Russia’s assault on Chasiv Yar and US aid freeze | Ukraine This Week

6:53 AM

Ukrainian partisans sabotage railway in occupied Luhansk Oblast, group claims.

The sabotage operation disrupted Russian supply lines and led to delays in the delivery of equipment and spare parts, the partisan group Atesh claimed on April 27.

5:47 AM

Russia training to integrate motorcycles into summer offensive in Ukraine, ISW says.

Training footage indicates that Russia may be developing "a tactical doctrine for systematic offensive motorcycle usage," the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) said on April 26.

3:56 AM

Ukraine still operating in Kursk Oblast, monitoring group says.

Ukrainian troops face a difficult situation in Kursk, but the Kremlin's announcement was "a fake," the monitoring service DeepState reported on April 26.

3:00 AM

Republican senator calls for secondary tariffs on Russian energy buyers.

"As to additional sanctions on Putin's Russia, I have bipartisan legislation with almost 60 cosponsors that would put secondary tariffs on any country that purchases Russian oil, gas, uranium, or other products," U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham said on April 26.

1:57 AM

McDonald's applies to register trademark in Russia.

The company does not plan to re-enter the Russian market, but wants to "prevent third-party businesses" from taking advantage of the brand, McDonald's said in a statement.

1:01 AM

Trump won't abandon Ukraine peace process, Estonian president says.

In a conversation following Pope Francis's funeral, Trump promised to "do everything" to maintain peace negotiations, Estonian President Alar Karis said.

11:39 PM

Zelensky meets Vatican state secretary on sidelines of Pope Francis's funeral.

President Volodymyr Zelensky met with Vatican State Secretary Cardinal Pietro Parolin and Cardinal Matteo Zuppi on the sidelines of Pope Francis's funeral on April 26.

10:25 PM

Zelensky meets von der Leyen following funeral of Pope Francis.

"You can count on our support at the negotiating table to achieve a just and lasting peace," European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said.

8:44 PM

Suspect detained in Moscow car bombing, Russian FSB claims.

Ignat Kuzin was detained for allegedly planting a bomb that killed a senior Russian general, Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) said on April 26, alleging that Kuzin is a Ukrainian agent.

3:31 PM  (Updated:  April 26, 2025 7:29 pm)

Zelensky meets France's Macron, UK's Starmer, Italy's Meloni on sidelines of Pope Francis's funeral.

The diplomatic meetings come after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky met privately with U.S. President Donald Trump at St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican earlier on April 26.

9:44 PM  (Updated:  April 26, 2025 6:00 pm)

War analysis

Front-line situation not severe enough for Ukraine to be forced to accept Trump's deal, experts say

5:59 PM

Russia lost over 62,400 soldiers in Kursk operation, Ukraine says.

The Russian military had lost 62,400 soldiers in Kursk Oblast since the start of the Ukrainian army's military operation there last year, Ukraine's General Staff said on April 26.

5:49 PM

Ukrainian high jumper Mahuchikh wins first stage of Diamond League in China.

Mahuchikh won the most prestigious commercial athletics competition with a jump of 1.97 meters, beating her main rivals - Australians Nicola Olislagers and Eleanor Patterson, who won silver and bronze at the 2024 Olympics.

5:32 PM

US rejects Russian demand for Ukraine's full withdrawal from partially occupied oblasts, NYT reports.

The United States considers the demand an "unreasonable and unachievable" condition, a source told the New York Times.

5:06 PM

'He's just tapping me along' — Trump admits Putin may not be interested in ending war on Ukraine.

Russian missile attacks on Ukrainian cities and towns signal that the Russian leader may not be interested in ending the war, U.S. President Donald Trump said on April 26, again threatening sanctions.

4:47 PM

Putin ready for talks with Ukraine 'without preconditions,' Kremlin says.

Russian President Vladimir Putin confirmed for the U.S. his readiness to launch negotiations with Ukraine without preconditions, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said on April 26, state news agency TASS reported.

4:25 PM

Russian military helicopter violates Polish airspace to probe air defenses, Poland says.

The helicopter was tracked by Polish military radar systems and civilian systems of the Polish Air Navigation Services Agency over Poland's territorial waters in the Baltic Sea.

3:51 PM

Interpol investigates Russian company for human trafficking over African workers in Tatarstan drone factory.

Since launching in 2022, Alabuga Start has recruited around 350 women from over 40 countries to work in Alabuga Special Economic Zone in Russia's Republic of Tatarstan and aims to bring 8,500 more this year, according to Bloomberg.

2:06 PM  (Updated:  April 26, 2025 3:10 pm)

Kyiv denies Russia’s claim of Kursk Oblast recapture, as Moscow confirms North Korea role.

Russian forces have fully retaken the territory of Kursk Oblast, the Russian border region partially held by Ukraine since last August, the Kremlin claims.

2:53 PM

Most online services restored in Ukraine after data center outage, no signs of cyberattack.

De Novo CEO Maksym Ahieiev emphasized that there were "no signs of hacking or external interference," and the outage was due to a "combination of technical factors."

2:40 PM

Chornobyl

Russia attacked Chornobyl Nuclear Plant in February, damaging confinement. Can it be fully restored?

11:05 AM  (Updated:  April 26, 2025 2:19 pm)

Zelensky meets Trump for 'productive' meeting at Pope Francis's funeral, White House says.

"Good meeting. We discussed a lot one on one. Hoping for results on everything we covered," Zelensky said after the meeting.

1:46 PM

Russian EW systems designer reportedly killed in car bombing in Bryansk.

Yevgeny Rytikov was killed when he and his colleague entered a car in the Russian city of Bryansk, some 100 kilometers (60 miles) north of the Russia-Ukraine border, RBC-Ukraine wrote, citing undisclosed Ukrainian Defense Forces sources.

1:30 PM

Ukraine detains Russian 'shadow fleet' ship smuggling stolen grain from Crimea, SBU says.

Investigators said the vessel had loaded around 5,000 tons of stolen Ukrainian wheat from the Russian-occupied port city of Sevastopol in late 2024 and attempted to disguise its operations by sailing under the flag of an Asian country.

1:14 PM

Secret Russian satellite linked to nuclear weapon program seems to malfunction, Reuters reports.

A Russian space satellite that U.S. officials tie to its nuclear anti-satellite weapon program seems to be spinning uncontrollably and may no longer be functioning, Reuters reported on April 25, citing U.S. experts.