Yuliia Taradiuk

"The business elite in St. Petersburg can now see firsthand how the Russian Defense Ministry is eroding their share of the so-called 'social contract,'" a Russian military blogger known by the nickname Reporter Filatov said.

Sumy Oblast Governor Oleh Hryhorov said that "a targeted strike" by a Russian drone on a residential building in the Mykolaivska community took the life of a 64-year-old man and injured his 84-year-old mother.

Ukraine's Unmanned Systems Forces released footage of drones striking a Russian warship armed with guided missiles at the Kronstadt naval base near St. Petersburg.

The attack coincided with the beginning of the 2026 St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, an annual conference of business leaders and government officials hosted by Russian President Vladimir Putin.

This weekly update from the Kyiv Independent aims to shed light on the situation facing Ukrainians living under Russian occupation and the ever-tightening control of information imposed by the Kremlin. Key news as of May 31: * Crimea introduces fuel rationing amid supply crisis caused by Ukrainian strikes * IAEA reports communications blackout at occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant * Human Rights Watch condemns Russia's unlawful property seizures in occupied Ukraine * Ukraine is usin

The first anti-drone devices were deployed along three sections of the border in southeastern Estonia, between the Estonia-Latvia-Russia tripoint and Luhamaa, a border crossing point between Estonia and Russia, ERR said, citing a press release from the Estonian Ministry of the Interior.

According to the Presidential Office, the sanctions list includes executives of Russian defense enterprises, military personnel, and collaborators who have cooperated with Russian occupation authorities in Ukrainian territories seized by the Kremlin.

"The civilian train station, from which hundreds of Sumy Oblast residents set out daily to go about their peaceful business, has become yet another target of the terrorist state," Oleksii Kuleba, Ukraine's deputy prime minister for restoration and minister for communities and territories development, said.

The Iskander and two Tu-142 aircraft were targeted at a military airfield in Russia's Taganrog, Rostov Oblast, Unmanned Systems Forces commander Robert "Magyar" Brovdi reported.

"Russia continues to deliberately threaten international maritime transport by attacking civilian infrastructure and merchant ships," Ukraine's Navy said.

The refinery halted production after the attack, Ukraine's General Staff said.

A drone struck a residential building in Galati, Romania, overnight on May 29, Romania's Defense Ministry confirmed, after an air raid alert was declared in all of Ukraine.

Human Rights Watch said Russia is unlawfully seizing Ukrainian-owned homes in occupied territories by declaring them "ownerless," while pressuring residents to obtain Russian citizenship and restricting travel back to occupied areas.

This weekly update from the Kyiv Independent aims to shed light on the situation facing Ukrainians living under Russian occupation and the ever-tightening control of information imposed by the Kremlin. Key news as of May 25: * Azov Corps drones strike Russian logistics near Mariupol, while diesel shortage reported * Ukraine denies Russian claim that drone strike killed civilians in occupied Luhansk Oblast * Ukraine, Russia agree on 'technical terms' for evacuation of 6,000 civilians from oc

"I am grateful to the medical workers treating and supporting our people. I thank everyone involved in recovery efforts, all emergency and public services," Volodymyr Zelensky said.