Ruslan Stefanchuk, the speaker of Ukraine's parliament, signed an order on May 8 to restore limited access for journalists to cover the legislature's work. Since the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022, journalists have been prohibited from attending plenary sessions due to security reasons. Ukraine's parliament also adopted a regulation on Sep. 6, 2022, forbidding live streaming of the sessions during martial law. Since then, the video recordings of the sessions have been uploaded with a delay on the parliament's YouTube channel. Only up to 30 journalists will be allowed to work...
Kyiv Independent (CA)
The embattled town of Chasiv Yar is "almost destroyed," but 679 people are still living there and have no desire to leave, Governor Vadym Filashkin said on May 8. Speaking to national television, Filashkin said it was becoming increasingly difficult for rescue and humanitarian workers to reach those that remained due to Russian shelling, with attempts only being made at night or early in the morning. Russian forces shifted their focus toward Chasiv Yar in Donetsk Oblast, an elevated town that potentially opens the way to further advances into the oblast, after capturing Avdiivka in February. "...
Kyiv Independent (CA)
Russia is forming a grouping of forces north of the city of Kharkiv, Governor Oleh Syniehubov said on national television on May 8. Moscow recently intensified attacks against Kharkiv, which had a population of 1.4 million in 2021, with the use of missiles, glide bombs, and drones, destroying energy infrastructure and killing civilians. Russian forces failed to take Kharkiv in the first weeks of the full-scale invasion despite the fact that the city lies less than 30 kilometers from the Russian border. Russia "would need years" to occupy Kharkiv, Oleksandr Pivnenko, a commander of Ukraine's Na...
Kyiv Independent (CA)
EU ambassadors agreed in principle on a measure for using profits from frozen Russian assets to support Ukraine's recovery and military needs, the Belgian Presidency of the EU said on May 8. Ukraine's Western partners and other allies froze around $300 billion in Russian assets at the start of the full-scale invasion in 2022. Roughly two-thirds are held in the Belgium-based financial services company Euroclear. "I welcome today's political agreement on our proposal to use the proceeds from immobilized Russian assets for Ukraine," European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on X. "T...
Kyiv Independent (CA)
A Ukrainian student attending Moscow State University detained three times by Russian authorities will be expelled from Russia, the Russian independent outlet news MediaZona reported on May 8. Serhii Hulko is currently being held in a detention center in Sakharovo just outside Moscow and will be sent to a third country – possibly Georgia – though the date of the expulsion is not yet known, his girlfriend Yana told MediaZona. According to the outlet, Hulko was first arrested on April 3 and detained for 10 days. After his release, he was detained again for writing "Glory to Ukraine!" on social m...
Kyiv Independent (CA)
The U.K. will expel a Russian defense attache, saying they are an "undeclared military intelligence officer," British Home Secretary James Cleverly said on May 8. Speaking to parliament, Cleverly said the move was in response to an increase in malign activity from the Kremlin, both in the U.K. and across Europe. "Today in conjunction with the Foreign Secretary (David Cameron), I am announcing a package of measures to make clear to Russia that we will not tolerate such apparent escalations," he said. "I can tell the House that we will expel the Russian defense attache, who is an undeclared mili...
Kyiv Independent (CA)
As Russia’s war drags on, it’s still early days for Ukraine’s reconstruction but issues are already lurking around one crucial component: cement. Rebuilding Ukraine after the war, which is unlikely to end any time soon and will continue to cause widespread destruction, is expected to cost $487 billion and will necessarily require a great deal of building materials. Cement is one of the main ingredients in concrete, used to build housing, roads, bridges, schools, hospitals, dams, and ports — all of which are regular targets of Russian attacks. Fighting in the country’s east and ongoing occupati...
Kyiv Independent (CA)
Russian forces attacked the village of Bilozerka and the city of Kherson on May 8, local governor Oleksandr Prokudin reported. Kherson and other regional settlements on the west bank of the Dnipro River have been subjected to near-daily Russian strikes since Ukraine liberated the area in November 2022, and Russian troops were pushed to the river's east bank. A 65-year-old woman was killed due to the strikeon Bilozerka. She was in her house when the attack happened, according to Prokudin. A 40-year-old man was hospitalized in serious condition with a blast injury and hands and face wounds. A 65...
Kyiv Independent (CA)
Ukrainian forces downed 39 of 55 missiles and 20 of 21 drones launched by Russian troops overnight on May 8, Air Force commander Mykola Oleshchuk said. Russia carried out a large-scale attack against Poltava, Kirovohrad, Zaporizhzhia, Lviv, Ivano-Frankivsk, Kyiv, and Vinnytsia oblasts, mainly targeting energy infrastructure. Three thermal power plants were damaged, according to Ukraine’s largest private energy company DTEK. The recent strikes also injured an 8-year-old child in Kirovohrad Oblast, as well as a 62-year-old woman and a 34-year-old man in Kyiv Oblast. Ukrainian anti-aircraft and e...
Kyiv Independent (CA)
The U.K., U.S., and Australia announced sanctions on the Russian leader of the cyber-crime gang, LockBit, the U.K.'s National Crime Agency (NCA) announced on May 7. Lockbit has become one of the most prolific ransomware groups in recent years, carrying out 3,000 cyberattacks in the U.S. and Europe and resulting in losses of billions of euros. The sanctions will target Dmitry Khoroshev, a Russian national who has been identified as one of the senior leaders of Lockbit. The NCA announced in February that it had taken control of Lockbit's services, allowing it to infiltrate the group's network. U...
Kyiv Independent (CA)
To continue enjoying content, please agree to our Terms of Use for Users that includes our collection and use of your browsing data, which is incorporated into our Privacy Policy.