Author’s articles
On 14 May 2026, Orthodox Christians commemorate Saint Isidore the Martyr, an early Christian saint who lived in the 3rd century and died for his faith in Christ. For Western Christians, this day also marks the Ascension of the Lord.
In the first four months of 2026, international companies providing digital services to Ukrainian users paid over 6.9 billion hryvnia in ‘Google tax’ to the state budget. This is 1.5 billion hryvnia more than in the same period last year.
The National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) and the Specialised Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO) have exposed a former prosecutor at the Slobozhanskyi District Prosecutor’s Office in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast for soliciting an illegal benefit of $80,000. According to the investigation, he allegedly demanded the money in exchange for a ‘lenient’ charge against a notary and a plea bargain resulting in a minimum sentence.
In Ukraine, people with a Group III disability will be entitled in 2026 to a disability pension, social assistance under certain conditions, and employment, medical, rehabilitation and transport support. The level of support depends on the cause of the disability, length of service, income, the individual’s status and the findings of an assessment of their daily functioning.
Forecasters are warning of a prolonged spell of extreme heat across parts of the Northern Hemisphere. In countries across Asia and the Middle East, temperatures could rise to between 40 and 48 degrees even in the shade, and the nights will not bring any significant relief from the heat.
Ukraine’s entry at Eurovision 2026, performed by LELEKA, is expected to cost around $300,000. The singer has stated that her team has already secured over 93% of the required budget, although just over 80% had been raised by the time she left Ukraine.
A single day of full-scale war with Russia costs Ukraine around $450 million. This was stated by Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiga at the PISM Strategic Ark Conference, an international security conference held in Poland.
Ukrzaliznytsia JSC has changed its approach to booking and reserving seats in special carriages following a response from Ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets. This came about after a woman with a Group I disability since childhood contacted the company; she had been unable to purchase a ticket in time and consequently missed the opportunity to undergo a necessary medical examination.
Ihor Kolykhaiev, the mayor of Kherson, who has been held captive in Russia since 2022, has been included on the lists for a prisoner exchange on a 1,000-for-1,000 basis. This was announced by Viktor Gordienko, head of the Association of Farmers and Private Landowners of Kherson Oblast, following a conversation with Ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets.
Dmytro Lubinets, the Verkhovna Rada’s Human Rights Commissioner, has stated that the number of complaints regarding violations of citizens’ rights during mobilisation has increased 333-fold compared to 2022. According to him, the Ombudsman’s Office has received over 6,000 such complaints.
The Supervisory Board of Energoatom received information from the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) that may indicate possible criminal offences committed by certain company officials. Following this, the company ordered an internal investigation, suspended several employees and initiated a reorganisation of its physical security and economic security departments.
On 12 May, the Appeals Chamber of the High Anti-Corruption Court dismissed the appeal lodged by Yulia Tymoshenko’s defence team against the investigating judge’s refusal to revoke the notice of suspicion. The court concluded that the witness statements, together with other evidence—in particular the funds seized during the search, correspondence and investigation materials—are sufficient to justify suspicion at this stage of the proceedings.
