [the star’s digital platform], and Driving Ukraine for this powerful pickup truck for the First Separate Medical Battalion,” it added.

Her mother, Anesa Lipa, was also part of the humanitarian convoy which delivered the truck.“It will help us perform life-saving missions in the combat zone,” the post read.

The post was accompanied by a video showing a combat medic reclining on a vehicle, listening to Levitating, Dua Lipa’s 2020 hit, as medical supplies were loaded into the back.

“Hello. Dua Lipa joined the fundraiser and purchased a pickup truck for the First Medical Battalion. Goodbye,” Roman Hryshchuk, a Ukrainian politician, wrote on social media.

Italy summons Russian ambassador over TV host insults to PM Meloni

Italy summoned ​the Russian ambassador to protest against insults directed at prime minister Giorgia Meloni by a pro-Kremlin Russian television host, ⁠Rome's foreign minister said on Tuesday.

"I had the Russian ambassador... summoned to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to express formal protests ⁠following the extremely serious ​and offensive ⁠statements made by the host Vladimir Solovyev on Russian television," Antonio ⁠Tajani said on X.

In a one-minute segment, ​Solovyev ⁠swore in Italian, ‌calling Meloni a "certified idiot" and worse.

In Russian, he added: "Meloni is fascist scum who ‌betrayed her voters, having campaigned on ‌completely different slogans. Betrayal is her middle name: she also betrayed (US president Donald) Trump, to whom ⁠she had previously sworn allegiance."

Meloni leads a right-wing government that has provided military and civilian aid to Ukraine since Russia's invasion, but her coalition includes the League party, which has had close ties with ‌the Kremlin.

She has recently fallen ​out of favour with Trump, ‌previously a close ally, ⁠distancing herself from the war ⁠with Iran and openly criticising the US president for ‌lashing out ​at Pope Leo.

Russia raises concerns over safety of its citizens in breakaway region due to strikes

Russia has warned that the safety of its citizens in Moldova’s breakaway Transdniestria region is under threat, with Security Council Secretary Sergei Shoigu saying Moscow is prepared to act if needed.

Transdniestria, a pro-Russian enclave that split from Moldova before the collapse of the Soviet Union, has existed in a fragile peace since a brief war in 1992. Tensions have risen in recent months as Moldova’s pro-European government increases pressure on the region.

In an interview with Russian daily Komsomolskaya Pravda, Shoigu said more than 220,000 Russian citizens live in Transdniestria and their safety is at risk due to what he described as “irresponsible actions” by Kyiv and Chisinau.

He warned that Russia could use “all available methods” to protect its nationals, adding that “nothing should be ruled out”, though he expressed hope the situation would not escalate.

The remarks come after stalled talks between Moldova and Transdniestria, and fresh friction over Moldova’s move to bar entry to commanders of Russian “peacekeepers” stationed in the region, as well as plans to extend customs duties and VAT there.

Moldovan president Maia Sandu has pushed for EU membership by 2030, saying it could proceed even without resolving the Transdniestria conflict.

Druzhba pipeline ready to operate as Zelensky seeks €90bn loan

Volodymyr Zelensky said the Druzhba pipeline carrying Russian oil to Hungary and Slovakia has been repaired, calling on the EU to unblock a €90bn loan halted by an argument over the pipeline.

The oil flows are likely to start and the first shipment would be divided equally between Hungary ​and Slovakia, a source said.

The pipeline was damaged by a Russian attack in January, leading to a lengthy suspension of oil flows, which subsequently sparked a backlash from European Union members Hungary and Slovakia, which remain reliant on Russian oil imports via Druzhba.

They accused Kyiv of deliberately dragging its feet over the repairs, which it denied.

Speaking in his nightly video address, the Ukrainian leader called in turn for officials in Brussels to ensure the release of the funding: "There can now be no grounds for blocking it."

"The European Union asked Ukraine to repair the Druzhba oil pipeline, which the Russians had damaged. We have repaired it. We hope that the European Union will also implement the agreements."

Kremlin accuses Europe of planning to 'nuclearise and militarise'

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has accused Europe of holding clear ambitions to "nuclearise and militarise".

Peskov was commenting on a Politico report that French and Polish leaders had discussed holding joint nuclear exercises.

France - the European Union's only nuclear power - is leading an effort to include allies in its nuclear deterrent. Peskov said such efforts do not contribute to stability on the European continent.

Ukrainian drones strike oil facility in Russia's Samara region

Ukrainian drones have struck an oil dispatch facility in Russia's Samara region overnight, an official within Ukraine's SBU security service has told Reuters news agency.

The attack caused a fire the official said on Tuesday.

According to preliminary data, he added, it also damaged five tanks containing crude oil, each with a capacity of 20,000 cubic metres.

Chernobyl is too radioactive for humans – but wild animals are thriving like never before

Across the Chernobyl exclusion zone, a radioactive landscape too dangerous for human life, the world’s wildest horses roam free. Przewalski’s horses – stocky, sand-coloured, and almost toy-like – graze an area larger than Luxembourg.

This desolate territory was created on 26 April 1986, when an explosion at the Ukrainian nuclear power plant sent radiation across Europe, forcing the evacuation of entire towns and displacing thousands. It remains the worst nuclear disaster in history.

Four decades on, Chernobyl (Chornobyl in Ukraine) remains too dangerous for humans. Yet, wildlife has moved back in. Wolves now prowl the vast no-man’s-land spanning Ukraine and Belarus, and brown bears have returned after more than a century. Populations of lynx, moose, red deer, and even free-roaming dogs have rebounded.

Chernobyl is too radioactive for humans – wild animals are thriving like never before

Zelensky: 'Made in Ukraine' i snow a high-value brand

Volodymyr Zelensky has continued singing the praises of Ukraine’s defence industrial complex.

“Today, Ukraine has 200 very strong defense companies, 30 of which rank among the world’s top. These include drones, artillery, armored vehicles, highly advanced demining drones, and ground robotic systems,” he says.

“We have built a strong defense-industrial complex. “Made in Ukraine” is now a high-value brand. I constantly emphasize to representatives of the private sector that the price of this product is not only money and technology, but also the lives of people who use our equipment.”

Here is a clip of his interview with United News:

Today, Ukraine has 200 very strong defense companies, 30 of which rank among the world’s top. These include drones, artillery, armored vehicles, highly advanced demining drones, and ground robotic systems.

My task is not to lose Ukraine’s reputation. When we talk about security… pic.twitter.com/6sXQ3hoWJH

— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) April 21, 2026

Russian interior minister arrives in North Korea for talks

Russian interior ​minister Vladimir Kolokoltsev arrived in North Korea for talks on cooperation between the ⁠two allies, the ministry's spokesperson Irina Volk said early on Tuesday.

"Issues of cooperation between ⁠the two ​countries ⁠in the field of law enforcement will be ⁠considered," Volk wrote on Telegram. ​Pictures ⁠showed the ‌minister being greeted on arrival in Pyongyang.

Russia and North ‌Korea have forged closer ‌relations since Moscow's 2022 invasion of Ukraine and in ⁠2024 signed a "Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Treaty" during a visit to Pyongyang by Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The pact includes a mutual defence provision.

Under ‌the terms of the ​treaty, North Korea ‌sent some ⁠14,000 soldiers to fight alongside ⁠Russian forces in western Russia's Kursk ‌region ​after a ‌large Ukrainian incursion.

Watch: Three injured as Russian night strike hits Ukraine’s Velykyi Burluk, rescuers battle blaze

Two Russian shadow fleet tankers spotted crossing British waters - ICYMI

Two sanctioned tankers, part of Russia’s shadow fleet, made transit through British waters on Monday, The Independent can confirm.

The AURA 1 and INA, two crude oil tankers, crossed into British parts of the North Atlantic Ocean over the weekend, according to MarineTraffic. The two vessels could be seen transiting around 60km apart from each other as they headed in opposite directions near the Hebrides as early as 7am on Monday morning.

AURA 1, flying under a Panamanian flag, departed from Russia’s Ust-Luga cargo port on 9 April and crossed into British parts of the North Sea on Saturday before 3pm, transiting through the Scottish isles as part of its passage to Port Said, Egypt. The tanker was one of the latest to be sanctioned by the Foreign Office (FCDO) on 24 February.

Two Russian shadow fleet tankers spotted crossing British waters

Germany and France propose limited 'associate' membership of EU for Ukraine

War-hit Ukraine should only be granted limited “symbolic” benefits and some form of "associate" membership of the EU as part of a peace deal to end the war with Russia, according to German and French proposals.

Though Paris and Berlin have drafted their own suggestions for what a fast-tracked integration into the EU might look like for Ukraine, according to the FT, both fall some way short of Ukrainian hopes.

According to Germany’s proposal, Kyiv would be allowed to sit in on ministerial and leaders’ meetings but would not have voting rights and would receive “no automatic application” of the shared EU budget.

The French proposal, which would described Ukraine as a country with "integrated state status", would exclude Kyiv from EU farming subsidies.

Both say this status could be granted quickly to Ukraine once the war is over, and that it would be a stepping stone towards full integration into the bloc – a process that would still require Kyiv to navigate extensive bureaucratic hurdles.

A Ukrainian official told the FT that Kyiv was wary of watered-down membership being offered as a poor substitute for true EU member status, but accepted that some elements could be useful.

“We call it ‘shadow membership’,” the official said.

Reconsidering EU's phaseout of Russian energy imports would be 'huge mistake' - EU commissioner

Reconsidering the European Union's planned phaseout of Russian energy imports would be a "huge mistake", EU Commissioner for Energy Dan Jorgensen has said.

Mr Jorgensen’s remarks came during an event in Madrid on Tuesday.

"In my opinion, we should never again import as much as one molecule of Russian energy," he added.

Putin’s top general claims Russia has captured Ukrainian area the size of London this year

Russia's Chief of the General Staff, Valery Gerasimov, claimed that Russian forces have captured 1,700 square kilometres of Ukrainian territory and 80 settlements since the beginning of this year.

Here’s all you need to know in just five bullet points:

Top general claims Russia has taken Ukrainian area the size of London

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 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.”

In pictures: Russia attacks Ukraine's northeastern Sumy region

Kremlin accuses Europe of planning to 'nuclearise and militarise'

We’ve heard from Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, who has accused Europe of holding clear ambitions to "nuclearise and militarise".

Peskov was commenting on a Politico report that French and Polish leaders had discussed holding joint nuclear exercises.

France - the European Union's only nuclear power - is leading an effort to include allies in its nuclear deterrent. Peskov said such efforts do not contribute to stability on the European continent.

Ukrainian drones strike oil facility in Russia's Samara region

Ukrainian drones have struck an oil dispatch facility in Russia's Samara region overnight, an official within Ukraine's SBU security service has told Reuters news agency.

The attack caused a fire the official said on Tuesday.

According to preliminary data, he added, it also damaged five tanks containing crude oil, each with a capacity of 20,000 cubic metres.

Pope Leo calls for 'weapons to fall silent' in Ukraine and commends ceasefire in Lebanon - ICYMI

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 more here:

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

Hungary's Magyar calls on Ukraine to restart Druzhba as soon as possible

Hungarian election ​winner Peter Magyar has called on Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky to reopen the damaged Druzhba pipeline as soon as it is functional, and for Russia ⁠to resume oil shipments through it.

Hungary's outgoing government, led by prime minister Viktor Orban, and Slovakia have been in a dispute with Ukraine over the suspension of Russian oil supplies over Ukrainian territory through ⁠the Soviet-era pipeline. Kyiv ​says ⁠the pipeline was shut due to a Russian attack in late January.

"If on the Ukrainian side the ⁠Druzhba pipeline is ready for oil shipments, then they ​should ⁠kindly reopen it as they ‌had promised," Magyar told a news conference after the first meeting of his parliamentary group.

"And from Russia, we expect ‌them to start feeding oil (into the pipeline) ‌in line with the contracts, because this will not work without either."

The pipeline could open today, according to a report by Bloomberg, restoring oil flow between Hungary and Russia.

Russian troops seize control of two more Ukrainian villages

We’ve had an update from Moscow’s Defence Ministry on the frontline situation in Ukraine.

Russian troops have taken control of two Ukrainian villages, Hryshyne in the eastern Donetsk region and Veterynarne in the northeastern Kharkiv region, the ministry said according to state news agencies.

The Independent is not able to independently verify the battlefield report, and Kyiv is yet to publicly comment on the claims.

We’ll bring you any further updates as soon as they come in.

Kremlin unaware of Russia's plans to halt Kazakhstan's oil exports to Germany

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has said he is not aware of Russia's plans to halt Kazakhstan's oil exports via the Druzhba pipeline to Germany starting from May 1.

"We will try to check it," Peskov told reporters in a daily update.

Three industry sources had earlier told Reuters news agency that Russia is set to stop oil exports from Kazakhstan to Germany via the Druzhba pipeline starting from May 1.

Watch: Three injured as Russian night strike hits Ukraine’s Velykyi Burluk, rescuers battle blaze

Hundreds of firefighters still tackling fire in Russian Black Sea port

Some 246 firefighters are still tackling a fire at Russia's Black Sea port of Tuapse more than 24 hours since a Ukrainian drone attack, local authorities have said.

A Ukrainian drone attack on Tuapse sparked a fire and killed at least one person on Monday.

Tuapse, one of Russia's major southern ports, is an oil product export hub that also handles dry bulk cargo, such as coal and fertiliser. It is home to a major oil refinery of the same name owned by Rosneft.

Russia's local consumer protection watchdog said on Monday it had advised residents against going out and open the windows.

Authorities have also reported an oil slick at sea following an earlier attack on port on April 16, when the terminal's infrastructure was damaged.

Ukraine police chief resigns after officers flee Kyiv mass shooting chaos

Yevhen Zhukov, head of Ukraine's Patrol Police, resigned yesterday after a video circulated showing officers fleeing gunfire and leaving civilians unprotected.

Here is everything you need to know in five bullet points:

Ukraine police chief resigns after officers flee Kyiv mass shooting chaos

Russia to halt Kazakhstan's oil flows to Germany via Druzhba

Russia will stop oil exports from Kazakhstan to Germany via the Druzhba pipeline starting from May 1, three industry sources told Reuters news agency on Tuesday.

The sources also said that the adjusted oil exporting schedule has been sent to Kazakhstan and Germany.