By the time our papers are done, the sun is up, and birds are chirping. Crossing the border to Ukraine with six cars has taken all night. During the coming weeks, mechanics will remodel the 4x4s for the front, and volunteers will repack boxes in line with hospital and front-unit needs. To me, as a Swede, one group of professionals is conspicuously absent on the volunteer side of this operation — administrators. This makes me uneasy. Who will dot the i's and cross the t's? Who will file the rep

Russia appears to be placing newer Pantsir air defense systems on Moscow rooftops as Ukraine’s long-range strikes continue to reach deep inside Russian territory.

The transfer would further expand Ukraine's fleet of Western-supplied fighter aircraft, which already includes American F-16s and French Mirage 2000s but remains insufficient to fully defend Ukrainian cities and infrastructure from daily Russian missile and drone attacks

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan will "help our wonderful American energy companies gain access from Central Asia all the way to the United States," Trump wrote.

The EU's top diplomat, Kaja Kallas, said on May 28 that the U.S. embassy was the only foreign mission to evacuate Kyiv following Russian threats of a major strike. "What we heard from Ukraine yesterday was that all the embassies stayed, except one, so that also takes courage from those embassies, but yes, all the Europeans stayed, America left," Kallas told reporters. The claim was false, soon denied by Washington, and retracted by Brussels, fueling confusion over what actually happened. As t

The strikes are a part of Ukraine's ongoing "long-range sanctions" campaign targeting Russia's military-industrial and energy infrastructure deep behind the front line, as Kyiv seeks to impose higher costs on Moscow's war effort.

A Russian strike on a children's playground in Kherson left a father dead and his family seriously wounded.

The number includes 1,160 casualties that Russian forces suffered over the past day.

The latest estimates appear to be significantly higher than figures published earlier this month by independent Russian media outlets Mediazona and Meduza that estimated 352,000 Russian men between the ages of 18 and 59 have been killed since the start of the full-scale invasion in February 2022.

The move comes as European countries seek to strengthen regional defense cooperation amid growing uncertainty about U.S. security commitments.

The injured included a 36-year-old woman and her two daughters, ages 3 and 6. The girls' father was also killed in the attack, police later confirmed.

Key developments on May 27: * Zelensky sends Trump urgent letter warning of Ukraine's critical missile defense shortages * Ukraine fails to pass IMF-backed reforms, despite millions of dollars on the line * Ukraine to intensify middle strike drone campaign as Fedorov unveils 'logistical lockdown' against Russia * Pope Leo condemns Russian strikes on Ukraine, calls for end to 'sharp intensification' of war President Volodymyr Zelensky sent a letter to U.S. President Donald Trump warning abo

In a dusty industrial estate in the city of Bila Tserkva, a Ukrainian grandmother searches through the smouldering ruins of her storage unit for her harvest of potatoes. Two days earlier it had been hit with what is supposed to be one of Russia's most fearsome weapons — an Oreshnik intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM). "It sounded like thunder, a very long, drawn-out thunder. And then there were six explosions in a row," Nadiia, a Bila Tserkva resident who declined to give her last name

A number of EU countries, including Austria and Greece, are holding up progress on Ukraine's membership process by insisting that countries in the Western Balkans not be overlooked and left at the back of the line. This objection comes on top of Hungary stalling the opening of Ukraine's accession talks over the rights of Ukraine's ethnic Hungarian minority, Poland flagging issues over agriculture and the trucking industry, and Ukraine's parliament slow-walking the passing of required reforms.

No foreign embassies in Kyiv have decided to evacuate staff following Russian threats of new attacks on the Ukrainian capital, the Kyiv Independent has learned. The development comes after the Russian Foreign Ministry issued a public warning about a new wave of long-range attacks on Kyiv, including strikes targeting what Moscow called Ukraine's "decision-making centers." Russia urged foreign citizens, including diplomats, to leave the city. At a United Nations meeting in New York on May 26, n

President Volodymyr Zelensky sent a letter to U.S. President Donald Trump warning about Ukraine's worsening shortage of air defense systems, particularly anti-ballistic missile capabilities, the Kyiv Independent has learned. The appeal comes as Russia intensifies mass aerial attacks on Ukraine and publicly threatens a new wave of long-range strikes on Kyiv, including attacks on what Moscow described as Ukraine's "decision-making centers." "When it comes to air defense against missiles, we rely

Ukraine's access to billions in much-needed cash is once again hanging in the balance as lawmakers stumble on reforms. Having already missed deadlines on a long list of legislation required by the European Union, World Bank, and International Monetary Fund, Ukraine's parliament made limited progress during a plenary session on May 26 and 27 — failing to pass a new IMF tax and withdrawing other bills at the last minute for fear of a lack of votes, said lawmakers who spoke with the Kyiv Independe

In the battle of ideas for the economic future of Ukraine, talk of a fledgling military industry and the focus on the prowess of a handful of IT contractors is a diversion. Both storylines are presented largely in the absence of international competition and economic realities. And here is why. Investing in defense businesses, as I've done for years, is notoriously "lumpy" because it relies on national governments making payments that are not always timely. Those few, vital clients are also pa

"Our goal is to increase the pressure on the Russians in the rear even further and prevent them from carrying out active assault operations," Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov said.

The Kyiv Independent’s Martin Fornusek speaks with Kaupo Rosin, director general of Estonia’s Foreign Intelligence Service, about Russia’s long-term strategy against Ukraine and Europe, the risks facing NATO’s eastern flank, and why Moscow still views the United States as its main adversary.

"Where missiles and drones fall, hopes also fall, homes and places of worship are destroyed, and innocent lives are shattered," Pope Leo XIV said.

Explosions and fires were reported overnight on May 27 across multiple regions in Russia and occupied Crimea, with smoke reportedly visible near a military airfield in the southeastern Russian city of Voronezh.

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

The U.S. denied a visa to Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Alimov, who was expected to attend a United Nations Security Council meeting.

The number includes 1,000 casualties that Russian forces suffered over the past day.

Norway will provide Ukraine with 425 million Norwegian kroner (approximately $40–42 million) to support its energy sector under a new agreement with the EU, the Norwegian government announced on May 26.

The new structure would allow for the rapid deployment of German and Dutch troops to Latvia and Estonia in the event of a conflict with Russia.

Robert Brovdi, commander of Ukraine's Unmanned Systems Forces, said Ukrainian forces have identified potential military targets in Belarus amid concerns Minsk could become more involved in the war.

"The initiative is still working, but the new difficulty is that only about nine member states are contributing financially," Czech President Petr Pavel told the Financial Times.

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.