You missed the latest events on the war in Ukraine? 20 Minutes will update you every evening. Here is the essential of this Tuesday, April 28, 2026, the 1,525th day of the conflict.
Event of the day
The conflict was particularly deadly on Tuesday, on both sides of the border. In Russia, Ukrainian strikes killed four people: a man in the Bryansk region, and two men and a woman in the border region of Belgorod. In Ukraine, a septuagenarian perished in a Russian strike on a residential area of Chuhuiv in the east of the country, and another person died in Kryvyi Rih in the center. At the same time, strong explosions were heard during the day shortly after an air raid alert was issued in the capital Kiev.
In recent months, these daytime attacks have become more frequent, while Russia continues to target Ukrainian territory every night. In response, the Ukrainian army also targets Russian sites. On Tuesday, they claimed a new strike on a Russian refinery in Tuapse in the south, stating that it serves “the supply of the Russian occupying army in Ukraine”.
Quote of the day
“In any normal country, the purchase of stolen goods implies criminal responsibility.”
The words are by Volodymyr Zelensky. The Ukrainian president accused Israel on Tuesday of “undermining” bilateral relations by allowing Russia to bring in grain “stolen by Russia” to the Ukrainian territories it occupies. Zelensky criticized the Israeli authorities for not knowing which ships arrive in the country’s ports and what cargo they carry.
Ukraine, fighting against the Russian invasion since 2022, regularly accuses Russia of illegally exporting agricultural products from its occupied areas. In recent weeks, several ships loaded with grain stolen by Moscow are said to have arrived in the Israeli port of Haifa, according to Kiev.
Israel, on its part, reproached Kiev for providing “no evidence” to support its claims and assured that the ship had not yet arrived in Haifa. The Israeli Foreign Minister criticized Kiev’s “Twitter diplomacy” and urged them to provide evidence through appropriate channels.
According to Kiev, Russia stole over two million tons of cereals from its occupied territories in 2025 alone.
Trend of the day
Europe probably needs Ukraine more than the other way around in terms of defense and should therefore consider Kiev’s accession to the European Union and NATO, said Finnish President Alexander Stubb on Tuesday. He stated that Europe should consider that Ukraine is the most important, efficient, and modern army in Europe.
Europe has strengthened its defense capabilities against the Russian invasion of Ukraine, which has been ongoing for four years, and against the “hybrid attacks” attributed to Moscow against European countries, including presumed acts of sabotage, disinformation, and incidents involving drones.
Number of the day
5. The number of prisoners released by Belarus, an ally of the Putin regime, announced by Polish and American officials on Tuesday. Three Polish citizens, including journalist Andrzej Poczobut, detained by Minsk in 2021, as well as two Moldovan citizens were released from Belarusian prisons.
The Polish government clarified that the release was possible following “a prisoner exchange”. Among them was the Russian archaeologist Alexandre Boutiaguine, detained by Poland and facing extradition to Ukraine where he is accused of conducting excavations in annexed Crimea. He was released along with another Russian citizen, according to Russian security services (FSB).
