Author’s articles
Valeriy Zaluzhny stated that Ukraine must move towards “smart mobilisation”, which takes into account the new nature of warfare, the development of unmanned systems, the demographic crisis and the need for a long-term defence strategy. According to him, demobilisation is only possible as a result of systemic changes, rather than as an end in itself.
New Zealand has announced a new package of sanctions targeting Russian cyber entities, online platforms, propagandists and others involved in supporting Russia’s war against Ukraine. The sanctions apply to 20 individuals and companies.
Ukraine and Finland are stepping up their cooperation on the development of distributed generation. During a meeting with Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo, Ukrnafta and the Finnish company Wärtsilä signed a framework agreement on the supply of equipment for gas piston power plants.
Ruslan Stefanchuk, Speaker of the Verkhovna Rada, has stated that claims regarding inadequate preparation and insufficient discussion of the draft new Civil Code are untrue. According to him, work on the document has been ongoing for seven years, with over 300 experts involved in its preparation.
Russia plans to plunder at least 18 deposits of valuable raw materials in the temporarily occupied territories of southern Ukraine. According to Ukrainian intelligence, these include titanium, lithium, tantalum, niobium, zirconium, molybdenum and graphite.
The Ukrainian operator Kyivstar has expanded its partnership with Starlink and will now be able to sell the company’s satellite internet and equipment to businesses, schools, universities, hospitals and public clinics in Ukraine.
On 12 May, the Verkhovna Rada may consider three bills at once introducing changes to tax and customs regulations. These relate to the taxation of digital platforms, new rules for international parcels, and amendments to the Customs Code.
An indictment has been filed against Lieutenant Yuriy Kim, a platoon commander in the 234th Guards Airborne Assault Regiment of the 76th Airborne Division of the Russian Armed Forces. According to the investigation, in March 2022 his unit committed at least 20 crimes against civilians and 17 murders of civilians in Bucha.
An altercation took place in Odessa involving businessman Valery Tverdovsky, the owner of the Palladium and Itaka clubs. According to the businessman, members of the Traffic Police used pepper spray against him when he tried to intervene following a road traffic accident involving an acquaintance of his.
Ihor Negulevskyi, a Member of Parliament for the “Servant of the People” party, who was notified by NABU and the SAPO in late 2025 that he was under investigation in a case concerning the payment of MPs for their votes, had recently begun renting an estate of almost 800 square metres in Kozin. Journalists found an advertisement for the rental of this house for $5,000 a month.
On 21 May, Vyshyvanka Day, Ukrainians are being urged to take part in a new campaign called ‘The Embroidered Ribbon of Remembrance’. Its aim is to honour the defenders who gave their lives for Ukraine.
On 7 May, according to the new church calendar, Ukraine celebrates the Lyubets Icon of the Mother of God – one of the oldest sacred sites in the Chernihiv region. Locally, this day is known as Kupalnytsia and is associated with water, gardening, omens regarding the harvest, and prohibitions against quarrelling, gossip and fortune-telling.
