Political news from Kyiv region, government decisions and Ukraine politics
Swedish military intelligence has obtained data on systematic manipulation by Moscow of economic indicators. The goal is to convince the West that sanctions are ineffective. Data from independent economists confirms that the actual picture is significantly worse than the official one.
The IMF agreed to temporarily refrain from insisting on the introduction of VAT for entrepreneurs with income exceeding 4 million hryvnias. However, this is not a concession — it is a postponement under conditions where Kyiv has already missed all three structural benchmarks of the first quarter.
Madrid announced an initiative on April 21, but a complete termination of the agreement requires unanimity from all 27 countries. The key question is whether there will be sufficient qualified majority support for at least partial trade sanctions.
Hungary agreed to lift its veto on a loan for Ukraine — but only after the oil pipeline resumes operations. What's behind this ultimatum and how much control does Kyiv have over the situation.
Chief of the Patrol Police of Ukraine Yevhen Zhukov resigned within a day after a terrorist attack in the Holosiivskyi district. Six dead, video of police fleeing, signatures in the Verkhovna Rada — and a resignation letter before the issue became irreversible.
Kyiv has publicly requested Ankara to organize a meeting of leaders in the Zelenskyy–Putin–Erdogan–Trump format. However, the Kremlin remains silent—and this silence is part of the strategy.
The European Commission has recorded a sharp decline in the number of people seeking protection in the European Union. Over the past year, there has been nearly a 20 percent decrease. The reasons are not only a shift in migration routes but also deliberate changes to the rules of the game.
# Six Dead, Police Who Abandoned Posts, and a Rifle With Permission Extended to December 2025: Kyiv Terror Attack on April 18 Raises Two Uncomfortable Questions About Police Selection Quality and Permit System Effectiveness Six people killed, police officers who abandoned their positions, and a rifle with an active permit extended until December 2025. The Kyiv terror attack on April 18 simultaneously raised two uncomfortable questions — about the quality of police recruitment and the effectiveness of the licensing system.
# The US Again Suspended Oil Sanctions Against Russia Despite Public Assurances by the Treasury Department. Zelenskyy Calculated: The Price of This Decision is Approximately $10 Billion in Russian Strikes.
Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia have closed their airspace to the Slovak Prime Minister's plane — and he is once again, as a year ago, seeking an alternative route via the Black Sea. The difference: this time he is flying to the 80th "Victory Parade," which is not officially listed in his schedule.
Ukraine's Navy struck the "Atlant Aero" enterprise in Taganrog with Neptune cruise missiles — a producer of Molniya attack drones that Russia uses to strike Kharkiv and frontline cities. Satellite imagery confirms damage to at least three workshops.
Six dead, footage of patrol officers fleeing from a shooter, and legally registered weapons with permits renewed just four months before the attack. Klymenko launched an official investigation, but key questions remain unanswered.
A ceasefire between the US and Iran expires on April 22, with no follow-up negotiations scheduled, as Iran has again blocked the Strait of Hormuz. Trump called this "blackmail" and assembled his top command at the White House.
American military forces are preparing to seize Iranian oil tankers in international waters — far beyond the Middle East. This is not mere rhetoric: since December 2025, the US has already confiscated at least three vessels — from the Caribbean Sea to the Indian Ocean.
A 58-year-old Dmitry Vasilchenkov killed six people on the streets of Kyiv with officially registered firearms. The tragedy exposed a loophole in the licensing system: a person with a criminal record obtained a rifle.
The Trump administration reinstated permission to purchase Russian oil just two days after publicly promising not to do so. Democratic senators called the decision "shameful" and claimed that Putin is "playing Trump for a fool."
# Translation: On July 10, in Holosiivskyi district of Kyiv, counterintelligence officer Ivan Voronych was killed. Five pistol shots, two mercenaries from abroad — and according to Butusov's data, neither of them had a chance of surviving according to the organizers' plan.
NATO support has fallen the most sharply among all institutions — by 21.9 percentage points over six months. Meanwhile, attitudes toward China have more than doubled. This is not disillusionment with the idea — it is a bill for specific actions.
Lviv Territorial Recruitment Center confirmed an incident in Yavoriv. The National Police classified the event as a criminal offense — a proceeding has been opened.
# English Translation On April 17, Tehran announced the opening of the Strait of Hormuz as part of a ceasefire. On April 18, the IRGC reported that it had "restored control to its previous state" — citing the continuation of the American blockade of Iranian ports. Trump had warned in advance: the blockade will remain until a deal is signed.
# Russian State Duma Approves Bill Allowing Putin to Send Military Abroad to "Protect" Russians from Foreign Courts The State Duma has passed legislation that would permit President Putin to deploy troops beyond Russia's borders to "protect" Russians from foreign judicial proceedings. Political analysts view the measure not as a humanitarian provision, but rather as legal cover for future military interventions—particularly in the Baltic states.
# Governor of Leningrad Region Confirms Strike on Vysotsk Port — One of Russia's Key Baltic Infrastructure Hubs Comes Under Fire The Governor of Leningrad Region confirmed an attack on the Vysotsk port, one of the key nodes of Russia's Baltic infrastructure, which came under fire.
The head of the Presidential Office acknowledged that over the past six months, Ukraine has been meeting only the minimum recruitment threshold, while Russia has already completed its annual recruitment plan for 2025 — 403,000 people — ahead of schedule.
The EU Defense Commissioner proposed an intergovernmental agreement that bypasses vetoes in existing EU treaties. France, Germany, and Belgium are already objecting — and their position will determine whether the proposal becomes an agreement.
Moldova has declared the commander of Russian troops in Transnistria and five of his subordinates as persona non grata. If they attempt to cross the Dniester River or depart through Chisinau, they will be detained and deported.
After Syrsky's report on Russian military regrouping, Zelensky warned: activation in Belarus is not accidental, but the Kremlin's logic with allies is already known from the examples of Maduro and Assad.
Trump announced that the US will remove Iranian nuclear "dust" for free, while Israel and Lebanon agreed to a 10-day ceasefire. The details of the mechanisms for implementing both agreements remain an open question.
# English Translation The Ministry of Defense has not yet formalized the idea of transferring the functions of forced delivery of draft dodgers to the National Police even in the form of a draft law — but the Ministry of Internal Affairs has already publicly declined to accept it. The conflict between the two agencies reveals a deeper problem: who and under what conditions should carry out the most unpopular part of mobilization.
Orban's defeat removes one of the Kremlin's key levers in the European Union, but does not eliminate the problem itself: Russia may shift its networks of influence to other countries with a "Soviet legacy."
Araghchi announced full opening of the Strait of Hormuz as part of ceasefire, but actual shipping traffic remains collapsed: instead of 130+ vessels per day — nine. There is a ceasefire, but no enforcement mechanism.