Morning opening: Russia 'does not deserve' lifting of sanctions after 16 dead in overnight strikes in Ukraine
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that Russia “does not deserve any easing … or lifting on sanctions” following an overnight attack that resulted in 16 fatalities and approximately 100 injuries.
"Russia is betting on war, and the response must be exactly that: we must defend lives with all available means, and we must also apply pressure for the sake of peace with the same full force."
Zelenskyy reported that nearly 700 Russian drones and 19 ballistic missiles were launched at Ukraine, primarily targeting the capital city Kyiv, as well as Odesa and Dnipro.
"There can be no normalisation of Russia as it is today. Pressure on Russia must work."
Separately, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte is scheduled to meet with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, while Germany’s Friedrich Merz will host Ireland’s Micheál Martin.
It is Thursday, 16 April 2026. Jakub Krupa reporting for Europe Live.
Hungary's Orbán to skip last EU summit during 'handover of power' period, minister says
Confirmation has emerged that Hungary’s outgoing Prime Minister Viktor Orbán will not attend his final EU summit as he prepares to transfer power following his defeat in last Sunday’s parliamentary election.
Hungary’s EU affairs minister János Bóka confirmed Orbán’s absence, citing "his duties related to the handover of power," and noted that Hungary will lack political representation during the summit.
The summit is expected to address the crisis in the Middle East and the forthcoming EU budget. The outgoing government indicated that it has communicated its positions to the President of the European Council in advance.
Any relief to Russia sanctions 'not helpful' for keeping pressure on Moscow to end Ukraine war, EU says
In response to Zelenskyy’s remarks on sanctions, the European Commission stated that "giving any relief in terms of sanctions … vis a vis Russia is not helpful in maintaining the pressure" on Moscow to cease its aggression in Ukraine.
"It should be ironic that Russia is actually benefiting from the war in the Middle East,"said the commission’s chief spokesperson Paula Pinho during a press briefing.
Pinho added that the EU is considering tightening sanctions further and hopes to make progress to prevent Russia from benefiting from the ongoing conflict, where attacks continue unabated.
Ukraine strikes oil depots in occupied Crimea
Following the overnight attacks, the Ukrainian military targeted two oil depots located in Russian-occupied Crimea, as well as infrastructure in Russia’s southern port city of Tuapse, according to Kyiv’s drone forces commander via the Telegram app.
Russia claims it targeted production facilities, energy targets linked to Ukrainian army
Russia’s Defence Ministry asserted that its overnight attack focused on production facilities for cruise missiles and drones, along with energy targets supplying Ukraine’s armed forces, as reported by .
However, Ukrainian authorities reported that the strikes resulted in civilian casualties, including two teenagers, with a total of 16 dead and about 100 wounded.
The Kremlin’s latest deadly assault occurred after the conclusion of a 32-hour Orthodox Easter truce, which both sides accused each other of violating extensively, according to AFP.
Peace negotiations led by the United States to end the war, now in its fifth year, have been disrupted by the US and Israeli conflict with Iran, AFP noted.
German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius cautioned that although "the so-called Russian Ukrainian peace talks have currently been suspended, the truth is, anyway, Russia has never taken them seriously," emphasizing the importance of continued support for Ukraine.
EU's Costa criticises Russia for 'terrorising civilians' with strikes on Ukraine
European Council President António Costa condemned the "horrendous" overnight attacks by Russia on Ukraine, alleging that Russian forces "deliberately carried out follow-up strikes" targeting first responders.
"As people slept in their homes, the cities of Kyiv, Dnipro, Odesa, and Kharkiv were struck by dozens of ballistic missiles and hundreds of drones. Russian armed forces deliberately carried out follow-up strikes on Ukrainian emergency services as first responders arrived to save lives."
"Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine has failed, and so it chooses to deliberately terrorise civilians. Russia must stop this war of terror."
