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."
A general view of the Crimean Bridge which connects Russian-occupied Crimea and Russia's Krasnodar region on July 25, 2023. (Stringer/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
Russian and Chinese state-connected business executives have reportedly begun discussing the possibility of constructing an underwater tunnel across the Crimean Strait amidst fears that Ukrainian forces will continue striking the Kerch Bridge, The Washington Post reported on Nov. 24, citing unnamed sources from Ukraine's intelligence service.
The sources shared the intercepted emails to The Washington Post to allegedly expose the project and the potential Chinese involvement. The emails were corroborated by information that The Washington Post separately acquired.
Neither Chinese officials nor representatives of the Chinese and Russian companies supposedly involved responded to requests for comment, The Washington Post said.
Among the revelations from the leaked emails were communications between executives from Chinese and Russian companies that said meetings on the proposed project have allegedly already occurred.
One such email notes that the state-owned Chinese Railway Construction Corporation, CRCC, was "ready to ensure the construction of railway and road construction projects of any complexity in the Crimean region.”
The nature of the emails reflects the lengths to which China is attempting to maintain secrecy about the proposed project, with several intercepted communications saying that the CRCC's name be hidden from all documents and that it would only participate with a “strict provision of complete confidentiality."
Nonetheless, U.S. officials whom The Washington Post spoke to were surprised that China would potentially be willing to even consider being involved in such a risky project.
Beyond the likelihood of sanctions being leveled at any company participating in the tunnel project, it would also face the threat of strikes from the Ukrainian military. The illegally constructed Kerch Bridge connecting occupied Crimea to Russia has already been struck on more than one occasion.
The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) took credit for an attack on the bridge on July 17 that damaged sections of the road.
An underwater tunnel would be less susceptible to attack and thus would provide a more durable connection.
The proposal to create an underwater tunnel, if true, illustrates the extent of Russian security concerns about the bridge.
The project would cost at least $5 billion, an engineer told The Washington Post, and several years to complete. More advanced construction methods involving dredging ships would be difficult to use due to security reasons. The project would also require the constant protection of the Russian military.
The length of the project shows that Russia is likely considering that Ukrainian threats to Crimea will likely exist for the foreseeable future. Even if started immediately, the tunnel would be unlikely to contribute to Russia's war effort anytime soon.
Nate Ostiller is a former News Editor at the Kyiv Independent. He works on special projects as a researcher and writer for The Red Line Podcast, covering Eastern Europe and Eurasia, and focused primarily on digital misinformation, memory politics, and ethnic conflict. Nate has a Master’s degree in Russian and Eurasian Studies from the University of Glasgow, and spent two years studying abroad at Kyiv-Mohyla Academy in Ukraine. Originally from the USA, he is currently based in Tbilisi, Georgia.
The Kyiv Independent news desk
