Ukraine hit by major attack as Trump says Putin won't 'stop' – DW – 07/04/2025
The Ukrainian air force said it recorded the largest number of Russian drones and missiles in a single attack since Moscow's large-scale invasion began.
The latest barrage came after US President Donald Trump had a phone call with Russia's Vladimir Putin that resulted in "no progress at all."
Trump is expected to speak later on Friday with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, after a US announcement this week that a batch of arms shipments to Ukraine would be paused.Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the latest Russian attack was one of the largest yet and called for appropriate pressure on Moscow.
Describing the attack as "deliberately massive and cynical," Zelenskyy said it proved that "without truly large-scale pressure, Russia will not change its dumb, destructive behavior."
"For every such strike against people and human life, they must feel appropriate sanctions and other blows to their economy, their revenues, and their infrastructure," Zelenskyy wrote on social media.
"Yet again, Russia is showing it has no intention of ending the war and terror," he added.
Ukraine's air force said Russia's overnight aerial bombardment involved 550 missiles and drones.
Russia launched 539 drones and 11 missiles, the air force said, adding that air defence units had downed 268 drones and two missiles.
Yuriy Ignat, a representative of Ukraine's air force, said it was "the largest number that the enemy has used in a single attack."
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiga said the attack was timed to follow the latest phone call between US President Donald Trump and Russia's Vladimir Putin.
"Right after Putin spoke with President Trump. And he does it on purpose. Enough of waiting! Putin clearly shows his complete disregard for the United States and everyone who has called for an end to the war," Sybiga wrote on social media.
Hours after a phone call with Vladimir Putin, US President Donald Trump said he did not think his Russian counterpart would stop the war in Ukraine.
"I'm very disappointed with the conversation I had today with President Putin, because I don't think he's there, and I'm very disappointed," Trump told reporters in Washington.
"I'm just saying I don't think he's looking to stop (the war), and that's too bad."
The phone call on Thursday was the sixth publicly disclosed chat between themsince Trump's return to the White House.
He had said earlier their call resulted in "no progress at all." The Kremlin, meanwhile, said their conversation was "frank and contructive," and that Russia would keep pursuing its goals in Ukraine.
To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video
Kyiv came under heavy drone attack overnight, with Russian forces striking at least 13 locations across the Ukrainian capital.
Ukraine's air defenses were active for hours and explosions echoed across the city.
At least 14 people were injured, 12 of them hospitalized, according to Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko.
Officials say residential areas were targeted, with fires breaking out in at least two districts.
The Ukrainian Air Force reports that the Russian military launched at least one Kinzhal (Dagger) hypersonic missile. They also fired ballistic missiles in two waves at targets in Kyiv and nearby areas.
President Donald Trump says the US gave Ukraine too many weapons under President Joe Biden, claiming the country has "emptied out" its own supply.
"We're giving weapons, but we've given so many weapons. But we are giving weapons. And we're working with them and trying to help them, but we haven't. You know, Biden emptied out our whole country giving them weapons, and we have to make sure that we have enough for ourselves," he said.
Trump's statement comes after a pause in some weapons shipments, including Patriot missiles and precision-guided artillery, to Ukraine as Russia steps up its offensive.
The halt caught Kyiv off guard. Ukrainian leaders summoned the acting US envoy on Wednesday, warning that the delay could weaken their defenses.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says he hopes to speak with Trump in the coming days to clarify the situation.
"I hope that maybe tomorrow, or close days, these days, I will speak about it with President Trump," he said on Thursday.
The Pentagon has not said when full deliveries might resume..
To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video
Overnight, Kyiv came under a sustained drone attack, with explosions reported across the city.
This comes even as Russian President Vladimir Putin has said Moscow is open to further talks with Ukraine. He told US President Donald Trump this during an hourlong phone discussion on Thursday.
The US president said the conversation didn't lead to any breakthroughs. Putin was adamant that Moscow would not "give up" on its goals in Ukraine.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is hoping to speak with Trump on Friday, particularly about the recent pause in some US weapons shipments to Ukraine.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
DW
3 hours ago
- DW
Ukraine: Discrimination and hope drive LGBTQ+ soldiers – DW – 07/04/2025
Up to 10% of Ukrainian soldiers are thought to be from the LGBTQ+ community. While tolerance is improving, Ukraine still does not guarantee legal equality. "I've been open about my sexual orientation all my life," says Roman Abrashyn, a 25-year-old homosexual drone pilot in the Ukrainian army. After coming out at the age of 15, he was supported by friends, his parents and two brothers, one of whom now serves in the same unit. Abrashyn enlisted in the Ukrainian armed forces in April 2024. Since then, he's hardly faced any prejudice or discrimination. When fellow soldiers found out about his sexual orientation, most of them reacted neutrally, he recalls. "There were no strange questions." He is more worried that hundreds of openly LGBTQ+ soldiers in Ukraine don't enjoy the same rights as their heterosexual comrades. The abbreviation LGBTQ+ stands for lesbian, gay, and queer people, but also includes those with other identities, such as people who are intersex, asexual, bisexual or transgender. Soldiers from Abrashyn's unit have made themselves at home among crates full of drones in a simple building. Abrashyn is the commander of a group of drone pilots who mostly work from basements and cellars, as they are constantly being targeted. Nowadays they are stationed in the Sumy region, previously they were in the Kherson area. Recently, Abrashyn started dating a civilian, however, it is not possible to register same-sex partnerships in Ukraine. In the case of his death, his partner would not be entitled to compensation. "Also, if I was in intensive care, he would not have any rights," he complains. In his view, this is patently unfair: "We fight like everyone else, but are not legally equal," he told DW. The bill on registered partnerships is one of the central demands of the LGBTQ+ community in Ukraine. Such a law would allow partners to receive medical information or inherit or receive social benefits in the event of death. However, it has been under discussion in the committees of the Ukrainian parliament for over two years. The bill was introduced by Inna Sowsun, an opposition MP. She told DW that the law is being blocked by the Legal Affairs Committee. According to Sowsun, the parliament is conservative, with just under a third of MPs categorically against registered partnerships and just over a third in favor. The rest are either hesitant due to concerns about the reaction of the public and colleagues or have no opinion at all. "For LGBTQ+ soldiers, this is an urgent issue as their lives are always in danger," Sowsun told DW. The 19-year-old Dmytro, who asked DW to not publish his last name for fear of retribution, has been serving in the army for about a year. He describes himself as asexual, likes both men and women and seeks romantic rather than sexual relationships. However, when Dmytro's sexual orientation became known in his brigade, problems arose. "I was threatened with physical violence," he told DW. In a chat shown to DW, a comrade advises him to "look for another unit" and threatens to explain the reasons "very clearly so that it will be remembered for a long time". Such harassment drove Dmytro to attempt suicide. After doctors saved his life, he filed a complaint with the police, but without success. "To this day, there hasn't even been a response," he told DW. Eventually, he managed to get transferred to another brigade. The young man says he also knows of cases from other units where higher-ranking comrades tried to quickly transfer an LGBTQ+ soldier to another unit after finding out about his sexual orientation. Nevertheless, Dmytro observes that attitudes in the army are gradually shifting and says he has had positive experiences. "When the commander of a brigade found out about my sexual orientation, he supported me and said he would never insult or discriminate against me," Dmytro recalls. In addition to the draft law on registered partnerships, the Ukrainian LGBTQ+ community is also fighting for the introduction of criminal liability for crimes based on intolerance, especially homophobia. Dmytro criticizes that attacks on LGBTQ+ people are usually dismissed as 'hooliganism' and are punished too leniently. A draft law that prioritizes hate crimes against the LGBTQ+ community has been in parliament since 2021, however, it is still in discussion. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Viktor Pylypenko, veteran and head of the NGO Ukrainian LGBT+ Military and Veterans for Equal Rights, was one of the first Ukrainian soldiers to openly admit his homosexuality. He urges parliament to stop delaying laws to support the LGBTQ+ community. Pylypenko also complains that politicians say that the Ukrainian society is not ready for change, which he cannot understand. The activist points out that support for LGBTQ+ people is on the rise. According to a study conducted by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology (KIIS) from June 2024, more than 70% of Ukrainians are in favor of LGBTQ+ people having the same rights as all citizens. According to the same survey, 14% have a positive attitude towards the LGBTQ+ community, 47% a neutral one and 32% a negative one. The last indicator has been steadily declining since 2015. A charity event organized by the KyivPride organization in early June featured the usual, albeit small, protests. Activists drew attention to the rights of LGBTQ+ people near the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Kyiv and raised money for the Ukrainian army. Supporters of traditional values rallied alongside. The Orthodox Church of Ukraine later criticized the fact that the LGBTQ+ event took place near St. Michael's Cathedral and described it as an "anti-clerical provocation." The NGO led by Viktor Pylypenko counts more than 600 military personnel and veterans among its members. According to their information, gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, queer or asexual people serve in at least 59 units of the Ukrainian army. It is impossible to determine the exact number as many do not talk about their sexual orientation. According to a study by Pylypenko's NGO, based on estimates in other countries, the proportion of LGBTQ+ soldiers in the Ukrainian army could be between 5% and 10%. There is a lack of rules against discrimination, meaning that the rights of LGBTQ+ soldiers and military personnel go unprotected, Pylypenko says. He hopes that the situation will improve with the planned appointment of a military ombudsman. Drone pilot Roman Abrashyn argues that the more LGBTQ+ people talk about themselves and their problems, the faster change will occur. "This is important, even if there is a wave of hatred," he told DW. The soldier Dmytro agrees with him. Above all, both of them, like most soldiers, want Russia's enduring war in Ukraine to end. "I just want my brothers, my loved ones, civilians and children to stop dying," says Dmytro.
DW
5 hours ago
- DW
Do EU structures enable far-right misuse of public money? – DW – 07/04/2025
A leaked audit accuses far-right parties of improperly spending millions in EU funds. Critics say it's not just a scandal but a symptom of the EU system's deeper problems. From donations to dog shelters to questionable contracts with politically affiliated companies, far-right members of the European Parliament have been accused of funnelling public funds towards personal or ideological allies. An internal parliamentary audit obtained by a group of investigative journalists from German broadcaster ARD's magazine show Kontraste, German newspaper , French newspaper and Austrian media outlet, Falter, reveals that the now-defunct far-right Identity and Democracy group, commonly referred to as ID, may have spent at least €4.3 million ($5.1 million) in EU operating funds on what the European Parliament's own administration calls "unjustified and potentially unlawful" transactions. Every year the European Parliament allocates funds for the administrative and operational expenses of each political grouping in it, usually between €6 million to €7 million annually. Those funds are meant to support legislative work — such as funding policy research, running public events related to EU politics, or producing communications materials that explain their activities to citizens. Around 5% of this budget can be transferred to external organizations but donations to local charities, national campaign efforts, or groups with no clear link to EU-level work are explicitly prohibited. However the internal audit alleges that around 80 of the ID group's expenses do not meet that requirement. The improper spending allegedly includes fictitious service contracts, improper tender procedures and donations to associations unrelated to parliamentary activities and connected to far-right figures, the investigating publications reported. The scale of the findings suggest that this was more than administrative sloppiness and raises deeper questions about how the EU's own structures may be enabling such abuses. As an example, the report says the ID group — which disbanded in the summer of 2024 but previously included Marine Le Pen's Rassemblement National, or RN, Germany's Alternative for Germany, or AfD, Italy's Lega and Austria's Freedom Party, or FPÖ — donated €1,000 ($1200) to the president of a French-Russian cultural association, Teremok. She is the spouse of Gregoire Eury, an RN councillor for the Grand Est region. This was just one of many connections between the associations that benefited from ID donations and far-right officials from ID-affiliated parties. Other donations simply reflected the broader political affinities of ID elected officials. In Germany, SOS Leben (or "SOS Life," in English), which is linked to the AfD, received €3,500 to support anti-abortion campaigns. In France, €1,000 went to the Catholic identitarian association SOS Calvaires to restore a parish. Around €600,000 reportedly landed with , a far-right Austrian newspaper close to the FPÖ, with ID paying for advertising far above market rates. Money also went to animal shelters and charities — not necessarily a bad thing, but also not acceptable under EU rules. French companies close to Marine Le Pen were among the biggest beneficiaries: Two firms tied to her longtime political allies reportedly received more than €3 million in total. One of them has previously been implicated in another EU funding scandal. The former secretary general of now defunct ID group, Philip Claeys, denied any wrongdoing and told the investigating journalists that all the payments were "duly invoiced and justified." Claeys said that an external auditor and then the European Parliament had approved the ID group's yearly financial statements. Donations by the group were apparently based on a rule called "Article 68." Only thing is, the investigative journalists found, there's no such thing as "Article 68." Yet it appeared in multiple years of published accounts without triggering alarms. When contacted, the Belgian auditors responsible declined to comment. "This is not an isolated incident," Nick Aiossa, director at Transparency International EU, told DW. "This seems to be a scheme that that ran over many years, involved many entities cross-border." Without the proper checks in place, he adds, this could easily happen again today. It is true that this is far from the first time that European MEPs have been caught misusing EU money. In March, Marine Le Pen was sentenced in France to four years probation and banned from holding political office after being found guilty of embezzling European parliamentary funds through a fake jobs scam. She has appealed the ruling. And it's not only the far right. Past scandals have implicated politicians across the spectrum. The so-called Qatargate scandal in 2023 exposed bribery and cash-for-influence schemes involving current and former MEPs. And in 2018, investigative journalists went to court seeking further information on what's known as "general expenditure allowance," or GEA, an amount paid monthly to MEPs for expenses like running an office and travel. MEPs get over €4,000 a month in GEA — this adds up to over €40 million a year — but don't have to provide information on how they've spent it. At the time, investigative journalists found over 200 of what they called "ghost offices." A court denied the journalists the information and the lack of transparency and accountability around the GEAs has remained a sore point. Despite repeated scandals, the European Parliament has failed to implement meaningful reforms, Aiossa says. He argues that the institution has done itself lasting damage — first by refusing to respond decisively when issues arose, and then by continuing to tolerate weak accountability and integrity systems. The result, he warns, is a steady erosion of public trust. At the core of the problem lies the structure of parliamentary finances, according to Aiossa. Instead of managing budgets directly, the European Parliament delegates this responsibility to the political groups themselves. Groups are required to conduct annual audits but those are done according to random sampling, which means misuse of funds may not be detected. This means that the responsibility of how party group money is spent lies primarily with its party leadership, particularly its financial officers and secretary general. This, according to Aiossa, has to change. "The parliament needs to take a much more proactive approach in managing this money itself and not delegating that responsibility just to the political groups." German MEP Niclas Herbst, a member of the conservative Christian Democrats, who chairs the Parliament's committee on budgetary control, agrees. "This is taxpayers money and we want it back," he told journalists. He plans to push for criminal charges on this latest case at the European Public Prosecutor's Office (EPPO), to show that there must be accountability. Aiossa warns that unless the European Parliament seizes this moment to enact serious reforms, including transparency on allowances, competitive bidding for contracts and direct control over group budgets, public trust in the body will only continue to erode.
DW
6 hours ago
- DW
'One event' arms pause troubling for Ukraine – DW – 07/04/2025
The US says its pause on arms shipments is a one-off. But amid the turbulent US-Ukraine relationship, the assurance is little comfort to Volodymyr Zelenskyy or his European supporters. Ukraine's president Volodymyr Zelenskyy will seek "clarity" from Donald Trump on Friday amid a challenging week that saw a scheduled US arms shipment paused and Kyiv pummeled by another Russian drone strike. The US confirmed earlier this week that a batch of arms shipments to Ukraine would be paused in yet another reminder that the eastern European country's supply of advanced military equipment is not as secure as it once was. The US has downplayed this decision to withhold crucial arms shipments to Ukraine, as a state department spokesperson told reporters it was a one-off. "This is not a cessation of us assisting Ukraine or of providing weapons," said spokeswoman Tammy Bruce. "This is one event and one situation, and we'll discuss what else comes up in future." The US president has continued to press both sides of the conflict to negotiate a ceasefire and spoke with Russian leader Vladimir Putin on the matter on Thursday. But progress, according to Trump said, was limited. "I didn't make any progress with him today at all," he told reporters. "I'm not happy about that. I'm not happy… I don't think he's looking to stop." Russia followed that call with a massive drone strike on the Ukrainian capital. Zelenskyy is due to speak with Trump on Friday about the shipment pause. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video The pair have had a strained relationship during Trump's second term, publicly evidenced in a televised falling out during a White House sit-down in early March. Following the disastrous visit, Zelenskyy sought to shore up support closer to home with key European allies. Europe has since stepped up their support in financial and supply terms. But if the US were to continue to withhold support, it would significantly undermine Ukraine's position versus Russia. "If this were to be a longer-term issue, it would definitely be a challenge for Ukraine to cope," Jana Kobzova, a senior policy fellow specializing at the European Council on Foreign Relations, told DW. "Partly because some of the US systems are not easily replaceable, that goes especially for air defense, but also some of the longer-range capabilities which Ukraine has started to produce domestically but not in the quantities needed." Despite the spat between Trump and Zelenskyy, the pause on shipments could be as much about the US needing to weigh its own interests against the support it gives to dozens of other countries, including Israel. "After the Israel-Iranian exchange, I can imagine that Trump wants to relocate resources," Marina Miron, a defense researcher specializing in military technology and Russian capability at Kings College London, UK, told DW. Brent Sadler, a research fellow at the conservative think tank The Heritage Foundation, told Politico the move is likely a "due diligence" measure to ensure adequate resourcing for US forces elsewhere, including the Indo-Pacific in the event of a conflict outbreak in that region. Retired US Army General Ben Hodges, took a different view, saying the shipment pause was not about stockpiles. "It's a choice of this administration to placate Russia, at the expense of Ukraine," Hodges said. "It also shows the very limited understanding this administration [has] of the importance to America's strategic interests to help Ukraine and Europe deter Russia." Irrespective of the US' reasons for pausing its military shipments, the signals from the first months of the new administration suggest Europe's transatlantic ally is not the steadfast partner it once was. "There is a sober analysis both in Kyiv and the European part of NATO that relying on US military assistance to continue forever in Ukraine is not an option," said Kobzova. "And that has been there ever since March when the assistance was stopped for the first time." Among the American weapons due for shipping were Patriot air defense missiles and precision-guided artillery, according to officials speaking to newswires anonymously. The pause on these shipments comes at a critical time, with Russia ramping up weapons production and attacks. Those include strikes on soldier draft hubs in Poltava, the national capital Kyiv, the port city Odesa, and ground advances in key regions in Eastern Ukraine. Despite increased spending on defense from Europe's NATO members — now 5% of GDP following its June meeting — any long-term US stall on weapons will likely squeeze Ukraine and its neighbors. "There is recognition at the political level … that [Europe] would need to be increasing production, but none of that happens quickly enough for Ukraine," said Kobzova. Kobzova also pointed to investments being made into Ukraine's own defense industry to buffer against future supply-line cuts from the US. Europe is now the biggest investor in Ukraine's domestic defense industry. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video But even that might not be enough. Experts interviewed by DW highlighted the offer made by Zelenskyy to directly purchase armaments from the US, but in reality, arms manufacturing is a time-consuming process. "It takes two years to produce one [air defense missile] battery," the defense expert Miron told DW. "So even if you buy them now, it doesn't mean that they will be on the battlefield. You place a purchase order and you get in the queue." Finding a way to more effectively repair and adapt equipment for different missiles could be a potential stopgap to meet immediate needs. But, as defense supplies are again in doubt, Miron questioned whether Ukraine has what it needs to push back Russia's offensive. "The problem is time and money and we also have the variable of people," she said, adding that about 90 people are needed to operate a Patriot air missile battery. And Ukraine, Miron pointed out, is losing people, with no guarantee of replacement as the war grinds through its fourth year. Ukraine's support in Europe has been increasing — both rhetorically and materially. As it took over the presidency of the EU for the next six months, Denmark has seized the early opportunity to put Ukraine's membership application into the bloc back on the agenda. Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen on Thursday said the EU "must strengthen Ukraine. And we must weaken Russia." "Ukraine is essential to Europe's security. Our contribution to Ukraine is also a protection of our freedom. Ukraine belongs in the European Union. It is in both in Denmark's and Europe's interest." Her comments come on the back of a visit to Ukraine from German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul, who branded Ukraine's plight Berlin's most important foreign policy task. These statements from Europe might be more important than ever, as Miron says she is pessimistic about the future of the US-Ukraine relationship. "Certainly you can try some diplomacy, and explain to Trump that Ukraine matters, but I think Trump has already made up his mind," she said. "Trump has much more to solve with Russia in terms of global problems than with Ukraine."
