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Stay informed with the most important Ukraine breaking news today. This page compiles the top headlines and critical updates from across Ukraine, offering a real-time snapshot of key developments.
Whether it’s military updates, political changes, or international reactions — we bring you the latest Ukraine news as it happens. All reports are carefully curated from verified sources and KyivPost correspondents on the ground.
German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul said Israel has the right to defend itself while urging restraint and accountability on civilian impacts.
Germany’s foreign minister offered qualified support for Israel’s military operations in southern Lebanon during talks in Berlin with his Israeli counterpart, while sharply criticizing humanitarian conditions in Gaza and what he described as a “de facto annexation” of parts of the West Bank, AFP reported.
On Tuesday, after meeting Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar, German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul reaffirmed Berlin’s strong backing for Israel’s security but said close alliances do not preclude direct disagreements.
The measures aim to disrupt Russia’s drone production and stop the exploitation of vulnerable migrants, officials said.
The UK government has announced a new round of sanctions targeting 35 individuals and entities accused of exploiting vulnerable migrants and supporting Russia’s drone manufacturing for its war against Ukraine.
According to the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office, the measures aim to disrupt what officials described as networks deceptively recruiting migrants from abroad, promising legitimate work before forcing them into frontline combat or coercive labor in Russia’s military sector.
Trump has warned Iran against escalating the conflict, saying talks are ongoing despite recent attacks on US interests.
US President Donald Trump urged Iran to “do the smart thing” and reach an agreement to end the conflict, saying he does not want further bloodshed even as a fragile ceasefire appears increasingly uncertain, AFP reported.
Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, Trump said Washington remains open to a deal but warned that Tehran risks serious consequences if it violates the truce.
Estonia warned that Russia could restore its military combat readiness by 2027, urging faster defense preparations and stronger deterrence.
Russia could restore its military combat readiness as early as 2027, and Estonia must raise its level of preparedness, according to the annual report of the Estonian Defense Forces (EDF).
The assessment was published on Monday by the EDF in their 2025 annual yearbook review, according to the ERR, Estonia’s public broadcaster.
The White House cut Ukraine off from air defense tech that protected Ukrainian cities from deadly long-range strikes, so Kyiv switched to hunting and killing Russian ballistic missiles in Russia.
After the White House cut Ukraine off from Patriot air defense missiles that protected Ukrainian cities from deadly long-range strikes through the Prioritized Ukrainian Requirements List (PURL) program, Kyiv switched to hunting and killing Russian ballistic missiles on Russian soil, in accordance with the nation’s Grand Strategy, or as President Volodymyr Zelensky calls it “long-range sanctions.”
Here’s the topic of the Kremlin’s ballistic missiles and Ukraine’s response explained in full.
Internet blackouts in Moscow, mounting Russian losses, and Trump weighs in on Zelensky – updates from Ukraine and beyond
US President Donald Trump now calls President Volodymyr Zelensky a “tricky” guy but says he likes him.
We’ll see how that “like” translates into actual support as attacks intensify on both sides ahead of Russia’s May 9 ceasefire proposal – now countered by Zelensky’s May 6 truce proposal. Overnight, Ukraine pounded Russia with 289 drones, reportedly hitting a fortified military plant with its homegrown Flamingo missile, after a series of refinery and weapon factory strikes in April that are said to have cost the Kremlin over $300 million in infrastructure damage in Tuapse alone.
Russian forces struck Zaporizhzhia with guided bombs, killing one and injuring at least eight, sparking fires and damaging homes and businesses across the city.
Russian forces struck Zaporizhzhia with guided aerial bombs (KABs) on Tuesday, May 5, killing one person and injuring at least eight.
According to Zaporizhzhia Regional Military Administration (OVA) head Ivan Fedorov, explosions were heard around 4:10 p.m., with smoke later seen rising over the city. The attack targeted several local enterprises.
Kyiv offered to share battlefield drone expertise as the two sides discussed regional security and expanding cooperation.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he discussed a potential drone cooperation agreement with Bahrain’s King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa during a meeting on Tuesday, May 5.
In a Telegram post, Zelensky described the talks as “productive” and said he had proposed making a “drone deal” to expand cooperation, with both sides agreeing that their teams would work out the details.
Kyiv says a series of mid-April through May 1 attacks on Tuapse directly cost Russia over $300 million in damaged Black Sea port and refinery facilities, and much more in lost oil export revenue.
Ukraine’s General Staff said on Tuesday, May 5, that a series of strikes on Russian oil infrastructure in Tuapse caused more than $300 million in direct damage, plus significant economic losses due to lost export revenue.
According to the statement, combined strikes carried out by Ukraine’s Defense Forces throughout April and on May 1 targeted both the port infrastructure and the Tuapse oil refinery, a key facility on Russia’s Black Sea coast.
Ukrainian special services struck one of Russia’s largest oil refineries and a military electronics plant deep inside the country, hitting fuel infrastructure and systems used in missiles and drones.
Along with striking a major defense plant in Cheboksary, on Tuesday, Ukraine’s Unmanned Systems Forces (USF), the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), and the Special Operations Forces (SSO) struck one of Russia’s largest oil refineries – Kirishinefteorgsintez – and the Kirishi oil pumping station in the Leningrad region.
According to the USF, operators of the 1st Separate Center, together with the SSO and the SBU, targeted the plant, which has a capacity of 20-21 million tons of oil per year, making it one of Russia’s three largest refineries. Part of the Surgutneftegaz structure, it specializes in deep oil processing and the production of fuel, bitumen, and aromatic hydrocarbons, and it is considered a key element of Russia’s export logistics in the Baltic region.
New Zealand’s projected is the natural outcome of a country finally unblocking what slows it down. If NZ embraces adoption early enough, the economy may outperform expectations entirely.
A report by ITBrief New Zealand suggests that artificial intelligence (AI) adoption could boost productivity in New Zealand, with the potential to generate NZD $108 billion by 2038.
The report talks about New Zealand’s long history with productivity issues relating to growth, far lagging behind similar international economies. For example, the GDP per worked hour is around 40% lower than that of other leading economic nations, such as:
Brussels says the project is part of its broader “Defence Readiness Roadmap to 2030,” with a focus on accelerating cutting-edge drone technologies and systems designed to detect and neutralize them.
The European Commission has opened applications for a new EU-Ukraine Drone Alliance, a major push to strengthen Europe’s defenses against unmanned aerial threats following repeated airspace violations across the bloc.
The move comes after repeated violations of EU airspace by drones, which Brussels says have exposed the urgent need for a “flexible, agile and state-of-the-art” European capability to detect and counter unmanned aerial threats.
Korshak notes that Russia has lost a significant portion of the territory it previously seized. At the same time, Ukraine is carrying out precise strikes deep inside Russia.
Chancellor Friedrich Merz is rearming Germany, bankrolling Ukraine, and picking fights with Trump – and he's just getting started.
The prospect of another gigantic German military in Europe is daunting to many, but it is already underway as Chancellor Friedrich Merz takes on Russia, harnesses his country’s wealth to build the continent’s biggest military, and partners with Ukraine.
An investment banker who served in the military, Merz is characteristically German and also as blunt as Trump, which is why it’s hardly surprising that the two have tangled.
The Ukrainian president said long-range cruise missiles hit defense industry targets more than 1,500 km inside Russia.
President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed that Ukraine used long-range “Flamingo” cruise missiles in a strike on Russian military-industrial targets, including a facility in Cheboksary, on Tuesday, May 5.
In a Telegram post accompanied by video footage, Zelensky said the missiles were launched as part of a “Deep Strike” operation by Ukraine’s Armed Forces.
US President Donald Trump said he supports a negotiated settlement in the ongoing Russo-Ukrainian War, despite continued battlefield losses for Kyiv.
US President Donald Trump said he maintains a generally positive relationship with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in an interview on Monday, May 4.
Speaking to the pro-MAGA Salem News Channel, Trump described Zelensly as a “tricky guy” when the interviewer lauded the Ukrainian president’s offer of air-defense help to various Gulf states attacked by Iran.
Fedorov said Ukraine’s strategic aim is to push Russian losses to a level where “further advances become unsustainable.”
Russia lost 35,203 troops killed or seriously wounded in April, marking the fifth consecutive month its battlefield losses have exceeded its ability to mobilize new forces, Ukraine’s Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov said on Tuesday.
“All losses are confirmed on video,” Fedorov said in a telegram statement with an attached video. “For the fifth month in a row, Russia is losing more than it can mobilize and is gradually choking on its losses. We are steadily moving toward the figure of 50,000 eliminated occupiers per month.”
Japan, which depends on the Middle East for around 95 percent of its oil imports, has tried to diversify its sources of energy since the outbreak of war on February 28 saw Tehran shut the strait.
Japan has taken delivery of its first shipment of oil from Russia since global supplies were choked off by the closure of the Strait of Hormuz at the start of the Iran war, reports said Tuesday.
A tanker carrying crude that was produced as part of a Sakhalin-2 natural gas development project reached the coast of Imabari in western Japan and started offloading to a refinery on Tuesday, public broadcaster NHK and other media reported, citing unnamed sources from the economy ministry.
The restrictions come amid heightened security ahead of Russia’s flagship annual military event – the May 9 Victory Day parade – a key Kremlin showcase marking the Soviet defeat of Nazi Germany.
Russia has begun restricting mobile internet in Moscow and St. Petersburg days before its May 9 Victory Day celebrations, triggering widespread outages and disrupting payments, messaging services, and online platforms across both cities.
Users, cited by The Moscow Times, reported that mobile internet access dropped sharply after 7 a.m., with apps, websites, and even payment systems failing to load.
The Cheboksary facility, protected with anti-drone structures, was struck by a long-range weapon deep inside Russian territory.
A key Russian military-industrial plant in Cheboksary, the capital of Russia’s Chuvash Republic, that had been reinforced with anti-drone defenses, was struck by a Ukrainian long-range missile overnight on Monday-Tuesday, May 4-5.
According to Defense Express, the facility, operated by VNIIR-Progress, had previously installed metal protective structures on its buildings – commonly used to mitigate drone strikes – but these measures didn’t prevent the latest attack.
Ukraine’s FM Sybiha met Tsihanouskaya, warning Russia is pulling Belarus deeper into war and pledging Kyiv’s support for democratic forces.
Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said he held talks with Belarusian opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, warning that Russia is increasingly drawing Belarus into its war against Ukraine.
In a post on X, Sybiha said the two discussed the evolving situation in Belarus and the growing security risks linked to Moscow’s use of Belarusian territory.
Russia’s overnight attack hit energy infrastructure in Poltava, killing two rescuers in a second strike. Zelensky condemned the “cynicism” and warned Ukraine will respond in kind.
President Volodymyr Zelensky responded to Russia’s massive overnight strike on May 5 by saying that Ukraine would act in a “mirror-like manner.”
In a Telegram post, he said the main targets of the attacks were Ukrainian energy infrastructure facilities.
Donald Trump has announced a reduction in the US’s military presence in Germany.
Donald Trump has announced a reduction in the US’s military presence in Germany. Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth specified that 5,000 troops would be withdrawn, but the US President has since insisted that the number would be much higher. The announcements came after German Chancellor Friedrich Merz voiced criticism of Washington’s strategy in the Iran war.
Unavoidable side-effects of a good thing
Ihor “Batko” Zhaloba spent decades studying Russian history before volunteering to fight it. His verdict: Europe remains dangerously unprepared, and Ukraine is the continent’s last line of defense.
Ihor Zhaloba – known by the callsign “Batko” (Father) – is a Doctor of Historical Sciences, professor, and Senior Research Fellow at the Department of History of International Relations and Foreign Policy of Ukraine of the Institute of History of Ukraine, National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine. He is also a teaching professor in the Department of International Relations at Borys Hrinchenko Kyiv University and president of the Ukrainian branch of the Pan-European Movement.
When Russia launched its full-scale invasion, he did not hesitate. He volunteered to defend Ukraine and served until he was demobilized at the age of 60.
Tensions with the PSD escalated as Bolojan pushed for unpopular austerity measures to reduce the deficit, the biggest in the European Union.
Romania’s parliament on Tuesday will vote on a motion of no confidence that could oust liberal Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan, deepening political turmoil in the country, an EU and NATO member bordering Ukraine.
Romania’s biggest party, the Social Democrats (PSD), quit the government last month and joined forces with the far right to file the motion.
Latest from the Institute for the Study of War.
Key Takeaways from the ISW:
Kyiv used the European Political Community summit in Yerevan to deepen ties with Armenia and reopen dialogue with Georgia as Moscow’s influence wanes.
President Volodymyr Zelensky’s first visit to Armenia on Sunday underscored Kyiv’s growing effort to expand its diplomatic reach in the South Caucasus, a region where Russia’s influence is weakening but remains deeply contested.
Arriving in Yerevan for the eighth European Political Community summit, Zelensky made a symbolically important trip as Armenia continues to move closer to Europe after years of frustration with Moscow.
The UAE, a close US ally and key Arab partner of Israel, said it came under a barrage of missiles and drones from Iran.
A ceasefire between Iran and the United States was teetering Monday as the two countries traded fire over the strategic Strait of Hormuz and the United Arab Emirates reported attacks for the first time since the truce was declared nearly a month ago.
A day after US President Donald Trump announced an operation to escort trapped vessels through the strait, Fox News quoted him as threatening that Iran would be “blown off the face of the earth” if it attacks US ships.
Russian Telegram channels shared footage of a blaze at a military facility linked to electronic warfare systems and precision-guided weapons.
Russia’s VNIIR-Progress military plant in Cheboksary was reportedly set ablaze following an overnight strike, according to Russian Telegram media channels and videos posted by local residents on social media.
The facility, officially known as JSC VNIIR-Progress, is located in Cheboksary, the capital of Russia’s Chuvash Republic. Photos and videos circulating online appeared to show a large fire and smoke rising from the site after explosions were heard in the area.
“Life over parades,” Kyiv said, urging Moscow to show whether it wants peace or military spectacle.
President Volodymyr Zelensky has countered a Russian proposal for a brief “Victory Day” truce by announcing that Ukraine will implement its own unilateral “regime of silence” starting May 6.
The move directly challenges the Kremlin, which earlier on Monday declared a two-day ceasefire for May 8-9 to facilitate Moscow’s annual military parade commemorating the Soviet victory in World War II.
Air raid alerts sounded across Kyiv and several regions overnight as officials reported injuries, property damage, and intensified Russian attacks across the front line.
Russia carried out a large-scale overnight attack on Ukraine Monday-Tuesday, deploying drones, ballistic missiles, and guided aerial bombs against multiple regions, damaging homes and injuring civilians, Ukrainian officials said.
According to Ukraine’s Air Force, waves of drones were detected between 11 p.m. and 7 a.m. across at least ten regions, including Sumy, Chernihiv, Poltava, Dnipropetrovsk, Zaporizhzhia, Kyiv, Mykolaiv, Cherkasy, Odesa, and Kharkiv.
In Prague, Stubb and Pavel said Ukraine’s combat experience should shape Europe’s future defense planning.
Speaking in Prague alongside Czech President Petr Pavel on Monday, Finland’s president said Ukraine’s battlefield experience makes it a strategic asset for Europe and NATO.
Finnish President Alexander Stubb argued that Europe should shift its focus from “what it can do for Ukraine” to “what Ukraine can do for Europe.”
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