Political news from Kyiv region, government decisions and Ukraine politics
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.
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.
# 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.
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.
# 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.
# 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
# Commander of Apache Unit Refutes Rumors About Critical Weak Point on Slovyansk Direction A commander of the Apache unit has denied reports about a critical weak zone on the Slovyansk front. Here's what is actually happening on this section of the front line.
Classified assessments by American intelligence contradict the White House's public statements: Iran has restored operational access to 30 of 33 missile facilities near the Strait of Hormuz and continues to control most mobile launching systems.
On the night of May 13, drones struck an enterprise in the village of Volna near the port of Taman and an industrial facility in Yaroslavl. For Taman, this is at least the third strike in half a year — and each time Moscow explains the fires as "debris from destroyed drones."
The former head of the Presidential Office claimed the suspicion against him was unfounded and criticized pressure on law enforcement. The real question is: how independent were those same law enforcement agencies while he was leading the Presidential Office.
# Search of vehicle of Presidential Office Chief Andriy Yermak uncovers document titled "SBU: Maximum Program" During a search of a vehicle belonging to the driver of Presidential Office Chief Andriy Yermak, law enforcement seized three pages containing text titled "Security Service of Ukraine: Maximum Program." The Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office has not disclosed the contents of the document, but the mere existence of such material raises questions about who and how personnel policy is being shaped at the country's chief intelligence agency.
# Klimkin Refutes Key Narrative of Mendel's Carlson Interview: If Putin Sought to Control All of Ukraine at the Start of the Invasion, the Donbas Question Could Not Have Been a Priority in Istanbul. This Is Not a Defense of Zelensky — It's a Different Logic for Reading 2022 Events.
The National Anti-Corruption Bureau and the Prosecutor General's Office accuse the former head of the Presidential Office of laundering $8.9 million through elite construction in Kozyn. Klimkin says: partners have long known about it — but the internal balance in negotiations is now different.
The State Department and Ukraine's embassy have agreed on a draft memorandum on defense cooperation in the field of drones — but between the initial step and an actual agreement stands the Pentagon, which remains silent for now.
# NABU Director Separates President from "Midas: Dynasty" Operation NABU Director Semen Krivonos clarified at a briefing that the president is not involved in the "Midas: Dynasty" operation — an investigation in which former head of the Presidential Office Andriy Yermak has already been served a notice of suspicion for laundering over 460 million hryvnias through the construction of elite residences near Kyiv.
Sergiy Savych opened fire in the executive committee building, where employees and visitors were present. Two people were wounded, police are conducting an arrest — but Savych's public account of events differs sharply from the official version.
# Head of Dnipropetrovsk Regional Military Administration Signs Mandatory Evacuation Order for Nikopol and Surrounding Areas The head of Dnipropetrovsk Regional Military Administration Oleksandr Honcharenko signed an order for mandatory evacuation from nearly 100 streets in Nikopol, three villages, and one street in Marhanets. The order's distinctive feature is a built-in compensation mechanism for those who remain in the city but relocate to safer districts.
While Venezuelan acting president Delcy Rodriguez was defending her country's territorial sovereignty at the UN International Court of Justice in The Hague, Donald Trump told Fox News in an interview that he is "seriously considering" turning Venezuela into the 51st U.S. state — and cited the main argument: oil worth $40 trillion.
A Spanish investigation has established that a Russian vessel was transporting reactor housings for submarines to North Korea. It has not been officially confirmed who damaged the hull — the United States, NATO, or whether it was a technical malfunction.
The National Bureau of Investigation (NABU) and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office (SAP) announced suspicions against six participants in the "Midas: Dynasty" scheme, including former Vice Prime Minister Chernysho and businessman Mindych. According to the investigation, 460 million hryvnias that were laundered were supposed to materialize as five private residences near Kyiv for the highest-ranking state officials.
Finland's Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen notes a shift in Russia's behavior under sanctions and military pressure — but warns that declaring interest in negotiations and making real concessions are two different things.
The Verkhovna Rada has passed on first reading a draft of a new Civil Code that replaces the Soviet-era concept of "moral foundations of society" with "good faith." The authors say this is a standard norm in Europe. Critics argue it is subjectivity without limits.
After seven people were killed in Holosiivskyi District, the National Police is changing its training standards — the first group of platoon, company and battalion commanders from all regions is already undergoing a two-week training program based on a military model.
Sweden has officially seized the shadow fleet vessel Caffa, which will remain in Trelleborg pending a court decision on whether to hand it over to the requesting state. According to the investigation, the ship transported stolen Ukrainian grain from occupied Sevastopol under a false Guinean flag.
On May 11 in Brussels, the International Coalition for the Return of Ukrainian Children convened — and that very day London and Ottawa announced new sanctions. This was no coincidence, but a coordinated diplomatic action with specific names, figures, and financial measures.
The Kremlin is planning large-scale expansion in Africa, but a shortage of personnel and money being funneled into the meat grinder on the front lines are turning ambitions into a staffing dead end. The Security Service of Ukraine is recording that current recruitment rates are sufficient only to cover losses in Ukraine.