"Sometimes good-willed direct blackmailing is the best option," Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov tells his Hungarian counterpart in one call as the EU convened to open accession negotiations for Ukraine.

For years, an idea has percolated among certain Western officials that the best way to break the burgeoning partnership between Russia and China is to appease Moscow, including to the point of choking off all support for Ukraine. Known colloquially as the "reverse Kissinger," it is an idea that builds on U.S. Secretary of State Henry Kissinger's efforts in the early 1970s to peel Beijing away from Moscow. As the theory goes, it is only in offering Moscow what it wants — sanctions relief, new i

Even before Russia launched its full-scale war in 2022, it set the groundwork by establishing distorted narratives about its “rightful” claim to Ukraine. Misunderstandings about empire, identity, and the legacies of both the Russian Empire and the Soviet Union still shape Western views of Russia — and Ukraine — today. While these narratives aren’t as instantly lethal as Russian drones and missiles, they’re designed to serve the same purpose — hurting Ukraine, often in ways that reach far beyond

As Hungary heads into a high-stakes election, Moscow has deployed its propaganda and disinformation machine to bolster its preferred candidate. Viktor Orban, Hungary's Kremlin-friendly strongman, faces a real chance of defeat on April 12 that could end his 16-year grip on power. For weeks, Russian propagandists and bot networks have pushed falsehoods about alleged attempts by Brussels and Kyiv to sway the vote, or even steal it in a "Maidan-style coup." The methods deployed by Kremlin disinfo

Key developments on April 8: * Hungary claims new ‘evidence’ in seized Ukrainian bank convoy case, Oschadbank calls it fabricated * Russia hits Kharkiv Oblast oil refinery, causing 'significant' damage * Ukraine welcomes US–Iran ceasefire, says time to push Russia too * Attacks, threats against journalists in Ukraine surge in 2025 Hungary claimed on April 8 that it had new "evidence" that the Ukrainian bank convoy it seized earlier in March was part of a money laundering operation. Hungar

During sunny days, Ukraine’s solar farms produce over 3 GW of energy. But a return of cloudy weather and rain in recent days has limited the sun’s ability to power Ukrainian homes.

In 2025 alone, the union documented 160 attacks and threats against journalists, including 70 cases involving the destruction of media property or journalists' personal equipment.

Ukraine's SBU says Russia's GRU used hacked Wi-Fi routers to spy on users in Ukraine, Europe, and the U.S.

Ukraine is racing to build its battle-tested drones in Europe, but a flagship initiative meant to make that happen still lacks a clear roadmap, slowing more deals even as demand surges.

Editor's note: this article was updated to include comments from the European Commission. Ukraine's parliament made scant progress on several reforms tied to funding from international partners during a highly anticipated parliamentary session on April 7–8. Ukraine has missed deadlines on a range of reforms tied to international financing over the past year. Lawmakers attempted to gain momentum during this week's plenary session, yet were only able to pass one of four new taxes required by th

The Kyiv Independent’s Kate Tsurkan speaks with historian Serhii Plokhy about how Russia has shaped global perceptions of its past — and why those misunderstandings continue to shape today’s war.

“Who is silencing political voices? It's online platforms. Who is manipulating algorithms? Again, online platforms. Who is boosting the visibility of the preferred choice? Online platforms,” said Commission spokesperson Thomas Regnier.

In addition to the Feodosia oil terminal, Ukraine targeted an oil depot in the village of Hvardiiske in Crimea, the General Staff said, without specifying the extent of the damage.

The Ukrainian drone strike overnight on April 6 put a ferry out of service that had previously been attacked in March but had remained afloat until then.

The new "evidence" reportedly includes a video of a Ukrainian official "falsifying documents in a gas station restroom" and his associates discussing "corruption-related payments."

Russia has targeted the facility for the fifth time since launching its full-scale invasion in 2022, the refinery's legal director, Anastasiia Cherednykova, told Suspilne.

Why are Ukrainian drones proving so effective on the battlefield? Can this experience be replicated elsewhere — particularly in the Gulf? And where are the real opportunities for investors in this rapidly evolving ecosystem? As war in the Middle East reshapes global threat perceptions and procurement priorities, attention is increasingly turning to Ukraine — not just as a battlefield, but as a leading producer and testing ground for cost-effective, rapidly deployable defense technologies. Ukrai

"American decisiveness works. We believe it is time for sufficient decisiveness to force Moscow to cease fire and end its war against Ukraine," Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said.

"This is the first time such plans have been documented on (the Russian) part," Deputy Presidential Office head Pavlo Palisa said.

Russia launched 176 drones at Ukraine overnight, the Air Force said, reporting that Ukrainian air defenses intercepted 146.

The number includes 1,030 casualties that Russian forces suffered over the past day.

U.S. President Donald Trump said he has agreed to pause planned military strikes on Iran for two weeks, conditional upon the full and immediate reopening of the Strait of Hormuz.

The pro-Ukrainian partisan group Atesh sabotaged a railway line in Russia's Belgorod Oblast, disrupting the transport of military cargo toward Kupiansk, the group claimed via Telegram on April 8.

The acknowledgement, which was delivered to Yaounde by Russian officials and broadcast through Cameroonian state media on April 6, marks the first time Cameroon has formally spoken of its citizens' involvement in the Ukraine war.

U.S. President Donald Trump praised Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban during a political rally in Budapest, where Vice President JD Vance held up his phone so Trump could address the crowd live.

Mircea Lucescu, former head coach of Ukrainian football teams Dynamo Kyiv and Shakhtar Donetsk, has died at the age of 80, Romanian media reported on April 7.

Key developments on April 7: * Russian attacks on Nikopol, Kherson see 9 dead and 49 injured across southern Ukraine * Ukraine confirms fresh strike on Russia’s Ust-Luga oil terminal as campaign to limit Russia's oil windfall continues * SBU seizes 'shadow fleet' vessel in Odesa port tied to illegal exports from occupied Crimea * Novorossiysk oil terminal stops exports after new Ukrainian drone strikes on April 5, Reuters reports Two deadly attacks across the Dnipro River have brought deat

Editor’s Note: In accordance with the security protocols of the Ukrainian military, soldiers featured in this story are identified by first name and call sign only. ZAPORIZHZHIA OBLAST – For tonight's clearing mission on the cold windy steppe of southern Ukraine, the munition of choice is the Spear. In a cramped dugout less than eight kilometers from Russian forces, Ukrainian soldiers prepare the bombs, taping wires and tail fins onto long tubes of black steel fitted with menacing iron spikes

Editor's note: This article was updated to include the results of the plenary session. Ukraine's parliament approved on April 7 one of several key tax bills tied to International Monetary Fund (IMF) funding, in a packed legislative push that also includes measures to align the country with the EU. The vote comes after weeks of political tensions and friction between the parliament, the government, and President Volodymyr Zelensky over the stalled legislation. After missing the official IMF de

Washington is "certainly aware that there are elements within the Ukrainian intelligence services that try to put their thumb on the scale of American elections, on Hungarian elections," Vice President JD Vance said.

Zelensky said Kyiv wants THAAD as part of future security guarantees, but analysts question both the system’s usefulness for Ukraine and the likelihood of it being provided.

The ship was detained in Odesa's commercial port after arriving under the flag of an African country, reportedly to load a shipment of steel pipes.