Flight MH17 departed from Amsterdam Schiphol Airport en-route to Kuala Lumpur International Airport on July 17, 2014. Three hours into the flight, the Boeing-777 was shot down by Russian proxy forces using a Buk surface-to-air missile above Ukraine’s Donetsk Oblast.
"I am grateful for the support and the readiness at the highest level to promote diplomacy," President Volodymyr Zelensky said of the phone conservation with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. "We share the same view on the need for a ceasefire."
The convictions mark a significant development in Britain's efforts to counter Russian intelligence operations amid heightened tensions stemming from Moscow's war against Ukraine and repeated Kremlin threats toward Kyiv's allies.
According to the Verkhovna Rada's website, Ukraine completed the ratification of the U.S.-Ukraine minerals agreement on May 12. President Volodymyr Zelensky signed the deal.
"I myself have heard relatives talking: our village is being attacked, let's roll the car out of the garage, maybe they will shell it — at least we will get money. The car is old, we can't sell it," Belgorod Oblast Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said.
The new tranche brings total recent EU defense support for Ukraine to 3.3 billion euros ($3.6 billion), marking a significant expansion of European efforts to boost Kyiv's defense industry.
"Russia is ready for negotiations without any preconditions," Putin claimed in an address marking the end of the three-day Victory Day ceasefire. He invited Ukraine to begin talks in Istanbul on May 15.
Photo for illustrative purposes: Ukrainian servicemen of the 22nd Brigade launch a Leleka reconnaissance UAV drone near Chasiv Yar, Donetsk Oblast, on April 27, 2024, amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine. (Genya Savilov / AFP via Getty Images)
The Defense Ministry has allocated one-third of its defense budget to production of high-tech weaponry, including drones, electronic warfare systems, and missile technologies, Hlib Kanievskyi, a procurement chief at the ministry, said on April 21.
"Defense procurement today is not only about meeting the needs of the Armed Forces. It is also a powerful driver for the development of the Ukrainian technology sector, especially in the areas of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), electronic warfare, and missile technology," said Kanievskyi.
Since the start of the full-scale invasion, Ukraine has been developing and deploying technological innovations and cutting-edge unmanned systems. Both Ukraine and Russia have increasingly relied on drone warfare, using aerial, naval, and ground-based drones for reconnaissance and combat missions.
In a continued effort to strengthen cooperation with domestic arms manufacturers, the ministry held a working meeting with representatives of companies specializing in drones and other advanced military systems.
The meeting was part of an ongoing dialogue between the government and Ukrainian defense industry players aimed at improving transparency, competition, and efficiency in procurement, the ministry said in a statement.
Kanievskyi said that the unification of technical standards for drones is among the key objectives for 2025. This move is expected to streamline procurement procedures, create a single framework for evaluating products, and accelerate decision-making. Standardization would also enable the ministry to scale up partnerships with trusted suppliers more efficiently.
The ministry is further considering new formats for working with defense contractors. Rather than purchasing individual systems or weapons, Ukraine is exploring contracts for comprehensive solutions that include training, technical support, maintenance, and system upgrades.
Since the launch of Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022, Ukraine has increasingly turned to innovation and home production. More than 40% of the weapons used on the front line are now produced in Ukraine, President Volodymyr Zelensky said on April 16.
In the 2025 budget, Ukraine allocated $1.3 billion to defense manufacturing to reduce its reliance on foreign arms deliveries. The government plans to raise over $1 billion this year to support local arms procurement through a so-called Danish model, which means purchasing weapons directly from Ukrainian producers.
Anna Fratsyvir is a news editor at the Kyiv Independent, with a background in broadcast journalism and international affairs. Previously, she worked as a TV journalist at Ukraine’s public broadcaster Suspilne, covering global politics and international developments. Anna holds a Bachelor's degree in International Communications from Taras Shevchenko National University and is currently an MA candidate in International Relations at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS).
Tim Zadorozhnyy
