From an underground parking garage, Ukraine’s newly dismissed defense minister aired the most dramatic, public critique of the military command to emerge during the war.

Russia and Ukraine have traded deadly strikes – including a Russian assault on Kyiv – a day after Ukraine sealed a landmark deal with the European Union expected to boost its drone capabilities and as President Volodomyr Zelenskyy moves to replace his popular defence minister.

After striking roads and railways, Kyiv is now focusing on sea routes as it tries to disrupt fuel supplies and pressure Russia to end the war.

Ukrainian lawmakers will vote on a new wartime government on Thursday amid popular protests over the dismissal of reformist Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov at a critical point in Kyiv’s conflict with Moscow.

Ukraine and Russia launched missile and drone attacks on Thursday on vessels in the Black ‌Sea and the Sea of Azov, stepping up hostilities in a zone vital for grain exports that have triggered a rise in global wheat prices.

Some argue that Ukraine’s agenda in Washington will suffer, others that there are other interlocutors to Trump who can step up.

The European Union’s top official signed an agreement to move forward on joint weapons production with Ukraine on Wednesday, saying Kyiv’s fight against Russia’s 4-year-old invasion is a key part of the continent’s defense.