Ukraine's underground storage facilities are currently using 19.4% of their capacity. Almost 32%, or 2.79 bcm, less gas is available in the storages than in the previous year, according to the estimates.
The majority of Ukrainians, 71%, do not support holding elections before a full peace deal, even in the case of a ceasefire and security guarantees, according to a poll published by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology (KIIS) on May 14.
"He'd like me to be there, and that's a possibility. ... I don't know that he would be there if I'm not there. We're going to find out," U.S. President Donald Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One while traveling to Qatar, Reuters reported.
Trump has long demanded that NATO allies increase their military spending, previously calling for the alliance to raise its benchmark from 2% to 5% of GDP.
More than 1,000 Russian government entities and 1,200 private companies are involved in the economy of occupied Mariupol, a major southeastern city occupied by Russia after it invaded Ukraine in 2022, according to a research paper published on May 14.
The measures target almost 200 ships of Russia's "shadow fleet," 30 companies involved in sanctions evasion, 75 sanctions on entities and individuals linked to the Russian military-industrial complex, and more.
The government has approved "reform roadmaps in the rule of law, public administration, and democratic institutions, as well as Ukraine’s negotiation position," Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said.
The statement did not name the ex-official by name, but details of the case indicate it relates to Oleh Hladkovsky, a former deputy secretary of Ukraine's top security body who has been wanted since mid-April.
Brazilian President Lula da Silva claimed that Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha had appealed to his Brazilian counterpart, Mauro Vieira, to ask Putin if he was willing to conclude a peace agreement.
"Trump needs to believe that Putin actually lies," Zelensky told journalists in Kyiv. "And we should do our part. Sensibly approach this issue, to show that it’s not us that is slowing down the process."
(L) Ihor Hrynkevych, his children Olga and Roman, and his wife (R) Svitlana pose for a picture in vyshyvankas, Ukraine’s national embroidered shirts. (Facebook page of journalist Yevhen Plinskiy)
The son of a Lviv businessman implicated in a defense procurement corruption scandal has been declared wanted, said Tetiana Sapian, a communications advisor of the State Bureau of Investigation, on air on Jan. 18.
Although Sapian did not name the person in question, she said this in response to a query about Roman Hrynkevych, the son of businessman Ihor Hrynkevych, who is currently in detention and investigated for a large-scale corruption scheme.
Ukrainska Pravda also reported, citing law enforcement sources, that the announcement concerns Hrynkevych's son, Roman. The Kyiv Independent reached out to the bureau for comment but has not received a response at the time of this publication.
Sapian said that the businessman's son is part of a criminal group suspected of causing the state a loss of Hr 1 billion ($26.5 million) in a military clothes procurement scheme. While other members of the group were informed of suspicion and detained on Jan. 17, Roman Hrynkevych is reportedly still in hiding.
"Yesterday, searches were conducted to find and detain members of a criminal group, including a relative of a Lviv businessman," Sapian said on air.
"Unfortunately, he has not yet been found, but the suspicion of fraud and participation in a criminal group has been announced to him in accordance with the procedure established by law."
Ihor Hrynkevych used to be one of the leading suppliers for the Defense Ministry, winning 23 tenders with his companies. According to authorities, he failed to complete the contracts and caused the ministry financial damage of Hr 1.2 billion ($31.6 million).
The goods Hrynkevych's companies supplied were allegedly of low quality and inappropriate for the Ukrainian Armed Forces to use. He faces up to eight years in prison if convicted.
Ihor Hrynkevych was arrested on Dec. 30, 2023, while allegedly attempting to bribe a top official in the bureau in exchange for the return of his property confiscated during criminal proceedings.
The Defense Ministry announced on Jan. 17 that it had terminated the last contract with the businessman's companies.
Since the beginning of the Russian full-scale invasion, Ukraine's Defense Ministry has been involved in several corruption scandals.
The two most notorious scandals, one regarding inflated prices for food supplies and the other connected to low-quality winter jackets, prompted the dismissal of former Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov.
Liliane Bivings
