News

21 May 2026 marks several important dates in Ukraine. The third Thursday in May is Vyshyvanka Day, whilst Orthodox Christians celebrate the Ascension of the Lord. On this day, Queen Helena of Constantinople is also honoured, and people recall folk omens, family traditions and taboos associated with this major church holiday.

The US Army has announced that it is seeking a new, cost-effective interceptor for the Patriot system. In Washington, there is a drive to reduce the cost of intercepting drones and ballistic missiles and to speed up missile production, against a backdrop of increasing pressure on weapons stocks.

Washington believes that easing sanctions could help reduce Minsk’s dependence on Russia.

NATO has decided to step up security at its headquarters in Brussels against drones, against the backdrop of growing threats in Europe and the lessons learned from the war in Ukraine.

This year’s summer season for passenger transport will be more challenging than last year’s, due to a sharp rise in demand and a reduction in the number of carriages.

An earthquake measuring 5.6 on the Richter scale struck the Turkish province of Malatya on the morning of 20 May. The epicentre of the tremors was recorded in the Battalgazi district. Following the earthquake, schools in the area were closed, and people began to leave buildings and gather in open spaces.

France summoned the Israeli ambassador to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs following reports of the treatment of detained activists from the Global Sumud Flotilla. This refers to an international flotilla that was heading to Gaza on a humanitarian mission and was intercepted by Israeli forces.

The Latvian Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoned the Russian Embassy’s chargé d’affaires and lodged a protest over a public statement by the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service. Officials in Riga stated that the Russian side was spreading false information about the alleged use of Latvian territory and airspace to launch attacks on targets in Russia.

Ukrainians will be able to pay less for heating and hot water if, due to Russian attacks, these services were provided intermittently or were of significantly poorer quality. The government has clarified the adjustment mechanism: in such cases, consumers will only have to pay 20% of the cost of the service.

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has warned that it would escalate the conflict beyond the Middle East should the US and Israel resume their attacks. The statement came amid mixed signals from Washington regarding possible agreements with Tehran.

Azerbaijan and Georgia have signed an agreement to resume operations on the Baku–Supsa oil pipeline. The agreement provides for the conclusion of an operating contract covering the Georgian section of the pipeline.

Law enforcement officers in Odessa have uncovered a member of an international hacking group involved in the theft of user accounts on US online platforms. According to the investigation, the criminals compromised nearly 30,000 accounts and caused losses amounting to hundreds of thousands of dollars.