Serhii Lysak, head of the Dnipropetrovsk Oblast Military Administration, called the online claims "fake" and said that the accompanying photograph allegedly showing Russian troops in the area was also fabricated.
While the pact does not include a mutual defense clause, it outlines commitments for both countries to cooperate against common military threats, enhance military-technical collaboration, and participate in joint military exercises, according to Reuters.
Ukraine’s military has once again been rocked by a scandal around its leadership culture, with another high-profile commander speaking out against the country’s top brass over bad orders leading to excess losses. On May 16, well-renowned officer Oleksandr Shyrshyn, callsign “Genius,” announced his resignation from his position as
"We are trying to settle Russia-Ukraine," U.S. President Donald Trump told reporters. "I spoke with President Putin for two hours the day before yesterday. I think we made a lot of progress. But that's a bloodbath."
"The statements by representatives of (Russia) about the alleged end of combat operations in Kursk Oblast do not reflect the actual situation," Ukraine's General Staff said in a statement.
As peace talks ramp up, experts and officials are already working on a looming post-war threat: the potential large-scale proliferation of guns in Ukraine once they are no longer needed on the battlefield. "When the war ends, Ukraine will not only have to rebuild its infrastructure and resettle displaced people
"We must ensure that Ukraine, while the fight continues, receives all possible collective support to be in the best possible position to continue," NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said.
Editor’s note: This is issue 26 of Ukrainian lawmaker Yaroslav Zhelezniak’s weekly "Ukraine Reforms Tracker" covering events from May 12–May 18, 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
As of 5 p.m. local time, Moscow mayor Sergei Sobyanin claimed seven drones to be intercepted as they approached the Russian capital.
"After the effective intervention of our military, the ship sailed to one of the Russian ports," Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk wrote on X.
The number of cases has "significantly increased" since the beginning of martial law, according to Ukraine's State Border Guard Service.
Rescuers continue to work at the scene, while the consequences of the accident are still being determined.
"There is an accumulation of personnel closer to the state border, that is, there are attempts to involve the (Russian) personnel, obviously preparing for active assault operations. Our Defense Forces are ready to repel attacks," Andrii Pomahaibus, the chief of staff of Ukraine's 13th National Guard Khartiia Brigade.
Petro Pochynok, 34, charged with conspiracy to commit arson with intent to endanger life, is expected to appear at Westminster magistrates’ court on May 21.
Andriy Portnov, a former top official in Ukraine's ex-President Viktor Yanukovych’s administration, was shot dead by an unidentified attacker or attackers outside the American School in Madrid, Reuters reported on May 21, citing a source close to the investigation.
This is not the first time that the U.S. has blocked joint G7 statements in support of Ukraine and condemning Russia's war.
The U.S.-mediated negotiations between Ukraine and Russia have stalled, as Moscow continues to refuse a ceasefire.
Ukrainian air defenses intercepted 63 Russian attack drones and decoy drones launched overnight, the Air Force reported. Twenty-two were shot down, while 41 were neutralized by electronic warfare systems, according to the statement.
Ukraine's Unmanned Systems Forces struck Russia's Bolkhov semiconductor plant in Oryol Oblast, which is producing parts for Sukhoi warplanes and Iskander and Kinzhal missiles, the General Staff of Ukraine's Armed Forces said on May 21.
Following the election of the new pope, several of Ukraine's partners, including the United States, suggested that the Vatican could become a neutral platform for further peace talks.
"An official investigation into the tragedy is underway. The commander of the unit has been suspended, and the necessary information has been passed to law enforcement agencies," the National Guard said in a statement.
The number includes 980 casualties Russian forces suffered just over the past day.
"Deception, disruption, distraction, and delay, and the whole point of it is to avoid sanctions," Lithuanian Foreign Minister Kestutis Budrys said. "We Europeans have to stop this vicious cycle and the instrument to stop it is to impose new sanctions."
Polish prosecutors have indicted a man charged with allegedly planning to assist Russian foreign intelligence in a possible assassination attempt on President Volodymyr Zelensky, authorities announced on May 20.
Key developments on May 20: * 'Russia is trying to buy time to continue the war' — Zelensky says after Putin-Trump call * EU approves 17th package of Russia sanctions, targets shadow fleet * Rubio says US, NATO seek more Patriot air defense systems for Ukraine * Kyiv to receive 400,000 more shells from
After a two-hour call between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, Russia reiterated its refusal for a full ceasefire in the war in Ukraine while the U.S. once again failed to respond with any significant pressure. For observers across Europe, watching the way the negotiations
"I officially ask the Constitutional Court to annul the Romanian presidential elections for the same reasons the December elections were annulled: external interferences by state and non-state actors," George Simion wrote on X.
In what is now a semi-regular occurrence, the workings of U.S.-led global diplomacy has cast a dark shadow over Ukraine. U.S. President Donald Trump spoke with his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, on May 19 in the latest attempt to broker a ceasefire in Ukraine. The call came
My daughter is just over a year old. She’s learning to walk, says a few words in both Ukrainian and English, and because of Russia’s war, she already has an acute understanding of what it means to be afraid. The first time she reacted to the air raid
Prior, Ukraine's Security Service (SBU) claimed that it had exposed a Hungarian espionage network in western Ukraine, detaining two agents. In response, Hungary expelled two Ukrainian diplomats, a move met with reciprocal expulsions by Kyiv.
Ukraine has consistently warned that its current air defense capacity is insufficient to counter the scale of Russia's intensified missile and drone attacks.
Warning: This article contains descriptions of graphic scenes. A bullet fired by a Russian sniper hit Azov Brigade member Artem Dubyna in the head and passed through his neck. "He's dead," crackled the message over the radio to his comrades. But Dubyna's heart was still beating. Evacuating his unconscious body
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