UK Chancellor of the Exchequer Jeremy Hunt visits Kyiv
British Chancellor of the Exchequer Jeremy Hunt met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Kiev, the Ukrainian leader said on Thursday.
“I welcomed the UK Chancellor of the Exchequer, @Jeremy_Hunt, and thanked him for the UK’s biggest ever defense aid package, worth half a billion pounds.” Zelenskyy said on the social networking platform Xthanking Hunt and the UK for their support.
“We paid special attention to the sanctions policy. It is important to extend the restrictive measures against Russia and make it impossible to circumvent the sanctions.”
He expressed gratitude for the UK government and said Hunt would meet Ukrainian Prime Minister Denis Shmyhal later in the day.
— Natasha Toorak
Two killed in Ukraine attack in Zaporizhzhia, official based in Russia said
Two people were killed after a Ukrainian drone strike in the Moscow-held region of Zaporizhzhia, a Russian-based official said.
“As a result of hitting a civilian vehicle, a man and a woman were killed and their four minor children were orphaned,” said Yevgeny Balitsky in Google Translate Post Telegram.
He added that emergency services are on site and the children will be provided with social assistance and psychological care.
CNBC could not independently confirm the report.
Zaporizhia, home to Europe’s largest nuclear plant, was among four Ukrainian regions annexed by Russia in September 2022, following Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.
— Ruxandra Iordache
Critical infrastructure was hit, six people were injured in Cherkasy, the regional governor said
A Russian airstrike damaged a vital infrastructure facility and injured six people in the central Ukrainian region of Cherkasy on Thursday morning, according to regional governor Ihor Taburets.
He reported no losses to date, adding to a Google Translated Post Telegram that 47 residences were damaged as a result of the attack blast and associated debris.
Repair crews are at the scene, he said.
CNBC was unable to independently verify developments on the ground.
— Ruxandra Iordache
Biden signs Ukraine aid bill
US President Joe Biden speaks after signing the foreign aid bill into law at the White House in Washington, DC on April 24, 2024.
Jim Watson | AFP | Getty Images
US President Joe Biden on Wednesday signed into law a bill providing billions of dollars in additional aid to Ukraine to help it fend off Russia’s aggression, ending a protracted political battle over urgently needed aid.
Biden said the first batch of military equipment would be sent to Ukraine within the next few hours. He characterized American aid as an investment not only in Ukraine and the security of Europe but also in the security of the United States.
“America stands with our friends, we stand against dictators. We bow to no one, to no one. Certainly not [Russian President] Vladimir Putin,” Biden said.
Earlier in the day, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he was grateful to the US Senate for approving aid to the war-torn country.
Russia, meanwhile, said its forces would step up attacks on Ukraine’s western arms.
— Sam Meredith
In pictures: Russia displays an armored vehicle said to have been captured during the war in Ukraine
Photos released via Getty Images on Wednesday showed an armored vehicle said to have been captured by Russian soldiers during Russia’s war in Ukraine. The exhibition was held at the Victory Park monument in Moscow.
This photo taken on April 24, 2024, shows an armored vehicle said to have been “captured by Russian soldiers” in Ukraine, according to the Russian Defense Ministry, on display at the World War II Victory Park memorial in Moscow.
Natalia Kolesnikova Afp | Getty Images
Russian officers walk past armored vehicles said to have been “captured by Russian soldiers” in Ukraine, according to the Russian Defense Ministry, on display at the World War II Victory Park monument in Moscow, April 24, 2024.
Natalia Kolesnikova Afp | Getty Images
Pedestrians look in front of an armored vehicle said to have been “captured by Russian soldiers” in Ukraine, according to the Russian Defense Ministry, on display at the World War II Victory Park memorial in Moscow, April 24, 2024.
Natalia Kolesnikova Afp | Getty Images
This photo taken on April 24, 2024, shows an armored vehicle said to have been “captured by Russian soldiers” in Ukraine, according to the Russian Defense Ministry, on display at the World War II Victory Park memorial in Moscow.
Natalia Kolesnikova Afp | Getty Images