Ukraine This Week: Blackouts, HIMARS in Belgorod, and Ukraine’s upcoming peace summit

5:33 AM

Finnish volunteer fighter killed in action in Ukraine.

A 20-year-old Finnish volunteer soldier was killed in action while fighting for Ukraine, Finnish newspaper Turun Sanomat reported on April 15.

4:34 AM

Ukrainian film 'Militantropos' to premiere at Cannes Film Festival.

The Ukrainian documentary Militantropos has been selected for the "Directors' Fortnight" program at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival, festival organizers announced on April 15.

2:32 AM

Economic partnership with US could spur Russia to end war, White House says.

"There is an incentive for Russia to end this war and perhaps that could be economic partnerships with the United States," White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters on April 15.

12:54 AM

Kremlin to revive Soviet-era Komsomol school to indoctrinate youth.

Russia will launch a new program called the Digoria Political Education Workshop to provide "ideological training" to personnel who work with youth, a source in the Kremlin told Russian state media.

11:49 PM

Fico to visit Moscow May 9 despite EU warning.

"I am going to Moscow on May 9 ... No one can tell me where I should or should not travel," Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico said on April 15.

11:15 PM

Ukraine

Can civilian areas ever be legitimate military targets? We asked an expert

11:10 PM

'First to suffer' — Russia singles out Poland, Baltics in threat to NATO.

These countries have shown "high aggressiveness" towards Russia and are "constantly rattling their weapons," Russia's Foreign Intelligence Director Sergey Naryshkin said on April 15.

10:23 PM

Human toll

Russia’s deadliest attacks on civilians since the start of the full-scale invasion

10:53 AM  (Updated:  April 15, 2025 10:19 pm)

Witkoff says '5 territories' key to proposed Russia-Ukraine deal after meeting Putin.

Some U.S. officials have raised alarms over the direction of the Trump administration's diplomacy. The Wall Street Journal reported that Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Special Envoy for Ukraine Keith Kellogg are urging President Donald Trump to resist territorial concessions to Moscow.

9:45 PM

War update

Ukraine war latest: Ukrainian forces target Russian missile brigade behind deadly Sumy attack; Witkoff unveils '5 territories' deal for Russia

9:43 PM

Opinion

As the world looks away, Ukraine’s journalists are stepping up to tell the story themselves

9:31 PM

Rutte visits military hospital in Odesa, reaffirms support for Ukraine.

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte arrived in Odesa on April 15 and visited a local military hospital alongside Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

9:07 PM

War analysis

Our readers' questions about the war, answered. Vol. 8

8:55 PM

defense industry

Ukraine’s long-suffering aerospace giants look to Europe to break free from Russian orbit

8:41 PM

Russia sees no 'clear outlines' yet of agreement with US on war in Ukraine, Kremlin spokesperson says.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov called the meeting between U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Russian President Vladimir Putin in St. Petersburg on April 11 "positive and useful."

7:18 PM

North Korean artillery now dominates Russia's ammunition supply in war against Ukraine, investigation says.

The majority of artillery shells used by Russian forces in Ukraine in 2024 were manufactured in North Korea, according to a joint investigation by Reuters and the Open Source Center (OPS), published on April 15.

7:08 PM

Video

Deadliest Russian attack on Sumy leaves residents in shock.

On April 13, Russia launched a brutal double-tap attack on the northeastern Ukrainian city of Sumy. Two ballistic missiles rocked the city center on Palm Sunday, killing at least 35 people — including two children — and shocking Ukraine and the world. The Kyiv Independent visited Sumy the day after the attack.

6:36 PM

Ukrainian forces target Russian missile brigade behind deadly Sumy attack.

Ukrainian forces struck the base of Russia’s 448th Missile Brigade, which had carried out a deadly attack on the northeastern city of Sumy on April 13, Ukraine’s General Staff reported on April 15.

5:43 PM

Russia's Yamalo-Nenets region becomes first to reduce military enlistment payments.

The Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug has become the first Russian region to reduce enlistment payments for soldiers fighting in Ukraine, the Moscow Times reported on April 15, citing local officials.

4:19 PM

Merz's party optimistic about Germany's new coalition backing Taurus for Ukraine.

The statement follows remarks by chancellor-in-waiting and CDU head Friedrich Merz, who on April 13 reiterated his position that Germany could supply Taurus missiles to Ukraine in coordination with partners.

4:01 PM

US blocking G7 statement denouncing Russia's Sumy strike, Bloomberg reports.

The U.S. has told the other G7 members it would not support a joint statement condemning Russia's deadly attack on Sumy last week so as not to disrupt peace efforts, Bloomberg reported on April 15, citing undisclosed sources.

3:40 PM

EU readies 'plan B' for bypassing Hungary's Russia sanctions veto, RFE/RL reports.

The EU sanctions consist of two documents adopted one after another: a decision and a regulation. While a regulation must by extended by all 27 members every six months, a decision remains in force until a qualified majority repeals it, RFE/RL reported.

2:56 PM

Poland, Czechia reportedly push to restrict Russian diplomats' movement in Schengen.

The proposal calls for limiting Russian diplomats to their consular districts, a restriction already implemented in Poland.

2:43 PM

Azov, Khartiia commanders to lead 2 new National Guard corps.

One of the new formations, the 1st Azov Corps, will be led by Colonel Denys Prokopenko, the commander of the 12th Special Forces Azov Brigade.

2:07 PM

Ukraine has liberated Dniproenerhiia village in Donetsk Oblast, commander claims.

"I have been in command of the tactical group for two months. During this period, we managed to reduce personnel losses by 20%, regain control of the village of Dniproenerhiia, and improve the tactical situation in two critical areas," Lieutenant General Serhii Naiev said.