Exclusives
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Ukraine is lofting its AI drones 8,000 meters up—then letting them glide into Russia. With help from a balloon, a Hornet AI drone could double its striking range. |
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Ukraine threw out the international rulebook after firefighters stood helpless against burning mined forests. The international demining playbook does not cover Russia’s war—Ukraine is writing one as it goes. |
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Ukraine’s traditional vyshyvanka embroidered shirt submitted for UNESCO cultural heritage recognition. The embroidered shirt has become one of the country’s strongest cultural symbols both at home and abroad. |
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Philippines sends 40 generators to Ukraine through EU scheme as relationship deepens. Manila ships Ukraine 40 generators through the EU's rescEU framework — deepening a Manila-Kyiv relationship that didn't exist before Zelenskyy's 2024 visit. |
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Why Ukraine could not have held a wartime election on 15 May—the operational figures behind a lapsed deadline. Numbers from Ukraine’s own election commission, walked through at the Lviv Media Forum last week, explained why a 15 May vote was never possible. |
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Putin and Xi signed “multipolar world” declaration that teads as repudiation of what Russia is doing in Ukraine. The declaration's principles include respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all states. |
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Putin’s top foreign-policy aide disavows “Spirit of Anchorage” Kremlin has pushed for months after Putin’s visit to Beijing. In October he publicly defended the "spirit of Anchorage." Today he said he never used the phrase. |
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Kazakh court authorizes forced collection of $1.4 billion from Gazprom for Ukraine’s Naftogaz. A Zurich-seated tribunal ordered Gazprom to pay $1.37 billion in principal for unpaid transit services in June 2025. |
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Russia’s drones are trying to dogfight. They probably can’t beat F-16s—but An-28s should worry. Lag in Russia's command network protects fast jets. Helicopters less so |
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Russia threatens Latvia with “just retribution.” Von der Leyen calls it “absolutely unacceptable”. Latvia's government already resigned last week over its handling of the incursions. |
Military
Ukrainian forces seize tactical initiative across frontline, Syrskyi says. Ukrainian counterattacks have liberated more than 400 square kilometers of southern Ukraine in winter and spring 2026, with further gains in Kupiansk and Zaporizhzhia.
"In 2022, offensive came from territory of Belarus": Zelenskyy announces stronger northern defenses and "other things". The message was direct: funding for all defensive measures on the Chernihiv–Kyiv axis is available.
Ukrainian strike on Russian FSB and Pantsir-S1 kills or injures around 100 Russian troops – Zelenskyy says. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced the strike in a Facebook video and attributed it to the SBU's Special Operations Center "A."
Partisans burned locomotive in Saint Petersburg, disrupting key rail routes in Russia's northwestern logistics network, ATESH claims. The partisan network claims the engine was used for oil cargo transport and taken out of service after the attack.
Fire breaks out at Syzran oil refinery as drone attack hits Samara region. One processing unit was burning at the plant, which is involved in supplying Russia's armed forces, Telegram channels reported.
Russia-Belarus nuclear drills end with simulated launches; targets not made public. Russia and Belarus jointly released a video on 21 May showing nuclear munitions arriving at field storage points.
Russian overnight strikes kill two in Kharkiv and Chernihiv oblasts. Ukraine's Air Force said it intercepted 109 of 117 weapons launched; the missile and five drones struck targets across the country.
After more than 1,200 Russian strikes on Ukraine's railway, Ukrzaliznytsia says this summer will be hardest. Since the full-scale invasion began, roughly 17,300 railway infrastructure facilities and pieces of rolling stock have been affected.
Intelligence and technology
Ukraine's Blyskavka kamikaze drone gets new detail that gave 30% to its range. Around $880 buys a Ukrainian drone that flies 80 kilometers and carries an 8-kilogram warhead.
Kyiv moves to scale low-cost interceptor missiles to counter cost imbalance in defending against Russian Shahed strikes. Ukraine says low-cost air defense systems are now doubling interception rates while cutting reliance on expensive missiles.
Russia is preparing new campaign through 15+ Western "proxy outlets" to undermine Ukraine's external support, Ukrainian Foreign Intelligence says. EU media monitors have documented one of the named outlets calling Ukraine "a puppet state founded and run by the CIA."
International
Ukraine's demining equipment manufacturers get access to two new markets through Japan. Ukraine is exporting demining expertise to Colombia, and now Syria.
Latvia issues drone alert over three eastern municipalities, deploys additional air defense. Latvia's military told residents in the Ludza, Krāslava, and Rēzekne municipalities to follow the two-wall principle and call 112.
Poland's defense minister tells Kyiv: be "more precise" with drone strikes. Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz delivered the message from a press conference in Estonia, blaming Russian electronic warfare for redirecting Ukrainian flight paths and warning that Moscow is mining each Baltic incident for propaganda.
Humanitarian and social impact
"Human safari" and double strikes on medics: Ukraine's UN envoy lays out the case to boot Russia from the Security Council. Civilian casualties in Ukraine rose 93% in 2026 compared to 2024, making the first four months of this year the deadliest for Ukrainian civilians since the war began.
Political and legal developments
Russia forced Ukrainians to build military fortifications: Ukraine submits new materials on 1,800 prisoners to ICC. When Russia retreated from Kherson in November 2022, it took 2,000 Ukrainian prisoners with it. Most are still there.
Ukraine lets local governments directly fund community air defense units, expanding decentralization efforts. Local governments will now be able to finance territorial air defense groups operating under Air Force coordination.
Merz proposes interim EU "associate member" status for Ukraine. Berlin's plan would extend the bloc's mutual defense clause and partial budget access during wartime, with a snap-back clause if rule-of-law standards slip.
Read our previous daily review here.
