Explosions were reported overnight on April 6 in the southern Russian port city of Novorossiysk, with local residents reporting a drone attack at an oil terminal and damage to a residential building.

Zelensky will meet with Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa in Damascus, Syria TV said.

Key developments on April 4-5: * Ukraine confirms strikes on Russian oil infrastructure, defying calls to ease attacks amid soaring fuel prices * Russia increases attacks on civilians, killing 16 and injuring 94 more * Explosions, fires reported in Russia’s Tolyatti, Taganrog after drone attacks * Russia drops record number of deadly glide bombs on Ukraine, steps up aerial attacks * Ukraine strikes Russian fuel train, confirms damage to multimillion-dollar Orion drones in occupied regions

Explosives have been found near a gas pipeline in Serbia that transports Russian natural gas to Hungary, leaders from the two countries said on April 5. "Serbian authorities have found a powerful explosive device, along with the equipment needed to detonate it, at critical gas infrastructure linking Serbia and Hungary," Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said on April 5 in a post on X. No culprits nor motives have been identified. Ukraine has denied any involvement in the incident. “We cat

In the latest episode of Ukraine This Week, Anna Belokur examines why the United States is re-engaging with Belarus — and what it could mean for Russia’s war against Ukraine.

The latest attack comes as Ukrainian officials have acknowledged that foreign allies have asked Kyiv to pause drone attacks on Russian oil refineries as the U.S.-Israeli war in Iran drives up fuel prices worldwide.

Russia provided Iran with satellite intelligence on over 50 Israeli energy sites, President Volodymyr Zelensky said on April 5, the latest of a series of Ukrainian claims that Russia is supporting Tehran militarily.

Russia launched 93 long-range kamikaze Shahed-type drones overnight, the Ukrainian Air Force said, adding that Ukraine downed 76 of them.

The number includes 1,180 casualties that Russian forces suffered over the past day.

Russian forces launched a drone attack on the city of Odesa overnight on April 5, damaging a residential building and injuring at least three people, local officials reported.

Two enlistment officers in the city of Vinnytsia have been injured in a knife attack during a procedural document check, the Vinnytsia Oblast Regional Recruitment Center reported on April 4.

"We are receiving certain signals about this," Kyrylo Budanov, head of Ukraine's Presidential Office, told Bloomberg.

Ukraine expects U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner to visit Kyiv this month to resume peace talks, Presidential Office Head Kyrylo Budanov told Bloomberg in an interview on April 4.

An investigation by the StateWatch think tank and United24 Media reveals how cellulose acetate produced by the European company Cerdia is funneled through intermediaries in the tobacco sector, ultimately reaching a Russian factory critical for the production of Kalibr cruise missiles.

In one of the worst attacks, a Russian drone targeted a market in Nikopol, Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, killing at least five people and injuring 27 on the morning of April 4.

The leaders "agreed on new steps in security cooperation," Zelensky wrote on Telegram following the talks. Ukraine is ready to support Turkey with "expertise, technology, and experience," and details of the agreements will be finalized in the coming days.

Ukrainian forces struck the Alchevsk Metallurgical Plant in Russian-occupied Luhansk Oblast for the second time in one month, halting production at the site, Ukraine's Security Service (SBU) reported on April 4.

This weekly update from the Kyiv Independent aims to shed light on the situation facing Ukrainians living under Russian occupation and the ever-tightening control of information imposed by the Kremlin. Key news as of April 4: * In occupied Luhansk, the scale of forced mobilization increases, Ukraine's authorities report * Ukraine brings back eight children from Russian-occupied territories * Russian general reported killed in An-26 crash in Crimea * Ukraine strikes airfield in occupied Cri

Ukrainian forces struck a rail convoy carrying fuel to the Russian military in occupied Luhansk on April 4, the General Staff said. The military also shared results of a recent strike on occupied Crimea.

During a recent hearing before the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission, U.S. lawmakers blasted the Trump administration's decision to lift sanctions on Russian oil giants Gazprom and Rosneft — companies now accused of aiding the mass abduction of Ukrainian children. "One thing that we should not do is abet Russia's crimes. But shockingly, it appears that we are," said Representative James P. McGovern, citing evidence from the newly published Yale Humanitarian Research Lab report. "Camps owned or

Russian forces destroyed 9 gigawatts (GW) of Ukraine's power generation, but the war-torn country has managed to rebuild 4 GW, Energy Minister Denys Shmyhal said on April 4.

After discovering gas canisters at the scene of the fire in Kramatorsk, Donetsk Oblast, members of the 12th Special Purpose Brigade "Azov" deployed a Zmiy unmanned ground vehicle (UGV) to avoid putting soldiers at increased risk.

Russian forces launched 7,987 glide bombs last month — over 1,500 more than the previous record in February, Ukraine’s Defense Ministry reported on April 3.

Ukraine is positioning itself as a security partner in efforts to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, after Iran effectively restricted shipping through the critical energy route — but what can Kyiv actually offer? President Volodymyr Zelensky has offered to help partners with battle-tested weapons and operational experience, citing Ukraine's efforts to keep maritime exports flowing in the Black Sea despite a Russian blockade. "We will do what we can," he told reporters on April 2. "Our expertise in

The number includes 1,110 casualties that Russian forces suffered over the past day.

Russia launched a drone attack against Ukraine on the morning of April 4, sparking a fire in Kyiv after falling debris struck a building, according to local authorities.

Ukrainian forces reportedly struck defense and chemical industry facilities in the Russian cities of Taganrog and Tolyatti overnight on April 4, according to Russian Telegram channels.

The proposed budget calls for a $445 billion (44%) increase in defense funds in 2027 — as U.S. military aid to Ukraine has dropped by 99% under Trump's watch.

"The delegation came onto U.S. soil for one purpose: to advance the Kremlin's strategic aims—including gathering additional useful intelligence," senators wrote.

Russian forces dropped FAB-250 aerial bombs with cluster munitions on a residential area of Kramatorsk, killing four people and injuring four others.

Long lines formed at shops, restaurants, and gas stations in multiple Russian cities on April 3, as establishments could only accept cash payments. The outage may be connected to the Kremlin's restriction of VPNs.

Around 200 Ukrainian troops are based in Libya in cooperation with the government in Tripoli, sources told Radio France Internationale. These forces are allegedly responsible for the March 3 strike on a Russian oil tanker in the Mediterranean Sea.