Ukraine Breaking News Today Live on 04-28-2025

Why the democratic ‘rules-based’ world cannot agree to Russia’s absorption of Ukrainian Crimea.

Recognizing Russia’s annexation of the Ukrainian Black Sea peninsula of Crimea would undermine the international order and raise serious legal challenges, experts said as the Kremlin on Monday called the concession “imperative“ to resolving the conflict.

The comments came as US President Donald Trump pushed Russia to accept a ceasefire, telling reporters on Sunday that he believed Volodymyr Zelensky might concede Crimea as part of a settlement – a suggestion the Ukrainian leader has repeatedly rejected.

Ukraine’s largest power plant, currently under Russian occupation, has come up once again as one of the points of contention in the US peace deal – here’s why everyone wants it.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Sunday that Moscow would not relinquish control of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant (NPP) it has occupied.

The plant was reportedly included in the US peace proposal pitched to Kyiv and Moscow – where the US would control the plant as a neutral zone, supplying electricity to both Ukrainian-controlled and Russian-controlled areas. Lavrov claimed Moscow received no such proposal.

Ukraine’s defense intelligence published data on almost 250 Rostec companies that play major roles in Russian arms production, hoping to disrupt supply chains and isolate its defense industry.

Ukraine’s defense intelligence directorate (HUR) has published a detailed breakdown on the War & Sanctions portal of 243 enterprises that are part of three major holdings within Russia’s state-owned corporation, Rostec.

“Rostec enterprises account for more than half of Russia’s total production of weapons and military equipment and play a key role in supplying the aggressor’s army in its war against Ukraine,” the HUR statement said.

Zaluzhny said that drones have revolutionized warfare, making heavy weapons and traditional tactics obsolete in today’s conflicts.

Ukraine’s ambassador to the UK, former Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU), Valery Zaluzhny, said that the war in Ukraine has radically transformed the nature of modern combat – with drones becoming the decisive force in warfare, rendering heavy weapons obsolete.

Addressing the Ukraine-United Kingdom Defense Technology Forum in London, UK, on April 25, Zaluzhny said:

Former Trump-appointed Ambassador and Cold War intelligence officer Jim Gilmore pulls back the curtain on what really may be happening behind closed doors in Washington.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov insists that these demands are non-negotiable for peace talks with Ukraine.

Russia reiterated its maximalist conditions for peace with Ukraine on Monday, April 28, offering no new proposals to end the war.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said any agreement would require not only international recognition of Russian control over Crimea – as reportedly proposed by US President Donald Trump – but also the acceptance of Moscow’s claims over four additional partially occupied regions: Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia.

While Trump remains optimistic about reaching a peace deal, he also acknowledges the necessity for Kyiv and Moscow to negotiate, the White House’s press secretary said.

WASHINGTON DC – The White House on Monday dismissed Russian leader Vladimir Putin’s latest temporary truce announcement, saying that it wants a permanent ceasefire.

“I understand Vladimir Putin this morning offered a temporary ceasefire. The president has made it clear he wants to see a permanent ceasefire first to stop the killing and stop the bloodshed,” Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters in the White House briefing room.

Money spent on production upgrades is getting results in Ukraine and in Europe. Now Ukraine is one of the world’s most prolific howitzer manufacturers.

One year after a US embargo on arms shipments left Ukrainian gunners catastrophically short of ammunition and cannon, the artillery of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) is bulking up with hundreds of modern howitzers manufactured at home and a burgeoning European supply chain feeding those guns – so far – at a clip north of 100,000 individual munitions a month.

Jana Černochová, the Czech Republic’s defense minister, in Sunday evening comments on the national news program Otázky Václava Moravec, said a Prague-led coalition for sourcing large-caliber artillery ammunition to Ukraine in the first four months of 2025 had delivered 400,000 shells to the Ukrainian military, and that funding for more ammunition at those volumes had been secured until autumn.

The internet activity monitoring site Netblocks told AFP the blackout caused a “loss of much of the country’s digital infrastructure.” It said web connections plunged to just 17% of normal usage.

Power went out across all of Spain and Portugal on Monday, cutting cellphone and internet networks, halting trains and trapping people in elevators, officials said.

Spain’s government was scrambling to identify the origin of the huge outage, with Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez going to the headquarters of the state electricity network operator to be briefed.

Ukrainian drones dropped explosives to force Russian captors to flee, freeing three Ukrainian soldiers and guiding them back to safety.

Ukrainian border guards freed three Ukrainian servicemen from Russian captivity using drones and precision drone drops.

The State Border Guard Service shared a corresponding video on Telegram, titled: “Unique operation: drone operators free three Ukrainian soldiers from captivity.”

Worse economic performance is expected due to Russian bombing of energy infrastructure, lack of workforce, and war uncertainty – but Ukraine’s economic team is doing an “extraordinary job,” IMF says.

In its April 25 Regional Economic Outlook for Europe press conference, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) downgraded real GDP growth for Ukraine by 2.0%, marking a 0.5% decrease from its October 2024 projection.

For 2026, the IMF estimates Ukraine’s real GDP will grow by 4.5% – and by 4.8% in 2027. 

The charges stem from Yanukovych’s flight to Russia with his inner circle in February 2014 following mass protests that toppled his government.

A Ukrainian court on Monday sentenced former President Viktor Yanukovych to 15 years in prison over his 2014 escape to Russia, Ukraine’s Prosecutor General’s Office reported on April 28.

The Podilsky District Court in Kyiv found Yanukovych guilty of organizing the illegal transfer of people across Ukraine’s border and inciting desertion.

Russian leader Vladimir Putin has repeatedly claimed that talks between Moscow and Kyiv are impossible due to a ban imposed earlier by President Volodymyr Zelensky.

Moscow has blamed Kyiv for stalling peace talks.

When asked by journalists from whom exactly Moscow is expecting a signal to further the peace talks, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said Kyiv, according to Russian media reports.

The video comes as Russian and North Korean officials confirm that Pyongyang has sent forces to support Moscow’s military campaign.

Russian state news agency TASS has published video footage showing North Korean troops training on Russian soil, days after Moscow officially confirmed their involvement in the war against Ukraine.

The footage shows North Korean soldiers conducting live-fire exercises and combat drills at a Russian military training ground. It comes as Russian and North Korean officials confirm that Pyongyang has sent forces to support Moscow’s campaign.

Russian forces will halt all military operations from May 8-10 in honor of the 80th anniversary of Victory Day, the Kremlin announced Monday.

Russian leader Vladimir Putin claimed he’s ordered a three-day ceasefire in Russia’s war in Ukraine from May 8-10, coinciding with Moscow’s World War II Victory Day commemorations, the Kremlin announced Monday, April 28.

“Based on humanitarian considerations, the Russian side is declaring a truce during the 80th anniversary of Victory Day,” the Kremlin said in a statement.

Wadephul, 62, has long been a close confidant of incoming chancellor Friedrich Merz and a key adviser to him on foreign policy issues. He is known for pushing for more weapons to support Ukraine.

Johann Wadephul, an experienced pro-Ukraine politician from the conservative CDU, will be Germany’s next foreign minister, the party said in a statement Monday.

Wadephul, 62, has long been a close confidant of incoming chancellor Friedrich Merz and a key adviser to him on foreign policy issues. He is known for pushing for more weapons to support Ukraine.

Why America’s pandering to Putin is no “peace plan,” why the rest of the West must reject appeasement, and why Ukraine must be prepared for perpetual war.

President Donald Trump’s proposed “peace plan” for Ukraine is touted as pragmatic and final. It is neither. It is nothing less than a betrayal of Ukraine and a mitzvah for Vladimir Putin. It sets a dangerous precedent that threatens not only Canada’s national security, international credibility and democratic values, but those of the entire Free World.

The “plan” offers formal recognition of Russia’s illegal annexation of Crimea and implies de facto acceptance of Moscow’s legions investing portions of the Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions. It also calls for a permanent ban on Ukraine joining NATO.

Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said Kyiv has communicated its “red lines” to Washington and hinted at progress with the resource deal.

The US will not ask Ukraine to repay previous aid via the mineral deal, Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said on Sunday.

Shmyhal headed the Ukrainian delegation to finalize the terms of the resource deal last week, according to a memorandum signed earlier.

A drone strike hit the Kremniy EL microelectronics plant in Bryansk, a major Russian producer of chips, and other tech components for Pantsir air defense systems and Iskander ballistic missiles.

Moscow sources report a massive overnight drone attack on a cross-border Russian electronics factory supplying chips, printed circuit boards, transistors, and diodes, for Pantsir air defense missiles and Iskander short range ballistic missiles, but Kyiv has not acknowledged any involvement.

In the early hours of Monday, April 28, the governor of Russia’s Bryansk region, Alexander Bogomaz, reported a massive drone attack on the area. Russia’s Ministry of Defense claimed that 102 Ukrainian drones were shot down over the Bryansk region alone.

The pilot ejected safely and is in stable condition after Ukraine lost a Su-27 while repelling a Russian drone assault on Monday morning.

Ukraine lost a Su-27 fighter jet on the morning of Monday, April 28, while repelling an attack by Russian strike drones.

According to the Air Force’s report on Telegram, the incident occurred “during the performance of a complex combat mission to provide air support to troops and repel an air attack by enemy strike drones.”

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Washington says North Korea and other third countries “bear responsibility” for prolonging Russia’s war in Ukraine, condemning Pyongyang’s troop deployment to support Moscow.

The US State Department on Sunday accused North Korea and other third countries of helping prolong Russia’s war against Ukraine, saying they “bear responsibility” for fueling the conflict.

The statement came just hours after Pyongyang confirmed for the first time that it had deployed troops to support Moscow under a mutual defense treaty.

History shows occupation doesn’t just bring new tax collectors, but often the destruction of culture and language, indoctrination of children, and the oppression and obliteration of native citizens.

Letting Russia keep parts of Ukrainian territory would mean genocide for the Ukrainian people.

Some believe that when a country is occupied, life can continue peacefully under a different flag — that people will simply pay taxes to a new government. But that’s a dangerous illusion.

The world is watching. The stakes could not be higher. President Trump must rely on the wiser, more seasoned voices advising him in this nascent peace process.

In my April 14 Kyiv Post op-ed, “Trump’s Inner Circle – Who Really Gets Ukraine and Who Doesn’t,” I warned that President Donald Trump’s closest advisors were giving him an incomplete, often dangerously distorted view of Ukraine’s strategic value.

Since then, a subtle but critical shift has taken place. Lived experience, ground truth, and moral clarity are finally starting to pierce the noise.

The Liberal Party, led by new PM Mark Carney, looked set to lose to the Conservatives’ Pierre Poilievre until the US president’s attacks on the country sparked a sudden reversal in poll forecasts.

Canada elects a new government on Monday to confront annexation threats from the United States and deal directly with President Donald Trump, whose trade war has defined the campaign. 

The Liberal Party, led by new Prime Minister Mark Carney, looked set to lose easily to the Conservatives’ Pierre Poilievre until the US president’s attacks on the country sparked a sudden reversal in poll forecasts. 

Brought together by the funeral of Pope Francis, the US and Ukrainian presidents sat knee-to-knee in the nave of Saint Peter’s Basilica, in their first meeting since their row in the Oval Office.

Donald Trump’s meeting in the Vatican with Volodymyr Zelensky was hailed by both sides as historic. Whether it will help seal a peace deal between Ukraine and Russia will become clearer in the coming days.

Brought together by the funeral of Pope Francis, the US and Ukrainian presidents sat knee-to-knee on red and gold chairs in the giant nave of Saint Peter’s Basilica, in their first meeting since their blazing televised row in the Oval Office in February.

North Korea officially confirms it deployed troops to Russia for combat under a mutual defense pact, with Kim Jong-un calling it a “sacred mission” to defend Pyongyang’s honor.

North Korea has officially confirmed it has deployed troops to Russia’s Kursk Oblast to support Moscow in its war against Ukraine, acting under their mutual defense treaty, state media reported Monday.

According to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), quoted by Yonhap, the deployment was made “by the order” of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, following a decision by Pyongyang’s Central Military Commission.

Authorities warned that unauthorized marches would be treated as illegal assemblies, punishable by fines or detention.

Authorities in several Kazakh cities have banned marches associated with Russia’s “Immortal Regiment” movement ahead of Victory Day on May 9, the independent news outlet Nastoyashchee Vremya reported on Sunday.

Officials in Almaty, Kazakhstan’s largest city, and in Pavlodar and Petropavl, denied permission for commemorative marches honoring Soviet soldiers who fought in World War Two.

Earlier this month, Western media reported that a White House proposal for a peaceful settlement of the war would keep the plant in Ukraine but under American control.

Russia will not transfer control of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant to the United States, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Sunday, April 27.

Speaking to CBS, Lavrov said Russia has received no such proposal but would reject it if offered. He said the plant remains under the control of Russia’s Rosatom state corporation, with monitoring by International Atomic Energy Agency staff.

The German defense minister considers Trump’s ‘peace-making’ demands of Ukraine excessive.

Germany’s defense minister on Sunday said Ukraine should not cede all territory occupied by Russia in a peace deal proposed by Donald Trump, as the US president pressures Moscow and Kyiv to end fighting.

“Ukraine has, of course, known for some time that a sustainable, credible ceasefire or peace agreement may involve territorial concessions,” Boris Pistorius said in an interview with the broadcaster ARD.

Latest from the Institute for the Study of War.

Key Takeaways from the ISW:

• Ukrainian and Russian forces’ constant technological and tactical battlefield innovations continue to transform the character of warfare in Ukraine.
• Russian forces are attempting to offset Ukrainian technological adaptations and drone operations by integrating motorcycles and civilian vehicles into offensive operations along the entire frontline.
• Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov reaffirmed Russia’s long-standing position against making any form of territorial concessions, undermining US President Donald Trump’s efforts to broker a lasting peace.
• Russian law enforcement announced on April 26 the arrest of Ignat Kuzin, the suspect whom Russia accused of planting the improvised explosive device (IED) that killed the deputy head of the Russian General Staff’s Main Operational Directorate, Lieutenant General Yaroslav Moskalik, on April 25
• Ukrainian forces recently advanced near Borova. Russian forces recently advanced in Sumy Oblast and near Chasiv Yar and Toretsk.

In his first press gaggle since their symbolic Vatican meeting, the US president described Zelensky as “calmer” and urged Vladimir Putin to “stop fighting.”

US President Donald Trump said Sunday night that his meeting with President Volodymyr Zelensky in the Vatican “went well” and that the next few days would prove whether there was a progress, Kyiv Post’s Washington correspondent reports.

“It was a nice meeting, it was a beautiful meeting,” Trump told reporters at the Morristown airport in New Jersey before departing to the White House.

“The new motto of the occupiers: ‘No passport? Sign a contract!’,” Ukraine’s National Resistance Center reports.

Moscow is planning to forcibly conscript homeless individuals in Ukraine’s occupied territories to fight in the Russian armed forces, Ukraine’s National Resistance Center reported on Telegram.

“Due to a personnel shortage, the occupiers intend to conscript homeless people into the ranks of the Russian occupation forces. Yes, those without a home, a passport, or citizenship. The perfect soldier for the Kremlin: asks no questions about where to go and disappears without a fuss,” the statement from the UNRC reads.

“Our military continues to perform tasks in the Kursk and Belgorod regions. We are maintaining our presence on Russian territory,” the president insists. Moscow talks of a “buffer zone” in Sumy.

President Volodymyr Zelensky said Sunday Ukraine’s army was still fighting in Russia’s Kursk despite Moscow claiming the “liberation” of its western region, as Washington signaled a “critical week” ahead for negotiations.

Kyiv had hoped it could use land in the Kursk region as a bargaining chip in future peace talks with Russia, which has seized parts of eastern and southern Ukraine since launching its offensive in February 2022.