Ukraine-Russia war latest: Secret Ukrainian unit struck Putin’s shadow fleet from Libya, officials say
Putin ‘no longer has upper hand’ in war, says ex-CIA chief
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A secret unit of Ukrainian forces launched attacks on a Russian oil tanker while operating in western Libya, officials in the north African country said.
In a suspected sea drone attack, Ukrainian forces hit the Russian-flagged Arctic Metagaz, carrying 61,000 tons of liquefied natural gas, causing it to suddenly explode in a massive fire early in March.
The oil tanker, part of Russia’s so-called shadow fleet, was transporting oil in violation of international sanctions over Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.
It was badly damaged and its crew evacuated, leaving it to drift towards Libyan waters.
While Ukraine has not issued a direct comment on the Arctic Metagaz incident, it says Russia uses its oil export revenues to help fund the invasion, making its tanker fleet legitimate targets.
Earlier, ex-CIA chief David Petraeus said Vladimir Putin’s forces “no longer ha[ve] the upper hand” in the war with Ukraine.
He told CBS News: “Russia heavily outnumbers Ukraine. It outguns Ukraine. It has an economy 10 or 12 times the size of Ukraine’s. And yet the Ukrainian forces right now are stopping the Russians cold on the front lines.”
Watch: Russian strike destroys 19th century historical site in Kharkiv
Russian strike destroys 19th century historical site in Kharkiv
Bryony Gooch8 April 2026 22:00
Inside Ukraine’s conscription crisis as two million dodge the draft
Bryony Gooch8 April 2026 21:00
Zelensky calls for halt to fighting in Ukraine amid Middle East ceasefire
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has said the ceasefire in the Middle East is an opportunity for a halt to fighting in Ukraine.
“A ceasefire is the right decision that leads to ending the war,” Zelenskyy said in a post on X, adding that an agreement which “paves the way for diplomatic efforts” would save lives and stop the destruction of cities.
“Security must be guaranteed, and the interests of every nation must be taken into account when defining post-war arrangements,” Zelensky said, calling for freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz.
Ukraine has “always called for a ceasefire” in the war with Russia and Kyiv would respond in kind if Moscow stops its strikes, he said.
Ceasefire efforts in Ukraine have yielded no results, with both sides continuing long-range strikes.
Bryony Gooch8 April 2026 20:00
Ukrainian PM commemorates Kramatorsk attack which killed 61
Ukrainian prime minister Yulia Svyrydenko has remembered a Russian attack on the city of Kramatorsk which killed 61 people, as she said justice “will prevail.”
The Ukrainian leader said: “On this day in 2022, Russia targeted the train station in Ukraine’s eastern city of Kramatorsk, where families had been gathering amid evacuation.
“A missile marked ‘for children’ tore through the crowd, killing 61 people, among them seven children. The target was intentional, a train station filled with civilians. The meaning of this strike needed no interpretation.
“Today, we remember every life taken and carry their names forward with solemn resolve. And justice, however long it takes, will prevail.”
Bryony Gooch8 April 2026 19:00
Russia denies Ukrainian intelligence assessment that its hackers have teamed up with Iran’s for cyberattacks
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Wednesday that Ukrainian intelligence assessments that Russian and Iranian hackers have joined forces, reported on Tuesday by Reuters, are false.
“Allegations of some kind of joint effort between Russian and Iranian hackers, as you put it, are yet another lie, in this case, perpetrated by the Kyiv regime and Kyiv terrorist groups,” Zakharova said when asked by Reuters to comment on the report.
Zakharova, speaking at a press conference, said Ukraine was conducting its own large-scale cyberattacks against Russia.
Bryony Gooch8 April 2026 18:00
Russia says Baltic states run risk if they let Ukrainian drones cross their airspace to attack Russia
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Wednesday that the Baltic states must understand the risks involved if they allow Ukrainian drones to cross their airspace to attack targets in Russia.
Spokeswoman of the Russian foreign ministry Maria Zakharova attends a press conference (Reuters)
Bryony Gooch8 April 2026 17:00
Alleged FSB agent detained as Ukrainian security services thwart attempted assassination
Ukrainian security services (SBU) have detained an alleged FSB agent after thwarting an attempted assassination on one of the leaders of Ukraine’s Federation of Employers in Kyiv.
The SBU determined that the attacker planned to blow up a man near his house using a homemade remote-controlled bomb.
According to the investigation, the explosion would have occurred in the morning when the official was leaving for work from the entrance of a high-rise building.
The explosion was prepared by a resident of a temporarily occupied area in Donetsk who was recruited by an FSB officer from a specialised unit in sabotage and terrorism, according to the SBU.
The perpetrator is in custody after being charged on suspicion of treason committed under martial law and completed attempt at a terrorist act. He faces life imprisonment with confiscation of property.
Bryony Gooch8 April 2026 16:00
Vance says Zelensky’s comments about Orban ‘scandalous’
US vice president JD Vance has said Volodymyr Zelensky had made “scandalous” comments about Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orban, as he echoed Budapest’s accusations that Kyiv was using energy supplies to try to influence elections there.
Vance’s remarks came during a visit to Budapest aimed at boosting the chances of the nationalist Orban, who faces the toughest challenge of his 16-year rule in an April 12 election seen as crucial for the influence of supporters of Donald Trump’s Maga movement in Europe.
Hungary’s strained relations with Ukraine have taken centre stage in the election campaign, with Budapest accusing Kyiv of deliberately stopping flows of Russian oil through the Druzhba pipeline in an effort to sway the ballot.
Hungary responded by blocking a 90-billion-euro ($105 billion) EU loan for Ukraine, prompting the Ukrainian president to say he could give the address of whoever was responsible to the Ukrainian army, who could “speak with him in their own language”.
(Reuters)
Tom Barnes8 April 2026 15:35
Italy’s deputy PM rules out Europe buying energy from Russia if Iran War continues
Italy’s deputy prime minister Matteo Salvini has ruled out Europe buying energy from Russia amid instability in the Strait of Hormuz.
The US-Israeli war with Iran has triggered an energy crisis for the global economy by trapping large volumes of oil and gas in the Gulf after Tehran closed the strait to most vessels, hitting Europe and Italy particularly hard.
The disruption has led some, including Salvini’s far-right League party, to call on Europe to consider resuming energy purchases from Russia, which were cut off in response to Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
However, Salvini backtracked on that position, saying it would not be feasible as long as the war in Ukraine continued.
“I hope that a time will soon come when it will be possible to speak about reconstruction and cooperation, including partnerships and energy, once the conflict with Russia has ended,” he told the Foreign Press Association in Italy.
Like other Nato allies reluctant to back US president Donald Trump’s strikes on Iran, Italy last week denied permission for US military aircraft to land at the Sigonella air base in Sicily en route to the Middle East.
Salvini dismissed suggestions that mounting disagreements between Washington and European capitals could lead the US to disengage from Europe.
“I don’t believe there is any imminent issue regarding Nato troop withdrawals from Europe,” he said.
Italy’s deputy prime minister Matteo Salvini (AP)
Tom Barnes8 April 2026 14:58
Germany rejects Vance claim over EU interference in Hungary election
Germany gas rejected US vice president JD Vance’s accusation that the European Union is interfering in Hungary’s upcoming election, a government spokesperson said in Berlin on Wednesday.
The fact that Vance is in Hungary “already shows, or speaks for itself, who is interfering in what”, added the spokesperson.
(Reuters)
Tom Barnes8 April 2026 14:23
