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The main problem with Ukraine's corruption prevention watchdog
Politics

The main problem with Ukraine's corruption prevention watchdog

Viktor Pavlushchyk, head of Ukraine's National Agency for Corruption Prevention (NACP), was praised for his work as an anti-corruption investigator. After his promotion, Pavlushchyk is in the hot seat. He was appointed to his current job by a commission including independent foreign experts as part of Ukraine's anti-corruption reforms in 2024 in a contest that was widely applauded. The National Agency for Corruption Prevention, set up in 2015, has a broad mandate, including determining the go
Ukraine war latest: Poland's prime minister condemns NATO 'disintegration' as Trump says US will further reduce troop presence in Europe
War

Ukraine war latest: Poland's prime minister condemns NATO 'disintegration' as Trump says US will further reduce troop presence in Europe

Key developments on May 2-3: * Poland's prime minister condemns NATO 'disintegration' as Trump says US will further reduce troop presence in Europe * Ukraine hits 2 Russian shadow fleet vessels near Novorossiysk port * Ukraine strikes Russian Kalibr missile carrier, patrol boat in Leningrad Oblast, Zelensky says * Zelensky arrives in Yerevan for European Political Community Summit, his first visit to Armenia Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk on May 2 condemned the "disintegration" of NATO
Explainer: Is Zelensky implicated in Ukraine's largest corruption scandal, and what do the new tapes reveal?
Politics

Explainer: Is Zelensky implicated in Ukraine's largest corruption scandal, and what do the new tapes reveal?

As a new round of leaked tapes surfaces in Ukraine's sweeping corruption scandal, one question stands at the center: Did President Volodymyr Zelensky know? Alleged transcripts of the audio tapes were published by media outlet Ukrainska Pravda on April 28 and May 1 and by lawmakers Yaroslav Zheleznyak and Oleksiy Honcharenko on May 1. The tapes are allegedly part of an investigation conducted by the National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) of a $100 million corruption scheme centered around the s
The oil spill in Tuapse and the lessons Russia didn't learn
Russia

The oil spill in Tuapse and the lessons Russia didn't learn

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
Russia slams Kyiv with mass drone attack

Russia slams Kyiv with mass drone attack

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.
Why Ukraine needs Russia's terminal defeat – not just deterrence
Opinion

Why Ukraine needs Russia's terminal defeat – not just deterrence

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
News from occupied Ukraine: Evictions in Mariupol, more strikes on Crimea, stolen grain

News from occupied Ukraine: Evictions in Mariupol, more strikes on Crimea, stolen grain

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