Zelensky is concerned about Russian offensives. CDU politician Kiesewetter wants to shoot down Russian missiles directly. All information in the news blog.
The most important things at a glance
Zelenskyj worried: new phase of the war
10.30 p.m.: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has warned of an imminent increase in Russian attacks. “We are now facing a new phase of the war,” Zelensky said on Friday during a tribute to soldiers in the Khmelnytsky region, according to a video. He then added: “The occupiers are preparing to attempt to expand offensive operations. Together we must (…) do everything we can to thwart this Russian attack plan.”
From the perspective of Ukraine, which has been defending itself against a Russian war of aggression for more than two years, the situation on the front is currently very difficult. The Ukrainian military recently confirmed a Russian breakthrough not far from the town of Ocheretyne in the eastern Donetsk region.
Estonian MP rides his bike to Kyiv
3:31 p.m.: Aid campaign on two wheels for Ukraine attacked by Russia: A member of parliament from Estonia cycled around 1,700 kilometers from Tallinn to Kiev to collect money to buy military equipment for the Ukrainian army. “The ride was both physically and mentally demanding due to the strong headwinds. But what the Ukrainian army is doing for Estonia and all of Europe is in no way comparable to this bike ride,” Kristo Enn Vaga was quoted as saying by Estonian media.
The politician from Prime Minister Kaja Kallas’s ruling Reform Party began his week-long trip through Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland and Ukraine on April 26 and said he arrived in Kiev on Thursday. Vaga said on social media that he wanted to use the trip to remind the public that the war is closer than often assumed. He also published pictures from his bike ride there.
Vaga is a former professional cyclist and has been a member of the Estonian parliament since 2023. The 27-year-old once represented the Estonian national team in several international competitions and drove for an amateur racing team in France for two years.
Scholz is traveling to Latvia and Lithuania next week
3:29 p.m.: In order to discuss, among other things, further support for Ukraine, Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) is traveling to Lithuania and Latvia on Monday. Scholz will meet Lithuania’s President Gitanas Nausėda for a discussion in the morning, said deputy government spokesman Wolfgang Büchner in Berlin. Topics of discussion include the German Bundeswehr brigade in Lithuania, continued support for Ukraine and bilateral relations.
Scholz then visits the German troops of the 10th Panzer Division, who are currently in Lithuania for the “Grand Quadriga” exercise. The exercise is the German contribution to the major NATO exercise “Steadfast Defender”. A meeting between the Chancellor and Prime Minister Evika Siliņa is planned for the afternoon in Riga, Latvia. This should also be about bilateral cooperation as well as European, foreign and security policy.
According to the information, Scholz will then meet the heads of government of the three Baltic states: Estonia’s Prime Minister Kaja Kallas, Lithuania’s Prime Minister Ingrida Šimonytė and Latvia’s Prime Minister Evika Siliņa. It will cover questions of security and defense policy, the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine as well as current energy and European policy issues.
Russia reports killing of suspected Ukrainian spy
2:36 p.m.: The Russian secret service says it has killed a suspected Ukrainian agent who is said to have planned attacks in Russia. According to reports from Russian news agencies, the domestic intelligence service FSB said the suspect was “neutralized” in the Leningrad region.
The attack plans were therefore directed against Defense Ministry facilities in the Moscow region and against a volunteer battalion in Saint Petersburg. The FSB said the person killed was a Russian citizen born in 1976 who was recruited by the Ukrainian military intelligence service GUR.
