Kiev

Russia fired more than 20 cruise missiles and two drones at Kiev and other parts of Ukraine early Friday, killing at least 12 and striking a residential building in central Ukraine, officials said.

Ukrainian military forces have successfully established positions on the eastern side of the Dnieper River, according to a new analysis, giving rise to speculation Sunday that the advances could be an early sign of Kiev's long-awaited spring counteroffensive.

Poland on April 21 allowed the transit of Ukrainian grain and other food through its borders, partially lifting a near week-long ban imposed in response to protests from farmers.

Poland and other European Union countries bordering Ukraine imposed temporary bans on Ukrainian grain exports after farmers protested a slump in prices related to the influx.

The US has reportedly warned Kyiv since January that Ukrainian forces will not be able to hold the key city in Donbass - Bakhmut, and has repeatedly called for a withdrawal, the Washington Post reported on Thursday, citing intelligence documents.

American-made Patriot missiles have arrived in Ukraine, the country's defense minister said Wednesday, providing Kiev with a long-sought new shield against the Russian airstrikes that have devastated cities and civilian infrastructure.

Top US diplomat Antony Blinken and defense chief Lloyd Austin spoke with their Ukrainian counterparts on Tuesday as Washington seeks to reassure its allies after a leaked trove of highly sensitive documents appeared online.

Every morning, Valentyn Dudkin picks up his trombone, an instrument he hadn't touched in 30 years, to play Ukraine's national anthem in the courtyard of his apartment building in Kiev.

The 80-year-old retired orchestra director dusted off his musical instrument after Russian leader Vladimir Putin sent troops into Ukraine a year ago.

German Economy and Energy Minister Robert Habeck made a surprise visit to Kiev yesterday to discuss Ukraine's post-war reconstruction.    

A ministry spokeswoman confirmed to AFP that Habeck had arrived in the Ukrainian capital but declined to give further details, citing "security reasons".    

Finland's main conservative party claimed victory in parliamentary elections Sunday in a tight three-way race that saw right-wing populists take second place, leaving Prime Minister Sanna Marin's Social Democratic Party in third, dashing her hopes for reelection.

Russia's Wagner paramilitary group on Monday claimed it had captured the city hall in Ukraine's eastern town of Bakhmut, giving it "legal" control, but Kiev said its forces still held the town.

The battle for Bakhmut has raged for months with Wagner supporting Russian troops and Ukraine warning the fall of the town would lead to the loss of huge swathes of its territory.