You missed the latest events on the war in Ukraine? 20 Minutes updates you every evening. Here’s the summary of this Saturday, April 18, 2026, the 1,515th day of the conflict.
Event of the day
A shooting on Saturday in a residential area of the Ukrainian capital, Kiev, left at least five people dead. “So far, the deaths of five people have been confirmed,” said Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, adding that “four hostages have been rescued.”
The suspect in this daylight shooting in a large residential area on the right bank of the capital “was killed during his arrest,” Interior Minister Igor Klymenko said. “Law enforcement officers tried to apprehend him in the supermarket where he ‘had taken hostages and shot at the police,’ according to the minister.
Kiev Mayor Vitaly Klitschko said 15 people were injured and at least ten were hospitalized.
Prosecutor General Rouslan Kravchenko said in a statement that the suspect is “a 58-year-old man from Moscow.” He first opened fire in the street, “then barricaded himself inside a supermarket and took hostages.”
Quote of the day
“President Macron and I have very similar views on how to build Europe’s strength, the sovereignty of Poland, France, and Europe, and how to cooperate on security matters, including using France’s nuclear potential.”
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk welcomes Emmanuel Macron to Gdansk in Poland on Monday to formalize a strategic bilateral rapprochement, particularly on nuclear deterrence, amid strong transatlantic uncertainties and one year before elections in both countries.
This summit follows the French-Polish friendship and enhanced cooperation treaty signed on May 9, 2025 in Nancy (eastern France), which raised Poland to the level of France’s closest allies, alongside Germany, Italy, and Spain.
Statistic
5%. The director of the Consumer Observatory at UFC Que Choisir estimates a 4 to 5% increase in shelf prices in the coming months following the war in Iran. This increase “will not be of the same order of magnitude” as the one following the war in Ukraine in 2022-2023, which saw “20-25% increase in a little over a year.”
Trend
The US Treasury Department has temporarily extended the suspension of most sanctions on the Russian oil industry until May 16, as the resumption via the Strait of Hormuz has led to a sharp drop in oil prices. The decision, effective immediately, applies to all operations related to the shipment and delivery of oil from Russia and also applies to Russian ghost fleet vessels previously under sanctions.
However, transactions with Iran, North Korea, Cuba, and the occupied Ukrainian regions, including Crimea, remain prohibited.
Our coverage of the war in Ukraine
The US government had already temporarily lifted sanctions on Russian oil stored at sea in order to mitigate the surge in oil prices. But Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent stated on Wednesday that this suspension would not be extended beyond the initial period. “We will not renew the license on Russian oil,” he affirmed at a press conference.
