Ukraine War News Today - Top Stories and Breaking Updates from Kyiv Post

US military chief says Washington’s efforts in the Middle East could become difficult as concerns rise amid the strengthening of relations between Russia and Iran.

The head of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Dan Kane, said Russia is providing assistance to Iran amid Tehran’s confrontation with the US, according to remarks made during a US Senate hearing on Thursday.

Speaking at a public session of the Senate Armed Services Committee, Kane told lawmakers that Russian President Vladimir Putin is supporting Iran’s military efforts, British newspaper The Guardian reported.

The move came after remarks in an interview sparked criticism over views on LGBTQ+ people and violence in Chechnya.

Petra Bayr, the head of Europe’s leading human rights body said that Ruslan Kutayev has been suspended from his post following comments he made about LGBTQ+ people and so‑called “honor killings” in the North Caucasus.

Kutayev is one of five representatives of Russia’s Indigenous peoples and national minorities serving on the Platform for Dialogue with Russian Democratic Forces, a 15‑member advisory body created under the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), The Moscow Times reported.

Russia’s reliance on China for sanctioned technology has deepened, despite EU sanction efforts to curb supplies critical to the Kremlin’s war effort.

Russia is reportedly sourcing more than 90% of sanctioned technologies through China, underscoring Moscow’s growing dependence on Beijing as its war against Ukraine drags on.

Bloomberg, citing “people familiar with the matter,” said the share of sanctioned goods entering Russia via China has risen from about 80% last year to more than 90%, though they did not provide a detailed breakdown of the specific technologies involved.

In this episode of Point of Impact, military analyst Chuck Pfarrer breaks down the staggering numbers behind the collapse of Putin’s 2026 Spring offensive.

The remarks follow reports that Vladimir Putin discussed potential ceasefire arrangements with Donald Trump ahead of Russia’s Victory Day celebrations.

President Volodymyr Zelensky said Russia may attempt to secure the lifting of international sanctions on certain companies in exchange for a ceasefire in Ukraine, warning that such proposals carry significant risks for Kyiv.

Speaking in an interview with Bloomberg on Thursday, Zelensky said Moscow is raising the issue of easing sanctions, including current restrictions on Russia’s access to the SWIFT banking system, as part of discussions around a possible truce, Ukrinform reported.

Interview with the director of the IMF’s European Department and the commander of the Latvian Armed Forces, plus a fact-check of Hegseth’s latest Ukraine claims – updates from Ukraine and beyond

Just a day after King Charles III gave a solidarity speech with Ukraine in the US Congress, a phone call from Moscow reached US President Donald Trump.

And it went the way perhaps many would’ve expected – Trump told Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin he talked about Ukraine with Charles but did not agree on everything, later said he asked Russia for a “little ceasefire,” and claimed Putin is ready for a deal but “someone” was in the way. The Kremlin also confirmed that it conveyed the V-Day ceasefire proposal to Trump.

EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said recent Trump-Putin talks show little progress and lack clarity on key issues.

EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said calls between US President Donald Trump and Russian leader Vladimir Putin continue to leave “many questions unanswered,” casting doubt on progress in peace efforts.

Speaking on Thursday, April 30, Kallas said it remained unclear whether any meaningful outcomes were achieved in the latest call between Trump and Putin.

Despite the 2026 inflation forecast increasing by 2% compared to the previous figure, the central bank kept the key rate at 15%, and thinks the effect of the Middle East War on prices is temporary.

Ukraine’s central bank, the National Bank of Ukraine (NBU), slashed the real GDP forecast for 2026 and worsened inflation figures, as Russian strikes on energy infrastructure and the war in the Middle East combined to reverse months of hard-won disinflation progress.

The worsening of official figures reflects the blow of Russia’s strikes and Middle East War on the war-battered Ukrainian economy, countering prior progress in disinflation – an economics term that here did not mean prices were falling (which would be deflation), but that they were rising at a lower, more sustainable rate.

The move advances efforts to create a global mechanism to compensate for damage caused by Russia’s invasion.

Ukraine’s parliament has ratified a convention establishing an international compensation commission to address damages caused by Russia’s invasion, the Foreign Ministry said on Thursday, April 30.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine said the Verkhovna Rada approved the agreement, which was signed in The Hague in December 2025 by Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha.

Tokyo-based Stock Exchange-listed drone giant Terra Drone is expanding its Ukrainian portfolio by investing in fixed-wing interceptors designed to neutralize low-cost kamikaze drones.

Terra Drone Corporation, a leading Japanese drone and Urban Air Mobility (UAM) technology company, has announced a strategic investment in the Ukrainian defense tech firm WinnyLab. The move, made through its subsidiary Terra Inspectioneering, aims to scale the production of interceptor drones designed to counter mass-scale aerial threats.

The investment is a part of a broader “layered defense” strategy. By combining WinnyLab’s long-range fixed-wing drones with Terra Drone’s existing rocket-type interceptors, the company is building a two-tier defense system capable of protecting both wide-area territories and high-value infrastructure from low-cost kamikaze drones.

After five years in captivity as political prisoner, Andrzej Poczobut was freed, marking a key win for Poland. But does it signal a new opening with Belarus?

Andrzej Poczobut, a Belarusian journalist, opposition figure and political prisoner, was released as part of a five-for-five prisoner exchange on Tuesday, April 27.

The success of the operation was not solely the result of Polish-Belarusian talks, but also of the involvement of other countries, including Romania and Moldova. The exchange would not have taken place without the participation of the United States, as confirmed by John Coale, special envoy to Belarus. Russia also played a role, which is hardly surprising given the degree of its control over Belarus. Belarusian KGB officials even thanked Russia’s FSB for its significant contribution. Without a green light from Moscow, the operation would not have been possible.

There was a lot of inaccurate information. At a few points, the US Defense Secretary seemed in felony violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1001, the law mandating honest testimony to Congress.

During testimony before Congress defending a whopping and record-large $1.5 trillion funding request for America’s military in 2027, a combative Pete Hegseth, the secretary of defense, spoke on Ukraine and Russia mostly in passing.

But almost all of what he did say was verifiably wrong, and parts of his statements to Congress bordered on false testimony to a federal agency.

Alfred Kammer talks to Kyiv Post about the shocks Europe faces from the Middle East war, priorities for his successors, Ukraine’s IMF progress, pressure on the Hryvnia, and tax votes in parliament.

On the cusp of retirement, Alfred Kammer, International Monetary Fund (IMF) European Department director, is attending his final round of Spring Meetings.

Europe has been recovering for over three years from the spike in energy prices triggered by Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Kammer’s job has been focused on assessing economic performance and overseeing IMF programs across the region, including supervising Ukraine’s hugely successful $15.6 billion Extended Fund Facility program – approved in 2023 – passing eight reviews to release tranches of money.

Businesses and state companies can now file claims for infrastructure damage and lost assets as part of an international compensation mechanism.

The Register of Damage for Ukraine (RD4U) opened filing for five new categories specifically designed for businesses and the Ukrainian state companies, which will allow legal entities – regardless of ownership – to build a full international evidence base for future reparations.

The register is now moving from personal loses of Ukrainians caused by Russian aggression to production capacity damages. The latest expansion addresses a different scale of wartime consequences: the destruction of infrastructure, the loss of production capacity, the disruption of logistics chains, and the functional collapse of entire economic sectors.

Anatoly Fit applies to online workout classes, where each session is part of a structured training sequence rather than a separate workout.

Finding training videos isn’t difficult, but sticking to a consistent workout routine is harder. Especially if the activities aren’t connected. The class format solves this problem. It offers a clear sequence of exercises, so each session builds on the previous one. Instead of changing exercises every time, you follow a structured system and maintain a consistent rhythm. That’s exactly why interactive fitness is gaining attention.

Anatoly Fit applies this principle to online workout classes, where each session is part of a structured training sequence rather than a separate workout. The program draws on strength-based methods demonstrated by Anatoly, whose viral videos and notable lifting results have attracted attention from both experienced athletes and everyday gym visitors.

Ukraine says diplomatic pressure stopped the Panormitis from unloading in Israel, as Kyiv escalates efforts to target vessels linked to alleged stolen grain shipments.

Ukraine says its legal and diplomatic efforts have prevented the vessel Panormitis, which it links to the transport of grain from occupied territories, from unloading in Israel.

Andrii Sybiha, Ukraine’s Foreign Minister, in a post on X said the development shows “a welcome result” of Ukraine’s actions against the so-called shadow grain trade.

Gen. Kaspars Pudāns, commander of the Latvian Armed Forces, touched on the threats from Belarus, Russian influence in the Baltics, and lessons from Ukraine in his exclusive interview with Kyiv Post.

How do the Baltic states see the war in Ukraine?

Key representatives of NATO countries, politicians and experts have gathered at the Kyiv Security Forum between April 23 and April 24 – with the commander of the Latvian Armed Forces, Gen. Kaspars Pudāns, among them.

A watchdog body under the Defense Ministry called for action over alleged ties between former minister Rustem Umerov and a sanctioned businessman tied to a defense supplier.

A public anti-corruption body under Ukraine’s Defense Ministry has called for the removal of Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council Rustem Umerov, citing alleged links to a sanctioned businessman and a defense supplier.

In a statement on Wednesday, April 30, the Public Anti-Corruption Council under the Ministry of Defense said it had reviewed materials suggesting connections between Umerov, businessman Tymur Mindich, and the defense technology company, Fire Point.

Ukrainian drone units have struck Russian helicopters at a rear airstrip in the Voronezh region, far from the front line, according to the commander of the Unmanned Systems Forces.

Ukrainian drone forces struck two Russian helicopters at a field airstrip deep behind the front line in Russia, Commander of Ukraine’s Unmanned Systems Forces Robert Brovdi said on Wednesday, April 29.

According to Brovdi, also known by his callsign “Madyar,” the operation targeted Mi-28 and Mi-17 helicopters in Russia’s Voronezh region, about 150 kilometers (93 miles) from the line of contact.

A Russian attack damaged residential and commercial property, leaving one dead and 11 injured, officials said.

A Russian strike on central Ukraine’s Dnipropetrovsk region killed one person and injured 11 others on Thursday, April 30.

Oleksandr Hanzha, the head of the Dnipropetrovsk regional administration, said four of the injured were hospitalized.

Zelensky ordered contacts with Trump’s team to clarify Russia’s proposed May 9 truce, questioning whether it is for parade security or a real step toward peace.

Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky has instructed Ukrainian representatives to contact the team of US President Donald Trump to clarify details of Russia’s proposal for a “truce” on May 9.

In a Telegram post, Zelensky said:

Fires reported at key oil facilities in the Perm region as Ukraine also appears to attack Sverdlov Plant in Dzerzhinsk – one of Russia’s largest producers of explosives.

Explosions were heard in Russia’s Perm for the second day in a row.

Following a drone strike on the morning of Thursday, April 30, authorities declared an accident involving the release of a hazardous substance.

Serhiy Kolyada’s ironic take on the latest international events.

Jihadists and Tuareg have launched a major offensive in Mali, exposing how Russia has overextended itself in Africa.

The West African nation of Mali is in the grips of its worst military conflict in years. Radical Islamists and Tuareg separatists have joined forces to fight against the military government that has been in power since a coup in 2020. What does the conflict mean for the Russian Africa Corps, which backs the military junta in Bamako, and for Europe?

No relying on the Russians

Although prosecutors did not explicitly link the vessel to Russia, Sweden’s coastguard previously said the ship’s captain was a Russian national suspected of using false documents.

Authorities in Sweden have seized a ship suspected of illegally exporting goods from Russian-occupied Crimea as part of Moscow’s so-called “shadow fleet.”

Swedish prosecutors said on Wednesday that they had taken custody of the Caffa, a vessel first detained in March near Trelleborg on the Baltic coast, on the request of an unnamed third country that is investigating the ship’s activities. 

Ukrainian naval drones hit Russian FSB boats guarding the Kerch Bridge in Crimea, targeting key vessels used to secure the crossing and counter sabotage in the Black Sea.

The Ukrainian Navy struck Russian boats guarding the Kerch Bridge in occupied Crimea early on Thursday, April 30.

“The forces and means of the Ukrainian Navy inflicted damage on the Russian naval fleet in the Kerch Strait area,” the Navy said in a Telegram statement.

Russia launched two waves of strikes on Odesa, injuring 16 and damaging homes, a kindergarten, and infrastructure. Air defenses downed 172 drones across Ukraine.

Russia launched two waves of massive strikes on Odesa in the early hours of Thursday, April 30.

On Telegram, the head of Odesa’s City Military Administration (MVA), Oleh Kiper, said the Primorskyi district suffered the heaviest damage, with high-rise buildings on fire and a kindergarten significantly damaged.

Latest from the Institute for the Study of War.

Key Takeaways from the ISW:

• Ukrainian forces are engaged in an operational long-range strike campaign against Russian oil infrastructure and military assets, exploiting overstretched Russian air defenses.
• Russian President Vladimir Putin used his April 29 phone call with US President Donald Trump to reiterate his commitment to his original war aims and promote his cognitive warfare effort, falsely portraying Ukraine’s defenses as collapsing and Russian victory in Ukraine as inevitable. Ukraine has largely stymied Russian advances across the frontline, blunting the Russian Spring-Summer 2026 offensive thus far.
• The Kremlin also reportedly used the Trump-Putin call to scold Trump for US-Israeli operations against Iran.
• Russia’s war in Ukraine is forcing the Kremlin to once again downgrade the festivities for its annual May 9 Victory Day parade, an event that Putin has historically used to posture Russian military power and victory in Ukraine.
• The Kremlin is likely using the threat of “terrorist activity” to cloak voter suppression and illegal activities in occupied Ukraine ahead of the September 2026 elections.
• Ukraine’s domestic defense industrial base (DIB) and production capabilities continues to support allies.
• Ukrainian forces advanced in the Kostyantynivka-Druzhkivka tactical area, western Zaporizhia Oblast, and in the Pokrovsk, Oleksandrivka, and Hulyaipole directions.
• Russian forces launched 171 drones against Ukraine.

Victory Day remains the most politically important holiday in modern Russia and occupies a central role in Putin’s wartime messaging.

Russian President Vladimir Putin’s proposal for a ceasefire in Ukraine during May 9 Victory Day celebrations came during a 90-minute phone call with US President Donald Trump on Wednesday.

According to Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov, Putin initiated the call. Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office later, Trump noted that the two leaders had not spoken for some time and asked: “Did he [Putin] already announce it?”

Washington said the funds would cover 20 percent of the estimated $500 million needed to restore the damaged New Safe Confinement arch after a Russian drone strike.

The US announced on Tuesday, that it will commit up to $100 million toward emergency repairs to the radiation containment system at the Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant after a Russian drone strike severely damaged the structure last year.

In a State Department media note, Washington said the funding would support coordinated G7 efforts “to ensure the continued containment of fissile nuclear material” at the site in northern Ukraine.

McConnell said the stalled funds were “collecting dust” at the Pentagon and argued that supporting Kyiv is “an investment in America’s security.”

US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told lawmakers on Wednesday, that the Pentagon had released $400 million in congressionally approved military aid for Ukraine after weeks of pressure over the delay.

The funds were “released as of yesterday,” Hegseth said during a House Armed Services Committee hearing. The issue came up during questioning on the Pentagon’s fiscal year 2027 budget request, as lawmakers pressed defense officials on why Ukraine aid approved by Congress had remained stalled.

In Odesa, six people were injured as residential and civilian sites were hit.

Air raid sirens sounded across Kyiv and several other regions of Ukraine in the early hours of April 30 as authorities warned of a threat from Russian strike drones.

According to the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and the national air raid alert map, military officials detected the movement of enemy unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), prompting alerts in multiple areas along their projected flight paths.

Trump said his administration is reviewing a possible reduction of US troops in Germany amid a dispute with Chancellor Friedrich Merz over the US-Israeli war with Iran.

US President Donald Trump said Wednesday that his administration is considering reducing the number of US troops in Germany, amid a row with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz over the Iran war, AFP reported.

“The United States is studying and reviewing the possible reduction of Troops in Germany, with a determination to be made over the next short period of time,” Trump said on Truth Social.