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."
Ukrainian soldiers fire artillery on Russian positions on the front-line city of Avdiivka, Donetsk Oblast, on July 27, 2023. (Diego Herrera Carcedo/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
Russia has lost at least a brigade of troops trying to besiege and capture Avdiivka in Donetsk Oblast during its latest offensive, President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Oct. 27.
A brigade in the Russian army can include between 2,000 and 8,000 personnel, according to open sources.
"Russia will continue trying to occupy the entire Donbas," Zelensky told U.K. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak in a phone call. "The invaders made several attempts to surround Avdiivka, but each time, our soldiers stopped them and pushed them back, causing painful losses."
Russia has been intensifying its attacks against Avdiivka, a front-line town a few kilometers north of occupied Donetsk, for several weeks. Moscow has reportedly thrown in extensive force in an effort to encircle the town, suffering heavy losses in manpower and equipment in the process.
Except for the situation on the battlefield, Zelensky and Sunak discussed further support for Ukraine, the country's air defense needs, and the security situation in the Black Sea, according to the Presidential Office.
Zelensky assured Sunak that the temporary Black Sea corridor established by Ukraine after Russia terminated the UN-brokered grain deal would continue operating "despite all threats." The two leaders discussed further steps in implementing insurance for civilian ships.
Ukraine's president also thanked Sunak for the U.K.'s £100 million (about $122 million) military aid package for Ukraine announced on Oct. 11.
The package includes a variety of military equipment that can be used to breach minefields, as well as the provision of the multi-use MSI-DS Terrahawk Paladin, a remote-controlled air-defense system that also has the capability to defend against ground threats.
Francis Farrell
