Ukraine war today: Russia claims to have captured two new villages

WorldPolitics
21 Apr 2026 • 11:28 PM MYT
The Independent
The Independent

The world’s most free-thinking newspaper

Ukraine war today: Russia claims to have captured two new villages

  • Russian forces claimed to have captured two Ukrainian villages, Hryshyne in Donetsk and Veterynarne in Kharkiv, a claim Kyiv has not yet publicly addressed.
  • Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky criticised envoys of Donald Trump, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, for repeatedly visiting Moscow and meeting Vladimir Putin without ever travelling to Kyiv, deeming it "disrespectful".
  • The EU is reportedly close to releasing a €90bn loan to Ukraine, after Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban indicated he would cease his veto if a crucial oil pipeline is restored.
  • Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov accused Europe of having ambitions to "nuclearise and militarise" in response to discussions between French and Polish leaders about joint nuclear exercises.
  • Ukrainian drones reportedly struck an oil dispatch facility in Russia's Samara region, causing a fire and damaging five crude oil tanks.

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