Ukraine has become the first country to scale the use of remotely operated interceptor drones capable of long-distance strikes, Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov said April 23, adding that the systems are already being used to destroy aerial targets in combat.

Key developments on April 23: * 12 Russian FSB officers killed in drone strike on command post in occupied Donetsk, Ukraine's military says * 'A nightmare' — Russians in Tuapse in disbelief after Ukrainian drones bring the war home * Russian oil pumping station in Nizhny Novgorod Oblast hit by Ukrainian drones, SBU source says * Ukraine expands 'ePoints' system that rewards battlefield kills with weapons credits * Russia recruited Ukrainian teenagers to blow up schools, shoot classmates, S

"We are developing 'ePoints' as a foundation for troop motivation and the mathematics of war," Ukraine's Minister of Defense, Mykhailo Fedorov, said.

The more that Russia tries to kill Ukrainian culture, the harder it reemerges. In August 2025, Russian military forces struck the artist collective Nahirna22 in Kyiv, killing one civilian seeking shelter. The group, which includes a roster of incredible Gen-Z Ukrainian artists such as Lviv-born Yuriy Bolsa, rebuilt in under two months and reopened their studios to the public. They were hit again in November. Both attacks demonstrate systematic targeting by Russian military forces, not on dron

Mikhail Piotrovsky, director of the Hermitage Museum, is sanctioned for the museum’s role under his leadership in illegal archaelogical excavations and the destruction of protected Ukrainian heritage sites in Crimea.

A Ukrainian economic watchdog has urged the European Union to sanction exports of raw glycerin to Russia after a Kyiv Independent investigation found that European suppliers continued shipping the chemical, which can be used to produce explosives, to companies connected to Russia's military industrial complex. The recommendation was submitted on March 11 by the Economic Security Council of Ukraine, or ESCU, an independent Kyiv-based organization that said it based its proposal on the Kyiv Indep

Ukrainian forces used FP-2 drones manufactured by the Ukrainian defense company Fire Point and designed for medium-range strikes, with a payload of 60 to 100 kilograms.

President Zelensky said the loan will "strengthen our army, make Ukraine more resilient, and enable us to fulfill our social obligations to Ukrainians."

Russia is drawing new Russian buyers to occupied Mariupol with subsidized mortgages while thousands of Ukrainians whose homes were destroyed or seized remain without housing.

Combustion byproducts were released into the atmosphere and fell with rain on April 22, leaving a black coating on surfaces, the Krasnodar Krai Emergency Response Headquarters said.

According to investigators, Russian operatives gave teenagers step-by-step instructions on preparing attacks.

Zelensky is expected to meet Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda, Danish acting Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, Antonio Costa, president of the European Council, and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.

EU institutions and investment banks signed agreements on loans, guarantees, and grants across a range of sectors at the EU-Ukraine Business Summit held in Brussels on April 22–23.

Ukrainian drones operated by personnel from the Security Service of Ukraine's Special Operations Center "A" struck the "Gorky" oil pumping station in Russia's Nizhny Novgorod Oblast overnight on April 23, a source in the agency told the Kyiv Independent.

Russia launched 155 drones at Ukraine overnight, the Air Force said, reporting that Ukrainian air defenses intercepted 139.

Two people were killed and at least eight were injured in a Russian drone attack on Dnipro overnight on April 22–23, Governor Oleksandr Hanzha reported.

Moscow will confirm who will represent it at the event closer to the date, Russia's Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Pankin told journalists at the U.N. Headquarters.

Editor's Note: This story is part of the "Hidden Canon"  – a special series celebrating Ukrainian classic literature and aiming to bring it to a wider international audience. The series is supported by the Ukrainian Institute. The photographs featured in this article are shared with the permission of the Sofia Yablonska Foundation, which is tasked with preserving her legacy. All photographs are subject to copyright. As the opium smoke curled around her in a dim-lit room in China, the writer

The news comes as the EU is set to finalize the approval of the 90-billion-euro ($106-billion) loan for Kyiv and the 20th package of sanctions against Russia.

“It’s good to be back in Ukraine," Prince Harry said.

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

"This collaboration serves as a testament to our country's commitment to the defense of democratic values, to freedom, and to a just and lasting peace," Spanish Defense Minister Margarita Robles said during a visit to Kyiv.

German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius unveiled a new national military strategy on April 22 in light of Russia's growing threat. It marks Germany's first such strategy since World War II.

At a press conference in Kyiv on April 22, Ukraine’s Deposit Guarantee Fund and Polish fintech Zen.com, registered in Lithuania, said the company had acquired First Investment Bank, known as PINbank, which was transferred to the state in 2023 and later declared insolvent.

While Russia has made it clear that resuming dialogue with Ukraine is not a top priority, Kremlin Spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said Putin would meet with Zelensky — under certain conditions.

Key developments on April 22: * 'Not Putinland' — Zelensky responds to 'Donnyland' proposal for part of Donbas * Ukraine returned over 2,100 Ukrainian children abducted by Russia, Zelensky says * 'Wishful thinking' — Ukraine rubbishes Russia's latest Luhansk Oblast claim * War in Iran has used up half of US Patriot, THAAD missile stockpiles * Ukrainian drones reportedly target Russia's Samara Oblast in overnight attacks President Volodymyr Zelensky said the key issue is that Donetsk and L

As the Trump peace process in the Ukraine–Russia war evolved throughout 2025, the Kremlin introduced the idea that a unilateral withdrawal by Ukrainian forces from the north-west of the Donetsk Oblast was a key prerequisite for a ceasefire and settlement. The Kremlin framed the issue as a relatively minor concession, worthy of the noble goal of ending hostilities. Donald Trump largely swallowed this Russian bait. The success of Moscow's strategy is evident in how the White House has cast Volod

President Volodymyr Zelensky said Ukrainian representatives have continued discussions with the U.S. side and held talks on April 21.

Caught between Russia's war at home and mounting geopolitical turbulence abroad, Ukraine is unlikely to see a major turnaround anytime soon, says former Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba. "2026 will be another year Ukraine will have to survive," Kuleba told the Kyiv Independent in an exclusive interview last week. After emerging from its harshest winters in years, marked by relentless Russian strikes on the energy grid, the country is now facing a hostile situation. The war in Iran has further di

"The main thing is that Donetsk Oblast and Luhansk Oblast remain Ukraine," President Volodymyr Zelensky said.

Vladimir Plahotniuc was Moldova's wealthiest businessman and de facto controlled the country's government in the 2010s in what critics described as a "captured state." His fall from grace is seen by his opponents as part of Moldova's alignment with European liberal and democratic values.

14 settlements in Luhansk Oblast are not under Russian control, Ukraine's military told the Kyiv Independent.