While the human toll of Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine remains its most devastating consequence, another aspect of Russia’s onslaught is often overlooked: Moscow’s war on ecology. Responding to Russia's growing air attacks against Ukraine, over the past 10 days, Ukrainian forces carried out a multitude of drone strikes targeting an oil refinery in Russia's port city of Tuapse. Tuapse, on the Black Sea, has served as a primary point for Russia's oil exports, the proceeds of which are then

Ukrainian forces downed 249 out of the 268 drones, including Shahed-type attack drones, launched by Russia overnight, the Air Force reported.

"These tankers were actively used to transport oil. Now they won't be," President Volodymyr Zelensky said.

The number includes 1,080 casualties that Russian forces suffered over the past day.

"We're going to cut way down, and we're cutting a lot further than 5,000," U.S. President Donald Trump said.

Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko reported explosions and urged residents to take shelter as Russia launched groups of drones at the capital late in the evening of May 2.

Relatives of allegedly trafficked individuals reported that their loved ones received misleading job offers along with promises of financial rewards. But once in Russia, they were forced into combat operations.

President Volodymyr Zelensky said the two countries need to have "strong relations" and that the two leaders should meet in person soon.

Five years into the full-scale conflict, it has become clear that the model of strategic deterrence – the "steel porcupine" that Ursula von der Leyen often invokes when speaking about Ukraine –  offers no guarantee of resilience and long-term peace. The "steel porcupine" model assumes that, given Russia's significant resource advantage, Ukraine's only realistic strategy is to build a defense so strong that continued aggression becomes prohibitively costly for Russia. However, as of 2026, this

Bohdan served as head of Zelensky's administration from May 2019 to February 2020, when he was dismissed and immediately replaced by Andriy Yermak.

The Pentagon announced the troop withdrawal on May 1, following a week of sharp exchanges between U.S. President Donald Trump and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz.

In Kharkiv, an overnight Russian drone attack hit an apartment block, injuring two men and a woman, Kharkiv Oblast Governor Oleh Synehubov reported on May 2.

At least two people were killed and seven others injured after a Russian drone struck a civilian bus in Kherson in the early hours of May 2.

Several sources told the Financial Times that the United States has informed the United Kingdom, Poland, Lithuania and Estonia that there will be long delays, with two sources also mentioning possible delays to Asia.

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 2: * Russia begins evictions from "ownerless" apartments in Russian-occupied Mariupol * Belarus bars Russian conscripts from leaving country, raising risks for Ukrainians in occupied territories * Ukraine hits Russian Iskander missile storage facility, oil depot in occupied

The number includes 1,240 casualties that Russian forces suffered over the past day.

Russian forces launched overnight drone attacks targeting critical and energy infrastructure across several Ukrainian regions early on May 2, with strikes reported in Mykolaiv, Kryvyi Rih, and Odesa Oblasts, according to regional authorities and local reports.

U.S. President Donald Trump's envoys, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, are not rushing to visit Kyiv as concerns grow in Washington that renewed engagement in Ukraine peace talks may again produce no tangible results, the Kyiv Independent has learned. The hesitation comes despite months of internal discussions about a possible trip that would mark their first visit to Ukraine, even as both envoys have already traveled repeatedly to Moscow for meetings with Vladimir Putin. "They've promised (to

"The Slovak side submitted a standard request for an overflight permit, and it was issued without delay," a Czech Foreign Ministry spokesman said on May 1.

Key developments on May 1: * Zelensky announces pay raises, new service terms in army reform * Russian daytime drone strike targets Ternopil in Ukraine’s west, injuring at least 11 * Ukrainian drones hammer Russia's Tuapse oil refinery for 4th time, tanks ablaze again, military confirms * Ukraine strikes Russian airfield nearly 1,700 kilometers away, damages 4 fighter jets, military confirms President Volodymyr Zelensky announced on May 1 a major reform of Ukraine's armed forces focused on

Ukraine's General Staff reported earlier that two fighter jets — a Su-57 and a Su-34 — were destroyed in the attack on the airfield.

The local military administration said 36 aerial targets were detected over the city during the attack, 27 of which were shot down by Ukrainian air defenses.

General Cherry’s Khmarynka enters a growing class of low-cost, mid-range strike drones modeled on Russia’s Molniya and designed for mass production.

"If they produce Cars and Trucks in U.S.A. Plants, there will be NO TARIFF," U.S. President Donald Trump said.

A government-backed bill, still requiring parliamentary approval, would expand the Estonian military's law-enforcement role in tackling hybrid threats.

Ukraine is bracing for renewed Russian offensives toward the eastern fortress belt, as Moscow seeks to occupy the remainder of the region under Ukrainian control.

In his interview with Russian state-controlled media, Butyagin also thanked the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) and other government bodies for their efforts to secure his release.

Updated contracts should allow previously mobilized soldiers to leave service, with timelines yet to be determined.

Ukraine's Finance Ministry is hoping to convince Ukrainian lawmakers to vote for unpopular tax changes — needed to keep receiving cash for foreign donors — with improvements to electronic tax filing systems. Kyiv has agreed to a long list of reforms as part of large financing packages from international partners, including the International Monetary Fund, the EU, and the World Bank. Ukraine relies on the cash to support its military and state services functioning. One of the most scrutinized r

The facility on the Black Sea Coast was previously hit three times in two weeks, causing heavy damage to the refinery and triggering a state of emergency in the city.

President Volodymyr Zelensky said Ukraine plans to further expand its long-range strike capabilities.

On April 21, the Kyiv Independent launches a new merchandise collection, "No News is Bad News," dedicated to protecting journalists covering Russia’s war against Ukraine.