Editor’s note: This is issue 24 of Ukrainian lawmaker Yaroslav Zhelezniak’s weekly "Ukraine Reforms Tracker" covering events from April 28–May 4, 2025. The digest highlights steps taken in the Ukrainian parliament related to business, economics, and international financial programs. The Kyiv Independent is republishing with permission. Benchmarks
The repeated drone activity prompted renewed temporary airport closures across the region.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said the trip is currently being coordinated and emphasized that the European Union must do “everything possible” to help secure a lasting cessation of hostilities beyond the upcoming weekend.
Azeri President Ilham Aliyev and Laotian leader Thongloun Sisoulith will not attend Russia’s Victory Day parade in Moscow on May 9.
Russia launched 187 drones overnight, including Iranian-designed Shahed-type drones and five Iskander-M ballistic missiles, according to Ukraine's Air Force.
The strikes, according to the SBU, triggered heightened alert measures across the Moscow Oblast, forcing Russian authorities to enact “Plan Cover,” a security protocol that includes grounding civilian air traffic.
The following is the May 6, 2025 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. As I’m sure you saw, the U.S. and Ukraine finally signed the minerals agreement after months
Garrett, 42, from the Isle of Man, was widely known for his high-risk volunteer work removing mines and unexploded ordnance left behind by Russian forces.
Kharkiv, located a stone’s throw away from Russia’s border, continues to pulsate with a resilient spirit despite the invasion. Each cultural event that takes place in this eastern Ukrainian city is more than just artistic expression — it is a poignant reminder of what Ukraine stands to lose in
Under a “1+1” model, Lithuania would fund the production of two drones, keeping one for its own defense and sending the other to Ukraine.
Russia’s annual Victory Day parade is taking place in Moscow on May 9, in a week dramatically marked by a series of Ukrainian drone strikes on the city, and a dubious unilateral ceasefire announced by the Kremlin. Russia's Victory Day celebrations, which mark the Soviet Union's role in defeating
The so-called "humanitarian" truce will run from midnight on May 8 to midnight on May 11.
"The fiber optic systems plant in Saransk was very seriously damaged after the strike," Andrii Kovalenko, an official at Ukraine's National Security and Defense Council, said on May 7.
The disruption comes days before Russia's Victory Day parade on May 9, one of the country's largest public events and a key propaganda tool for Russian President Vladimir Putin.
U.S. special envoy for Ukraine Keith Kellogg described the proposal as a buffer zone with both sides pulling back 15 kilometers, creating a 30-kilometer area monitored by observers from third countries.
Former U.S. President Joe Biden, breaking from the tradition of former presidents avoiding criticism of successors early in their term, said conceding Ukrainian territory could erode confidence in Washington's global role.
The number includes 1,270 casualties that Russian forces suffered over the past day.
The aircraft, owned by Russian Volga-Dnepr cargo airlines, has remained grounded at Toronto Pearson International Airport since the start of the full-scale invasion in February 2022, amid a travel ban on Russian aircraft in Canadian airspace.
Russian drone debris struck several residential buildings in the Dnipro, Shevchenkivskyi, and Sviatoshynskyi neighborhoods of the capital.
Ukraine's external financing needs to cover the country's budgetary deficit are fully met for 2025, Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said on May 6.
When pressed about whether he would invite Russia back to the group, President Donald Trump responded that "it's not good timing now," contradicting previous statements on the matter.
The Kremlin has released a guest list of countries and foreign leaders planning to attend the contentious May 9 Victory Day parade. Military personnel from 13 countries are expected to march through Moscow and at least 29 world leaders are expected to attend the event.
Key developments on May 6: * Ukraine brings home 205 POWs in prisoner exchange with Russia * Russian soldiers executed 3 unarmed Ukrainian POWs in Donetsk Oblast, prosecutors say * Russia allegedly downs 3 drones approaching Moscow as Putin prepares Victory Day parade * Ukraine stabilizes Pokrovsk front, seizes tactical initiative in some areas,
For the second night in a row, the Kremlin has reported downing Ukrainian attack drones on their approach to Moscow. While not an unprecedented event, the timing of these attacks on the Russian capital has not gone unnoticed, coming just days before the much-vaunted Victory Day parade in the center
The State Bureau of Investigation (SBI) may have gained access to the phone data of activist Vitaliy Shabunin's wife following a court ruling — a development that the head of the Anti-Corruption Action Center's executive board sees as yet another sign of pressure aimed at curtailing his work. Days after the
The execution of prisoners of war is a breach of the Geneva Conventions and qualifies as an international crime.
Andrii Smyrnov held the position of the President's Office deputy head from September 2019 until March 2024, when President Volodymyr Zelensky dismissed him without naming a reason.
As the air defense missile stocks run low and the future of U.S. military aid to Ukraine grows increasingly uncertain, Kyiv is under pressure to defend its sky. The concerns mount as Russia scales up its aerial attacks across Ukraine, combining ballistic missiles and drones to overwhelm air defenses.
According to the preliminary information, Russian troops used a ballistic missile, the Sumy Oblast Military Administration said. It was launched at around 5:30 p.m. local time, targeting civilian infrastructure.
The Verkhovna Rada, Ukraine's parliament, will vote on the agreement's ratification on May 8.
BRUSSELS — After years of reducing its reliance on Russian gas, the European Union is moving to turn off the taps completely within the next two years. The European Commission (EC) on May 6 presented a detailed roadmap to fully sever the European Union’s energy dependence on Russia by 2027.
This marks the fifth known prisoner of war (POWs) swap of 2025 and the 64th since Russia’s full-scale invasion began in February 2022.
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