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."
Workers dismantle a destroyed transformer at a missile-damaged electricity substation, operated by NPC Ukrenergo in 2023. (Illustrative purposes only) (Andrew Kravchenko/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Russian forces launched three overnight strikes against a thermal power plant in one of Ukraine's eastern oblasts but failed to halt its operations, Ukraine's state-owned energy operator Ukrenergo reported on Dec. 6.
As the cold weather sets in, Russia has ramped up its attacks against energy infrastructure in areas close to the front lines. Last fall and winter, Russian launched widespread attacks at the country's energy system, nearly causing its collapse in some areas.
For security reasons, Ukraine's state-owned and private energy companies do not generally disclose the exact locations of energy facilities that are targeted by Russian attacks.
"Despite numerous damages, the plant did not stop operating," read the statement by Ukrenergo.
Due to the damage, one of the power units reportedly shut down, resulting in a loss of heating in a nearby settlement.
The Ukrainian energy conglomerate DTEK, the owner of the plant, reported that the attack damaged equipment but inflicted no casualties.
Work to restore the energy supply for the affected settlement is underway, the company said.
Despite the extensive damage Ukraine's energy infrastructure suffered in late 2022 and early 2023, Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal vowed that the power grid would be ready to meet the challenges of the coming winter.
Such preparations in Kyiv Oblast included building physical protection for the power stations.
Martin Fornusek is a news editor at the Kyiv Independent. He has previously worked as a news content editor at the media company Newsmatics and is a contributor to Euromaidan Press. He was also volunteering as an editor and translator at the Czech-language version of Ukraïner. Martin studied at Masaryk University in Brno, Czechia, holding a bachelor's degree in security studies and history and a master's degree in conflict and democracy studies.
Dominic Culverwell
