Political news from Kyiv region, government decisions and Ukraine politics
Cuba has purchased over 300 strike drones from Russia and Iran and is discussing attack scenarios against Guantanamo and Key West. Behind this lies not a new Cold War, but a concrete transfer of experience from the Ukrainian front.
A week after the end of the three-sided announced ceasefire, Russia launched over 4,500 weapons against Ukraine and killed 52 people. ISW documented that during the ceasefire itself, Russia was increasing its drone stockpiles rather than halting military operations.
# U.S.-China Summit Concludes Without Concrete Commitments on Ukraine The American-Chinese summit ended without specific obligations regarding Ukraine. A real signal will come after May 19 — when Beijing hosts Putin.
# Decisions Without Strategy, Laws With Loopholes and the Only Hope — That Trump Simply Forgets About His Dispute With Europe. Retired Colonel Cedric Leighton Laid Out the Scenarios Frankly.
# Anti-Corruption Court Places Former Presidential Office Head Andriy Yermak Under Arrest The Specialized Anti-Corruption Court (SAPO) has taken into custody Andriy Yermak, the former head of the Presidential Office. Despite efforts to collect bail within two days, the task proved unsuccessful. However, the circle of donors tells its own story.
# Sanctions Commissioner Reveals How Ukraine Plans to Turn International Sanctions Against Russian Shadow Fleet from Declarations into Real Ship Arrests The sanctions commissioner has disclosed Ukraine's strategy for converting international sanctions against Russia's shadow fleet from declarative measures into actual vessel seizures.
# Defense Minister Unveiled "Air, Land, Economy" Strategy in NYT — and Faced Pushback from His Own Generals The dispute isn't about futurism, but rather about who controls battlefield decisions.
Head of the Security Service of Ukraine Kyrylo Budanov publicly established a boundary that intelligence has not yet crossed: technical capability exists, but there are no signs of real preparation. This is the first such assessment from an official who personally conducted negotiations with Moscow.
Presidential Envoy Vlasyuk Admits: Ukraine Adds Companies from Dozens of Countries to Sanctions Lists, but Lacks Tools to Prosecute Its Own Citizens Supplying Russia's Defense Sector. Finland Solved This Issue in April 2025 with a Package of Four Laws.
# Iranian Kamikaze Drones Shift From Dutch to Chinese Components, Say OP Analysts Analysts at the OP are documenting a shift in the composition of Iranian attack drones: Dutch components are being replaced by Chinese ones. What this means for sanctions pressure — and whether it is effective at all.
# 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.
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.
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.
# 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
# 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?
# 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."
# 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
# 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.