Deadly Russian airstrikes have continued overnight ahead of the start of a ceasefire to mark Orthodox Easter, heightening scepticism about the truce deal.
Russian president Vladimir Putin announced a 32-hour ceasefire beginning at 4pm on Saturday and ending at midnight on Sunday, after the truce was initially proposed by Ukraine.
"We proceed on the basis that the Ukrainian side will follow the example of the Russian Federation," the Kremlin announcement said.
But the announcement was followed by a new wave of Russian strikes, killing one civilian at a cafe in Poltava and injuring 14 people across residential areas of Sumy, including an 87-year-old woman and a teen boy.
A similar ceasefire was declared for Orthodox Easter last year, but marred by repeated violations.
In Kyiv, Ukrainians were sceptical about whether the ceasefire would be observed, with one calling it a “fairytale”. “Even today, drones and missiles are still flying,” said Dmytro Sova, 42.
Meanwhile, Russia’s special envoy Kirill Dmitriev is in the US to meet members of president Donald Trump's administration. Discussions will cover a peace deal for Ukraine and US-Russia economic cooperation, according to officials aware of the matter.
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Key Points
- Putin announces Orthodox Easter ceasefire, Zelensky agrees
- Russian drone strikes kill one and injure 15 others ahead of Easter ceasefire
- Estonia says it won't detain Russia's shadow fleet
- Russia loses more than 1,100 personnel in a single day
- Britain and Nato are pulling away from Trump’s America – to save it from itself
ICYMI: Ukrainian forces shot down Iranian Shahed drones for Middle East allies, Zelensky claims
14:00 , Shahana YasminVolodymyr Zelensky said Ukrainian forces shot down Shahed drones for the US and its allies in the Middle East after they launched a war against Iran, in a rare disclosure of Kyiv’s involvement in the conflict.
Mr Zelensky said the anti-drone operations were a part of a broader effort to help partners counter similar weapons as those used by Russia in Ukraine.
This marks the first public acknowledgement of Kyiv’s assistance to the US and its allies in the region. It comes days after the US and Iran reached a tentative ceasefire.
Sumy residential buildings attacked as Ukraine-Russia Easter ceasefire in doubt
13:15 , Shahana YasminUkrainians doubt Russia’s Easter ceasefire will hold
12:30 , Shahana YasminRussia has ordered a 32-hour ceasefire from Saturday afternoon to the end of Sunday, saying its forces will halt fighting “in all directions,” but Ukrainians have expressed doubt it will hold.
President Volodymyr Zelensky said Kyiv was ready to reciprocate any genuine pause. Ukraine’s air force said Russia launched 128 drones overnight ahead of the proposed truce.
“No one believes in these fairytales anymore,” Kyiv resident Yevgeniy Lamakh told AFP.
Others pointed to continued strikes. “Even today, Shaheds and missiles are flying at Ukraine,” said Dmytro Sova. “Well, come on then, start the ceasefire.”
A similar Easter truce last year was violated hundreds of times, reinforcing scepticism in Kyiv even as some in Moscow expressed hope the move could lead to broader peace talks.
In pictures: Damage in Odesa after deadly drone attack
11:45 , Shahana Yasmin Russia lists Stanford University as ‘undesirable’ organisation
11:00 , Shahana YasminRussia has declared Stanford University an “undesirable organisation,” a designation that bars it from operating in the country and makes any association with it punishable under criminal law.
The justice ministry announced the move on Friday, without providing a reason, according to The Kyiv Independent. The listing also covers Stanford’s Center for Russian, East European, and Eurasian Studies.
Under the law, individuals linked to such organisations can face prison terms of up to four years, while those accused of organising related activity risk longer sentences.
The step follows similar action against Tufts University and forms part of a broader campaign targeting foreign academic institutions and other groups viewed as hostile to the Kremlin.
Russia and Ukraine discuss Easter prisoner swap as talks stall
10:15 , Shahana YasminRussia and Ukraine are discussing a possible prisoner exchange over the Orthodox Easter holiday, continuing one of the few areas of cooperation in a war now in its fifth year.
Russia’s human rights ombudswoman Tatyana Moskalkova said both sides were working on potential exchanges, which have taken place periodically despite continued fighting.
The discussions came after the two countries agreed to an Easter ceasefire, and as both sides signal limited willingness to engage on humanitarian measures.
Healey tells Putin: ‘We're watching you. We're exposing you’
09:30 , Shahana YasminRussian drone strike kills 2 in Odesa hours before Easter ceasefire
09:00 , Shahana YasminRussian drone strikes killed at least two people in the Ukrainian port city of Odesa overnight into Saturday, local authorities said, hours before a proposed Orthodox Easter ceasefire was due to take effect.
Two others were wounded when drones hit a residential area, damaging apartment buildings and houses and a kindergarten.
Ukraine’s Air Force said Russia launched 160 drones overnight, with 133 shot down or intercepted. Russia’s defence ministry said it had destroyed 99 Ukrainian drones across Russia and occupied Crimea.
The strikes came ahead of a 32-hour ceasefire ordered by Russian president Vladimir Putin, set to begin Saturday afternoon. Ukraine has said it is prepared to mirror any pause in hostilities.
Drone debris sparks fire at oil depot in Russia’s Krasnodar region
08:32 , Shahana YasminDrone debris fell on the grounds of an oil depot in the Russian town of Krymsk overnight, triggering a fire, local authorities said.
Officials said the blaze was extinguished by Saturday morning and there were no reported injuries.
Krymsk is located in Russia’s Krasnodar region, which has been targeted in previous cross-border drone strikes during the war.
Ukrainian forces shot down Iranian drones for Middle East allies, Zelensky claims
08:00 , Adam WithnallVolodymyr Zelensky said Ukrainian forces shot down Shahed drones for the US and its allies in the Middle East after they launched a war against Iran, in a rare disclosure of Kyiv’s involvement in the conflict.
Mr Zelensky said the anti-drone operations were a part of a broader effort to help partners counter similar weapons as those used by Russia in Ukraine.
This marks the first public acknowledgement of Kyiv’s assistance to the US and its allies in the region. It comes days after the US and Iran reached a tentative ceasefire.
Read more:
Ukraine shot down Iranian Shahed drones for Middle East allies, Zelensky claims
Russian drone strikes kill one and injure 15 others ahead of Easter ceasefire
07:11 , Adam WithnallUkraine says at least one person has been killed and 15 injured by Russian drone strikes ahead of the start of today’s Easter ceasefire.
The death occurred in Poltava, where a drone struck a shop and a cafe, killing one civilian and wounding another, officials told AFP. Separate strikes in Sumy injured 14 people including a 14-year-old boy and an 87-year-old woman.
The ceasefire marking Orthodox Easter was initially proposed by Volodymyr Zelensky. Russia’s Vladimir Putin has said his forces will cease fire from 4pm on Saturday until the end of Sunday, a span of 32 hours. A similar truce was agreed last year but marred by a number of reported violations.
In Kyiv, Ukrainians told reporters they were sceptical about how well the truce would be observed. “Even today, drones and missiles are still flying,” noted Dmytro Sova, a 42-year-old actor, to AFP. “If they want a ceasefire, then let them start it.”
Russian investigative journalist placed in pre-trial detention
05:27 , Adam WithnallA Russian court has ordered the detention of Oleg Roldugin, an investigative journalist for independent newspaper Novaya Gazeta, following his arrest a day earlier.
Roldugin was arrested on Thursday in a case involving alleged misuse of personal data following a search of his home and a raid by masked security agents on the offices of Novaya Gazeta, one of Russia's best-known investigative outlets.
Russia has tightened its censorship laws and increased pressure on independent media since it launched its war in Ukraine in 2022. In another case this week, the FSB security service said it had detained a freelance journalist in Siberia on suspicion of treason.
State media on Thursday published a brief video clip of Roldugin's arrest, showing him being bundled into a van by masked men. Under Russian criminal law, misuse of personal data carries a prison sentence of up to 10 years if it causes "grave consequences".
Roldugin, standing in a glass box in the courtroom on Friday, told reporters he was innocent.
Estonia says it won't detain Russia's shadow fleet for fear of military response
03:54 , Adam WithnallNato member Estonia says it cannot afford to detain Russia's "shadow fleet" vessels in the Baltic Sea and risk the chance Moscow will respond with military force.
Britain and other European nations, including France, Belgium and Sweden, have stepped up efforts to detain ageing oil tankers used by Moscow to evade sanctions and secure vital funding for its four-year war against Ukraine.
But Estonia, the northernmost Baltic state located close to Russia's main oil and fuel export facilities in the Gulf of Finland, is practising restraint after an unsuccessful attempt to board a Russian vessel last year.
"The risk of military escalation is just too high," Estonia's Navy Commander Ivo Vark told Reuters.
In May 2025 Estonia said Moscow sent a fighter jet into Nato airspace over the Baltic Sea during an Estonian attempt to stop an unflagged Russia-bound oil tanker it believed was defying Western sanctions.
The jet eventually escorted the oil tanker into Russian waters.
Recap: Zelensky confirms Ukrainian forces shot down Shahed drones in the Middle East
03:00 , James ReynoldsVolodymyr Zelensky said Ukrainian forces shot down Shahed drones for the US and its allies in the Middle East after they launched a war against Iran, in a rare disclosure of Kyiv’s involvement in the conflict.
Mr Zelensky said the anti-drone operations were a part of a broader effort to help partners counter similar weapons as those used by Russia in Ukraine.
This marks the first public acknowledgement of Kyiv’s assistance to the US and its allies in the region. It comes days after the US and Iran reached a tentative ceasefire.
Ukraine shot down Iranian Shahed drones for Middle East allies, Zelensky claims
Ukrainians sceptical of Easter truce with Russia as Kyiv calls for talks
02:00 , James ReynoldsPeople on the streets of Kyiv were wary of an Easter truce with Russia, recalling that previous such truces had been quickly violated.
Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday announced a 32-hour ceasefire starting on Saturday afternoon and running throughout Orthodox Easter until midnight on Sunday.
"He can only make promises about some ceasefire. No one is going to hand over our land to him," said 60-year-old Yuliia, huddled beneath a thick overcoat, as a street thermometer showed 2 degrees Celsius in Kyiv.
Putin's announcement was similar to a 30-hour ceasefire he ordered last year. Each side accused the other of violating it.
"Every year it's the same old 'ceasefire, ceasefire'. Even on one of the New Year’s Eve, when they promised a ceasefire, there was an air raid alarm all night long," said Varvara, a 17-year-old student who declined to give her second name.
"Well, of course I want to believe it, but no, I don’t think it's going to happen."
Your Views: Ukraine’s conscription crisis divides opinion among Independent readers
01:00 , James ReynoldsOur community is divided over Ukraine’s draft crisis. While some empathised with those fearing the front line, others stressed the duty to fight, and many debated how the army could be better organised:
‘Who wants to be cannon fodder?’ Ukraine’s conscription crisis splits readers
Russia and Ukraine move towards potential peace deal, Bloomberg reports
Saturday 11 April 2026 00:00 , James ReynoldsUkraine and Russia are moving towards a potential deal to end the war, Bloomberg News reported on Friday, citing the top aide to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Kyrylo Budanov, a former head of Ukraine's military intelligence, said that he saw progress towards a deal, but declined to say what a potential compromise on territory, a key stumbling block, would look like.
"No final decision has been made yet," he said, according to the report. "But, in principle, everyone now clearly understands the limits of what is acceptable. That’s enormous progress."
"They all understand the war needs to end. That’s why they are negotiating,” Budanov said in an interview with Bloomberg on April 4. “I don’t think it will be long.”
Russian journalist placed in pre-trial detention ahead of trial
Friday 10 April 2026 23:00 , James ReynoldsA Russian court on Friday ordered Oleg Roldugin, an investigative journalist for the independent newspaper Novaya Gazeta, to be placed in pre-trial detention until May 10.
Roldugin was detained on Thursday in a case involving alleged misuse of personal data following a search of his home and a raid by masked security agents on the offices of Novaya Gazeta, one of Russia's best-known investigative outlets.
Healey tells Putin: ‘We're watching you. We're exposing you’
Friday 10 April 2026 22:00 , Daniel KeanePictured: A firefighter works at a critical infrastructure facility hit by Russian drone strikes
Friday 10 April 2026 21:00 , Daniel Keane Ukraine in talks with Gulf countries on security cooperation, Zelensky says
Friday 10 April 2026 20:00 , Daniel KeaneUkraine is in talks with Oman, Kuwait and Bahrain to cooperate in the security sector and share its drone defence expertise and technology, President Volodymyr Zelensky said.
Zelensky visited several Middle Eastern countries last month to offer Ukraine's technology and expertise on how to counter Iranian drone attacks.
Security cooperation agreements with Saudi Arabia and Qatar were signed, and a deal with UAE was announced.
Ukraine also sent more than 200 experts to the Middle East, and they have successfully downed Iran's long-range Shahed drones, Zelensky said.
"We used our own interceptors to shoot down Iranian 'Shaheds.' We demonstrated that achieving such results requires systemic solutions, particularly in the electronic warfare component," Zelenskiy told reporters in remarks released by his office on Friday.
"We've reached agreements on 10-year deals with three countries. Security talks are currently underway with Oman, and we are also in discussions with Kuwait and Bahrain."
Inside Ukraine’s conscription crisis as two million dodge the draft
Friday 10 April 2026 19:00 , Daniel KeaneWhile Ukraine holds out against Russia’s relentless assaults, it is also facing the scandal of millions avoiding military call-up and hundreds of thousands of soldiers absent without leave. World affairs editor Sam Kiley reports from Izyum, in eastern Ukraine.
Inside Ukraine’s conscription crisis as two million dodge the draft
Watch: UK issues stark warning to Putin over Russian submarines spotted in North Atlantic
Friday 10 April 2026 18:00 , Daniel KeaneUkraine faces months of diplomatic and military pressure, Zelensky says
Friday 10 April 2026 17:00 , Daniel KeanePresident Volodymyr Zelensky said the spring and summer months would be difficult for Ukraine as it would face pressure on the battlefield and also diplomatically to end the war.
Zelensky said Ukraine's partners had asked Kyiv to reduce its strikes on Russia's oil sector as global prices surged due to the Iran war and escalating tensions in the Middle East. He did not name the partners.
But he said that if Russia wanted to de-escalate, it should halt its own strikes on Ukrainian energy facilities and agree to resume trilateral peace talks, mediated by Washington.
"This spring–summer period will be quite difficult politically and diplomatically. There may be pressure on Ukraine," Zelensky told reporters in remarks released by his office on Friday. "There will also be pressure on the battlefield."
"I believe it will be very difficult for us until September."
Britain and Nato are pulling away from Trump’s America – to save it from itself
Friday 10 April 2026 16:00 , Sam KileyJust a day after Donald Trump floated the idea of turning the Strait of Hormuz into a “joint” tollbooth to enrich the US and Iran, the British government revealed that a joint operation with Norway had been undertaken to protect Nato’s northern flank.
The move, combined with a visit this week by Keir Starmer to the Arabian Gulf, is the latest sign that even Europe’s Anglo-Saxons are pulling away from Washington. The UK and its allies are determined to defend the alliances and principles of international law that the US president and his deputy are keen to destroy.
John Healey, the defence secretary, revealed that a British frigate and spy planes had been involved in monitoring two Russian spy submarines and an attack sub as they surveyed undersea cables and pipelines in the High North, the strategically vital region encompassing the Arctic Circle and the North Atlantic.
Read our full story below.
Britain and Nato are pulling away from Trump’s America – to save it from itself
Kremlin says envoy's US visit does not mean Ukraine talks have resumed
Friday 10 April 2026 15:00 , Daniel KeaneThe Kremlin said on Friday that a visit by Russian President Vladimir Putin's special investment envoy to the United States did not mean the resumption of negotiations on a possible peace deal for Ukraine.
Reuters reported on Thursday that envoy Kirill Dmitriev was in the U.S. and meeting members of Trump's administration for discussions on a peace deal for Ukraine , as well as U.S.-Russia economic cooperation.
Ukraine and Russia move towards potential peace deal, report claims
Friday 10 April 2026 13:44 , Daniel KeaneUkraine and Russia are moving towards a potential deal to end the war, Bloomberg News reported on Friday, citing the top aide to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Kyrylo Budanov, a former head of Ukraine's military intelligence, said that he saw progress towards a deal, but declined to say what a potential compromise on territory, a key stumbling block, would look like.
"No final decision has been made yet," he said, according to the report.
"But, in principle, everyone now clearly understands the limits of what is acceptable. That’s enormous progress."
"They all understand the war needs to end. That’s why they are negotiating,” Budanov said in an interview with Bloomberg on April 4. “I don’t think it will be long.”
Budanov was appointed head of Zelensky's office in January and has become a key Ukrainian negotiator during U.S.-brokered talks between Kyiv and Moscow.
US is ignoring evidence Russia is helping Iran because it trusts Putin, says Zelensky
Friday 10 April 2026 12:00 , James ReynoldsThe United States is ignoring evidence of Russia helping Iran because the Trump administration still trusts Vladimir Putin, according to Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky.
Ukrainian intelligence accused Russia of feeding Iran with data used to strike US forces and other targets in the Gulf during the six-week conflict. Donald Trump and his top officials have suggested they are aware of Russian interference, but have played down the threat.
In an interview with Alastair Campbell on The Rest is Politics: Leading podcast, Mr Zelensky said he had tried to raise the issue but feared US negotiators were blinded by their close contact with the Kremlin.
Read the full story:
US is ignoring evidence Russia is helping Iran because it trusts Putin, says Zelensky
Russian military claims two villages in eastern Ukraine
Friday 10 April 2026 11:00 , James ReynoldsThe Russian Defence Ministry said on Friday that its forces had taken control of two villages in eastern Ukraine.
The Interfax news agency reported that Miropolske in the Sumy region and Dibrova in the Donetsk region had been seized.
The Independent could not independently confirm the battlefield report.
Russia loses more than 1,100 personnel in past day
Friday 10 April 2026 10:00 , Arpan RaiRussian losses have increased by more than 1,100 in the past 24 hours, Ukrainian military said this morning in a daily update.
“The total combat losses of Russian forces from February 24, 2022, to April 10 2026 in the war against Ukraine amount to approximately 1,308,670 personnel, including 1,130 over the past day,” the General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces said in a post.
Zelensky says Ukraine faces months of diplomatic and military pressure
Friday 10 April 2026 09:45 , Arpan RaiPresident Volodymyr Zelensky said the spring and summer months would be difficult for Ukraine as it would face pressure on the battlefield and also diplomatically to end the war.
Zelensky said Ukraine's partners had asked Kyiv to reduce its strikes on Russia's oil sector as global prices surged due to the Iran war and escalating tensions in the Middle East. He did not name the partners.
But he said that if Russia wanted to de-escalate, it should halt its own strikes on Ukrainian energy facilities and agree to resume trilateral peace talks, mediated by Washington.
He acknowledged, however, that the US was currently reluctant to dedicate much more time to the peace process in Ukraine.
"This spring–summer period will be quite difficult politically and diplomatically. There may be pressure on Ukraine," Zelensky told reporters in remarks released by his office this morning.
"There will also be pressure on the battlefield."
"I believe it will be very difficult for us until September."
Ukraine’s forces shot down Iranian Shahed drones for Middle East allies, reveals Zelensky
Friday 10 April 2026 09:30 , Arpan RaiVolodymyr Zelensky has revealed Ukrainian forces shot down Iranian-designed Shahed drones in multiple Middle Eastern nations in the US and Israel’s war on Iran, in a rare disclosure of Kyiv’s involvement in the conflict.
Mr Zelensky said the operations were a part of a broader effort to help partners counter the same weapons used by Russia in Ukraine.
This marks the first public acknowledgement of Kyiv’s aerial assistance to West’s ally nations from Ukraine’s war-time president.
Ukrainian forces, Mr Zelensky said, took part in active operations abroad using domestically produced, battle-tested interceptor drones.
Earlier in March, Mr Zelensky said Ukraine was assisting five Middle Eastern and Gulf nations in countering Iranian drone attacks.
He also revealed that the US and European countries had requested similar support, owing to Kyiv's growing expertise in drone defence, acquired in the more than four-year-old war against Russia’s incoming aerial barrages of drones and missiles.
Ukraine shot down Iranian Shahed drones for Middle East allies, reveals Zelensky
UK says military deployed to deter Russian submarines from attack on undersea cables
Friday 10 April 2026 09:10 , Arpan RaiBritain deployed military vessels to prevent any attacks on cables and pipelines by Russian submarines that spent more than a month in and around British waters earlier this year, defence secretary John Healey said.
Britain has accused Russia of using the distraction of events in the Middle East to try to conduct the covert operation in the High North maritime region, home to key shipping routes and critical infrastructure such as undersea cables.
Healey said British forces and allies including Norway tracked and deterred malign activity by the Russian vessels, adding that the submarines had now left the area and there were no signs of damage to underwater infrastructure.
Revealing the operation publicly at a press conference, Healey said the intent was to show Russian president Vladimir Putin that the activity had been detected.
"To president Putin, I say 'We see you. We see your activity over our cables and our pipelines, and you should know that any attempt to damage them will not be tolerated and will have serious consequences'," he said.
"Our armed forces left them in no doubt that they were being monitored, that their movements were not covert, as president Putin planned, and that their attempted secret operation had been exposed."
Zelensky says Ukraine will act in accordance with Easter ceasefire
Friday 10 April 2026 08:50 , Arpan RaiPresident Volodymyr Zelensky said early on Friday that Ukraine would act in accordance with an Easter ceasefire.
"Ukraine has repeatedly stated that we are ready for reciprocal steps. We proposed a ceasefire during the Easter holiday this year and will act accordingly," Zelensky said on Telegram after the Kremlin ordered troops to observe a 32-hour ceasefire.
"People need an Easter without threats and a real move towards peace, and Russia has a chance not to return to attacks even after Easter."
UK says military deployed to deter Russian submarines from attack on undersea cables
Friday 10 April 2026 08:25 , Arpan RaiBritain deployed military vessels to prevent any attacks on cables and pipelines by Russian submarines that spent more than a month in and around British waters earlier this year, defence secretary John Healey said.
Britain has accused Russia of using the distraction of events in the Middle East to try to conduct the covert operation in the High North maritime region, home to key shipping routes and critical infrastructure such as undersea cables.
Healey said British forces and allies including Norway tracked and deterred malign activity by the Russian vessels, adding that the submarines had now left the area and there were no signs of damage to underwater infrastructure.
Revealing the operation publicly at a press conference, Healey said the intent was to show Russian president Vladimir Putin that the activity had been detected.
"To president Putin, I say 'We see you. We see your activity over our cables and our pipelines, and you should know that any attempt to damage them will not be tolerated and will have serious consequences'," he said.
"Our armed forces left them in no doubt that they were being monitored, that their movements were not covert, as president Putin planned, and that their attempted secret operation had been exposed."
Zelensky says he offered peace talks to end Ukraine war to Trump's envoys
Friday 10 April 2026 08:05 , Arpan RaiVolodymyr Zelensky said he had urged US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner to visit Kyiv, noting the offer came before a ceasefire in the Middle East.
"I told them: "Come to us, and then go to Moscow. Let's hold a trilateral meeting in this format." he said. "They were receptive to this, but as we can see, they decided they cannot be far from their president right now."
He said it remained unclear whether the envoys would still visit Kyiv or whether talks would instead take place in a third country.
On the substance of discussions, Zelensky said Ukraine is preparing proposals on security guarantees to present to the United States and expressed hope diplomacy would move forward.
The US-led talks have made no progress on key issues, and Washington's attention has switched to the Middle East conflict while the Russian and Ukrainian armies remain locked in battle on the roughly 1,250km (800 mile) front line.
Zelensky says Ukraine faces months of diplomatic and military pressure
Friday 10 April 2026 07:35 , Arpan RaiPresident Volodymyr Zelensky said the spring and summer months would be difficult for Ukraine as it would face pressure on the battlefield and also diplomatically to end the war.
Zelensky said Ukraine's partners had asked Kyiv to reduce its strikes on Russia's oil sector as global prices surged due to the Iran war and escalating tensions in the Middle East. He did not name the partners.
But he said that if Russia wanted to de-escalate, it should halt its own strikes on Ukrainian energy facilities and agree to resume trilateral peace talks, mediated by Washington.
He acknowledged, however, that the US was currently reluctant to dedicate much more time to the peace process in Ukraine.
"This spring–summer period will be quite difficult politically and diplomatically. There may be pressure on Ukraine," Zelensky told reporters in remarks released by his office this morning.
"There will also be pressure on the battlefield."
"I believe it will be very difficult for us until September."
Zelensky says Ukrainian forces shot down Shahed drones in Middle Eastern countries during Iran war
Friday 10 April 2026 07:27 , Arpan RaiUkrainian military personnel shot down Iranian-designed Shahed drones in multiple Middle Eastern countries during the Iran war, president Volodymyr Zelensky said, describing the operations as part of a broader effort to help partners counter the same weapons used by Russia in Ukraine.
Zelensky made his first public acknowledgment of the operations Wednesday in remarks to reporters that were embargoed until this morning.
Zelensky said Ukrainian forces took part in active operations abroad using domestically produced, battle-tested interceptor drones.
‘Who wants to be cannon fodder?’ Ukraine’s conscription crisis divides readers
Friday 10 April 2026 07:16 , Arpan RaiIndependent readers have shared sharply divided views on Ukraine’s conscription crisis, reacting to a report from world affairs editor Sam Kiley on widespread draft dodging and rising strain on the armed forces.
Reporting from Izyum, in eastern Ukraine, Kiley’s report detailed the scandal of millions avoiding military call-ups – with hundreds of thousands of soldiers also absent without leave.
Many sympathised with those avoiding service, particularly men with families, describing it as understandable to fear a “one-way ticket” to the front. Some readers reflected on the psychological toll of the conflict, highlighting exhaustion among soldiers and the fear of being sent to the most dangerous areas with little chance of return – points also noted by Kiley on the ground.
Others were more critical, insisting citizens should defend their country and questioning what draft evasion says about duty, sacrifice, and national survival.
‘Who wants to be cannon fodder?’ Ukraine’s conscription crisis splits readers
Russia loses more than 1,100 personnel in past day
Friday 10 April 2026 07:06 , Arpan RaiRussian losses have increased by more than 1,100 in the past 24 hours, Ukrainian military said this morning in a daily update.
“The total combat losses of Russian forces from February 24, 2022, to April 10 2026 in the war against Ukraine amount to approximately 1,308,670 personnel, including 1,130 over the past day,” the General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces said in a post.
Putin announces Orthodox Easter ceasefire, Zelensky agrees
Friday 10 April 2026 06:46 , Arpan RaiRussia’s president Vladimir Putin has announced a 32-hour ceasefire over a two-day period for Orthodox Easter and his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky said Kyiv would abide by the measure.
The ceasefire for Orthodox Easter celebrations on Sunday coincides with a pause in US-led efforts to clinch a settlement to the four-year-old conflict amid hostilities in Iran and the broader Middle East.
Putin's announcement was similar to a 30-hour ceasefire he ordered last year. Each side accused the other of violating it.
The Kremlin said the Easter ceasefire would be in effect from Saturday at 4pm (1300 GMT) to midnight (2100 GMT) on Sunday evening. "We proceed on the basis that the Ukrainian side will follow the example of the Russian Federation," the Kremlin announcement said.
The announcement said defence minister Andrei Belousov had issued an order to Russia's top commander, Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov, "to stop for this period military action in all directions".
"Troops are to be ready to eliminate all possible provocations by the enemy as well as any aggressive actions."
Zelensky said Ukraine had repeatedly proposed a halt to fighting for Orthodox Easter.
"Ukraine has repeatedly stated that we are ready for reciprocal steps. We proposed a ceasefire during the Easter holiday this year and will act accordingly," Zelensky wrote on Telegram.
"People need an Easter without threats and a real move towards peace, and Russia has a chance not to return to attacks even after Easter,” he said.
Russia bans Nobel prize-winning human-rights group
Friday 10 April 2026 06:41 , Arpan RaiRussia's Supreme Court has effectively criminalised the activities of the Nobel Peace Prize-winning rights group Memorial, the latest step in an unrelenting crackdown on dissent and civil society organisations.
The ruling against the human-rights group followed a closed hearing on a petition from the justice ministry to designate what it called "the Memorial international civic movement" as extremist and ban its activities in Russia.
Memorial said there was no such entity but that the ruling still "would allow the authorities to crack down on any Memorial projects, their participants and supporters”.
One of the oldest and the most renowned Russian human rights organisations, it was awarded the 2022 Nobel Peace Prize.
Britain and Nato are pulling away from Trump’s America – to save it from itself
Friday 10 April 2026 06:24 , Arpan RaiJust a day after Donald Trump floated the idea of turning the Strait of Hormuz into a “joint” tollbooth to enrich the US and Iran, the British government revealed that a joint operation with Norway had been undertaken to protect Nato’s northern flank.
The move, combined with a visit this week by Keir Starmer to the Arabian Gulf, is the latest sign that even Europe’s Anglo-Saxons are pulling away from Washington. The UK and its allies are determined to defend the alliances and principles of international law that the US president and his deputy are keen to destroy.
John Healey, the defence secretary, revealed that a British frigate and spy planes had been involved in monitoring two Russian spy submarines and an attack sub as they surveyed undersea cables and pipelines in the High North, the strategically vital region encompassing the Arctic Circle and the North Atlantic.
Britain and Nato are pulling away from Trump’s America – to save it from itself
Hungary needs to urgently clarify possible leaks to Russia, EU says
Friday 10 April 2026 06:06 , Arpan RaiThe European Commission has urged the Hungarian government to explain what it said were "extremely concerning" reports about possible leaks of information to Russia.
EU commission president Ursula von der Leyen will raise the issue at the leader's level as well, a commission spokesperson told reporters in Brussels.
“The alleged revelations... highlight the alarming possibility of a member states' government coordinating with Russia, thus actively working against the security and the interests of the EU and all its citizens," she said.
“This is extremely concerning, and it is for the government in question to explain itself as a matter of urgency."
A series of leaked conversations have seemed to show how Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orban's government and his foreign minister Peter Szijjarto have worked to undermine EU efforts to aid Ukraine.
Attacks on Russia's oil sites have boosted Ukraine's negotiating position, says Zelensky's aide
Friday 10 April 2026 05:36 , Arpan RaiUkrainian attacks on Russian oil terminals and facilities in the recent weeks have started making an impact on its position to negotiate with Russians, a senior official in Kyiv said.
"At the next negotiations with them (Russians), I think we will hear a great deal that is new. In any case, this significantly strengthens our position and does not, so to speak, weaken it," said Kyrylo Budanov, the head of the Ukrainian president's office.
He added that Ukraine must do everything possible to strengthen its "winning position".
"And any means of achieving the goal are justified and right," he said.
Ukraine has recently stepped up attacks on Russia's oil infrastructure. Russia relies heavily on energy revenues to support its four-year-old full-scale war in Ukraine.
Russia and Ukraine exchange more than 1,000 dead prisoners of war
Friday 10 April 2026 05:15 , Arpan RaiUkraine and Russia exchanged the bodies of deceased soldiers, officials said yesterday.
Kyiv received 1,000 bodies that Russia says belong to the Ukrainian military, the Ukrainian centre handling prisoner of war swaps said on the Telegram app.
Ukraine handed over 41 dead Russians, Russia's RBC news outlet cited lawmaker Shamsail Saraliyev as saying.
The two sides have periodically exchanged their war dead in the course of the conflict.
UK says military deployed to deter Russian submarines from attack on undersea cables
Friday 10 April 2026 04:50 , Arpan RaiBritain deployed military vessels to prevent any attacks on cables and pipelines by Russian submarines that spent more than a month in and around British waters earlier this year, defence secretary John Healey said.
Britain has accused Russia of using the distraction of events in the Middle East to try to conduct the covert operation in the High North maritime region, home to key shipping routes and critical infrastructure such as undersea cables.
Healey said British forces and allies including Norway tracked and deterred malign activity by the Russian vessels, adding that the submarines had now left the area and there were no signs of damage to underwater infrastructure.
Revealing the operation publicly at a press conference, Healey said the intent was to show Russian president Vladimir Putin that the activity had been detected.
"To president Putin, I say 'We see you. We see your activity over our cables and our pipelines, and you should know that any attempt to damage them will not be tolerated and will have serious consequences'," he said.
"Our armed forces left them in no doubt that they were being monitored, that their movements were not covert, as president Putin planned, and that their attempted secret operation had been exposed."
Russia says ceasefire move not discussed with the US
Friday 10 April 2026 04:40 , Arpan RaiKremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told Russian state news agency TASS that Vladimir Putin's ceasefire proposal had not been discussed in advance with the United States.
He added that the ceasefire was also not linked to any notion of resuming three-way talks on a settlement.
Meanwhile, Putin's special envoy Kirill Dmitriev is now in the US and is meeting members of US president Donald Trump's administration for discussions on a peace deal and US-Russia economic cooperation, sources with knowledge of the visit told Reuters.
Zelensky says Ukraine will act in accordance with Easter ceasefire
Friday 10 April 2026 04:20 , Arpan RaiPresident Volodymyr Zelensky said early on Friday that Ukraine would act in accordance with an Easter ceasefire.
"Ukraine has repeatedly stated that we are ready for reciprocal steps. We proposed a ceasefire during the Easter holiday this year and will act accordingly," Zelensky said on Telegram after the Kremlin ordered troops to observe a 32-hour ceasefire.
"People need an Easter without threats and a real move towards peace, and Russia has a chance not to return to attacks even after Easter."
Ukraine has repeatedly stated that we are ready for symmetrical steps. We proposed a ceasefire during the Easter holidays this year and will act accordingly. People need an Easter free from threats and real movement toward peace, and Russia has a chance not to return to strikes…
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) April 9, 2026
