Author’s articles
During a night-time attack on Kyiv on 14 May, Russia destroyed the offices of the Ukrainian defence company Skyeton. The company stated that there were no casualties and that production of unmanned aerial systems would continue, as production facilities had been relocated in advance to various regions of Ukraine and abroad.
A bill entitled “On the System of Long-Term Military Service and the Reserve” has been tabled in the Verkhovna Rada. The bill proposes that, following 12 months of basic military service, citizens should automatically be enrolled in the active reserve for a period of five years.
During a Russian night-time attack on Kyiv, 30-year-old Ukrainian ice hockey player Yuriy Orlov, who played for the Kyiv-based clubs “Kryzhinka-Kompaniyon” and “Generals”, was killed. According to Sport.ua, the athlete died alongside his girlfriend.
Germany plans to provide Ukraine with at least €11.5 billion in military aid this year. The Ministry of Defence has stated that support is gradually shifting from direct supplies to a defence partnership, which involves investment in Ukrainian and joint arms production.
Scott-Vincent Borba, co-founder of the cosmetics brand e.l.f. Cosmetics, has renounced his worldly possessions and is preparing to become a Catholic priest. His ordination is due to take place on 23 May in his hometown of Visalia, California.
Foxconn, one of the world’s largest electronics manufacturers for Apple, Google, NVIDIA and other tech companies, has confirmed a cyberattack on some of its facilities in North America. The hacker group Nitrogen has claimed to have stolen over 11 million files.
The government has updated the rules governing the registration and deregistration of young children for families of prisoners of war and those missing in action. Consent from the other parent is no longer required if that parent is a prisoner of war or has been declared ‘missing in action’.
Latvian Prime Minister Evika Silina has submitted her resignation to the Saeima. The entire government has resigned along with her.
Members of the European Parliament have called on the European Commission to review its approach to the application of the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) in relation to Ukraine. The European Parliament emphasises that the current military situation may justify special arrangements, as the strict implementation of the CBAM could have a negative impact on Ukrainian exporters.
King Charles III of the United Kingdom stated during the opening of the new parliamentary session that the British government would continue to support Ukraine. The monarch emphasised that London would continue to assist the Ukrainian people in their fight for freedom.
Ukraine needs to gradually transition to market-based tariffs for gas, electricity, heating and hot water. According to participants in the RRR4U consortium’s public online discussion, current tariffs cover only around a third of the actual cost of utility services.
A legal dispute is ongoing in Kyiv over the dismantling of the Ferris wheel in Podil. The owner of the attraction, French businessman Louis Toutain, stated during the latest hearing that he may take the matter to an international court over the prosecutor’s office’s demands to remove the structure.
