Politics of Kyiv Region and Ukraine

Politics

Astrologer, Remand Prison, and Contact Ban: What Court Decided in Yermak's Case

# VACS Chose Custody for Yermak with 140 Million Hryvnia Bail and Separately Banned Communication with "Veronika Fenshu Office" The Specialized Anti-Corruption Court (VACS) selected custody with bail set at 140 million hryvnia for Yermak. Additionally, the court imposed a separate ban on communication with "Veronika Fenshu Office." Yermak's lawyer insists that the correspondence is personal in nature, not official.

Politics

Riyadh Offers Middle East Helsinki — But Without the Mechanism That Made Those Helsinki Work

Saudi Arabia is discussing a non-aggression pact with regional partners modeled on Iran's 1975 agreement. The problem: the original Helsinki Accords worked due to institutional monitoring, which is currently absent in the new draft.

Politics

"They Doused the Mayor — and This Isn't the First Conflict: What's Behind the Attack on Sadovyi"

At Market Square, a 46-year-old Lviv resident suddenly doused the mayor with a liquid of unknown composition. The incident occurred against the backdrop of an acute public confrontation between Sadovyi and the regional military administration.

Politics

"Horoscopes for the Prime Minister, Fortune Tellers for the Head of the Presidential Office: How Ukrainian Authorities Have Consulted with Esotericists for Decades"

# The Yermak case revealed a detail that is no news for insiders: appeals to astrologers and numerologists at Bankova and Hrushevsky have been a long-standing practice, not an anomaly.

Politics

205 out of 8000: first tranche of exchange that took months to negotiate

May 15 is not just another exchange. It is the launch of the most ambitious deal in three years, "1000 for 1000," which was negotiated through the mediation of the USA and Turkey — and which ultimately took place only on May 23-25.

Politics

Kuleba - Modi: While you're meeting with Putin, he's bombing hospitals

Ukraine's UN envoy pointed out an awkward coincidence: every time India's prime minister meets with Russia's president, Russia launches massive strikes on Ukraine. The reference is to Okhmatdyt.

Politics

CIA in Cuba for First Time Since 1953: Ratcliffe Delivered Havana an Ultimatum — and a Hint About Maduro's Fate

CIA Director John Ratcliffe personally delivered Trump's message to Havana: either "fundamental changes" or continued asphyxiation. The visit took place amid the collapse of Cuba's energy system and after the United States eliminated the island's main source of oil — the Maduro regime in Venezuela.

Politics

"140 Million for Freedom: Who and Why Is Ready to Pay Bail for Yermak"

The Specialized Anti-Corruption Court arrested the former head of the Presidential Office for 60 days and set bail equal to the value of several apartments in the capital. Even before the decision came into force, unknown foreigners called the defendant's lawyer offering money.

Politics

Vilnius Closed Hundreds of Times Before and Keeps Happening Again: Lithuania Handed Protest Note to Minsk Over May Incident

Since June 2025, Belarus has launched over 315 unregistered probes into Lithuanian airspace. Vilnius Airport was blocked again on May 13 — and the diplomatic ritual repeated itself.

Politics

Xi Promised Not to Arm Iran — But Beijing Was Already Discussing Secret Supplies Before the Meeting

Trump returned from Beijing with two statements: China will support shipping through the Strait of Hormuz and will purchase 200 Boeing aircraft. Behind the scenes, American intelligence detected negotiations between Chinese companies and Iran regarding arms supplies through third countries.

Politics

Rubio Called Ukrainian Army the Most Powerful in Europe — and It's Not a Compliment, But a Problem

# US State Secretary Notes Fact the West Prefers Not to Voice Aloud: Three Years of War Have Made Ukraine's Armed Forces the Most Combat-Capable Army on the Continent. But What Does This Mean for Post-War Security Architecture?

Politics

Deputy with the call sign "Buratino": Dubinsky's second arrest and the network curated by the GRU

# Pecherskyi Court Orders Detention for MP Dubinsky for Second Time - This Time for Spreading Pro-Russian Narratives and Preparing Sabotage of Mobilization Pecherskyi Court has ordered preventive detention for MP Dubinsky without alternative measures for the second time. This time, he faces charges related to spreading pro-Russian narratives and preparing to disrupt mobilization efforts. According to the investigation, he was part of a GRU intelligence network where he allegedly operated under the pseudonym "Buratino."

Politics

1,567 drones in two days: Russia used 'ceasefire' to prepare for largest attack

# ISW Confirms: Russia Deliberately Accumulated Strike Weapons During May Ceasefire The Institute for the Study of War has confirmed that Russia consciously accumulated strike weapons during the May ceasefire. Now Zelenskyy has tasked the military and intelligence services with determining response formats.

Politics

Russia Copies SBU Structure of AFU and Recruits Army of Drone Operators: What's Behind It

Over four months, Russia increased the number of military personnel engaged in unmanned operations by 28,000 — and this is not merely recruitment figures, but a deliberate replication of the Ukrainian model. Commander of Special Operations Command Robert Brovdy revealed the mechanics of this process.

Politics

"The State Has Learned to Say Goodbye Without a Body: What the New Law Changes for Families of the Missing"

Ukraine's Parliament adopted a law that for the first time allows a full military funeral ceremony — complete with volleys, flag honors, and the "Pochvala" (a ceremonial tribute) — when a soldier is declared killed by court but his body has not been found. Previously, military regulations did not provide for such a possibility.

Politics

12-year-old girl, one-month-old baby, over 10 missing — what is known about the attack on Kyiv on May 14

Russian combined attack on Kyiv claims five lives, including a child. Search and rescue operations continue under the rubble of a nine-story building in Darnytskyy district for missing persons.

Politics

Rubio Fixes Pause in Negotiations — and Explains It by Ukraine's Confidence on the Front

U.S. State Secretary acknowledged that the peace process "has somewhat lost momentum," and cited an unexpected reason: Ukraine's strengthened position on the battlefield. According to this logic, the better Kyiv fights, the fewer incentives it has to sit at the negotiating table.

Politics

Slovakia sells millions of ammunition rounds to Ukraine — and Prime Minister Fico has nothing to do with it

Slovak President Pellegrini confirmed at the Bucharest Nine summit that the country is one of NATO's key ammunition producers and is increasing commercial supplies to Kyiv. This occurs alongside Prime Minister Fico's anti-Ukrainian rhetoric — and both consider this to be consistent.

Politics

731 weapons in one day: Russia attacked Ukraine twice on May 13-14 — during the day and at night

First — nearly 800 drones across the country, then — 56 missiles and another 675 unmanned aircraft at night. Kyiv was hit in six districts, one person killed.

Politics

Yermak under house arrest with possibility of release: 140 million hrn and "enough friends"

# HACC Selects 60-Day Arrest for Former Presidential Office Head, Offers 140 Million Hryvnia Bail Alternative The High Anti-Corruption Court (HACC) has chosen a 60-day detention measure with an alternative bail of 140 million hryvnia for the former head of the Presidential Office, who is suspected of laundering 460 million hryvnia through the elite residential community "Dynastiya." Yermak claims he does not possess such funds personally but is counting on financial assistance from acquaintances.

Politics

Trump Called Xi a "Friend" in Beijing — While $14 Billion in Weapons for Taiwan Remain Undelivered

The first visit by an American president to China in eight years took place without any major deals, but with rhetoric that alarmed Taipei and pleased Beijing.

Politics

218 signatures — and Johnson must put Ukraine to a vote despite his position

A discharge petition forced the Speaker of the House of Representatives to hold a vote on a bill he had blocked for the first time in a decade. The legislation includes $1.3 billion in military aid, $8 billion in loans, and sanctions against Russia.

Politics

$2 Million Invested, $2.5 Billion Claimed: How Fire Point Became the Most Expensive Defense Startup — and Why Parliament Is Examining This

# The Founder of Long-Range Drone Manufacturer FP-1 Valued Fire Point at Over $2.5 Billion at TSK Meeting The founder of the company producing long-range drones FP-1 valued Fire Point at more than $2.5 billion during a meeting of the Temporary Special Commission (TSK) — as part of a case regarding the Defense Ministry's (Minditch's) attempt to purchase half of the company. The journey from $2 million in initial investments to a billion-dollar valuation took less than three years.

Politics

NATO Soldiers on Serbian Soil — First Time Since 1999 Bombings

Serbia has launched its first joint exercises with the Alliance, which bombed Belgrade 26 years ago for 78 days. The symbolism of the location is no accident: the exercises are taking place just a few kilometers from Kosovo.

Politics

Admit to Avoid Punishment: How a 2017 Case Became a Verdict Without Sentence for the CPK Director

# Kyiv's Dniprovskyi District Court Finds Vitaliy Shabunin Guilty of Assaulting Pro-Russian Blogger, Acquits Him Due to Statute of Limitations The Dniprovskyi District Court of Kyiv has found Vitaliy Shabunin guilty of assaulting a pro-Russian blogger who is now subject to state sanctions—and immediately acquitted him due to the expiration of the statute of limitations. The defense considers the verdict a dangerous precedent.

Politics

Astrologer from Telegram channel "Lunar Hours" may have influenced top Ukrainian government appointments

# Translation The Schemes outlet has identified the person behind "Veronika Fengshui Office" from materials in the Yermak case: 51-year-old Kyiv astrology consultant Veronika Anikiyevych appears in correspondence regarding the appointment of a prime minister, health minister, and Yermak's deputy chief of staff Tatarova.

Politics

Massive attack on Ukraine: three killed in Rivne region, power outages in Kolomyia district

Russia carried out a massive strike on Ukraine in the morning — the military intelligence had warned of the attack in advance. Three deaths have been confirmed in the Rivne region, while power outages continue in the Ivano-Frankivsk region.

Politics

"Non-NATO country taught the alliance how to fight: what happened in Gotland"

Ukrainian drone units halted NATO's Aurora 26 exercise three times on a Swedish island — by conditionally "killing" everyone. This is not the first time Ukraine has defeated NATO on a training ground, but it is the first time this has happened on an island considered key to the Baltic Sea.

Politics

Russia stretches attack across several waves: 139 drones at night — and missile warnings during the day

The GUR confirmed the combined nature of the May 13 attack: first Shahed drones to overwhelm air defense, then cruise and ballistic missiles targeting energy infrastructure, defense industry facilities, and government buildings. Dnipropetrovsk region has already recorded eight fatalities.

Politics

When an FPV drone costs more than logistics: why occupiers are transferring cargo from Urals to robots

On the Slovyansk direction, the National Guard has already replaced vehicles with horses in logistics — and this is not an experiment, but a response to the "death zone" at a depth of 15–25 km created by FPV-drones.