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."
Border patrol guard at Nuijamaa, Finland, not far from the country's border with Russia, on March 18, 2022. Illustrative purposes only. (Giulio Paletta/UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
The European Border and Coast Guard Agency (Frontex) plans to deploy 50 border guard officers and other staff, as well as equipment, to Finland amid a growing migrant crisis on the border with Russia, the agency announced on Nov. 23.
November saw an unusually high number of third-country asylum seekers coming to the Finnish border from Russia.
Helsinki accused Moscow of orchestrating the migrant influx as retribution for the country's entry to NATO and moved to close all but one border crossing with its eastern neighbor.
Frontex plans to deploy the first group of officers on Nov. 29 to expand Frontex Joint Operation Terra 2023 in Finland. This will include border surveillance officers, support for registering migrants, document experts, and interpreters, the agency said.
"Frontex's support to Finland goes beyond logistics; it's a demonstration of the European Union's unified stand against hybrid challenges affecting one of its members," said Hans Leijtens, the agency's executive director.
"This collaboration shows that when facing complex border issues, Europe stands united, offering support through tangible actions."
Frontex stressed that apart from security considerations, the agency also pays attention to the humanitarian aspect of the developing migrant crisis in Finland.
"The agency remains deeply committed to ensuring that while Europe's borders are safeguarded, the fundamental rights and dignity of all people are respected and upheld," Frontex said.
Reports of Moscow-orchestrated migrant crisis echo the strategy used by Belarus against its NATO neighbors. Minsk has been facilitating flows of third-country migrants to the Baltic countries and Poland since 2021.
Martin Fornusek is a news editor at the Kyiv Independent. He has previously worked as a news content editor at the media company Newsmatics and is a contributor to Euromaidan Press. He was also volunteering as an editor and translator at the Czech-language version of Ukraïner. Martin studied at Masaryk University in Brno, Czechia, holding a bachelor's degree in security studies and history and a master's degree in conflict and democracy studies.
Martin Fornusek
