News

In the Czech Republic, applications for a five-year residence permit for Ukrainians under temporary protection opened on 1 April. Applications can only be submitted within a 30-day period, and the number of places is limited.

Law enforcement officers have detained two people suspected of being involved in an explosion near a private house in Brovary. The incident occurred on the evening of 13 April.

Under a joint memorandum on financing the restoration of energy infrastructure, banks have provided loans totalling 41.5 billion hryvnias to businesses and households. The funds are being channelled towards projects in 21 regions of Ukraine following Russia’s large-scale attacks.

Former US Vice-President Kamala Harris has stated that she is considering running in the 2028 presidential election. She noted that she is currently weighing up the decision.

Four people were killed and a further 25 injured in Dnipro following an attack by Russian forces. Some of the injured have been hospitalised, including those in a serious condition.

The United States has announced a naval blockade of Iranian ports following the collapse of negotiations, with the aim of restricting Iran’s oil exports. The decision could have an impact on global energy markets and the future course of the conflict.

Former NATO Secretary-General George Robertson has sharply criticised the British leadership for its approach to defence and highlighted the gap between the government’s rhetoric and actual investment. According to the Financial Times, disputes over the funding of defence plans in the UK have been ongoing for several months, with the funding shortfall estimated at around £28 billion.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has signed Law No. 4825-IX, which waives housing and utility charges for owners of properties damaged or destroyed as a result of the war. The legislation also introduces a mechanism for automatic recalculation following an official assessment of the property.

Following the recent drone strikes, operations at key berths in Russia’s largest Black Sea port have not yet been fully resumed. Oil loading is currently taking place at only one of the berths.

The Dnipropetrovsk Regional Administrative Court has ruled that tax assessments totalling over 1.6 million hryvnias against blogger Yelyzaveta Vasylenko were unlawful. The tax authorities had sought to recover these funds in respect of income allegedly received in 2022.

A bill has been tabled in the Verkhovna Rada that provides for the introduction of new rules on the visual identification of staff at regional recruitment and social support centres, as well as changes to the procedures for verifying their authority when interacting with members of the public. According to the authors, the initiative is intended to increase the transparency of the centres’ operations and reduce the number of disputes.

Early on Tuesday morning, 14 April, an explosion occurred in a residential area in the town of Brovary, in the Kyiv region. One man was injured. The incident appears to be a terrorist attack.