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Write about: Three-day ceasefire ends with fresh wave of Russian attacks on Ukraine – Europe live | World news
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Three-day ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine ends with fresh waves of attacks
Today’s talks in Brussels come as the three-day ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine announced by president Donald Trump last week ended with a fresh wave of Russian strikes.
Smoke billows after debris from an intercepted Russian drone fell on the roof of a high-rise residential building in Kyiv, Ukraine. Photograph: Maxym Marusenko/EPA
AFP reported that Moscow launched a wave of more than 200 attack drones that damaged energy facilities and apartment buildings, killing at least one person.
In a post on X, Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that “Russia chose to end the partial silence that had lasted for several days.”
“Attack drones were shot down in the Dnipro, Zhytomyr, Mykolaiv, Sumy, Kharkiv, and Chernihiv regions, as well as in Kyiv and the region. Energy facilities, apartment buildings, and a kindergarten were damaged, and there was also a strike on an ordinary civilian locomotive on the railway… People have been reported injured as a result of these strikes. And, unfortunately, there are fatalities.”
Zelenskyy added that Ukraine “will respond in kind” to Russian attacks, before saying:
“Russia must end this war, and it is Russia that must take the step toward a real, lasting ceasefire. Until that happens, sanctions against Moscow are necessary and must remain in place and be strengthened. It is important that there be no easing of pressure and that partners do not stand aside, but continue working together for security, justice, and a reliable peace.”
Key events
French health minister set to brief media on hantavirus patients
The French health minister Stéphanie Rist is expected to give an update on the French citizens affected by hantavirus shortly.
You can watch along below, but I will bring you the key lines here.
French health minister gives update as MV Hondius passengers quarantine – watch live
New Hungarian government led by Péter Magyar now confirmed
Hungarian election winner and prime minister Péter Magyar now finally has his Tisza ministers confirmed, after an appointment ceremony at the presidential Alexander Palace in Budapest.
Hungary prime minister Péter Magyar poses with new government ministers for a group photo during the appointment ceremony at the presidential Alexander Palace in Budapest, Hungary. Photograph: Robert Hegedus/EPA
Curiously, the new prime minister and his top team did not photograph themselves with Tamás Sulyok, the country’s president and close loyalist of the previous prime minister, Viktor Orbán.
Magyar explained it on social media earlier:
“Members of the TISZA government will neither seek congratulations from the puppet president, @DrTamasSulyok, nor request the opportunity for a joint photo with him, either upon receiving their appointments or after taking their oaths.”
He had previously told Sulyok to resign by end of May or risk being forced out of the office.
Currently, Magyar is speakingat a ceremonial sitting in the National Assembly featuring the swearing-in ceremonies for the 16 new ministers.
Hungary’s new prime minister Peter Magyar delivers a speech during the swearing-in ceremony for the cabinet at the Hungarian Parliament in Budapest. Photograph: Attila Kisbenedek/AFP/Getty Images
In his comments, he stresses the need to “restore and strengthen” Hungary’s alliances, repeats his previous comments on the unprecedented mandate handed to his party, and says that even he was “shocked” by the “ostentatious”scale of luxury and wasteful spending in some of the government buildings, which he touredlive on social media on Monday night.
His first foreign trip – to Poland – is expected next week.
Greece to raise discovery of explosive-packed drone at EU meeting of defence ministers
Helena Smith
in Athens
Meanwhile, Greece’s minister Nikos Dendias has called the discovery of an explosive-packed drone near the shores of the popular Ionian isand of Lefkada in western Greece “a serious issue” saying he will raise it with counterparts at a meeting in Brussels today.
Greek government officials have concluded the drone was manufactured in Ukraine following extensive testing of the device by military experts.
“I will have the opportunity to inform my colleagues, in the presence of the Ukrainian minister of defence, about the information regarding the drone we detected in Greece,” Dendias told journalists as he arrived for the Brussels meeting.
“You understand that the presence of this UAV, the drone, affects freedom of navigation and also affects the safety of navigation. This is an extremely serious issue.”
Dutch hospital staff quarantined over hantavirus protocols
A Dutch hospital has quarantined 12 staff members in a preventive measure after blood and urine from a hantavirus patient were handled without observing strict protocols.
The 12 will be quarantined for six weeks, the Radboudumc hospital in the city of Nijmegen said, adding that the infection risk was very low and patient care continued uninterrupted.
As Reuters reports, quarantining of the medics illustrates the challenge of quickly introducing and implementing stricter protocols needed in hospitals and elsewhere for dealing with this strain of the hantavirus.
In the latest report of a potential case, Italy’s ANSA news agency said a 25-year-old Italian man who had flown on a KLM flight with a woman who died of hantavirus had been taken to hospital with symptoms.
The Radboudumc hospital in Nijmegen Photograph: Marcel Krijgsman/ANP/AFP/Getty Images
Boycotts and blackouts mar buildup as Eurovision 2026 begins
Philip Oltermann
European culture editor
It was meant to be the crowning moment of a seemingly never-ending success story: the 70th anniversary of the world’s biggest and ever-expanding live music event, held in a city steeped in history both dramatic and musical.
Satoshi representing Moldova performs during the second dress rehearsal for the semi-final 1 of the 2026 Eurovision song contest at Wiener Stadthalle in Vienna, Austria. Photograph: Christian Bruna/Getty Images
But as Vienna gears up to host this year’s Eurovision song contest, which starts on Tuesday and culminates in Saturday’s grand final, euphoria will be hard to come by outside the power ballads performed onstage.
Due to boycotts over the inclusion of Israel, the musical extravaganza will take place without Spain and the Netherlands, traditionally Eurovision’s fifth and sixth largest financial contributors, Ireland, the joint record-holder with most winning contributions, Slovenia and Iceland.
It is an unprecedented moment in the contest’s seven-decade history and could have long-term consequences for a spectacle under pressure to justify its costs in a time of cuts to public broadcasters.
European ministers to discuss sending rejected asylum seekers to third-country hubs
Rajeev Syal
Home affairs editor
European ministers will this week discuss plans to send thousands of rejected asylum seekers to third-country hubs, the head of the continent’s human rights body has told the Guardian.
Alain Berset, the secretary general of the Council of Europe, said the discussion about hubs would take place at a multilateral level. Photograph: Ludovic Marin/AFP/Getty Images
Alain Berset, the secretary general of the Council of Europe, said discussions about the removal of people who arrived in Europe by irregular routes would take place “at a multilateral level” at a meeting in Moldova on Friday.
Ministers are also expected to announce a political declaration that will recognise countries’ rights to control their borders after claims that human rights laws have impeded the removal of foreign criminals and unwanted asylum seekers.
There have been demands from several interior ministers, including the UK’s home secretary, Shabana Mahmood, for changes to the interpretation of the European convention on human rights (ECHR).
The planned moves will alarm human rights organisations in the UK. Asylum seekers successfully challenged Conservative government plans to remove them to the third-country hub of Rwanda using the ECHR.
WHO tells countries to look after suspected hantavirus patients, protect public
Sam Jones
in Madrid
Let’s bring you a bit more from that WHO/Spain press briefing on hantavirus from earlier (10:54).
Spanish prime minister Pedro Sánchez (L) and World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus (R) evaluate the situation caused by the hantavirus crisis during a joint press conference at the Moncloa Palace in Madrid, Spain. Photograph: Anadolu/Getty Images
WHO’s director-general Tedros said individual countries were now responsible for their citizens after the evacuation, adding:
“I hope they will take care of the patients and the passengers, helping them and also protecting their citizens as well. That’s what we expect.”
The WHO chief also paid tribute to the Spanish government and the people of Spain for responding to the plight of those onboard the ship after authorities in Cape Verde refused it permission to dock. More than 120 passengers and crew members were evacuated from Tenerife in a carefully coordinated operation on Sunday and Monday.
“I’d like to thank Spain and, especially, prime minister Pedro Sánchez, for the outstanding leadership and coordination,” he said.
“I know this is a model – and I hope other countries also learn from this – not just the obligation part but the compassion and solidarity that Spain has shown.”
In a “divided and divisive world”, he added, “kindness and taking care of each other” were important.
Sánchez echoed the sentiment, saying:
“This world doesn’t need more selfishness, nor more fear. What it needs is countries that show solidarity and want to move forward.”
Youth mobility scheme disagreement hampering reset of UK-EU relations
Lisa O’Carroll
Significant gaps remain in negotiations on the reset in relations between the UK and the EU despite Keir Starmer’s latest pledge to put Britain “at the heart of Europe” after last week’s election drubbing.
The UK reportedly wants to limit the youth mobility scheme to below 50,000 but the EU has already rejected a cap and wants unlimited visas. Photograph: Paul Quayle/Alamy
The UK wants to limit the number of young people from the EU who come into the country as part of a post-Brexit youth mobility scheme to below 50,000, it has emerged.
The EU has already rejected a cap and wants unlimited visas with an annual review on numbers instead, to allow an “emergency brake” on the scheme if politically desirable.
It is understood that the UK is also unwilling to budge on the issue of “home” fees for EU citizens, although it can argue that this was never a topic in the reset roadmap.
Catherine Barnard, a professor of EU law at the University of Cambridge, said in relation to negotiation on the youth mobility scheme:
“I fear that things are still very tricky. I have heard nothing to the contrary to suggest it was going any better than a month ago.”
The youth mobility scheme is the main priority in European capitals, allowing under-30s to travel to each other’s jurisdictions to work, study, au pair or simply experience a foreign country.
When reset talks opened a year ago, capping the scheme at 70,000 was mooted, but sources say the ballpark is now between 40,000 and 50,000, reflecting Labour’s wider anxiety about immigration numbers.
The government has refused to comment on the limit other than to say it would be in the “tens of thousands”.
But behind the scenes there is some frustration in the EU at the UK’s resistance to budge on what both sides agreed was a critical way of promoting better understanding of each other’s countries.
‘We failed to modernise our country,’ German chancellor Merz tells unions in tricky speech
Chancellor Friedrich Merz said Germany must “pull itself together” or risk being left behind in a rapidly changing world, in a speech to trade unionists on Tuesday that sparked jeers, whistles and boos, Reuters reported.
German chancellor Friedrich Merz delivers a speech during the 23rd Ordinary Federal Congress of the German Trade Union Confederation (DGB) in Berlin, Germany. Photograph: Fabian Sommer/EPA
After a year in office, Merz’s popularity has sunk and his government has become embroiled in disputes over how far and how fast to reform Europe’s largest economy to revive growth and tackle ballooning healthcare and pension costs.
“The challenges are also so great because we have created problems for ourselves for far too long, problems that we now have to solve. We have simply failed to modernise our country,” Merz told the German Trade Union Confederation.
“Germany must therefore pull itself together. Germany must tackle the structural problems that we have been putting off for many years, problems that have consequently grown steadily larger. You know it, we all know it.“
Merz said high costs and bureaucracy were hurting business, putting jobs and the prosperity of future generations at risk.
But his case for reforming health and pensions, the latter a straightforward question of “demographics and mathematics“, was greeted with periodic heckling, whistles and laughter, while some in the audience held thumbs-down signs.
Hungary to carry ‘lawful correction’ of controversial LGBTQ laws to reflect EU values, incoming minister says
Over in Hungary, we are expecting the Magyar government to be fully confirmed in place later today (for now, it’s just the prime minister).
People look on as Hungarian prime minister Péter Magyar delivers his speech in front of the Hungarian Parliament, after taking his oath of office, in Budapest, Hungary. Photograph: Leonhard Föger/Reuters
But we are already getting first signals as to how the new administration will be different from the one led by Viktor Orbán over the last 16 years.
The justice minister nominee, Marta Gorog, told lawmakers this morning that Hungary will need to revise legislation restricting access to LGBTQ content after the European Union’s top court ruled they breached EU laws.
“Hungary is a member of the European Union, which means that there are responsibilities on Hungary,” Gorog told a parliamentary committee.
“This means that regarding this court ruling the justice ministry needs to carry out a lawful correction.“
She added that Hungarian legislation cannot exist in isolation and must reflect international and European legal standards, including common EU values.
Quite a shift in tone from Orbán years.
WHO expecting more hantavirus cases to emerge given contacts on cruise ship before prevention measures were taken
Meanwhile, the World Health Organization’s Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus is currently giving a briefing alongside the Spanish prime minister Pedro Sánchez on the current situation on hantavirus, following the evacuation of the MV Hondius cruise ship over the weekend.
Spain’s prime minister Pedro Sánchez and World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus hold a joint press conference at Moncloa Palace, in Madrid, Spain. Photograph: Violeta Santos Moura/Reuters
The key lines appears to be that Tedros conceded that the WHO is expecting more cases to emerge given the prolonged incubation period of six to eight weeks.
“We would expect more cases, because, as you may remember, the index case, the first case in the ship, was on 6 April, and until … the report was confirmed as infectious – that’s around 24 April or 25 – there was a lot of interaction [between] the passengers.
As you know, the incubation period is also six to eight weeks. Because of the interaction while they were still on the ship, especially before they started taking some infectious prevention measures, … we would expect more cases.”
But WHO’s Tedros insisted that “there is no sign that we are seeing the start of a larger outbreak,” before caveating this:
“But of course the situation could change, and given the long incubation period of the virus, it’s possible we might see more cases in the coming weeks.”
He also urged all affected countries to follow the health security advice on 42-day quarantine and constant monitoring of high-risk contacts.
Zelenskyy’s ex-chief of staff accused in Ukraine corruption investigation
Meanwhile, Ukrainian authorities have named Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s powerful former chief of staff as a suspect in a major corruption investigation, a move likely to pile pressure on the president’s office at a sensitive moment in the war with Russia.
Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelenskyy and his chief of staff Andriy Yermak pictured walking in 2024 amid Russia’s attack on Ukraine in Kyiv, Ukraine. Photograph: Gleb Garanich/Reuters
Kyiv’s political class was rocked by a wide-ranging probe last year that had fuelled public anger and prompted the ex-top adviser and Zelenskyy’s right-hand man, Andriy Yermak,to resign.
In a statement on Monday, Ukraine’s anti-corruption agencies said the “former head of the Office of the President of Ukraine” was among those suspected of participating in a criminal group that laundered about $10.5m through an elite housing development outside the capital, Kyiv.
The agencies did not name Yermak, in line with Ukrainian law, but he was widely identified by local media. Speaking to Ukrainian outlet Radio Liberty, he denied owning real estate in the development but did not comment further.
via Reuters
Three-day ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine ends with fresh waves of attacks
Today’s talks in Brussels come as the three-day ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine announced by president Donald Trump last week ended with a fresh wave of Russian strikes.
Smoke billows after debris from an intercepted Russian drone fell on the roof of a high-rise residential building in Kyiv, Ukraine. Photograph: Maxym Marusenko/EPA
AFP reported that Moscow launched a wave of more than 200 attack drones that damaged energy facilities and apartment buildings, killing at least one person.
In a post on X, Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that “Russia chose to end the partial silence that had lasted for several days.”
“Attack drones were shot down in the Dnipro, Zhytomyr, Mykolaiv, Sumy, Kharkiv, and Chernihiv regions, as well as in Kyiv and the region. Energy facilities, apartment buildings, and a kindergarten were damaged, and there was also a strike on an ordinary civilian locomotive on the railway… People have been reported injured as a result of these strikes. And, unfortunately, there are fatalities.”
Zelenskyy added that Ukraine “will respond in kind” to Russian attacks, before saying:
“Russia must end this war, and it is Russia that must take the step toward a real, lasting ceasefire. Until that happens, sanctions against Moscow are necessary and must remain in place and be strengthened. It is important that there be no easing of pressure and that partners do not stand aside, but continue working together for security, justice, and a reliable peace.”
Morning opening: EU defence ministers meet for talks on Ukraine, Middle East
Jakub Krupa
As the UK goes through a yet anothermajor government crisis, EU defence ministers are meeting in Brussels today to discuss the bloc’s threat assessment, its support for Ukraine, and what Europe could do to help in the Middle East.
The ministers will consider “how we can use the €90bn loan, and how does that all proceed so that it answers the urgent needs of Ukraine?” EU’s foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas told reporters this morning.
EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas speaks in Brussels, Belgium. Photograph: Daniel Gnap/NurPhoto/Shutterstock
They will also talk about how to ramp up domestic defence manufacturing in Europe to answer to the growing needs amid warnings over increasingly assertive Russia.
But there is also a lot happening elsewhere, as the new Hungarian government led by Péter Magyar is expected to be formally appointed today, with the new prime minister asking the president, a loyalist of Viktor Orbán, to stay out of the pictures.
I will also look at travel disruptions in Brussels with major union strikes.
Finally, this evening saluti a tutti,Moldova will report for duty as we are going to see the first semi-final of the Eurovision song contest in Vienna, with some unexpected favourites emerging after last night’s rehearsals.
Oh, and if you are after updates from that other news story unfolding today, we have it here:
Lots for us to cover.
I will bring you all the key lines here.
It’s Tuesday, 12 May 2026, it’s Jakub Krupa here, and this is Europe Live.
Good morning.
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Three-day ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine ends with fresh waves of attacks
Today’s talks in Brussels come as the three-day ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine announced by president Donald Trump last week ended with a fresh wave of Russian strikes.
Smoke billows after debris from an intercepted Russian drone fell on the roof of a high-rise residential building in Kyiv, Ukraine. Photograph: Maxym Marusenko/EPA
AFP reported that Moscow launched a wave of more than 200 attack drones that damaged energy facilities and apartment buildings, killing at least one person.
In a post on X, Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that “Russia chose to end the partial silence that had lasted for several days.”
“Attack drones were shot down in the Dnipro, Zhytomyr, Mykolaiv, Sumy, Kharkiv, and Chernihiv regions, as well as in Kyiv and the region. Energy facilities, apartment buildings, and a kindergarten were damaged, and there was also a strike on an ordinary civilian locomotive on the railway… People have been reported injured as a result of these strikes. And, unfortunately, there are fatalities.”
Zelenskyy added that Ukraine “will respond in kind” to Russian attacks, before saying:
“Russia must end this war, and it is Russia that must take the step toward a real, lasting ceasefire. Until that happens, sanctions against Moscow are necessary and must remain in place and be strengthened. It is important that there be no easing of pressure and that partners do not stand aside, but continue working together for security, justice, and a reliable peace.”
Key events
French health minister set to brief media on hantavirus patients
The French health minister Stéphanie Rist is expected to give an update on the French citizens affected by hantavirus shortly.
You can watch along below, but I will bring you the key lines here.
French health minister gives update as MV Hondius passengers quarantine – watch live
New Hungarian government led by Péter Magyar now confirmed
Hungarian election winner and prime minister Péter Magyar now finally has his Tisza ministers confirmed, after an appointment ceremony at the presidential Alexander Palace in Budapest.
Hungary prime minister Péter Magyar poses with new government ministers for a group photo during the appointment ceremony at the presidential Alexander Palace in Budapest, Hungary. Photograph: Robert Hegedus/EPA
Curiously, the new prime minister and his top team did not photograph themselves with Tamás Sulyok, the country’s president and close loyalist of the previous prime minister, Viktor Orbán.
Magyar explained it on social media earlier:
“Members of the TISZA government will neither seek congratulations from the puppet president, @DrTamasSulyok, nor request the opportunity for a joint photo with him, either upon receiving their appointments or after taking their oaths.”
He had previously told Sulyok to resign by end of May or risk being forced out of the office.
Currently, Magyar is speakingat a ceremonial sitting in the National Assembly featuring the swearing-in ceremonies for the 16 new ministers.
Hungary’s new prime minister Peter Magyar delivers a speech during the swearing-in ceremony for the cabinet at the Hungarian Parliament in Budapest. Photograph: Attila Kisbenedek/AFP/Getty Images
In his comments, he stresses the need to “restore and strengthen” Hungary’s alliances, repeats his previous comments on the unprecedented mandate handed to his party, and says that even he was “shocked” by the “ostentatious”scale of luxury and wasteful spending in some of the government buildings, which he touredlive on social media on Monday night.
His first foreign trip – to Poland – is expected next week.
Greece to raise discovery of explosive-packed drone at EU meeting of defence ministers
Helena Smith
in Athens
Meanwhile, Greece’s minister Nikos Dendias has called the discovery of an explosive-packed drone near the shores of the popular Ionian isand of Lefkada in western Greece “a serious issue” saying he will raise it with counterparts at a meeting in Brussels today.
Greek government officials have concluded the drone was manufactured in Ukraine following extensive testing of the device by military experts.
“I will have the opportunity to inform my colleagues, in the presence of the Ukrainian minister of defence, about the information regarding the drone we detected in Greece,” Dendias told journalists as he arrived for the Brussels meeting.
“You understand that the presence of this UAV, the drone, affects freedom of navigation and also affects the safety of navigation. This is an extremely serious issue.”
Dutch hospital staff quarantined over hantavirus protocols
A Dutch hospital has quarantined 12 staff members in a preventive measure after blood and urine from a hantavirus patient were handled without observing strict protocols.
The 12 will be quarantined for six weeks, the Radboudumc hospital in the city of Nijmegen said, adding that the infection risk was very low and patient care continued uninterrupted.
As Reuters reports, quarantining of the medics illustrates the challenge of quickly introducing and implementing stricter protocols needed in hospitals and elsewhere for dealing with this strain of the hantavirus.
In the latest report of a potential case, Italy’s ANSA news agency said a 25-year-old Italian man who had flown on a KLM flight with a woman who died of hantavirus had been taken to hospital with symptoms.
The Radboudumc hospital in Nijmegen Photograph: Marcel Krijgsman/ANP/AFP/Getty Images
Boycotts and blackouts mar buildup as Eurovision 2026 begins
Philip Oltermann
European culture editor
It was meant to be the crowning moment of a seemingly never-ending success story: the 70th anniversary of the world’s biggest and ever-expanding live music event, held in a city steeped in history both dramatic and musical.
Satoshi representing Moldova performs during the second dress rehearsal for the semi-final 1 of the 2026 Eurovision song contest at Wiener Stadthalle in Vienna, Austria. Photograph: Christian Bruna/Getty Images
But as Vienna gears up to host this year’s Eurovision song contest, which starts on Tuesday and culminates in Saturday’s grand final, euphoria will be hard to come by outside the power ballads performed onstage.
Due to boycotts over the inclusion of Israel, the musical extravaganza will take place without Spain and the Netherlands, traditionally Eurovision’s fifth and sixth largest financial contributors, Ireland, the joint record-holder with most winning contributions, Slovenia and Iceland.
It is an unprecedented moment in the contest’s seven-decade history and could have long-term consequences for a spectacle under pressure to justify its costs in a time of cuts to public broadcasters.
European ministers to discuss sending rejected asylum seekers to third-country hubs
Rajeev Syal
Home affairs editor
European ministers will this week discuss plans to send thousands of rejected asylum seekers to third-country hubs, the head of the continent’s human rights body has told the Guardian.
Alain Berset, the secretary general of the Council of Europe, said the discussion about hubs would take place at a multilateral level. Photograph: Ludovic Marin/AFP/Getty Images
Alain Berset, the secretary general of the Council of Europe, said discussions about the removal of people who arrived in Europe by irregular routes would take place “at a multilateral level” at a meeting in Moldova on Friday.
Ministers are also expected to announce a political declaration that will recognise countries’ rights to control their borders after claims that human rights laws have impeded the removal of foreign criminals and unwanted asylum seekers.
There have been demands from several interior ministers, including the UK’s home secretary, Shabana Mahmood, for changes to the interpretation of the European convention on human rights (ECHR).
The planned moves will alarm human rights organisations in the UK. Asylum seekers successfully challenged Conservative government plans to remove them to the third-country hub of Rwanda using the ECHR.
WHO tells countries to look after suspected hantavirus patients, protect public
Sam Jones
in Madrid
Let’s bring you a bit more from that WHO/Spain press briefing on hantavirus from earlier (10:54).
Spanish prime minister Pedro Sánchez (L) and World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus (R) evaluate the situation caused by the hantavirus crisis during a joint press conference at the Moncloa Palace in Madrid, Spain. Photograph: Anadolu/Getty Images
WHO’s director-general Tedros said individual countries were now responsible for their citizens after the evacuation, adding:
“I hope they will take care of the patients and the passengers, helping them and also protecting their citizens as well. That’s what we expect.”
The WHO chief also paid tribute to the Spanish government and the people of Spain for responding to the plight of those onboard the ship after authorities in Cape Verde refused it permission to dock. More than 120 passengers and crew members were evacuated from Tenerife in a carefully coordinated operation on Sunday and Monday.
“I’d like to thank Spain and, especially, prime minister Pedro Sánchez, for the outstanding leadership and coordination,” he said.
“I know this is a model – and I hope other countries also learn from this – not just the obligation part but the compassion and solidarity that Spain has shown.”
In a “divided and divisive world”, he added, “kindness and taking care of each other” were important.
Sánchez echoed the sentiment, saying:
“This world doesn’t need more selfishness, nor more fear. What it needs is countries that show solidarity and want to move forward.”
Youth mobility scheme disagreement hampering reset of UK-EU relations
Lisa O’Carroll
Significant gaps remain in negotiations on the reset in relations between the UK and the EU despite Keir Starmer’s latest pledge to put Britain “at the heart of Europe” after last week’s election drubbing.
The UK reportedly wants to limit the youth mobility scheme to below 50,000 but the EU has already rejected a cap and wants unlimited visas. Photograph: Paul Quayle/Alamy
The UK wants to limit the number of young people from the EU who come into the country as part of a post-Brexit youth mobility scheme to below 50,000, it has emerged.
The EU has already rejected a cap and wants unlimited visas with an annual review on numbers instead, to allow an “emergency brake” on the scheme if politically desirable.
It is understood that the UK is also unwilling to budge on the issue of “home” fees for EU citizens, although it can argue that this was never a topic in the reset roadmap.
Catherine Barnard, a professor of EU law at the University of Cambridge, said in relation to negotiation on the youth mobility scheme:
“I fear that things are still very tricky. I have heard nothing to the contrary to suggest it was going any better than a month ago.”
The youth mobility scheme is the main priority in European capitals, allowing under-30s to travel to each other’s jurisdictions to work, study, au pair or simply experience a foreign country.
When reset talks opened a year ago, capping the scheme at 70,000 was mooted, but sources say the ballpark is now between 40,000 and 50,000, reflecting Labour’s wider anxiety about immigration numbers.
The government has refused to comment on the limit other than to say it would be in the “tens of thousands”.
But behind the scenes there is some frustration in the EU at the UK’s resistance to budge on what both sides agreed was a critical way of promoting better understanding of each other’s countries.
‘We failed to modernise our country,’ German chancellor Merz tells unions in tricky speech
Chancellor Friedrich Merz said Germany must “pull itself together” or risk being left behind in a rapidly changing world, in a speech to trade unionists on Tuesday that sparked jeers, whistles and boos, Reuters reported.
German chancellor Friedrich Merz delivers a speech during the 23rd Ordinary Federal Congress of the German Trade Union Confederation (DGB) in Berlin, Germany. Photograph: Fabian Sommer/EPA
After a year in office, Merz’s popularity has sunk and his government has become embroiled in disputes over how far and how fast to reform Europe’s largest economy to revive growth and tackle ballooning healthcare and pension costs.
“The challenges are also so great because we have created problems for ourselves for far too long, problems that we now have to solve. We have simply failed to modernise our country,” Merz told the German Trade Union Confederation.
“Germany must therefore pull itself together. Germany must tackle the structural problems that we have been putting off for many years, problems that have consequently grown steadily larger. You know it, we all know it.“
Merz said high costs and bureaucracy were hurting business, putting jobs and the prosperity of future generations at risk.
But his case for reforming health and pensions, the latter a straightforward question of “demographics and mathematics“, was greeted with periodic heckling, whistles and laughter, while some in the audience held thumbs-down signs.
Hungary to carry ‘lawful correction’ of controversial LGBTQ laws to reflect EU values, incoming minister says
Over in Hungary, we are expecting the Magyar government to be fully confirmed in place later today (for now, it’s just the prime minister).
People look on as Hungarian prime minister Péter Magyar delivers his speech in front of the Hungarian Parliament, after taking his oath of office, in Budapest, Hungary. Photograph: Leonhard Föger/Reuters
But we are already getting first signals as to how the new administration will be different from the one led by Viktor Orbán over the last 16 years.
The justice minister nominee, Marta Gorog, told lawmakers this morning that Hungary will need to revise legislation restricting access to LGBTQ content after the European Union’s top court ruled they breached EU laws.
“Hungary is a member of the European Union, which means that there are responsibilities on Hungary,” Gorog told a parliamentary committee.
“This means that regarding this court ruling the justice ministry needs to carry out a lawful correction.“
She added that Hungarian legislation cannot exist in isolation and must reflect international and European legal standards, including common EU values.
Quite a shift in tone from Orbán years.
WHO expecting more hantavirus cases to emerge given contacts on cruise ship before prevention measures were taken
Meanwhile, the World Health Organization’s Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus is currently giving a briefing alongside the Spanish prime minister Pedro Sánchez on the current situation on hantavirus, following the evacuation of the MV Hondius cruise ship over the weekend.
Spain’s prime minister Pedro Sánchez and World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus hold a joint press conference at Moncloa Palace, in Madrid, Spain. Photograph: Violeta Santos Moura/Reuters
The key lines appears to be that Tedros conceded that the WHO is expecting more cases to emerge given the prolonged incubation period of six to eight weeks.
“We would expect more cases, because, as you may remember, the index case, the first case in the ship, was on 6 April, and until … the report was confirmed as infectious – that’s around 24 April or 25 – there was a lot of interaction [between] the passengers.
As you know, the incubation period is also six to eight weeks. Because of the interaction while they were still on the ship, especially before they started taking some infectious prevention measures, … we would expect more cases.”
But WHO’s Tedros insisted that “there is no sign that we are seeing the start of a larger outbreak,” before caveating this:
“But of course the situation could change, and given the long incubation period of the virus, it’s possible we might see more cases in the coming weeks.”
He also urged all affected countries to follow the health security advice on 42-day quarantine and constant monitoring of high-risk contacts.
Zelenskyy’s ex-chief of staff accused in Ukraine corruption investigation
Meanwhile, Ukrainian authorities have named Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s powerful former chief of staff as a suspect in a major corruption investigation, a move likely to pile pressure on the president’s office at a sensitive moment in the war with Russia.
Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelenskyy and his chief of staff Andriy Yermak pictured walking in 2024 amid Russia’s attack on Ukraine in Kyiv, Ukraine. Photograph: Gleb Garanich/Reuters
Kyiv’s political class was rocked by a wide-ranging probe last year that had fuelled public anger and prompted the ex-top adviser and Zelenskyy’s right-hand man, Andriy Yermak,to resign.
In a statement on Monday, Ukraine’s anti-corruption agencies said the “former head of the Office of the President of Ukraine” was among those suspected of participating in a criminal group that laundered about $10.5m through an elite housing development outside the capital, Kyiv.
The agencies did not name Yermak, in line with Ukrainian law, but he was widely identified by local media. Speaking to Ukrainian outlet Radio Liberty, he denied owning real estate in the development but did not comment further.
via Reuters
Three-day ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine ends with fresh waves of attacks
Today’s talks in Brussels come as the three-day ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine announced by president Donald Trump last week ended with a fresh wave of Russian strikes.
Smoke billows after debris from an intercepted Russian drone fell on the roof of a high-rise residential building in Kyiv, Ukraine. Photograph: Maxym Marusenko/EPA
AFP reported that Moscow launched a wave of more than 200 attack drones that damaged energy facilities and apartment buildings, killing at least one person.
In a post on X, Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that “Russia chose to end the partial silence that had lasted for several days.”
“Attack drones were shot down in the Dnipro, Zhytomyr, Mykolaiv, Sumy, Kharkiv, and Chernihiv regions, as well as in Kyiv and the region. Energy facilities, apartment buildings, and a kindergarten were damaged, and there was also a strike on an ordinary civilian locomotive on the railway… People have been reported injured as a result of these strikes. And, unfortunately, there are fatalities.”
Zelenskyy added that Ukraine “will respond in kind” to Russian attacks, before saying:
“Russia must end this war, and it is Russia that must take the step toward a real, lasting ceasefire. Until that happens, sanctions against Moscow are necessary and must remain in place and be strengthened. It is important that there be no easing of pressure and that partners do not stand aside, but continue working together for security, justice, and a reliable peace.”
Morning opening: EU defence ministers meet for talks on Ukraine, Middle East
Jakub Krupa
As the UK goes through a yet anothermajor government crisis, EU defence ministers are meeting in Brussels today to discuss the bloc’s threat assessment, its support for Ukraine, and what Europe could do to help in the Middle East.
The ministers will consider “how we can use the €90bn loan, and how does that all proceed so that it answers the urgent needs of Ukraine?” EU’s foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas told reporters this morning.
EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas speaks in Brussels, Belgium. Photograph: Daniel Gnap/NurPhoto/Shutterstock
They will also talk about how to ramp up domestic defence manufacturing in Europe to answer to the growing needs amid warnings over increasingly assertive Russia.
I will bring you all the key lines from Brussels.
But there is also a lot happening elsewhere, as the new Hungarian government led by Péter Magyar is expected to be formally appointed today, with the new prime minister asking the president, a loyalist of Viktor Orbán, to stay out of the pictures.
Eurovision
I will also look at travel disruptions in Brussels with major union strikes.
Finally, this evening saluti a tutti,Moldova will report for duty as we are going to see the first semi-final of the Eurovision song contest in Vienna, with some unexpected favourites emerging after last night’s rehearsals.
Oh, and if you are after updates from that other news story unfolding today, we have it here:
Lots for us to cover.
I will bring you all the key lines here.
It’s Tuesday, 12 May 2026, it’s Jakub Krupa here, and this is Europe Live.
Good morning.
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• If a detail cannot be verified, omit it OR mark it clearly as unconfirmed with neutral attribution.
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Three-day ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine ends with fresh waves of attacks
Today’s talks in Brussels come as the three-day ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine announced by president Donald Trump last week ended with a fresh wave of Russian strikes.
Smoke billows after debris from an intercepted Russian drone fell on the roof of a high-rise residential building in Kyiv, Ukraine. Photograph: Maxym Marusenko/EPA
AFP reported that Moscow launched a wave of more than 200 attack drones that damaged energy facilities and apartment buildings, killing at least one person.
In a post on X, Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that “Russia chose to end the partial silence that had lasted for several days.”
“Attack drones were shot down in the Dnipro, Zhytomyr, Mykolaiv, Sumy, Kharkiv, and Chernihiv regions, as well as in Kyiv and the region. Energy facilities, apartment buildings, and a kindergarten were damaged, and there was also a strike on an ordinary civilian locomotive on the railway… People have been reported injured as a result of these strikes. And, unfortunately, there are fatalities.”
Zelenskyy added that Ukraine “will respond in kind” to Russian attacks, before saying:
“Russia must end this war, and it is Russia that must take the step toward a real, lasting ceasefire. Until that happens, sanctions against Moscow are necessary and must remain in place and be strengthened. It is important that there be no easing of pressure and that partners do not stand aside, but continue working together for security, justice, and a reliable peace.”
Key events
French health minister set to brief media on hantavirus patients
The French health minister Stéphanie Rist is expected to give an update on the French citizens affected by hantavirus shortly.
You can watch along below, but I will bring you the key lines here.
French health minister gives update as MV Hondius passengers quarantine – watch live
New Hungarian government led by Péter Magyar now confirmed
Hungarian election winner and prime minister Péter Magyar now finally has his Tisza ministers confirmed, after an appointment ceremony at the presidential Alexander Palace in Budapest.
Hungary prime minister Péter Magyar poses with new government ministers for a group photo during the appointment ceremony at the presidential Alexander Palace in Budapest, Hungary. Photograph: Robert Hegedus/EPA
Curiously, the new prime minister and his top team did not photograph themselves with Tamás Sulyok, the country’s president and close loyalist of the previous prime minister, Viktor Orbán.
Magyar explained it on social media earlier:
“Members of the TISZA government will neither seek congratulations from the puppet president, @DrTamasSulyok, nor request the opportunity for a joint photo with him, either upon receiving their appointments or after taking their oaths.”
He had previously told Sulyok to resign by end of May or risk being forced out of the office.
Currently, Magyar is speakingat a ceremonial sitting in the National Assembly featuring the swearing-in ceremonies for the 16 new ministers.
Hungary’s new prime minister Peter Magyar delivers a speech during the swearing-in ceremony for the cabinet at the Hungarian Parliament in Budapest. Photograph: Attila Kisbenedek/AFP/Getty Images
In his comments, he stresses the need to “restore and strengthen” Hungary’s alliances, repeats his previous comments on the unprecedented mandate handed to his party, and says that even he was “shocked” by the “ostentatious”scale of luxury and wasteful spending in some of the government buildings, which he touredlive on social media on Monday night.
His first foreign trip – to Poland – is expected next week.
Greece to raise discovery of explosive-packed drone at EU meeting of defence ministers
Helena Smith
in Athens
Meanwhile, Greece’s minister Nikos Dendias has called the discovery of an explosive-packed drone near the shores of the popular Ionian isand of Lefkada in western Greece “a serious issue” saying he will raise it with counterparts at a meeting in Brussels today.
Greek government officials have concluded the drone was manufactured in Ukraine following extensive testing of the device by military experts.
“I will have the opportunity to inform my colleagues, in the presence of the Ukrainian minister of defence, about the information regarding the drone we detected in Greece,” Dendias told journalists as he arrived for the Brussels meeting.
“You understand that the presence of this UAV, the drone, affects freedom of navigation and also affects the safety of navigation. This is an extremely serious issue.”
Dutch hospital staff quarantined over hantavirus protocols
A Dutch hospital has quarantined 12 staff members in a preventive measure after blood and urine from a hantavirus patient were handled without observing strict protocols.
The 12 will be quarantined for six weeks, the Radboudumc hospital in the city of Nijmegen said, adding that the infection risk was very low and patient care continued uninterrupted.
As Reuters reports, quarantining of the medics illustrates the challenge of quickly introducing and implementing stricter protocols needed in hospitals and elsewhere for dealing with this strain of the hantavirus.
In the latest report of a potential case, Italy’s ANSA news agency said a 25-year-old Italian man who had flown on a KLM flight with a woman who died of hantavirus had been taken to hospital with symptoms.
The Radboudumc hospital in Nijmegen Photograph: Marcel Krijgsman/ANP/AFP/Getty Images
Boycotts and blackouts mar buildup as Eurovision 2026 begins
Philip Oltermann
European culture editor
It was meant to be the crowning moment of a seemingly never-ending success story: the 70th anniversary of the world’s biggest and ever-expanding live music event, held in a city steeped in history both dramatic and musical.
Satoshi representing Moldova performs during the second dress rehearsal for the semi-final 1 of the 2026 Eurovision song contest at Wiener Stadthalle in Vienna, Austria. Photograph: Christian Bruna/Getty Images
But as Vienna gears up to host this year’s Eurovision song contest, which starts on Tuesday and culminates in Saturday’s grand final, euphoria will be hard to come by outside the power ballads performed onstage.
Due to boycotts over the inclusion of Israel, the musical extravaganza will take place without Spain and the Netherlands, traditionally Eurovision’s fifth and sixth largest financial contributors, Ireland, the joint record-holder with most winning contributions, Slovenia and Iceland.
It is an unprecedented moment in the contest’s seven-decade history and could have long-term consequences for a spectacle under pressure to justify its costs in a time of cuts to public broadcasters.
European ministers to discuss sending rejected asylum seekers to third-country hubs
Rajeev Syal
Home affairs editor
European ministers will this week discuss plans to send thousands of rejected asylum seekers to third-country hubs, the head of the continent’s human rights body has told the Guardian.
Alain Berset, the secretary general of the Council of Europe, said the discussion about hubs would take place at a multilateral level. Photograph: Ludovic Marin/AFP/Getty Images
Alain Berset, the secretary general of the Council of Europe, said discussions about the removal of people who arrived in Europe by irregular routes would take place “at a multilateral level” at a meeting in Moldova on Friday.
Ministers are also expected to announce a political declaration that will recognise countries’ rights to control their borders after claims that human rights laws have impeded the removal of foreign criminals and unwanted asylum seekers.
There have been demands from several interior ministers, including the UK’s home secretary, Shabana Mahmood, for changes to the interpretation of the European convention on human rights (ECHR).
The planned moves will alarm human rights organisations in the UK. Asylum seekers successfully challenged Conservative government plans to remove them to the third-country hub of Rwanda using the ECHR.
WHO tells countries to look after suspected hantavirus patients, protect public
Sam Jones
in Madrid
Let’s bring you a bit more from that WHO/Spain press briefing on hantavirus from earlier (10:54).
Spanish prime minister Pedro Sánchez (L) and World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus (R) evaluate the situation caused by the hantavirus crisis during a joint press conference at the Moncloa Palace in Madrid, Spain. Photograph: Anadolu/Getty Images
WHO’s director-general Tedros said individual countries were now responsible for their citizens after the evacuation, adding:
“I hope they will take care of the patients and the passengers, helping them and also protecting their citizens as well. That’s what we expect.”
The WHO chief also paid tribute to the Spanish government and the people of Spain for responding to the plight of those onboard the ship after authorities in Cape Verde refused it permission to dock. More than 120 passengers and crew members were evacuated from Tenerife in a carefully coordinated operation on Sunday and Monday.
“I’d like to thank Spain and, especially, prime minister Pedro Sánchez, for the outstanding leadership and coordination,” he said.
“I know this is a model – and I hope other countries also learn from this – not just the obligation part but the compassion and solidarity that Spain has shown.”
In a “divided and divisive world”, he added, “kindness and taking care of each other” were important.
Sánchez echoed the sentiment, saying:
“This world doesn’t need more selfishness, nor more fear. What it needs is countries that show solidarity and want to move forward.”
Youth mobility scheme disagreement hampering reset of UK-EU relations
Lisa O’Carroll
Significant gaps remain in negotiations on the reset in relations between the UK and the EU despite Keir Starmer’s latest pledge to put Britain “at the heart of Europe” after last week’s election drubbing.
The UK reportedly wants to limit the youth mobility scheme to below 50,000 but the EU has already rejected a cap and wants unlimited visas. Photograph: Paul Quayle/Alamy
The UK wants to limit the number of young people from the EU who come into the country as part of a post-Brexit youth mobility scheme to below 50,000, it has emerged.
The EU has already rejected a cap and wants unlimited visas with an annual review on numbers instead, to allow an “emergency brake” on the scheme if politically desirable.
It is understood that the UK is also unwilling to budge on the issue of “home” fees for EU citizens, although it can argue that this was never a topic in the reset roadmap.
Catherine Barnard, a professor of EU law at the University of Cambridge, said in relation to negotiation on the youth mobility scheme:
“I fear that things are still very tricky. I have heard nothing to the contrary to suggest it was going any better than a month ago.”
The youth mobility scheme is the main priority in European capitals, allowing under-30s to travel to each other’s jurisdictions to work, study, au pair or simply experience a foreign country.
When reset talks opened a year ago, capping the scheme at 70,000 was mooted, but sources say the ballpark is now between 40,000 and 50,000, reflecting Labour’s wider anxiety about immigration numbers.
The government has refused to comment on the limit other than to say it would be in the “tens of thousands”.
But behind the scenes there is some frustration in the EU at the UK’s resistance to budge on what both sides agreed was a critical way of promoting better understanding of each other’s countries.
‘We failed to modernise our country,’ German chancellor Merz tells unions in tricky speech
Chancellor Friedrich Merz said Germany must “pull itself together” or risk being left behind in a rapidly changing world, in a speech to trade unionists on Tuesday that sparked jeers, whistles and boos, Reuters reported.
German chancellor Friedrich Merz delivers a speech during the 23rd Ordinary Federal Congress of the German Trade Union Confederation (DGB) in Berlin, Germany. Photograph: Fabian Sommer/EPA
After a year in office, Merz’s popularity has sunk and his government has become embroiled in disputes over how far and how fast to reform Europe’s largest economy to revive growth and tackle ballooning healthcare and pension costs.
“The challenges are also so great because we have created problems for ourselves for far too long, problems that we now have to solve. We have simply failed to modernise our country,” Merz told the German Trade Union Confederation.
“Germany must therefore pull itself together. Germany must tackle the structural problems that we have been putting off for many years, problems that have consequently grown steadily larger. You know it, we all know it.“
Merz said high costs and bureaucracy were hurting business, putting jobs and the prosperity of future generations at risk.
But his case for reforming health and pensions, the latter a straightforward question of “demographics and mathematics“, was greeted with periodic heckling, whistles and laughter, while some in the audience held thumbs-down signs.
Hungary to carry ‘lawful correction’ of controversial LGBTQ laws to reflect EU values, incoming minister says
Over in Hungary, we are expecting the Magyar government to be fully confirmed in place later today (for now, it’s just the prime minister).
People look on as Hungarian prime minister Péter Magyar delivers his speech in front of the Hungarian Parliament, after taking his oath of office, in Budapest, Hungary. Photograph: Leonhard Föger/Reuters
But we are already getting first signals as to how the new administration will be different from the one led by Viktor Orbán over the last 16 years.
The justice minister nominee, Marta Gorog, told lawmakers this morning that Hungary will need to revise legislation restricting access to LGBTQ content after the European Union’s top court ruled they breached EU laws.
“Hungary is a member of the European Union, which means that there are responsibilities on Hungary,” Gorog told a parliamentary committee.
“This means that regarding this court ruling the justice ministry needs to carry out a lawful correction.“
She added that Hungarian legislation cannot exist in isolation and must reflect international and European legal standards, including common EU values.
Quite a shift in tone from Orbán years.
WHO expecting more hantavirus cases to emerge given contacts on cruise ship before prevention measures were taken
Meanwhile, the World Health Organization’s Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus is currently giving a briefing alongside the Spanish prime minister Pedro Sánchez on the current situation on hantavirus, following the evacuation of the MV Hondius cruise ship over the weekend.
Spain’s prime minister Pedro Sánchez and World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus hold a joint press conference at Moncloa Palace, in Madrid, Spain. Photograph: Violeta Santos Moura/Reuters
The key lines appears to be that Tedros conceded that the WHO is expecting more cases to emerge given the prolonged incubation period of six to eight weeks.
“We would expect more cases, because, as you may remember, the index case, the first case in the ship, was on 6 April, and until … the report was confirmed as infectious – that’s around 24 April or 25 – there was a lot of interaction [between] the passengers.
As you know, the incubation period is also six to eight weeks. Because of the interaction while they were still on the ship, especially before they started taking some infectious prevention measures, … we would expect more cases.”
But WHO’s Tedros insisted that “there is no sign that we are seeing the start of a larger outbreak,” before caveating this:
“But of course the situation could change, and given the long incubation period of the virus, it’s possible we might see more cases in the coming weeks.”
He also urged all affected countries to follow the health security advice on 42-day quarantine and constant monitoring of high-risk contacts.
Zelenskyy’s ex-chief of staff accused in Ukraine corruption investigation
Meanwhile, Ukrainian authorities have named Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s powerful former chief of staff as a suspect in a major corruption investigation, a move likely to pile pressure on the president’s office at a sensitive moment in the war with Russia.
Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelenskyy and his chief of staff Andriy Yermak pictured walking in 2024 amid Russia’s attack on Ukraine in Kyiv, Ukraine. Photograph: Gleb Garanich/Reuters
Kyiv’s political class was rocked by a wide-ranging probe last year that had fuelled public anger and prompted the ex-top adviser and Zelenskyy’s right-hand man, Andriy Yermak,to resign.
In a statement on Monday, Ukraine’s anti-corruption agencies said the “former head of the Office of the President of Ukraine” was among those suspected of participating in a criminal group that laundered about $10.5m through an elite housing development outside the capital, Kyiv.
The agencies did not name Yermak, in line with Ukrainian law, but he was widely identified by local media. Speaking to Ukrainian outlet Radio Liberty, he denied owning real estate in the development but did not comment further.
via Reuters
Three-day ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine ends with fresh waves of attacks
Today’s talks in Brussels come as the three-day ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine announced by president Donald Trump last week ended with a fresh wave of Russian strikes.
Smoke billows after debris from an intercepted Russian drone fell on the roof of a high-rise residential building in Kyiv, Ukraine. Photograph: Maxym Marusenko/EPA
AFP reported that Moscow launched a wave of more than 200 attack drones that damaged energy facilities and apartment buildings, killing at least one person.
In a post on X, Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that “Russia chose to end the partial silence that had lasted for several days.”
“Attack drones were shot down in the Dnipro, Zhytomyr, Mykolaiv, Sumy, Kharkiv, and Chernihiv regions, as well as in Kyiv and the region. Energy facilities, apartment buildings, and a kindergarten were damaged, and there was also a strike on an ordinary civilian locomotive on the railway… People have been reported injured as a result of these strikes. And, unfortunately, there are fatalities.”
Zelenskyy added that Ukraine “will respond in kind” to Russian attacks, before saying:
“Russia must end this war, and it is Russia that must take the step toward a real, lasting ceasefire. Until that happens, sanctions against Moscow are necessary and must remain in place and be strengthened. It is important that there be no easing of pressure and that partners do not stand aside, but continue working together for security, justice, and a reliable peace.”
Morning opening: EU defence ministers meet for talks on Ukraine, Middle East
Jakub Krupa
As the UK goes through a yet anothermajor government crisis, EU defence ministers are meeting in Brussels today to discuss the bloc’s threat assessment, its support for Ukraine, and what Europe could do to help in the Middle East.
Russian Brussels
The ministers will consider “how we can use the €90bn loan, and how does that all proceed so that it answers the urgent needs of Ukraine?” EU’s foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas told reporters this morning.
EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas speaks in Brussels, Belgium. Photograph: Daniel Gnap/NurPhoto/Shutterstock
They will also talk about how to ramp up domestic defence manufacturing in Europe to answer to the growing needs amid warnings over increasingly assertive Russia.
I will bring you all the key lines from Brussels.
But there is also a lot happening elsewhere, as the new Hungarian government led by Péter Magyar is expected to be formally appointed today, with the new prime minister asking the president, a loyalist of Viktor Orbán, to stay out of the pictures.
I will also look at travel disruptions in Brussels with major union strikes.
Finally, this evening saluti a tutti,Moldova will report for duty as we are going to see the first semi-final of the Eurovision song contest in Vienna, with some unexpected favourites emerging after last night’s rehearsals.
Oh, and if you are after updates from that other news story unfolding today, we have it here:
Lots for us to cover.
I will bring you all the key lines here.
It’s Tuesday, 12 May 2026, it’s Jakub Krupa here, and this is Europe Live.
Good morning.
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