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10:19 AM

Five Ukrainian regions hit by Russia overnight.

Khmelnytskyi Oblast was hit by a missile while shelling continued in Kharkiv, Donetsk, Luhansk, and Kherson oblasts. At least nine people died, and tens are injured.

8:57 AM

Governor Haidai: Russian forces shell Luhansk Oblast overnight on April 12.

Luhansk Oblast Governor Serhiy Haidai reported that Russian forces attacked Severodonetsk, Lysychansk, Kreminna, Novodruzhesk, Rubizhne, damaging at least 12 residential buildings and four infrastructure objects in the region. One person was killed in Lysychansk and three others were injured as a result of the shelling.

8:30 AM

The Guardian: Russia ‘using weapons smuggled by Iran from Iraq' against Ukraine.

Russia is receiving military hardware sourced from Iraq for its war effort in Ukraine with the help of Iranian weapons smuggling networks, according to the Guardian findings. The weapons that have been reportedly dispatched include RPGs and anti-tank missiles, as well as Brazilian-designed rocket launcher systems.

8:19 AM

UK intelligence: Fighting in eastern Ukraine to intensify over next 2-3 weeks.

According to the latest update posted by the UK Defense Ministry, Russia continues to refocus its efforts on Ukraine's Donbas with further fighting around Kherson and Mykolaiv and a renewed push towards Kramatorsk. British intelligence predicts that Russian forces will continue to withdraw from Belarus in order to redeploy in support of operations in eastern Ukraine.

7:39 AM

Japan imposes more sanctions on Russia.

The country imposed additional sanctions against Russia on April 12, freezing the assets of 398 Russian citizens including President Vladimir Putin's two adult daughters, Katerina Tikhonova and Mariya Vorontsova, according to a news release from Japan's Foreign Ministry.

6:06 AM

AP: More than 10,000 civilians died in Mariupol, according to mayor.

Mariupol Mayor Vadym Boychenko told Associated Press on April 11 that more than 10,000 civilians have died in the Russian siege of his city, and that the death toll could surpass 20,000 after weeks of attacks. It is not possible to determine the exact death toll. Boychenko added that there were still 120,000 civilians in Mariupol.

5:16 AM

Vereshchuk: 1,700 Ukrainian soldiers and civilians are held by Russian forces.

Ukraine's Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk said that 500 of those are women. "They force them to stand, don't let them sit down. They shave their heads, they force them to undress every day for checkups. They humiliate their human dignity. I know facts of rape, I saw spines that had been beaten," she said. The Kyiv Independent could not immediately confirm these claims.

3:58 AM

Truss: UK working with partners to verify details of possible chemical attack in Mariupol.

"Any use of such weapons would be a callous escalation in this conflict and we will hold Putin and his regime to account," said U.K.'s Foreign Secretary Liz Truss. The U.S. also expressed concern over the use of chemical weapons in Ukraine, although they cannot confirm it yet and will continue "to monitor the situation closely," Pentagon press secretary John Kirby said in a statement on April 11.

3:07 AM

Russian airstrike survivors: ‘We came home, and there was no house’.

CHERNIHIV OBLAST – After Russian troops have withdrawn from Ukraine’s northmost region, an expected, yet no less horrific destruction was uncovered. Russian airstrikes targeted both high-rise buildings in Chernihiv and small houses in nearby villages, leaving many people in the regional capital and its suburbs dead, injured, and without a

2:40 AM

UN: Almost two-thirds of Ukrainian children have fled their homes.

About 4.8 million out of 7.5 million children had to leave their homes, said Manuel Fontaine, UNICEF’s emergency programs director, upon his return from Ukraine. Additionally, the UN confirms the deaths of 142 children but the number is "almost certainly higher," according to Fontaine.

1:50 AM

Russia shells Donetsk Oblast, killing 3.

Numerous settlements were bombed by Russian troops, resulting in eight injuries and three deaths, said Donetsk Regional Military Administration Head Pavlo Kyrylenko. According to Kyrylenko, seven more deaths were recorded in Mariupol on April 11. The total number of casualties in Mariupol and Volnovakha remains unknown.

1:46 AM

Zelensky: Ukraine can lift siege of Mariupol if it receives heavy weapons.

In his latest address, President Volodymyr Zelensky emphasized that while he believes Ukraine will receive "almost all weapons necessary," Ukrainian lives are lost the longer the West delays their delivery. He also added that EU sanctions must be so strong that "even words about weapons of mass destruction from the Russian side are no longer heard."

1:17 AM

France declares 6 Russian agents persona non grata.

After a thorough investigation, France's Foreign Ministry announced that its General Directorate of Internal Security (DGSI) revealed on April 10 "a clandestine operation carried out by Russian intelligence services on our territory," the ministry said in a statement. According to French authorities, six Russian agents used diplomatic cover to advance Russian interests in France. The Ministry did not elaborate on details of the Russians' operation.

12:57 AM

Ukraine's Air Force: 7 Russian aerial targets destroyed.

Among the Russian losses are four UAVs, two helicopters and one airplane, according to the latest update from the Air Force Command of Ukraine's Armed Forces.

12:40 AM

Russian shelling of Kharkiv and nearby settlements leaves 8 dead, including a child.

Kharkiv Oblast Governor Oleh Synehubov reported that a 13-year-old child was among the deceased, another 19 people are injured. Russian forces used delayed action mines on the city and work is underway to defuse them. Mines were found scattered around civilian residences and playgrounds.

11:55 PM

Defenders of besieged Mariupol plead for help, criticize commandment.

Ukrainian marines defending Mariupol came out with a public statement criticizing President Volodymyr Zelensky and the army command. The 36th Marine Brigade accused the country’s leadership of abandoning them in the besieged port city with no ammunition left, saying that it might be their last day of fighting. “For

11:47 PM

Azov says Russia used chemical weapons in besieged Mariupol.

Ukraine's Azov regiment said on April 11 that Russia had used a poisonous substance against Ukrainian troops in Mariupol, a besieged port on the Sea of Azov. Azov leader Andriy Biletsky said that three people have clear signs of chemical poisoning. He added that there are no "disastrous consequences" for

11:29 PM

Biden spokesperson says US president not planning to visit Kyiv.

Meanwhile, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and EU Foreign Minister Josep Borrell have recently visited Kyiv. French President Emmanuel Macron said he would only visit Ukraine "if it triggers something."

10:42 PM

Azov: Russia used poisonous substance against Ukrainian troops in Mariupol.

The substance has been distributed by a drone, and its victims have shortness of breath and vestibullocerebellar ataxia, the Azov regiment said on April 11. It may be Russia's first known use of chemical weapons in Ukraine.

10:14 PM

Polish PM says EU sanctions against Russia are too weak, calls for stronger ones.

Mateusz Morawiecki said at a meeting with his Belgian counterpart Alexander De Croo on April 11 that the sanctions not only failed to stop Russia from pursuing its war but also stimulated some of Russia's economic processes instead of ruining its economy.

9:03 PM

EU delegation to Ukraine returns to Kyiv from Poland.

Several other European embassies had also returned to Kyiv after Russian troops withdrew from its vicinity in early April.

8:48 PM

Ukraine's security service says it detained Russian agent who worked in Poroshenko's administration.

He used to work at ex-President Petro Poroshenko's administration and the General Staff, and his task was to get classified information, the SBU said.

8:15 PM

Russian proxies call for using chemical weapons in Mariupol.

Eduard Basurin, a spokesman for Russia's proxies in Donetsk, said on April 11 that it made no sense to storm the well-fortified Ukrainian-controlled Azovstal plant in Mariupol because Russian troops would suffer heavy casualties, and instead Russian "chemical forces" should "smoke them out."

8:12 PM

Energoatom: Russian troops caused damage worth Hr 183 billion ($620 million) to Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant.

Ukraine's nuclear power monopoly said on April 11 that Russian troops had damaged the plant while shelling and seizing it in early March.

7:55 PM

Ukraine's General Staff: Russian troops unsuccessfully try to move further into Ukraine.

The offensive operations are taking place in Donetsk Oblast and in the south of Ukraine, the General Staff said on April 11.

7:38 PM

Russia's capital outflow reaches $64 billion since January.

The outflow reached $17.5 billion in the same period last year and $72 billion for the whole of 2021. Foreign investors heavily withdrew their assets from Russia due to its war against Ukraine, to the point that Russia's Central Bank temporarily limited the possibility of withdrawing assets abroad, including for foreign investors.

7:20 PM

Defense Ministry: Possibility of a Russian offensive on Kyiv will depend on fighting in Donbas.

According to Defense Ministry spokesman Oleksandr Motuzianyk, Russia kept units in the Gomel region of Belarus and the Bryansk and Kursk regions of Russia to stretch Ukraine’s defenses up north. Russia has almost completed its preparations for a new attack in eastern Ukraine, Motuzianyk said.

6:59 PM

Nehammer holds talks with Putin, says sanctions will remain in place as long as Ukrainians are dying.

Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer told Russian dictator Vladimir Putin that sanctions would increase as long as Ukrainians are being killed. He added that in Ukraine, he “saw the immeasurable suffering caused by the Russian war.” Nerhammer is the first EU official to visit Russia after Feb. 24.

6:22 PM

Lavrov: Russia won't stop war in Ukraine amid negotiations.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov told local media outlets that negotiations were ongoing but that Russia won't stop its attacks. He also denied that Russia was committing war crimes, calling the mass graves “staged” and “provocations.”

5:35 PM

Lithuanian Prime Minister pays visit to Borodyanka destroyed by Russian troops.

Lithuanian Prime Minister Ingrida Simonyte and Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal visited the town of Borodyanka, 40 kilometers northwest of Kyiv, where tens of buildings were destroyed by Russian troops. "We will bring to justice everyone, who is to blame for these atrocities," Shmyhal said.

4:41 PM

France sends a team of forensics police officers to Ukraine to assist in war crime investigations.

The team will begin its work on April 12 in the Kyiv Oblast, where multiple counts of Russian war crimes were reported. France is the first country to send international forensics on the ground, French ambassador Etienne de Poncins said on April 11.

4:16 PM

German arms manufacturer Rheinmetall ready to send tanks to Ukraine if government approves.

Rheinmetall can send up to 50 old Leopard 1 tanks to Ukraine if the German government approves the transfer, Rheinmetall CEO Armin Papperger told German media on April 11. The first shipment could take up to six weeks. German Armed Forces have decommissioned the old Leopard 1 tanks, using the Leopard 2 model instead.

News Feed

11:30 PM

Ukraine's 2026 budget could face $19B shortfall as Europe weighs how to fill the gap, FT reports.

The financial hole in Ukraine's budget is linked to reduced U.S. support and the lack of prospects for a swift ceasefire with Russia that Europe had hoped for, the Financial Times reported.

11:08 PM

Ukraine's ambassador to US will be replaced, foreign minister confirms.

"She is extremely effective and charismatic, but surely every diplomat has a rotation cycle," Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said of Ambassador Oksana Markarova.

10:28 PM

Ukraine's Naftogaz brings new high-yield gas well online as country reserves run low.

The 5.7-kilometer deviated well was drilled and commissioned six weeks ahead of schedule as Ukraine works to boost domestic production amid Russian attacks on its energy infrastructure, including gas storage facilities in western Ukraine.

10:18 PM

ICC issues arrest warrants for Taliban leaders as Russia recognizes their legitimacy.

In a statement, the ICC named Taliban supreme leader Haibatullah Akhundzada and Afghanistan's top judge Abdul Hakim Haqqani as suspects in a campaign of systematic oppression targeting women, girls, and others who do not conform to the group's rigid gender ideology.

10:17 PM

US only has 25% of Patriot missiles needed for war plans, Guardian reports.

According to officials familiar with the matter, the Pentagon's munitions tracker showed Patriot interceptor stocks had dipped below acceptable levels. That prompted concerns that sending more to Ukraine could put U.S. defense readiness at risk.

10:03 PM

War update

Ukraine war latest: Trump reportedly pledges to send 10 Patriot missiles to Ukraine, asks Germany to send battery.

9:04 PM

Putin throws 'a lot of b*llshit', Trump says as he 'looks strongly' at Russia sanctions bill.

Trump also addressed U.S. legislation on sanctions, saying the Senate's Russia sanctions bill was "totally optional" for him to implement or terminate. "I'm looking at it very strongly," Trump said.

8:38 PM

Ukrainian businesses outraged as government blocks economic crimes bureau chief nominee.

Ukraine's Cabinet of Ministers rejected a nominee to lead the economic crimes agency, drawing swift criticism from lawmakers and businesses over alleged interference in the selection process.

7:17 PM

Russia's crude exports fall to lowest level since February.

Seaborne crude flows averaged 3.12 million barrels a day over the four weeks to July 6, a 3% decline from the previous period ending June 29, according to tanker-tracking data compiled by Bloomberg. That's the lowest level recorded since the four-week period ending Feb. 23.

7:02 PM

War analysis

Dnipropetrovsk village likely contested despite Russia's claim of its capture

6:19 PM

Three men convicted in London arson plot tied to Russia's Wagner Group.

The ringleader, Dylan Earl, 21, had already pleaded guilty to aggravated arson over the 2024 blaze targeting companies that were supplying Elon Musk's Starlink satellite equipment to Ukraine.

5:15 PM

Trump reportedly pledges to send 10 Patriot missiles to Ukraine, asks Germany to send battery.

During the call with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, U.S. President Donald Trump proposed that Germany sell one of its own Patriot batteries to Ukraine.

4:28 PM

Business

Ukraine’s minerals fund focus of private investment ahead of major recovery conference

4:17 PM

Opinion

Seeing war through the lens of narcissism

3:58 PM

Ukraine sanctions 5 Chinese firms for supplying components used in Russian drones.

The decree follows a publication by Ukraine's Security Service (SBU), which said it recovered Chinese-made parts from downed Shahed drones during a July 4 air assault on Kyiv.

3:52 PM

Opinion

How to enter Ukraine’s defense market: A short guide for foreign companies

3:27 PM

Interview

'Some are forged into poets during hostilities' — Medic, former POW, and poet on how war is shaping Ukraine's writers

3:16 PM

Putin signs decree allowing foreigners to serve in Russian army during mobilization.

Russian President Vladimir Putin's partial mobilization decree from Sept. 21, 2022, remains in force and has never been formally rescinded.

3:12 PM

'Torture was not just cruel, it was inhuman' — Ukrainian soldier dies weeks after release from Russian captivity.

Soldier Valery Zelensky had spent 39 months in Russian captivity. Just 22 days later, on June 16, his heart stopped.

2:18 PM

(Updated: July 8, 2025 3:08 pm)

Europe's largest port prepares for NATO arms shipments, potential war with Russia.

Rotterdam has previously handled weapons shipments, but this marks the first time that it will designate a special berth for military use.

9:56 AM

(Updated: July 8, 2025 3:03 pm)

Russia's Black Sea Fleet shrinks presence in key Crimean bay, Ukrainian partisans say.

The remaining combat units are periodically rotated and redeployed in an apparent effort to avoid detection by Ukrainian reconnaissance, the Atesh partisan group said.

1:33 PM

(Updated: July 8, 2025 1:34 pm)

Ukraine's ambassador to the US to be dismissed, source says.

Oksana Markarova has held the post since April 2021.

7:45 PM

(Updated: July 8, 2025 1:30 pm)

Minerals

Exclusive: Ukraine pitches US modernizes its largest oil refinery as part of minerals deal

12:27 PM

Overcoming Slovakia, Hungary opposition, EU set to approve new Russia sanctions package this week, Ukrainian official says.

In late June, EU ambassadors did not approve the sanctions package because of objections from Budapest and Bratislava.

11:13 AM

9 killed, 81 injured in Russian attacks on Ukraine over past day.

Ukraine's Air Force said Russia launched 54 drones overnight, including Iranian-designed Shahed-type attack drones, and fired four S-300/400 guided missiles.

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