In pictures: Sweden’s King Carl XVI Gustaf meets Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky
(Reuters)
(Reuters)
Sweden’s King Carl XVI Gustaf and Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskiy shake hands before a meeting, amid Russia’s attack on Ukraine, in Lviv, Ukraine April 17, 2026. (Reuters)
Maira Butt17 April 2026 13:03
Kremlin warns European drone supplies to Ukraine dragging Europe into war with Russia
After threats by deputy head of Russia’s security council and former president Dmitry Medvedev yesterday that European drone facilities are legitimate targets for a Russian attack, the Kremlin has doubled down and warned that European support for Ukraine is dragging the continent into a confrontation with Russia.
“The involvement of these countries in the war is growing,” the Kremlin said on Friday, according to Reuters.
Maira Butt17 April 2026 12:35
Russian soldiers in Ukraine turn to witchcraft for protection as belief in the supernatural surges
Soldiers fighting in Ukraine are increasingly turning to the supernatural, seeking solace and solutions from figures like self-described witch Natalia Malinovskaya.
Amidst the ongoing conflict and economic uncertainty, a growing number of Russians are being drawn to the dark arts.
Operating from her darkened Moscow apartment, Malinovskaya, who claims to have inherited her powers from her grandmother and frequently appears on Russian television, offers a range of services from love spells to protection from evil.
Shweta Sharma17 April 2026 12:15
Czechs summon Russian ambassador over threats against companies
The Czech foreign ministry said on Thursday it had summoned the Russian ambassador over threats against Czech companies.
The ministry said the move was prompted by a Russian defence ministry report and comments by former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, who is now deputy chair of Russia’s Security Council.
“The statements were directed against several Czech companies that were identified as possible targets of Russian attacks,” the ministry said.
Russia’s defence ministry warned on Wednesday that plans by some European countries to step up drone supplies to Ukraine were dragging those countries deeper into a war with Russia. It published a list of factories and enterprises in European countries that it alleged produce drones or drone components.
Medvedev said in a subsequent post on X that the list published by the military amounted to potential targets for Russia’s armed forces.
“When strikes become a reality depends on what comes next. Sleep well, European partners!” he said.
Shweta Sharma17 April 2026 11:45
Kremlin declares Putin was ‘never friends with Orban’ after historic election defeat
Mr Orban, who enjoyed warm relations with Russian president Vladimir Putin and was a persistent thorn in Ukraine’s side as it sought financial backing for its war effort from a divided Europe, was swept aside by Peter Magyar and his centre-right Tisza party.
Shweta Sharma17 April 2026 11:15
UK ‘likely to come under direct attack’ after Moscow warns it will target British companies
A former British army office and government counterterrorism adviser has warned that the UK is likely to face a Russian attack after the Kremlin warned that British drone firms helping Ukraine’s war efforts are “potential targets”.
Colonel Richard Kemp told The Mirror that UK is “seen as vulnerable” and that the threat of attack should be taken “extremely seriously”.
“We should expect sabotage attacks launched by Russia but in such a way that they are deniable operations,” he said.
Russia’s former president and head of the country’s security council, Dmitry Medvedev, issued a warning to the UK and Europe on Thursday after the military published a list of 23 sites across several European countries that are “allegedly either subsidiaries of Ukrainian drone producers or sites where components are made”
“[The] Russian defence ministry’s statement must be taken literally: the list of European facilities which make drones and other equipment is a list of potential targets for the Russian armed forces,” he wrote in a post on X.
“When strikes become a reality depends on what comes next. Sleep well, European partners!”
Maira Butt17 April 2026 10:25
‘Putin ally’ Medvedchuk’s seized superyacht Royal Romance set for $200m sale
A 303-foot superyacht linked to pro-Kremlin Ukrainian politician Viktor Medvedchuk – often dubbed “Putin’s man in Ukraine” – is being prepared for sale at around $200m.
Ukraine’s asset recovery agency (ARMA) said it has moved to the final stage of preparing the sale of Royal Romance after completing pre-trial investigations, with a court set to decide the vessel’s fate.
Built in 2015 by Dutch shipyard Feadship, the yacht boasts luxury features including a swimming pool with a waterfall, cinema and gym, and can host 14 guests with a crew of 21.
Viktor Medvedchuk counts Russian President Vladimir Putin among his personal friends (AFP/Getty)
The case forms part of wider efforts to seize high-value assets linked to figures accused of ties to Vladimir Putin following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Medvedchuk, who faces charges including treason, was sent to Russia in a prisoner exchange in September 2022.
Shweta Sharma17 April 2026 09:40
Russia carried out over 600 attacks on Ukraine’s railway so far this year, Kyiv says
Russian forces attacked Ukraine’s railway logistics more than 600 times since the start of the year, including 65 attacks so far this month, deputy prime minister Oleksiy Kuleba said in televised comments on Thursday.
Russian attacks on Ukraine’s railways have intensified, with a growing shift from infrastructure to moving targets, including passenger trains, increasing risks to civilians.
According to Ukrzaliznytsia, Ukraine’s national train operator, attacks rose from 134 in January to 166 in February, peaking at 206 in March.
Shweta Sharma17 April 2026 09:00
Nato will not collapse and US will defend its allies, Estonian minister says
Nato member Estonia has no doubt that the United States would help defend it if Russia attacks, its defence minister told Reuters, while warning that Europe is not ready to stand up to Moscow on its own.
Estonian intelligence warned in February its neighbour Russia is already stockpiling ammunition for future wars after the conflict in Ukraine ends. Russia has described allegations by European leaders that it could attack Nato as nonsense.
US president Donald Trump this month threatened to pull the US out of the alliance over European members’ refusal to send ships to unblock the Strait of Hormuz near Iran. The alliance was already rattled by his plans to take over Greenland from Denmark, a Nato ally.
But Hanno Pevkur, defence minister of Estonia, told Reuters he was in no doubt that the US would come to its defence if Russia attacks.
“Yes I trust the U.S. and yes I trust all our allies,” he said during a visit to the Lithuanian capital Vilnius on Thursday.
He said the US needs Europe for its military as much as Europe needs the US, so “I don’t believe that Nato will collapse”.
He compared Nato’s current strains to a long marriage: “There are no 50 years of purely smooth sailing. You have differences and problems, and you need to work through them.”
But the minister said Europe is not ready to stand up militarily on its own now.
“Are we there where we want to be? No”, he said. “All of us (in Nato) need to invest more into defence”.
Shweta Sharma17 April 2026 08:15
Russian drones damage port infrastructure facilities in Ukraine’s Odesa region, governor says
A Russian drone attack overnight damaged port, transport and residential infrastructure facilities in Ukraine’s Odesa region, the regional governor said on Friday.
Oleh Kiper, writing on Telegram, said the attack caused fires at several sites and damage to administrative buildings, equipment and containers.
At least six private residential buildings had been struck, he said, adding that no one was injured in the attack.
Shweta Sharma17 April 2026 07:30