Ukrainians caused the largest short-term disruption of oil exports in modern Russian history (Ukraine Battlefield update, day 1491)
Russia’s revenues from oil and natural gas sales fell by 47 percent compared to the same period a year earlier.
Ukraine
EUobserver provides reporting on the war in Ukraine, tracking the Russian invasion, EU accession negotiations, and military assistance. We analyze Ukraine’s reconstruction, energy security, and the legal status of frozen Russian assets. Our coverage monitors Kyiv’s integration into the EU single market and the European Union’s long-term financial support strategies.
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Drone crashes across Baltic states show gaps in defence against a new kind of war
Several stray drones from Ukraine, affected by electronic warfare, have crashed in Baltic states as local air defence systems struggled to detect them. Meanwhile, Ukraine is leading the way with new interceptor systems.
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EU work on Kyiv loan ongoing, despite ‘disgusting’ Orbán
Hungarian leader was “shameful” and doing the bidding of “external autocrats,” said the centre-left Spanish MEP Iratxe García Pérez.
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Russian journalists see frontline stalemate: infantry at end of human endurance (Ukraine Battlefield update, Day 1,490)
“Mechanised armies of the 20th century have lost their meaning and the infantryman has reached the limits of human capability,” said one Russian military expert.
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EU postpones Russian oil-ban, as Iran energy shock aggravates rifts
Russian oil deliveries to Hungary jumped from 61 percent of its imports in 2021 to 93 percent in 2025 despite the Ukraine war.
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Kallas takes aim at Russia’s ‘unethical’ army recruiting in Africa during Ghana trip
A report by the All Eyes on Wagner investigative group listed 1,417 fighters from 35 African countries who had joined the Russian army between 2023 and mid-2025, 316 of whom have been killed. Ghana’s West African neighbour Cameroon has suffered the highest losses: 94 of its 335 recruits have been killed during Russia’s war in Ukraine.
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Kremlin-hated Hungarian killing 400 Russian soldiers to 1 (Ukraine Battlefield update, day 1,489)
The cost of “eliminating” a Russian soldier was €758, said Magyar: “We should be exchanging plastic and metal for dead Russians. It is the best exchange rate”.
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Listen: What happened with the Ukraine-Russia peace negotiations?
Peace talks between Ukraine and Russia are constantly being delayed. That’s what Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky stated last week. As his country begins to run out of missiles and financial support, can Zelensky still hope to get out of this war with dignity?
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Intensive deployment causing Russian jets to glitch (Ukraine Battlefield update, day 1,488)
Leaked documents reveal frequent Russian aircraft technical failures and crew errors, as Ukraine successfully downed a Ka-52 helicopter using FPV drones. On the ground, Russian forces advanced near Hryshyne, while Ukraine reported repelling a major mechanised assault near Borove.
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How to avoid EU arms spending spree being lost to corruption and bribery?
Europe is about to spend billions of euros on defence. But what happens if citizens later discover that part of that money was lost to corruption, problematic procurement chains, or poorly supervised contracts?
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THIS WEEK: EU turns to Africa, as Middle East burns
EU will sign defence partnership with Ghana, after a series of coups reduced European power in west Africa.
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Crimea air-defences bleeding, drone downs Russian Ka‑52 chopper (Ukraine Battlefield update, day 1485)
A Ukrainian drone knocked out a Russian helicopter in a rare incident, while massed drone attacks degraded air defences in Russian-occupied Crimea.
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EU leaders enraged as summit ends with Orbán vetoing €90bn Ukraine aid
EU leaders failed to convince Hungary to lift its veto on Ukraine support, as president Volodomyr Zelensky lamented the blockage.
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Ukrainian ‘birds’ kill record 900 Russian soldiers, after fog-veiled attack (Ukraine Battlefield update, day 1,484):
“Just before zero hour [midnight], the first [Russian] assault groups … moved off in the drizzle and ran straight into the drones,” said a Ukrainian commander.
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Croatia readies oil for Hungary, as Orbán sticks to EU-Kyiv loan veto
Croatia says 13 tankers carrying non-Russian oil are ready to supply Hungary, even as Budapest presses Ukraine to deliver cheaper Russian fuel in exchange for lifting its veto on a €90bn loan for Kyiv at Thursday’s EU summit.
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Listen: Will the EU keep its promise of financial assistance to Ukraine?
Ukraine faces a financial crisis as Hungary blocks the EU’s €90bn loan. Can Brussels convince Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orbán to lift his veto?
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Hungary veto on Ukraine and carbon market to hijack EU summit
Hungary’s veto on Ukraine money is to hijack the spotlight at Thursday’s EU summit in Brussels, alongside disagreements over Europe’s carbon market — overshadowing what was meant to be a key debate on turning Europe into a truly economic powerhouse.
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Ukraine Battlefield update (Day 1,483): Where Russia’s spring offensive is likely to start and why it’s already not going to plan
“The ground is drying out, soon ‘zelenka’ will appear [and] we will see what conclusions the Moskali [Russian forces] have drawn from the last summer campaign,” said one Ukrainian soldier.
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‘Bigger than some armies’: Kyiv warns of 27,000 foreign fighters on Russia’s side
“This number is larger than some armed forces in some of the European countries,” says Andriy Yusov, a Ukrainian intelligence spokesperson. Many come from post-Soviet states, but around 1,800 are Africans.
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Orbán rejects EU face-saving offer on Ukraine pipeline, saying ‘no oil, no money’
Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orbán has dragged top EU officials into his re-election battle, even as the EU warned against “adversaries … in the system” on election integrity.