Inside Ukraine's desperate fight to stabilize Donbas front

12:53 AM  (Updated:  May 24, 2025 9:53 am)

Russia hits Kyiv with drones, missiles hours after largest prisoner exchange kicks off.

Multiple people were injured as multiple waves of explosions rocked Kyiv overnight on May 24 during a massive Russian drone and missile attack.

9:24 AM

General Staff: Russia has lost 979,830 troops in Ukraine since Feb. 24, 2022.

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

7:10 AM

Pentagon may downgrade Ukraine-focused office amid policy restructure, media reports.

As part of a broader policy realignment, this office would be merged into the Pentagon's Europe and NATO office, reducing its prominence despite its critical role since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

4:56 AM

Russia’s top exporters slash rail shipments amid economic slowdown, Reuters reports.

A document seen by Reuters reveals that firms such as Rusal and Gazpromneft intend to reduce the volumes they plan to move by rail in 2025, prompting Russian Railways to slash spending by an additional 32.5 billion rubles ($408 million).

2:48 AM

EU to sanction Nord Stream 2 pipeline as Russia rejects Ukraine ceasefire, Bloomberg reports.

The EU is close to restricting the Nord Stream 2 pipeline in a new round of sanctions as Russia refuses a ceasefire in its war against Ukraine, Bloomberg reported.

5:03 PM  (Updated:  May 24, 2025 1:45 am)

Prisoner exchange

'It’s okay, Mom, I’m home' — Ukraine, Russia hold largest prisoner swap of the war

12:38 AM

Russian jets violate Finnish airspace, defense ministry says.

Two Russian military aircraft are suspected of violating Finland's airspace, the country's defense ministry reported on May 23.

11:39 PM

Ukraine would like Trump to attend potential Zelensky-Putin meeting, Sybiha says.

Ukraine would like U.S. President Donald Trump to be present at a potential meeting between President Volodymyr Zelensky and Russian President Vladimir Putin, Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha told journalists.

11:07 PM

EU to restore quotas on Ukrainian farm imports in June, Bloomberg reports.

The move marks a significant shift in EU trade policy toward Kyiv, as bloc members seek to balance wartime support for Ukraine with growing domestic unrest from European farmers.

11:01 PM

Ukraine, US officially launch joint Reconstruction Investment Fund.

"The last step was a diplomatic note from the United States, which I personally received this morning. The Fund is officially launched," Economy Minister Yuliia Svyrydenko said on May 23.

10:25 PM

Controversial ex-official Portnov visited Ukraine days before being killed in Madrid, news outlet reports.

According to three Ukrainian Pravda's interlocutors with knowledge of Portnov's movements — including sources in law enforcement and his inner circle — he was in Ukraine on May 17-18 and reportedly met with top law enforcement officials.

10:10 PM

Ukraine war latest: Ukraine, Russia hold largest prisoner swap since start of Russia's war.

9:57 PM

Opinion

Chaos to coordination: the evolution of POW swaps in the Russia-Ukraine war

9:36 PM

Zelensky slams Russia's delay on peace memorandum as 'mockery of the whole world.'

"We need a ceasefire. We need diplomatic steps toward real peace. And it's definitely time to put more pressure on Russia," President Volodymyr Zelensky said.

8:39 PM

Opinion

Ukraine must look beyond the EU for its agricultural future

8:33 PM

Polish jets intercept Russian bomber over Baltic Sea after 'dangerous' maneuvers.

According to Polish Defense Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz, the Russian aircraft posed a threat to regional airspace safety.

7:30 PM

Russia executes 2 Ukrainian POWs near Pokrovsk, prosecutors say.

According to Ukraine's Prosecutor General's Office, the incident occurred on May 22 during an attack on Ukrainian positions in one of the most active combat zones of the front line.

7:04 PM

Video

Ultimate guide on how drones changed warfare in Ukraine.

The Kyiv Independent’s Francis Farrel provides an ultimate guide on how drones have changed the warfare in Ukraine — starting with an embed with a drone unit of the National Guard’s 14th Chervona Kalyna Brigade and providing even more insights with a step-by-step simulation on how fighting for an average village in Ukraine looks like now, three years into Russia’s full-scale invasion.

5:01 PM  (Updated:  May 23, 2025 6:57 pm)

Russia strikes Odesa port with ballistic missiles, kills 2, injures 7.

Four of the wounded are in serious condition, Odesa Oblast Governor Oleh Kiper said.

6:25 PM

Russian military helicopter crashes in Oryol Oblast.

The Moscow Military District attributed the crash to a technical malfunction.

9:04 AM  (Updated:  May 23, 2025 3:43 pm)

Ukraine confirms strike on Russian factory making parts for Iskander ballistic missiles, defense tech

Ukrainian drones attacked the Energy (Energia) plant in Yelets, Russian Telegram-channel Astra reported, citing locals. Videos on social media purported to show blasts and fires following the strikes.

10:39 PM  (Updated:  May 23, 2025 3:18 pm)

Editorial

Editorial: Russia just said it doesn’t want peace. This is what you need to do

3:08 PM

German company shipped restricted technology to Russia despite EU sanctions, Politico reports.

According to the report, Kontron used the Slovenian entity to ship over 3.5 million euro ($3.9 million) worth of telecommunications equipment to its Russian subsidiary, Iskra Technologies, between July and November 2023.

11:36 AM  (Updated:  May 23, 2025 2:20 pm)

Russian attacks against Ukraine kill 7, injure 20 over past day.

Russian attacks against Ukraine killed seven people and injured 20 others over the past day, regional authorities said on May 23.

2:08 PM

Finland ‘closely monitoring’ borders amid reports of Russian military preparations.

The comments come after reports that Finland expects a Russian military build-up on its borders after the war in Ukraine ends.