You missed the latest events regarding the war in Ukraine? 20 Minutes summarizes the key points for you every evening. Here is the essential news for Wednesday, April 29, 2026, the 1,526th day of the conflict.
The fact of the day: The human toll of the conflict has been particularly heavy in recent days, including for Russia. After the deaths of four Russians on Tuesday, three additional Russian civilian victims were announced on Wednesday following a Ukrainian strike in the border region of Belgorod. “The enemy deliberately hit a bus (carrying) passengers in the village of Voznesenovka. Three women died instantly,” said the governor of the region. Eight injured individuals were also hospitalized.
On the Ukrainian side, a sixty-year-old woman was killed in Russian strikes on residential buildings in Chostka, in the Sumy region of northeastern Ukraine, authorities announced. According to a report by the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine (HRMMU) released in early January, nearly 15,000 Ukrainian civilians have been killed since February 2022.
The trend: Russian President Vladimir Putin proposed a ceasefire in Ukraine on May 9, the day Russia celebrates the Soviet victory over Nazi Germany in 1945, the Kremlin indicated.
During a phone call with his American counterpart Donald Trump on Wednesday, Vladimir Putin said he was “ready to declare a ceasefire for the duration of the Victory Day celebrations,” according to his diplomatic advisor Yuri Ushakov. He added that Donald Trump had “actively supported this initiative, noting that this holiday marks our common victory.” For his part, the American president said he had a “very good” exchange with Vladimir Putin.
Since 2023, Ukraine has been celebrating the victory of 1945 on May 8, like Western countries.
Quote of the day: “Your unwavering determination is necessary to achieve a just and lasting peace in Ukraine,” said Charles III. In a rare address to the US Congress, the British monarch called on legislators to show “unwavering determination” for the defense of Ukraine, as Europeans have regretted Washington’s disengagement in its support for Kiev against Russia, both on the battlefield and in diplomatic negotiations.
The number of the day: 100 million dollars. This is the amount the United States announced on Wednesday to unlock for the restoration of the sarcophagus arch of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in Ukraine. In February 2025, the metal structure installed in 2016 covering the reactor that exploded in April 1986 was perforated by a Russian drone.
France, which currently chairs the G7 group of countries, had stated in March that the cost of this restoration is “around 500 million euros.”
“Without repair work, the structure can no longer provide sufficient protection, which poses the threat of a dangerous leak of highly radioactive materials in Europe,” said the US State Department. They are calling on their G7 partners, especially the Europeans, to invest in the repairs.
