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."
Military intelligence spokesperson Andrii Yusov. (Eugen Kotenko / Ukrinform/Future Publishing via Getty Images)
Russian presidential administration official Sergey Kiriyenko and Vladimir Putin's former advisor Vladislav Surkov are on the list of those involved in the "Maidan-3" destabilizing campaign aimed against Ukraine, a military intelligence spokesperson Andrii Yusov said on March 1 on national television.
President Volodymyr Zelensky publicly mentioned the "Maidan-3" campaign last November for the first time. Zelensky cited information from Ukrainian intelligence (HUR) and from Western countries.
Maidan refers to the 2014 EuroMaidan Revolution that led to the ousting of pro-Russian President Viktor Yanukovych, which culminated on Kyiv's Independence Square, known in Ukrainian as Maidan Nezalezhnosti.
The main goal of the "Maidan-3" plan is to divide Ukrainian society via disinformation, creating chaos in the state in order to remove the president by "any existing measures," Yusov said.
Yusov did not announce the complete list of those who participated in the "Maidan-3" campaign, but he said that "political traitors of Ukraine," along with Surkov and Kiriyenko, are on it.
Ukraine-based suspects could also be involved, according to Yusov.
"It does not mean that they agreed (to take part in the 'Maidan-3' campaign). The information is being checked," the military intelligence spokesperson added.
Yusov also told Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty that Russia has already allocated $1.5 billion for its disinformation campaign, including $250 million for spreading pro-Russian narratives only in Telegram channels.
"Maidan-3" could reach its most active stage in the period from March to May 2024, according to the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU).
"In the next few weeks, an enemy will put its every effort into spreading narratives, which are destructive for international security, and to fuel the conflicts in Ukraine and in other parts of the world, where the effective support of Ukraine is present," the SBU said on Feb. 27.
The attention to the "Maidan-3" destabilizing campaign has been revitalized amid the upcoming formal end of Zelensky's presidential term.
None of the parliamentary parties had stood up for holding presidential elections during the full-scale invasion. The financing of any elections was not also provided in the 2024 Ukraine's state budget.
Kateryna Hodunova is a News Editor at the Kyiv Independent. She previously worked as a sports journalist in several Ukrainian outlets and was the deputy chief editor at Suspilne Sport. Kateryna covered the 2022 Olympics in Beijing and was included in the Special Mentions list at the AIPS Sport Media Awards. She holds a bachelor's degree in political journalism from Taras Shevchenko University and a master's degree in political science from the National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy.
Liliane Bivings
