6 ships receive permission to export grain from Ukrainian ports

10:15 AM

Russian attacks against Ukraine kill 3, injure 8 over past day.

Russia targeted a total of 13 Ukrainian oblasts — Chernihiv, Sumy, Mykolaiv, Luhansk, Odesa, Khmelnytskyi, Cherkasy, Kirovohrad, Zaporizhzhia, Dnipropetrovsk, Kherson, Kharkiv, and Donetsk. Casualties were reported in the latter three regions.

9:40 AM

Reuters: Ukraine, Russia almost reached Black Sea shipping agreement in March.

Ukraine and Russia negotiated for two months on a deal to ensure the safety of merchant shipping in the Black Sea and reached agreement on a text in March, but Kyiv pulled out of the talks "at the last minute," Reuters reported on April 16, citing four unnamed people familiar with the matter.

8:11 AM

General Staff: Russia has lost 455,340 troops in Ukraine since Feb. 24, 2022.

This number includes 920 casualties Russian forces suffered just over the past day.

7:33 AM

Air Force: Ukraine downs 9 out of 9 Russian drones launched overnight.

Mobile firing groups shot down the drones over Kherson, Mykolaiv, Khmelnytskyi, Poltava, Cherkasy, and Dnipropetrovsk oblasts.

6:58 AM

US expands sanctions against Belarus.

The latest sanctions package targets entities that profit from Russia's war in Ukraine, including a state-owned machine tool building company, a radio communications firm, and a software development company.

6:00 AM

Russia plans 'false flag' attacks on Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant, Kyiv tells UN.

"What happened at the ZNPP on 7th and 9th of April 2024 and thereafter was a well-planned false flag operation by the Russian Federation," Ukraine's Permanent Representative to the United Nations Sergiy Kyslytsya said at a U.N. Security Council meeting on April 15.

5:01 AM

EU energy commissioner backs increased electricity imports to Ukraine.

Energy Minister Herman Halushchenko discussed the urgent energy infrastructure needs Ukraine faces at an informal meeting of EU energy ministers in Brussels.

3:58 AM

Danish businesses to receive $43 million to support operations in Ukraine.

Danish Business Minister Morten Bodskov announced on April 15 that Denmark would allocate DKK 300 million ($43 million) to incentivize Danish companies to invest in projects within Ukraine.

2:32 AM

Johnson plans separate House votes on Israel, Ukraine aid.

U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson plans to hold separate votes this week on new assistance packages for Israel and Ukraine, aiming to assemble fragile coalitions to support both embattled allies.

1:20 AM

Zelensky: Allies can defend Ukraine in the same way as they protected Israel.

"By defending Israel, the free world demonstrated that unity (among allies) is not only possible but 100% effective," Zelensky said after a meeting with top military and security officials . "The allies' decisive actions prevented the success of terrorism and loss of infrastructure and forced the aggressor to cool down."

12:08 AM

Czech PM: Allies contract first 180,000 artillery shells for Ukraine.

Czech President Petr Pavel announced in February that the Czech Republic had identified 500,000 155 mm shells and 300,000 122 mm shells outside of Europe that could be bought and sent to Ukraine after the necessary funds were allocated.

10:52 PM

Top border guard acquitted on charges of lying in his asset declaration.

The official, Serhiy Mul, was accused of failing to declare a land plot and a house worth Hr 1.5 million ($38,000) in the town of Boryspil in Kyiv Oblast in 2021.

9:42 PM

European Commission approves $53 billion reform plan for Ukraine.

The EU approved the financial aid package for Ukraine in February, allocating two-thirds of the amount in loans and one-third in grants. Ukraine has agreed to implement various reforms as part of the conditions for receiving the funds.

9:17 PM

War update

Ukraine war latest: Deploying jets to protect Ukraine would lead to escalation, UK foreign secretary says

8:19 PM

Washington Post: US request not to target Russian oil refineries 'irritated' Zelensky.

U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris called on President Volodymyr Zelensky not to attack Russian oil refineries during their private meeting at the February Munich Security Conference, the Washington Post reported on April 15, citing anonymous sources familiar with the matter.

7:43 PM

Deputy foreign minister appointed new Presidential Office deputy head.

Mykola Tochytskyi has been appointed as a new deputy head of the Presidential Office, President Volodymyr Zelensky announced on April 15 by decree.

7:10 PM

Deploying jets to protect Ukraine would lead to escalation, UK foreign secretary says.

Deploying Western fighter jets to protect Ukraine from missile strikes, as was done for Israel on April 14, would lead to "dangerous escalation," U.K. Foreign Secretary David Cameron said on air on April 15.

6:40 PM

Source: Ukrainian forces hit command post in Russian-occupied Crimea.

The local partisan group Atesh said that the sounds of Russian air defense operating had been heard. Atesh claimed that the military base of the 810th Marine Brigade in Sevastopol had been hit.

5:30 PM

Netherlands, Germany, Canada to send drones to Ukraine.

Canada will send 450 SkyRanger multi-mission drones, while the Netherlands, in collaboration with Denmark and Germany, will supply Ukraine with Heidrun RQ-35 reconnaissance drones worth 200 million euros ($213 million).

4:43 PM

Netherlands allocates $4.7 billion to support Ukraine until 2026

The Netherlands has allocated 4.4 billion euros ($4.7 billion) to support Ukraine until 2026, the Dutch government announced on April 15 in its spring memorandum, a preview of state budget plans for the upcoming year.

4:15 PM

Media: Lancet drone analog presented to Zelensky, being used at the front.

Ukrainian soldiers already use domestically-produced attack drones similar to Russian Lancet drones at the front, Ukrainska Pravda and Militarnyi, Ukrainian news outlets, reported on April 15.

4:10 PM

UPDATED: Russian attack on Kharkiv Oblast village kills 2, injures at least 4.

Russian forces struck the village of Lukiantsi in Kharkiv Oblast with a guided aerial bomb, killing two people and injuring at least four, Governor Oleh Syniehubov reported on April 15.

3:21 PM

PM Shmyhal rejects petition calling for telethon funds to be given to armed forces.

Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal rejected a petition that called for the funding of the national telethon to be redistributed to the Ukrainian Armed Forces on April 15, responding that the telethon is part of the government's security and defense policy.

3:00 PM

Energoatom starts building new power units at Khmelnytskyi nuclear plant.

Ukraine's nuclear energy agency Energoatom has started building reactor units 5 and 6 at the Khmelnytskyi Nuclear Power Plant using U.S. technology that would help prevent power outages in case of Russian attacks, Energoatom's press service said on April 15.

2:40 PM

Minister: Ukraine allocates $6 billion for arms procurement in 2024.

Ukraine's $40 billion defense budget for this year includes $6 billion for arms procurement, Strategic Industries Minister Oleksandr Kamyshin told journalists on April 14, Interfax-Ukraine reported.