Ukraine's underground storage facilities are currently using 19.4% of their capacity. Almost 32%, or 2.79 bcm, less gas is available in the storages than in the previous year, according to the estimates.
The majority of Ukrainians, 71%, do not support holding elections before a full peace deal, even in the case of a ceasefire and security guarantees, according to a poll published by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology (KIIS) on May 14.
"He'd like me to be there, and that's a possibility. ... I don't know that he would be there if I'm not there. We're going to find out," U.S. President Donald Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One while traveling to Qatar, Reuters reported.
Trump has long demanded that NATO allies increase their military spending, previously calling for the alliance to raise its benchmark from 2% to 5% of GDP.
More than 1,000 Russian government entities and 1,200 private companies are involved in the economy of occupied Mariupol, a major southeastern city occupied by Russia after it invaded Ukraine in 2022, according to a research paper published on May 14.
The measures target almost 200 ships of Russia's "shadow fleet," 30 companies involved in sanctions evasion, 75 sanctions on entities and individuals linked to the Russian military-industrial complex, and more.
The government has approved "reform roadmaps in the rule of law, public administration, and democratic institutions, as well as Ukraine’s negotiation position," Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said.
The statement did not name the ex-official by name, but details of the case indicate it relates to Oleh Hladkovsky, a former deputy secretary of Ukraine's top security body who has been wanted since mid-April.
Brazilian President Lula da Silva claimed that Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha had appealed to his Brazilian counterpart, Mauro Vieira, to ask Putin if he was willing to conclude a peace agreement.
"Trump needs to believe that Putin actually lies," Zelensky told journalists in Kyiv. "And we should do our part. Sensibly approach this issue, to show that it’s not us that is slowing down the process."
Colonel Oleksandr Okhrimenko, the recently appointed commander of the 72nd Mechanized Brigade. (72nd Mechanized Brigade/Facebook)
Colonel Oleksandr Okhrimenko was appointed the new commander of the 72nd Mechanized Brigade, replacing his predecessor Ivan Vinnik, the unit said on Oct. 7.
Okhrimenko, who previously headed the 14th Mechanized Brigade and the Odesa Oblast enlistment office, took over shortly after the 72nd Brigade was forced to withdraw from the key front-line town of Vuhledar in Donetsk Oblast.
"We have been hardened by Donbas. Battles for Bakhmut, Pavlivka, Vuhledar, Mykilske, Novomykhailivka, Vodiane. Vuhledar again... The enemy did not break us during this period," the unit said on Facebook.
After withdrawing from the town, the 72nd Brigade's troops moved to a new defense line to continue holding back Russian forces, Arsenii Prylepko, a spokesperson for the 72nd Separate Mechanized Brigade, told Hromadske.
"The 'Black Zaporizhzhians' will be led to battle by Colonel Oleksandr Okhrimenko. New goals, tasks, purpose, and acquisition of new capabilities."
Okhrimenko has been taking part in the war with Russia since the outbreak of hostilities in Donbas in 2014, receiving numerous awards for his service.
While in command of the 14th Mechanized Brigade at the start of the full-scale invasion, Okhrimenko led his unit in battles in Kyiv, Mykolaiv, and Kharkiv oblasts, as well as Donbas.
Okhrimenko was appointed to lead the regional enlistment office in Odesa in July 2023 after its chief, Yevhen Borisov, was dismissed and detained over a scandal related to the acquisition of a vast property in Spain.
Vinnik's dismissal from command was announced in late September while the battle for Vuhledar was still ongoing. The decision was officially presented as a promotion to a higher post that would allow him to "transfer combat experience."
Vinnik was appointed commander of the 72nd Brigade in August 2022. Under his command, the brigade has defended Vuhledar for more than two years. Russian forces have been trying to capture the town since the start of the full-scale invasion in 2022.
"Thank you for the stability, strength, will, wisdom, and love for the staff! Good luck and victories on your new path, Colonel!" the unit told Vinnik in a message on Facebook.
Lawmaker and former member of the parliamentary defense committee Mariana Bezuhla criticized Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi over the change, saying Vinnik's dismissal threatened the brigade's combat effectiveness.
The central figure of many controversies, Bezuhla is known for inflammatory comments toward the Armed Forces that put her at odds with her fellow lawmakers and members of the military.
Martin Fornusek
