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Russian attacks on Ukraine kill 3, injure 7 over past 24 hours 
Editor's note: The article was updated with a statement by the Air Force.

Russian attacks across Ukrainian regions killed at least three civilians and injured at least seven over the past day, regional authorities reported on April 21.

Some of the strikes were reported to take place on April 20, a date supposedly covered by Russia's Easter ceasefire, which was said to come into effect at 6 p.m. on April 19 and last until midnight on April 21.

Ukraine reported nearly 3,000 violations on Russia's side, including 96 ground assaults on Ukrainian positions, 1,882 instances of shelling, and 950 drone attacks, President Volodymyr Zelensky said.

At 2 a.m., Russian forces attacked Ukraine wth an Onyx anti-ship cruise missile from occupied Crimea against Kherson Oblast and two Kh-31P anti-radar missiles against Mykolaiv Oblast, as well as 96 attack and decoy drones, the Air Force said.

Ukrainian air defenses shot down 42 drones, while 47 decoys disappeared from radars without causing damage, the Air Force reported.

Russia also reportedly launched an Onyx anti-ship cruise missile from occupied Crimea against Kherson Oblast and two Kh-31P anti-radar missiles against Mykolaiv Oblast.

Four people were injured in Russian attacks in Donetsk Oblast on April 20, including two in Zoria, one in Pryshyne, and one in Novoekonomichne, Governor Vadym Filashkin said.

In Kherson Oblast, three people were killed and three injured in Russian attacks over the past day, Governor Oleksandr Prokudin reported.

A drone attack against the Kivsharivka village near Kupiansk in Kharkiv Oblast hit a residential building and caused fire, burning down 36 apartments, Governor Oleh Syniehubov said. No casualties were reported, as the building was reportedly uninhabited.

On the morning of April 21, explosions were also heard following a Russian missile attack against Mykolaiv and drone attacks on Cherkasy Oblast. No casualties were reported.

Kyiv and Washington urged Moscow to extend the ceasefire beyond Easter, a proposition that the Kremlin has rejected.

Ukraine and the U.S. previously agreed on a full 30-day truce during talks in Jeddah on March 11, but Russia continues to refuse a ceasefire unless it includes a halt on military aid to Ukraine.

‘They’re hitting us with everything’ — No sign of Russia’s Easter ‘truce,’ Ukrainian soldiers say

Russian President Vladimir Putin announced an Easter truce starting on April 19, claiming that it would “test Ukraine’s sincerity in pursuing peace talks,” but across the front line, Ukrainian soldiers have told the Kyiv Independent they have yet to see any sign of it. The “Easter ceasefire” was s…

The Kyiv IndependentKate Tsurkan

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HUR identifies Russian tanker evading oil sanctions with illegal transfers near Greece, Cyprus 
An uninsured Russian Aframax-class tanker has been illegally conducting ship-to-ship oil transfers in international waters near Greece and Cyprus since July 2024, Ukraine's military intelligence (HUR) reported on June 16.

According to the agency, the vessel, operating without Western insurance, is part of Russia's expanding shadow fleet used to bypass G7 and EU sanctions on Russian oil exports. 

HUR said such transfers "pose an environmental threat, allow the aggressor to conceal the origin of oil, evade international control, and ensure its supply to third countries in circumvention of sanctions." 

Ukraine has identified the tanker as IMO 9247443 and listed it on the War&Sanctions platform, along with 159 other tankers allegedly belonging to Russia's shadow fleet and 55 captains involved in sanction-busting operations. 

Despite price caps and Western restrictions, Russia continues to profit from oil and gas exports, which remain a vital revenue source. According to HUR estimates, roughly one-third of those profits are expected to fund Russia's war against Ukraine in 2025.

In May, the EU approved its 17th sanctions package, targeting nearly 200 shadow fleet vessels. The U.S. Treasury had earlier sanctioned over 180 tankers, which together accounted for nearly half of Russia's offshore oil shipments.

While the Biden administration ramped up pressure on Russia's oil trade early in 2024, U.S. President Donald Trump has since declined to impose new sanctions, despite Moscow's continued refusal to agree to a ceasefire.

EU leaders call for tougher sanctions on Russia at G7 summit

“To achieve peaceful strength we must put more pressure on Russia to secure a real ceasefire, to bring Russia to the negotiating table, and to end this war. Sanctions are critical to that end,” European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said.

The Kyiv IndependentAbbey Fenbert

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Belarus welcomes Easter truce, hopes for 'de-escalation,' foreign ministry claims 
Belarus has welcomed an Easter truce between Ukraine and Russia, the Belarusian Foreign Ministry said in a statement on April 20.

Russia declared a temporary Easter ceasefire from April 19 until midnight on April 21 despite later violating the truce multiple times, according to President Volodymyr Zelensky and soldiers on Ukraine's front lines. Belarusian authorities have parroted Kremlin narratives and stood behind Russia as it continues to wage its war against Ukraine.

"This move was taken on the eve of Easter, which makes it particularly significant and symbolic," the Belarusian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

The Foreign Ministry, in its statement, repeated Russian narratives. Saying that Ukraine, Belarus, and Russia are "fraternal nations," an idea normalized in the Soviet Union and considered to undermine the distinct identities of Ukrainians and Belarusians.

The Ministry claimed it hopes for a "diplomatic settlement" to end Russia's war against Ukraine.

"We hope that the truce will lead to de-escalation of tensions and will allow moving on to a diplomatic settlement," the Belarusian Foreign Ministry said.

Moscow has shown signs it is unwilling to move forward on a peace deal with Ukraine. Russian authorities have listed maximalist demands in ceasefire negotiations with Ukraine and the U.S.

Ukraine has already agreed to a U.S.-proposed full 30-day ceasefire, saying on March 11 that Kyiv is ready if Russia also agrees to the terms. So far, Moscow has refused.

"Hopefully Russia and Ukraine will make a deal this week," U.S. President Donald Trump wrote in a social media post on April 20.

Ukraine war latest: Moscow violates ‘Easter truce,’ Ukraine brings home 277 POWs in swap with Russia

Key developments on April 19-20: * Multiple Russian ceasefire violations reported from front line during Easter ceasefire, Zelensky says * Ukraine brings home 277 POWs in swap with Russia * Ukraine advances in Russia’s Belgorod Oblast, Zelensky says * Republican US Congressman Fitzpatrick visit…

The Kyiv IndependentThe Kyiv Independent news desk
Ukraine seeks US support in regaining control of Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant, joint energy projects 
Ukraine seeks U.S. support in regaining control of the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) and launching joint energy projects, Energy Minister Herman Halushchenko said on April 16, Ukrainian state news agency Ukrinform reported.

"We have a common interest with the United States to bring the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant under Ukrainian control and start the operation of this nuclear power plant," Halushchenko said at an Atlantic Council discussion. 

"It can bring new opportunities for cooperation between us, for example, when it comes to electricity exports."

The plant, the largest in Europe and among the top 10 worldwide, has been under Russian occupation since the early days of the full-scale invasion in 2022.

Halushchenko suggested that restarting the plant could play a key role in Ukraine's long-term reconstruction. 

"We will need more electricity for any project that may be implemented in Ukraine, together with the U.S. We need more electricity to rebuild the country on a large scale," he added.

The minister also emphasized that allowing Russia to maintain control of the plant would be a "total disaster" for global nuclear safety. 

"If we allow the Russians to keep control of Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, even without resuming its operations, it will be a total disaster for everything the world has achieved in the development of peaceful atom."

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Halushchenko also raised alarm over repeated Russian attacks on Ukraine's energy infrastructure and their implications for nuclear security. 

Since August 2024, over 150 incidents have been recorded in which Russian missiles or drones flew near or over Ukraine's nuclear sites, including Zaporizhzhia.

Though a narrower agreement was reached on March 25 to suspend attacks on energy infrastructure, that truce has largely failed to hold. Both Ukraine and Russia accuse each other of violating the energy ceasefire. 

U.S. President Donald Trump floated the idea of joint U.S.-Ukrainian ownership of Ukraine's nuclear plants during a March 19 call with President Volodymyr Zelensky, calling it the best protection for Ukraine's critical infrastructure.

Russia has rejected any possibility of transferring control or entering into joint operations. On March 25, the Russian Foreign Ministry claimed that the plant is "a Russian facility" and ruled out its return to Ukraine or cooperation with third parties.

Russia continues to claim ownership of the plant based on its illegal annexation of Zaporizhzhia Oblast in 2022, even though Ukraine retains control over the regional center and large parts of the territory. 

The annexation followed staged referendums widely condemned by the international community.

Putin praises Musk as visionary, likens him to Soviet-era space icon Korolov

“You know, there is such a person, he lives in the States, (Elon) Musk, who, you could say, raves about Mars,” Russian President Vladimir Putin said.

The Kyiv IndependentTim Zadorozhnyy
Russian journalist and outspoken war critic escapes from house arrest 
Ekaterina Barabash, a Russian journalist who was arrested earlier this year for speaking out against the war in Ukraine, has escaped house arrest and is now wanted by police, Russian state media reported on April 21.

Barabash, 63, was initially detained by the Russian Investigative Committee, a law enforcement agency tasked with investigating serious federal crimes, on Feb. 25.

The Russian Investigative Committee claimed in a Telegram post on February 26 that Barabash "admitted her guilt in full" during an interrogation.

She was then placed under house arrest by a Moscow court for posting "fake news" on her Facebook account about the war in Ukraine and was expected to stay there until April 25.

Russian authorities were alerted to her disappearance on April 13 by an electronic monitoring system. "The accused has been declared wanted," Russian state media reported.

Barabash has Ukrainian heritage and is the mother-in-law of Ukrainian screenwriter Lyuba Yakimchuk. She is also the daughter of late Ukrainian-born literary scholar and Shevchenko Prize laureate Yuriy Barabash.

For years, Barabash has publicly supported Ukraine on her social media accounts and condemned Russia's full-scale invasion.

“(You) bastards bomb a country, raze entire cities to the ground, kill hundreds of children, shoot at peaceful people for no reason, keep Mariupol under a blockade, deprive millions of people of a normal life, and force them to leave for foreign countries. For what? For the sake of friendship with Ukraine? You are Evil on a planetary scale," Barabash wrote on Facebook.

Since launching its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Russia has cracked down on dissent and freedom of expression, specifically targeting people who have been critical of the war. Thousands of Russian citizens have been arrested and jailed for speaking out against the Putin regime.

Russia announces ‘resumption’ of hostilities after Easter ceasefire as Kyiv reports violations

President Volodymyr Zelensky accused Russia of nearly 3,000 ceasefire violations during the supposed Easter truce.

The Kyiv IndependentKateryna Hodunova

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Ukrainian attack causes blackouts in Russian-occupied territories, Moscow's proxies claim 
A Ukrainian drone attack targeting energy infrastructure in Russian-occupied parts of Zaporizhzhia and Kherson oblasts overnight on June 3 caused widespread blackouts, according to Russian occupation authorities.

Yevhen Balytskyi, the Kremlin-appointed head of the occupied part of Zaporizhzhia Oblast, claimed that 457 settlements in the region were left without power, affecting more than 600,000 homes.

In neighboring Kherson Oblast, Moscow-installed proxy Volodymyr Saldo claimed that drone debris damaged substations near occupied Henichesk, as well as near Melitopol in Zaporizhzhia Oblast, resulting in power outages across 150 settlements.

Ukrainian officials have not commented on the claims, which could not be independently verified.

Kyiv's previous attacks on substations in Russia and Russian-occupied territories were aimed at undermining Moscow's ability to sustain its war effort.

Situated in southern Ukraine, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson oblasts have been partially occupied since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion. The regions' centers, the cities of Zaporizhzhia and Kherson, remain under Ukrainian control and are frequently targeted by Russian forces.

A Russian FPV (first-person-view) drone attack targeted first responders near Vasylivka in Zaporizhzhia Oblast, injuring at least 12 people, Governor Ivan Fedorov reported. 

Russian propagandists split between downplaying devastating Ukrainian attacks and issuing threats

Russian officials and propagandists have chosen different strategies for dealing with the unprecedented Ukrainian drone attacks on Russian airfields that took place on June 1. The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) said that, as part of an operation dubbed Spiderweb, it had destroyed or damaged 41 Russian aircraft parked at

The Kyiv IndependentOleg Sukhov

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