The Russian Ministry of Defense's TV channel Zvezda has reported, citing a diplomatic source, that U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio — or another high-ranking official from Washington — may attend the May 9 Victory Day parade in Moscow.

https://tvzvezda.ru/news/2025511028-diIWB.html

The moment a Ukrainian F-16 shot down a Shahed drone over Khmelnytskyi region.

Ukraine now has its own version of the Lancet drone and signal-independent guided drones, Vice PM Mykhailo Fedorov says. Interceptor drones, lasers, smart munitions, domestic “Mavics,” and short-range EW systems are already being used on the front line.

🇺🇦 Ukraine has launched mass production of fiber-optic coils for FPV drones with a range of up to 30 km. 3DTech CEO Oleksii Zhulynskyi says all winding and assembly is fully localized, ensuring better quality control than unreliable Chinese imports.

https://defence-ua.com/news/nove_serijne_optovolokno_dlja_fpv_droniv_na_30_km_gotujetsja_potrapiti_do_vijska-18699.html

For 50 days, Russia has ignored the U.S. offer of a full and unconditional ceasefire, President Zelensky said after another night of heavy Russian drone attacks. Despite Ukraine’s own proposals to halt strikes on civilian infrastructure and establish a sustained pause in hostilities on land, sea, and in the sky, Russia continues its assaults. Overnight, 170 drones were launched against Ukraine—more than 100 of them were Shaheds. Odesa was hit by 21 drones, causing fatalities and severe destruction.

🇵🇱 Grzegorz Braun — far-right Polish presidential candidate and sitting MEP — had his team remove a Ukrainian flag from Biała Podlaska’s city hall during a campaign rally, using a ladder. He admitted ordering it, claiming full responsibility. Police are now investigating the incident.

https://www.rmf24.pl/regiony/lublin/news-grzegorz-braun-i-jego-ekipa-znow-w-akcji-po-drabinie-po-ukra,nId,7958471

🚨 Steve Witkoff, with no diplomatic experience, has been leading high-level talks with Russia & other regimes. He met Putin alone, without advisors, relying on Kremlin translators. This, along with failed negotiations with Hamas & Iran, undermines US credibility, NYP writes.

https://nypost.com/2025/04/30/us-news/steve-witkoff-shouldnt-be-leading-iran-russia-negotiations-allies-and-insiders-say/

🇺🇸 Kellogg: Russia will not win the war. In the last 1.5 years, Russia hasn’t achieved serious victories—no capture of Kyiv, no progress west of the Dnipro, and no capture of Odesa. They’ve lost hundreds of thousands of soldiers with minimal progress.

Over 3,000 cars are stuck on the Russian side of the Kerch Bridge as tens of thousands of tourists rush to occupied Crimea for the May holidays—ignoring oil-covered beaches and the growing risk of Ukrainian strikes.

Direct hits from Ukraine’s 3rd Assault Brigade. FPV drones struck Russian infantry, vehicles, and equipment — BMP, gun, antenna, truck, UAZ, AGS, generator, golf cart, and a Niva.

President Zelensky met with Luxembourg’s FM Xavier Bettel & Defense Minister Yuriko Backes to thank them for defense & energy aid, and discuss rebuilding Kryvyi Rih and Ukraine’s EU path.

While the US pushes to end the war in Ukraine, EU nations still fund Russia—EU fossil fuel imports from Russia in 2024 totaled $24 billion, more than their aid to Ukraine.

https://fortune.com/article/europe-ukraine-sanctions-russia-energy-eu/

🇺🇦 Around 8,000 Ukrainian soldiers and 2,000 civilians are confirmed to be held by Russia, says Iryna Vereshchuk. During exchanges, some returnees were never acknowledged by Russia — meaning there's still hope for families of the missing.

https://espreso.tv/viyna-z-rosiyeyu-u-koordinatsiynomu-shtabi-rozpovili-skilki-ukrainskikh-viyskovikh-perebuvayut-u-poloni-rf

🇩🇪🇺🇸 Rheinmetall & Lockheed Martin are expanding cooperation to boost missile production in Europe.

They plan to build a European center of excellence for missile systems—strengthening NATO, EU defense, and reducing reliance on U.S. supply chains.

https://militarnyi.com/en/news/rheinmetall-and-lockheed-martin-to-expand-cooperation-to-boost-missile-production-in-europe/

Ukrainian FPV drone operators from the special unit "Wings of OMEGA" destroyed a Russian D-30 howitzer.

🇺🇸 “We’re close to a deal between Ukraine and Russia,” says U.S. National Security Advisor Mike Waltz.

But let’s keep it in perspective — it wouldn’t be the first time empty words were passed off as progress.

Waltz is out, Witkoff is in. Witkoff is set to replace Waltz as National Security Advisor, who’s being dismissed.

The first out of many to follow.

https://www.foxnews.com/politics/mike-waltz-other-national-security-council-staffers-out-latest-trump-purge-following-signal-chat-leak

In his evening address, Zelensky announced that the U.S.-Ukraine economic partnership deal is signed and headed to the Rada.

“It’s a fair, debt-free agreement creating a recovery fund to invest in Ukraine—marking the first real result of his historic Vatican meeting with President Trump,” he said.

VP JD Vance says the Trump administration is now focused on brokering a “durable solution” to the Russia–Ukraine war within 100 days.
“We’ve issued a peace proposal and will work hard to bring both sides together,” he told Fox News Digital.

https://www.foxnews.com/politics/vance-previews-trump-plans-juice-economy-end-russia-ukraine-war-next-100-days

Ukraine and the U.S. have signed all three agreements under the minerals deal. Delays arose when Vice PM Svyrydenko arrived in D.C., as Ukraine initially hesitated to sign the main pact and two technical deals. After last-minute changes, all were signed.

https://www.politico.com/news/2025/04/30/ukraine-agreement-investment-00319855