Pope urges to spend less on Christmas, send difference to Ukrainians

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.

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.

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.

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.