Political news from Kyiv region, government decisions and Ukraine politics
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.
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.