The Kyiv Independent’s Kateryna Denisova speaks with one of Ukraine's most prominent investigative journalists, Mykhailo Tkach, about the newly published recordings exposing corruption and money laundering inside President Volodymyr Zelensky's inner circle.

Air raid alerts rang out across Ukraine as a massive swarm of attack drones crossed the Russian border shortly after 11:00 a.m. local time.

Although the target of the attack was not immediately clear, Volna, located just east of Crimea's Kerch Peninsula, is home to an oil terminal that has previously been the subject of Ukrainian strikes.

Russia launched 139 drones overnight, Ukraine's Air Force said on the morning of May 13, most of them Shahed-type deep-strike drones and various Russian-made copies.

Russia has allegedly conducted a successful test of its nuclear-capable RS-28 Sarmat intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), following a series of failed launches that exposed weaknesses behind Moscow's repeated nuclear threats. News of the claimed launch was delivered to Russian President Vladimir Putin by Strategic Missile Forces Commander Sergey Karakayev, Russian state news agency TASS reported on May 12. According to Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov, Moscow warned the U.S. and "other

"The end of the war in Ukraine... I really think it's getting very close," U.S. President Donald Trump said.

The number includes 1,130 casualties that Russian forces suffered over the past day.

President Volodymyr Zelensky issued a presidential decree on May 12 imposing sanctions against 32 Russian companies and 34 nationals involved in supplying materials in support of Russia’s military-industrial complex.

A massive fire reportedly broke out at a tourist complex in Moscow overnight on May 13, Russian Telegram media channels reported.

Two people were killed and four others injured, including a 9-month-old girl hospitalized in critical condition, local authorities said.

Kaja Kallas, the EU’s top diplomat, expressed "frustration" over the slow pace of the bloc's defense industry production, drawing a stark contrast with Ukraine's growth.

The attacks come after the three-day Victory Day ceasefire between Ukraine and Russia ended.

Key developments on May 12: * Ukrainian drones strike Russian gas facility over 1,500 kilometers from border, Zelensky says * Ukraine strikes Russian targets in occupied Donetsk Oblast after renewed attacks, military says * New Russia sanctions feature individuals exposed in Kyiv Independent documentary * Russian attacks kill 4 civilians, injure 27 after Victory Day ceasefire ends Ukrainian drones attacked a gas industry facility in Russia's Orenburg Oblast on May 12, targeting a site more

Ukraine’s business police, known as the Bureau of Economic Security, searched and confiscated products from e-cigarette sellers in 12 regions, including Kyiv, Lviv, Odesa, and Zakarpattia, Pavlo Buzdyhan, the bureau’s deputy director, told the Kyiv Independent.

I have had the same conversation about investing in Ukraine over 50 times since 2022, and the excuse keeps evolving into every possible variation. Four years ago, the reason not to invest in Ukraine was the war. Two years ago, it was the war plus worries about Western support. But then, Ukrainian defense tech did something inconvenient for all these excuses — it scaled to levels few could have predicted. Those who don't follow the space are shocked by how vibrant Ukraine's startup market has b

Months later, Russians responsible for acts of genocide against Ukrainian children find themselves added to Western sanctions lists.

The U.K's governing Labour Party suffered losses in the country's May 7 local elections, which are leading to calls for Prime Minister Keir Starmer to resign, but Ukrainians should not worry about continued support, Europe Minister Stephen Doughty told the Kyiv Independent in an interview in Brussels just after the government announced a fresh package of support. "I have a very clear message of reassurance, which is that the British public remains resolutely behind Ukraine, and as does the main

Anastasiia Chvylova says Russia’s children’s rights commissioner, later wanted by the International Criminal Court, told abducted Ukrainian children they were Russian and pushed them toward Russian education and youth programs.

Ukraine struck Russian military targets in occupied Donetsk Oblast after renewed Russian attacks following the end of a three-day Victory Day ceasefire.

"The president of Ukraine did not and does not appear within the framework of this pre-trial investigation," said Semen Kryvonos, director of the National Anti-Corruption Bureau.

According to the National Anti-Corruption Bureau, those charged are a former deputy prime minister, an alleged ringleader of the Energoatom corruption scheme, and four others.

"Russia itself chose to end the partial silence that had lasted for several days," President Volodymyr Zelensky wrote on X on May 12.

Secrecy was paramount. Not even some of the high-ranking commanders who would be taking part knew of Ukraine's upcoming counterattack in southeastern Ukraine. "Everything here was done secretly, so very few people knew about it," Vadym, a battalion commander with the 110th Mechanized Brigade who goes by his callsign "Lighthouse," said at a command post in Zaporizhzhia Oblast. Vadym had heard rumors about the operation, but only believed "something was brewing" after seeing an increase in the

The number includes 1,020 casualties that Russian forces suffered over the past day.

Swedish authorities have detained two people on suspicion of violating international sanctions in assisting Russia to procure "advanced products," the Swedish Security Service said on May 11.

The latest attack on the Ukrainian capital comes just hours after a U.S.-brokered temporary ceasefire reached between Ukraine and Russia expired.

Europe may help Ukraine and Russia reach an agreement to pause attacks on each other's airports, Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha told Politico on May 11.

President Volodymyr Zelensky's former chief of staff has been charged with money laundering tied to the construction of a luxury residential compound outside Kyiv, the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office (SAPO) said in a statement. Although not named in SAPO's statement, the chief of staff in question is Andriy Yermak, a source in law enforcement familiar with the case told the Kyiv Independent. Ukraine’s National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Pr

Ministers from 58 countries announced a sweep of new pledges to help Ukraine bring back more than 20,000 children who have been abducted by Russia since it launched its full-scale invasion, during a high-level event dedicated to the topic in Brussels on May 11. The event, co-hosted by the EU, Canada, and Ukraine, followed a meeting of EU foreign ministers, in which they agreed to sanction 23 individuals involved in Russia's abduction of children. Canada also sanctioned 23 entities, and the U.K.

MMA star Khamzat Chimaev’s first defeat at UFC 328 on May 10 wasn’t just a blow to his 15-0 undefeated record — it was a rare moment of silence from the Chechen fighter. After the judges declared American Sean Strickland the winner of the match, Chimaev placed the championship belt around his opponent’s waist and left the ring without addressing the crowd. It was a radically different end compared to his usual post-match displays of bravado, which have included the slogan “Akhmat — sila” (“Akhm

Ukraine will hold back "long-range sanctions," strikes on Russian military targets if Moscow continues to avoid launching mass attacks, President Volodymyr Zelensky said.

North Korea has earned up to $13 billion for supplying weapons and soldiers to Russia, a new report says.