Wednesday, April 15, 2026

Ukraine and Italy pledge to work together to boost defence and drone production

By Arnold KOKA & Gavin Blackburn

Published on 15/04/2026 EURONEWS

Zelenskyy is pressing European countries to join the PURL programme, launched last year, that allows Ukraine to receive US equipment financed by European countries.

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Wednesday that they would work together to boost defence cooperation, including on drone production, after talks in Rome.

No concrete details were announced however, with Zelenskyy saying teams from the two countries would work on the details.

"Today we have discussed at length how to strengthen our cooperation in the field of defence," Meloni told reporters.

"Italy in particular is very interested in developing joint production, especially in the area of drones, a sector in which we know very well that Ukraine has in recent years become a leading nation."

Zelenskyy had visited Berlin on Tuesday, where he and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz announced a strategic partnership centred on defence and drones.

Italy's Premier Giorgia Meloni meets with Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyyy in Rome, 15 April, 2026 AP Photo

The Iran war has given Kyiv a chance to showcase its drone expertise developed over more than four years of war with Russia, with Zelenskyy dispatching specialists and visiting countries targeted by attacks from Iran, a Russian ally.

"Ukraine has developed a special format of security agreement, which we call the Drone Deal format," Zelenskyy said on Wednesday.

"Our expertise, military experience and our defensive capabilities in the fields of drones, missiles, electronic warfare and data exchange - we are proposing to bring all of this together with the capabilities of our partners, so that we support each other," he explained, through an Italian interpreter.

Earlier on Wednesday, he said that cooperating on air defence was Ukraine's top diplomatic priority, the day after regional authorities said Russian strikes across Ukraine had killed seven people, including a child.

"We need air defence missiles every single day, every day the Russians continue their strikes on our cities," he wrote in a post on X.

Zelenskyy also visited Norway on Tuesday and following talks with Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre, both sides agreed to boost defence and security cooperation.

The day after receiving a drubbing from US President Donald Trump over Italy's unwillingness to join the Iran war, Meloni repeated the need for the US and Europe to work together on Ukraine.

"A divided West and a fractured Europe would be the only true gift we could give Moscow," she said.

Meloni has been one of Washington's closest allies in Europe and has pressed Kyiv's case with Trump.

But a day after telling the Italian daily Corriere della Sera that "I'm shocked at her," Trump continued his criticism on Wednesday, telling Fox News, "We no longer have the same relationship."

Italy has denied authorisation for some US aircraft involved in combat missions to land at Sigonella in Sicily.

Zelenskyy is pressing European countries to join the PURL programme, launched last year, that allows Ukraine to receive US equipment financed by European countries.

Italy has sent weapons, including the French-Italian SAMP/T air defence system, but so far has not signed up to PURL.

120,000 drones and more missiles: Allies double down on Ukraine aid in Berlin

By Johanna Urbancik

Published on 15/04/2026 - EURONEWS

Ukraine’s Defence Minister Mykhailo Fedorov emphasised that Kyiv is pushing to scale up domestic drone production and accelerate deliveries to the frontline.

About 120,000 drones pledged by the UK, alongside additional funding for PURL and the Czech ammunition initiative, were announced at a meeting of the Ukraine Defence Contact Group in Berlin on Wednesday.

The 34th gathering of the group took place at Germany's defence ministry, co-hosted by the German defence minister, Boris Pistorius, and his British counterpart, John Healey.

Ukraine's defence minister, Mykhailo Fedorov, and NATO's secretary general, Mark Rutte, attended in person, while other members joined virtually.

US Defence Secretary, Pete Hegseth, reportedly skipped the meeting, sending the Pentagon's policy chief, Elbridge Colby, in his place.

Both Pistorius and Healey warned that "the eyes of the world are on the Strait of Hormuz," but stressed that support for Ukraine must not falter despite the escalating crisis in the Middle East.

NATO chief Mark Rutte, Ukraine’s Mykhailo Fedorov, Germany’s Boris Pistorius and UK Defence Secretary John Healey at a Ukraine Contact Group photo in Berlin, April 15, 2026 Kay Nietfeld/dpa via AP

Germany pledges Patriots for Ukraine

Pistorius reiterated Berlin's latest military commitments announced on Tuesday during German-Ukrainian government consultations, where the two sides signed a €4 billion defence package, including hundreds of Patriot missiles and joint drone production, as well as an agreement to share digital battlefield data.

According to the defence ministry, Germany is financing a contract between Ukraine and Raytheon to supply several hundred Patriot missiles to bolster Kyiv's air defences. "In addition, further launchers for IRIS-T air defence systems have been agreed with Diehl Defence. This project will also be financed by Germany and will significantly improve the protection of critical infrastructure and cities," the ministry said.

Pistorius reaffirmed that strengthening Ukraine's air defence remained Germany's top priority, pledging hundreds of Patriot missiles to be delivered over the coming years alongside additional IRIS-T systems and jointly produced strike drones. According to Fedorov, these contracts will not be delivered immediately, but will reach Ukraine next year and the following two years.

He urged Kyiv's allies, to "have a look at your stocks", adding that Kyiv needs more PAC-2 and PAC-3 missiles "to protect our critical infrastructure."

'Drones have defined this war'

UK Defence Secretary John Healey announced Britain's largest drone package to date, with more than 120,000 units set to be delivered this year, alongside artillery rounds and air defence missiles. According to official UK government data, this new drone package is backed by the UK's wider £3 billion (€2.6 billion) military support for Ukraine this year, as well as ERA funding.

"Drones have defined this war," Healey said, claiming that they've caused the vast majority of Russian casualties and will be decisive in the war's outcome.

Fedorov added that drones are responsible for the bulk of Ukraine's counterattacks and are critical on both the battlefield and in strikes behind enemy lines, referring to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's announcement on Monday that the Ukrainian arm has recently captured a Russian position with only UAVs and ground robotic systems.

"For the first time in the history of this war, an enemy position was taken exclusively by unmanned platforms - ground systems and drones," Zelenskyy said, adding that the operation was carried out without infantry and losses on the Ukrainian side

Fedorov emphasised that Kyiv is pushing to scale up domestic drone production and accelerate deliveries to the frontline.

The support for Ukraine is now not a one-way-street anymore, as NATO-chief Mark Rutte explained at the meeting, saying that Ukraine's expertise in using and countering drones is now feeding back into NATO, with allies learning directly from Ukraine's battlefield experience.

"We are also now learning from you. We are learning from Ukraine," he said.

A public transport station destroyed by Russia's drone attack is seen in Zaporizhzhia, 15 April, 2026 AP Photo

PURL 'keeps flowing'

Rutte highlighted the growing role of the NATO-led Prioritised Ukraine Requirements List (PURL) initiative in sustaining Ukraine's air defence, stressing that it is key to keeping US-supplied capabilities flowing. The alliance launched PURL in July last year, with the aim to speed up funding and delivery of urgently needed military equipment to Ukraine, with a particular focus on sourcing US-made systems.

"Vital military equipment from NATO allies continues to flow into Ukraine," Rutte reaffirmed, echoing US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who confirmed a few weeks ago that "nothing yet has been diverted".

Rubio didn't rule out any future divertions, in case the US needed to replenish its own stocks. "If we need something for America and it’s American, we’re going to keep it for America first," he said.

At the Berlin meeting, Rutte welcomed fresh contributions announced, without clarifying further what was pledged.

At the same time, both Rutte, Fedorov and Pistorius acknowledged ongoing gaps in burden-sharing, with the NATO chief noting that "it is a limited amount of countries doing the heavy lifting," while expressing optimism that funding targets could still be met.

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Magyar calls on Orbán to lift veto on €90bn Ukraine loan before leaving office

By Jorge Liboreiro

Published on 15/04/2026 - EURONEWS

If oil flows resume through the Druzhba pipeline, then Viktor Orbán should lift his "technical veto" on the €90 billion loan for Ukraine, Péter Magyar said. Brussels is already laying the groundwork to make the first payment.

Péter Magyar, the winner of the Hungarian elections and the country's incoming prime minister, has called on Viktor Orbán to lift his controversial veto on the €90 billion loan for Ukraine before vacating his office in May.

The financial scheme was agreed by the 27 leaders of the European Union in December, but Orbán used his veto in mid-February to block the legal procedure over an unrelated dispute with Kyiv involving the Druzhba pipeline, which carries low-cost Russian oil.

The spat featured prominently in Orbán's failed re-election campaign.

"Viktor Orbán accepted the loan (in December), and he said during the election campaign that as long as there is no oil, there is no money," Magyar said on Wednesday during his first interview with the Hungarian public broadcaster since 2024.

Magyar referred to the words of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who this week said the pipeline could be repaired "not completely, but enough to function" by the end of the month. The infrastructure was badly damaged in January by Russian drones.

The restoration of flows will be "very important for our country", Magyar said, signalling his desire to continue purchases of Russian oil in the near term.

"In the next 30 days, the Orbán government is still operating as an executive government," Magyar added.

"So I think, if Druzhba restarts, Viktor Orbán will release his technical veto."

Only one element of the €90 billion loan, a regulation amending the EU budget that requires unanimity, is still on hold. In principle, Orbán could order his ambassador in Brussels to lift the veto at any time and complete the legislative procedure.

However, it is far from clear if Orbán, who made Zelenskyy the nemesis of his campaign, will allow this to happen before leaving office sometime in May.

The European Commission is quickly laying the groundwork to make the first transfer to Kyiv as soon as the deadlock is broken. The executive has a reserve of borrowed cash at hand, so it is just waiting for the legal blessing to go ahead.

On Tuesday, the Commission said the offer to send an external inspection to the Druzhba pipeline and pay for the repair with EU funds, which were made to placate Orbán, was still applicable after the election. (The inspection has not yet taken place.)

"We, of course, expect all EU leaders, all member states, to abide by their commitments," a Commission spokesperson said.

After a bitter clash with Orbán over his "unacceptable" veto, capitals are keen to turn the page and leave the episode behind.

Speaking alongside Zelenskyy on Tuesday, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said the military funds under the loan "must be disbursed promptly".

"Ukraine urgently needs them. Ukraine will then be able to finance its defence in the long term. Russia should take this seriously," Merz said.

Zelenskyy echoed the message and expressed confidence that, under Magyar's leadership, Hungary would stop blocking "important" decisions for Ukraine.

"I am sure that we will cooperate with Hungary. We have good relations between the people. We are neighbours. We will continue these relations," Zelenskyy said.

"I think we need to build our relations on pragmatism. We can also have friendly relations based on agreements and treaties. This will only strengthen both countries."

Besides the loan, Hungary, together with Slovakia, is currently vetoing the 20th package of sanctions against Russia. It is also blocking Ukraine's accession process and the release of €6.6 billion in military aid under the European Peace Facility (EPF).

Chernobyl could face 'catastrophic' collapse as repairs stall following Russian drone strike

Damage following a Russian drone attack to the protective shell surrounding the remains of a reactor at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant. Ukraine, Friday, Feb. 14, 2025. AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky

By Evelyn Ann-Marie Dom
Published on 14/04/2026 - EURONEWS

Failure to repair the protective structure around the nuclear site could unleash 'highly radioactive dust' that 'does not recognise borders', experts warn.

A potential collapse of the internal radiation shelter at the defunct Chernobyl nuclear power plant in Ukraine could risk a release of radioactivity into the environment, Greenpeace warned on Tuesday (14 April)
It comes just days before the 40th anniversary of the Chernobyl disaster, which remains the world's worst nuclear disaster. On 26 April 1986, while Ukraine was part of the Soviet Union, a reactor at the plant exploded, contaminating a vast area spanning Ukraine, Belarus and Russia.
Following the disaster, an inner steel-and-concrete structure, known as the sarcophagus, was hastily built around the destroyed reactor to prevent further radiation leaks.
Years later in November 2016, a high-tech metal dome called the New Safe Confinement (NSC) structure was built, at a cost of €1.5 billion, to reinforce the inner shell.
Rela

Why are experts concerned about Chernobyl?

Kyiv has repeatedly accused Russia of targeting the power plant since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, including last year, when a Russian drone struck the outer shell in February.
While the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) initially had not reported any radiation leaks, in December it confirmed that the drone impact had degraded the steel structure and that it no longer blocked radiation.
IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi said that an inspection "confirmed that the [protective structure] had lost its primary safety functions, including the confinement capability, but also found that there was no permanent damage to its load-bearing structures or monitoring systems."
Grossi added that while some repairs had taken place, "comprehensive restoration remains essential to prevent further degradation and ensure long-term nuclear safety".

Chernobyl requires an estimated €500 million in repairs

Last month, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot estimated the dome required almost €500 million in repairs
"We presented this evening the first financial estimate of the damage caused by this drone which amounts to around €500 million," said Barrot after chairing a meeting of G7 foreign ministers in March.
Greenpeace reported that despite some repair efforts, the protective shield has not yet been fully restored. The organisation warned that this increases the risk of radioactivity release, especially in the case of a collapse of the internal structure.
"That would be catastrophic because there's four tonnes of dust, highly radioactive dust, fuel pellets, enormous amounts of radioactivity inside the sarcophagus," senior nuclear specialist for Greenpeace Ukraine, Shaun Burnie, told media agency AFP earlier this month.
"And because the New Safe Confinement cannot be repaired at the moment, it cannot function as it was designed, there's a possibility of radioactive releases," Burnie added.

'Radioactive particles do not recognise borders'

The deconstruction of unstable elements of the inner shell is crucial to prevent an uncontrolled collapse, Greenpeace said, but further works to the site have been impeded by Russia's ongoing attacks.
In addition to Greenpeace's warning, the power plant's director Sergiy Tarakanov has also warned that if a rocket were to land near the facility, the structure could be at risk of collapsing due to the impact.
"And from what the 1986 accident showed us...the radioactive particles do not recognise borders," Tarakanov added.

Sweden foiled pro-Russian cyberattack on thermal power plant in 2025, minister says

By Gavin Blackburn

Published on 15/04/2026 -

Civil Defence Minister Carl-Oskar Bohlin said the aim of the operation was to disrupt the functioning of a facility that supplies heating.

Sweden thwarted a pro-Russian cyberattack on a thermal power plant in mid-2025, the government said on Wednesday, saying the group behind it was linked to Russian intelligence.

There were no serious consequences, Civil Defence Minister Carl-Oskar Bohlin said.

"The Swedish Security Service handled the case and was able to identify the actor behind it, which has ties to Russian intelligence and security services," Bohlin told reporters.

Bohlin told the AFP news agency that the attack failed "because the security systems in place worked."

Without going into detail, he said the aim of the operation was to disrupt the functioning of a facility that supplies heating.

The minister added that the attack "illustrates that we are dealing with an antagonist who does not hesitate to create physical disruptions that can be likened to sabotage of our physical infrastructure."

The plant was located in western Sweden, he said.

Bohlin said cyber threats against Swedish interests had increased since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, as Moscow targeted countries supporting Ukraine.

"This points to a changed, more risk-prone and more reckless behaviour from Russia, which could lead to potentially very harmful effects on society," he said, adding that the Swedish government was taking the development "very seriously."

"Our support for Ukraine remains steadfast," he stressed.

More sophisticated

Bohlin also said that attackers were no longer just relying on direct denial of service (DDoS) attacks, which overload systems by sending massive amounts of traffic, against IT systems, but were now also targeting so called operational technology (OT) that control the infrastructure.

"That is, control systems which often control physical functions in various operations and attempt to destroy, compromise, or disrupt them," Bohlin told AFP.

Pontus Johnson, a professor at the KTH Royal Institute of Technology, explained that while DDoS attacks were relatively simple attacks, attacking OT systems required a higher level of sophistication.

"You don't just send traffic their way, but you are trying to find vulnerabilities to enter the systems to then be able to affect them," Johnson said.

"It requires a much more competent attacker," he said, and added that the rise of the use of AI had also made these types of attacks easier for hackers.

Johnson also said the targeting of OT systems was also more serious because unlike the targeting of for instance a website, these systems actually control things in the "physical world."

This opens the door to potential disruptions of things like the power grid or railways, he explained.

Bohlin said it was important for Sweden to publicise the threats it was facing to send a signal "to threat-actors and let them know that we see what you are doing."

"We are also doing it to continually raise awareness in society, in order to develop our cybersecurity and collective resilience, and so that we can act in solidarity with our allies and partners."

Angola Disrupts Russian Influence Effort

Lev Lakshtanov, from left, Igor Ratchin, Amor Carlos Tomé and Francisco Oliveira have been charged with spreading Russian-backed false information in Angola.

Photo Credit: ANGOLAN CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION SERVICE

April 15, 2026
By Africa Defense Forum

The Angolan government has charged two Russian nationals with terrorism, espionage and influence peddling as part of a false information campaign designed to fuel antigovernment protests ahead of upcoming presidential elections.

Angola is the latest African country to find itself on the receiving end of a Russian influence operation run by African Politology, a group created by the ex-leader of the organization formerly known as the Wagner Group.

Through African Politology, Russian President Vladimir Putin has sought to stir up public unrest, particularly ahead of elections, in the Central African Republic, Chad, Madagascar, Mali, Namibia and South Africa, among other places.

The goal is to put into place governments friendly to Russian interests, either peacefully through elections or by overthrowing democratic institutions.

The Angolan government claims that Russian operatives arrived in the country in 2024 under the pretense of developing a Russian cultural center known as “Russian House” in the capital, Luanda. Moscow operates 14 Russian Houses across the continent.

Observers say Moscow uses its Russian House operations to spread propaganda and to build public support for giving Russian companies access to natural resources as a way for Russia to get around international sanctions imposed after its invasion of Ukraine.

“The Russians are providing this support in exchange for either the full control or a percentage of the control from their mineral resources. That is what Russia needs: It needs funding, and it needs influence. It helps its war in Ukraine,” Irina Filatova, a senior research associate at the University of Cape Town, told CNN. Filatova is a Russian historian specializing in African history.

Luanda’s Russian House never materialized. Instead, the government says, Russian operatives paid local journalists as much as $24,000 to plant Russian-backed stories in the local media to provoke “political change.”

Maxim Shugalei, a Russian political operative with ties to the Wagner Group, and his translator, Samer Suaifan, were among the first Russian operatives to arrive in Angola as part of the influence campaign. Both men have figured prominently in similar Russian influence operations on the continent, including in Chad, where they were arrested in 2024 after an event at N’Djamena’s Russian House. They were charged with espionage and influence peddling and were deported to Russia six days later.

Before their arrest, Shugalei and Suaifan used Chad’s Russian House to spread propaganda through the local media aimed at undermining opposition leader Succès Masra’s campaign for prime minister.

Angola appears to be one of the few African nations to disrupt African Politology’s influence campaign before it could gain momentum.

Angolan authorities have charged political consultant Igor Ratchin and translator Lev Lakshtanov with 11 criminal counts. The government also indicted two Angolans — a journalist and a political consultant — on similar charges of participating in the influence campaign.

According to France’s Radio France Internationale (RFI), Lakshtanov is the founder of Farol, a nongovernmental organization that promotes cultural cooperation in Portuguese-speaking countries. He and Ratchin entered Angola on tourist visas and presented themselves as journalists making a documentary while also promoting the cultural center.

Lou Osborn with the group All Eyes on Wagner told RFI that Angola and Chad show Russia’s intention to influence African countries in ways that are discreet “but more active than ever.”

According to Alex Vines, African programme director at the European Council on Foreign Relations, the influence operation was designed to bring Angola back into Russia’s sphere of influence after the current government turned toward Europe and the West.

Angola’s ties to Russia go back decades but have weakened in recent years. The Angolan government expelled Russian diamond miner Alrosa and bank VTB as part of the international sanctions after the Ukraine invasion.

“This is indicative of Russian anxiety of the direction of travel of Angola under the Lourenço administration,” Vines told the BBC. “There’s clearly an element of Russian disinformation to try and build up more sympathy towards the Russian Federation.”

Musk’s father seeking Russian refuge for S.African farmers

ByAFP
April 14, 2026

Errol Musk, father of tech billionaire Elon Musk, regularly visits Russia - Copyright AFP Oliver Contreras

Clément VARANGES

The father of tech billionaire Elon Musk is working on a project to provide refugee status in Russia for South African farmers, he told AFP on Tuesday, in a project similar to one by the US government.

The initiative would resettle 50 families from the white Afrikaans minority, descendants of the first Dutch settlers, according to a Russian official.

The same group of South Africans have been offered refugee status by the government of US President Donald Trump, which has falsely claimed they face persecution under the post-apartheid government.

Nearly 5,000 white Afrikaners have entered the United States as refugees since Trump took office in January last year and all but halted refugee programmes for every other group.

The US programme has angered the South African government which denies any discrimination.

Contacted by AFP by telephone on Tuesday, Errol Musk told AFP from Moscow: “It’s about providing refugee status to South African farmers.”

– 50 families –

Musk, who regularly visits Russia and attended an April 12 Orthodox Easter mass in Moscow in the presence of President Vladimir Putin, did not give details of the project.

In an interview with Russian media Gubernia 33, he justified the project by claiming white Afrikaner farmers were being targeted for murder, allegations strongly denied in South Africa.

Washington made similar claims in its justification for encouraging Afrikaners to resettle in the United States.

The governor of the Vladimir region which borders the Moscow region, Aleksandr Avdeyev, said last week that he had discussed the project with Musk.

“We discussed the development of agriculture and the prospects for settling 50 Dutch-origin families from South Africa,” he said on Telegram.

While Afrikaners have been emigrating to Russia since at least 2018, according to reports, Musk’s involvement appears to be new information.

Now in his late 70s, he is a polarising figure.

In an interview with CNN late last year, he rejected there had been racial oppression under apartheid, a harsh system of segregation which denied the black majority basic rights.

Elon Musk, who left South Africa in his late teens, regularly accuses the government of racism, particularly over its failure to grant his Starlink internet provider a licence.

In a new outburst on social media this weekend, he said: “South Africa won’t allow Starlink to be licensed, even though I was BORN THERE, simply because I am not Black!”

South African laws designed to rebalance apartheid-era discrimination require large companies to be at least 30-percent owned by people from previously disadvantaged communities.

Elon Musk was peddling “lies and disinformation”, President Cyril Ramaphosa’s spokesman responded on X.

– Puzzling –

Errol Musk’s Russia project was “puzzling”, said Friedrich von Treskow, a former researcher at the South African Institute of International Affairs, who has worked on Russian influence in southern Africa.

Pretoria and Moscow have close ties that date back to the struggle against apartheid, when the Soviet Union provided support to the African National Congress and its military wing.

“It could create tensions with Pretoria,” von Treskow told AFP of Musk senior’s scheme.

“Pretoria has been very reluctant to criticise Russia on any issue whatsoever.”

Ramaphosa in February expressed “heartfelt gratitude” to Putin for agreeing to facilitate the return of more than a dozen men lured into fighting alongside Russian forces in Ukraine.

Fifteen of them have since returned.

Last month, the Forbidden Stories investigative media outlet reported that ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula had in December 2024 thanked Russian influence agents for their “assistance” before the general election earlier that year.

He also “requested” at a secret meeting $300,000 to fund an ANC party congress.

Mbalula, among the men tipped to replace Ramaphosa as head of the party, which could put him in the running for president, rejected the claims as “unfounded” and “part of a disinformation campaign.”

School shootings in Turkey are rare

Nine dead and 13 injured in second school shooting in Turkey this week, governor says

By Burcu Basaran & Gavin Blackburn

Published on 15/04/2026 - EURONEWS

It comes a day after an ex-student opened fire at his former high school in Siverek in southern Şanlıurfa province, wounding 16 people including students before killing himself in a showdown with police.

A school shooting in southern Turkey on Wednesday left nine people dead and 13 wounded, a local official said, just one day after an incident in which a shooter wounded 16 people and then killed himself.

Kahramanmaraş provincial governor Mükerrem Ünlüer said a teacher and three students were killed in the attack at the Ayser Çalık Secondary School.

"A student came to school with guns that we believe belonged to his father in his backpack. He entered two classrooms and opened fire randomly, causing injuries and deaths," Ünlüer told reporters.

Witnesses quoted by the media said the gunshots heard at the school were intense.

Parents who heard about the incident rushed to the school. Police have increased security measures around the building, and television footage showed ambulances present in the area.

Turkish security forces and emergency staff stand at the courtyard of a high school where an assailant opened fire in Siverek, 14 April, 2026 AP

Justice Minister Akin Gurlek said the local prosecutor's office launched an immediate investigation into the shooting.

It comes a day after an ex-student opened fire at his former high school inSiverek in southern Şanlıurfa province, wounding 16 before killing himself in a showdown with police, officials said.

The attack left 10 students, four teachers, a canteen employee and a police officer wounded, Governor Hasan Şıldak said.

"The individual was cornered inside the building through police intervention and died after shooting himself," Şıldak told reporters, adding that a "comprehensive" investigation into the shooting would be carried out.

School shootings in Turkey are rare.

BBC to cut up to 2,000 jobs in next two years to save €575ml from operating costs

By Gavin Blackburn

Published on 15/04/2026 - EURONEWS

The BBC is funded by the public paying for a licence to view or listen to content and the corporation says 94% of UK adults use its services every month.

The BBC said on Wednesday that it is set to cut up to 2,000 jobs in the next two years amid a challenging media landscape.

The BBC's interim director-general (DG) Rhodri Talfan Davies said in a statement to staff that "while we still have to work through the detail, we anticipate the overall number of jobs will fall by 1,800-2,000."

The cuts were announced on screen on BBC rolling news on Wednesday afternoon.

The acting DG said in the statement to the AFP news agency that the redundancies were because the BBC faces "significant financial pressures, which we need to respond to at pace."

The organisation has to cut £500 million (€575 million) from its operating costs of £5 billion (€5.7 billion), with most of these savings required in 2027 and 2028, he said.

It will be the biggest round of redundancies at the broadcasting corporation in almost 15 years, ITV News and The Press Association news agency reported.

The job cuts come as the BBC faces a turbulent media landscape, affected by AI and changing consumer habits.

US President Donald Trump has filed a $10 billion (€8.4 billion) defamation lawsuit against the broadcaster over a documentary that edited his 2021 speech ahead of the US Capitol riot, making it appear he explicitly urged supporters to attack the seat of Congress.

A new director-general, former Google executive Matt Brittin, is due to take over at the BBC next month, with his appointment announced as leading the corporation "through transformation."

The BBC is funded by the public paying for a licence to view or listen to content. It says 94% of UK adults use its services every month.

In a report in March, the BBC said its income from the licence fee had fallen 24% in real terms since 2017.

"We must reduce our total cost base by a further 10% by March 2029 due to licence fee headwinds and other pressures," the report said, warning "tough choices may require cuts to content and services."