Ukraine-Russia war latest: Fire erupts at major Black Sea port oil refinery after fourth Ukrainian attack in two weeks

Trump says US considering reducing troops in Germany amid clash with Merz and Nato allies

Trump gives rambling answer on whether Ukraine or Iran war will end first — and mixes up the countries

US ambassador to Ukraine steps down after ‘differences of opinion with Trump’

Ukraine’s new private air defences protect key sites from Russian drone attacks

Key Points

• Zelensky calls on Trump to explain details of ceasefire proposal
• Ukrainian drone strikes Tuapse port again and sparks fire
• Trump says he discussed a Ukraine ceasefire with Putin
• Kremlin open to temporary ceasefire with Ukraine to mark Victory Day
• EU considers what perks it can offer Ukraine ahead of full membership
• Trump mixes up Ukraine and Iran wars when asked which will end first

Russia says ceasefire does not need Ukraine’s approval

The Kremlin has said Russia will implement a proposed ceasefire during Victory Day commemorations on 9 May regardless of Ukraine’s response.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said the temporary halt in hostilities “will be implemented” and that “a response is not, in fact, required”.

“The decision has been made by the Supreme Commander-in-Chief,” he added, referring to Vladimir Putin.

The comments come after president Volodymyr Zelensky dismissed the proposal as “manipulative” and a “theatrical performance” aimed at securing military parades.

Ukraine has instead called for an unconditional 30-day ceasefire, with Zelensky saying: “We value human lives, not parades.”

Drone attack on Odesa leaves 20 injured, Kyiv says

Russian attack drones struck Odesa overnight, injuring at least 20 people and damaging residential buildings and civilian infrastructure.

“The enemy has attacked our city again,” Odesa city military administration head Serhiy Lysak wrote on Facebook. “A fire was recorded in a 16-story building. We also have a strike on another high-rise, there was a fire on the 11th and 12th levels.”

A kindergarten, shopping centre, hotel, and other buildings were also hit, he said.

Earlier, Lysak had reported 16 injured, including a 17-year-old, before regional governor Oleh Kiper said the number had risen to 20, the Kyiv Post reported.

Ukraine’s air force said it shot down 172 of 206 drones launched overnight.

Kyiv says it struck oil refinery in Orenburg region

Ukraine’s military has struck an oil refinery in the Russian city of Orsk in the southern Orenburg region, triggering a fire, the General Staff said.

“The Orsknefteorgsintez oil refinery (Orsk in Orenburg region) was hit,” the General Staff said in a statement on Facebook. “A strike was recorded, followed by a fire on the territory of the enterprise. The facility is involved in supplying the Russian occupation army.”

The extent of the damage and whether the fire has been contained were not immediately clear.

Ukraine hits Russian drone hub in Zaporizhzhia

Ukrainian drones have struck a Russian drone development complex in occupied Zaporizhzhia Oblast and damaged multiple facilities, Ukraine’s 413th “raid” regiment said.

The unit said the attack targeted the BARS-Sarmat Special Purpose Center, a key site for developing drones, robotic systems, and electronic warfare capabilities near the Sea of Azov, , according to The Kyiv Independent.

Several workshops involved in manufacturing and equipping drones and unmanned ground vehicles were damaged, the regiment said. The timing of the strike and the full extent of the damage were not specified.

Residents warned over air quality and drinking water in Russia's Tuapse

Residents in Tuapse have been advised to stay indoors and avoid drinking tap water following recent drone strikes on the port. Russia’s consumer safety watchdog cited raised benzene levels in the air and urged people to limit time outside and keep windows closed.

Local health authorities said residents should use bottled water as a precaution. Schools have been closed and May holiday events cancelled.

Some residents have questioned official assurances. “How about she comes to visit us and tries our fresh air?” one person wrote online, responding to claims from Rospotrebnadzor head Anna Popova that the situation posed no health risks.

Ukrainian drone strikes Tuapse port again and sparks fire

A Ukrainian drone struck Russia’s Black Sea port of Tuapse for the fourth time in a week, sparking a fire at the sea terminal, local authorities said early on Friday.

“In Tuapse, as a result of a drone attack by the Kyiv regime, a fire broke out on the territory of the seaport terminal,” the Krasnodar region’s general headquarters said on Telegram.

Officials said emergency crews were deployed to contain the blaze, with 128 firefighters and 41 vehicles at the scene. No injuries were reported.

Tuapse, particularly its oil terminal, has been repeatedly targeted in recent days as Ukraine has intensified attacks on Russian energy infrastructure.

Kremlin open to temporary ceasefire with Ukraine to mark Victory Day

During a phone call with Donald Trump last night it was Vladimir Putin who proposed a temporary ceasefire to mark 9 May and the defeat of Nazi Germany in the Second World War, the Kremlin said.

Kremlin ⁠aide Yuri Ushakov said the telephone call lasted more than an hour and a half and was "conducted in a friendly manner, candid and business-like".

"Trump actively supported this initiative, noting that the holiday ‌marks our common victory over Nazism in World War Two," he said.

He ​added: "Donald Trump believes that a deal to put an end to the ‌conflict in Ukraine is already close."

He ⁠said Putin told the US president that Russian forces in Ukraine "hold the ⁠strategic initiative and are pressing on enemy positions".

Putin, Ushakov said, "clearly said that Kyiv was resorting to openly terrorist ‌methods by attacking civilian ​sites on Russian territory," a reference to frequent ‌Ukrainian strikes on key infrastructure, ​particularly in Russia's oil sector.

In pictures: Devastation after Russian strike on Odesa

At least 18 injured in Russian drones strikes on Ukraine's Odesa overnight

Russian drones attacked Ukraine's southern city of Odesa ​overnight, for the second time this week, wounding at least 18 people and damaging residential buildings, officials said this morning.

The strikes caused the worst damage ⁠in the central Prymorskyi district, where high-rise and five-storey residential buildings were damaged, said Serhiy Lysak, the head of the local military administration. The attacks triggered large fires in upper floors and ⁠on a roof, which have ​since ⁠been contained, Lysak said on Telegram.

Emergency services said the number of injured could still change.

Odesa, a major ⁠Black Sea port and a focal point for Ukrainian exports, ​has ⁠been a repeated target ‌of Russian attacks during more than four years of Russia's war.

Ukraine's air force said Russia had ‌launched one ballistic missile and 206 drones at the country since 6pm (1500 GMT) yesterday, of which 172 drones were downed ⁠or neutralised. One missile and 32 drones hit at 22 locations, it added.

Lysak said a 17-year-old boy was among the injured and two of the wounded were in intensive care in a serious condition.

He added that a kindergarten building was substantially damaged, and reported damage to a ‌shopping centre, a hotel and administrative premises.

He posted photos ​of a fire raging in a building ‌with its upper floor damaged, ⁠and flames and heavy smoke billowing from a high-rise ⁠building.

Dozens of buses and cars have been destroyed or damaged at several ‌parking areas, ​he added.

In another district, strikes ‌were recorded at infrastructure facilities, warehouse ​buildings and a garage cooperative, he said.

EU considers what perks it can offer Ukraine ahead of full membership

EU members are looking to compile a package of short-term benefits for Ukraine as the prospect of giving Kyiv fast-track full membership looks increasingly unlikely.

Interim perks could include greater market access and deeper participation in EU programmes and institutions, four diplomats told Politico.

This comes after Volodymyr Zelensky rejected the idea of being given “symbolic” membership of the bloc, something suggested by German chancellor Friedrich Merz and French president Emmanuel Macron.

One of the diplomats said the EU is looking at “accelerated gradual integration”, under the EU would bring Ukraine into shared markets, funding schemes and political institutions in a phased way.

Another method being pushed suggests Kyiv be given some kind of “acceding state” status to show that it is firmly on track to join the EU, Politico reported citing the Lithuanian proposal.

EU leaders in March rejected the European Commission’s “reverse enlargement” proposals that would allow Ukraine to join the bloc without completing major reforms.

“From the moment of the dinner … member states have been clear it would be very difficult to see membership in the short term,” one of the diplomats said. “But we need to have a positive offer for how we can better move forward together before then.”

Trump says he asked Putin to end Ukraine war - ICYMI

Donald Trump said Vladimir Putin offered to help on the issue of Iran's enriched uranium, a key obstacle to a deal to end the Iran war, but "I said I'd much rather have you be involved with ending the war with Ukraine."

"I said, before you help me, I want to end your war," said Trump.

Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov did not say what proposals Putin had made on ‌Iran. Moscow has previously offered to take enriched uranium out of ​the country.

Ushakov added that Trump, in a ‌friendly and businesslike conversation lasting ​over one to one-and-a-half hours, had said he ‌believed a deal to end the Ukraine ​war was close.

Ukraine bets on battlefield AI as the race for weapons autonomy intensifies

Rapid military adoption of artificial intelligence is becoming essential to Ukraine's survival, even as full integration across the battlefield may still be several years away, according to a senior AI official.

Danylo Tsvok said AI is already helping Ukraine hold territory, while reducing risks to its soldiers as it faces a larger, better-resourced adversary.

“We need to be faster than the enemy in decision-making,” he told The Associated Press, adding that AI is “not only a competitive advantage. It’s about our survival.”

Tsvok, 35, leads the Defense Artificial Intelligence Center, which was established last month by the Defense Ministry. He previously served in the government’s top civilian AI role.

The AP Interview: Ukraine bets on battlefield AI as the race for weapons autonomy intensifies

Trump tells Merz to focus on Ukraine and stop interfering on Iran

Donald Trump has once again taken aim at German chancellor Friedrich Merz, continuing a war of words between the two.

Mr Merz said he should focus on trying to end the Russia-Ukraine war and spend "less time on interfering" with the effort to tackle the "Iran's nuclear threat."

Trump made his comments in a Truth Social post.

Watch: Robot rescues elderly woman fleeing attacks in Ukraine

Kremlin says Russian forces will stay in Mali to fight separatist group

Russian forces will stay in Mali to help the country's military-led government battle insurgents following a surprise offensive by West Africa's al Qaeda affiliate and a Tuareg-dominated separatist group, the Kremlin has said.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov made the statement after being asked by a reporter how Russia responded to a purported statement from the insurgents saying they wanted Russia to leave Mali because they believed the ruling military junta would not survive for long without Russian support.

"Russia's presence there is, in fact, due to the need identified by the current government. Russia will continue, including in Mali, to combat extremism, terrorism and other harmful phenomena and will continue to provide assistance to the current government," he said.

Mali's Russia-trained defence minister, Sadio Camara, was killed in a suicide bombing at the weekend, Russia's Africa Corps was forced to withdraw from Kidal - an important town that Russian mercenaries helped take in 2023 - and Moscow had to use helicopter gunships and strategic bombers to hold insurgents back.

Political analysts say Russia's image as a self-styled security guarantor in Africa has been dented by the events and that its strategic and economic interests on the continent are now threatened by the turmoil.

Fibre-optic drones reshaped the war in Ukraine. Hezbollah are now adopting the deadly weapon

Hezbollah has introduced a new, difficult-to-detect weapon against northern Israel: small drones controlled by fibre-optic cables. These devices, with cables the width of dental floss, are designed to evade electronic detection, posing a fresh challenge to air defences.

Unlike many drones vulnerable to electronic jamming, which can cause them to crash, these fibre-optic variants are directly connected to an operator.

This direct link makes them impossible to jam electronically, a characteristic widely seen in the war in Ukraine. Though not infallible – wind or other drones can tangle their cables – their lethality is high.

Read more here:

Fibre-optic drones reshaped the war in Ukraine. Hezbollah are now adopting the weapon

Trump-Putin calls leave questions unanswered, says EU's Kallas

Telephone calls between Donald Trump and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin leave many questions unanswered, EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said on Thursday.

Trump said on Wednesday he discussed with Putin a possible ceasefire in the four-year war in Ukraine.

"Of course when we see these calls between president Trump and president Putin, then always, you know, there are a lot of questions unanswered, considering that Russia is openly praising the heroic battle that Iran is having against America," Kallas told reporters in Estonia.

Watch: Trump gives rambling answer on whether Ukraine or Iran war will end first and mixes up countries

Zelensky seeking details of ceasefire deal with Trump

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is seeking details of a short-term ceasefire Russia proposed to US president Donald Trump, he said in a post on Telegram on Thursday.

Russian President Vladimir Putin proposed a May 9 ceasefire to coincide with Victory Day in Russia in a phone call with Trump the previous day, according to the Kremlin.

“We have instructed our representatives to contact the United States president’s team and clarify the details of the Russian proposal for a short-term ceasefire,” Zelensky said.

Meanwhile, Russian attacks overnight killed one person in the central Ukrainian city of Dnipro and wounded dozens more in the southern port city of Odesa, as Ukraine continued to strike industrial facilities inside Russian territory for a second day in a row.

RECAP: Ukraine asks Israel to seize vessel it says is carrying grain stolen by Russia

Ukraine has asked Israel to seize a vessel carrying grain it says was stolen from areas occupied by Russia, its top prosecutor said amid ⁠a diplomatic tussle between the two countries over the shipment.

Ukraine and Israel traded accusations on Tuesday, with Ukraine saying it had repeatedly urged Israel via diplomatic channels to take measures regarding the vessel. Israel accused Kyiv of "Twitter diplomacy."

Ukraine's prosecutor general, Ruslan Kravchenko, said on the Telegram app that the vessel, Panormitis, was headed to the Israeli port of Haifa with grain "some of which was shipped" from Russian-occupied regions of Ukraine. The grain ⁠had earlier been loaded from another vessel, he said.

"The Ukrainian side is ​asking ⁠its Israeli partners to seize the vessel and its cargo, conduct a search, seize the vessel's and cargo documentation, take grain samples, and question the crew members," Kravchenko said.

Ukrainian foreign minister Andrii Sybiha, writing on X, vowed that ⁠Kyiv would "go after Russia’s shadow grain fleet and its enablers across all geographies."

Sybiha quoted data showing that between January ​and April, 25 ⁠vessels made some 50 voyages from ports in ‌Russian-occupied Ukraine to ports in third countries. He said that during that period more than 850,000 metric tons of grain were exported from occupied areas.

An official at Royal Maritime Inc, the vessel's Greece-based management company, denied the Panormitis was carrying any ‌grain from occupied Ukraine.

"All of the legal documents we have, including the cargo's certificate ‌of origin, show that the cargo is Russian," the official told Reuters.

Watch: Trump makes baseless claim Kyiv is ‘militarily defeated’ after phone call with Putin

Ukraine's army chief announces time limit for frontline soldiers

Ukrainian frontline soldiers should serve at forward positions ⁠for up to two months and then ⁠need ​to be rotated ⁠out within a ⁠month, Ukraine's ​army chief ⁠Oleksandr Syrskyi ‌said this morning.

“Commanders must ensure that ‌conditions are ‌in place for service personnel ⁠to remain at their posts for up to two months, followed by a mandatory ‌rotation, which ​must take ‌place ⁠within one month," ⁠he said on ‌Telegram.

At least 18 injured in Russian drones strikes on Ukraine's Odesa overnight

Russian drones attacked Ukraine's southern city of Odesa ​overnight, for the second time this week, wounding at least 18 people and damaging residential buildings, officials said this morning.

The strikes caused the worst damage ⁠in the central Prymorskyi district, where high-rise and five-storey residential buildings were damaged, said Serhiy Lysak, the head of the local military administration. The attacks triggered large fires in upper floors and ⁠on a roof, which have ​since ⁠been contained, Lysak said on Telegram.

Emergency services said the number of injured could still change.

Odesa, a major ⁠Black Sea port and a focal point for Ukrainian exports, ​has ⁠been a repeated target ‌of Russian attacks during more than four years of Russia's war.

Ukraine's air force said Russia had ‌launched one ballistic missile and 206 drones at the country since 6pm (1500 GMT) yesterday, of which 172 drones were downed ⁠or neutralised. One missile and 32 drones hit at 22 locations, it added.

Lysak said a 17-year-old boy was among the injured and two of the wounded were in intensive care in a serious condition.

He added that a kindergarten building was substantially damaged, and reported damage to a ‌shopping centre, a hotel and administrative premises.

He posted photos ​of a fire raging in a building ‌with its upper floor damaged, ⁠and flames and heavy smoke billowing from a high-rise ⁠building.

Dozens of buses and cars have been destroyed or damaged at several ‌parking areas, ​he added.

In another district, strikes ‌were recorded at infrastructure facilities, warehouse ​buildings and a garage cooperative, he said.

Ukraine asks Israel to seize vessel it says is carrying grain stolen by Russia

Ukraine has asked Israel to seize a vessel carrying grain it says was stolen from areas occupied by Russia, its top prosecutor said amid ⁠a diplomatic tussle between the two countries over the shipment.

Ukraine and Israel traded accusations on Tuesday, with Ukraine saying it had repeatedly urged Israel via diplomatic channels to take measures regarding the vessel. Israel accused Kyiv of "Twitter diplomacy."

Ukraine's prosecutor general, Ruslan Kravchenko, said on the Telegram app that the vessel, Panormitis, was headed to the Israeli port of Haifa with grain "some of which was shipped" from Russian-occupied regions of Ukraine. The grain ⁠had earlier been loaded from another vessel, he said.

"The Ukrainian side is ​asking ⁠its Israeli partners to seize the vessel and its cargo, conduct a search, seize the vessel's and cargo documentation, take grain samples, and question the crew members," Kravchenko said.

Ukrainian foreign minister Andrii Sybiha, writing on X, vowed that ⁠Kyiv would "go after Russia’s shadow grain fleet and its enablers across all geographies."

Sybiha quoted data showing that between January ​and April, 25 ⁠vessels made some 50 voyages from ports in ‌Russian-occupied Ukraine to ports in third countries. He said that during that period more than 850,000 metric tons of grain were exported from occupied areas.

An official at Royal Maritime Inc, the vessel's Greece-based management company, denied the Panormitis was carrying any ‌grain from occupied Ukraine.

"All of the legal documents we have, including the cargo's certificate ‌of origin, show that the cargo is Russian," the official told Reuters.

Kremlin open to temporary ceasefire with Ukraine to mark Victory Day

During a phone call with Donald Trump last night it was Vladimir Putin who proposed a temporary ceasefire to mark 9 May and the defeat of Nazi Germany in the Second World War, the Kremlin said.

Kremlin ⁠aide Yuri Ushakov said the telephone call lasted more than an hour and a half and was "conducted in a friendly manner, candid and business-like".

"Trump actively supported this initiative, noting that the holiday ‌marks our common victory over Nazism in World War Two," he said.

He ​added: "Donald Trump believes that a deal to put an end to the ‌conflict in Ukraine is already close."

He ⁠said Putin told the US president that Russian forces in Ukraine "hold the ⁠strategic initiative and are pressing on enemy positions".

Putin, Ushakov said, "clearly said that Kyiv was resorting to openly terrorist ‌methods by attacking civilian ​sites on Russian territory," a reference to frequent ‌Ukrainian strikes on key infrastructure, ​particularly in Russia's oil sector.

EU considers what perks it can offer Ukraine ahead of full membership

EU members are looking to compile a package of short-term benefits for Ukraine as the prospect of giving Kyiv fast-track full membership looks increasingly unlikely.

Interim perks could include greater market access and deeper participation in EU programmes and institutions, four diplomats told Politico.

This comes after Volodymyr Zelensky rejected the idea of being given “symbolic” membership of the bloc, something suggested by German chancellor Friedrich Merz and French president Emmanuel Macron.

One of the diplomats said the EU is looking at “accelerated gradual integration”, under the EU would bring Ukraine into shared markets, funding schemes and political institutions in a phased way.

Another method being pushed suggests Kyiv be given some kind of “acceding state” status to show that it is firmly on track to join the EU, Politico reported citing the Lithuanian proposal.

EU leaders in March rejected the European Commission’s “reverse enlargement” proposals that would allow Ukraine to join the bloc without completing major reforms.

“From the moment of the dinner … member states have been clear it would be very difficult to see membership in the short term,” one of the diplomats said. “But we need to have a positive offer for how we can better move forward together before then.”

Zelensky calls on Trump to explain details of ceasefire proposal

Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelensky says he has asked his team to contact the White House and “clarify the details of Russia’s proposal for a short-term ceasefire”.

Earlier, Donald Trump said he and Putin had discussed “a little bit of a ceasefire” to mark the anniversary of the end of World War Two. The Kremlin said it proposed the truce and that it was supported by the American leader.

Zelensky wrote on Twitter: “Ukraine seeks peace and is doing the necessary diplomatic work to bring this war to a real end. We will clarify what exactly this is about – a few hours of security for a parade in Moscow, or something more.

“Our proposal is a long-term ceasefire, reliable and guaranteed security for people, and a lasting peace. Ukraine is ready to work toward this in any dignified and effective format.“

Watch: Zelensky says allies asked us not to attack Russian oil refinery due to Middle East war

Zelensky says Ukraine has enough of some homegrown weapons to share

Ukraine is manufacturing a surplus of up to 50 per cent of some types of weapons, president Volodymyr Zelensky has said, as part of the country’s defence cooperation with the Middle East, the Gulf, Europe and the Caucasus.

These deals include the production and supply of drones and missiles along with the technology and software, he said.

Kyiv has handed a proposal to the US for cooperation on drones, defence systems and other types of weapons for use in the air, on land and at sea, Zelensky said yesterday.

Trump mixes up Ukraine and Iran wars when asked which will end first

President Donald Trump couldn’t say whether the war he launched against Iran in February would end before the four-year-old Russian war against Ukraine – and even confused the two countries.

The president immediately began a question-and-answer session that veered from UFOs to a recent conversation with Russian president Vladimir Putin that had focused on the Ukraine and Iran wars.

“I talked about Ukraine, and I talked a little bit about Iran. I talked about few different subjects, mostly about Ukraine, and we had a very good conversation. I think we're going to come up with a solution relatively quickly,” he said yesterday.

Trump said Putin would “like to be involved” with resolving Iran’s possession of enriched uranium – something the United States opposes – and remarked that he’d told Putin in turn that he’d prefer he be “involved with ending the war with Ukraine”.

Trump rambles over if Ukraine or Iran war will end first — and mixes up the countries

Ukraine says it shot down record 33,000 Russian drones last month

Ukraine’s defence minister says the country’s forces shot down a record 33,000 Russian drones of various types in March, marking the highest monthly figure since Moscow’s full-scale invasion began over four years ago.

It comes as Ukraine’s domestically developed long-range attack drones struck a Russian oil refinery and terminal on the Black Sea for the third time in less than two weeks, prompting local evacuations as a precautionary measure.

Kyiv has developed advanced, battle-tested drone technology, which has proven crucial in resisting Russia’s larger military and has attracted international military interest. Ukrainian officials report that interceptor drones, as part of a comprehensive air defence system, are now being sought by Middle Eastern and Gulf countries for protection amid the war in Iran.

Ukraine says it shot down record 33,000 Russian drones last month

Ukraine's army chief announces time limit for frontline soldiers

Ukrainian frontline soldiers should serve at forward positions ⁠for up to two months and then ⁠need ​to be rotated ⁠out within a ⁠month, Ukraine's ​army chief ⁠Oleksandr Syrskyi ‌said this morning.

"Commanders must ensure that ‌conditions are ‌in place for service personnel ⁠to remain at their posts for up to two months, followed by a mandatory ‌rotation, which ​must take ‌place ⁠within one month," ⁠he said on ‌Telegram.

Trump says he discussed a Ukraine ceasefire with Putin

US president Donald Trump said he discussed a possible ceasefire in the four-year war in Ukraine in a phone call with Russian president Vladimir Putin.

He spoke after the Kremlin reported the ⁠two leaders discussed a temporary Ukraine ceasefire to mark the anniversary of the end of the Second World War next month.

"We had a good talk, I've known him a long time," said Trump. The two leaders had their last publicly reported phone call on ⁠9 March, although Trump has indicated ​they ⁠speak regularly.

Trump, speaking to reporters as he met with astronauts from the Artemis II mission in the Oval Office, said he suggested "a little ⁠bit of a ceasefire" in the war in Ukraine in his phone call ​with ⁠the Russian leader.

"And I think ‌he might do that," Trump said, then asked reporters whether Putin had already announced a ceasefire.

Putin announced a similar truce last year that lasted ‌three days but was not agreed with Kyiv.

Trump ‌has a history of making positive comments about Putin and sharply criticising Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky for not agreeing to make a deal with Russia to end the war.

At least 18 injured in Russian drones strikes on Ukraine's Odesa overnight

Russian drones attacked Ukraine's southern city of Odesa ​overnight, for the second time this week, wounding at least 18 people and damaging residential buildings, officials said this morning.

The strikes caused the worst damage ⁠in the central Prymorskyi district, where high-rise and five-storey residential buildings were damaged, said Serhiy Lysak, the head of the local military administration. The attacks triggered large fires in upper floors and ⁠on a roof, which have ​since ⁠been contained, Lysak said on Telegram.

Emergency services said the number of injured could still change.

Odesa, a major ⁠Black Sea port and a focal point for Ukrainian exports, ​has ⁠been a repeated target ‌of Russian attacks during more than four years of Russia's war.

Ukraine's air force said Russia had ‌launched one ballistic missile and 206 drones at the country since 6pm (1500 GMT) yesterday, of which 172 drones were downed ⁠or neutralised. One missile and 32 drones hit at 22 locations, it added.

Lysak said a 17-year-old boy was among the injured and two of the wounded were in intensive care in a serious condition.

He added that a kindergarten building was substantially damaged, and reported damage to a ‌shopping centre, a hotel and administrative premises.

He posted photos ​of a fire raging in a building ‌with its upper floor damaged, ⁠and flames and heavy smoke billowing from a high-rise ⁠building.

Dozens of buses and cars have been destroyed or damaged at several ‌parking areas, ​he added.

In another district, strikes ‌were recorded at infrastructure facilities, warehouse ​buildings and a garage cooperative, he said.

Trump says he asked Putin to end Ukraine war

Donald Trump said Vladimir Putin offered to help on the issue of Iran's enriched uranium, a key obstacle to a deal to end the Iran war, but "I said I'd much rather have you be involved with ending the war with Ukraine."

"I said, before you help me, I want to end your war," said Trump.

Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov did not say what proposals Putin had made on ‌Iran. Moscow has previously offered to take enriched uranium out of ​the country.

Ushakov added that Trump, in a ‌friendly and businesslike conversation lasting ​over one to one-and-a-half hours, had said he ‌believed a deal to end the Ukraine ​war was close.

Watch: Robot rescues elderly woman fleeing attacks in Ukraine

Ukraine asks Israel to seize vessel it says is carrying grain stolen by Russia

Ukraine has asked Israel to seize a vessel carrying grain it says was stolen from areas occupied by Russia, its top prosecutor said amid ⁠a diplomatic tussle between the two countries over the shipment.

Ukraine and Israel traded accusations on Tuesday, with Ukraine saying it had repeatedly urged Israel via diplomatic channels to take measures regarding the vessel. Israel accused Kyiv of "Twitter diplomacy."

Ukraine's prosecutor general, Ruslan Kravchenko, said on the Telegram app that the vessel, Panormitis, was headed to the Israeli port of Haifa with grain "some of which was shipped" from Russian-occupied regions of Ukraine. The grain ⁠had earlier been loaded from another vessel, he said.

"The Ukrainian side is ​asking ⁠its Israeli partners to seize the vessel and its cargo, conduct a search, seize the vessel's and cargo documentation, take grain samples, and question the crew members," Kravchenko said.

Ukrainian foreign minister Andrii Sybiha, writing on X, vowed that ⁠Kyiv would "go after Russia’s shadow grain fleet and its enablers across all geographies."

Sybiha quoted data showing that between January ​and April, 25 ⁠vessels made some 50 voyages from ports in ‌Russian-occupied Ukraine to ports in third countries. He said that during that period more than 850,000 metric tons of grain were exported from occupied areas.

An official at Royal Maritime Inc, the vessel's Greece-based management company, denied the Panormitis was carrying any ‌grain from occupied Ukraine.

"All of the legal documents we have, including the cargo's certificate ‌of origin, show that the cargo is Russian," the official told Reuters.

Trump makes baseless claim Ukraine is 'military defeated'

Donald Trump made the baseless claim that Ukraine is “militarily defeated” on Wednesday after a phone call with Vladimir Putin.

Speaking to reporters as he met with astronauts from the Artemis II mission in the Oval Office, the US president said he discussed a temporary Ukraine ceasefire to mark the anniversary of the end of World War Two next month.

He went on to claim that Kyiv had been “militarily defeated”, with no evidence. Ukraine is continuing to resist the Russian aggression across the frontline, with no significant gains made by Moscow in recent months.

"We had a good talk, I've known him a long time," said Trump. The two leaders had their last publicly reported phone call on ⁠March 9, although Trump has indicated ​they ⁠speak regularly.

Kremlin open to temporary ceasefire with Ukraine to mark Victory Day

During a phone call with Donald Trump last night it was Vladimir Putin who proposed a temporary ceasefire to mark 9 May and the defeat of Nazi Germany in the Second World War, the Kremlin said.

Kremlin ⁠aide Yuri Ushakov said the telephone call lasted more than an hour and a half and was "conducted in a friendly manner, candid and business-like".

"Trump actively supported this initiative, noting that the holiday ‌marks our common victory over Nazism in World War Two," he said.

He ​added: "Donald Trump believes that a deal to put an end to the ‌conflict in Ukraine is already close."

He ⁠said Putin told the US president that Russian forces in Ukraine "hold the ⁠strategic initiative and are pressing on enemy positions".

Putin, Ushakov said, "clearly said that Kyiv was resorting to openly terrorist ‌methods by attacking civilian ​sites on Russian territory," a reference to frequent ‌Ukrainian strikes on key infrastructure, ​particularly in Russia's oil sector.

EU considers what perks it can offer Ukraine ahead of full membership

EU members are looking to compile a package of short-term benefits for Ukraine as the prospect of giving Kyiv fast-track full membership looks increasingly unlikely.

Interim perks could include greater market access and deeper participation in EU programmes and institutions, four diplomats told Politico.

This comes after Volodymyr Zelensky rejected the idea of being given “symbolic” membership of the bloc, something suggested by German chancellor Friedrich Merz and French president Emmanuel Macron.

One of the diplomats said the EU is looking at “accelerated gradual integration”, under the EU would bring Ukraine into shared markets, funding schemes and political institutions in a phased way.

Another method being pushed suggests Kyiv be given some kind of “acceding state” status to show that it is firmly on track to join the EU, Politico reported citing the Lithuanian proposal.

EU leaders in March rejected the European Commission’s “reverse enlargement” proposals that would allow Ukraine to join the bloc without completing major reforms.

“From the moment of the dinner … member states have been clear it would be very difficult to see membership in the short term,” one of the diplomats said. “But we need to have a positive offer for how we can better move forward together before then.”

Watch: Trump makes baseless claim Kyiv is ‘militarily defeated’ after phone call with Putin

Zelensky says Ukraine has enough of some homegrown weapons to share

Ukraine is manufacturing a surplus of up to 50 per cent of some types of weapons, president Volodymyr Zelensky has said, as part of the country’s defence cooperation with the Middle East, the Gulf, Europe and the Caucasus.

These deals include the production and supply of drones and missiles along with the technology and software, he said.

Kyiv has handed a proposal to the US for cooperation on drones, defence systems and other types of weapons for use in the air, on land and at sea, Zelensky said yesterday.

Trump mixes up Ukraine and Iran wars when asked which will end first

President Donald Trump couldn’t say whether the war he launched against Iran in February would end before the four-year-old Russian war against Ukraine – and even confused the two countries.

The president immediately began a question-and-answer session that veered from UFOs to a recent conversation with Russian president Vladimir Putin that had focused on the Ukraine and Iran wars.

“I talked about Ukraine, and I talked a little bit about Iran. I talked about few different subjects, mostly about Ukraine, and we had a very good conversation. I think we're going to come up with a solution relatively quickly,” he said yesterday.

Trump said Putin would “like to be involved” with resolving Iran’s possession of enriched uranium – something the United States opposes – and remarked that he’d told Putin in turn that he’d prefer he be “involved with ending the war with Ukraine”.

Trump rambles over if Ukraine or Iran war will end first — and mixes up the countries

Trump says he discussed a Ukraine ceasefire with Putin

US president Donald Trump said he discussed a possible ceasefire in the four-year war in Ukraine in a phone call with Russian president Vladimir Putin.

He spoke after the Kremlin reported the ⁠two leaders discussed a temporary Ukraine ceasefire to mark the anniversary of the end of the Second World War next month.

"We had a good talk, I've known him a long time," said Trump. The two leaders had their last publicly reported phone call on ⁠9 March, although Trump has indicated ​they ⁠speak regularly.

Trump, speaking to reporters as he met with astronauts from the Artemis II mission in the Oval Office, said he suggested "a little ⁠bit of a ceasefire" in the war in Ukraine in his phone call ​with ⁠the Russian leader.

"And I think ‌he might do that," Trump said, then asked reporters whether Putin had already announced a ceasefire.

Putin announced a similar truce last year that lasted ‌three days but was not agreed with Kyiv.

Trump ‌has a history of making positive comments about Putin and sharply criticising Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky for not agreeing to make a deal with Russia to end the war.

Watch: Russian forces launch drone attack on rescue workers in Marhanets

EU mulls stricter conditions on its 90bn loan to Ukraine – report

The ​European Union is considering imposing stricter conditions on ⁠its €90bn loan to Ukraine, including ⁠making ​some ⁠payouts dependent on the introduction ⁠of an unpopular ​tax ⁠change for businesses, ‌Bloomberg News reported today, ‌citing people familiar with ‌the matter.

The plan would affect ⁠€8.4bn in so-called macro-financial assistance expected to be granted this year under the ‌program, the report ​said.

Russia struggles to contain ‘massive’ fire at oil refinery after third Ukrainian strike in two weeks

A Ukrainian drone strike sparked a “massive” fire at a Russian oil refinery in Tuapse on Tuesday, as Kyiv stepped up its campaign to target a critical generator of funding for Vladimir Putin’s war chest.

It was the third attack on the Black Sea port facility in less than two weeks as the Ukrainian military sought to disrupt the Russian oil and gas industry, which accounts for a big slice of Moscow’s federal budget.

After the Ukrainian military claimed responsibility for the latest strike, Russia’s president Vladimir Putin said in remarks that were broadcast on Russian television that "drone attacks against civilian ⁠infrastructure are becoming more frequent”. “The latest example is the strike against ​energy ⁠facilities in Tuapse,” he added, “which could potentially cause serious environmental consequences.”

Arpan Rai reports:

Russia struggles to contain ‘massive’ fire at oil refinery after Ukrainian strike

Russia's equipment shortage in spotlight amid rising Ukrainian attacks

Ukraine's commander-in-chief Oleksandr Syrskyi has said Russia is running low on air-defence missiles to counter drone strikes.

"I noted that systematic strikes on Russian production facilities further degrade the enemy's air defense capabilities, which are already experiencing a shortage of missiles to counter Ukrainian unmanned systems and strike assets," Syrskyi said during a meeting with Canada’s defence chief in Kyiv on Sunday.

This morning, reports from Russia confirmed that there would be no military equipment on display for their Victory Day parade next month.

Experts monitoring the war have said increasing Ukrainian attacks are impacting Moscow’s war-depleted defences.

Ukraine has been steadily increasing the tempo of its strikes across Russia, and "will likely continue to exploit the large attack surface area of Russia's deep rear and overstretched Russian air defences”, said the Institute for the Study of War on Sunday.

Trump makes baseless claim Ukraine is 'military defeated'

Donald Trump made the baseless claim that Ukraine is “militarily defeated” on Wednesday after a phone call with Vladimir Putin.

Speaking to reporters as he met with astronauts from the Artemis II mission in the Oval Office, the US president said he discussed a temporary Ukraine ceasefire to mark the anniversary of the end of World War Two next month.

He went on to claim that Kyiv had been “militarily defeated”, with no evidence. Ukraine is continuing to resist the Russian aggression across the frontline, with no significant gains made by Moscow in recent months.

"We had a good talk, I've known him a long time," said Trump. The two leaders had their last publicly reported phone call on ⁠March 9, although Trump has indicated ​they ⁠speak regularly.

Putin's 'shadow fleet' undeterred by Starmer's threat as nearly 100 ships cross UK waters

Sir Keir Starmer's announcement last month that the Navy could board ships belonging to Russia’s so-called "shadow fleet" has had no clear impact on the number passing through British waters, according to a new Reuters analysis.

In the month after Sir Keir's threat on 25 March, at least 98 Russian vessels subject to UK sanctions transited its waters, about the same ⁠as each of the last three months.

The UK has a total of 544 vessels ​linked to Russia’s "shadow fleet" on its sanctions list.

There ​has ⁠been no announcement of any boarding or detention of the ships, which typically have an opaque ownership structure and can transport oil, grains and ⁠arms, often in support of Russia's war in Ukraine.

LSEG tracking data shows that 63 ​ships ⁠passed within 12 nautical miles of the ‌coastline in the English Channel, the most direct route between the Baltic Sea and southern Europe.

Another 35 travelled through Britain's Exclusive Economic Zone, which extends up to ‌200 nautical miles from the coast, mainly around north ‌Scotland.

Ukraine strikes oil pumping station in Russia, Zelensky says

Ukraine struck what it said was an oil pumping station 1,500 km (900 miles) into Russia near the Ural Mountains with drones overnight, and president Volodymyr Zelensky said Kyiv would keep increasing the range of its strikes.

Kyiv has stepped up its attacks inside Russia in recent weeks, aiming to knock out oil refineries, depots and ports and cripple Moscow's biggest source of funding for its war in Ukraine, as global prices have risen due to the Iran war.

Mr Zelensky said Ukraine's security service had reported a successful strike deep inside Russia, calling it "a new stage in the use of Ukrainian weapons to limit the potential of Russia's war" in a post on X.

Ukraine’s land robots are revolutionising the shapeshifting war with Russia

First came the infantry, next the missiles, then the drones.

Now, after more than four years of a bloody and grinding war in Ukraine, remote-controlled ground robots are assuming command over the battlefield.

Last Wednesday, Volodymyr Zelensky claimed Ukraine’s 3rd Separate Assault Brigade had regained territory exclusively using a combination of unmanned ground vehicles (UGVs) and drones – a mission he says was a first in the war.

“The occupiers surrendered, and the operation was carried out without infantry and without losses on our side,” he went on, referring to an operation from the northeastern Kharkiv region last year, in which Ukrainian infantry occupied a position gained using the UGVs.

Read our full report:

Ukrainian robots are revolutionising the shapeshifting war with Russia

Watch: Robot rescues elderly woman fleeing attacks in Ukraine

Ukraine urges Israel to seize vessel suspected of carrying stolen grain

Ukraine has urged Israel to seize the Panoramitis vessel suspected of carrying grain from Russia-occupied regions, Ukraine's foreign minister said on Wednesday.

"We expect the Israeli side to take it seriously rather than responding with emotional statements,"

“The vessel is suspected of carrying a grain cargo that was illegally transported from a closed port in the temporarily occupied territory of Ukraine in violation of international law and Ukrainian legislation,” Andrii Sybiha said on X.

"We expect the Israeli side to take it seriously rather than responding with emotional statements.”

Why has the UK expelled a Russian diplomat?

As we earlier reported, the UK is expelling a Russian diplomat and summoning ambassador Andrey Kelin in a tit-for-tat move.

But what did Moscow do to prompt this action?

Last month, an unnamed British diplomat was expelled from Russia over spying allegations, the second to be removed this year for similar reasons.

Moscow’s security and counterintelligence agency uncovered an “undeclared intelligence presence” who was “carrying out intelligence and subversive ​activities that ​threaten ⁠the security of the Russian Federation,” Russian state media reported in March.

The FCDO called the claims “malicious” and “baseless” as it accused Moscow of an “aggressive and co-ordinated campaign of harassment”.

British charge d’affaires Danae Dholakia was summoned by Russia’s foreign ministry on March 30, with the diplomat ordered to leave within two weeks.

In January this year, President Vladimir Putin’s foreign ministry said it would not “tolerate the activities of undeclared British intelligence officers in Russia” after a different UK diplomat was expelled.

Inside Ukraine’s battle to defeat the dreaded Shahed – Russia’s most feared weapon

In a foggy field in northeast Ukraine, four soldiers stare at red ​and yellow dots on a screen in the back of a van, armed with interceptor drones and energy drinks to get through the night.

These pilots, and about a thousand other crews like them, are on the frontlines of Ukraine's drive to knock one of Russia's most potent weapons out of the war: the Shahed drone.

"Even if you use 50 drones to shoot down one Shahed, it's worth it," said Borys, the commander of the crew, who was a TV news producer before the war upended his life. "One Shahed can fly in and destroy something far more valuable."

Read more here:

Inside Ukraine’s battle to defeat the dreaded Shahed – Russia’s most feared weapon

UK expels Russian diplomat and summons ambassador in political tit-for-tat

The UK is expelling a Russian diplomat and summoning ambassador Andrey Kelin in a tit-for-tat move following similar action by Moscow last month.

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) said it was taking “reciprocal action” for Russia’s “unjustified” decision in March to remove a British diplomat from the country.

A Government spokesperson said: “We strongly condemn Russia’s unjustified decision last month to expel another British diplomat and the malicious public smear campaign that followed. This behaviour is wholly unacceptable, and we will not tolerate harassment or intimidation of our diplomatic staff.

“We have therefore summoned the Russian ambassador to announce we are taking reciprocal action, revoking the accreditation of a Russian diplomat.

“Russia’s repeated unprovoked and unjustified actions are designed to disrupt our diplomatic work and form part of a wider campaign of aggressive behaviour towards the UK.

“Any further action by Russia will be treated as an escalation and met with a firm and proportionate response.”