Shahed drones
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Sunday, May 17
Over 70 drones reportedly downed near Moscow, Russian officials claim
A large-scale drone attack targeted the Moscow region overnight on May 16–17, with Russian officials and local residents reporting multiple explosions across the area.
Romanian authorities find unexploded projectile near Ukraine border
Romania's Defense Ministry said that an "unguided reactive projectile" was discovered on a property near the country's border with Ukraine.
Saturday, May 16
US waiver permitting Russian oil purchases expires without renewal
The waiver, which allowed purchases of Russian oil stranded at sea, has expired as of 12:01 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time on May 16.
Putin's Transnistria passportization decree likely war recruitment tool, Moldova's president warns
"Probably they need more people to send to the war in Ukraine," Moldovan President Maia Sandu said.
A business plan to destroy the Russian economy
The West must move on from the last four years of economic skirmishes and declare an "Economic World War" against Russia. The $70 billion budget deficit that Russia faced at the start of the year did not manage to cripple its economy. Since then, its oil exports soared 52% to 713 million euros ($836 million) per day in March compared to February, turning Western efforts into a case of one step forward and two steps back. Russia's windfall from oil inflation has been further boosted by U.S. Pr
News from occupied Ukraine: Nuclear plant's safety at risk again, Russian military targets hit in Crimea, Berdiansk, Luhansk Oblast
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 16: * Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant relies on off-site backup power line for almost 2 months, IAEA reports * Unmanned Systems Forces hit Russian military targets in Crimea, Berdiansk, Luhansk Oblast * Ukraine struck Russian military targets in occupied Donetsk Oblast following
About Shahed drones
Shahed drones are Iranian-designed unmanned combat aerial vehicles and loitering munitions developed by Shahed Aviation Industries. Manufactured both in Iran and at Russian production facilities, the drones have become one of Russia’s primary weapons in its full-scale war against Ukraine. Russia first deployed Shahed drones against Ukraine in the fall of 2022, and their use has since escalated, with Moscow launching more than 54,500 Shahed-type UAVs against Ukrainian targets in 2025 alone.
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The size of Russia's drone component had grown by 28,000 over 2026, Brovdi said in an interview to Ukrainska Pravda published on May 14.
