Russia and Ukraine have swapped prisoners of war, according to officials on both sides. Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said 193 prisoners, including soldiers and border guards, had been returned from Russia, some injured and facing criminal charges.
Russia’s state news agency TASS reported that the same number had been handed back by Ukraine. The exchange was mediated by the U.S. and the United Arab Emirates.
Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said the country is in its “strongest” frontline position in the past year. He credited Kyiv’s drone warfare and air defences, claiming they can intercept up to 90% of Russian aerial attacks.
The Kremlin has suggested President Vladimir Putin may attend the G20 summit in Miami, U.S., later this year. Spokesman Dmitry Peskov made the comments after U.S. President Donald Trump said it would be “very helpful” for him to attend.
At least 13 people have been killed in Ukraine in overnight strikes, according to the State Emergency Service, including a married couple aged 75.
Ukraine also said it had killed 12 Russian officers and wounded 15 others in strikes in the Donetsk region, according to military drone commander Robert Brovdi.
European leaders are discussing a further round of sanctions on Russia. The 20th package is due to take effect on Saturday 25 April, banning EU firms from providing financial or brokering services to Russian-flagged icebreakers and LNG tankers.
Russia said on Friday that new European Union sanctions on its oil and gas sector would harm developing countries as well as the EU, and vowed to retaliate.
The EU is also expected to approve a €90 billion loan to support Ukraine during the war.
Meanwhile, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is in Saudi Arabia to strengthen co-operation on security and energy infrastructure, marking his second visit to the Kingdom in a month.
"Yesterday, at a meeting with European leaders, we secured financial guarantees for our resilience. Today, we are advancing our agreements with Saudi Arabia in the areas of security, energy, and infrastructure," he said on the social media platform X upon arrival.
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The European Union has introduced new trade restrictions on Kyrgyzstan under its 20th sanctions package against Russia, marking the first time a Central Asian country has faced measures targeting an entire trade channel.
Russian emergency services have contained a major fire at the Tuapse oil refinery on the Black Sea coast, local officials said on Thursday, ending a four-day effort after a Ukrainian drone strike.
The European Union adopted its 20th package of sanctions against Russia on Thursday (23 April), introducing sweeping new restrictions aimed at weakening Moscow’s war economy and limiting its capacity to sustain the war in Ukraine.
Russia has confirmed the suspension of Kazakh oil shipments to Germany via the Druzhba pipeline, citing technical reasons, in a move that could disrupt refinery supplies in eastern Germany.
The U.S. military has intercepted at least three Iranian-flagged tankers in Asian waters and is redirecting them away from their positions near India, Malaysia and Sri Lanka, shipping and security sources said on Wednesday, exclusively to Reuters.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards targeted three vessels, seizing two of them for alleged maritime violations and transferring them to Iranian shores, as U.S. President Donald Trump said Washington is extending its ceasefire with Iran until Tehran submits a proposal.
Two local trains collided head-on north of Copenhagen on Thursday (23 April), injuring 17 people, five of them critically, according to emergency services.
The U.S. military is redirecting at least three Iranian-flagged tankers after intercepting them in Asian waters near India, Malaysia and Sri Lanka, shipping and security sources said on Wednesday. Meanwhile, Tehran said U.S. breaches, blockades and threats are undermining “genuine negotiations.”
The European Union is preparing its 20th round of sanctions against Russia over the war in Ukraine. The measures are close to being approved, after earlier delays linked to energy concerns in Slovakia and Hungary eased following repairs to the Druzhba oil pipeline.
China has urged the European Union to take its concerns seriously over new cybersecurity and digital regulations, warning they could create difficulties for Chinese companies operating in Europe.
Türkiye and the United Kingdom on Thursday signed a wide-ranging strategic partnership agreement to boost bilateral cooperation, especially in defence. The deal, signed in London, signals a “new era” in relations between the two NATO allies.
The U.S. and the European Union are set to sign a memorandum of understanding on Friday to establish a partnership on the procurement and production of critical minerals, the U.S. State Department confirmed late on Thursday.
Russian emergency services have contained a major fire at the Tuapse oil refinery on the Black Sea coast, local officials said on Thursday, ending a four-day effort after a Ukrainian drone strike.
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