U.S. President Barack Obama says Washington will reform current programs and procedures to provide greater transparency to the government's electronic-surveillance activities and increase safeguards that protect the privacy of U.S. persons.

In a televised speech on January 17, he also said he had made clear to the intelligence community that -- unless there is a compelling national-security purpose -- " we will not monitor the communications of heads of state and government of our close friends and allies."

The speech comes amid debate over the extent and intent of U.S. electronic-surveillance programs following leaks to the press by fugitive intelligence analyst Edward Snowden.

White House officials say the measures outlined by Obama constitute the most significant reform program in U.S. surveillance since he took office.

In his speech, Obama said intelligence gathering served a vital role in confronting threats, and that the United States could not "disarm unilaterally" its intelligence services.

He said a number of countries publicly criticizing the United States privately acknowledged that U.S. intelligence capabilities are critical to meeting its responsibility as the world's only superpower. He said they also use the information U.S. intelligence agencies collect to protect their own people.

But he also said the United States "is not spying on ordinary people who don't threaten our national security," and that it took their privacy concerns into account.

"No one expects China to have an open debate about their surveillance programs, or Russia to take the privacy concerns of citizens in other places into account," Obama said.

"But let's remember that we are held to a different standard precisely because we have been at the forefront of defending personal privacy and human dignity."

He said U.S. intelligence agencies would only use bulk collection of data for the purposes of fighting terrorism, protecting troops and allies, and combatting crime.

Obama criticized what he called the "sensational" disclosures of classified programs, saying Snowden's leaks have "often shed more heat than light," and could impact U.S. operations for years to come.

A federal court judge in Washington ordered the Trump administration to reverse its efforts aimed at forcing the closure of Voice of America (VOA), which was shut down last month in a move the broadcaster had called illegal.

U.S. District Judge Royce Lamberth ruled late on April 22 to grant a preliminary injunction that says officials must "take all necessary steps" to restore employees and contractors to their positions at VOA and to restore Congress-approved funding to two other U.S.-government funded broadcasters -- Radio Free Asia and Middle East Broadcasting Networks -- and resume radio, television and online news broadcasts.

Lamberth, who is overseeing six lawsuits from employees and contractors affected by the shutdown of the US Agency for Global Media (USAGM), which oversees the federal broadcasters, also ordered the media outlets to provide monthly status reports showing the USAGM was complying with the order to allow the outlets to "provide news which is consistently reliable and authoritative, accurate, objective, and comprehensive."

The USAGM has not responded publicly to the court decision.

VOA last month filed a lawsuit saying the Trump administration has taken “a chainsaw” approach to the USAGM through an executive order that directed it and six other federal agencies to “reduce the performance of their statutory functions and associated personnel to the minimum presence and function required by law.”

The USAGM subsequently placed more than 1,000 employees on leave and terminated some 600 contractors, forcing VOA to stop its broadcasts for the first time since it was founded in 1942.

The USAGM had argued in the case that no "final decision" on VOA's future had been made and that the lawsuits should be treated as "employment disputes" with those workers who had been terminated.

Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty has also filed a lawsuit against the USAGM “to avoid irreparable harm” to the broadcaster over the withholding of its Congress-approved grant as part of the agency’s efforts to terminate RFE/RL’s funding.

RFE/RL's case continues to be pursued in court.

Top-level Ukraine peace talks that were set to take place in London have been abruptly postponed, Britain's Foreign Office said, after several top diplomats pulled out at the last minute.

The announcement was made just hours before the April 23 meetings, which were to include Ukraine's foreign minister, had been scheduled to begin.

"This is to confirm that the Ukraine Peace Talks meeting with Foreign Ministers today is being postponed," the Foreign Office said in a statement to RFE/RL. "Official level talks will continue but these are closed to media."

The talks, which were aimed at trying to resolve Russia's 38-month war on Ukraine, were already facing serious headwinds after top diplomats, including US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, pulled out, effectively downgrading the meeting and casting a major pall over ongoing peace efforts.

British Foreign Secretary David Lammy also opted to skip the meetings, Sky News reported, though there was no immediate confirmation of that.

"I think we read it all the same way," one European diplomat, who asked not to be named, told RFE/RL. "It's the US one step further toward checking out."

"I see it as additional pressure on the Ukrainians: take it or leave it," another European diplomat told RFE/RL. '"We don't have time for you, we have other things to do."

Ukraine's delegation, including Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha, and President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's top aide, did travel to London despite the postponement

"Despite everything, we will work for peace," Andriy Yermak said in a post on Telegram.

Last week, Rubio and other Ukrainian and European officials met in Paris for talks that yielded what many saw was minor progress toward a resolution of the war.

But Rubio later signaled US impatience with the status of the talks, and he suggested the United States might pull out entirely from all involvement in the negotiations.

Speaking to reporters during a trip to India, US Vice President JD Vance said the US had issued a “very explicit proposal” to Russia and Ukraine.

“It’s time for them to either say yes or for the United States to walk away from this process," Vance said.

“The current lines, somewhere close to them is where you’re ultimately, I think, going to draw the new lines in the conflict,” he said.

Over the weekend, The Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg, and CNN reported that US negotiators had presented Ukraine with a list of possible concessions. Included among them was potential US recognition of Russia's 2014 annexation of the Crimean Peninsula, and a definitive rejection of Ukraine's aspiration to join NATO.

Both topics are considered nonstarters for Zelenskyy and his government, something he reiterated in remarks to reporters in Kyiv on April 22.

“Ukraine will not recognize the occupation of Crimea," he said. "It’s our territory, the territory of the people of Ukraine, there is nothing to discuss here.”

The Kremlin on April 23 refused to comment on rumored proposals and said the downgrading of the London talks showed that the countries involved still needed to narrow their differences as there were "a lot of nuances" that still need resolving.

Britain's defense secretary told lawmakers there was no evidence that Russia had let up its attacks on Ukraine.

"While [Russian President Vladimir] Putin has said he declared an Easter truce, he broke it," John Healey said April 22.

"While Putin says he wants peace, he has rejected a full ceasefire and while Putin says he wants to put an end to the fighting, he continues to play for time in the negotiations."

RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service contributed to this report

A Russian drone attack hit a bus carrying workers in the Ukrainian town of Marhanets in the Dnipropetrovsk region, killing at least nine people and injuring dozens of others, local authorities said.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy condemned the attack, saying that Russian first-person view (FPV) drone attacks on civilians are 'commonplace' in the Dnipropetrovsk and Kherson regions, as well as the frontline cities of Kupyansk and Pokrovsk.

"Russians struck a bus which was transporting workers of a mining and processing plant. An ordinary bus," Zelenskyy said.

Early on April 23, Serhiy Lysak, the governor of the Dnipropetrovsk region, said the number of casualties was 'constantly growing.'

Zelenskyy said more than 40 people were injured in the strike with some receiving 'very severe wounds.'

"War evolves over time, and the longer it lasts, the more, unfortunately, the methods of killing and cruelty can be modernized," he added.

Speaking at a meeting of the State Military-Industrial Commission on April 23, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that more than 1.5 million drones of various types had been produced in Russia last year.

Putin added that this amount included about 4,000 FPV drones.

A wave of Russia's attacks also targeted civilian infrastructure across other Ukrainian regions. At least five people were reported injured in the Ukrainian cities of Poltava and Odesa.

"Residential buildings, business facilities, warehouses, and garages have been damaged," Ukraine's emergency service said.

Large-scale fires had also broken out in Ukraine's second-largest city, Kharkiv, Mayor Ihor Terekhov said. The emergency service said the attack targeted 'solely the city's civilian infrastructure.'

Meanwhile, in the Yelabuga district of Russia’s Tatarstan region, two fires broke out following a reported drone attack, local authorities confirmed on April 23.

The Russian Defense Ministry reported earlier in the day that a Ukrainian fixed-wing unmanned aerial vehicle was shot down over Tatarstan by air defense systems on duty. Officials have not released further details on the type of drone or its intended target.

Rustem Nuriyev, head of the Yelabuga district administration, said in a statement that there were no casualties or injuries as a result of the incident.

In response to the drone activity, temporary flight restrictions were imposed on Kazan and Nizhnekamsk airports.

Kyiv has not commented on the incident.

Also, a fire that had been burning at an ammunition depot on a military base -- where a large explosion occurred a day earlier -- in the Kirzhach district of Russia's Vladimir region, northeast of Moscow, has been “gradually ending,” regional Governor Aleksandr Avdeyev said.

Four people were injured when ammunition exploded, prompting an evacuation order, Avdeyev said, adding that ammunition caught fire and shells exploded in the storage area.

The Russian Defense Ministry said earlier that the fire had been caused by a breach of safety protocols and had resulted in the detonation of ammunition stored in a warehouse.

"As a result of a fire on the territory of a military unit in the Vladimir region, ammunition stored in a warehouse detonated," the Defense Ministry said. "According to preliminary information...the cause of the fire was a violation of safety standards in work with explosive materials."

A state of emergency was declared in the Kirzhach district, which is about 130 kilometers northeast of the Russian capital. The base was evacuated along with about 450 people from at least seven nearby settlements, the governor said.

The ammunition depot is one of the largest of the Russian armed forces. It is more than 500 kilometers from the border with Ukraine. There had been no reports of drone attacks in the Vladimir region prior to the explosion.

Yan Matveyev, a Russian military analyst, told Current Time that the ammunition stored at the depot could range from typical 155-millimeter artillery shells to Iskander-M missiles.

"This depot is close to the capital, close to Moscow, so it's easy to transport all this [ammunition] around the country," Matveyev said.

Unverified video published earlier on Telegram channels showed a huge fire ball, a loud blast, and clouds of thick smoke rising into the sky.

Baza, a Telegram channel close to security services, said 10 to 11 explosions had occurred and firefighters from neighboring regions had been called in to contain the blaze.

It said a special commission has been set up to investigate the cause of the fire.

With reporting by Reuters, AFP, TASS, and dpa

Farmers in Uzbekistan say the government is forcing them to surrender land to Chinese businesses under the guise of state-backed development, taking thousands of hectares of fertile cotton and wheat fields out of the hands of locals.

Concerned over the fate of the lush lands of the Ferghana Valley, they told Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty that large patches of land have been taken into the state reserve and transferred to Chinese businessmen.

Official documents say the land transfers are voluntary. But dozens of accounts given to RFE/RL from those who signed over their land appear to describe a different reality: coercion, threats, and intimidation by Uzbek law enforcement officers acting on orders from local officials.

"The governor told me: 'This is a presidential order. Either give up the land or go to jail,'" said one farmer who spoke on condition of anonymity over fear of reprisal for commenting publicly on the issue.

Creeping Influence?

Land transfers in the Ferghana Valley, which is shared between Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan, are the latest flashpoint in what is becoming an increasingly visible and volatile undercurrent across Central Asia -- a surge of anti-Chinese sentiment driven by land disputes, debt dependency, labor market tensions, and fears of creeping influence.

Under Uzbekistan's Law on Farming, a farmer leases state land for 49 years. Neither the local government nor the prosecutor can take it away. According to the legislation, the land can only be seized by the state by court decision.

Farmers, though, say and seizures are being carried out based on a verbal order from Shuhrat Abdurahmonov, the head of the region.

"I did not want to give up my land and put up some resistance, but in response, the district governor called more than 20 police officers and the National Guard to the district administration building and ordered them to arrest me and my wife," a farmer from Qurgonteppa district told RFE/RL.

"That is why none of the farmers resist now; otherwise, they could be imprisoned. It is unlikely that any of us would be able to get out of there alive and well."

Regional administrations failed to comment on the claims by farmers when contacted by RFE/RL.

Concerns over China taking over the use of large swaths of land extend beyond the farming community.

Beijing's economic presence in Central Asia has grown rapidly in recent years under China's ambitious Belt and Road Initiative.

As of early 2025, China is Uzbekistan's largest trade partner, with bilateral trade reaching $12.5 billion. Over 3,400 Chinese firms operate in the country, surpassing even the number of Russian entities.

Similar patterns have emerged in other Central Asian countries, such as Kazakhstan.

'Economic Trap'

Chinese investments promise infrastructure, jobs, and technology. But experts warn of a darker side.

Uzbek political analyst Nargiza Muratalieva points out that Central Asian countries are increasingly falling into what she calls China's "economic trap:" easy access to credit -- often with opaque terms -- that can eventually leave weaker states vulnerable to political pressure or asset forfeiture.

Muratalieva points out that Beijing gained over 1,100 square kilometers of land in Tajikistan in 2011 in exchange for debt relief, a clear example of the potential consequences of falling into this "trap."

China is already the largest lender in Uzbekistan, with outstanding loans totaling $3.8 billion.

"The general characteristics of Chinese lending for all countries in the region are the ease of obtaining debts, their difficult repayment, as well as the lack of transparency of procedures and specific conditions," according to Muratalieva.

Debt repayments, land transfers, and rising Chinese economic control also feed local perceptions of "neocolonialism," especially when local communities are excluded from decision-making processes.

The harsh treatment of Uyghurs and other non-Han indigenous ethnic groups in China's Xinjiang Province strikes a deep chord with Central Asians, who share linguistic, cultural, and religious ties with them.

Whether it's propaganda or not, the fear that China could one day treat Kazakhs or Uzbeks the same way has further sown seeds of opposition to Beijing's expanding presence.

"It turns out that the Chinese really like my land; they want to take the land from other farmers too. Naturally, we are against it, but the district governor, the prosecutor, and the police chief continue to put pressure on us," one farmer from Uzbekistan's western Andijon region told RFE/RL.

"What worries us most is that they can subsequently seize our country and do to us the same as they did to the Uyghurs in Xinjiang."

In a baggy red blouse and matching glasses, Yekaterina Barabash was pictured apparently blowing kisses from behind a bulletproof glass screen when she stood in the dock at a Moscow court.

A well-known film critic, she was sentenced to two months of house arrest for allegedly spreading “lies” about the Russian military’s brutal war in Ukraine.

Now, Russian authorities have issued a wanted note for her and she faces up to 10 years in prison after they found the 63-year-old wasn’t home during a check on April 13.

On April 21, the Russian prison agency issued a statement saying that she wasn’t home when they called several days earlier. Subsequently, a Moscow court changed her sentence, meaning that she now faces prison.

Friends of Barabash contacted by RFE/RL declined to comment on her disappearance amid fears for her safety.

Barabash has been an occasional guest on RFE/RL’s Russian Service programs for some years and has often criticized the Kremlin’s increasingly authoritarian grip on society.

When Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, she immediately condemned it. Russian forces “have bombed the country, levelled whole cities to the ground,” she wrote a few weeks into the conflict.

Words such as these were a direct challenge to the Kremlin’s narrative, which banned the word “war” and denied that civilians were being targeted in attacks despite evidence to the contrary.

Shortly after the invasion began, Russia passed new legislation providing jail sentences for “discrediting” the armed forces. It has been used to jail hundreds of people since the war began, and has led to many others keeping silent.

In a recent case, a 19-year-old woman in St. Petersburg received a nearly three-year prison sentence for gluing a short verse to a statue of a Ukrainian poet.

The same law eventually led to Barabash’s arrest in February 2025. In court, prosecutors said she had distributed “intentionally false information about the activities of the Russian military” on social media.

After receiving her sentence, she emerged from the court declaring “at least I’ll have two months of freedom,” suggesting perhaps that she expected a jail sentence in the future.

Describing the moment of her arrest, she said it was “surprising.”

“The doorbell rings and [you expect] a kind person, you open the door and there are men in masks.”

Her case led to an outpouring of support from leading cultural figures.

Author Anna Berseneva wrote that “millions of decent people think the same as Yekaterina Barabash.” Critic Andrei Plakhov said she is “an honorable, principled person -- a serious risk factor right now.”

Filmmaker Vitalii Mansky noted that many Kremlin critics had been silent about the war, opting for “internal emigration,” but that Barabash had “greater integrity.”

Earlier this month, Barabash was designated a “foreign agent” by the Russian Justice Ministry.

A previous high-profile critic of the war, journalist Marina Ovsyannikova, fled Russia while under house arrest in October 2022.

Massive Russian aerial strikes hit residential buildings in several Ukrainian cities, leaving at least one dead and more than two dozen injured, including several children, in attacks President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called "deliberate terror."

Two guided aerial bomb strikes hit the city of Zaporizhzhya on April 22, killing one woman and injuring 38 others -- four of whom were children and a pregnant woman, regional Governor Ivan Fedorov said.

Drone attacks were also seen in the city of Kharkiv, though casualty figures were unknown.

The daytime strikes came after a drone attack overnight sparked massive fires in the Ukrainian port city of Odesa, where a a housing block in a densely inhabited area was hit. The attack left one woman dead and at least three other residents injured.

The attack came amid ongoing diplomatic activity to secure a cease-fire in the Ukraine war, following Russia’s unprovoked full-scale invasion of its neighbor in February 2022.

"All of this is absolutely deliberate Russian terror that can be stopped by a single order, an order in Russia and for the Russian Army," Zelenskyy said in a post on Telegram.

"Our proposal for a cease-fire regarding civilian buildings also remains in force. Russia needs to be seriously prepared to talk about this. There are no obstacles on the Ukrainian side and there will be none."

Across the country, the Ukrainian Air Force reported dozens of drone attacks overnight.

Odesa Mayor Hennadiy Trukhaniv wrote on social media on April 22 that many apartments had been damaged and that “the residents are in shock.”

Emergency services posted photos and videos of fire crew battling blazes at what they said was civilian infrastructure.

The renewed attacks came a day after Russian President Vladimir Putin admitted that his forces were attacking civilian targets in Ukraine.

Speaking on April 21 about an attack on the northern city of Sumy last week, in which 35 people were killed, he said the target was a civilian building –- but that soldiers were present there, making it a legitimate target.

After the attack, the head of the local Ukrainian military administration was fired following accusations that he had organized a military award ceremony in the city.

Sumy was again targeted by Russian drone strikes overnight on April 22 which damaged some buildings.

Authorities in Kyiv also reported damaged houses and cars following overnight Russian attacks. But the head of the regional military administration, Mykola Kalashnyk, said no critical infrastructure was hit.

“Six private houses, four cars, three outbuildings, and three garages were damaged as a result of an enemy attack. There was also a fire at a construction site,” he wrote on Telegram.

Later, air raid sirens sounded again amid renewed sightings of Russian drones.

Meanwhile, the governor of Russia's Vladimir region, Aleksandr Avdeyev, said on April 22 that an explosion occurred in the region's Kirzhach district.

Avdeyev did not provide details but said emergency services were on site. Telegram channels reported the blast happened in the village of Barsovo, near military unit 11785, also known as the 51st arsenal of Russia’s Defense Ministry, which stores ammunition.

Residents reported several explosions. A "powerful attack" was reported, prompting evacuations in Barsovo and nearby villages within a 5 km radius. Roads to Kirzhach from Moscow were blocked.

Local authorities announced a state of emergency in the area.

Russia also launched large-scale missile strikes on Easter Monday on April 21, following the expiry of a self-declared 30-hour Easter truce. Kyiv claimed Russian forces violated the truce 3,000 times.

On April 22, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot dismissed the truce as a “marketing operation” by Putin aimed primarily at US President Donald Trump, who has expressed frustration at continuing Russian attacks as he pushes diplomatic efforts to achieve a cease-fire.

"The Easter truce, which he announced somewhat unexpectedly, was a marketing operation, an operation of charm, aimed at preventing President Trump's impatience and anger," Barrot was quoted by the AFP news agency as saying on FranceInfo television.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha said he spoke to Barrot the previous evening to coordinate positions ahead of a meeting in London on April 23.

The London meeting was set to bring together Britain, France, Germany, Ukraine, and the United States, following a gathering in Paris on April 18 -- the first joint talks in this format since Trump took office.

Barrot told FranceInfo that the European countries used that meeting to tell Washington what their red lines were for a deal. Trump has said he’s hopeful an agreement can be wrapped up this week, which feels ambitious to many observers.

But in another sign that diplomacy is picking up steam, Putin said on April 21 that he was ready for direct talks with Zelenskyy -- something that he had until recently refused.

This was met with skepticism by Ukrainian political analyst Ihor Reiterovich, who told RFE/RL's Current Time that it was "standard manipulation -- an attempt to portray Russia in a peace-making light, which frankly looks extremely cynical."

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says he is waiting for a clear response from Russia about whether it would accept a cease-fire on striking civilian targets.

Zelenskyy said in his nightly video address on April 21 that Ukraine stood by its proposal for an end to attacks on civilian targets and was ready for any form of discussion to achieve it.

"Ukraine stands by its offer...not to strike civilian infrastructure. And we expect a clear answer from Moscow," Zelenskyy said. "We are ready for any conversation on how to ensure this."

Russian President Vladimir Putin earlier on April 21 proposed bilateral talks with Ukraine for the first time since the early days of the war.

Zelenskyy did not respond directly to Putin's proposal but said Ukraine "was ready for any conversation" about a cease-fire that would stop strikes on civilians.

"There is an obvious, simplest, and most reliable way: stop missile and long-range drone attacks," Zelenskyy said. "That alone would automatically ensure the safety of all civilian infrastructure."

Ukraine and Russia are facing pressure from the United States to make progress on negotiations to end the war.

Ukraine will take part in talks with the US and European countries on April 23 in London, Zelenskyy said. The talks will have a primary task: "to push for an unconditional ceasefire. This must be the starting point," he said.

Both sides said fighting had resumed after an Easter cease-fire, which Putin announced unilaterally on April 19.

Ukrainian authorities reported dozens of Russian missile and drone attacks on April 21, while a Ukrainian drone strike was reported in Russia’s Belgorod region.

Strikes were reported in Kyiv and other Ukrainian towns and cities. A man was reportedly injured by shelling in Kherson.

Russian forces attacked Ukraine's northeastern region, killing one person in a border village, according to regional prosecutors. The report on Telegram said a Russian drone struck and killed a man on a scooter in the village of Ivashki.

Russian forces also launched a late night drone attack on residential areas of Ukraine's Black Sea port of Odesa, triggering fires and damaging many apartments, local officials said early on April 22.

A day earlier US President Donald Trump voiced hope that an agreement would be reached between the two countries this week. Trump told reporters at the White House on April 21 that he plans to comment on the war in Ukraine and mediation efforts in the next three days.

He made the comment in response to a question about whether the United States had proposed that Ukraine recognize Crimea as part of Russia. Russia occupied the peninsula in 2014 and then annexed it in violation of international law.

"So I will be giving you a full detail over the next three days," Trump said. "But we had very good meetings on Ukraine, Russia," he added without providing details.

In his comments earlier on April 21, Putin said Russia was open to any peace initiatives and expected the same from Kyiv.

"We have always talked about this, that we have a positive attitude toward any peace initiatives. We hope that representatives of the Kyiv regime will feel the same way," Putin said on state TV.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said when Putin said that it was possible to discuss the issue of not striking civilian targets, he meant bilateral negotiations. There have been no direct talks between the two sides since the early weeks after Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022.

"President Putin and the Russian side remain open to seeking a peaceful settlement. We are continuing to work with the American side and, of course, we hope that this work will yield results," Peskov told reporters.

Peskov declined to comment on the prospects of a deal this week. But he welcomed a comment by US envoy Keith Kellogg saying Ukraine would not be able to join NATO.

With reporting by Reuters and dpa

At age 16, Vladyslav Rudenko was captured by Russian forces and held in children’s camps in Russia-occupied Crimea and Kherson for nine months.

Unlike some 20,000 other Ukrainian youths, Rudenko was rescued by the NGO Save Ukraine and returned to Ukrainian-controlled territory after nine months in captivity.

It's the fate of those thousands, many of whom remain in Russian-occupied areas -- in what Moscow calls “rehabilitation centers” -- that President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and other Ukrainian officials say they are now focused on.

"This crime must be thoroughly investigated, and those responsible held accountable," Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha said over the weekend as part of the launch of the ChildrenAreNonNegotiable campaign.

"A just and lasting peace requires the return of all these Ukrainian children home."

US President Donald Trump has made ending Europe's longest conflict since World War II a top foreign policy priority since taking office three months ago.

While the talks have lurched between several contentious issues, Ukrainian officials have kept the repatriation of all of those taken from Ukraine a major negotiating point.

Ukrainian officials have accused Moscow of orchestrating what some groups have called a "systematic deportation" of children out of Ukraine and into Russia-controlled parts of the country, or even further to destinations in Russia and its ally, Belarus.

Evidence gathered last year by RFE/RL's Belarus Service and Schemes, the investigative unit of RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service, indicated camps were being used to teach young Ukrainians to identify with concepts that both Moscow and Minsk promote.

That came after a November 2023 study by the Yale School of Public Health's Humanitarian Research Lab that deemed Ukrainian schoolchildren's escorted trips to Belarus were coordinated by Belarus and Russia as part of the two countries' so-called Union State.

The study said the process involves "re-education," which it defined as "the promotion of cultural, historical, societal, and patriotic messages or ideas that serve the political interests" of both regimes.

Military training, including by Interior Ministry troops, occurred with "at least six groups of children," according to the report.

Rudenko told RFE/RL's Ukrainian service earlier this month that during the time he was held by Russian authorities his daily routine had an obvious orientation.

“We woke up to the Russian anthem, raised the flag, did exercises. After breakfast, they told us what had happened in Russia overnight. Literally. Then we went to watch Russian movies," he said, recalling his regiment while held in camps.

According to the Yale Humanitarian Research Lab more than 8,400 children from Ukraine have been systematically relocated to at least 57 facilities: 13 facilities in Belarus and 43 facilities in Russia and Russia-occupied territory.

According to Ukraine’s official government portal childrenofwar.gov.ua, a much higher number -- around 20,000 -- have been taken away and only 1,300 children have been successfully returned.

“We remind the world that without the return of the children abducted by Russia, the war cannot truly be considered over,” a statement published by Zelenskyy's office during Easter said.

Washington has supported Kyiv on the issue of repatriating children, saying last month it remains committed to supporting the exchange of prisoners of war, the release of civilian detainees, and the return of forcibly transferred Ukrainian children.

However, Ukrainian officials are worried recent budget cutting moves by the Trump administration could significantly hinder investigations into where the children have been moved and efforts to enable their return.

Meanwhile, Karolina Hird, deputy team leader and an analyst at the Institute for the Study of War, an American nonprofit research group, warned that Ukrainian teenagers forced to accept Russian citizenship may face conscription into the Russian army and could be forced to fight against their own people, a violation of international law.

“Negotiations and an end to the fighting without consideration for the deported children will empower Russia to continue to commit these crimes with absolute impunity,” Hird wrote.

Ukrainian authorities reported dozens of Russian missile and drone attacks on April 21, a day after US President Donald Trump voiced hope that an agreement would be reached between the two countries this week.

Strikes were reported in Kyiv and other Ukrainian towns and cities. A man was reportedly injured by shelling in Kherson. A Ukrainian drone strike was reported in Russia’s Belgorod region.

On the diplomatic front, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov declined to comment on the prospects of a deal this week. But he welcomed a comment by US envoy Keith Kellogg saying Ukraine would not be able to join NATO.

Further talks are expected in London this week between European, Ukrainian, and US officials following a gathering in Paris on April 18. Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff is reportedly planning another meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

“A more sensible approach by Trump, bringing the Europeans into the talks, is an important step,” Sergei Sanovich, a fellow at the Hoover Institution at Stanford, told RFE/RL’s Current Time on April 21.

“It could force Putin to make concessions, because Putin is interested in getting sanctions lifted,” he said, adding that the allies could agree a joint plan which Witkoff would then present to Russia.

The Trump administration has suggested that unless a deal is agreed soon, it may walk away from the negotiations completely.

“Trump’s a former real estate guy. They work like this: there’s a great deal available but it’s only available today,” said Sanovich.

Analysts have suggested there might be some chance of Washington recognizing Crimea as part of Russia, which occupied the peninsula in 2014.

Speaking to RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service on April 21, people in Kyiv were strongly opposed to this.

"Crimea is Ukraine first and foremost. And it is not for the United States to decide our territorial integrity," said one woman, who declined to be named.

100 Days Of Trump

"The efforts that the United States is making now appear to be more of a PR stunt to maintain Trump's position with his electorate," said a man who gave his name as Maksym.

Political analyst Dmitry Oreshkin told Current Time that Trump was in a hurry for a deal as his 100th day in office approaches on April 30. He said this also meant putting pressure on Putin.

“The point is you need to understand the limit to what’s possible for Putin. What does it mean if he rejects a deal? It means going against Trump,” he said.

“That means undermining a relationship that, while shaky, is at least fairly friendly. It’s a serious risk.”

The events of the Easter weekend also feed into this week’s diplomatic moves.

Russian state media cited the Defense Ministry in Moscow as saying on April 21 that the country’s forces had “resumed” fighting in Ukraine after observing a 30-hour cease-fire announced by Putin on April 19.

Kyiv claimed nearly 3,000 violations by Moscow’s forces during the truce period.

In a Telegram post on April 21, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy noted that Moscow had ignored both a proposal for a full 30-day cease-fire and a call to halt air strikes on civilian infrastructure, including missile and drone attacks.

Oreshkin said Putin’s 30-hour truce was merely a show for propaganda purposes.

“But Zelenskyy managed to turn it to his own advantage, by proposing a 30-day truce,” he added.

“Putin was forced to not agree to that. That can be presented how they like to the [Russian] domestic audience, But externally, it’s clear where the threat to peace comes from.”

Pope Francis died on Easter Monday at the age of 88 after battling a serious bout of double pneumonia.

Despite his illness, his death came as a shock after he had been driven around St. Peter's Square to greet cheering crowds on Easter Sunday.

"Dear brothers and sisters, it is with profound sadness I must announce the death of our Holy Father Francis," Cardinal Kevin Farrell announced on the Vatican's TV channel on April 21.

"At 7:35 this morning, the Bishop of Rome, Francis, returned to the house of the Father," he said.

Francis, who had also delivered a blessing at this year's Easter services a day before his death, was the 266th pope of the Roman Catholic Church and the first from the Americas, the first Jesuit, and the first pontiff born outside Europe in over a millennium.

At the Vatican, locals, tourists, and pilgrims visiting for Easter expressed their shock and grief.

"This is something that really hits you hard," Rome resident Emanuela Tinari told Reuters. "He was a pope who brought so many people closer to the church. He was not appreciated by everyone. But he definitely was by ordinary people."

Tributes have also been pouring in for the late pontiff from leaders around the world.

Russian President Vladimir Putin published a statement saying Francis "enjoyed great international authority as a faithful servant of Christian teaching, a wise religious statesman, and a consistent defender of the high values of humanism and justice."

"Throughout his pontificate, he actively contributed to the development of dialogue between the Russian Orthodox and Roman Catholic Churches, as well as constructive interaction between Russia and the Holy See," he said.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy also praised the pope's tenure, describing the pontiff as someone who "knew how to give hope, ease suffering through prayer, and foster unity."

"He prayed for peace in Ukraine and for Ukrainians," he added. "We grieve together with Catholics and all Christians who looked to Pope Francis for spiritual support. Eternal memory!"

"Rest in Peace Pope Francis!" US President Donald Trump said in a Truth Social post. "May God Bless him and all who loved him!"

Trump announced later on the same social media platform that he and first lady Melania Trump would attend the funeral of Pope Francis in Rome.

Trump's predecessor also praised Frances on social media. "He promoted equity and an end to poverty and suffering across the globe," said Joe Biden, himself a devout Roman Catholic.

US Vice President JD Vance, who met with the pontiff on April 20, said his heart "goes out to the millions of Christians all over the world who loved him."

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said "the world mourns the passing of Pope Francis," adding that "he inspired millions, far beyond the Catholic Church, with his humility and love so pure for the less fortunate."

Moldovan President Maia Sandu also expressed regret at the news of Francis's death, saying that he had "tirelessly promoted compassion and social justice" and "led with love, stood by the vulnerable, and called for unity in times of division."

Her comments were echoed by French President Emmanuel Macron, who said the pope had been "a man of humility, on the side of the most vulnerable and the most fragile."

Incoming German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said Francis would be remembered for his "tireless commitment to the weakest in society."

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer tweeted that he was "deeply saddened" by Francis's death.

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban responded to the news with a short a Facebook post that included a picture of him with the late pontiff. "Thank you for everything, Holy Father," he said. "We bid you farewell."

An Iranian foreign ministry spokesman voiced sadness over Francis's death, saying that he offered "condolences to all Christians around the world."

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Francis was "a spiritual leader who gave importance to dialogue between different faith groups and took the initiative in the face of humanitarian tragedies, especially the Palestinian issue and the genocide in Gaza."

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, Kosovar President Vjosa Osmani, Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze, and Montenegrin Prime Minister Milojko Spajic also posted tributes to the pope.

A Papacy Focused On Social Justice

Born Jorge Mario Bergoglio, the son of Italian immigrants in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Pope Francis worked as a chemical technician before entering the Jesuits in 1958.

He was ordained a priest in 1969 and became the provincial superior of the Jesuits in Argentina from 1973 to 1979.

In 1998, he was appointed archbishop of Buenos Aires. Three years later, he was elevated to the College of Cardinals by Pope John Paul II.

Elected Pope in 2013, following the resignation of Pope Benedict XVI, he chose the name Francis in honor of Saint Francis of Assisi, reflecting his commitment to humility and the poor.

His papacy was marked by a focus on mercy, social justice, and environmental stewardship.

In 2015, Pope Francis issued the encyclical “Laudato si’,” calling for global action on climate change and care for the environment.

He also emphasized interfaith dialogue, notably signing the Document on Human Fraternity with the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar in Egypt, Ahmed el-Tayeb, in 2019, a landmark agreement promoting peace and coexistence among different faiths.

'A Poor Church For The Poor'

Pope Francis was known for his pastoral approach, advocating for a “poor Church for the poor” and reaching out to marginalized communities.

He made efforts to reform the Vatican’s financial systems and address alleged clerical sexual abuse within the church.

In 2025, he published his autobiography, “Hope,” offering insights into his life and papal mission.

In his later years, Pope Francis faced several health challenges.

In 2021, he underwent colon surgery to address diverticulitis, and in 2023, he had abdominal surgery to repair a hernia. He also experienced chronic knee and back pain, often using a wheelchair for mobility.

Despite these issues, he maintained a rigorous schedule, continuing his pastoral duties and international travels.

In early 2025, Pope Francis was hospitalized with a polymicrobial respiratory tract infection, which developed into double pneumonia. His condition remained complex, requiring an extended hospital stay. He had been discharged from hospital on March 23.

With reporting by Reuters

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that Ukraine would continue to mirror Russia's actions, following reports of further missile strikes by Moscow.

In a Telegram post, Zelenskyy noted that Moscow had ignored both a proposal for a full 30-day cease-fire and a call to halt air strikes on civilian infrastructure, including missile and drone attacks.

“The nature of Ukrainian actions will remain mirrored: we will respond to silence with silence, and any Russian attacks will be met with our own. Actions always speak louder than words,” he added.

An Easter truce in fighting between Russia and Ukraine appeared to reduce some air strikes on Ukrainian cities, but Kyiv angrily claimed nearly 3,000 violations by Moscow’s forces while calls for an extension went unheeded by the Kremlin.

Nevertheless, US President Donald Trump said late on April 20 that "hopefully, Ukraine and Russia will make a deal this week."

"Both will then start to do big business with the United States of America, which is thriving, and make a fortune!" Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform without elaboration.

A unilateral truce was announced by Russian President Vladimir Putin on April 19, running from 6 p.m. that day until midnight on April 20.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told state news agency TASS that Putin had given no orders for the cease-fire to extend beyond midnight. Ukrainian officials said it was not observed anyway.

Air attacks appeared to resume early on April 21. Hours after the scheduled end of the Easter truce, air-raid sirens blared across Kyiv, while the mayor of Mykolayiv reported that explosions were heard across the southern city. Details were not immediately available.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy earlier proposed that -- in view of Russia’s apparent refusal to accept a longer, full-scale cease-fire -- both sides agree to pause air attacks on civilian infrastructure for at least 30 days.

"Ukraine proposes to cease any strikes using long-range drones and missiles on civilian infrastructure for a period of at least 30 days, with the possibility of extension.

"If Russia does not agree to such a step, it will be proof that it intends to continue doing only those things which destroy human lives and prolong the war," Zelenskyy said.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha said Moscow's actions following the midnight end to the truce will indicate the Kremlin's real attitude toward any initiatives to end the war.

"Regarding the so-called 'Easter Cease-fire,' we have still not heard Moscow’s response to our proposal to extend it to 30 days," he wrote on X.

"Russia's actions after midnight, tomorrow, and throughout the week will reveal Russia’s true attitude toward US peace efforts and the 30-day full cease-fire proposal. They will show whether Russia is serious about peace or Putin's statements from yesterday were simply manipulations," Sybiha added.

The US State Department earlier said it would welcome an extension to the Easter cease-fire that was set to expire a few hours later.

"We have seen President Putin's announcement of a temporary cease-fire due to Easter. We remain committed to achieving a full and comprehensive cease-fire," a State Department spokesperson said in a statement e-mailed to news media.

"As we assess their seriousness in this instance, we would welcome it extending beyond Sunday," the statement added.

In the early morning hours of April 21, Zelenskyy accused Russia of 2,935 violations following Putin's call for the Easter truce, although he added that there had been "no air raid alerts" during the period.

"Either Putin does not have full control over his army or the situation proves that in Russia they have no intention of making a genuine move toward ending the war,” Zelenskyy wrote on X on April 20.

It was not possible to independently confirm battlefield claims.

Video sent to RFE/RL by a Ukrainian humanitarian organization appeared to show a drone attack on vehicles evacuating civilians near Kostyantynivka in the Donetsk region of eastern Ukraine.

Yevhen Tkachev from the Proliska organization and a civilian woman were injured. She and her husband, who was suffering from shock, were taken to a hospital.

Zelenskyy posted on social media on April 20 that "the highest level of Russian combat activity this Easter is in the Pokrovsk direction," which is located some 50 kilometers southwest of Kostyantynivka.

"Putin's words about a 'cease-fire' have also proven empty in the Kursk region, the Siversk direction, and other directions in the Donetsk region," Zelenskyy added.

infrastructure and causing civilian deaths.

Russian authorities reported at least three explosions in the Russian-occupied Donetsk region of Ukraine early on April 20. The Defense Ministry claimed Kyiv launched 48 drone attacks on targets in Russia and Russian-occupied Ukraine overnight.

Zelenskyy said Ukraine’s forces were acting "in a fully symmetrical manner" to Moscow's.

Meanwhile, in a further sign of heightened international tensions since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Britain's Defense Ministry reported recently intercepting Russian warplanes over the Baltic Sea.

It cited two incidents, on April 15 and 17, in which British jets were scrambled to intercept Russian aircraft. Armed Forces Minister Luke Pollard said on April 20 that "Russian aggression" was growing and that British jets were working with the Swedish Air Force to defend NATO airspace.

What Do Ukrainians Think Of Easter Cease-Fire?

In Kyiv, as priests sprinkled worshippers with holy water, there was deep skepticism about the Easter truce.

"I really hope for it but I do not believe in it. They (the Russians) say one thing but do the opposite," said Dmytro, a 37-year-old IT worker.

"Nobody believes in it," said 40-year-old Olha Malashuk, who works in sales. "[Putin] probably wants to rearm the troops, that is why no one believes him anymore."

There was also doubt reported among civilians in Moscow, where RFE/RL is effectively banned and unable to operate.

Evgeny Pavlov, 58, told the AFP news agency that "it's pointless because I don't trust Ukraine."

"We shouldn't give them a break. If we're pressing them, we should finish the job," he added.

Maria Goranina, 85, said, "We need to end this -- either yes or no. Either make peace permanently or not at all."

Trump's Threat To Walk Away

Putin's truce announcement followed signals from Trump and other US officials complaining about the slow progress in talks to resolve the Ukraine war, now in its fourth year.

Trump on April 18 said the Ukraine and Russia talks are "coming to a head" and he insisted that neither side is "playing" him in his push to end the conflict.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio, meanwhile, warned that the United States may "move on" from trying to secure a peace deal if there is no progress in coming days.

With reporting by RFE/RL's Ray Furlong, RFE/Rl's Ukrainian Service, and Reuters

After more than three years of war, the talk of an Easter truce in fighting between Russia and Ukraine was met with some skepticism, and it does indeed seem to have failed to materialize.

A unilateral truce was announced by Russian President Vladimir Putin on April 19, running from 6 p.m. that day until midnight on April 20.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told state news agency TASS that the cease-fire would not extend beyond midnight. Ukrainian officials have said it has not been observed anyway.

"Either Putin does not have full control over his army or the situation proves that in Russia they have no intention of making a genuine move toward ending the war,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy wrote on X on April 20.

Zelenskyy had said his country would observe the truce and suggested extending it to 30 days.

Both sides, however, have reported that attacks by the other continued on Easter Sunday, though it was not possible to independently confirm battlefield claims.

Video sent to RFE/RL by a Ukrainian humanitarian organization appeared to show a drone attack on vehicles evacuating civilians near Kostyantynivka in the Donetsk region of eastern Ukraine.

Yevhen Tkachev from the Proliska organization and a civilian woman were injured. She and her husband, who was suffering from shock, were taken to a hospital.

Zelenskyy posted on social media on April 20 that "the highest level of Russian combat activity this Easter is in the Pokrovsk direction," which is located some 50 kilometers southwest of Kostyantynivka.

"Putin's words about a 'cease-fire' have also proven empty in the Kursk region, the Siversk direction, and other directions in the Donetsk region," Zelenskyy added.

The Ukrainian general staff reported shelling, assaults, and drone attacks.

Russian authorities reported at least three explosions in the Russian-occupied Donetsk region of Ukraine early on April 20. The Defense Ministry claimed Kyiv launched 48 drone attacks on targets in Russia and Russian-occupied Ukraine overnight.

Zelenskyy said Ukraine’s forces were acting "in a fully symmetrical manner" to Moscow's.

Meanwhile, in a further sign of heightened international tensions since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Britain's Defense Ministry reported recently intercepting Russian warplanes over the Baltic Sea.

It cited two incidents, on April 15 and 17, in which British jets were scrambled to intercept Russian aircraft. Armed Forces Minister Luke Pollard said on April 20 that "Russian aggression" was growing and that British jets were working with the Swedish Air Force to defend NATO airspace.

What Do Ukrainians Think Of Easter Cease-Fire?

In Kyiv, as priests sprinkled worshippers with holy water, there was deep skepticism about the Easter truce.

"I really hope for it but I do not believe in it. They (the Russians) say one thing but do the opposite," said Dmytro, a 37-year-old IT worker.

"Nobody believes in it," said 40-year-old Olha Malashuk, who works in sales. "[Putin] probably wants to rearm the troops, that is why no one believes him anymore."

There was also doubt reported among civilians in Moscow, where RFE/RL is effectively banned and unable to operate.

Evgeny Pavlov, 58, told the AFP news agency that "it's pointless because I don't trust Ukraine."

"We shouldn't give them a break. If we're pressing them, we should finish the job," he added.

Maria Goranina, 85, said, "We need to end this -- either yes or no. Either make peace permanently or not at all."

This was a sentiment also voiced by EU foreign affairs spokeswoman Anitta Hipper.

"Russia could stop this war at any moment if it really wanted to.... We continue to support Ukraine for a long, just, and comprehensive peace," she said after the truce was announced on April 19.

Trump's Threat To Walk Away

Putin's truce announcement followed signals from US President Donald Trump and other US officials complaining about the slow progress in talks to resolve the Ukraine war, now in its fourth year.

Trump on April 18 said the Ukraine and Russia talks are "coming to a head" and he insisted that neither side is "playing" him in his push to end the conflict.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio, meanwhile, warned that the United States may "move on" from trying to secure a peace deal if there is no progress in coming days.

Putin has made holiday cease-fire proposals in the past. In January 2023, Putin ordered a 36-hour cease-fire for Orthodox Christmas. At the time, Zelenskyy dismissed the Russian call as playing for time to regroup its forces.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said his country will abide by a 30-hour Easter cease-fire called by Moscow, but he accused Russia of already violating the truce by launching drone and artillery attacks on Ukrainian cities.

Separately, Kyiv and Moscow announced a major swap of prisoners of war on April 19, with more than 200 men being exchanged by each side.

On the battlefield, Russia's Defense Ministry said its forces had pushed Ukrainian troops from one of the last remaining villages they held in the Kursk region, which Ukraine had invaded more than eight months ago.

Kyiv had no immediate comment on the claim about retaking the Kursk region village of Oleshnya, on the border with Ukraine.

If confirmed, however, it would move Russian troops closer to fully expelling Ukrainian troops from Kursk, which has been a persistent embarrassment for the Kremlin.

With Orthodox and Western Easter falling on the same day -- April 20 -- this year, Putin used a televised meeting with his top military commander to announce he was calling a two-day truce.

The cease-fire, Putin said, would begin at 5 p.m. CET on April 19 and run until midnight on Easter Sunday, April 20.

"We assume that the Ukrainian side will follow our example," he said while meeting General Valery Gerasimov.

"At the same time, our troops must be ready to repel any possible violations of the truce or provocations from the enemy, any of its aggressive actions."

Zelenskyy quickly labeled the call "yet another attempt by Putin to play with human lives."

Attack "drones in our skies reveal Putin's true attitude toward Easter and toward human life," Zelenskyy said in a post to X.

Zelenskyy said the short timeframe for the truce indicated Putin was not serious about ending the fighting and suggested the cease-fire be extended for 30 days instead.

"If Russia is now suddenly ready to truly engage in a format of full and unconditional silence, Ukraine will act accordingly -- mirroring Russia’s actions," Zelenskyy wrote on X.

"If the complete cease-fire truly holds, Ukraine proposes an extension beyond April 20," Zelensky wrote.

"That is what will reveal Russia’s true intentions, because 30 hours is enough to make headlines but not for genuine confidence-building measures. Thirty days could give peace a chance," the Ukrainian leader added.

Anitta Hipper, the European Commission's lead spokeswoman for foreign affairs and security, said "Russia has a track record as an aggressor, so first we need to see any actual halt of the aggression and clear deeds for a lasting cease-fire."

"Russia could stop this war at any moment if it really wanted to.... We continue to support Ukraine for a long, just and comprehensive peace," she added.

Putin's proposal follows signals from US President Donald Trump and other US officials complaining about the slow progress in talks to resolve the Ukraine war, now in its fourth year.

Trump on April 18 said the Ukraine and Russia talks are "coming to a head" and he insisted that neither side is "playing" him in his push to end the conflict.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio, meanwhile, warned that the United States may "move on" from trying to secure a peace deal if there is no progress in coming days.

Putin has made holiday cease-fire proposals in the past. In January 2023, Putin ordered a 36-hour cease-fire for Orthodox Christmas. Zelenskyy dismissed the Russian call as playing for time to regroup its forces.

While Russian troops claimed painstaking progress against Ukrainian troops in Kursk, further to the east, Ukrainian troops continued to hold small slices of territory in Belgorod, another Russian border region.

Zelenskyy and his top military commander, General Oleksandr Syrskiy, announced the incursion into Belgorod last week.

With the weather turning, and sodden battlefield soil firming up, both Russia and Ukraine have launched small-scale spring offensives.

Russia's Defense Ministry also said on April 19 that its troops were trying to push Ukrainian forces out of Gornal, another Kursk region village some 11 kilometers to the south of Oleshnya.

Despite a tentative agreement on a limited cease-fire, Kyiv and Moscow have continued to pound one another with missiles and drones. Over the past week, Russian ballistic missiles have hit several civilian targets, killing or wounding scores of civilians.

In Kupyansk, a city east of Kharkiv that Russian troops have been struggling to advance on, Russian jets reportedly dropped more than a half-dozen "glide" bombs on targets in and around the city. The city's military administrator said at least five people were wounded.

Glide bombs are heavy bombs that are retrofitted with guidance systems, allowing them to be dropped by aircraft well out of range of Ukrainian air defense systems. Russian forces have used the weapons to devastating effect on Ukrainian defenses.

Ukraine's air force said Russia launched nearly eight dozen drones overnight on April 19. More were either intercepted or jammed electronically, the military claimed.

Russia's Defense Ministry said air-defense systems shot down two Ukrainian drones overnight.

Ukrainian and Russian officials also announced a major prisoner swap, with each side handing back more than 240 men, according to Russian authorities.

Zelenskyy said 277 Ukrainian "warriors" were returned from Russian captivity.

With reporting by RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service

Iranian and US negotiators agreed to hold a third round of high-stakes talks on Iran's nuclear ambitions, a positive signal amid mixed White House messages about potential military action and new demands on Tehran.

The April 19 meetings, held in Rome, were the second time that top-level negotiators from Washington and Tehran had met this month.

There was no immediate comment on the outcome of the Rome talks from the US delegation, which was headed by White House special envoy Steve Witkoff.

But news agencies quoted senior US officials as saying the sides “made very good progress” in the Rome discussions.

"Today, in Rome over four hours in our second round of talks, we made very good progress in our direct and indirect discussions," said an unidentified US official -- who also confirmed a statement by Iran that the two sides agreed to meet again next week.

AP also quoted a US official as confirming that Witkoff and Iranian Foreign Minister Araqchi had spoken face to face.

Iran's foreign minister said the two sides had agreed to meet again on April 26 in Oman, where the first round took place.

"I believe technical negotiations at the expert level will begin in Oman on Wednesday [April 23)] and next Saturday we will meet in Oman and review the results of the experts' work to see how close it is to the principles of an agreement," Araqchi told Iranian state TV.

"It was a good meeting, and I can say that the negotiations are moving forward. This time we managed to reach a better understanding on a series of principles and goals," he said.

The United States and other Western countries have long accused Iran of trying to build nuclear weapons.

Tehran has consistently denied the allegations, insisting that its efforts are aimed at civilian purposes, such as electricity generation.

Conflicting Messages

Following his return to the White House in January, US President Donald Trump, who had previously withdrawn from a 2015 accord known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), revived a "maximum pressure" campaign of sanctions against Iran.

Last month, he sent a letter to Iran's supreme leader urging renewed talks while warning of military action if diplomacy failed.

In the past week, Trump and other White House officials have sent sometimes conflicting messages about the US approach to the talks. The White House has ordered heavy, long-range bombers to the region, along with a second aircraft carrier.

"I'm not in a rush" to use the military option, Trump told reporters on April 17. "I think Iran wants to talk."

On April 18, he told reporters: "I'm for stopping Iran, very simply, from having a nuclear weapon. They can't have a nuclear weapon. I want Iran to be great and prosperous and terrific."

In an interview days earlier on Fox News, Witkoff said that the United States was open to Iran having some sort of limited nuclear program.

But he then walked back that position in a social media post, suggesting that the entire program needed to be dismantled.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, meanwhile, said he hoped the Iranian talks would be “fruitful.”

“We would all prefer a peaceful resolution and a lasting one,” he said after meetings in Paris.

But, he added, “It has to be something that not just prevents Iran from having a nuclear weapon now, but in the future as well.”

Israel's Role

Israel’s role in the debate over Iran’s nuclear ambitions is also critical. Israeli officials have vowed to prevent Tehran from acquiring a nuclear weapon, and Israel has not ruled out an attack on its nuclear facilities in the coming months, according to multiple news reports.

Trump has reportedly told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that Washington did not support such a move.

Former officials and experts have long said that Israel would need significant US military support –- and weapons –- to destroy Iran’s nuclear facilities and stockpiles, some of which are in underground facilities.

With reporting by RFE/RL's Radio Farda, AP, AFP, and Reuters

A St. Petersburg court sentenced anti-war activist Darya Kozyreva to nearly three years in prison after ruling she "discredited" the Russian military by gluing a poem to a monument dedicated to a Ukrainian poet.

Kozyreva, 19, also faced charges stemming from an interview she gave to RFE/RL's North Realities, where she discussed her political views, among other things.

Prosecutors had requested six years in prison for Kozyreva, who was detained on February 24, 2024, on the second anniversary of Russia's all-out invasion of Ukraine.

She was arrested after she glued an excerpt of a poem by Taras Shevchenko, a poet and thinker who is widely revered in Ukraine, to a statue of Shevchenko standing in St. Petersburg.

The poem read:

Oh bury me, then rise ye up
And break your heavy chains
And water with the tyrants' blood
The freedom you have gained

Prosecutors added new charges months later, based on her interview with North Realities.

At the time of her arrest, Kozyreva was known for previous anti-war demonstrations, and for public support of activists including anti-corruption campaigner Aleksei Navalny.

In her closing statement to the St. Petersburg court on April 18, Kozyreva quoted briefly from a Shevchenko poem, and then referred to Ukraine's independence.

"Ukraine is a free country, a free nation, and it will decide its own fate," she said, according to reporters from MediaZona and SotaVision, who were in the courtroom.

"Of course, I dream of Ukraine getting back every inch of its land, including Donbas and Crimea. I believe that one day my dream will come true. One day history will judge everything fairly. But Ukraine has won anyway. It has already won. That's all."

Weeks after the start of the Ukraine invasion, Russian lawmakers passed sweeping legislation that criminalized any criticism of the armed forces, or the overall conduct of the war in Ukraine.