The Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO) and the De Boomgaard Foundation are investing in the installation of 2,700 solar panels that will generate 1.6 million kWh of electricity annually for 23 Ukrainian hospitals in frontline regions.
According to a press release from the Dutch-Ukrainian charity LifeLine Ukraine, which is supporting the project on the Ukrainian side, the total cost of the project is €3.4 million.
The project is jointly supported by a consortium of partners from the Netherlands (Solarge) and Ukraine (Lifeline Ukraine and Energy Act Ukraine) and provides reliable and sustainable energy supplies to key healthcare facilities and, in the future, to educational institutions in the country.
Solar panels from Solarge have already been installed in two medical facilities in Mykolaiv, with plans to install them in 21 more hospitals.
In addition to solar panels, the hospitals will also receive batteries for storing electricity.
Stichting de Boomgaard intends to ask the EC to build 60 more hospitals along the front line after the completion of these 23 hospitals.
In April, the sociological company Active Group, in collaboration with the information and analytical center Experts Club, conducted a public opinion poll on Ukrainians’ international sympathies. The survey was conducted online among 800 respondents representative of their age, gender, and region. The aim of the survey was to find out which countries enjoy the greatest trust and sympathy in Ukrainian society.
“This survey confirms the general trend in public sentiment in Ukraine, which has intensified since the start of the large-scale war. Ukrainians clearly associate the support they have received, primarily from the European Union and the United Kingdom, with a positive attitude towards them,” said Alexander Pozniy, co-founder of Active Group, at a press conference at the Interfax-Ukraine agency on Thursday.
According to the survey, Ukrainians have the most positive opinion of the United Kingdom, with a total of 77.2% of respondents giving positive answers, followed by Canada (76.3%) and France (74%). It is particularly noteworthy that only 1.1% of respondents had a completely negative opinion of France. Germany currently has the support of 68.8% of Ukrainians. According to Oleksandr Pozniy, the high level of trust in this country is primarily determined by its long-term support for Ukrainian reforms and the defense industry, its policy towards Ukrainian refugees, and other initiatives.
Ukrainians have a rather moderately positive attitude toward the United States: 36.1% of respondents view the US positively, while another 31.2% hold a neutral position. On the other hand, almost a third (29.9%) have a negative view of the country. According to experts, these results indicate a deep polarization in the perception of the US within Ukraine, caused by changes in American policy after the new administration came to power.
“For many Ukrainians, the US is still a guarantor of support, but it is also a country with an ambivalent role in global conflicts, which can cause mixed reactions in society,” said Maxim Urakin, founder of the Experts Club.
Ukrainians are quite critical of Hungary (56% negative attitude) and Slovakia (34.6% negative).
“These results are not surprising — the official rhetoric of Budapest and Bratislava often diverges from Ukraine’s interests and is perceived as pro-Russian, which cannot but be reflected in public opinion,” commented Oleksandr Pozniy.
The situation with China is no better: 42.8% of Ukrainians have a negative opinion of this country, while only 19.6% view it positively. At the same time, 27.6% chose a neutral response.
“It is particularly interesting that even Ukraine’s economically important partners, such as China (its largest trading partner), receive low support ratings among Ukrainians. This indicates that Ukrainian society values moral support above real trade and does not recognize “neutrality” if it is not accompanied by humanitarian gestures,” said Maxim Urakin.
There is a high level of trust in Japan: 66% of respondents have a positive attitude, while only 3.6% have a negative attitude. Japan is perceived as a country with a high cultural reputation and technological leadership. South Korea also has a positive attitude from 49.7% of Ukrainians, although the level of negativity here is slightly higher at 14%.
Turkey, despite partnership projects (particularly in the field of drones), has a rather ambiguous perception: 46.4% of respondents have a positive attitude towards it, while 12% have a negative attitude.
Ukrainians have a favorable view of Brazil, with 33.3% positive and 9.3% negative, while their attitude toward other Latin American countries is mostly neutral. According to Oleksandr Pozniy, this indicates neutral interest rather than a clearly formed position.
As for Saudi Arabia, 25.2% of Ukrainians have a positive attitude, while 9.5% have a negative one. The remaining respondents either took a neutral position or did not answer.
“These countries inspire trust thanks to their efforts to achieve peace in Ukraine, in particular through prisoner exchanges, and they also act as a negotiating platform and are of interest in the economic sphere,” Urakin believes.
The findings of the study, as emphasized by Oleksandr Pozniy, are an indicator of international trust and potential for the development of bilateral relations between Ukraine and other countries.
Maksym Urakin added that the image of countries in the eyes of Ukrainians can be improved through support for projects aimed at rebuilding Ukraine (even without military involvement), establishing direct dialogue through embassies and public diplomacy projects, explaining their position through historical context, and not avoiding publicity.
The presentation is available here.
Pope Francis was buried in the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore in Rome, the Vatican said. The closed ceremony lasted about half an hour.
“The funeral rites were conducted in accordance with the Ordo Exsequiarum Romani Pontificis, presided over by the Cardinal Camerlengo, in the presence of those indicated in the relevant communication from the Office for Liturgical Celebrations and the relatives of the late Pope, and concluded at 1:30 p.m.,” the Vatican said in a statement.
After the farewell ceremony, a nine-day period of mourning begins.
During this time, cardinals from around the world arrive in the Vatican to participate in the conclave, a closed meeting at which a new Pope is elected.
It is noted that for the first time in more than a century, the Pope was buried outside the Vatican, and his funeral was a private event, allowing those closest to him to pay their respects.
39 years since the Chernobyl disaster
On April 26, 1986, at 1:23 a.m. Kyiv time, the fourth power unit of the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant (ChNPP) suffered the worst man-made disaster in human history. As a result of a failed experiment to test safety systems, a reactor explosion occurred, leading to a massive release of radioactive substances into the atmosphere.
How the accident happened
The experiment on the fourth power unit was conducted to test the operation of the turbine generator in the event of a loss of external power supply. Due to a series of violations of instructions, design errors, and incorrect actions by personnel, the reactor lost stability, causing a thermal explosion and subsequent fire.
The first firefighters and plant workers who arrived at the scene of the accident were exposed to powerful radioactive radiation, often without adequate protection.
The scale of the disaster
In the first days after the accident, a radioactive cloud covered Ukraine, Belarus, and Russia, and then spread throughout Europe.
Approximately 116,000 people were urgently evacuated from Pripyat and the 30-kilometer exclusion zone.
Subsequently, another 220,000 people were resettled from contaminated areas.
According to experts, radioactive emissions from Chernobyl were dozens of times higher than the atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
Consequences of the disaster
Human casualties:
Immediately after the accident, about 30 people died from acute radiation sickness and injuries.
According to long-term forecasts, the effects of radiation have led to an increase in thyroid disease, cancer, and cardiovascular disease in tens of thousands of people.
Environmental consequences:
For decades, the exclusion zone remained extremely dangerous for habitation.
Some areas still have high levels of radiation contamination today.
Economic consequences:
The USSR suffered enormous economic losses estimated at billions of dollars.
Reconstruction work, the construction of a sarcophagus over the destroyed reactor, and the resettlement of the population all placed a heavy burden on the economy.
Global consequences
Rethinking security policy: After Chernobyl, nuclear power plant safety standards were revised around the world.
Intensification of the anti-nuclear movement: European countries began to develop programs to phase out nuclear energy or tighten controls over it.
Increased international cooperation: the disaster highlighted the need for global coordination in the event of nuclear accidents. New international agreements on nuclear safety were established.
The presidents of Ukraine and the United States, Volodymyr Zelensky and Donald Trump, held a productive meeting in Rome, Politico reports, citing a White House representative.
“President Trump and President Zelensky met privately today and had a very productive discussion,“ White House Communications Director Stephen Chung said.
“More details about the meeting will be provided later,” he said.
The presidents arrived in Rome for the funeral of Pope Francis. Ukrainian presidential spokesman Sergei Nikiforov announced the meeting between Zelensky and Trump before the start of the funeral ceremony.
According to media reports, the US and Ukrainian presidents may continue talks after the funeral of Pope Francis.
As of April 25, Ukraine had exported 34.74 million tons of grains and legumes since the beginning of the 2024-2025 marketing year (July-June), of which 1.916 million tons were shipped since the beginning of the current month, according to the press service of the Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food, citing information from the State Customs Service.
According to the report, as of April 25 last year, total shipments amounted to 40.289 million tons.
At the same time, since the beginning of the current season, 13.714 million tons of wheat (15.404 million tons in 2023/2024 MY) have been exported, 2.258 million tons of barley (2.178 million tons), 10.8 thousand tons of rye (1.2 thousand tons), and 18.252 million tons of corn (22.231 million tons). (1.2 thousand tons), and corn – 18.252 million tons (22.231 million tons).
Total exports of Ukrainian flour since the beginning of the season as of April 25 are estimated at 58 thousand tons (in 2023/24 MY – 85.7 thousand tons), including wheat flour – 53.8 thousand tons (81 thousand tons).
