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Morning Headlines
The Moscow Times: Russia will not deploy military hardware in this year's parade commemorating 81 years since the Soviet victory over Nazi Germany in World War II, the Defense Ministry said Tuesday.
The Kyiv Independent: Moscow is preparing to recruit at least 18,500 foreigners into Russia's Armed Forces in 2026, Ukraine’s military intelligence agency revealed on April 28.
AP News: Ukraine used interceptor systems to shoot down more than 33,000 Russian drones of various types in March, a record monthly figure since Moscow launched its all-out invasion more than four years ago, Ukraine’s defense minister claimed.
The Kyiv Independent: Ukrainian authorities said they have dismantled an illegal arms trafficking network that allegedly funneled weapons to pro-Russian public figures and politicians, including U.S. actor Steven Seagal and North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un.
More News
Reuters: The acting U.S. ambassador to Kyiv Julie Davis will step down from her post and retire, a U.S. official and the State Department said on Tuesday, amid a lull in U.S.-brokered talks to achieve a ceasefire and end Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
The Kyiv Independent: Ukrainian drones struck an Iskander missiles storage facility in Russian-occupied Crimea, Ukraine's Special Operations Forces reported on April 28.
The Insider: The pro-Russian hacker group NoName057(16) is recruiting participants for DDoS attacks against government websites across Europe under the guise of a “patriotic online game.”
The Insider: The Kremlin-linked Matryoshka bot network is actively spreading disinformation on social media claiming Ukraine was behind the recent assassination attempt on Donald Trump.
The Kyiv Independent: Ukraine spoke out against the inclusion of Russian archaeologist Alexander Butyagin in a prisoner exchange on April 28, vowing it would continue to pursue "all national and international mechanisms" to bring him to justice.
Euronews: Hungary's incoming prime minister Péter Magyar offered on Tuesday to meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to "open a new chapter in bilateral relations" and address a long-running feud over the rights of Ukraine's ethnic Hungarians.
Reuters: Ukraine and Israel traded diplomatic blows on Tuesday as President Volodymyr Zelenskiy condemned what he said were grain purchases from occupied Ukrainian territory "stolen" by Russia and threatened sanctions against those attempting to profit from it.
Reuters: The European Union has approached Israel regarding a Russian vessel, carrying what Ukraine described as grain stolen from it, that was allowed to dock in the Israeli port of Haifa, an EU foreign affairs spokesperson said on Tuesday.
United24 Media: Japanese aerospace company Terra Drone is expanding production of Ukrainian-made interceptor drones while preparing to invest in next-generation jet-powered systems, signaling a deepening partnership between Japanese capital and Ukraine’s rapidly evolving defense tech sector.
Reuters: Prime Minister Keir Starmer's decision last month to let the British military board ships of Russia’s so‑called "shadow fleet" has had no clear impact on the number passing through UK waters, a Reuters analysis shows.
Reuters: North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has praised soldiers who committed suicide while fighting against Ukrainian forces in Russia's Kursk region, confirming an extreme battle policy.
The Moscow Times: Russia’s higher tax burden has sharply worsened conditions for small businesses, with around half of firms now operating without profit, according to business surveys, underscoring mounting pressure on an economy already strained by high borrowing costs and slowing consumer demand.
Reuters: Russia's central bank wants commercial banks to hold mandatory reserves of yuan to prevent shortages of the Chinese currency in the foreign exchange market and rein in excessive lending, Governor Elvira Nabiullina said on Tuesday.
Reuters: The European Union's foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas urged partner countries in Southeast Asia on Tuesday not to turn to Russia for oil supplies as they try to cope with widespread fuel shortages caused by the Middle East conflict.
The Kyiv Independent: Slovakia confirmed on April 28 that it has filed a legal case to challenge an EU ban on importing Russian gas, due to take full effect next fall, with the European Court of Justice in Luxembourg.
Reuters: Kyrgyzstan on Tuesday called for transparent and depoliticised talks with the European Commission after it expanded its Russia sanctions list to include Kyrgyz companies and banks, the foreign ministry said.
Reuters: Ukraine needs to adopt a law introducing a value-added tax on inexpensive parcels from abroad to ensure its $8.1 billion programme with the International Monetary Fund - due for review in June - remains on track.
The Insider: The MSU-270 supercomputer, which operates under the control of Katerina Tikhonova, Putin’s alleged daughter, is off limits even to staff of Moscow State University’s Research Computing Center. Journalists found that the machine had been assembled using Nvidia chips imported through gray channels.
worth mentioning
Inside Ukraine's drive to defeat the dreaded Shahed drone
VPN downloads in Russia surge 14-fold amid Kremlin’s internet restrictions
Fact Check: BBC News report on painting heist doctored to suggest Ukrainian involvement
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