Russian troops shot dead four Ukrainian prisoners of war (POWs) on April 11 near the village of Veterynarne in Kharkiv Oblast, Ukraine’s Prosecutor General’s Office reported on April 12.

Record turnout marked the start of Hungary's parliamentary election on April 12, in a vote that could shape the country's future relationship with the European Union and Russia.

The pro-Ukrainian partisan group Atesh sabotaged a diesel locomotive in Russia's Rostov Oblast, allegedly used for transporting military cargo toward Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia Oblast, the group claimed on April 12.

Russia violated its self-declared Easter ceasefire 2,299 times over 15 hours, Ukraine said, as attacks across multiple oblasts killed four civilians and injured 35 others.

This weekly update from the Kyiv Independent aims to shed light on the situation facing Ukrainians living under Russian occupation and the ever-tightening control of information imposed by the Kremlin.   Key news as of April 11: * More than 580,000 Ukrainian children forced to study in schools under Russian occupation * Crimean woman accused of treason, sent for psychiatric examination * Occupied part of Luhansk Oblast faces acute shortage of doctors, teachers, civil servants * Ukraine dis

Russia has lost 1,311,180 troops in Ukraine since the beginning of its full-scale invasion on Feb. 24, 2022, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported on April 12.

As Hungarians are heading to the polls on April 12, the prospect that the 16-year rule of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban and his Fidesz party might come to an end will have far-reaching consequences for Ukraine, Europe, and maybe the world. A lot is at stake for Ukraine in this election. Orban has blocked a €90 billion EU loan for Kyiv, and used its veto power to prevent the EU from opening accession negotiations with Ukraine — and Moldova — for almost a year. Facing down Fidesz, and mo

A Russian drone struck an ambulance in Sumy Oblast, injuring three paramedics overnight on April 12 despite an Easter ceasefire being in place, local authorities reported.

With Hungary's closely watched parliamentary election just a day away, U.S. lawmakers have accused the European Commission of attempting to influence the vote through its regulation of online platforms.

Russia has violated a recently announced Easter ceasefire more than 400 times since it took effect at 4:00 p.m. local time, Ukraine's General Staff said April 11.

Ukrainian armed forces said they struck two oil facilities overnight on April 11, targeting the Krymskaya oil pumping station in Russia's Krasnodar Krai and the Gvardiyskaya oil depot in occupied Crimea.

When Hungarians go to the polls tomorrow, they will be voting in an environment poisoned by probably the largest documented campaign of foreign election interference in EU history. The central paradox of this campaign is not that Russia is interfering — that has long become the norm. It is that Russia is doing so while wearing a Ukrainian disguise. In Hungarian elections this year, the Kremlin has bundled everything into one package and added an element never before deployed at this scale: the

In his Daily Mail article, ex-U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson describes the harsh realities faced by Ukrainian soldiers and civilians, while also criticizing Western partners for their lack of support for Ukraine.

"This is the true cost of Russia’s talk of 'truce' — they came here to kill and destroy. They don’t want peace," Governor Vadym Filashkin said.

The visit of U.S. Vice President JD Vance to Budapest was intended to provide a timely boost to Prime Minister Viktor Orban ahead of Hungary's parliamentary elections this Sunday. Instead, the visit just highlighted the widening gap between the government's international agenda and the domestic realities facing Hungarian voters. In a campaign defined by economic hardship and the sudden rise of a formidable opposition, the arrival of a senior American official felt more like a desperate distrac

"Ukraine will adhere to the ceasefire and respond strictly in kind. The absence of Russian strikes in the air, on land, and at sea will mean no response from our side," President Volodymyr Zelensky said.

Most of those released had been in Russian captivity since 2022, President Volodymyr Zelensky said.

According to the report, at least 211 people were killed in March, and 1,206 were injured.

Ukrainian forces downed 133 out of the 160 drones, including Shahed-type attack drones, launched by Russia overnight, the Air Force reported.

The number includes 1,440 casualties that Russian forces suffered over the past day.

Russia has designated at least 19 Western universities as "undesirable" organizations, exposing individuals linked to the schools — including students — to a possible four-year prison sentence.

"My Administration stands ready to use the full Economic Might of the United States to strengthen Hungary's Economy, as we have done for our Great Allies in the past, if Prime Minister Viktor Orban and the Hungarian People ever need it."

Estonia will not detain Russian shadow fleet vessels in the Baltic Sea due to concerns about military escalation, a senior naval commander told Reuters on April 10.

The U.S. is likely to extend a waiver allowing countries to purchase sanctioned Russian oil and petroleum products, Reuters reported April 10, citing sources familiar with the matter.

According to Novaya Gazeta, masked special services officers arrived at 12 p.m. local time and as of 7 p.m. local time, the search was still ongoing.

Key developments on April 10: * Russian drilling platforms in Caspian Sea struck, Ukraine's military says * Russia wants to capture Pokrovsk, other key Donetsk Oblast towns by end of April, Zelensky says * Zelensky says unnamed 'partners' asked Ukraine not to attack Russian oil refineries * 'Wars are not won without people,' Budanov says of Ukraine's mobilization crisis * Russian-recruited hitman caught 'red-handed' attempting to assassinate Ukrainian Navy officer, SBU says Ukrainian forc

Two children were injured and hospitalized, while four other victims are in serious condition, local authorities said.

Polish F-16s intercepted a Russian Il-20 reconnaissance aircraft during a patrol over the Baltic Sea on April 9, Polish Defense Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz said on X.

Editor's note: A version of this article first appeared in the Ukraine Business Roundup, our weekly newsletter on what's shaping Ukraine's businesses and economy. Sign up here. After months of failing to pass a range of measures needed to unlock billions in stalled donor funding, Ukraine’s parliament made a small dent in the long list of reforms this week. But there was one piece of regulation conspicuously absent from the agenda. As part of a new $8.1 billion International Monetary Fund loan

Ukraine expects no miracles from Hungary's April 12 elections. This weekend, Hungarian voters may end Viktor Orban's 16-year rule, potentially unblocking vital EU funding for Kyiv and its path toward membership. But the Hungarian prime minister — backed by both Washington and Moscow — has stacked the electoral playing field in his favor. And his main challenger, Tisza leader Peter Magyar, remains an unknown quantity for Ukraine. As the vote nears, the Kyiv Independent spoke to local experts a

Kremlin envoy Kirill Dmitriev is currently in the United States holding meetings with officials from U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration, according to sources cited by Reuters.

At a March meeting on Operation Epic Fury, European Council President Antonio Costa said, "There is only one winner in this war: Russia." Europe is right to be worried about Russian gains in this war. But this analysis is short-sighted and overlooks a central fact: the Kremlin is watching a key chess piece slip from the board, and its anxiety, not Europe's, should dictate the terms of this conflict. Despite its modest effort to aid Iran, Russia has failed to meet operational objectives on the