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The Times: Europe would struggle to collectively muster 25,000 troops to be part of a “deterrence” force in Ukraine because its armies are undermanned and underfunded (archive).

The Kyiv Independent: Russian forces have recently intensified offensive operations in three Ukrainian oblasts – Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson – Ukraine's Southern Defense Forces spokesperson said on April 29.

Politico: French authorities on Tuesday accused Russia's most high-profile hacking group of orchestrating cyberattacks on President Emmanuel Macron's 2017 election campaign.

The Moscow Times: A group of pro-Russian hackers took down the websites of several Dutch municipalities and provinces on Monday in retaliation for the Netherlands’ military assistance to Ukraine.

AFP: Ukraine on Tuesday ordered the evacuation of seven villages in the eastern Dnipropetrovsk region which used to be remote from the frontlines but are now under threat as Russian forces close in.

Reuters: Russian troops are trying to carve out a buffer zone in Ukraine's northeastern Sumy region, although so far without substantial success, the regional governor said on Tuesday.

Kyiv Post: Multiple family members of top Kremlin negotiator Kirill Dmitriev have held American passports as recently as this year – and used them to enter Ukraine and the US, official sources told Kyiv Post.

Bloomberg: Putin is insisting that Russia must take control of four regions of Ukraine it doesn’t fully occupy as part of any agreement to end his war (archive).

The Kyiv Independent: The body of journalist Viktoriia Roshchyna, who died and underwent torture in Russian captivity, was missing some internal organs, according to an investigation by the Forbidden Stories journalism network published on April 29.

Reuters: Finnish utility Fortum will not return to Russia and is still interested in acquiring the Nordic assets of its former German subsidiary Uniper, Fortum said on Tuesday, after beating market expectations for its first-quarter profits.

The Moscow Times: Russia’s two largest lenders, Sberbank and VTB, reported a sharp increase in delinquencies on mortgage and unsecured consumer loans in the first quarter of 2025, according to their IFRS financial reports reviewed by the RBC news website.

AP News: The European Court of Justice on Tuesday ordered Malta to close its “golden passport” program, ruling that citizenship in EU countries cannot be sold. Programs that allow wealthy people to buy citizenship were once widespread in Europe, but they’ve been rolled back in recent years amid concerns that they facilitate transnational crime and sanctions evasion.

United24 Media: India has taken a decisive step away from Russian military hardware, signing a $7.4 billion deal with France for 26 Rafale marine fighter jets—further solidifying a strategic pivot toward Western arms suppliers, Bloomberg reported on April 28.

The Kyiv Independent: Berlin will continue its support for Ukraine under Chancellor-in-waiting Friedrich Merz, German Foreign Minister-designate Johann Wadephul said in an interview with Deutsche Welle on April 28. "I think it must be clear for everybody... especially for Putin, that we will stand with Ukraine. We will support Ukraine and... offer Ukraine the opportunity to be on level with Russia," Wadephul said.

worth mentioning

‘Don’t come here’: Warning from the frontlines to Chinese nationals thinking of fighting for Russia

Russia hopes warmer weather will boost flagging spring offensive

Russian propagandist tells wives of returning “veterans” to kiss their feet and accept domestic violence

Russian Occupation Update, April 28, 2025 - ISW

Spanish grid operator rules out cyberattack in its facilities after power cut

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