War in Ukraine: More Russian civilians killed, Putin proposes a ceasefire.

You may have missed the latest events on the war in Ukraine? 20 Minutes provides you with updates every evening. Here is the summary of Wednesday, April 29, 2026, the 1,526th day of the conflict.

The human toll of the conflict has been particularly heavy in recent days, including for Russia. After the deaths of four Russians on Tuesday, three additional Russian civilian victims were announced on Wednesday following a Ukrainian strike in the border region of Belgorod. “The enemy deliberately struck a bus (carrying) passengers in the village of Voznesenovka. Three women died on the spot,” the governor of the region affirmed. Eight wounded were also hospitalized.

On the Ukrainian side, a woman in her sixties was killed in Russian strikes on residential buildings in Kharkiv, in the Sumy region in northeastern Ukraine, authorities announced. According to a report from the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine (HRMMU), nearly 15,000 Ukrainian civilians have been killed since February 2022.

Russian President Vladimir Putin proposed a ceasefire in Ukraine on May 9, the day on which Russia celebrates the Soviet victory over Nazi Germany in 1945, the Kremlin indicated.

During a phone call with his American counterpart Donald Trump on Wednesday, Vladimir Putin said he was ready to “declare a ceasefire for the duration of the Victory Day celebrations,” his diplomatic adviser Yuri Ushakov stated. He added that Donald Trump had “actively supported this initiative, noting that this holiday marks our common victory.” For his part, the American president indicated that he had had a “very good” exchange with Vladimir Putin.

Ukraine has been celebrating the 1945 victory on May 8 since 2023, like Western countries.

The words are signed by Charles III. In a rare speech before the U.S. Congress, the British king called on lawmakers and senators to show “unwavering determination” to defend Ukraine, as Europeans regret Washington’s disengagement in its support for Kiev against Russia, on the battlefield and in diplomatic negotiations.

The United States announced on Wednesday that they will release $100 million for the restoration of the sarcophagus arch of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in Ukraine. In February 2025, the metallic structure installed in 2016 covering the reactor that exploded in April 1986 was punctured by a Russian drone.

France, which currently chairs the G7 group of countries this year, had previously stated in March that the cost of this restoration amounts to “around 500 million euros.”

“Without repair work, the structure can no longer provide sufficient protection, raising the threat of a dangerous leak of highly radioactive materials into Europe,” the U.S. State Department declared. It urges its G7 partners, especially Europeans, to invest in the repairs.