Euromaidan Press

Ukraine just took out mass shooter in Kyiv supermarket who killed six people

Olena Mukhina — Sat, 18 Apr 2026 16:33:31 +0000

Ukraine has neutralized a gunman who killed six people in Kyiv, opening fire on civilians in the street.

Since Russia's all-out war, the number of terrorist acts has increased across Ukraine.

After shooting people outdoors, the suspect fled into a local supermarket. On the way, he injured 10 more civilians, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said.

Legal weapon, chaotic actions

The shooter possessed a legally registered carbine. According to Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko, the weapon had undergone official ballistic testing in December 2025, and the suspect had provided a medical certificate at the time, per UNIAN.

“Investigators will determine who issued the permit, which authorities were involved, and which medical institution provided the certificate allowing him to continue owning the weapon,” Klymenko said.

Kyiv Mayor Vitalii Klitschko reported that a child was among the injured and had been hospitalized. Other wounded adults received medical assistance at the scene.

Origin of attacker and circumstances of operation

Journalist Andrii Tsaplienko, citing media sources, reported that the attacker might had lived in Ryazan for several years and held accounts in Russian banks during 2022–2023. However, the information needs confirmation.

Police negotiators communicated with the gunman for about 40 minutes, attempting to persuade him to surrender, particularly as there were injured people inside.

“We offered to bring in tourniquets to stop the bleeding and provide assistance. He did not respond, so the order was given to neutralize him,” Klymenko said.

Authorities said the exact number of hostages inside the supermarket remains unclear. Preliminary estimates suggest around four people, though there may have been more.

Klymenko emphasized that the attacker acted randomly and without a clear pattern.

“He approached people one by one and shot them. The chances of survival were extremely low,” he said.

Prosecutor General Ruslan Kravchenko confirmed that the gunman was a 58-year-old native of Moscow.

“At the same time, a fire broke out in the apartment where the attacker was registered,” Kravchenko added.

The investigation is ongoing.

“Today I was lucky that it wasn’t me”: Ukrainian journalists on living through Russian terror strikes

Olena Mukhina — Sat, 18 Apr 2026 10:38:39 +0000

When the Russian missiles fly, Ukraine draws a lottery. Some people will end up in the blast radius. On 16 April, it was a 12-year-old Kyiv boy, along with at least 18 other people. Over a hundred more were injured.

Russia launched its biggest attack in months on Thursday, which involved hundreds of drones and dozens of ballistic and cruise missiles. While Ukrainian forces consistently shoot down over 80% of Russian weapons, the country’s anti-ballistic capabilities are close to empty. Moscow’s attacks are poised to increase, on a nightly basis.

People will die, somewhere and some time.

These terror strikes, which were shocking in 2022, are by now gruesomely familiar to Ukrainians.

In survivors who lose their loved ones, they strike anguish; in the rest, they arouse a sinking feeling, freezing dread, numb apathy, or just irritation for interrupted sleep. Some people still seek shelter. Some don’t even bother anymore. Some have to weigh the pros and cons of each trip — which choice might kill you faster, with how much pain.

Here is what that feels like from the points of view of Euromaidan Press’s journalists.

Olena Mukhina, deputy news manager

The death and fear — I can’t get used to it.

I wish I could say that the only thing I feel during attacks is frustration that I won’t get a good night’s sleep or be able to be at my best for work tomorrow. But that is not true.

The last time, I couldn’t fall asleep and saw a notification: a ballistic threat from Bryansk.

“F**k,” I thought. That hadn’t happened in a while. And when it does, it doesn’t just mean that air defense is on alert. It means real missiles are incoming.

Your body reacts before your mind does. There’s this dull, physical pain because you already know what comes next. They say you won’t hear the missile that hits you. But survivors say they heard everything.

I have one minute to find my headphones and another minute to find a song. Over time, I’ve built a playlist for moments like this. Nothing drowns out the sound of a missile like dream pop, shoegaze, or post-punk.

I turn on my favorite song, loud enough to cover the noise. But this time it doesn’t help. The explosion is too close. Then another. Then a third. It sounds like two trucks crashing into each other at full speed in the sky.

Firefighters work to put out a blaze resulting from a Russian mass strike in Dnipro Oblast. (Photo: State Emergency Service of Ukraine)

Monitoring channels report that only one of four Russian launchers fired. Each launch cycle takes 10–15 minutes. Then, a message appears on Telegram: “Russia has killed a 12-year-old boy,” half an hour away from me and there’s nothing I can do.

Another salvo comes in, louder. The whole space vibrates. The fear is so intense it freezes me. I crouch down. But then I remember what people say — lying flat might be worse, that the blast wave can pass straight through your body.

Where to go, then? Downstairs? You could be buried under rubble. Upstairs? Maybe they’ll find you faster, and if there’s a fire, an upper floor is the worst place you can be.

And then there’s the dread that rescuers will arrive and a follow-up strike will kill them. You catch yourself praying: if you die, let it be quick. Because once a building is hit, torn wiring and gas lines become threats too.

Human beings get used to a lot, but I can’t get used to genocide. Living through this war has been the scariest, most painful thing I’ve endured in my life.

Daniel Thomas, journalist

My partner and I huddled in an armchair in our apartment. We knew that ballistic missiles were inbound, but we stayed put rather than venture out to the shelter and risk being caught in the open.

As the attack continued, dark doubts began to descend. Maybe it would be better to go to the shelter?

After all, if a missile hit the ground near us, there would be a flash and a split second of pain, nothing more. Better than waiting for the building to be hit, the floors to give way, and the weight to settle in, condemning us to a slow, crushing death.

After three or four missiles, we took our chances with a quick death. We strode to a shelter across the street from our apartment and hid the rest of the night there.

We shuffled out of the shelter between 5 and 6 in the morning, as the sun began to beat back the night, the sky paling into thin blue. A garbage truck rolled past us, as if the attack never occurred. We returned to bed, losing much of the day to sleep.

The mass strike on 16 April hit Odesa, killing at least nine people. (Photo: State Emergency Service of Ukraine)

Later, we found out on Telegram that a missile had destroyed an apartment complex roughly a kilometer from us. Fragments scorched black the building’s green facade and riddled a neighboring structure with hundreds of punctures.

Why the Russians decided to destroy this area in particular is still a mystery to us. Their explanations never hold much water, elastic as they are. For them, all of Ukraine can be made to appear as “military infrastructure.” Its cities and homes can be recast as legitimate targets, folded into the logic of punishing the so-called “anti-Russia” for its mere existence.

So it goes, from night to night.

Benjamin, journalist

First come the sirens.

They are so common that I barely react anymore. But subconsciously my anxiety always rises, even just a little bit. The sounds last a few minutes, then the silence that follows feels normal. Like everyone else, I just carry on with what I was already doing.

Until the first loud explosion. There’s a moment of shock for about half a second, when I just stop moving. Then I get up and go into the corridor in the middle of my apartment. I stay there until I hear silence again. Then I go back and grab my laptop and whatever else I need, and settle into the corridor for a while to wait out the attack.

An apartment building destroyed by a Russian ballistic missile strike in Kyiv on 17 June, 2025. (Photo: State Emergency Service of Ukraine)

If the attack lasts long into the night, I have a mattress I can set up by my front door, in the narrowest part of the corridor, closer to the center of the building.

It’s important to be as far away from windows that may shatter and spray shards of glass, to be away from outside walls that are the first sponge of the shockwave, and to be between two walls that are close together, increasing the likelihood that the ceiling will not collapse above you.

That’s what I’ve heard, at least. It still all depends on where the drone or missile impacts. None of this will protect me from a direct hit.

Sometimes, the explosions interrupt my dreams. The loud ones wake me up for a moment, but then I realize I am alive so I just return to sleep. Nothing else I can do.

Peeter Helme, business journalist

Having been in Ukraine since 2023, my attitudes towards air alerts, Shaheds, and missile strikes have changed and keep changing. The war evolves. I change. Become more numb, perhaps. More cynical. Or just more used to it. Humans tend to get used to everything.

In Lviv, drone and missile attacks are rare. That rarity makes them scarier.

I have spent several nights in the basement of an apartment building, standing in the half-darkness smelling of concrete and dust, and listening to mothers reading their children a fairy tale from a book they grabbed with them or hearing people making nervous jokes about how and what they would like to eat at four o'clock in the morning.

Elektron electronics factory in Lviv half-collapsed by a Russian strike. (Photo: Peeter Helme)

At least once, the basement really shook and rattled from a terrible blast. A building 200 meters away was hit. I visited the next day to find half of the wall of the Elektron factory demolished.

Now I live in the old town, in an old building with a courtyard. I can barely hear the air alarm here. I do not have one of those air alarm apps. Never had. I only use Telegram to read the updates.

The last time a building 150 meters from my place was hit, I was having vareniki for lunch and working remotely, when I heard the Shaheds' high-pitched noise, then the explosion. I continued eating and editing a story.

Alya Shandra, editor in chief

They come during the night when I’m either up late working on some article on my computer, or asleep. In either case, I feel irritated — the people who want to ruin everything in Ukraine have come after my routine as well. When the Russians barge in to ruin my plans, I choose to rebel and go on with my life.

My husband takes the kids to the shelter, but unlike them, I can’t sleep there. I carry them down and come back up, accepting the smaller chance of being hit over the much greater chance of being exhausted the following day, when Euromaidan Press needs my full attention. I have earplugs that help me sleep the snores of fellow passengers on trains; I also use them for Russian missiles.

Aftermath of a Russian missile strike on 16 April, 2026. (Photo: State Emergency Service of Ukraine)

I do not think about being killed. I think about what a nuisance it would be if my house was destroyed and I would have to rebuild my life from scratch. It would distract me from the stories that need to be told, force me to care for the physical survival of my family.

But that’s how we’ve come to feel in the fourth year of the war — we build, the Russians destroy, nobody flinches or bats an eye.

I read the Twitter account of Ukraine’s chief Rabbi, who prays for the victims during each strike. I wish I could care more for the victims, but something burned out in me during the second year of the war. Now, it’s like: today I was lucky that it wasn’t me. How different it is from the first days of the war, when we ran to the shelters every time.

But sometimes, when the drones are buzzing directly overhead, I do go down into the shelter. And then it’s a sleepless night, followed by a mercilessly bleary day. Everyone goes to work. Nobody asks if you slept last night.

In Kyiv, it's business as usual.

The US has once again partially eased sanctions on Russian oil for one month

Maria Tril — Sat, 18 Apr 2026 10:36:24 +0000

The United States has once again temporarily eased sanctions on Russian oil, issuing a new exception that allows the delivery and sale of certain shipments already at sea. The decision was made by the US Treasury Department at a time when Washington publicly insists it continues to pressure the Kremlin.

The Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) on 17 April published General License 134B, which authorizes operations involving Russian crude oil and petroleum products loaded onto vessels as of that date. The exception is valid until 16 May and replaces a previous license that expired on 11 April.

A narrow carve-out with broader implications

The updated license is narrow in scope — it applies only to oil already loaded onto ships — but critics say the repeated use of such exceptions risks undermining the broader sanctions regime imposed after Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

Leading Senate Democrats, including Chuck Schumer, Elizabeth Warren, and Jeanne Shaheen, condemned the decision as a "180-degree reversal," arguing that it sends a mixed signal at a time when Russia continues its military campaign against Ukraine.

"This decision is shameful," they said in a joint statement, pointing to ongoing Russian attacks on Ukraine and warning that easing sanctions could prolong the war.

Mixed signals from the administration

The new license appears to sit uneasily alongside recent statements from senior officials. US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on 15 April that Washington would not extend waivers that had allowed the purchase of Iranian and Russian oil without the application of US sanctions.

Earlier, US President Donald Trump extended for another year the state of emergency introduced in response to Russia's actions, which restricts the movement and docking of Russian vessels in American ports. This was stated in an official White House notice published in the Federal Register on 17 April.

Port ban on Russian vessels extended

The United States has extended the ban on Russian vessels docking in its ports for another year. The regime was first introduced by 46th US President Joe Biden on 21 April 2022 through Proclamation 10371, citing the threat to US international relations posed by Russia. At that time, the Secretary of Homeland Security was granted authority to regulate the movement and docking of Russia-linked vessels in American ports.

The new document states that the actions of the Russian government continue to pose a threat, and therefore the grounds for the state of emergency remain in force, according to the White House notice sent to Congress.

27 drones down, one port on fire: Leningrad Oblast governor reports overnight attack by Ukrainian drones

Maria Tril — Sat, 18 Apr 2026 09:36:12 +0000

Fires broke out at fuel storage sites and near a port across several Russian oblasts and occupied Crimea on the night of 18 April, according to local officials, who attributed the blazes to Ukrainian drones.

Ukraine's drone campaign has repeatedly struck Russian military assets and logistics infrastructure in Russian-occupied territories since the start of the full-scale invasion. Attacks on fuel storage facilities on the peninsula have reduced available reserves, putting pressure on Russian military logistics along the southern front. Each air defense system knocked out across the occupied territories leaves remaining military infrastructure more exposed to subsequent strikes.

Leningrad Oblast: 27 drones downed, fire at Vysotsk port

Leningrad Oblast Governor Alexander Drozdenko reported that air defenses shot down 27 Ukrainian drones over the oblast during the night. According to the governor, no casualties or damage have been recorded so far. However, he confirmed that a fire broke out in the area of the Vysotsk port, and that emergency services were working to extinguish it.

Occupied Sevastopol: fuel tank fire in Kozacha Bukhta

In occupied Crimea, Russian-installed Sevastopol governor Mikhail Razvozhayev reported a fire on a tank containing fuel residues in the area of the Kozacha Bukhta microdistrict, which he said occurred "through a downed UAV."

Razvozhayev claimed the area of the fire was small and that no one was injured. He also stated that the affected tank contained no fuel reserves, and therefore the blaze "will in no way affect the fuel supply situation in Sevastopol."

Video footage of the aftermath of the strike on Sevastopol began circulating online, reportedly showing smoke rising from the tank.

Krasnodar Krai and Samara Oblast

The Operational Headquarters of Krasnodar Krai also reported a fire at an oil depot, stating that no fatalities or injuries had occurred.

Videos from Samara Oblast showed a strike on the Novokuybyshevsk oil refinery. Samara Oblast Governor Vyacheslav Fedorishchev reported that a drone had fallen "in the immediate vicinity of a maternity hospital" in Novokuybyshevsk. His statement made no mention of the oil depot.

Ukraine’s FM meets Moldova’s president in Turkey, briefs her on the front line

Maria Tril — Sat, 18 Apr 2026 09:11:11 +0000

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha met with Moldovan President Maia Sandu in the Turkish city of Antalya, the head of Ukraine's Foreign Ministry wrote on X.

According to Sybiha, he briefed Sandu on the situation on the battlefield, stressing that Ukraine is holding its positions. The minister also described the consequences of Russia's latest missile and drone strikes on Ukrainian cities and thanked the Moldovan president "for her strong words of support and solidarity with Ukraine."

Council of Europe session and Special Tribunal

Sybiha said the two sides addressed the upcoming Council of Europe ministerial meeting scheduled for Chișinău on 14–15 May.

"We discussed preparations for the upcoming Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe meeting in Chișinău on May 14–15, where further steps are expected toward establishing the Special Tribunal for the crime of aggression against Ukraine," he added.

Sidelines of the Antalya Diplomatic Forum

The meeting with Sandu took place on the margins of the Antalya Diplomatic Forum. European Pravda earlier reported that, while at the forum, Sybiha said the parliamentary elections in Hungary had opened the possibility of unblocking important EU decisions for Ukraine.

The minister also stated that official Kyiv is ready for a meeting between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Kremlin head Vladimir Putin, with the participation of the leaders of Türkiye and the United States.

Russo-Ukrainian war, day 1514: From Belarus border roads to Black Sea silence — Ukraine strikes deep while bracing for new pressure

Euromaidan Press Staff — Fri, 17 Apr 2026 20:50:28 +0000

Exclusives

Donetsk was Russia’s safe rear. Now AI drones hunt its supply trucks.. Relentless Ukrainian strikes on Russian air defenses are rendering wide swathes of the Russian rear area defenseless against further aerial attacks.

Ukraine MPs vote themselves untracked monthly cash inside an IMF-mandated tax bill. $4,555 per MP per month, no reporting, no liability—signed into law on 15 April.

Ukraine is developing its own unstoppable air-launched missile. Russia's Kinzhal air-launched ballistic missile is extremely hard to intercept. That's why Ukraine wants its own version of the missile.

Neutrality doesn’t mean indifference: Austria joins tribunal to prosecute Russia’s aggression. Vienna says neutrality doesn't mean indifference as it becomes the 20th state to back prosecution of Russia's crime of aggression.

Either Russia’s air defense doesn’t work, or NATO is launching drones, says Russia’s Shoigu. Shoigu cites Article 51.

Soviet 14th Army’s heirs just became persona non grata in Moldova. Chișinău drew a line on the Dniester.

Ukraine’s executives were most optimistic since the invasion. Oil had other plans.. The results capture a moment that no longer reflects current conditions.

Military

New roads and artillery positions: Zelenskyy warns of military buildup in Belarus near Ukraine border. Ukrainian intelligence detected the preparations near the border; Kyiv has warned Minsk through diplomatic channels that it is ready to defend itself.

From Belgorod to Crimea: Ukraine strikes 17 targets including Russian radar systems, drone labs, and logistics hubs. A Nebo-M in Belgorod Oblast and a Podlyot in Rostov Oblast are among the high-value systems reported destroyed in the multi-day campaign.

Ukraine depends on Western air defense. Zelenskyy says that has to change – and partners are on board. Speaking after Lviv meetings, Zelenskyy outlined a push for domestic production of missiles and systems as part of long-term security guarantees.

Russia's Black Sea Fleet once fired missiles from the Mediterranean. Now it can barely leave Novorossiysk.. A Ukrainian analyst says years of drone and missile strikes have reduced the fleet to a land-support tool with nowhere to go.

Russia sank the Henichesk in 2022. In June, a ship bearing its name will join Ukraine's Navy — but cannot sail home yet. The replacement vessel trains in the Netherlands, flies Ukraine's flag in June, and waits in a British port for the war to end and the Black Sea to open.

The most dangerous drone unit Russia has just lost its logistics base near Mariupol — Ukraine found it and burned it. Last night, Ukraine's SOF destroyed the base of Rubikon — Moscow's elite unit that operates virtually every Russian attack and reconnaissance drone type except Shaheds.

"Storm a treeline? Better to just take it apart with a Vampire" — drone battalion commander on how war changed in 2026. Maksym, call sign "Rumyn," says the kill zone has grown from 3 km to "many times larger" — and explains what that means for infantry.

SBU and drone forces destroy Russian fuel trains near Luhansk, cutting supplies to frontline troops. FP-2 drones struck railway tankers and damaged rail infrastructure Russia uses to sustain mechanized units on the front.

Ukraine's drone forces claim 16-target overnight strike – Iskander bases, air defenses, and a Rubikon workshop. The operation spanned Crimea, Donetsk, and Zaporizhzhia, coordinated through a newly established deep strike center.

Hero of 2022 battles will now command defense of five oblasts on Ukraine's Eastern Front.

Ukraine's Patriot crews are rationing missiles mid-attack — Ukraine's Air Force confirms interceptor missile shortage. An AF spokesman confirmed that the stocks of Patriot interceptors — the only solution against Russian ballistic missiles — are critically depleted.

Intelligence and technology

Ukraine's private-sector air defense groups downed their first jet Shahed — Russia's drone that flies at 300+ km/h. A private group in Kharkiv Oblast made the interception, a minister reported. The network has grown from 13 to 19 enterprises it operates at since March, integrated into Air Force command.

Russia is pulling strategic reserves to prop up a failing offensive, HUR says — and 20,000 troops is less than one month of its own losses. Moscow's military missed its self-imposed April deadline to seize three Donetsk Oblast cities, now it wants the rest of the region captured by September.

Drones Russia thought were unjammable just met US LEONIDAS microwave weapon. Fiber-optic UAVs threaten logistics 50 km deep.

International

US delays weapons to NATO's eastern flank – Iran war drains stockpiles Europe was counting on. Countries bordering Russia are warned shipments won't arrive on schedule, adding uncertainty for Ukraine's air defense supply chain too.

Trump extended the ban on Russian ships docking in US ports — keeping a Biden-era measure alive through spring 2027. The White House cited Russia's policies as constituting a continuing disturbance to US international relations.

"Russia wants more war" – EU's Kallas pushes €90 billion loan and 20th sanctions after deadliest April strike. The EU foreign policy chief called out Moscow's "terror against the innocent" as ministers prepare to meet.

Bullied for speaking Ukrainian, taken to camps, threatened with conscription: 19 children evacuated from Russian occupation. Bring Kids Back UA describe what the children endured before reaching safety – and how many more remain behind.

He flew from Peru to Moscow for work. Russia took his passport and sent him to Ukraine.. A Peruvian's account of abduction and coerced conscription adds Latin America to the map of Russia's global recruitment dragnet.

Political and legal developments

MP accused of ties to Russian security services and Crimea property deal moved to house arrest after sanctions blocked bail payment. Shufrych allegedly paid a Russian National Guard unit to guard his Crimea property – prosecutors say that counts as financing an occupying force.

Read our previous daily review here.

Donetsk was Russia’s safe rear. Now AI drones hunt its supply trucks.

David Axe — Fri, 17 Apr 2026 20:28:08 +0000

The degradation of Russian air defenses means Ukrainian drones can attack with greater freedom
Now 1st Azov Corps drones are striking Russian logistics in Donetsk city, once a safe haven for Russian forces
Recent attacks include strikes by AI-assisted Hornet drones that can power through any lingering Russian jamming

Ukrainian forces are flying a new AI-assisted attack drone over Donetsk city in order to strike at critical logistical targets.

That Ukrainian drones can range over Donetsk with near impunity is further evidence of the ongoing collapse of Russian air defenses. A collapse that itself is being hastened along by Ukrainian drone strikes.

The fixed-wing Hornet drone, built by US-based Swift Beat LLC, boasts an internal algorithm that scrutinizes the image from the drone's forward-looking camera, and automatically recognizes military targets. The AI can steer the explosive drone to a precision hit even when the distant human operator loses contact with the drone due to interference from weather, terrain or Russian jamming.

The Hornet is a recent addition to the Ukrainian arsenal, and a powerful one. The Ukrainian 1st Azov Corps claimed its drones, which can be identified as Hornets by their distinctive operator displays, are flying over Donetsk city with ease. "Drone units maintain constant surveillance and fire control over all supply routes around Donetsk," the corps stated.

The First Corps Azov of the National Guard of Ukraine maintains control over enemy logistics near Donetsk.

Strike UAV pilots are targeting Russian logistics deep in the operational rear. Drone units maintain constant surveillance and fire control over all supply routes around… pic.twitter.com/i4TYOWJBg4
— First Corps Azov of the National Guard of Ukraine (@azov_media) April 16, 2026

Donetsk city, 40 km from the eastern front line, is a Russian stronghold. But it's an increasingly vulnerable one as Ukraine forces degrade Russian air defenses.

Systematically hunting Russian radio jammers, radars, surface-to-air missile batteries and mobile guns and launchers all along the 1,200-km front line of Russia’s 50-month wider war on Ukraine, Ukrainian forces are “collaps[ing] the layered defensive architecture that the Russian integrated air defense doctrine depends upon to function,” according to an investigation by Tochnyi.info.

The attacks on Russian air defenses—at least 492 of them between June 2025 and early March 2026—are part of a wider plan. Destroying the right air defenses faster than the Russians can replace them has the effect of “facilitating strikes on more critical targets deep within Russian territory,” Tochnyi.info explained.

new fixed-wing strike drone "Hornet", from the manufacturer of the Bumblebee FPV with AI&target lock terminal guidance.
you will see more of this soon))https://t.co/aKItjOK2vm https://t.co/1vvJHLcul1 https://t.co/zDtIVRVpq3 pic.twitter.com/jS6QnemSlD
— imi (m) (@moklasen) March 2, 2026

Explore further

Russian air defenses are collapsing. Now Ukrainian warplanes can hit harder.

Close glide bombing

That was evident on 14 April, when Ukrainian warplanes flew close enough to Donetsk airport to strike Russian drone storage at the airport with GBU-39 glide bombs that range just 40 km or so when dropped from low altitude. That kind of close strike on Donetsk by manned warplanes wasn't possible until recently.

Map: Euromaidan Press

More and more, all sorts of Ukrainian air operations are possible in the increasingly permissive air over Donetsk. Now the 1st Azov Corps' drone units "maintain constant surveillance and fire control over all supply routes around Donetsk."

If any drone-grounding radio jammers have survived the Ukrainian campaign targeting Russian air defenses in the city, the Hornet drones' internal AI can steer the drones right through the electronic protection.

The Hornets appear to be prioritizing trucks and other logistics forces, but if they also strike any remaining air defense systems, they could further loosen the Russians' control of the air space over Donetsk.

That, in turn, would allow Ukrainian drones and warplanes to strike even harder, more precisely and more often in a wider swathe of the Russian rear area.

Explore further

Killer robots don’t exist yet but Ukraine and Russia are getting closer

Euromaidan Press is one of 45 medias to receive support within the Ukraine Resilient Media Initiative

Euromaidan Press Staff — Fri, 17 Apr 2026 19:28:39 +0000

Euromaidan Press has become one of 45 Ukrainian media outlets selected to participate in the Ukraine Resilient Media Initiative, a program implemented by the Institute of Mass Information (IMI) with support from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands.

As part of the initiative, during April-December 2026 we will publish various materials dedicated to strengthening international support for Ukraine. These will include interviews, news, and analysis that seek to:

to amplify European, international, and Ukrainian voices calling for effective resistance to Russian aggression
illuminate the channels of Russian influence over European societies;
strengthen societal resilience and resistance to malicious influence, as well as consolidate the international efforts to stop Russia's war against Ukraine.

Our overarching goal is to use media outreach to strengthen informal ties with Ukraine’s international allies, thereby bolstering Ukraine's resilience in the face of Russian aggression.

We express our sincere gratitude to the Institute of Mass Information and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands for their trust and for the opportunity to work on a topic that is critically important for Ukrainian society during the war.

New roads and artillery positions: Zelenskyy warns of military buildup in Belarus near Ukraine border

Benjamin Murdoch — Fri, 17 Apr 2026 19:27:00 +0000

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Ukraine is closely monitoring increased military activity in Belarus, warning that Russia may again attempt to pull its ally into the war.

In a statement following a briefing from Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi, Zelenskyy said Ukrainian intelligence had detected signs of military preparations near the Belarusian border.

“According to intelligence, in the border area of Belarus there is road construction toward Ukraine and the establishment of artillery positions,” he said.

Kyiv warns Minsk through diplomatic channels

Zelenskyy said Ukraine believes these developments could be linked to Russian efforts to compensate for manpower shortages and potentially expand the scope of the conflict.

“We believe that Russia will once again try to draw Belarus into its war,” he said, adding that Kyiv had instructed officials to warn Belarusian leadership through appropriate channels.

He said Ukraine had made clear it is prepared to defend its territory and independence if the situation escalates.

The warning comes as Ukraine reports continued Russian attempts to regroup forces along the front line, while failing to seize the battlefield initiative despite sustained offensive operations in April.

Belarus as Russia's staging ground – a pattern since 2022

Belarus, a close ally of Russia, has played a key role in Moscow’s war effort despite not formally entering the conflict. Russian forces used Belarusian territory as a staging ground for the initial assault on Kyiv in February 2022, launching troops and equipment south toward the Ukrainian capital.

Since then, Belarus has allowed Russia to use its territory for military exercises and logistics, while avoiding direct participation in combat.

North as a secondary front, long-range strikes ahead

Zelenskyy’s comments suggest Kyiv is concerned about the possibility of renewed pressure from the north, even as the main fighting remains concentrated in eastern and southern Ukraine.

He added that Ukraine is also planning further long-range strike operations as part of its broader military strategy.

From Belgorod to Crimea: Ukraine strikes 17 targets including Russian radar systems, drone labs, and logistics hubs

Benjamin Murdoch — Fri, 17 Apr 2026 18:28:00 +0000

Ukrainian forces struck a series of Russian military targets overnight and in the preceding days, including advanced radar systems, command posts, and logistics infrastructure, the General Staff of Ukraine’s Armed Forces said on April 17.

The reported strikes reflect Ukraine’s broader strategy of targeting command nodes, logistics, and air defense systems both in occupied territories and inside Russia, aiming to disrupt coordination, supply chains, and situational awareness behind the front line.

Command posts and drone control centers

The strikes targeted command and control positions, including a command observation post near Dovhe in occupied Luhansk Oblast, as well as drone control centers in Tyotkino in Russia’s Kursk Oblast and in Uspenivka and Zelene in Zaporizhzhia Oblast.

Ukrainian forces also hit a weapons repair and maintenance base in Klynkyne in occupied Donetsk Oblast, a logistics hub in Manhush, and a storage site for assault boats in Chornomorske in occupied Crimea.

Ammunition and fuel depots across four regions

Additional strikes targeted ammunition depots in Skadovsk in occupied Kherson Oblast, Panteleimonivka in occupied Donetsk Oblast, and Dovzhansk in occupied Luhansk Oblast, as well as fuel and materiel depots in Sabivka and Rovenky in Luhansk Oblast.

The General Staff said recent strikes also confirmed the destruction of a Russian drone laboratory near Orlynske in Donetsk Oblast on April 9.

Two radar systems struck inside Russia

It added that Ukrainian forces had successfully hit two Russian radar systems used for air defense: a Nebo-M radar in Chernovets in Russia’s Belgorod Oblast on April 16 and a Podlyot radar in Novomaryivka in Russia’s Rostov Oblast on April 15.

The Nebo-M and Podlyot systems are part of Russia’s layered air defense network and are designed to detect and track aerial targets, including missiles and drones. Their degradation can reduce Russia’s ability to monitor airspace and respond to incoming strikes.

Blinding Russia's drone defense

By focusing on radar systems and drone control centers, Ukrainian forces are also seeking to weaken Russia’s ability to defend against long-range strikes and to operate its own unmanned systems, which have become a central element of the war.

The extent of the damage and Russian losses is still being assessed, the military said.

Bullied for speaking Ukrainian, taken to camps, threatened with conscription: 19 children evacuated from Russian occupation

Benjamin Murdoch — Fri, 17 Apr 2026 17:30:15 +0000

Ukrainian child protection initiative Bring Kids Back UA and the Save Ukraine humanitarian team say 19 children and teenagers were evacuated last week from Russian-occupied territories and deportation risks.

The announcement said the operation was carried out with international partner support and as part of efforts coordinated under the Bring Kids Back UA initiative.

According to Save Ukraine, the children had been exposed to pressure, intimidation, and attempts to impose Russian identity policies while living under occupation.

Russia's systematic campaign against Ukrainian children

Ukrainian officials have repeatedly accused Russia of systematically transferring Ukrainian children from occupied territories to Russia or Russia-controlled areas, where they are placed in institutions, adopted into Russian families, or subjected to so-called “re-education” programmes.

The International Criminal Court has issued arrest warrants related to the deportation of Ukrainian children, calling it a war crime.

School punishment, public harassment, camp coercion

Among those evacuated was an 11-year-old girl, identified as Emilia, who was reportedly forced at school to take part in military-themed events and faced bullying and pressure from teachers after refusing. The group said sustained stress led to serious health problems.

Another case involved a 19-year-old, Sofia, who was allegedly harassed by a Russian soldier after speaking Ukrainian in public and later faced punishment at college for pro-Ukrainian views.

A 17-year-old boy, Matvii, was reportedly taken to a so-called “camp” under false pretences, where he was pressured to sing the Russian anthem and threatened with isolation for refusing. Save Ukraine said he later had to hide from patrols searching for teenagers for military conscription-related notices.

Now in safety – but thousands remain

All 19 children are now in safety centres run by Save Ukraine, where they are receiving psychological support, documentation assistance, housing, and care.

The organisations said an additional 16 children rescued in the same period are also undergoing rehabilitation in “Hope and Recovery” centres.

They estimate that large numbers of Ukrainian children remain in occupied territories, where evacuation routes remain difficult and restrictions on movement and communication persist.

Ukraine’s private-sector air defense groups downed their first jet Shahed — Russia’s drone that flies at 300+ km/h

Yuri Zoria — Fri, 17 Apr 2026 17:12:11 +0000

A private air defense group in Kharkiv Oblast shot down a jet-powered high-speed Shahed drone — the first time Ukraine's newly formed private air defense network has intercepted the faster variant, Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov announced on 17 April.

The network has expanded from one enterprise-based group and plans to form similar units at 13 other factories, as reported in late March, to 19 groups now, according to Fedorov, all integrated into the Air Force’s unified command system.

The privately run air defense groups are part of Ukraine’s broader effort to spread air defense responsibilities more widely and ease pressure on regular military units as Russia launches large-scale drone attacks every day to overwhelm defenses along multiple axes at once. Ukraine has responded to the daily Russian air attacks by combining every available tool into a layered system that no single component could provide on its own.

First jet Shahed down by private air defense

The privately run group actively shoots down the Russian Shaheds in Kharkiv Oblast, Fedorov said. The jet-powered variant of this drone is the hardest target the groups have faced so far.

"This is a new level of difficulty: the enemy is scaling the use of jet drones — faster and harder to intercept," the minister noted.

Ukraine is systematically building a multi-layered air defense system and strengthening sky protection, per President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's instruction, Fedorov added.

This includes military assets ranging from mobile fire groups armed with machine guns to interceptor drone teams, up to advanced air defense systems and military aviation. A military branch focused on interceptor drones, established in September 2025, has reinforced that effort. Now, the latest addition to this multilayered defense is the privately run air-defense groups.

"One of the elements of this system is private groups that strengthen the protection of critical infrastructure," the minister wrote.

How the private air defense project works

The project's goal is to quickly scale defensive capacity without burdening combat units, Fedorov said. The groups are armed and integrated into the Unified Air Force Command System of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, operating as part of the overall air defense architecture.

In March, Fedorov noted that all groups operated at different stages of readiness — some were already performing combat missions, others were still in training. Now the minister says the next step is scaling both the number of groups and their results: more downed targets and faster response to threats.

From regular Shaheds to jet ones

Ukraine's private air defense network first confirmed shootdowns of regular Shaheds — Iranian-designed Shahed-131 and Shahed-136 long-range kamikaze drones, capable of reaching almost anywhere in Ukraine — and a Zala reconnaissance UAV in late March 2026, when 14 enterprises had joined the project.

The Geran-3, Russia’s improved version of the Iranian Shahed-238, is a turbojet-powered one-way attack drone derived from the Shahed-136, with cruising speeds of 300-350 km/h and a range of 2,500 km. It presents a distinct challenge. Ukraine's interceptor drone industry has been pushed to develop systems capable of exceeding 450 km/h, specifically to counter it.

A private company's air defense crew in Kharkiv Oblast just downed a jet-powered Shahed drone — the first time Ukraine's new business-based defense network intercepted the faster variant.

TG/Fedorov pic.twitter.com/aOSh44zWYF
— Euromaidan Press (@EuromaidanPress) April 17, 2026

Ukraine is systematically building a multi-layered air defense system and strengthening sky protection, per President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's instruction, Fedorov added.

"One of the elements of this system is private groups that strengthen the protection of critical infrastructure," the minister wrote.

How the private air defense project works

Explore further

Kyiv’s experimental project turns businesses into Russian drone killers — Zala already taken out

From regular Shaheds to jet ones

Ukraine depends on Western air defense. Zelenskyy says that has to change – and partners are on board

Benjamin Murdoch — Fri, 17 Apr 2026 15:56:46 +0000

Ukraine is moving toward building its own production capacity for air defense systems, missiles, and related military equipment, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said, outlining what he described as a long-term strategic priority for the country’s defense.

The push reflects Kyiv’s effort to reduce dependence on external supply chains at a time when global demand for air defense systems has increased sharply due to multiple active conflicts.

Moving toward domestic production

Speaking after meetings in Lviv, Zelenskyy said Ukraine is working with partners not only on immediate military support but also on expanding its ability to produce critical weapons domestically, including air defense systems and interceptor missiles.

“We are moving toward conditions in which we will be able to produce air defense in Ukraine and together with our partners – all necessary formats, systems, missiles and so on,” he said.

Ukraine has significantly expanded its domestic air defense capabilities during the war, particularly in countering drones and short-range aerial threats, but it remains dependent on Western partners for more advanced systems, including ballistic missile defense and interceptor technologies needed to protect critical infrastructure and cities from higher-end strikes.

Partners, spring pressure, and Iran's shadow

Zelenskyy said cooperation with Sweden, Germany, Norway, Italy, and the Netherlands is focused on maintaining Ukraine’s resilience through the spring and summer campaign period, when Russia typically increases its offensive pressure.

He also linked the urgency of strengthening Ukraine’s air defenses to broader global instability, including the war involving Iran, warning that it could affect the availability of certain weapons systems and interceptors on international markets.

“We are seeking anti-ballistic capabilities,” he said, adding that Ukraine’s partners were working to ensure continued support despite competing demands.

Licenses, factories, and security guarantees

A key part of Ukraine’s strategy, he said, is expanding defense-industrial cooperation with Western states, including licensing arrangements and the creation of production facilities that would allow Ukraine to manufacture air defense systems and missiles domestically.

Zelenskyy said such capabilities would form part of broader security guarantees under discussion with partners, alongside long-term weapons supply packages.

“We are considering weapons packages, the ability to produce the necessary weapons, and therefore licenses and an industrial base,” he said.

Maritime security and interconnected threats

Zelenskyy also referenced discussions on maritime security, drawing parallels between global concerns over key shipping routes and Ukraine’s earlier efforts to break Russian control in the Black Sea.

“Security must be protected together,” he said, adding that Ukraine’s experience showed that maritime and regional security challenges are increasingly interconnected.

US delays weapons to NATO’s eastern flank – Iran war drains stockpiles Europe was counting on

Benjamin Murdoch — Fri, 17 Apr 2026 15:07:05 +0000

The United States has informed several European allies that deliveries of previously contracted weapons are likely to be delayed as the war against Iran continues to draw on American stockpiles, according to officials cited by Reuters.

The decision highlights growing pressure on US weapons inventories as the Middle East conflict continues to consume air defense systems, missiles, and ammunition.

Baltic and Nordic allies warned of disruptions

The delays are expected to affect countries in the Baltic region and Scandinavia, with European officials warning the disruption could weaken defense readiness at a time of heightened security concerns along NATO’s eastern flank.

US officials told European counterparts that some shipments under the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) program would not arrive on schedule, according to five sources familiar with the matter.

The Reuters report notes that the war against Iran, which began with US-Israeli strikes in late February, has accelerated the drawdown of key US munitions already depleted by military support for Ukraine since 2022 and operations in Gaza since 2023.

The delayed shipments include a range of munitions used for both offensive and defensive purposes, according to the sources.

Air defense interceptors among the strained systems

European officials said some of the delayed systems include ammunition and air defense-related munitions. Several of the affected countries are close to Russia, making any disruption in deliveries particularly sensitive.

Air defense interceptors such as Patriot PAC-3 missiles are among the systems under strain. These same interceptors are also used by Ukraine to defend critical infrastructure from Russian missile and drone attacks.

Ukraine's air defense supply chain under added pressure

For Kyiv, the development adds another layer of uncertainty around Western military supply chains that underpin Ukraine’s air defense network.

Since Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022, Ukraine has depended heavily on US-made systems and munitions supplied through the same procurement channels now affected by competing demand from other theaters.

Ukrainian officials and analysts have previously warned that escalation in the Middle East or other global flashpoints could divert attention and resources away from Ukraine’s battlefield needs, particularly in air defense – one of the country’s most critical vulnerabilities.

Russia’s Black Sea Fleet once fired missiles from the Mediterranean. Now it can barely leave Novorossiysk.

Benjamin Murdoch — Fri, 17 Apr 2026 14:22:49 +0000

Ukraine’s strikes have degraded Russia’s Black Sea Fleet to the point where it no longer projects power at sea and instead serves mainly to support ground operations, a Ukrainian defense analyst told LIGA.net.

The assessment reflects a broader shift in the balance of power in the Black Sea, where Ukraine – despite having a much smaller navy – has used drones and long-range strikes to push Russian vessels away from Crimea and limit their operational reach.

Fleet loses tools for projecting naval power

Ivan Kyrychevskyi, a military serviceman with the Raid unit and an expert at Defense Express, said sustained Ukrainian attacks have sharply limited the fleet’s operational freedom.

“Russia’s Black Sea Fleet has lost its tools for projecting power at sea and has effectively turned into a tool for supporting combat operations on land,” he said.

According to Kyrychevskyi, Russian warships are now largely confined in where they can operate, making it difficult to conduct traditional naval missions.

From the Mediterranean to a single firing position

He pointed to Ukraine’s sinking of the cruiser Moskva in April 2022, as well as more recent strikes on facilities in Novorossiysk and offshore infrastructure such as the Syvash drilling platform.

He said that while Russia previously boasted about deploying naval groupings to the Mediterranean, near Syria, and launching Kalibr cruise missiles from multiple positions, it is now largely restricted to firing sea-based missiles from a limited area near Novorossiysk.

Kyrychevskyi said it is difficult to project naval power when ships are effectively confined and unable to operate freely at sea.

Russia's Black Sea Fleet has fled to Novorossiysk from occupied Crimea due to Ukraine's drone strikes. Map by Euromaidan Press

Fleet still poses a threat – Ukraine adapts

At the same time, Kyrychevskyi noted the fleet still plays a defensive role by complicating Ukraine’s use of maritime drones. In response, Ukrainian forces have been experimenting with new configurations, including unmanned systems equipped with rocket launchers, machine guns, and naval mines.

He added that key elements of the fleet’s command structure have been relocated from occupied Crimea to Novorossiysk following Ukrainian strikes, including a September 2023 attack using Storm Shadow missiles on the fleet’s headquarters in Sevastopol.

Russia sank the Henichesk in 2022. In June, a ship bearing its name will join Ukraine’s Navy — but cannot sail home yet

Yuri Zoria — Fri, 17 Apr 2026 14:15:45 +0000

The Netherlands will formally transfer Ukraine's fifth minesweeper in June, according to the Ukrainian President's website. The ship will bear the name of a Ukrainian vessel Russia destroyed in combat in 2022 and will join a growing Western-supplied mine-clearing fleet currently based in the UK.

The ships cannot enter the Black Sea during active hostilities. Since Russia started its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Türkiye has been enforcing the 1936 Montreux Convention, which bars new warships from passing through the Bosphorus and Dardanelles straits into the Black Sea as long as the war continues. Ukraine's maritime demining capacity will be critical after the war — the Black Sea contains mines from both World War II and Russia's ongoing invasion, and clearing major shipping lanes is essential to restoring Ukraine's economy and grain exports.

Zelenskyy and Jetten visit crew training in Vlissingen

On 16 April, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Dutch Prime Minister Rob Jetten met with Ukrainian servicemen training on the Alkmaar-class mine countermeasure vessel Zr. Ms. Makkum in Vlissingen, southwestern Netherlands.

The minehunter's commander briefed both leaders on the progress of training. A significant portion of the Ukrainian sailors have real combat experience, including at sea. The crew works with various types of underwater drones — remotely operated vehicles used to search for, identify, and neutralize mines.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Dutch Prime Minister Rob Jetten meet with Ukrainian servicemen aboard the Alkmaar-class mine countermeasure vessel Zr. Ms. Makkum in Vlissingen, the Netherlands, 16 April 2026. Photo: president.gov.ua

The Netherlands will complete crew training and formally hand over the vessel in June. Zelenskyy noted this is already the fifth ship in Ukraine's future mine-clearing fleet and the second donation from the Netherlands. The ship will carry the name Henichesk and is planned to participate in the Sea Breeze exercise in 2027.

Five minehunters

The four ships Ukraine already holds are Cherkasy and Chernihiv — Sandown-class minehunters from the UK — and Mariupol and Melitopol, Alkmaar-class vessels from Belgium and the Netherlands. With the new Henichesk, also of the Alkmaar class, all five will remain in the UK. After the war ends, they will return to Ukrainian waters for demining operations and will significantly strengthen the Navy's capabilities, Zelenskyy said.

Explore further

Russia’s Black Sea Fleet fires at Ukraine once or twice a month and otherwise does nothing — now Moscow is trying to copy the drones that trapped it

The original Henichesk

Henichesk is a Ukrainian port city on the Sea of Azov in the Russian-occupied part of Kherson Oblast. In June 2022, Russian aircraft sank a Ukrainian minesweeper bearing the city’s name near the Kinburn Spit while it was on a combat mission.

The Ukrainian Navy's inshore minesweeper Henichiesk (U360) at a ceremony, 2016. Photo: mil.gov.ua

The ship's commander, Captain Oleksandr Boychuk — known for resisting Russia's seizure of the vessel during the 2014 annexation of Crimea — spent over three years in Russian captivity before Ukraine freed him in a prisoner swap in August 2025.

MP accused of ties to Russian security services and Crimea property deal moved to house arrest after sanctions blocked bail payment

Benjamin Murdoch — Fri, 17 Apr 2026 13:33:33 +0000

A Kyiv court has released Ukrainian lawmaker Nestor Shufrych from custody and placed him under round-the-clock house arrest as he stands trial on charges including state treason, Ukraine’s public broadcaster Suspilne reported.

The case is part of a broader effort by Ukrainian authorities to prosecute alleged collaboration with Russian state and security structures during wartime. Since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion, law enforcement agencies have pursued cases involving suspected cooperation with occupation authorities, intelligence services, and other Russian entities.

Ukrainian law treats such actions – including financial ties to Russian structures in occupied territories or the promotion of pro-Kremlin narratives – as threats to national security. Authorities argue these activities can support Russia’s war effort by reinforcing occupation systems and undermining Ukraine internally.

Property in Crimea, payments to Russia's National Guard

Shufrych, a member of parliament from the banned Opposition Platform – For Life party, is accused by investigators of cooperating with Russian structures after the 2014 occupation of Crimea and supporting activities seen as undermining Ukraine’s sovereignty. He denies the charges.

According to the investigation, Shufrych helped re-register property he owned in Crimea under Russian law and arranged for it to be guarded by a unit linked to Russia’s National Guard. Prosecutors say payments made for that protection – more than 648,000 rubles – amounted to financing a force involved in Russia’s war against Ukraine.

He is also suspected of links to Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) and of promoting pro-Kremlin narratives in public statements, which investigators argue formed part of a broader campaign to weaken Ukraine from within.

Court swaps detention for electronic bracelet

On 16 April, the Shevchenkivskyi District Court in Kyiv granted a defense request to change his pre-trial measure from detention to house arrest. The ruling requires Shufrych to wear an electronic bracelet, surrender travel documents, avoid contact with witnesses, and remain at his registered address in Kyiv Oblast except in limited circumstances.

The decision followed months of legal deadlock over bail. In January, the Kyiv Court of Appeal set bail at more than 33 million hryvnias, but Shufrych’s lawyer said payment was blocked because of sanctions imposed on the lawmaker.

Sanctions blocked his own bail transfer

“The problem is that if you include the name of a sanctioned person in a payment order, the transaction is automatically blocked,” defense lawyer Valerii Buniak told Suspilne.

Prosecutors opposed the change, arguing the risks tied to the case had not diminished and insisting Shufrych should remain in custody. The Prosecutor General’s Office said the court’s decision is final and cannot be appealed.

Shufrych had previously been held in pre-trial detention, which was extended in March until May, according to Suspilne.

The most dangerous drone unit Russia has just lost its logistics base near Mariupol — Ukraine found it and burned it

Yuri Zoria — Fri, 17 Apr 2026 12:53:34 +0000

Ukraine's Special Operations Forces (SSO) struck the logistics base of Russia's classified drone center Rubikon in occupied Manhush, Donetsk Oblast, overnight on 16-17 April, the SSO reported. Explosions and large fires broke out at the facility. Footage filmed from a vehicle passing by the burning facility confirmed a large-scale blaze at the site.

Russia's Rubikon has extended drone strikes as deep as 200 km behind the front line, hammering Ukrainian air bases and supply lines. Ukraine's asymmetric campaign targeting Rubikon's physical infrastructure is part of a broader effort to degrade the center's capability faster than it can rebuild — hitting logistics, personnel, and coordination nodes rather than engaging its operators directly at the front.

Strike on Rubikon's Manhush logistics base

According to the report, SSO Middle-strike drone units conducted multiple strikes on enemy targets at the facility. Thermal footage released by the SSO showed its drones targeting not only the building, but also tractor trucks with low-bed trailers at the site.

Rubikon uses against Ukraine's forces nearly all Russian attack and reconnaissance drone types except Shaheds and Herberas, the SSO noted. The center's arsenal includes standard and fiber-optic FPV drones, Molniia and Lancet strike systems, ZALA, Orlan, and SuperCam reconnaissance UAVs, and maritime drones.

manhush pMsvY-ukraine-struck-a-russian-drone-unit-s-logistics-base-in-donetsk-oblast-

Striking and destroying enemy logistics centers significantly reduces their combat capability, the SSO says.

"The SSO continues asymmetric actions to strategically weaken the enemy's ability to wage war against Ukraine," the report said.

The Manhush strike is at least the third SSO hit on Rubikon infrastructure in 2026. In March, Ukrainian drones struck Rubikon positions in occupied areas of Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia oblasts. On 18 March, the SSO struck a Rubikon base in occupied Donetsk Oblast together with a coordination center supporting the unit.

What Rubikon is

Rubikon is a classified Russian center for advanced unmanned technologies, established in August 2024 by Russian Defense Minister Andrei Belousov. The center has around 5,000 personnel. Its mission includes training UAV instructors, transferring combat experience to frontline units, and disrupting Ukrainian logistics and drone command teams. Russian military intelligence is directly involved in organizing the unit.

In March 2026, Rubikon claimed it had exceeded its previous November 2025 record strike rate by over 40% and hit 5.7 times more targets than it did in March 2025. One Ukrainian brigade reportedly lost 70% of its drone operators in a single week to Rubikon's precision strikes.

Ukraine MPs vote themselves untracked monthly cash inside an IMF-mandated tax bill

Peeter Helme — Fri, 17 Apr 2026 12:45:04 +0000

Ukrainian lawmakers used a must-pass tax bill—the one extending the wartime 5% military levy under Ukraine’s new $8.1 billion International Monetary Fund program—to exempt themselves from any reporting on about 199,000 hryvnias ($4,555) in monthly state compensation. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy signed Law 4835-IX on 15 April.

Western funding to Ukraine is conditioned on traceable public spending.

It comes four months after Ukraine’s anti-corruption bureau caught five MPs from Zelenskyy’s party taking $2,000–$20,000 in bribes for parliamentary votes. Western funding to Ukraine—including the EU’s €50 billion ($59 billion) Ukraine Facility—is conditioned on traceable public spending.

The bill passed 257–2 with four abstentions. MPs also voted 250 in favor to send it for immediate presidential signature, bypassing standard waiting periods to meet the IMF spring meetings on 13–18 April.

What the law actually does

Bill 15110 was a tax-code amendment that extended the 5% military levy for three years after martial law ends, according to Ukrinform. The revenue—about 140 billion hryvnias ($3.2 billion)—is earmarked for the Armed Forces.

The final text on the Verkhovna Rada portal also rewrites Article 32, Part 4 of the Law on the Status of People’s Deputies. The new version states the MP “independently, at their own discretion, determines the directions and procedure for using the funds … does not report and bears no legal responsibility.” The amendment surfaced at the committee stage on 7 April, without being attributed to a named author.

The funds are now hidden from parliament.

Lawyer Taras Borovskyi, speaking on Hromadske Radio, called the insertion a violation of legislative technique—an MP-status amendment grafted onto a tax bill. He also flagged a contradiction with the Anti-Corruption Law, which still requires MPs to declare all income to the National Agency on Corruption Prevention.

The funds are now hidden from parliament. Whether they appear in NACP declarations depends on each MP and on enforcement.

Ukraine’s 2026 state budget: UAH 4.83 trillion ($113.8 billion) in expenditure against UAH 2.92 trillion in own revenues. The roughly $45 billion gap depends on external financing—the same funding Article 32 reporting underpins. Chart: Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine, Ukraine Ministry of Finance / Euromaidan Press / Made with Claude

A budget that already tripled the payments

In December 2025, the Verkhovna Rada adopted the 2026 budget, tripling the monthly Fund for Parliamentary Powers to 199,000 hryvnias ($4,555), tax-free. The provision appeared in the budget committee’s conclusions without floor debate, LB.ua reported.

“The enemies of the budget are certainly not those who vote against tripling their own expenses.”

Servant of the People MP Pavlo Frolov, a budget committee member, broke ranks and posted on Facebook: “I did not support this decision. The enemies of the budget are certainly not those who vote against tripling their own expenses.”

Frolov wrote that he lost friends and colleagues in parliament over his position, facing “a wave of criticism and outright dirt.” December tripled the amount. April removed the obligation to report on it. The discretionary regime moved from a single budget year into the permanent text of the law on parliamentary status.

The leverage trick

Bill 15110 was one of four structural benchmarks Ukraine had to pass by the end of March under the new IMF program, Kyiv Post reported. Attaching the MP self-exemption to this bill made it expensive to oppose.

Two MPs voted against. Four abstained.

A vote against the amended package was a vote against IMF financing, against extending the military levy, and against meeting the spring-meeting deadline. Two MPs voted against. Four abstained.

A parallel self-dealing amendment on the same IMF-deadline track—an attempt to gut lifelong financial monitoring of officials, inserted into a separate parcels-taxation bill—was spotted by Servant of the People MP Olha Vasylevska-Smahliuk on 6 April and pulled within 24 hours. The Article 32 amendment was not caught.

What surrounds it

In July 2025, Ukrainians filled the streets to reverse an attempt to subordinate NABU and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office to the prosecutor general—which anti-corruption architect Daria Kaleniuk warned had handed Putin “his best argument” against Ukraine.

The IMF’s February 2026 country report named the AML/CFT system as a specific vulnerability that Ukraine had committed to strengthen.

The Article 32 amendment removes one category of public money.

Western support for Ukraine rests on a principle: public money is traceable. The IMF program is built on it; the Ukraine Facility is conditioned on it; EU accession depends on it. The Article 32 amendment removes one category of public money from that principle, inside the same bill Ukraine passed to unlock the IMF’s next tranche.

Frolov, on the same Facebook post: “During the war, we do not have the moral right to increase spending on ourselves.”

Trump extended the ban on Russian ships docking in US ports — keeping a Biden-era measure alive through spring 2027

Yuri Zoria — Fri, 17 Apr 2026 12:06:23 +0000

US President Donald Trump signed the renewal of the ban on Russian-affiliated vessels entering US ports on 15 April, extending it through at least spring 2027. The decision continues a Biden-era emergency declaration, even as the same administration has eased some Russia-related restrictions in recent weeks.

Russia's sanctions regime — imposed by the US, EU, and G7 countries following Russia's aggression against Ukraine, including after its full-scale invasion in 2022 — was designed to cut off the revenues and logistics financing Moscow's war. The sanctions framework has sent mixed signals under Trump: broad packages have been renewed, but individual Russians have been quietly removed from sanctions lists, and oil restrictions were temporarily eased in March.

Ban extended for another year

Trump renewed Proclamation 10371, first issued by Biden on 21 April 2022, following Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The original order declared a national emergency and authorized the Secretary of Homeland Security to regulate the anchorage and movement of Russian-affiliated vessels at US ports under the Magnuson Act.

The document cited the same rationale Biden used four years ago: Russia's "policies and actions continue to constitute a national emergency by reason of a disturbance or threatened disturbance of international relations of the United States." The ban will now remain in force for at least one additional year.

This is the second consecutive year Trump has extended the measure. In February, he also renewed the broader package of Ukraine-related Russia sanctions for another year, with the document he signed calling Russia an "unusual and extraordinary threat."

Mixed signals on Russia sanctions

The port ban renewal sits alongside a contradictory recent record. In March, the Trump administration eased Russian oil sanctions for 30 days, authorizing countries to purchase an estimated 124 million barrels of Russian oil stranded at sea — a step driven by the US-Iran war's disruption to global energy markets.

The administration has also quietly removed Russian individuals from the US sanctions list, including a former finance minister who ran Russia's third-largest bank — part of a broader pattern of delistings that also reached firms previously sanctioned for supplying Russia's military.

Russia is pulling strategic reserves to prop up a failing offensive, HUR says — and 20,000 troops is less than one month of its own losses

Yuri Zoria — Fri, 17 Apr 2026 10:56:03 +0000

Russia is pulling troops from strategic reserves to sustain an offensive that has repeatedly missed its own deadlines, Ukraine's military intelligence assessed on 16 April. Moscow failed to take two of its three April target cities in Donetsk Oblast and has now set September as the deadline for the entire region. The reserve deployment is smaller than Russia's monthly battlefield casualty count.

Moscow has spent years trying to seize the rest of eastern Ukraine’s Donetsk Oblast, yet its relentless offensives have produced only incremental gains at enormous cost. Russia has struggled throughout the war to simultaneously replace battlefield losses and build genuine strategic reserves — a structural problem that predates the current offensive cycle.

While 20,000 is below Russia's monthly losses, it may still temporarily outstrip Moscow's usable force-generation surplus, since new recruitment is no longer keeping pace with attrition and deployable reserves are limited.

April missed, September set — with reserves running short

HUR Deputy Head Major General Vadym Skibitskyi told the Financial Times on 16 April that Russia is adding 20,000 fresh troops from strategic reserves to its force grouping in southeastern Ukraine. Russia currently has around 680,000 soldiers in theater, Skibitskyi said, citing a HUR assessment. Moscow aims to capture all of Donbas by September 2026.

The April deadline — set for Pokrovsk, Kostiantynivka, and Druzhkivka — was missed on two of three cities. Russia seized Pokrovsk after a two-year siege, but Kostiantynivka and Druzhkivka held. The September goal is broader: the entire region.

Skibitskyi also said Russia produces roughly 60 Iskander missiles per month — the ballistic Iskander-M variant, as opposed to the cruise Iskander-K — and has expanded its launcher capacity. He warned that Ukraine's critical infrastructure remains highly vulnerable as a result with Russia refining strike tactics — while Ukraine faces a critical shortage of anti-ballistic interceptors.

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ISW: 20,000 troops won't change the picture

The Institute for the Study of War assessed on 16 April that the reserve deployment likely reflects Russia's "continuous inability to reach the unrealistic operational objectives and deadlines" rather than a strategic shift. The 20,000 figure is notably fewer than one month of Russian battlefield casualties, ISW noted — making it unlikely to significantly alter the frontline situation.

ISW also cited Ukrainian military observer Kostyantyn Mashovets, who reported that Russia is deploying elements of its strategic reserve in the Oleksandrivka and Zaporizhzhia directions — both away from its stated priority effort in Donetsk Oblast. Russian forces have faced simultaneously increasing casualty rates and decreasing recruitment rates in recent months, ISW noted, undermining the high-intensity assault tempo Moscow relies on.

Russo-Ukrainian war, day 1513: Russia kills 16 Ukrainian civilians overnight as Patriot crews ration interceptors

Euromaidan Press Staff — Fri, 17 Apr 2026 08:03:50 +0000

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WSJ: Europe is quietly building a NATO fallback in case the US steps back. Germany's shift — driven by Merz's conclusion that Trump was prepared to abandon Ukraine and had confused victim with aggressor — unlocked a broader coalition.

Russian air defenses are collapsing. Now Ukrainian warplanes can hit harder.. It's no surprise the Ukrainian air force targeted a Russian drone storage site in Donetsk recently. It's how the air force hit the site that's surprising. And bad news for Russia.

Politico: Fico is first in line for Orbán's disruptor crown — but Brussels has four more leaders to worry about. Fico threatened to veto Ukraine's €90 billion loan. Babiš demanded a carveout. Meloni told leaders she understood Orbán. Radev called Ukraine doomed. Janša is the only one who supports Kyiv — and he may not even form a government.

Military

Hero of 2022 battles will now command defense of five oblasts on Ukraine's Eastern Front.

Ukraine holds Hryshyne's center and northern Pokrovsk outskirts as Russia builds up for its next push, military says. Russian forces failed to consolidate in Hryshyne's center, while Ukraine continued detecting and destroying Russian targets throughout southern Pokrovsk to disrupt a buildup there.

"Just stop oil": Ukraine's drones return to Tuapse — the Rosneft site where the refinery and the Black Sea export pier are one asset. Fires confirmed by satellite at the pier, tank farm, and power plant represent another round in Ukraine's sustained effort to reduce Russia's oil export revenues.

Intelligence and technology

Drones Russia thought were unjammable just met US LEONIDAS microwave weapon. Fiber-optic UAVs threaten logistics 50 km deep.

How Russia killed 16 Ukrainian civilians overnight — even as Ukraine intercepted 95% of its missiles and drones (updated). Two waves of missiles and Shahed-type drones — 703 aerial weapons in total — hit Kyiv and other cities, killing a child and three adults in the capital, eight people in one Odesa building, and three more across central Ukraine.

Read our earlier daily review

“Storm a treeline? Better to just take it apart with a Vampire” — drone battalion commander on how war changed in 2026

Yuri Zoria — Fri, 17 Apr 2026 07:43:00 +0000

Drone warfare in Ukraine has fundamentally reshaped frontline tactics, a drone battalion officer told ArmyInform. The kill zone — the drone-saturated space around the contact line — has grown many times beyond the 3-5 km it spanned in 2023-24. Drones now replace infantry and vehicles for logistics, strikes, and remote mining across the depth of the battle area.

Ukraine's frontline has evolved into what former Commander-in-Chief Valerii Zaluzhnyi called a "robotic kill zone" — a space where drones dominate movement, supply, and engagement at every level. The expanding kill zone means Russia cannot mass and move troops without taking losses before they engage.

From Vinnytsia missile strike to the frontline

Maksym, call sign "Rumyn," is deputy company commander of the Phobus unmanned systems battalion, 46th Separate Airmobile Brigade of Ukraine's Airborne Assault Forces. He enlisted in August 2022 after Russia's missile strike on central Vinnytsia killed dozens of civilians, including children. He entered drone work by accident — asked whether he played computer games, handed a controller, and sent to an FPV pilot school after accidentally flying a training drone into his battalion commander's car.

Explore further

Drones Russia thought were unjammable just met US LEONIDAS microwave weapon

When Maksym returned from training, the counteroffensive had begun. His first strike hit an armored vehicle that had brought Russian infantry to assault a treeline. He flew FPV for around a year. His most significant kill came when his unit received orders to finish off a T-90 Proryv tank that was already on its side — possibly from a mine, but still operational. One FPV later, the tank burned. The footage circulated on social media.

The kill zone expands — drones fill every role

Maksym now trains recruits rather than flying himself. His Phobus battalion runs reconnaissance wings, heavy night bombers, and FPV on optics — and none of those systems works alone. Against strong cover, ten FPV strikes may achieve nothing. One bomber sortie — carrying tens of kilograms of explosives against FPV's 1.5-5 kg — does more.

"If the cover is very strong, you can strike ten times with FPV. There will be no result. But one bomber sortie gives more."

Explore further

Turning point: Russia is now losing more soldiers in Ukraine each month than it recruits

The kill zone has pushed logistics underground as well. In 2023-24, units could drive into range on nerve alone. In 2026, approaching within 5 km of the contact line is "a lottery." Heavy drones and unmanned ground vehicles (UGVs) now carry supplies where vehicles no longer can.

"It's cheaper, more efficient, and safer to send a UGV or deliver by heavy drone to infantry positions," Maksym said.

Remote mining by drone has become a decisive tool. A recent operation stopped a Russian armored assault outright — drone-laid mines destroyed two armored vehicles before they reached their objective. The infantry inside then came under drone fire from Maksym's unit and adjacent battalions.

"Drones work 24/7, all 365 days a year," he said.

His philosophy is simple:

"We can always storm a treeline. But it's better to just take it apart with a Vampire. It's much safer."

Ukraine is developing its own unstoppable air-launched missile

David Axe — Thu, 16 Apr 2026 23:52:42 +0000

Ukraine is developing an air-launched ballistic missile similar to the Russian Kinzhal
Fast and far-ranging, air-launched ballistic missiles are uniquely powerful
Ukraine's parallel efforts to develop air-launched space rockets could aid the development of the new missile

Ukraine is developing its own version of Russia's Kinzhal air-launched ballistic missile. If the air-launched version of Fire Point's FP-9 missile actually works, it could significantly expand the area of Russia where Ukrainian forces can inflict lasting damage on air bases, factories, oil refineries and other strategic targets.

Fire Point has been working on the FP-9 for many months. But it wasn't until recently that Fire Point chief engineer Denys Shtilerman revealed that the ground-launched ballistic missile could eventually evolve into an air-launched ballistic missile in the same class as the 4,300-kg Kinzhal.

Ranging as far as 850 km with an 800-kg warhead, the precision-guided FP-9 is a bigger version of Fire Point's FP-7 ground-launched ballistic missile, which ranges 200 km with a 150-kg warhead. The FP-7 is already in testing. Fire Point plans to begin testing of the FP-9 as early as this summer.

If it enters service and evolves into an air-launched munition, the FP-9 would be the first of its type for Ukrainian forces. Only the most powerful air forces—the Russian and Israeli air forces, to name two—possess air-launched ballistic missiles. Launching a ballistic missile from the air instead of the ground extends its range by potentially hundreds of kilometers.

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Ukraine is becoming a space power

Even aside from their long range, air-launched ballistic missiles are uniquely powerful munitions. Their high speed makes them extremely hard to intercept.

The Kinzhal, which is launched a specially modified Mikoyan MiG-31 interceptor, streaks across the sky as fast as Mach 5.7. It’s so fast that Ukraine’s best kinetic air defenses, its US-made Patriot missiles, struggle to hit incoming Kinzhals. The Russians often include a few Kinzhals in the mix when they bombard Ukrainian cities and power plants.

Desperate to blunt the Kinzhal raids, Ukrainian forces have even deployed sophisticated electronic warfare systems that can, in theory, confuse the Russian missile's flight controls and send it off course. The Ukrainians are apparently eager to hit back at the Russians with a missile that's equally difficult to block.

Concept for a Su-27 fighter with a space rocket under its belly. Yuzhnoye art.

Space connections

Technically speaking, an air-launched FP-9 is well within the means of Ukraine's sprawling missile industry. The Dnipro-based Yuzhnoye State Design Office has been tinkering with air-launched rockets since the late 1980s.

Yuzhnoye's rockets, designed to be launched by Antonov An-124 transports or Sukhoi Su-27 fighters, are meant for space missions. But it's not difficult to modify a space launch vehicle, meant to carry satellites into orbit, into a weapon. Just swap the satellite for a warhead and send the rocket arcing downward instead of up.

Ukraine is working hard to establish a significant space launch capability. Member of parliament Fedir Venislavskyi, who heads the Subcommittee on State Security of the Verkhovna Rada Defense Committee, told RBC-Ukraine the Ukrainian main intelligence directorate has launched at least two space rockets in the 50 months since Russia widened its war on Ukraine.

Explore further

Russian air defenses are collapsing. Now Ukrainian warplanes can hit harder.

"This is a unique situation for a country engaged in a full-scale war," Venislavskyi said. He mentioned one launch that occurred in mid-air from the hold of a transport plane. It's unclear whether that launch was one of the two launches conducted by the main intelligence directorate.

That experience could prove extremely valuable as Fire Point develops the FP-9. The first step is to deploy the FP-9 in a simpler ground-launched version. Later, Fire Point could leverage Ukrainian space efforts to also launch FP-9s from the air.

The result, if the stars align, would be a hard-hitting deep strike capability that Russia's air defenses—already frayed by relentless Ukrainian drone strikes—may struggle to defeat.

“Russia wants more war” – EU’s Kallas pushes €90 billion loan and 20th sanctions after deadliest April strike

Benjamin Murdoch — Thu, 16 Apr 2026 21:19:01 +0000

The European Union is moving to unblock a €90 billion loan for Ukraine and advance a new sanctions package against Russia, EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said following a deadly wave of Russian strikes on Ukrainian cities.

“It is high time to unblock the €90-billion loan and move forward with the 20th sanctions package,” Kallas said, adding that EU foreign ministers will take up the issue at the upcoming Foreign Affairs Council meeting.

Sixteen civilians killed in overnight strikes

Her comments came after a large-scale Russian attack on 16 April that killed at least 16 civilians across multiple cities.

“Russia once again deliberately targeted and killed Ukrainian civilians last night. With its army stalled on the battlefield, Moscow keeps falling back on terror against the innocent,” she said.

Ukraine’s Air Force reported that Russia launched more than 700 missiles and drones in two waves. Although most were intercepted, dozens struck residential areas and infrastructure, causing casualties and widespread damage.

"More aid, more pressure, full accountability"

“Russia wants more war, so our response is more aid for Ukraine, more pressure on Russia, and full accountability for war crimes,” Kallas added.

She also pointed to recent military support commitments from European countries, saying “Europe steps up,” including a €4 billion arms deal between Germany and Ukraine, a major UK drone package, and a €200 million pledge from the Netherlands.

Russia once again deliberately targeted and killed Ukrainian civilians last night. With its army stalled on the battlefield, Moscow keeps falling back on terror against the innocent.

Russia wants more war, so our response is more aid for Ukraine, more pressure on Russia, and…
— Kaja Kallas (@kajakallas) April 16, 2026

Pressure mounts for further action

Momentum behind new EU measures has increased after political changes in Hungary, where recent elections removed Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, who had been a key obstacle to tougher action on Russia.

However, unanimity is still required for EU sanctions, and resistance from Slovakia could also complicate approval of the proposed 20th package.

The EU has already imposed multiple rounds of sanctions since Russia’s full-scale invasion, targeting key sectors of its economy. Officials say further measures are needed as Moscow continues large-scale attacks on Ukrainian cities.

Neutrality doesn’t mean indifference: Austria joins tribunal to prosecute Russia’s aggression

Alexander Moisseenko — Thu, 16 Apr 2026 19:46:22 +0000

Austria has joined the coalition supporting the Special Tribunal for the Crime of Aggression against Ukraine, bringing the total number of participating states to 20—19 of them Council of Europe members—Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said.

Sybiha thanked Austrian Foreign Minister Beate Meinl-Reisinger directly.

"I am grateful to Austria and my colleague [Beate Meinl-Reisinger] for once again proving that neutrality does not mean indifference. To the contrary, accountability is critical to ensure a lasting peace on our continent," he wrote on X.

The move comes one day after Iceland and Poland joined the coalition, hitting the threshold of 17 states—the minimum needed for a formal vote on the tribunal's activation. Austria's accession pushes the count to 20, widening the political base as the body moves from paper to operation.

The function of the Special Tribunal

The Special Tribunal was established by agreement between Ukraine and the Council of Europe, signed by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on 25 June 2025 and ratified by Parliament on 15 July. It fills a gap left by the International Criminal Court, which can prosecute war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide—but not the crime of aggression itself, because neither Russia nor Ukraine had ratified the Rome Statute when the war began.

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Ukraine and Europe launch war tribunal — just not for Putin

The tribunal can investigate and try senior Russian and Belarusian officials, potentially in absentia. Its reach has limits: under current international law, sitting heads of state enjoy immunity, meaning Putin cannot be tried while in office. The body nonetheless advances Ukraine's broader strategy of legal pressure, placing accountability on a formal international footing rather than leaving it to political declarations.

Russia has threatened every country that joins the coalition with "restrictive measures," calling accession a "hostile move." Austria's decision, from a position of formal neutrality, directly tests that threat.

Austria's broader support for Ukraine

Austria's tribunal accession reflects a wider shift in Vienna's posture. Since Russia's full-scale invasion began in February 2022, Austria has mobilized over €320 million in bilateral financial and humanitarian aid.

In February 2026, Austria allocated €14.1 million specifically for humanitarian demining and reconstruction support. Meinl-Reisinger also indicated that Austria is ready to host one of the upcoming Ukraine reconstruction conferences in Vienna.

Each new accession narrows the space for states that have not yet joined to remain on the sidelines. Sybiha noted that every additional participant "confirms that justice for the crime of aggression against Ukraine is inevitable."

SBU and drone forces destroy Russian fuel trains near Luhansk, cutting supplies to frontline troops

Benjamin Murdoch — Thu, 16 Apr 2026 17:57:13 +0000

Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) said it, together with the Unmanned Systems Forces, carried out drone strikes on Russian fuel trains near occupied Luhansk, targeting logistics used to supply frontline troops.

In a statement, the SBU said its officers in Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts worked with the 1st Separate Center of the Unmanned Systems Forces to identify and strike the targets as part of a coordinated effort to disrupt Russian supply chains.

Tankers struck at the station

According to the agency, Russian forces had accumulated railway fuel tankers at stations near Luhansk to support military equipment operating on the front.

After confirming the targets and passing coordinates to drone units, Ukrainian forces launched precision strikes using FP-2 drones produced by the Ukrainian company Fire Point.

Ukraine's SBU and Unmanned Systems Forces struck Russian fuel trains near occupied Luhansk, destroying multiple railway tankers and damaging rail infrastructure used to supply frontline troops.

The strikes used FP-2 drones to hit tankers Russia had stockpiled at stations near… pic.twitter.com/j7ALCi0vWe
— Euromaidan Press (@EuromaidanPress) April 16, 2026

Tankers destroyed, rail infrastructure damaged

The SBU said the strikes destroyed multiple fuel tankers carrying petroleum products and caused significant damage to railway infrastructure used by Russian forces to transport supplies. The extent of the damage and the number of destroyed railcars were not specified.

Ukrainian officials have repeatedly emphasized that fuel supplies are a critical vulnerability for Russian forces, particularly as mechanized units depend on steady deliveries to sustain combat operations. Disruptions to rail-based logistics can slow troop movements, limit resupply, and reduce the tempo of offensive actions.

Rail as Russia's military lifeline

Rail transport remains a central element of Russia’s military logistics network in occupied Ukraine, allowing large volumes of fuel, ammunition, and equipment to be moved efficiently over long distances. Strikes on rail hubs and fuel storage sites have been a consistent feature of Ukraine’s deep-strike campaign.

The SBU said it continues to work with other branches of Ukraine’s Defense Forces to systematically degrade Russian logistics and reduce the resources available for the war effort.

Either Russia’s air defense doesn’t work, or NATO is launching drones, says Russia’s Shoigu

Olena Mukhina — Thu, 16 Apr 2026 17:02:43 +0000

Russian Security Council Secretary Sergey Shoigu has stated that Russia “will defend itself” in response to Ukrainian drone attacks. According to Moscow’s version, these drones may be based on the territory of Finland and the Baltic states, TASS reports.

This comes amid concerns over a potential operation against Estonia, as a recent investigation found social media accounts that promote the idea of a “Narva People’s Republic”, a separatist project aimed at detaching parts of northeastern Estonia bordering Russia.

He presented two possible interpretations of the drones’ origin: either Russia’s air defense is ineffective, or neighboring countries’ airspace is allegedly being used for the attacks.

Which of these variants is most likely? He did not tell. However, such statements could be regarded as a threat.

Reference to Article 51 of UN Charter

The Secretary of the Russian Security Council emphasized that if the second scenario is true, then Article 51 of the UN Charter applies, which enshrines the inherent right of states to individual or collective self-defense in the event of an armed attack.

In 2025, Ukrainian, European, and NATO leaders warned that Russia may be preparing for an attack on Europe as early as 2027. The Baltic States are likely to be the first target on this path.

“According to international law, Article 51 of the UN Charter on the inherent right of self-defense in case of armed attack comes into force,” Shoigu said.

In 2025, Russia's Foreign Intelligence Service Head Sergey Naryshkin accused NATO of escalating military activity near Russia’s borders. He warned that Poland and the Baltic states would be the first to suffer in the event of a war between Moscow and the Alliance.

He claimed that Poland and the Baltic countries are displaying particular aggressiveness. As an example, he cited Warsaw’s alleged plan to deploy around two million anti-tank mines along its borders with Belarus and Russia’s Kaliningrad Oblast.

Soviet 14th Army’s heirs just became persona non grata in Moldova

Olena Mukhina — Thu, 16 Apr 2026 16:20:59 +0000

Moldova has designated the command of the Operational Group of Russian Forces (OGRF) stationed in Transnistria as undesirable persons. The decision includes a ban on entry and stay in the country for a number of officials, according to TV8.md.

The list includes OGRF commander Dmitry Zelenkov and his deputies — Dmitry Opalev, Sergey Mashenko, and Sergey Shirshov. Similar restrictions were imposed on Chief of Staff Marat Yarulin and Alexey Bogomolov.

The measure effectively blocks their movement and envisions expulsion if they attempt to enter Moldovan territory, followed by a permanent entry ban.

OGRF as legacy of Soviet 14th Army

The Operational Group of Russian Forces was formed from the remnants of the Soviet 14th Army. During the Dniester conflict, its units supported separatist forces.

Meanwhile, US intelligence officials say Russian President Vladimir Putin intends to seize all of Ukraine and ultimately restore control over parts of Europe that once belonged to the Soviet empire, including Moldova.

Map showing Transnistria — the Russian-occupied strip of Moldovan territory on the left bank of the Dniester River, bordering Ukraine to the east and wedged between Chișinău and Odesa. Map: Hudson Institute

Today, the contingent is estimated at around 1,200 troops. For years, Chișinău has consistently demanded their full withdrawal and the removal of ammunition, calling their presence a violation of national sovereignty.

Long-running dispute over Transnistria’s status

The presence of Russian troops remains a major point of tension in Moldova–Russia relations. Chișinău considers the contingent illegal and a threat to its state control over its territory.

Earlier, Moldova took a formal step toward leaving the Russia-led Commonwealth of Independent States or CIS, with President Maia Sandu signing decrees to withdraw from the bloc’s founding agreements.

The CIS is a loose regional grouping created after the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, bringing together several former Soviet republics. The bloc has long been criticized as a Russia-dominated structure with limited practical integration.

Euromaidan Press

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Alya Shandra, editor in chief

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Exclusives

Military

Intelligence and technology

International

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Donetsk was Russia’s safe rear. Now AI drones hunt its supply trucks.

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Belarus as Russia's staging ground – a pattern since 2022

North as a secondary front, long-range strikes ahead

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Russian drones hit Ukrainian city 15 km from Poland. Next day, Belarus moved heavy equipment toward Poland’s border

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From Belgorod to Crimea: Ukraine strikes 17 targets including Russian radar systems, drone labs, and logistics hubs

Command posts and drone control centers

Ammunition and fuel depots across four regions

Two radar systems struck inside Russia

Blinding Russia's drone defense

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Ukraine’s drone forces claim 16-target overnight strike – Iskander bases, air defenses, and a Rubikon workshop

SBU and drone forces destroy Russian fuel trains near Luhansk, cutting supplies to frontline troops

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Ukraine’s private-sector air defense groups downed their first jet Shahed — Russia’s drone that flies at 300+ km/h

First jet Shahed down by private air defense

How the private air defense project works

From regular Shaheds to jet ones

How the private air defense project works

Kyiv’s experimental project turns businesses into Russian drone killers — Zala already taken out

From regular Shaheds to jet ones

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How Russia killed 16 Ukrainian civilians overnight — even as Ukraine intercepted 95% of its missiles and drones (updated)

How Russia killed 16 Ukrainian civilians overnight — even as Ukraine intercepted 95% of its missiles and drones (updated)

How Russia killed 16 Ukrainian civilians overnight — even as Ukraine intercepted 95% of its missiles and drones (updated)