on Google
Russian officials and media propagandists are currently discussing the reasons for Russia’s defeat in Kharkiv Oblast, the Institute for the Study of War wrote in its last update. Originally, the Russian Defense Ministry explained the Russian defeat in Kharkiv Oblast similarly to the “gesture of goodwill” of its withdrawal from Snake Island, or to the decision to prioritize the “liberation” of Donbas following its defeat around Kyiv. However, the ISW writes that this time, this false narrative was met with significant online criticism. The U.S. think tank also said “Kremlin sources are now working to clear Putin of any responsibility for the defeat” and are trying to put the blame on “underinformed military advisors within Putin’s circle.”
Most Popular
Ukrainian 'Flamingo' missiles, drones strike Russian military factory, shut down Kirishi oil refinery
A grim record? Why more Russians are reportedly dying in Ukraine than ever before
Ukraine rejects Russia's 'Victory Day' truce after Moscow violates Kyiv's ceasefire
Ukrainian company unveils new mid-range drone designed to exhaust Russian air defenses
Ukraine war latest: Russia's Kirishi oil refinery stops production after drone strikes
News Feed Show More
Thursday, May 7
Ukrainian drones reportedly targeted a military logistics facility in Naro-Fominsk, Moscow Oblast, overnight on May 7, social media channels reported.
"In the southern Ukrainian lands currently under occupation, Russia plans to implement the same processes of looting and deindustrialization that it carried out in the captured Donbas region," President Volodymyr Zelensky said.
"If he unblocks aid to Ukraine but also goes to Russia, maybe we can forgive him," Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski said.
Thursday, May 7
Rustem Umerov, the secretary of Ukraine's National Security and Defense Council, is expected to meet U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff in Miami as early as this week, Bloomberg reported on May 6.
President Volodymyr Zelensky said on May 6 that Ukraine is preparing legislation to legalize private military companies, as Kyiv looks to create new postwar opportunities for veterans and expand its role in the global security sector.
(Updated: )
"We just don't see the point (to follow it) for the parade," a senior Ukrainian official told the Kyiv Independent.
The decision by Mykola Hladyshchenko, head of state-owned Sense Bank's supervisory board, follows the publication of alleged transcripts of audio tapes implicating the bank in the corruption scandal last week.
Kyiv rejected Russia's Victory Day truce after Moscow violated Ukraine's ceasefire 1,820 times and Russian attacks killed 26 civilians nationwide.
Ukrzaliznytsia has recorded 983 attacks on railway infrastructure since the start of 2026, with strikes also hitting passenger trains and causing civilian casualties.
The report describes the trend as a "deeply troubling trajectory in the war," finding a sustained pattern in which responders are repeatedly targeted while carrying out rescue operations, including after arriving at strike sites.
"Half of the FSB building is completely gone," the Crimean Wind Telegram channel wrote.
Russia cancels Victory Day celebrations in Crimea over 'safety concerns' amid Ukraine drone strikes.
"This decision by the authorities is based on security considerations," Crimea's head of Russian occupation authorities, Sergey Aksyonov, said.
The Kyiv Independent’s Martin Fornusek speaks with U.S. Congressman Mike Levin about shifting American support for Ukraine, internal political divisions in Washington, and the future of transatlantic alliances.
Editors' Picks
With Orban out, Slovakia's Fico shifts tone on Ukraine
Explainer: Is Zelensky implicated in Ukraine's largest corruption scandal, and what do the new tapes reveal?
Exclusive: Here's why Trump's envoys aren't going to Ukraine
