Key developments on May 26: * Syzran oil refinery halts operation after May 21 Ukrainian drone strike, Ukraine's General Staff reports * Ukraine using 'secret' strike drones to devastate Russian logistics on crucial highway, Nemesis Brigade says * 'Russia's true attitude' — Iskander missile strike damages UN humanitarian warehouse in Dnipro * Lavrov warns Rubio of planned strikes on Kyiv's 'decision-making centers,' urges US embassy evacuation as EU vows to stay * Russian attacks kill 8, i

Russia has not reacted to the General Staff's claim as of the publication time.

The 412th Brigade Nemesis said it had tested a new "secret" attack drone, which it claimed proved effective deep behind Russian lines, destroying "dozens" of trucks and fuel tankers.

The strike on the warehouse destroyed a significant amount of food intended for people in front-line areas, enough to feed 130,000 people.

Editor's note: We asked members of the Kyiv Independent community to share the questions they have about the war. Here's what they asked and how we answered. Join our community to ask a question in the next round. Question: With a new prime minister elected in Hungary, is the blocked loan to Ukraine expected to be approved, and when could it be disbursed? Are there other EU member states that might block funding or slow Ukraine’s integration into the EU, similar to Hungary’s earlier position?

KHARKIV OBLAST — The longest a Russian soldier can hope to survive for after emerging from the underground pipeline is, according to those hunting them, one single hour. "But it's usually 10 minutes, and that's it," "Tovsty," chief sergeant of a company in Ukraine's Khartiia Brigade, says at a command post in northeastern Kharkiv Oblast. Tovsty is watching live drone footage showing a scene which has been repeating itself over and over again for months now — Russian soldiers emerging from disu

A Ukrainian child's bedroom was teleported to the halls of power in Brussels' EU quarter in April and May, pushing politicians and public alike to reflect on Russia's abduction of over 20,000 children, and the families ripped apart in the process. The bedroom is an exhibit called "Empty Beds," created by the non-profit Bird of Light Ukraine, and the Kyiv Independent spoke with its co-founders, Zhanna Galeyeva and Isaac Yeung, to hear their story. The exhibit itself has been a long time in the

Edouard Philippe has been a vocal supporter of Ukraine since the start of the full-scale war.

"We appreciate the European Commission's shown solidarity with the Baltic States. However, today's solidarity is not enough," said Lithuania's President Gitanas Nauseda

Britain imposed 18 new sanctions targeting financial networks it says help Russia evade restrictions and sustain its war, including the Ilan Shor-linked A7 network.

When the world watches a country enduring unprecedented historical trials, the expectation is usually that every effort will be consumed by basic survival — that the machinery of government will be running on fumes just to hold itself together. In Ukraine, we are challenging that expectation by, in the midst of the largest armed conflict in Europe since World War II, not merely keeping our institutions afloat, but fundamentally reimagining what they are — making them more agile and more respons

Russia said it would appeal to the International Court of Justice over alleged discrimination against Russian minorities in the Baltic states. Estonia called the move a part of Moscow's disinformation campaign, according to a statement for the Kyiv Independent.

Human Rights Watch said Russia is unlawfully seizing Ukrainian-owned homes in occupied territories by declaring them "ownerless," while pressuring residents to obtain Russian citizenship and restricting travel back to occupied areas.

"The first main condition should be that Russia should be ready to actually talk. They are not. They are not ready to engage in meaningful peace talks," said Artjoms Ursulskis, deputy to Latvia's Foreign Minister Baiba Braze.

"Recently, Lukashenko said that it is time for the presidents of Ukraine and Belarus to meet," Zelensky said during his speech at the summit. "It turned out quite interesting: Lukashenko said it, but Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya came instead. Glad to see you, Sviatlana."

Lavrov warned Rubio of "systematic and consistent strikes" on Kyiv and referenced earlier recommendations by Moscow that foreign diplomatic missions evacuate personnel from the Ukrainian capital.

The Kyiv Independent is bringing its award-winning documentary The War They Play to Sweden for a four-city tour this June, offering audiences a look at one of the dimensions of Russia's war against Ukraine: the systematic militarization of Ukrainian children living under occupation.

Russia continued its deadly attacks on civilians overnight on May 26, launching two Iskander-M ballistic missiles and 122 drones, including Shahed-type jet-powered unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), Ukraine's Air Force said.

The number includes 1,010 casualties that Russian forces suffered over the past day.

"This strike underscores the strategic foresight, unity of planning, and deliberate actions that prove no position of the russian aggressor is safe on Ukrainian soil," the General Staff said.

Russia carried out an airstrike on the center of Kramatorsk in Donetsk Oblast on May 25, injuring at least 12 civilians, regional authorities reported.

In one of the most devastating attacks on Kyiv since the start of the full-scale war, Russia’s missiles and drones targeted some of the city’s most treasured cultural landmarks. The National Art Museum, the Chornobyl Museum, the National Philharmonic, the Ukrainian National Academy of Music, the Kyiv Opera Theater, the Yaroslav Mudryi National Library, the Ukrainian House, and a number of other cultural institutions all reported varying levels of damage after the May 24 assault. The Foreign Mi

Foreign citizens, including diplomats, were encouraged to leave the city, while Ukrainian civilians were called upon to stay away from "military and administrative infrastructure of the Zelensky regime."

Key developments on May 25: * Russia announces plans for new mass attacks on Kyiv, including strikes on 'decision-making centers' * UK defense secretary's plane hit by suspected Russian GPS jamming * After huge Russian missile, Oreshnik strike, Kyiv cleanup operation continues for second day * Putin signs law authorizing use of military force to 'protect Russian citizens' abroad Russia's Foreign Ministry has announced plans for a new round of mass long-range strikes on Kyiv, including on U

A century ago, on May 25, 1926, an otherwise ordinary afternoon in Paris’ bohemian Latin Quarter was disrupted by a barrage of gunshots, leaving one of Ukraine’s famous military leaders dead in the street. “I emptied my revolver,” Samuel “Scholem” Schwartzbard, the Jewish-Ukrainian man who killed Symon Petliura, told the court, as quoted by Time magazine in 1927. “A policeman came up quietly and said: ‘Is that enough?’ I answered: ‘Yes.’ He said: ‘Then give me your revolver.’ I gave him the re

The facility, located around 60 kilometers from Ukraine's northern border, was an important link in the supply of fuel to the Russian military, the General Staff said on social media.

As Ukraine expands its long-range drone campaign deep inside Russia, Moscow appears to have found a way to turn some of those attacks into a problem for Kyiv. Russia has begun jamming Ukrainian drones and redirecting them toward neighboring NATO countries, particularly the Baltic states and Finland, creating a growing security and political challenge for some of Ukraine's closest allies. Several Baltic officials and public figures who spoke to the Kyiv Independent warned that if the incidents

The visit follows a devastating Russian aerial attack overnight on May 24 that primarily targeted Kyiv and the surrounding region.

The legislation enables the Russian president to order troop deployments abroad to "protect" Russian citizens facing arrest, detention, trial, or other perceived persecution by foreign nations and international courts.

Over four years into an all-out war with Russia, President Volodymyr Zelensky welcomed Belarusian opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya in Kyiv in an official capacity on May 25. In the weeks prior to the visit, Zelensky has been increasingly vocal regarding a deeper involvement of Alexander Lukashenko's Belarus in Russia's war against Ukraine. According to Zelensky, Russia is plotting major attacks on both Ukraine and NATO utilizing Belarusian territory, and plans to deploy additional si

This weekly update from the Kyiv Independent aims to shed light on the situation facing Ukrainians living under Russian occupation and the ever-tightening control of information imposed by the Kremlin. Key news as of May 25: * Azov Corps drones strike Russian logistics near Mariupol, while diesel shortage reported * Ukraine denies Russian claim that drone strike killed civilians in occupied Luhansk Oblast * Ukraine, Russia agree on 'technical terms' for evacuation of 6,000 civilians from oc

In the first year following Russia's war against Ukraine, a significant number of Russian citizens left the Russian Federation. Georgia, particularly the cities of Tbilisi and Batumi, became a key destination for many of them. Their arrival was not marginal or gradual. Within a short period, tens of thousands of Russian citizens relocated to Georgia, while thousands registered businesses and purchased property. In 2023 alone, Russian citizens registered around 13,000 legal entities in Georgia.