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The contract was signed with American defense industry giant Lockheed Martin to manufacture additional High-Mobility Rocket Artillery Systems (HIMARS) for the needs of the U.S. military and international partners, the Pentagon reported.
This marks the first new contract for HIMARS production since April and the first since the system was awarded to Ukraine. The Pentagon did not specify which foreign partners are to receive the new HIMARS systems. The contract is expected to expire on Dec. 31, 2025.
Ukraine has so far received 20 HIMARS from the U.S., with 18 more to be delivered over the next few years as part of a $1 billion U.S. arms package. The Ukrainian military has been using the systems for precise strikes on Russia’s military ammunition depots and supply routes deep into Russian-occupied territories. The GPS-guided rockets of the HIMARS system, able to hit targets at long range with pinpoint accuracy, have been credited with turning the tide of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Politico reported on Nov. 5, citing a Pentagon official, that Russian forces hadn’t managed to destroy any of the U.S.-provided HIMARS, despite repeated Russian claims.
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Saturday, May 9
The man is accused of assisting the head of the Izolyatsia prison camp in the torture of inmates. His arrest marks the second time a foreign country has detained a suspect charged with war crimes in Ukraine.
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In turn, President Volodymyr Zelensky published a declaration allowing Russia to hold its Victory Day parade in Moscow with an official promise not to strike the territory of Red Square.
Ukraine war latest: Dozens of Ukrainian drones reportedly target Moscow ahead of Victory Day parade.
Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin claimed that Ukraine's military launched dozens of drones towards the Russian capital throughout the night on May 8, just one day before Moscow is set to stage its annual Victory Day military parade.
Russia has used drones to drop propaganda leaflets resembling Ukrainian banknotes in border areas ahead of Victory Day, Ukraine’s Center for Countering Disinformation said.
When the leaked transcripts were first published on April 28, the President's Office declined to comment, while President Volodymyr Zelensky has stayed tight-lipped on the scandal since it broke in November.
The Kyiv Independent’s Kollen Post and Nick Allard embed with sailors of the Ukrainian Navy operating small mine-clearing vessels off the coast of Odesa. Using sea drones and sonar systems, these crews identify potential explosives and secure maritime routes — often under the threat of Russian drone and missile attacks.
(Updated: )European allies
The Kyiv Independent is proud to announce that the Kyiv Independent’s reporter Asami Terajima has been shortlisted for the 2026 One World Media Awards in the Print Award category.
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The fire, previously estimated at around 2,400 hectares (5,930 acres) on May 7, has now expanded to about 4,300 hectares (10,600 acres).
Ukrainian drones previously attacked local oil infrastructure overnight on April 29-30.
Instead of going to court, Russia's oligarchs are relying on a 1989 investment treaty, which Belgium and Luxembourg signed with the Soviet Union.
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Rustem Umerov said he and U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner discussed humanitarian issues, prisoner exchanges between Kyiv and Moscow, and peace efforts.
