BBC: UK foreign secretary visits Kyiv, pledges more support

6:28 PM

Polish, Ukrainian authorities expose Pole who allegedly offered to assassinate Zelensky for Russia.

A joint operation by Ukrainian and Polish law enforcement agencies led to the detention of a Polish citizen who allegedly offered to Russian intelligence to assassinate President Volodymyr Zelensky, the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) said on April 18.

6:06 PM

Reuters: Kremlin clamps down on officials' travel over state secret fears.

Pressure is being placed on all government ministries by Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB), driven by a fear that officials could be entrapped while abroad and forced into giving up state secrets.

5:48 PM

Minister: Denmark first to buy military aid for Ukraine from Ukrainian manufacturer.

Denmark has become the first country to buy weapons and equipment for Ukraine's Armed Forces from a domestic manufacturer as part of a military aid package, Strategic Industries Minister Oleksandr Kamyshin announced on April 18.

5:31 PM

Poll: Ukrainians see Polish blockade as most negative external factor.

Ukrainians see tense relations with Poland, namely the ongoing blockade by Polish farmers, as a foreign policy factor with the most negative influence on Ukraine, according to a survey by Razumkov Center published on April 18.

5:13 PM

German vice-chancellor visits Kyiv as German delegation promises new IRIS-T delivery shortly.

Robert Habeck, who is also Germany's economy and environment minister, was accompanied by Helmut Rauch, the head of Germany's Diehl Defense company that manufactures IRIS-T air defense systems.

5:03 PM

Georgian parliament moves forward with controversial foreign agents law as protests continue.

The legislation was approved by 83 lawmakers of Georgia's 150-member parliament, with opposition lawmakers boycotting the vote.

4:47 PM

Kyiv Independent editor-in-chief shortlisted for Gongadze Prize for journalism.

Kyiv Independent Editor-in-Chief Olga Rudenko has been shortlisted for the Gongadze Award, a Ukrainian prize for independent journalism.

4:40 PM

Zelensky: Ukraine to produce 10 Bohdana howitzers this month.

The increasing number of Bohdanas being produced by Ukraine is part of a wider effort to ramp up domestic weapons production amid rising uncertainty surrounding military aid from the U.S.

4:31 PM

Ukraine introduces scheduled blackouts in 3 regions amid Russian attacks.

Scheduled blackouts were introduced in Kharkiv, Dnipropetrovsk, and Donetsk oblasts after recent Russian attacks on Ukraine's energy infrastructure, the Energy Ministry reported on April 18.

3:55 PM

Borrell calls on EU states to send anti-missile systems to Ukraine.

"We have Patriots, we have anti-missile systems. We have to take them (out) from our barracks where they are just in case and send them to Ukraine where the war is raging," Josep Borrell told reporters after a Group of Seven (G7) foreign ministers meeting on the island of Capri.

3:42 PM

Bloomberg: Russian diesel exports continue to drop amid Ukrainian drone strikes on oil refineries.

According to Kpler, Russia exported around 740,000 barrels of crude per day in the 10 days leading up to April 13, a 25% decrease from the same period the previous four years.

3:30 PM

Military intelligence: Ukraine destroys missile launchers, radar stations at Russian military airfield in Crimea.

Ukraine destroyed several units of military equipment in an attack on a Russian military airfield in Dzhankoi in occupied Crimea on April 17, Ukraine's military intelligence (HUR) reported.

3:03 PM

Trump meets with Polish President Duda to discuss Ukraine, other foreign policy issues.

According to a statement by the Trump campaign, the two-and-a-half-hour meeting took place at Trump's apartment in Trump Tower.

2:32 PM

PM Shmyhal meets with US Treasury Secretary Yellen.

Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal and U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen held talks on the long-awaited U.S. aid bill for Ukraine, strengthening sanctions against Russia, and the ongoing debate on confiscating frozen Russian assets.

1:49 PM

Russian attacks on Donetsk Oblast kill 2, injure 3.

A 63-year-old woman's body was found under the rubble in Selydove, located around 30 kilometers west of Russian-occupied Avdiivka, and a 56-year-old man was killed in the village of Ocheretyne.

1:46 PM

Russian attack in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast injures 2.

Two men, aged 30 and 35, were hospitalized in moderate condition, said Governor Serhii Lysak.

12:28 PM

Prosecutor's Office: At least 543 children have been killed in Ukraine since start of full-scale invasion.

At least 1,839 children have been killed or injured since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022, Ukraine's Prosecutor General's Office reported on April 18.

12:15 PM

Air Force: Ukraine downs 13 Russian drones overnight on April 18.

The drones were intercepted by Ukrainian anti-aircraft units and mobile fire groups in Kherson, Dnipropetrovsk, Poltava, Vinnytsia, Khmelnytskyi, Ternopil, and Ivano-Frankivsk oblasts, according to the Air Force.

11:03 AM

EU to introduce new sanctions against Iran after its attack on Israel, reiterates 'full' support for Ukraine.

The European Council in a statement released after the first day of a summit in Brussels condemned Iran's attack and expressed full solidarity with the people of Israel, reiterating its commitment to "Israel's security and regional stability."

10:56 AM

German authorities arrest 2 for allegedly planning military sabotage plot on Russia's behalf.

"The actions were intended in particular to undermine the military support provided by Germany to Ukraine against the Russian war of aggression," the prosecutors said.

10:05 AM

Microsoft says Russian disinformation campaign targeting US election has begun.

The focus of the new campaign is to spread "divisive content," including criticism of U.S. support for Ukraine, the Microsoft report said.

9:18 AM

UPDATE: Russian missile attack on Chernihiv kills 18, injures 78, including children.

In total, 78 people, including four children, were confirmed injured as of the morning of April 18. The search and rescue operation was completed at around 9:15 a.m. local time.

9:04 AM

General Staff: Russia has lost 456,960 troops in Ukraine since Feb 24, 2022.

This number includes 910 casualties Russian forces suffered over the past day.

8:56 AM

Reuters: Ukraine says Russia's use of illegal tear gas on battlefield is increasing.

Ukrainian military officials have previously said that Russia is deploying chemical weapons on the battlefield in violation of the 1925 Geneva Protocol. The usage of riot control gas in war is also banned under the 1997 Chemical Weapons Convention, which Russia is a signatory of.

6:19 AM

Zelensky addresses European Council summit participants, emphasizes Ukraine's need for more air defense systems.

President Volodymyr Zelensky addressed European Council summit participants on April 17, calling for urgent assistance with air defense systems in order to counter daily Russian attacks.