The Kyiv Independent [unofficial]

Russia’s war against Ukraine

This photograph shows the interior of a church heavily damaged by shelling in Kostyantynivka, eastern Donetsk region, on April 18, 2025, amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine. (Roman Pilipey / AFP via Getty Images)

‘Not our war‘ — US may drop Russia-Ukraine ceasefire efforts unless progress is made, Rubio says. Speaking after meeting European and Ukrainian officials for ceasefire talks, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that Trump is interested in reaching a deal but has other priorities.

US reportedly tells European allies it seeks Ukraine ceasefire within weeks. U.S. officials said they expect tangible progress soon, while European participants pushed Washington to prepare a harsher response if Moscow fails to engage, Bloomberg reported.

Russia calls Ukraine ceasefire ‘unrealistic‘ despite Trump’s peace efforts.

“Under the current circumstances, it is simply unrealistic to talk about a (full) ceasefire at this stage,” Russia’s U.N. Ambassador Vasily Nebenzya said.

Zelensky signs new sanctions on Russian propagandists, military-linked entities. The new sanctions target 39 individuals and 60 legal entities, some based in Russia and China. The measures include asset freezes, trade restrictions, bans on property acquisition, termination of licenses and permits, and transit prohibitions.

Kremlin spokesman claims ‘progress’ in peace talks but says energy ceasefire period has expired. “There are already some developments, but, of course, there are still many complicated discussions ahead,” Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said.

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Russian attacks cause blackouts in Sumy Oblast after Moscow says energy truce over. The attacks come shortly after Kremlin Spokesperson Dmitry Peskov announced that the 30-day partial ceasefire on energy infrastructure strikes had expired.

Ukraine, Russia to conduct prisoner swap before Easter, Sky News reports. The swap will reportedly involve 246 POWs from each side, as well as 46 injured soldiers, an undisclosed source told Sky News.

Trump admin considers recognizing Russian control of Crimea as part of peace deal, Bloomberg reports. Recognizing Russia’s control of Crimea would mark a significant win for Russian President Vladimir Putin, who has long pushed for international legitimacy over the territory.

US proposes leaving occupied areas under Russian control, easing sanctions, Bloomberg reports. One of the officials told Bloomberg that the U.S. plans, which require further discussion with Kyiv, would not be a final settlement and that European allies would not recognize the occupied territories as Russian.

Russia detains Belarusian citizen, alleges SBU-linked bombing plot. In a video released by Russian state-run RIA Novosti, the detainee, whose identity was not disclosed, said he was born in 2000 and is a citizen of Belarus.

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What to know about the 5 ‘key territories’ at the heart of peace talks

Russia occupies 99% of Luhansk Oblast, 66% of Donetsk Oblast, and 73% each of Zaporizhzhia and Kherson oblasts, according to geolocation estimates from the Institute for the Study of War. It occupies a small percentage of land in Kharkiv Oblast, but does not hold any major settlements there.

Photo: Vera Katkova /Anadolu Agency via Getty Images

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Decolonizing Russia — what it means and why it matters

The movement to decolonize Russia is subject to different interpretations, but according to historian Botakoz Kassymbekova, a specialist in Russian imperial history who teaches at the University of Basel, it primarily entails “parting with imperial structures, identity, and forms” of the Russian state.

Photo: Sefa Karacan /Anadolu Agency via Getty Images

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As Trump mulls cuts, NATO’s integrity is on the line

With the start of Donald Trump’s second term in office, NATO finds itself on shaky ground: A leaked White House memo revealed plans to slash the U.S. State Department funding for the next fiscal year in half, with almost no money allocated for the common NATO budget.

Photo: Daniel Mihailescu / AFP via Getty Images

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Ukraine war latest: US proposes leaving occupied areas under Russian control

U.S. proposals for a peace deal to end Russia’s war against Ukraine would leave the occupied territories under Russian control and ease sanctions against Moscow, Bloomberg reported, citing unnamed European officials.

Photo: Dmytro Smolienko / Ukrinform / NurPhoto via Getty Images

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Human cost of Russia’s war

Russian missile attack on Kharkiv on Good Friday kills 1, injures 112. “According to preliminary information, the strikes on Kharkiv were carried out with ballistic missiles equipped with cluster munitions. That is why the affected areas are so extensive,” Mayor Ihor Terekhov wrote.

Ukraine brings back bodies of over 900 fallen soldiers. These included service members killed in the Kurakhove, Pokrovsk, Bakhmut, Vuhledar, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, Sumy, and Kharkiv sectors of the front, as well as those in Russian morgues.

4 days of hunting Russian drones

International response

Japan signs deal on $3 billion for Ukraine under G7 loan. Japan’s funds will be disbursed over 30 years and directed toward budgetary needs and to support reconstruction and development.

‘You’re fools’ — US may ‘take a pass‘ on Ukraine-Russia talks if either side stalls, Trump says. “If for some reason one of the two parties makes it very difficult, we’re just going to say: ‘you’re foolish, you’re fools, you’re horrible people,’ and we’re just going to take a pass. But hopefully we won’t have to do that,” U.S. President Donald Trump said.

Vance ‘optimistic‘ about efforts to end Russia-Ukraine war. “I want to update the prime minister (Giorgia Meloni) on some of the negotiations between Russia and Ukraine… even in the past 24 hours, we think we have some interesting things to report on,” U.S. Vice President JD Vance said.

In other news

Mariupol defender appointed commander of Azov Brigade amid military reform. Following Russia’s full-scale war in 2022, Hrishenkov defended Mariupol, where he was injured. After 86 days of defending the encircled city under heavy Russian bombardment, he and about 2,500 other fighters left the Azovstal steel plant after Ukrainian commanders ordered the defending garrison to lay down their arms.

New round of US, Ukraine minerals deal talks to begin April 24, official says. “We are now working in parallel with our and American legal teams and are trying to remove many technical issues to narrow them down to the most sensitive ones that will require a political decision,” Deputy Economy Minister and Trade Representative Taras Kachka said.

Ukrainian airline resumes first regular flights since 2022, flying from Moldova to EU. Ukrainian airline SkyUp Airlines has made its first regular flight since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion, flying on the Chisinau-Paris route on April 18, the Ain outlet reported, citing the company’s press service.

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