The statement offers a stark picture of the deteriorating situation north of Pokrovsk, where Ukrainian troops say Russian drone superiority has made troop rotations, evacuations, and resupply missions nearly impossible.

High oil prices driven by the U.S. operation against Iran are not sufficient to save the Russian economy, according to estimates from the Free Russia Foundation shared with the Kyiv Independent. The U.S. operation disrupted traditional supply routes and triggered a sharp rise in global oil prices, prompting Washington to issue sanctions waivers on Russian oil in an effort to stabilize the market. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio acknowledged on May 13 that higher oil prices had effectively

The bail funds were reportedly scraped from multiple sources, including contributions from Serhii Rebrov, the former Ukraine national football team coach.

Ukraine's Navy said the bulk carrier KSL DEYANG, designed to transport unpackaged bulk cargoes such as grains or coal, was flying the flag of the Marshall Islands and is owned by a Chinese company, with a crew of Chinese nationals on board.

"We expect our American colleagues to continue their peacemaking efforts," Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said.

Russia launched 524 drones and 22 missiles, including 14 ballistic ones, Ukraine's Air Force said. Of them, 503 drones and 4 missiles were shot down. Direct hits by 18 missiles and 16 drones were recorded at 34 locations.

The number includes 1,220 casualties that Russian forces suffered over the past day.

Russian forces launched a combined drone and missile attack on Ukraine's central and southern regions overnight on May 18, injuring at least 20 people, including two children, officials reported.

The alleged figures, which the Kyiv Independent cannot independently verify, follow Kyiv's largest attack on Moscow in over a year on May 17 in which Kyiv reportedly launched 1,054 Ukrainian drones at Russia, as well as eight guided aerial bombs, and two newly developed Ukrainian missiles.

President Volodymyr Zelensky hailed the Ukrainian military's efforts in delivering "significant" long-range strikes on Moscow overnight on May 16-17, describing them as part of a broader shift in momentum in Kyiv’s favor.

"When we think about those types of technologies being that close, and a range of bad actors from terror groups to drug cartels to Iranians to the Russians, it's concerning," a senior U.S. official said.

After four years of brutal, all-out war in Ukraine, the Council of Europe met on May 15 to establish a long-awaited pillar of accountability: the Special Tribunal for the Crime of Aggression against Ukraine (The Tribunal). The Tribunal fills an important gap. The International Criminal Court lacks jurisdiction for aggression — what judges at Nuremberg called the "supreme international crime." It seeks to hold the architects of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, most senior Russian officials, account

Key developments on May 16-17: * Drone strike reportedly hits major Russian fertilizer plant linked to explosives production * Kyiv repatriates 528 bodies that Russia claims are fallen Ukrainian soldiers * 'Justified response' – Zelensky releases footage of Ukrainian strikes on Russian aircraft, other targets deep behind enemy lines * Ukraine attack on Moscow region 'completely fair response,' Zelensky says A fire likely broke out at the Nevinnomyssk Azot plant in Russia's southern Stavrop

The remarks came as European officials continue debating future engagement with Moscow amid growing uncertainty over the United States' efforts to end Russia's war against Ukraine.

In the latest episode of Ukraine This Week, Anna Belokur examines how Volodymyr Zelensky’s presidency has changed over seven years in office, and whether he still represents the anti-establishment promises he campaigned on in 2019.

A large-scale drone attack targeted the Moscow region overnight on May 16–17, with Russian officials and local residents reporting multiple explosions across the area.

Editor's note: The following is the May 13, 2026 edition of our Ukraine Business Roundup weekly newsletter. To get the biggest news in business and tech from Ukraine directly in your inbox, subscribe here. This newsletter wasn’t meant to be about illegal e-cigarettes in Ukraine. But I stumbled across a law enforcement operation yesterday — and immediately knew it would be the focus of this week's edition. While running an errand on Tuesday afternoon at Kyiv’s central Gulliver mall, I noticed t

Russia launched 287 attack drones overnight, Ukraine’s Air Force said, adding that 279 drones were shot down or suppressed by air defenses. Eight drones struck seven locations.

The number includes 1,170 casualties that Russian forces suffered over the past day.

Ukrainian tennis player Elina Svitolina won the WTA 1000 Internazionali BNL d’Italia tournament in Rome, securing one of the biggest titles of her recent career.

Romania's Defense Ministry said that an "unguided reactive projectile" was discovered on a property near the country's border with Ukraine.

The waiver, which allowed purchases of Russian oil stranded at sea, has expired as of 12:01 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time on May 16.

"Probably they need more people to send to the war in Ukraine," Moldovan President Maia Sandu said.

The West must move on from the last four years of economic skirmishes and declare an "Economic World War" against Russia. The $70 billion budget deficit that Russia faced at the start of the year did not manage to cripple its economy.  Since then, its oil exports soared 52% to 713 million euros ($836 million) per day in March compared to February, turning Western efforts into a case of one step forward and two steps back. Russia's windfall from oil inflation has been further boosted by U.S. Pr

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 16: * Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant relies on off-site backup power line for almost 2 months, IAEA reports * Unmanned Systems Forces hit Russian military targets in Crimea, Berdiansk, Luhansk Oblast * Ukraine struck Russian military targets in occupied Donetsk Oblast following

"We discussed strengthening our capabilities to repel Russian attacks right now," President Volodymyr Zelensky said.

The survey also showed growing public anxiety inside Russia.

"There's no need to look for any hidden meanings in the fact that these contacts occur," Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said.

Ukraine struck several Russian military targets this week, including a Be-200 amphibious aircraft, President Volodymyr Zelensky said on May 16.

Andrii Kovalenko, an official at Ukraine's National Security and Defense Council, described the facility as "a critical component" of Russia's defense-industrial complex.

The Russian side has not commented on whether Ukraine transferred the bodies of Russian soldiers in return.

The Russian and Chinese presidents will discuss bilateral relations and ways to deepen the countries' "partnership and strategic cooperation."