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Zelensky says that the shortage of Patriot missiles is ‘worse than ever’ through the US-Iran crisis
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Ukraine is aiming to build a home-grown anti-ballistic missile defence system ‘within a year’ to bolster its protection from Russian attacks and reduce reliance on waning supplies of US Patriot missiles.
President Volodymyr Zelensky said he was in talks with ‘several countries’ and working towards having a European defence system ready within months.
“We should have a European anti-ballistic missile defence system. We need to build our own anti-ballistic missile defence system within a year,” he said on national television yesterday, as reported by the Kyiv Independent.
Ukraine has been looking to reduce its reliance on the US Patriot defence system, which tracks and engages UAVs, cruise missiles and ballistic missiles on approach - a vital part of Ukraine’s defence against the Russian onslaught.
In a recent interview with Germany’s ZDF, Zelensky said that Ukraine was facing a critical shortage of Patriot systems, warning the situation “can’t get any worse” as the Iran diverts US attention from Ukraine.
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Key Points
- Ukraine patrol police chief resigns after officers flee from shooting spot
- Ukraine to replace soldiers with 25,000 ground robots in bid to save lives
- Ukraine attacks Russian oil refineries after Trump removes sanctions on Moscow’s oil
- Russia loses more than 1.3 million troops in Ukraine war since invasion, says Kyiv
- Hungary's Magyar kicks off early EU talks to unblock funds for Ukraine
Russia's defence ministry said on Monday that Tu-22M3 long-range bombers carried out a planned flight over neutral waters of the Baltic Sea, Interfax news agency reported.
A Tupolev Tu-160 and Tu-22M3 military aircrafts fly over Red Square (file) (AFP/Getty)James Reynolds21 April 2026 02:00Magyar calls on Ukraine to restart Druzhba as soon as possible
Hungarian election winner Peter Magyar called on Ukraine to reopen the damaged Druzhba pipeline as soon as it is functional, and for Russia to resume oil shipments through it.
Hungary's outgoing government, led by Prime Minister Viktor Orban, and Slovakia have been in a dispute with Ukraine over the suspension of Russian oil supplies. Kyiv says the pipeline was shut due to a Russian attack in late January.
“If on the Ukrainian side the Druzhba pipeline is ready for oil shipments, then they should kindly reopen it as they had promised,” Magyar told a news conference after the first meeting of his parliamentary group.
“And from Russia, we expect them to start feeding oil (into the pipeline) in line with the contracts, because this will not work without either.”
Peter Magyar attends a press conference on Monday (AP)James Reynolds21 April 2026 01:00Recap: Ukraine police chief resigns following supermarket shooting
The national head of Ukraine’s police patrol division, Yevhen Zhukov, has resigned after a video showed officers running away during a shooting in Kyiv.
Six people were killed in the mass shooting while another eight, including a child, were injured, according to Kyiv mayor Vitali Klitschko.
“The police officers acted unprofessionally and disgracefully. As police officers, they should have been helping and rescuing our citizens. But they failed to assess the situation properly and left civilians in danger," Zhukov said.
Meanwhile, Ukraine's defence ministry said it was working to procure 25,000 ground robotic systems to be deployed to the frontline in the first half of this year, its defence ministry said.
“Our goal — 100 per cent of frontline logistics should be performed by robotic systems,” defence minister Mykhailo Fedorov said.
Last week, president Volodymyr Zelensky announced that Ukraine’s army robots were able to recapture land from surrendering Russian forces in a battlefield first.
James Reynolds20 April 2026 23:59Ukraine clears the way for 90bn euro loan with pipeline repair
Ukraine expects oil to start flowing through the Druzhba pipeline again by Tuesday, paving the way for the country to unlock a massive 90 billion euro loan from the EU, according to a report.
Sources familiar with the matter told Bloomberg that tests of the pipeline are set to go ahead this week, following urgent repairs.
The pipeline was damaged in a Russian attack in January, leading Hungary to veto the much-needed loan offered by the European Union. Landlocked Hungary depends on the pipeline for a steady flow of Russian oil.
Outgoing prime minister Viktor Orbán, an ally of Putin and a longtime thorn in Kyiv’s side, signalled on Sunday that he would be willing to lift the veto if Ukraine can get the pipeline up and running again.
EU diplomats told POLITICO that the loan could be approved as soon as Wednesday if the oil transit resumes in time.
James Reynolds20 April 2026 23:00Kyiv shooting death toll rises to seven
A man hit in a Kyiv shooting on Saturday has died in hospital, bringing to the seven the toll of those killed in the incident, Prosecutor General Ruslan Kravchenko said on Monday.
A Russian-born man opened fire on passersby with an automatic rifle on Saturday before barricading himself in a supermarket with hostages, where he was shot dead by police.
"Sadly, a man died in hospital today from injuries he sustained and became the seventh victim of the terrorist act," Kravchenko said.
Kravchenko said an armed police patrol team had been called to the scene, but failed to act to stop the shooter or help the wounded.
"Instead, the patrol team, equipped with firearms and all the legal grounds to use them, in fact left the scene," he wrote.
"Because of the police officers' failure to take action, the man continued to move unhindered down the street and shoot at defenceless pedestrians."
James Reynolds20 April 2026 22:20Chernobyl is too radioactive for humans – but wild animals are thriving like never before
Chernobyl is too radioactive for humans – wild animals are thriving like never before
Wolves now prowl the vast no-man’s-land spanning Ukraine and Belarus, and brown bears have returned after more than a centuryHarriette Boucher20 April 2026 21:00Russia detains German woman after bomb discovered in her rucksack
Russia's Federal Security Service stated on Monday that it had detained a 57-year-old German woman with a bomb in her rucksack as part of what it cast as a false-flag operation directed by Ukrainian intelligence.
Unverified footage showed a woman lying down on the tarmac in a car park while armed men pointed their weapons at her - and a rucksack that was beside her. Sappers were then shown blowing up the rucksack.
The FSB claimed the German woman, who had a bomb with the equivalent of 1.5 kg of TNT, was targeting a law enforcement facility in the Stavropol region as part of a false flag operation directed by Ukraine.
The FSB said it had also detained a citizen from a country in Central Asia who thought he was acting on behalf of a "terrorist organisation" and had been due to detonate the bomb.
"The actions of the man were coordinated by employees of the Ukrainian special services under the guise of members of one of the international terrorist organisations banned in Russia," the FSB said.
German woman with bomb in her rucksack detained in Russia over alleged Ukraine plot
Russia’s Federal Security Service confirmed on Monday that the 57-year-old woman had been detainedHarriette Boucher20 April 2026 20:00Pope Leo calls for 'weapons to fall silent' in Ukraine and commends ceasefire in Lebanon
Pope Leo calls for 'weapons to fall silent' in Ukraine and commends ceasefire in LebanonHarriette Boucher20 April 2026 19:00Russia lost billions of dollars in oil revenue due to strikes last month
Ukrainian strikes on Russian oil infrastructure led to oil revenues losses of at least $2.3 billion (around £38 million) last month, Volodymyr Zelensky has said.
“In March alone, Russia’s oil revenue losses from our long-range capabilities are estimated at no less than $2.3 billion in just one month,” he stated in his nightly video address.
The Ukrainian leader said he was “grateful to all our warriors for their precision” and said Ukraine would continue its attacks in April.
Harriette Boucher20 April 2026 18:00Firefighters battle blaze after Russian strike kills 16-year-old in Chernihiv
Firefighters battle blaze after Russian strike kills 16-year-old in ChernihivHarriette Boucher20 April 2026 17:00Newer1 / 5OlderMore about
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