MEPs in Brussels agreed on May 19 to slash the EU’s tariff-free steel imports to 18.3 million metric tons per year — a 47% reduction from what is currently allowed — starting in July 2026.
The Moscow Oil Refinery temporarily halted its processing operations following a large-scale Ukrainian drone attack on May 17, Reuters reported, citing industry sources.
Ukrainian drones reportedly struck both a Russian oil refinery and a chemical production facility overnight on May 20, Russian Telegram media channels reported — marking the second reported hit on each site within a week.
Russia launched attacks on several Ukrainian regions overnight on May 20, striking multi-story residential buildings and other civilian targets, while injuring at least 11 people, officials reported.
"I'm not going to make pre-commitments in a negotiation on any particular topic," Vance said, though he maintained the proposal was "not currently" part of the plan.
The first license permits imports of diesel and jet fuel made from Russian oil if "the products have been processed in a third country," while the other allows the maritime transport of Russian LNG.
Short-range drones killed and injured more Ukrainian civilians in April 2026 than in any other month since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion.
The Kyiv Independent’s Business Desk covers the biggest news in business, economics, and tech from Ukraine, as well as global developments that shape the economy of the region.
When 23-year-old Russian student Valery Averin signed a military contract in January after being recruited into Russia’s drone forces campaign targeting students, he was told he would train as a drone operator. Three months later, he was dead near Luhansk after reportedly being sent into an assault unit despite having no military experience. His case, reported by the BBC Russian Service, appears to be the first known death linked to Russia’s growing campaign to recruit university and college st
