Ukraine Breaking News Today Live on 05-06-2025

Russian gas imports have continued to make up a fraction of the EU energy supply after Moscow’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine.

The EU has released a two-step plan to end all Russian gas imports by 2027 on Tuesday, May 6.

The decision came after Bloomberg reported on Monday that the bloc was drafting a plan. 

Kyiv has intercepted several unidentified drones that, despite their crude appearance, include AI-powered components allowing them to autonomously identify and target objects.

Russia is believed to have been deploying experimental drones that include artificial intelligence (AI) enhanced components in recent months.

While crude on the outside, the drones boast a range of high-end digital components that indicate the probable use of AI to improve targeting and accuracy.

The victory of Romania’s far-right candidate in the rebooted presidential elections has sent shockwaves across the country and beyond – this is why it might be bad for Ukraine and NATO.

A far-right candidate won the first round of Romania’s rebooted elections, and now the prime minister has resigned in response. 

With Romania being a key member state of NATO’s eastern flank defense, the turmoil might have a lasting impact on the region’s security for years to come. 

Federich Merz has secured enough votes in Germany’s Bundestag after a historic upset earlier the same day when he failed to secure a majority.

Federich Merz, leader of Germany’s CDU/CSU bloc, has become the new German chancellor after securing a narrow majority during the second round of votes on Tuesday in the country’s Bundestag. 

The results came after Merz failed to secure a majority during the first round of voting on Tuesday morning – the first in modern German history. 

Ukraine needs to inject 7.2 billion cubic meters of gas to secure enough supply for the winter, with up to 5 billion cubic meters likely needing to come from imports.

As of May 1, Ukraine’s underground gas storage held 5.7 billion cubic meters, or 18.4% of its designed capacity and 33% less than at the same period last year, the consulting agency ExPro reported.

Russian strikes on Ukrainian gas infrastructure at the start of 2025 have reportedly deprived Ukraine of 50% of its domestic production capability, meaning the country will need to import more gas for the heating season from European partners.

Canada must enforce its anti-hate propaganda laws to prohibit public support for Russia’s genocidal war in Ukraine, including barring symbols like “Z.”

Canada has measures to combat hate propaganda.

Section 318 of the Criminal Code provides that:

Kyiv Post’s correspondent spoke with several families who have been searching for answers for years.

Ukraine and Russia have completed another significant prisoner exchange on Tuesday, May 6, with 205 Ukrainian defenders released from Russian captivity.

“Ours are free. Ours are at home,” President Volodymyr Zelensky announced on Telegram following the return of 205 Ukrainian POWs.

Kremlin mouthpiece Peskov reaffirmed that Russia’s “truce initiative” remains in effect after Putin had allegedly given the order to halt offensive action.

Russian President Vladimir Putin’s spokesperson, Dmitry Peskov, issued a stark warning to Ukraine, stating that Moscow will provide an “adequate response” if Kyiv continues its attacks during the so-called “three-day truce” arbitrarily declared by Putin in honor of “Victory Day.”

Putin announced that he had ordered a three-day ceasefire in Russia’s war on Ukraine from May 8-11, aligning with Moscow’s World War II Victory Day commemorations, according to a Kremlin statement issued on April 28.

The move comes as British ministers have officially named Russia as a national security threat for the first time.

The UK is quietly updating its secret Cold War-era plans for how to respond if the country comes under attack – including conventional and nuclear missile strikes or cyberattacks.

The plan outlines what the government would do during a war, including how to keep its roads, railways, and communications running, protecting ministers and the royal family.

Ukraine has detained an alleged Russian spy from within its ranks in the Kharkiv region who supplied troop locations – including that of his own unit – to Russian intelligence.

Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) has arrested an alleged Russian mole within the ranks of one of its combat brigades fighting in the Kharkiv region in eastern Ukraine.

In its Tuesday press release, the SBU said the suspect was serving as a contract soldier in the Kupyansk sector, from where he leaked troop locations – including that of his own unit – to his handler from Russia’s Military Intelligence (GRU).

Russia reportedly deceived Kazakhstan into handing over as many as 40 of its Tupolev Tu-95MS bombers - more than the Kremlin had in its own arsenal at the time.

Russia reportedly stole dozens of Tu-95MS bombers from Kazakhstan in 1992 using a devious scheme that enabled it to exchange its outdated models for Almaty’s more modern aircraft.

The theft, largely unknown until now, reportedly boosted Moscow’s bomber fleet by one and a half times and has gone unpunished for over three decades.

Romania has appointed a new interim prime minister after the surprise rise of a far-right candidate in presidential elections plunged the country into political uncertainty.

Romania’s political crisis deepened on Tuesday as Interior Minister Cătălin Predoiu was named interim prime minister, following the resignation of Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu on Monday – just two weeks ahead of the presidential runoff vote.

As fear of Russia’s intentions towards the Baltic states increases, Vilnius is upping its contribution to the “Baltic Line of Defense” system.

As concerns grow about the threat from Russia resulting from Moscow’s war on Ukraine, Lithuanian’s Ministry of Defense announced on Monday that it will spend €1.1 billion ($1.25 billion) over the next ten years to bolster its eastern border’s defenses.

Lithuania shares a border with Russia’s Kaliningrad exclave and north-west Belarus and along with Latvia and Estonia are preparing to resist any attempt by the Kremlin to invade.

Russia launched a two-hour drone blitz on Kharkiv overnight, hitting four city districts. A separate drone attack in the Odesa region killed one person and damaged civilian infrastructure.

Russia launched a massive overnight drone assault on Kharkiv on May 5/6, injuring at least four people and causing widespread fires and destruction across the city, local officials said.

“For two hours, Kharkiv was under a massive attack by enemy combat drones. During this time, 17 hits were recorded in the city,” wrote Mayor Ihor Terekhov on Telegram at 05:52.

Merz received 310 votes in favor, falling short of the 316 required for a majority. This marks the first time such an outcome has occurred in the history of Germany.

Friedrich Merz, leader of the CDU/CSU bloc, was not elected as Germany’s new chancellor after failing to secure enough votes in the first round of voting in the Bundestag on Tuesday, May 6.

Merz received 310 votes in favor, falling short of the 316 required for a majority. A total of 307 deputies voted against him, while three abstained. Following the vote, a break was called in the Bundestag session for political groups to discuss their next steps.

Russia entices Ukrainians to betray their country with money, promises, or prestige – like sending a defector to space – turning propaganda into cosmic theater.

What is the easiest way to motivate people to betray their country?

 Promising them large enough sums of money is probably the answer, and you might not even have to pay. This is the logic followed by Russia when recruiting ordinary Ukrainian citizens to commit acts of terrorism or sabotage in their own neighborhoods.

Tyotkino in Russia’s Kursk Oblast has served as a drone training ground since 2022, used for attacks on Ukraine’s Sumy region, Sunday’s strike was a strategic success.

The Ukrainian Air Force struck a Russian UAV control point in the Tyotkino area of Russia’s Kursk region on May 4 from which reconnaissance and strike drones were operated. Ukraine’s General Staff said up to 20 Russian servicemen were killed and key equipment was destroyed.

“On May 4, the Air Force successfully struck a control point for enemy UAV units in the area of the Tyotkino settlement of Kursk Oblast,” the General Staff wrote on Telegram.

According to Russia’s Labor Ministry, the country faces a labor shortage of 1.5 million workers, which could rise to 2.4 million by 2030.

North Korea has sent 15,000 workers to Russia to help alleviate a labor shortage driven by Moscow’s military losses in Ukraine and falling birth rates, The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) has reported, citing South Korean intelligence.

Pyongyang has been one of Russia’s strongest allies since the Kremlin launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

White House sees Ukraine minerals deal as a ‘leverage’ over Russia. Former diplomats say Putin’s greed and arrogance could alienate Trump, who otherwise might be on his side, to some degree.

Top US and European analysts on Monday expressed cautious optimism over US President Donald Trump’s desire to bring Russia’s war to an end in the near future, while also noting that the days for the Ukrainians and EU allies to fear about potential Kremlin-White House agreement behind their back “are over,” Kyiv Post’s Washington correspondent reports.

“Today, we are no longer in Europe or in Kyiv expecting a Russian-American deal [behind Ukraine’s back] and that’s good news,” says Marie Mendras, a specialist in Russian affairs at the Paris-based Center for International Study and Research.

Germany became the second-biggest military backer of Ukraine after the United States, and despite its post-war pacifist tradition sent huge quantities of defence goods to Kyiv.

Chancellor Olaf Scholz vowed on Monday that Germany will keep supporting Ukraine in his final call with President Volodymyr Zelensky, a day before stepping aside to make way for Friedrich Merz.

Scholz has been a vocal supporter of Ukraine since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in 2022.

Open-source satellite images have revealed an apparent redeployment of Tupolev TU-95 strategic bombers to the Belaya airbase, 4,000 kilometers from Ukraine.

The open-source intelligence (OSINT) analyst MT Anderson posted commercial satellite images of the remote Russian armed forces air base located in eastern Siberia on X on Monday, May 5 that showed the presence of ten Tupolev Tu-95 (NATO: Bear). Also located in the base were several Ilyushin Il-76 and Antonov An-26 transport aircraft, along with large numbers of other aircraft including Tupolev Tu-22 supersonic bombers, Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-31 Kinzhal capable aircraft and Sukhoi Su-27 fighter aircraft.

The Belaya base is located in Russia’s Irkutsk region around 85 kilometers (51 miles) northwest of Irkutsk city and more than 4,000 kilometers (2,500 miles) from Ukraine. During the Cold War it was an important location for some of the Soviet Union’s nuclear capable bombers.

Flights were restricted at major Moscow airports and other cities due to a drone threat. A ‘Carpet’ security protocol was enacted, though Sheremetyevo operations remained largely unaffected.”

A series of overnight drone attacks forced flight restrictions at more than a dozen Russian airports and triggered air alerts across multiple regions on Tuesday, May 6. 

The strikes come just days before Moscow hosts a major military parade marking Victory Day, with President Vladimir Putin and several world leaders expected to attend.

Ukraine’s 3rd Assault Brigade reveals the Dragon H73, a DIY mobile air defense system combining Soviet R-73 missiles with an American Humvee to target drones and warplanes.

Ukrainian forces have unveiled a domestically produced, improvised mobile air defense system that mixes Cold War-era Soviet missiles with an American Humvee, calling it the Dragon H73.

The 3rd Separate Assault Brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine announced the creation of the weapon on its Facebook page, describing it as a powerful tool against drones and tactical aircraft.

Latest from the Institute for the Study of War.

Key Takeaways from the ISW:

• Russian sources claimed on May 5 that Ukrainian forces conducted a series of limited attacks across the Russia-Ukraine international border near Tetkino, Kursk Oblast.
• The Russian military command reportedly recently redeployed elements of the 68th Army Corps and 58th Combined Arms Army to the Toretsk direction from the Kurakhove and western Zaporizhia directions.
• Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Czech President Petr Pavel announced on May 4 that Czechia will work with Ukraine to establish a school to train Ukrainian pilots on F-16 fighter jets outside of Ukraine.
• Russian forces recently advanced near Vovchansk, Siversk, Toretsk, Kurakhove, and Velyka Novosilka.

“Russians are using less and less heavy equipment and more assaults with light, improvised equipment, small infantry groups. This trend is likely to grow by summer,” an AFU official explains.

Instead of heavy equipment, Russian invading forces are increasingly using small infantry groups with improvised equipment supported by drones, Maj. Viktor Trehubov, a spokesperson for the Khortytsia operational and strategic group of troops, said on state television.

“The Russians are using less and less heavy equipment and more and more assaults with light, improvised equipment, small infantry groups, and this trend is likely to grow by summer,” Trehubov said. “This is due to both the fact that they are simply losing heavy equipment and the fact that they are changing the specifics of their use of forces based on the situation.”

Ciolacu’s resignation “comes at the worst possible moment, adding political risks and fears” in a country struggling with the highest deficit in the EU. Moscow watches Ukraine’s neighbor closely.

Romania’s pro-EU Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu on Monday announced his resignation, deepening political turmoil a day after a far-right candidate topped the first round of a tense presidential vote rerun.

Far-right EU critic George Simion topped Sunday’s election first round, while the ruling coalition’s candidate narrowly lost out to Bucharest’s mayor, Nicusor Dan, for the second spot.