Political news from Kyiv region, government decisions and Ukraine politics
Verification is complete, but there is no specific date for the next stage. Russia has already disrupted an exchange once due to delays — and now the situation is repeating itself using the same pattern.
Ukraine's defense forces struck three maritime targets simultaneously — a shadow fleet tanker, a frigate, and a missile hovercaft. The extent of the damage has not yet been confirmed.
A drone exploded after falling into water in Kumbula Parish. Latvia's armed forces sensors did not record any border crossing — and this is not the first such incident.
A methane explosion at a coal mine in Shanxi Province claimed 90 lives. It was revealed that a warning signal about excessive carbon monoxide levels was received before the explosion occurred.
President rejects Merz's proposal in letter to EU leaders — and indicates that Orban's election defeat opens window for full-fledged negotiations on accession.
Presidential Office adviser Mykhailo Podolyak called the Office of the President a secretariat without executive functions, and Yermak a manager without his own political weight. This contradicts what sources at Ukrainska Pravda report: five months after his resignation, the former head of the Presidential Office maintains decisive influence over most key appointments.
Overnight on May 23, drones attacked oil infrastructure in Novorossiysk — NASA FIRMS detected fire hotspots at both facilities. Russian authorities acknowledged the fire but, as is typical, blamed it on "drone debris."
On May 22, Trump convened a National Security Council meeting to discuss possible resumption of airstrikes. Simultaneously, a Pakistani field marshal and a Qatari delegation arrived in Tehran in a last-ditch effort to halt the escalation.
Three American fifth-generation fighter jets landed at Łask Air Base — a place where Soviet MiG-29s were stationed just a few decades ago. For Poland, this is not just new equipment, but the final chapter of a thirty-year exit from Moscow's orbit.
NATO Secretary General at a briefing following the Ramstein-34 meeting noted a shift in front-line dynamics in favor of Ukraine — while citing Russian casualty figures that cast doubt on Moscow's ability to maintain its offensive pace.
Ukrainian military confirmed a strike on a facility near Starobilsk and explained why Russian claims about "civilian casualties" are an information operation rather than fact.
Four regional police chiefs paid over 18 million hryvnia in bail and were released. The deputy minister's driver — the person who personally received cash and shuttled between pornography studios and police offices — remains behind bars because he cannot afford bail.
# Secondary Market Becomes Cheaper, New Construction Holds Prices, Buyers Return — But Not the Same Ones. What Has Changed on Kyiv's Real Estate Market Over the Past 12 Months.
Foreign Affairs Minister Andriy Sybiga confirmed that there are candidates from Europe for talks with Russia, but the Kremlin will not determine who they are. According to Politico, the real choice is between Merkel, Stubb, and Draghi.
Berlin has proposed a concept of "associated" status for Ukraine in the Alliance. Sybiga confirmed: negotiations are ongoing, but the outcome remains open.
The remains of OUN leader Andriy Melnyk, who died in exile in 1964, have arrived in Ukraine for the first time. On May 24, he will be reburied at the National Military Memorial Cemetery—alongside those who fell in the current war.
Since March 2022, a minute of silence at 09:00 has existed as a presidential tradition — but without a unified signal across the country. The government closed this gap by allowing what several cities had already been doing unofficially.
Bloomberg, citing an anonymous source, reports: Putin seeks to end the war this year, but only on the condition of full control over Donbas and Europe's recognition of Moscow's territorial gains. The Kremlin immediately distanced itself from any timelines.
NATO Secretary General proposes that allies increase purchases of American weapons — to make the Alliance financially beneficial for Washington. There is no enforcement mechanism, only a "credible path."
Igor Khmelov, who was referred to by the pseudonym "Shmel" in recordings of the "Midas" operation, has registered approximately 24 land plots in the Carpathians worth $4.5 million since 2022 — and this is only what journalists were able to trace.
In three days — three states, three airspace violations. Baltic presidents demand NATO's response, but the real question is not about drones, but about who is actually changing their course.
# Five Suspects in Pornography Network Cover-up Case Remanded into Custody Five suspects accused of covering up a "pornography office" network — four regional police chiefs and their intermediary — have been remanded into custody. During searches, investigators seized 22.6 million hryvnia in cash, six luxury vehicles, and Swiss watches from the suspects. The court set bail ranging from 1.1 to 8 million hryvnia, which the suspects failed to pay.
Rutte publicly named the circle of "top performers" — thus singling out the rest. France and Britain have already blocked the proposal to make this norm mandatory.
Britain quietly issued an indefinite license for importing diesel and aviation fuel from Russian oil processed in India or Turkey. Brussels learned about it from the news — just days after the G7 agreed to tighten sanctions.
Russia cannot capture Donbas, but is already presenting the demand for Ukraine's neutral status as its own victory. Budanov explained the mechanics of this transformation.
A naval drone near Lefkada — reportedly aimed at attacking a Russian "shadow fleet" vessel — is now prompting demands for official apologies from Kyiv by a country that itself was arranging to produce these same drones at its own shipyards.
Record tourism collection in 2025 is not so much about more tourists, but rather about more payers: the unified transaction registry is pulling out of the shadows those who have not paid anything for years.
Fedorov promises tender purchases of drones by summer — but the same tool that saved 16% on artillery poses a separate challenge for unmanned systems: drones become obsolete faster than a procurement process is completed.
Private air defense in Ukraine has moved beyond the pilot stage: one group is already shooting down drones, 13 more are being formed. But the state is not funding this — the businesses themselves are financing it.
In April, Russia lost 179 video-confirmed troops per square kilometer of advance — 21 soldiers fewer than the strategic threshold at which an offensive becomes unsustainable according to the Defense Ministry's calculations.